1 Quick Start

This chapter teaches you enough to play. It assumes someone has handed you a finished character sheet and a fistful of d6. The full rules are in the chapters that follow; this is the map.

1.1 The Three Modes

Play moves between three modes. The dice you roll and the choices you make change with each one.

Narrative mode is the default. The GM describes a scene, you say what your character does, and when the outcome is uncertain and the stakes matter, you roll. Travel, investigation, negotiation, heists, and downtime all live here.

Combat mode begins when violence breaks out. The fiction now turns around a single question: who is standing when it ends? Rolls get harder, turns get structured, and every action is a tactical choice. Positioning is tracked in the fiction — “behind cover,” “flanked,” “at the top of the stairs.”

Tactical skirmish mode is an optional zoom-in on combat. Use it when the map matters: grids, ranges, lines of sight, and action points. It replaces the combat turn structure, not the rules underneath it.

You will switch modes many times in a session. Moving between them is not a ritual — the GM simply says “roll initiative” or “back to the road,” and the table follows.

1.2 A Sample Character: Kira

The examples in this chapter follow one character. Her sheet is reproduced below; refer back to it whenever you need a concrete number.

Kira was built from the Thief playbook (Section 2.7). Her lifepath put her on the docks, then in trouble for seeing something she shouldn’t have, then in training under an old scout; her reputation was made when she spotted an ambush before it sprung. Her free ranks went into Shoot and Prowl — she is a scout with a crossbow, not a duelist.

1.3 Reading the Sheet

Kira’s sheet has a handful of blocks that matter at the table:

• Sixteen actions, each with a rank from 0 to 4. Ranks are the dice you roll. Rank 0 means you’re untrained and roll “traitor dice” instead (see Section 3.4). Rank 1 is novice. Rank 2 is competent. Rank 3 is expert. Rank 4 is master. Ranks 5 and 6 exist but are unlocked through advancement.
• Four attribute scores, derived from the ranks in each attribute’s actions. You roll these when you resist a consequence. Kira’s Finesse score is 4 because Shoot 2 + Prowl 2 = 4.
• A stress track, 9 boxes. Stress is your fuel — spend it to push yourself, assist an ally, resist harm, or power special abilities.
• A harm track, with slots for minor, moderate, and severe injuries.
• Special abilities, gear, and lifepath notes — the details that make Kira specifically Kira.

Ranks matter because they are the dice pool. When the GM asks Kira to Prowl up a slope, she picks up 2d6 — one die per rank. A rank 3 scout would roll 3d6; a rank 4 master, 4d6. The difference is the difference between “might make it” and “almost certainly makes it, and might do something spectacular.”

1.4 Rolling the Dice

The core mechanic is the same across all three modes: roll a pool of d6, count hits, compare to a difficulty.

Narrative rolls count a hit on 3+. Two out of three dice hit. The default difficulty is 1 — you need one hit to partially succeed, two or more to fully succeed, zero to fail. The GM raises difficulty when the task is unusually hard.

Combat rolls — specifically Strike and Defend — count a hit on 4+. Half your dice hit. Other actions used in combat (Study, Command, Move across a pit) still count hits on 3+. You compare hits against an enemy’s Defense (when you strike) or Attack (when you defend).

Tactical skirmish uses the same thresholds as combat, but the GM rolls dice for NPCs. Both sides are picking up d6.

The outcome table is the same everywhere:

Pairs of 6s explode. Each pair of sixes in your pool spawns one bonus die, rolled at the same threshold. Big pools see big moments.

1.5 Your Turn

In narrative mode, your “turn” is whenever the spotlight lands on you. The GM might ask directly (“What are you doing while this happens?”) or you might claim it. Your choices:

• Declare an action. Name what you’re trying to do and how. The GM picks the action rating that fits, sets position and difficulty, and you roll.
• Push yourself (2 stress, after the roll) for one bonus die or −1 difficulty.
• Assist an ally (1 stress) to give their roll +1d.
• Resist a consequence after the fact by rolling the relevant attribute score and paying 6 − highest die in stress.

In combat mode, turns are structured. On your turn you get:

• One action. Any of the sixteen — Strike with Fight, Defend with Move, Command a rally, Study a foe’s weakness, Tinker with a door latch while the fight rages around you.
• Movement to a new position in the scene. No roll unless the terrain makes it dangerous.
• Free interactions — draw a sword, shout a warning, kick open a door — small things that cost no time.

In skirmish mode, the same options exist but are paid for in action points: you bank a handful at the start of each turn and spend them on moves, actions, and reactions until they run out.

At any time, across any mode, the question the GM is really asking is: what does your character do now? The dice come out only when the answer is risky.

1.6 A Session at the Table

A short walk with Kira shows how the modes interlock.

The party approaches a watchtower at dusk. The GM describes the scene — loose scree underfoot, a silhouetted sentry on the wall. “Poor footing” is a −2 scene tag; “good vantage from below” is a +1.

Narrative. Kira wants to sneak up the slope. Prowl fits. The GM: “Risky position, difficulty 1.” Kira has Prowl 2, so she rolls 2d6 at 3+. She rolls 5 and 2 — one hit. One hit equals the difficulty, so it is a partial success: she makes it up, but a “noticed shape on the slope” tag is now in play for the sentry.

The sentry shouts. Steel comes out. Initiative — a Survey roll at difficulty 1.

Combat. Kira’s Sixth Sense ability means she cannot be surprised, so she acts first anyway — but she rolls Survey to see whether the rest of the party joins her. Survey 2, 2d6 at 3+. She rolls 4, 3 — two hits. Full success.

On her turn she chooses Shoot over Fight — the crossbow is loaded and the sentry is thirty feet up. The sentry’s Defense is 1. Kira has Shoot 2, so she rolls 2d6 at the combat threshold of 4+. She rolls 6 and 4 — two hits. Two against Defense 1 is a full success with one excess hit: a clean bolt through the throat, and Kira gains momentum.

Two more bandits round the tower. The GM, seeing a confined walkway and a drop, declares this is worth a map. Pull out the grid.

Skirmish. Action points now. Kira banks 4. She spends 2 to move across the walkway, 1 to drop prone behind a crate (cover), and 1 to Strike — same 2d6 at 4+ as before. Her momentum is still live; on a full success this turn she can spend it for +1 harm level on the bolt.

She rolls 5 and 5 — two hits. The bandit’s Defense is 1. Full success with one excess. She spends momentum: the bolt drops him outright. The last bandit surrenders. Back to narrative.

That is the shape of a session: conversation, risky moment, roll, consequence, new conversation. Modes change when the fiction demands it. Everything else in this book builds on what you just read.

2 Characters

Every character in the game is defined by three things: what they can do (their actions), what they can endure (their stress and harm tracks), and who they are (their background, built through the lifepath tables in their playbook).

Character creation is a guided process. You pick a playbook — Fighter, Priest, Mage, or Thief — and then roll on a series of tables that ask questions about your character’s past. Each answer grants action ranks, skills, items, or connections. By the end, you have a character with a history, relationships to the other player characters, and a mechanical foundation ready for play.

No roll is wasted and no roll is unfair. Every entry on every table grants the same total mechanical weight. The dice determine where your strengths lie, not whether you have them.

2.1 Actions & Attributes

Characters interact with the world through sixteen actions, grouped into four attributes. Each action has a rating from 0 to 4, measured in ranks. When you attempt something risky, you roll a number of d6s equal to the relevant action’s rating.

Each attribute contains four actions, one in each of four roles: Force (aggressive, direct), Explore (navigate, discover), Protect (defend, perceive), and Change (transform, reshape).

2.1.1 Body

Raw physical power, toughness, and athleticism. Body resists physical harm and exhaustion.

Fight (Force) Close combat. Melee weapons, grappling, shield work, brawling. Roll Fight when you engage an enemy at arm’s reach.

Move (Explore) Athletics and agility. Climbing, swimming, running, jumping, dodging. Roll Move when the obstacle is terrain or distance.

Endure (Protect) Toughness and stamina. Withstand pain, resist poison, march through the night, hold your breath. Roll Endure when you must simply survive what is happening to you.

Brawn (Change) Raw physical force. Lift a portcullis, break down a door, bend bars, haul a wounded ally to safety. Roll Brawn when the problem yields to strength alone.

2.1.2 Finesse

Precision, dexterity, and careful technique. Finesse resists threats that demand quick reactions.

Shoot (Force) Ranged combat. Bows, crossbows, thrown weapons, slings. Roll Shoot when your target is beyond arm’s reach.

Prowl (Explore) Stealth, sneaking, and skulking. Move quietly, hide in shadows, tail someone through a crowd, creep past a sleeping guard. Roll Prowl when you need to avoid being noticed.

Nimble (Protect) Sleight of hand, pickpocketing, palming objects, juggling, fine manual dexterity. Roll Nimble when you need quick, precise fingers and no one watching too closely.

Tinker (Change) Craft, repair, disable, and build. Mechanisms, traps, locks, alchemy, tools. Roll Tinker when you work with your hands on something intricate.

2.1.3 Mind

Knowledge, perception, and awareness — both mundane and supernatural. Mind resists confusion, illusions, and supernatural influence.

Hunt (Force) Track, search, navigate, and pursue. Follow a trail through the forest, find a hidden door, navigate by starlight. Roll Hunt when you are looking for something specific.

Study (Explore) Research, recall lore, analyze a substance, read a language, identify a spell. Roll Study when the answer is in your head or in a book.

Survey (Protect) Perception and awareness. Spot danger, assess a room, notice what’s out of place. Roll Survey when you need to take in your surroundings.

Attune (Change) Sense the supernatural. Feel the presence of magic, perceive spirits, interact with enchanted objects, read wards. Roll Attune when you reach beyond the material world.

2.1.4 Presence

Willpower, social force, and personal magnetism. Presence resists fear, social pressure, and manipulation.

Command (Force) Lead, intimidate, rally, and compel. Bark orders in combat, stare down a thug, inspire frightened soldiers. Roll Command when you impose your will on others through authority or force of personality.

Consort (Explore) Socialize, blend in, gather rumors, carouse, make friends. Roll Consort when you engage with people on their terms — fitting in at a tavern, impressing a noble at court, drinking with the guard.

Judge (Protect) Read people, sense motives, detect lies, gauge trustworthiness. Roll Judge when you need to know what someone is really thinking or whether a deal is what it appears to be.

Sway (Change) Persuade, deceive, negotiate, and seduce. Roll Sway when you want someone to believe something or agree to something, whether by honest argument or silver tongue.

2.1.5 Attribute Scores

Each attribute has a score equal to the total ranks in its four actions. A character with Fight 2, Move 1, Endure 2, and Brawn 1 has a Body score of 6. A character with no ranks in any Body action has a Body score of 0.

Attribute scores are derived — you never assign them directly. When you gain a rank in an action, the parent attribute’s score rises by one. The character sheet should track these totals.

Attribute scores are used throughout the game:

• Resistance rolls use your attribute score as the dice pool (see Section 3.9).
• Inventory slots equal 5 + Body score (see Section 7.1).

Starting characters have 8 total action ranks spread across all four attributes. Typical attribute scores at creation range from 0 to 6, depending on the playbook and lifepath results.

2.1.6 Ancestries

Every character has an ancestry — the species or lineage they were born into. Ancestry determines a handful of innate traits: how you see in the dark, whether you’re naturally tough or supernaturally lucky, what prejudices the world holds against you.

Ancestry is chosen during character creation, before assigning your free ranks (see Section 2.3.1). Your ancestry affects the total value of your starting build, but every ancestry is balanced against the same budget.

2.1.6.1 The Ancestry Economy

Every playbook grants 2 free action ranks plus 5 lifepath ranks, for 7 ranks before ancestry. Your ancestry adds the equivalent of one more rank, bringing total starting value to 8 — but not always as a literal rank.

Humans receive their ancestry bonus as a free action rank — any action, player’s choice. This makes humans the simplest and most flexible ancestry. Total: 3 free + 5 lifepath = 8 ranks.

Non-human ancestries trade that free rank for ancestry features: traits, situational bonuses, and drawbacks. The character has fewer raw ranks (2 free + 5 lifepath = 7) but gains abilities that no amount of training can replicate.

The following are roughly equivalent in value:

• One free action rank (humans)
• One situational +1D bonus, one trait, and one drawback
• One action rank from a specified attribute, one weak trait, and one drawback
• Two situational +1D bonuses and one drawback
• One strong trait (or three weak traits) and one drawback

Traits are innate abilities: darkvision, flight, natural armor, waterbreathing. A strong trait like flight reshapes how the character interacts with the world. A weak trait like darkvision is useful in specific situations but not game-changing.

Situational bonuses grant +1D on a specific action in specific circumstances. A dwarf gets +1D on Endure rolls against poison. An elf gets +1D on Notice rolls to spot hidden things. These bonuses stack with normal action ranks.

Drawbacks are limitations that come with the ancestry: small size restricting weapon choices, social stigma causing hostility from NPCs, vulnerability to a substance or environment. Drawbacks are always active — they cannot be bought off or trained away.

2.1.6.2 Core Ancestries

The following five ancestries are available in any campaign.

2.1.6.2.1 Human

Humans are the most common ancestry in most settings. They have no innate magical traits, no special senses, and no biological drawbacks. What they have is adaptability.

• +1 free action rank (any action, player’s choice)

No traits. No drawbacks. Humans are the baseline against which all other ancestries are measured. A human character has the most flexibility at creation — three free ranks to place anywhere.

2.1.6.2.2 Dwarf

Short, stocky, and dense-boned. Dwarves are renowned for their endurance, their craftsmanship, and their stubbornness. They carve kingdoms under mountains and outlive human dynasties.

• +1 action rank in a Body action (player’s choice of Fight, Move, Endure, or Brawn)
• Darkvision. Dwarves can see in complete darkness up to 60 feet. Darkvision is monochromatic and blurred — sufficient for navigation and combat, but not for reading or recognizing faces beyond 10 feet.
• Drawback — Slow. Dwarves have short legs and heavy frames. Their base movement is reduced by one range band in chase and pursuit situations. This does not affect combat movement.

2.1.6.2.3 Elf

Tall, slender, and long-lived. Elves are creatures of grace and keen perception. They live for centuries, and the weight of years makes them patient, proud, and sometimes alien to shorter-lived peoples.

• +1D on Notice rolls to detect hidden things — secret doors, concealed creatures, subtle disturbances.
• Enchantment resistance. Elves are immune to magical sleep and get +1D when resisting charm or compulsion effects.
• Drawback — Slight. Elves are lighter and less robust than humans. They suffer -1D on Endure rolls against brute physical force — being knocked down, resisting a grapple, withstanding a crushing blow.

2.1.6.2.4 Halfling

Small, round-featured, and easily underestimated. Halflings are quick, quiet, and inexplicably lucky. They prefer comfort over adventure, which makes the ones who do adventure all the more remarkable.

• Lucky. Once per session, a halfling may reroll a single die on any roll. The second result stands.
• +1D on Move rolls to hide or sneak. Halflings are small and naturally stealthy.
• Drawback — Small size. Halflings cannot use two-handed weapons or heavy armor. Large weapons (longswords, battle-axes) require two hands. Their inventory slots are reduced by 2 (minimum 4).

2.1.6.2.5 Half-Orc

Broad, powerful, and socially marginalized. Half-orcs inherit orcish strength and human cunning. Most grow up proving themselves — to orc kin who see them as weak, and to human communities that see them as dangerous.

• +1 action rank in a Body action (player’s choice)
• Tough. Half-orcs gain one additional Level 1 harm box (three instead of two).
• Drawback — Distrusted. Half-orcs face prejudice in most human settlements. Social actions with strangers who can see your orcish features suffer -1D unless you have established trust or reputation.

2.1.6.3 Extended Ancestries

The following ancestries are rarer and more unusual. They require the GM’s approval and are best suited to campaigns where their presence makes narrative sense.

2.1.6.3.1 Reptilian

Lizardfolk, saurians, or dragon-blooded — reptilians are scaled humanoids with an alien patience and a predator’s instincts. They come in sub-types adapted to different environments: swamp, desert, cavern, coast, or mountain.

• Scaly skin. Natural armor equivalent to light armor (1 armor). This stacks with worn armor up to a maximum of 4 total armor.
• +1D on Endure rolls against environmental extremes — heat, cold, drowning, thin air.
• Darkvision as dwarves.
• Drawback — Cold-blooded. In cold environments (snow, ice, frigid water), reptilians suffer -1D on all physical actions until they warm up. They are sluggish and vulnerable in winter.

2.1.6.3.2 Winged Folk

Bird-like humanoids with functional wings. Whether they are hawk- people, angel-blooded, or wind-touched humans, they can fly — a power that fundamentally changes how they interact with the world.

• Flight. Winged folk can fly at their normal movement rate. They cannot fly while over-encumbered or wearing heavy armor. Carrying another person halves their flight speed.
• Drawback — Claustrophobic. Winged folk suffer -1D on all actions in enclosed underground spaces. Narrow corridors and low ceilings are deeply uncomfortable. They cannot fly indoors unless the space has a ceiling of at least 20 feet.
• Drawback — Restricted armor. Winged folk cannot wear standard armor over their wings. Custom-made armor costs double and provides 1 less armor than normal.

2.1.6.3.3 Darkspawn

Darkspawn bear the blood of fiends — demons, devils, or darker things. The taint is visible: horns, tails, unusual eyes, ashen or reddish skin, clawed fingers. No two darkspawn look alike, but all carry the mark of their heritage.

• +1D when resisting magical effects (spells, curses, and supernatural compulsions).
• Fiend gift. Roll once on the Darkspawn Gifts table at character creation. This grants a minor supernatural ability.
• Drawback — Hell mark. Darkspawn are visibly inhuman. They cannot hide their nature without magical disguise. In most civilized settlements, they face fear, suspicion, or outright hostility. Social actions with strangers suffer -1D.

Darkspawn Gifts (roll 1D6):

2.1.6.4 Uncommon Ancestries

The following ancestries expand the roster for campaigns that want wider variety. Each offers a genuinely different play experience. The GM decides which, if any, are available.

2.1.6.4.1 Kobold

Small, cunning, and communal. Kobolds are reptilian creatures who live in warrens and rely on ingenuity over strength. They are natural trapmakers and miners who thrive in places other species find inhospitable.

• Trap sense. +1D on Notice rolls to detect traps and mechanical hazards, and +1D on Tinker rolls to disarm or build them.
• Darkvision as dwarves.
• Drawback — Small size. As halflings.

2.1.6.4.2 Goblin

Quick, scrappy, and hard to kill. Goblins are small, wiry survivors with sharp teeth and sharper instincts. Most surface folk consider them vermin — which goblins use to their advantage.

• Slippery. +1D on Move rolls to escape grapples, bonds, or pursuit.
• Darkvision as dwarves.
• Drawback — Small size. As halflings.
• Drawback — Distrusted. As half-orcs, but worse. Goblins are actively feared or despised in most settlements. -1D on all social actions with strangers, not just first impressions.

2.1.6.4.3 Fae-Touched

Not fully fey, but not entirely mortal. Fae-touched are born with a sliver of the Otherworld in them — a changeling child, a mortal kissed by a fairy queen, a bloodline that touched the fey realms generations ago. They are hauntingly beautiful or subtly wrong, and the world bends slightly around them.

• Glamour. Fae-touched can create minor sensory illusions at will — a whispered voice from the wrong direction, a shifting pattern of light, a faint scent of flowers. These illusions cannot deal harm or create solid objects. They last only as long as the fae-touched concentrates.
• +1D on Sway or Consort when using charm, seduction, or otherworldly allure.
• Drawback — Iron vulnerability. Contact with cold iron causes pain and disrupts the fae-touched’s supernatural abilities. While touching or bound by iron, they lose access to Glamour and all ancestry bonuses, and suffer -1D on all actions.

2.1.6.4.4 Half-Giant

Seven to eight feet tall and proportionally massive. Half-giants are the children of giant-blooded lineages — not true giants, but far larger than any human. They are immensely strong but conspicuous and poorly suited to the human-scaled world.

• +1 action rank in Brawn or Fight (player’s choice).
• Powerful build. +1D on Brawn rolls to lift, carry, or break things. Half-giants gain 3 additional inventory slots.
• Drawback — Conspicuous. Half-giants cannot hide in crowds, fit through narrow passages, or use standard-sized equipment without difficulty. Prowl and Move rolls to sneak or squeeze through tight spaces suffer -1D. Custom equipment costs double.

2.1.6.4.5 Beast Folk

Wolf-kin, cat-folk, bear-blooded, boar-people — beast folk are humanoids with pronounced animal traits. They walk upright and speak common tongues, but their senses, instincts, and features are unmistakably bestial. The specific animal varies by lineage.

• Natural weapons. Claws, fangs, or horns. Beast folk can fight unarmed without penalty, dealing harm as a light weapon.
• Keen senses. +1D on Hunt or Survey rolls that rely on smell, hearing, or animal instinct (tracking prey, sensing ambush, navigating by scent).
• Drawback — Distrusted. As half-orcs. Beast folk are seen as wild and unpredictable by most settled peoples.

2.1.6.4.6 Sea Elf

Aquatic kin of surface elves, adapted to life beneath the waves. Sea elves have gills, webbed fingers, and skin that ranges from pale blue to deep green. They are graceful swimmers and can breathe both air and water.

• Waterbreathing. Sea elves breathe water as easily as air. They swim at their full movement rate and suffer no penalties for acting underwater.
• +1D on all actions performed while fully submerged in water.
• Drawback — Dehydration. Sea elves must immerse themselves in water for at least one hour per day. For each day without immersion, they suffer -1D on all physical actions (cumulative, maximum -3D). Full immersion resets the penalty.

2.1.6.4.7 Ironforged

Living constructs built by ancient artificers, awakened golems, or mechanical beings animated by bound spirits. Ironforged are not born — they are made. Some are centuries old, remembering their creators. Others awoke in a ruin with no memory of their origin.

• Construct body. Ironforged do not eat, breathe, or sleep. They are immune to poison, disease, and suffocation. They do not heal naturally.
• +1D on Endure rolls against environmental hazards — fire, cold, acid, electricity, pressure.
• Drawback — Cannot be healed by magic. Healing spells and potions have no effect on an ironforged. Damage must be repaired using Tinker rolls and raw materials during downtime. Each repair session requires appropriate materials (metal, gears, replacement parts) and a Tinker roll at difficulty 1 per harm level being repaired.

2.1.7 Using Actions

When a character attempts something dangerous or uncertain, the player rolls a number of d6s equal to the relevant action rating. Each die showing 3 or higher is a hit. Compare the number of hits to the difficulty set by the GM (default 1). See Section 3.4 for the full procedure.

• Hits > difficulty — Full success. Excess hits intensify the result (see Section 3.4.2).
• Hits = difficulty — Partial success (goal met, but with a consequence).
• Hits < difficulty — Bad outcome.

If your action rating drops below 1 — whether from a base rating of 0 or from penalties — you roll traitor dice: roll (2 − rating) dice, and all must show 3+ to score a single hit. Any die showing 1 or 2 ruins the roll. Maximum 1 hit. At rating 0 that is 2 dice needing both to hit (44% chance).

In combat, attack and defense rolls use a harder threshold: only dice showing 4 or higher count as hits, compared against the target’s Defense or Attack value. See Section 4.

2.1.8 Action Ranks

Every action has a rank from 0 to 4. Your rank is the number of dice you roll when you use that action.

The following table shows probabilities for skill rolls (3+ threshold) against the default difficulty of 1 — the most common roll in the game.

At rank 0, you roll 2 traitor dice — both must show 3+ for a single hit (44% chance). At rank 1 against difficulty 1, you have a two-in-three chance of at least a partial success. Rank 2 is where a character becomes reliably useful: an 89% chance of at least one hit. Rank 4 still carries a 1.2% chance of zero hits, which keeps even masters honest.

Starting characters are capped at rank 2 in any action. Higher ranks are earned through advancement. Temporary bonuses — pushing yourself, assists, and tactical advantages — can add dice beyond your rank for a single roll, but these cost stress and require fictional justification. There is no cap on total dice rolled; the costs are the limit.

2.1.8.1 Heroic Ranks

Some individuals transcend mortal limits. Through extraordinary advancement, a character may unlock heroic ranks in a small number of actions, allowing those actions to exceed rank 4.

Starting characters have no heroic ranks. As a character advances, they may designate one or two actions as heroic — these actions alone may rise to rank 5 or 6. The choice is permanent and reflects the character’s defining excellence. A veteran swordsman might have heroic Fight. A master spy might have heroic Prowl.

NPCs follow the same scale. A skilled guard captain is rank 3 or 4. A dragon or demigod might have four or more heroic actions.

2.2 Stress & Harm

Stress is your reserve of grit, luck, and determination. Every character has a stress track of 9 boxes. You spend stress to:

• Push yourself — after rolling, spend 2 stress to roll one additional die and add its hits, or to reduce the difficulty by 1 (minimum 1).
• Resist a consequence — when a consequence is inflicted on you, roll a number of d6s equal to the relevant attribute score (see Section 2.1.5) and reduce the consequence. The stress cost is 6 minus the highest die result.
• Assist an ally — add +1D to another character’s roll. Costs 1 stress. You must describe how you help.
• Fuel special abilities — some class abilities cost stress to activate.

When your stress track fills, you are overwhelmed. You gain a condition — a lasting psychological mark — and your stress resets to zero. Conditions are permanent changes to the character. A character who accumulates four conditions is broken and retires from play.

Harm represents physical injury. The harm track has three levels:

• Level 1 (Minor): Bruised, winded, scratched. Two boxes. No mechanical penalty.
• Level 2 (Moderate): Broken ribs, deep cut, concussion. Two boxes. -1D to related actions.
• Level 3 (Severe): Shattered leg, impaled, organ damage. One box. You need immediate treatment or you will die.

If you take harm and there is no empty box at that level, the harm moves up to the next level. If Level 3 is full and you take more severe harm, your character is dying.

Harm heals during downtime (see Section 6).

2.3 Playbooks

A playbook is your character’s archetype. It determines your starting action ranks, your lifepath tables, and the special abilities available to you. There are four playbooks:

• The Fighter — warriors, soldiers, knights, barbarians, rangers. You solve problems with steel, strength, and tactical thinking.
• The Priest — clerics, druids, shamans, paladins. You channel divine power through faith, ritual, and devotion.
• The Mage — wizards, seers, and scholars of the arcane. You reshape reality through study and mastery of arcane formulae.
• The Thief — rogues, scouts, assassins, bards, charlatans. You survive by cunning, skill, and knowing when to disappear.

2.3.1 Creating a Character

1. Choose a playbook. This determines your lifepath tables, special abilities, and starting ranks.
2. Choose an ancestry. Pick from the core ancestries (see Section 2.1.6) or, with GM approval, an extended or uncommon ancestry. Record your ancestry’s traits and drawbacks.
3. Roll your lifepath. Each playbook has five tables. Roll on each one in order. Record the action ranks, items, and narrative details you gain. Some entries connect you to another player’s character — work these out together.
4. Assign your starting ranks. Each playbook grants two ranks to distribute among your actions (humans gain a third from their ancestry). No assigned rank may raise an action above rank 2. If a lifepath roll already brought an action to 2 or higher, you cannot assign more ranks to it.
5. Choose a special ability. Each playbook has a list of special abilities. Pick one. You gain more as you advance.
6. Record your stress and harm. Stress starts at 0 (of 9). Harm starts empty.
7. Choose your starting gear. Each playbook lists starting equipment. You also gain any items from your lifepath tables.
8. Name your character. Give them a name and a brief description.

A character that violates the creation rules or has no name is instantly killed.

Rolling vs. choosing. Every lifepath table says “roll or choose.” A rolled result stands even if it raises an action above rank 2 — your past is what it is. A chosen result may not raise any action above rank 2. If you want to control your character’s build, you accept the constraint. If you trust the dice, you accept the chaos.

2.3.2 Lifepath Tables — Design Principles

Every lifepath table in this chapter follows these rules:

• Equal weight. Every entry on a given table grants the same number of action ranks. If one entry grants an item or contact instead of a rank, that item or contact has equivalent mechanical value.
• Strength and weakness. Ranks are distributed across different actions. A roll that gives you Fight also gives you something outside of combat. A roll that gives you Study also pushes you toward the physical. No entry creates a one-dimensional character.
• Story first. Each entry is a sentence or two about your past. The mechanical benefit follows from the fiction. If the table says your mother was a healer, you gain Attune and Study — because that is what growing up with a healer teaches you.
• Player connections. At least one table per playbook includes entries that reference another player’s character. These create the shared history that makes a party feel like more than strangers who met in a tavern.

2.4 The Fighter

Warriors, soldiers, knights, barbarians, rangers, duelists, guards. You are defined by your martial skill and your willingness to put yourself between danger and those you protect.

Starting ranks: 2 ranks to assign after completing your lifepath. Most Fighters invest in Fight and Endure. Your lifepath tables add five more; your ancestry contributes one rank’s worth of value, for a total of eight.

2.4.1 Origins

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a background detail.

2.4.2 Childhood

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a narrative detail.

2.4.3 Training

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a class feature.

2.4.4 Defining Moment

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a special ability.

The player to your left was there when this happened. They gain +1 to any one action of their choice and should describe their role in the event.

2.4.5 Burden

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank, plus an item or complication.

The player to your right shares this burden. They gain +1 to any one action of their choice and should describe their connection to it.

2.4.6 Fighter Special Abilities

You gain one of these during character creation (your Defining Moment may have already granted it). You gain additional abilities as you advance.

Battleborn. When you Fight in a desperate position, you get +1D. When you lead a group action in combat, you suffer 1 less stress from failures.

Duelist. When you Fight a single opponent one-on-one, reduce difficulty by 1. You can push yourself to perform a feint, disarm, or precision strike as part of your attack.

Tough as Nails. You get +1 armor (reduce incoming harm by 1 level). When you Endure to resist physical consequences, you get +1D.

Relentless. When you Hunt or Move to pursue a fleeing target, you get +1D. You never lose a trail once you have found it unless the quarry uses supernatural means.

Iron Will. You get +1 stress box (10 total). When you resist consequences from fear, despair, or mental domination, you get +1D.

Sentinel. When you Survey to detect ambushes or danger, you get +1D. When an ally within reach is attacked, you can spend 1 stress to step in and absorb the harm instead.

2.4.7 Fighter Starting Equipment

• A weapon (determined by your Training table result)
• Leather armor or a shield (your choice)
• A belt knife
• Traveling clothes and a bedroll
• A waterskin and a day’s rations
• A pouch with a few coins
• Any items gained from your lifepath tables

2.5 The Priest

Clerics, druids, shamans, paladins, monks, witch doctors, oracles. You draw power from something greater than yourself — a god, a spirit, the land itself, or an oath so deep it has become part of your soul.

Starting ranks: 2 ranks to assign after completing your lifepath. Most Priests invest in Attune and Study. Your lifepath tables add five more; your ancestry contributes one rank’s worth of value, for a total of eight.

Magic: Divine Channeling. Priests do not cast spells in the traditional sense. They petition, pray, invoke, and channel. Their power flows through faith and ritual. Mechanically, a Priest casts spells from their campaign’s spell catalog using the Devotion power source (see Section 5.3.4). Overreach does not cost mana — it risks divine displeasure, a 6-segment clock that ticks forward when the Priest pushes beyond their faith’s boundaries or acts against its tenets.

Faith tenets. When you create a Priest, you and the GM agree on three to five tenets that define your character’s faith. These determine which spells flow freely (1 tick), which stretch the boundaries (2 ticks), and which contradict the faith entirely (3 ticks). See Section 5.3.4 for details.

2.5.1 Origins

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a background detail.

2.5.2 Calling

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a narrative detail.

2.5.3 Training

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a class feature.

2.5.4 Trial of Faith

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a special ability.

The player to your left was there when this happened. They gain +1 to any one action of their choice and should describe their role in the event.

2.5.5 Burden

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank, plus an item or complication.

The player to your right shares this burden. They gain +1 to any one action of their choice and should describe their connection to it.

2.5.6 Priest Special Abilities

You gain one of these during character creation (your Trial of Faith may have already granted it). You gain additional abilities as you advance.

Healer’s Hands. When you Attune to channel a healing spell, reduce difficulty by 1. Once per downtime, you can tend to a wounded character — they heal one additional level of harm.

Ward of Faith. You can spend 1 stress to create a protective ward against a supernatural threat. The ward holds for as long as you maintain concentration. Spirits, undead, and summoned creatures cannot willingly cross it.

Voice of Authority. When you Command and invoke your divine authority, you get +1D. NPCs with a reason to respect (or fear) divine power must take your words seriously, even if they disagree.

Discern Truth. When you Study a person or object, you can spend 1 stress to sense whether they are lying, cursed, or supernaturally concealed. The GM answers honestly.

Communion. During downtime or a rest, you can enter a meditative communion with your divine source. Ask the GM one question about the current situation. The answer is truthful but may be symbolic or incomplete.

Shield of the Faithful. When an ally within reach suffers harm, you can spend 2 stress to absorb the harm yourself. If you also have armor, it applies normally. When you Fight to protect someone, you get +1D.

2.5.7 Priest Starting Equipment

• A holy symbol (determined by your Training table result)
• A prayer book or collection of sacred texts
• Robes or vestments of your order
• A staff or mace (your choice)
• A healer’s kit (bandages, salves, needle and thread)
• Traveling clothes and a bedroll
• A waterskin and a day’s rations
• A pouch with a few coins
• Any items gained from your lifepath tables

2.6 The Mage

Wizards, seers, and scholars of the arcane. You have touched the raw fabric of reality and learned to reshape it — or perhaps it reshaped you.

Starting ranks: 2 ranks to assign after completing your lifepath. Most Mages invest in Study and Attune. Your lifepath tables add five more; your ancestry contributes one rank’s worth of value, for a total of eight.

Magic: Vancian Spellcasting. A Mage memorizes spells from a spellbook each day, loading complex arcane patterns into their mind. Each memorized spell occupies a spell slot. Casting a spell triggers the pattern and wipes it from memory — to cast the same spell again, the Mage must have memorized it in another slot. When all slots are spent, the Mage cannot cast again until the next day’s memorization. See Section 5.3.1 for details.

2.6.1 Origins

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a background detail.

2.6.2 Awakening

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a narrative detail.

2.6.3 Training

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a detail about your magical education.

2.6.4 Defining Moment

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a special ability.

The player to your left was there when this happened. They gain +1 to any one action of their choice and should describe their role in the event.

2.6.5 Burden

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank, plus an item or complication.

The player to your right shares this burden. They gain +1 to any one action of their choice and should describe their connection to it.

2.6.6 Mage Special Abilities

You gain one of these during character creation (your Defining Moment may have already granted it). You gain additional abilities as you advance.

Precise Caster. When you cast a spell at controlled or risky position, you can spend 1 stress to avoid any collateral damage or unintended side effects from a partial success. The spell does exactly what you intended — nothing more, nothing less.

Arcane Duelist. When you Fight using magic (cantrips or spells), you get +1D. You can use Study in place of Fight to resist physical consequences from magical attacks.

Loremaster. When you Study magical texts, artifacts, or phenomena, reduce difficulty by 1. Once per downtime, you can research a topic — the GM gives you a useful and true piece of information about it.

Warden of Bindings. You get +1D when casting spells that bind, contain, or banish supernatural creatures. Wards you create last twice as long before needing renewal.

Unshakable Focus. You can maintain concentration on a spell even when you take harm — make an Endure resistance roll instead of losing the spell. You get +1 stress box (10 total).

Eye of the Beyond. When you Attune to sense magical phenomena, you get +1D. You can see enchantments, curses, and supernatural influences that are invisible to others, though interpreting what you see still requires Study.

2.6.7 Mage Starting Equipment

• A spellbook
• A focus item — a staff, wand, crystal, or amulet (your choice)
• Ink, quills, and blank parchment
• Traveling clothes and a bedroll
• A waterskin and a day’s rations
• A pouch with a few coins
• Any items gained from your lifepath tables

2.7 The Thief

Rogues, scouts, assassins, bards, charlatans, spies, treasure hunters. You survive by skill, cunning, and an instinct for when the situation is about to go sideways.

Starting ranks: 2 ranks to assign after completing your lifepath. Most Thieves invest in Survey and Tinker. Your lifepath tables add five more; your ancestry contributes one rank’s worth of value, for a total of eight.

Where other playbooks concentrate their ranks, the Thief spreads them wide. Your lifepath tables touch nearly every action in the game. You may not hit as hard as a Fighter or know as much as a Mage, but you will always have something to contribute — and your special abilities make you devastating in the right circumstances.

2.7.1 Origins

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a background detail.

2.7.2 Trouble

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a narrative detail.

2.7.3 Education

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a class feature.

2.7.4 Defining Moment

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank and a special ability.

The player to your left was there when this happened. They gain +1 to any one action of their choice and should describe their role in the event.

2.7.5 Burden

Roll or choose. Each entry grants 1 action rank, plus an item or complication.

The player to your right shares this burden. They gain +1 to any one action of their choice and should describe their connection to it.

2.7.6 Thief Special Abilities

You gain one of these during character creation (your Defining Moment may have already granted it). You gain additional abilities as you advance.

Ghost. When you attempt to infiltrate, bypass security, or move through a guarded area without being detected, you get +1D. You can push yourself to leave absolutely no physical trace of your passage — no footprints, no scent, no disturbed dust.

Silver Tongue. When you Sway someone using a lie, you get +1D. When your deception is discovered, you can spend 2 stress to have prepared a backup story in advance — make a second Sway roll to cover the first.

Sixth Sense. You cannot be surprised. When an ambush, trap, or betrayal is sprung, you always act first. When you Survey to detect danger, reduce difficulty by 1.

Shadowstrike. When you attack an unaware target, reduce difficulty by 1. If the attack is from hiding and the target doesn’t know you are there, you deal +1 harm.

Slippery. When you roll to escape — grapples, bonds, pursuit, collapsing rooms — you get +1D. You can spend 1 stress to slip free of any non-magical restraint without a roll.

Nerves of Steel. You are immune to fear effects (magical or mundane). When you resist consequences from danger, suspense, or pressure, you get +1D. You get +1 stress box (10 total).

2.7.7 Thief Starting Equipment

• Two of the following: lockpicks, a disguise kit, a grappling hook and rope, a forgery kit, a crowbar
• A dagger and one additional small weapon (your choice)
• Dark, practical clothing
• A belt pouch with assorted useful odds and ends — chalk, twine, a small mirror, a few candle stubs
• Traveling clothes and a bedroll
• A waterskin and a day’s rations
• A pouch with a few coins
• Any items gained from your lifepath tables

3 Core Rules

This chapter describes how the game works at the table. Every mechanical procedure in this book builds from a small set of shared concepts. Learn these first and the rest of the rules will follow naturally.

3.1 The Conversation

Play is a conversation. The Game Master (GM) describes a situation. The players say what their characters do. When the outcome is uncertain and the stakes matter, the dice decide what happens next. The GM interprets the result and the conversation continues.

Most of the time, you simply talk. A character walking across a room, buying a meal, or asking a friend for directions does not require a roll. The dice come out when two conditions are met:

1. The outcome is uncertain. Success is not guaranteed.
2. The stakes matter. Failure has meaningful consequences.

If either condition is missing, the GM simply says what happens and play moves on. A skilled fighter does not roll to sharpen her sword. A desperate climber on a crumbling cliff face does.

3.2 The Adjective Ladder

This game uses a shared vocabulary to describe quality, difficulty, and intensity. Whenever the rules or the GM describe how good, bad, hard, or easy something is, they use the adjective ladder:

The ladder appears throughout the rules. It describes the quality of equipment, the difficulty of terrain, the skill of an opponent, the potency of a potion, the strength of a fortification. Whenever you need a word to describe where something falls on a scale, use the ladder.

Fair is the default. If nothing is said about the quality of something, it is Fair — ordinary, unremarkable, neither an advantage nor a disadvantage. You do not need to tag every element of a scene. Only what stands out from the ordinary is worth naming.

3.3 Scene Tags

The GM describes the environment and situation using the adjective ladder. Each tagged element is a scene tag — a word or short phrase attached to something in the fiction that carries mechanical weight.

“You approach the watchtower. The path is narrow and the footing is poor — loose scree over wet rock. But you have a good vantage from below; the sentry is silhouetted against the sky.”

In this example, “poor footing” is a scene tag at -2 and “good vantage” is a scene tag at +1. When a character acts in a way that intersects with a tag, the tag modifies the roll.

3.3.1 How Tags Work

Each step on the ladder shifts your position by one tier (see Section 3.5). Positive tags improve your position; negative tags worsen it.

• Good vantage (+1) while keeping watch: your position improves by one tier (risky → controlled).
• Poor footing (-2) while climbing: your position worsens by two tiers (controlled → desperate).

When the fiction demands it, the GM may shift difficulty instead of position. A superb lockpick does not make you safer — it makes your task easier. A terrible weapon does not put you in more danger — it simply cannot deal meaningful damage (raise difficulty).

The default is position. Most scene tags describe how safe or dangerous the situation is, and position is the natural expression of that. Difficulty shifts are the exception, used when the tag clearly describes the quality or potency of a tool, weapon, or resource rather than the danger of the situation.

3.3.2 Applying Tags

• A tag applies only when it is relevant to the action being attempted. “Good vantage” helps you spot the sentry; it does not help you pick a lock.
• Multiple tags can apply to the same roll. Their values stack. If you have “good vantage” (+1) and “poor visibility” (-2), the net is -1 (one tier worse position).
• Position has three tiers; difficulty ranges from 1 to 5. Tags cannot push position beyond the extremes — controlled or desperate. Difficulty cannot drop below 1. Excess shifts are lost.
• The fiction takes priority over the numbers. If a tag does not make narrative sense for the action at hand, it does not apply, regardless of its value. The GM and the players should agree on which tags are relevant before the dice are rolled.

3.3.3 Setting Scene Tags

The GM sets scene tags as part of describing the fiction. Players may also identify tags by asking questions about the environment — “Is the ground stable?” or “Do I have cover?” — and the GM responds with the appropriate keyword.

Tags are not permanent. They change as the fiction changes. If you clear the loose scree from the path, the “poor footing” tag goes away. If the sentry moves inside, you lose your “good vantage.” Tags describe the current state of the fiction, not a fixed property of the location.

3.4 Action Rolls

When a character attempts something risky, the player makes an action roll. The procedure is:

1. The player states their intent and approach. What are you trying to accomplish, and how are you doing it? The approach determines which action (see Section 2.1) applies.
2. The GM sets position and difficulty. Based on the fiction and any relevant scene tags, the GM determines the position (how dangerous this is) and the difficulty (how many hits you need). See Section 3.5.
3. Gather your dice pool. Roll a number of d6s equal to the action’s rating. Apply any bonuses (+1D from pushing yourself, assisting allies, special abilities, etc.).
4. Roll and count hits. Each die showing 3 or higher is a hit. Compare your total hits to the difficulty.

Each die has a two-in-three chance of being a hit (3, 4, 5, or 6 on a D6). More dice mean more hits. The difficulty sets the bar — how many hits you need to fully succeed.

Traitor dice. If your action rating drops below 1 (whether from a base rating of 0 or from penalties that push it below 1), roll (2 − rating) dice. All of them must show 3+ to score a single hit — any die showing 1 or 2 ruins the entire roll. Maximum 1 hit. At rating 0 you roll 2 dice and need both to hit (44% chance); at −1 you roll 3 dice (30%); at −2, 4 dice (20%). The further below 1 you fall, the steeper the odds.

This mechanic also applies in contests where penalties strip away dice past zero — the traitor dice keep the roll meaningful rather than impossible.

3.4.1 Exploding Dice

After counting hits, look for pairs of 6s. Each pair of 6s spawns one bonus die, which is rolled and added to the pool. The bonus die counts hits at the same threshold as the original roll (3+ for skill rolls, 4+ for combat rolls). If the bonus die shows a 6, it can pair with another unmatched 6 (from the original roll or from other bonus dice) to spawn yet another bonus die. The chain continues until no new pairs form.

Exploding dice reward large pools. A character rolling 2d has only a 2.8% chance of seeing a pair; a master rolling 4d has a 13.2% chance. Heroic-rank characters rolling 5d or 6d will see explosions regularly, giving high-rank rolls the spectacular outcomes that reflect legendary skill.

3.4.2 Excess Hits

When a roll achieves a full success, every hit beyond the difficulty is an excess hit. Three hits against difficulty 1 is 2 excess hits. Five hits against difficulty 3 is 2 excess hits. Partial successes and bad outcomes never produce excess hits.

Outside of combat, excess hits intensify the result. The GM describes a more dramatic, more thorough, or more efficient success. When a roll fills a progress clock, each excess hit ticks one additional segment.

In combat, excess hits grant momentum — see Section 4.5.

A companion’s backpack tumbles off the rope bridge. Kira dives to catch it before it falls — the GM calls for a Move roll at risky position, difficulty 1.

Kira has Move 2, so she rolls 2D6 and counts hits. She rolls a 4 and a 2 — one hit. One hit equals the difficulty, so it is a partial success. She catches a strap — but the flap tears open and a few loose items tumble into the ravine below. The pack is saved; the lost gear is a complication to deal with later. Had she rolled two hits (full success), she would have snatched it cleanly. Had she rolled zero hits (bad outcome), the pack would be gone.

3.4.3 When Not to Roll

Do not roll when there is no meaningful risk. A capable character performing a routine task within their expertise simply succeeds. The dice are for moments of drama and uncertainty, not for routine competence.

Do not roll when the outcome is impossible. If the fiction makes success inconceivable — picking a lock with no tools, outrunning a horse on foot — no roll will help. The GM says what happens.

Between these extremes is where the action roll lives.

3.5 Position & Difficulty

Before the dice are rolled, the GM determines two things: how dangerous the situation is (position) and how hard it is to succeed (difficulty).

3.5.1 Position

Position describes how bad things will get if the roll goes poorly.

Risky is the default. If nothing about the situation makes it especially safe or dangerous, the position is risky. Scene tags, fictional circumstances, and the character’s approach shift position up or down from this baseline.

3.5.2 Difficulty

Difficulty is the number of hits needed for a partial success. One more hit than the difficulty gives a full success.

Standard (difficulty 1) is the default. If nothing about the task makes it especially easy or hard, the difficulty is 1. Scene tags, equipment quality, scale differences, and fictional positioning shift difficulty up or down from this baseline. The GM only announces the difficulty when it deviates from standard.

3.5.3 Setting the Stakes

Position and difficulty combine to define the full stakes of a roll. Position governs what happens when things go wrong; difficulty governs how many hits you need to succeed.

The GM does not need to announce both for every roll. When the situation is clearly risky at standard difficulty — the most common case — simply roll. State position and difficulty explicitly when they deviate from the defaults, so the player can make an informed choice about whether to proceed, push themselves, or try a different approach.

3.5.4 Trading Position for Difficulty

A player may choose to accept a worse position in exchange for lower difficulty, or vice versa. This represents the character taking a greater risk to accomplish more, or playing it safe at the cost of progress.

“I could try to pick the lock quietly — that’s controlled, but difficulty 2 because I’m working carefully. Or I could force it open fast — risky position, but difficulty 1.”

This trade is always available and does not require a special ability. The GM adjudicates whether the proposed trade makes fictional sense.

3.6 GM Actions

Players have a list of actions they can attempt (see Section 2.1). The GM has an equivalent list. GM actions are not rolled — they are things the GM does when the fiction calls for it, most often as a consequence of a player’s partial success or bad outcome.

When a roll produces a consequence, the GM picks an action that fits the fiction. Multiple actions can combine in a single consequence if the situation warrants it. The severity scales with position: a controlled consequence is a nuisance, a risky consequence is a real problem, a desperate consequence may be catastrophic.

3.6.1 Apply Harm

Deal physical, mental, or emotional damage to a character. The harm level scales with the position and the source — a glancing blow from a guard (Level 1) versus a dragon’s jaws closing on you (Level 3). Harm is the most common consequence in combat and the most concrete outside of it.

3.6.2 Worsen Position

Shift the character’s position for the next roll. What was risky becomes desperate. What was controlled becomes risky. The threat has not landed yet — but it is about to. This is the GM saying “things just got worse” without immediate harm.

3.6.3 Use Up a Resource

A torch gutters out, arrows are spent, a rope frays and breaks, a spell slot is wasted, rations are spoiled. Removing a resource that the characters were relying on forces new decisions and raises the stakes for what follows.

3.6.4 Offer a Hard Choice

Present the character with two bad options: save the hostage or chase the villain, keep your weapon or keep your footing, finish the ritual or help your wounded ally. The player chooses which price to pay. Hard choices make partial successes feel distinct — the action worked, but something else gives.

3.6.5 Introduce a Complication

Something new enters the fiction that was not there before: the alarm is raised, a third party arrives, the floor begins to collapse, an ally is separated from the group. Complications change the shape of the problem rather than dealing direct harm. They are the GM’s primary tool for keeping the fiction moving forward.

3.6.6 Tick a Clock

Advance a danger clock or an enemy’s progress clock. This is the quiet threat — nothing bad has happened yet, but the players can see the clock filling. Clock ticks are especially useful when the GM wants to signal mounting pressure without immediate harm.

3.6.7 Demand a Response

Force a character to react: an enemy charges, a spell targets them, the bridge gives way. The character must act — Defend, Endure, Move, or whatever fits — or accept the consequence unopposed. This is how the GM gives enemies initiative without rolling dice. Demanding surrender (see Section 4.8) is one example.

3.6.8 Turn Their Action Against Them

The character’s own effort creates the problem: a failed Tinker roll jams the lock worse, a failed Sway emboldens the target, a partial Attune draws the attention of something in the ether. The action itself is the source of the complication. This is distinct from simple failure — the attempt made things actively worse than if the character had done nothing.

3.6.9 Separate Them

Split the party, cut off an escape route, isolate a character from their allies. Separation raises tension because it forces characters to handle problems alone and prevents easy assists. It works especially well as a desperate-position consequence.

3.6.10 Reveal an Unwelcome Truth

Show the characters something they did not want to know: the door they are trying to open leads to a dead end, the informant was lying, the treasure was already taken, the enemy has reinforcements waiting. This does not deal harm directly — it changes what the characters know and forces them to adapt their plans.

3.6.11 Threaten an Absence

Signal that something the characters value is at risk if they do not act: a contact will leave town, a window of opportunity is closing, supplies are running low, an ally’s patience is wearing thin. The threat is in the near future, not the present moment. This creates urgency and drives the players toward action.

These actions are not an exhaustive list. The GM should always follow the fiction — if a consequence makes sense and is proportional to the position, it is valid even if it does not map neatly to one of the actions above. The list exists to provide the GM with a ready vocabulary of moves when the dice call for a consequence and inspiration does not immediately strike.

3.7 Clocks

A clock is a circle divided into segments — typically 4, 6, or 8. It tracks progress toward a goal or a looming threat. When something important cannot be resolved in a single roll, use a clock.

3.7.1 Progress Clocks

A progress clock represents a complex obstacle. Each successful roll ticks segments based on the degree of success:

• Partial success: Tick 1 segment.
• Full success: Tick 1 segment, plus 1 per excess hit.

When the clock fills, the obstacle is overcome.

The party needs to navigate a dense forest to reach the ruins. The GM creates a 6-segment “Forest Navigation” clock. Each successful Hunt or Survey roll ticks segments based on the result.

3.7.2 Danger Clocks

A danger clock represents a threat that is building. The GM ticks it when time passes, when the players make noise, when a complication occurs, or when the fiction demands it. When it fills, the threat arrives — reinforcements show up, the ritual completes, the bridge collapses.

Danger clocks create urgency. Players can see the clock ticking and must decide whether to press forward or deal with the growing threat.

3.7.3 Opposed Clocks

When two forces race against each other, use a pair of clocks. The players fill their progress clock; the GM fills the danger clock. Whichever fills first determines the outcome.

The Mage is deciphering the ward on the door (6-segment progress clock) while guards patrol closer (4-segment danger clock). Each round, the Mage’s Study rolls fill the progress clock and the GM ticks the danger clock.

3.7.4 Clock Size

The number of segments reflects the complexity of the obstacle:

• 4 segments: A simple, short-term obstacle. A locked door, a brief chase, a single guard to deceive.
• 6 segments: A moderate challenge. A dungeon puzzle, a negotiation with a suspicious merchant, a running battle.
• 8 segments: A major undertaking. A siege, a complex ritual, infiltrating a well-guarded fortress.

Larger clocks (10, 12) are possible for truly epic challenges, but most obstacles should fall in the 4–8 range.

3.7.5 Drawing Clocks

A clock is a picture. Sketch it on scratch paper where everyone can see it, and fill in a segment each time it ticks. When the last segment fills, the clock resolves.

The canonical clock is a circle cut into wedges — a pie. Fill wedges clockwise from the top.

Any slice count works. Use whatever matches the obstacle:

Pie wedges can be fiddly to sketch at the table. A grid of boxes works just as well — fill them left-to-right, top-to-bottom. A 3×3 grid is a 9-segment clock; a 4×4 grid is 16. Pick whatever total matches the obstacle.

3.8 Fortune Rolls

When chance — not character skill — determines an outcome, the GM rolls 1D6 against a target number. No pools, no modifiers — just one die and a threshold.

The target number uses the likelihood scale — a seven-step vocabulary for how probable something is.

The extremes — Certain and Impossible — exist so that modifiers can push results into or out of the possible range. A +1 modifier turns an Impossible chance into a Remote one. The GM’s working vocabulary is the middle five: Likely, Probable, Even odds, Unlikely, Remote.

Modifiers. Most fortune rolls are unmodified. When circumstances warrant, the GM may apply a modifier of +1 or -1 (rarely ±2). Modifiers shift the target number, not the die: a Fair chance (TN 4+) with a +1 modifier becomes TN 3+ (Good odds). Scene tags are the most common source of modifiers.

3.8.1 GM Fortune Tools

Fortune rolls are the GM’s all-purpose tool for questions that the fiction raises but the PCs don’t directly control. The same 1D6-vs-TN mechanic handles all of them.

3.8.1.1 Morale

When enemies face a sudden reversal — their leader falls, they take their first casualty, half their number is down, or something terrifying happens — the GM makes a morale roll. Assign a likelihood based on the enemy’s training, fanaticism, and stakes:

• A mercenary band with no personal stake: Unlikely (TN 5+)
• Trained soldiers defending their post: Even odds (TN 4+)
• Zealots protecting their shrine: Probable (TN 3+)
• Undead or mindless creatures: no roll — they fight until destroyed

On a failed morale roll, the enemy breaks: they flee, surrender, scatter, or fall back to a defensible position. The GM chooses what makes sense for the fiction.

3.8.1.2 Reaction

When PCs encounter an NPC or creature whose disposition is not predetermined, the GM makes a reaction roll. Even odds (TN 4+) is the baseline — an even chance of a positive first impression.

Apply modifiers for context: the PCs approach with weapons drawn (-1), they share a common enemy (+1), they bear gifts (+1), they are trespassing (-1). The NPC’s nature may also shift the base TN — a xenophobic tribe might be Unlikely (TN 5+) while a curious merchant is Probable (TN 3+).

3.8.1.3 Discipline

When the GM wants to determine whether an NPC group acts tactically or makes a mistake, roll discipline. Assign a rating based on training and leadership:

• A disorganized mob: Remote (TN 6+)
• Bandits with a leader: Unlikely (TN 5+)
• Professional soldiers: Even odds (TN 4+)
• Elite guards or veterans: Probable (TN 3+)

On a failed discipline roll, the NPCs do something suboptimal — they charge when they should hold, attack the wrong target, hesitate at a critical moment, or break formation. The GM decides what mistake fits the fiction. On a success, they act with competence and coordination.

Discipline rolls are optional. The GM can always decide NPC behavior directly. Use discipline when you want the fiction to surprise everyone at the table, including you.

3.9 Resistance Rolls

When a consequence is inflicted on your character, you can resist it. You do not avoid the consequence entirely — you reduce its severity. Resistance is your character’s instinct, training, and determination kicking in at the last moment.

To resist, choose the attribute (Body, Finesse, Mind, or Presence) most relevant to the consequence:

• Body resists physical consequences — harm, exhaustion, being knocked down, poison.
• Finesse resists consequences that demand quick reactions — dodging a trap, catching yourself mid-fall, pulling your hand from the fire.
• Mind resists consequences from deception, confusion, misdirection, illusions, or supernatural influence.
• Presence resists consequences from fear, despair, social pressure, compulsion, or manipulation.

Roll a number of d6s equal to your attribute score — the total ranks in that attribute’s four actions (see Section 2.1.5). The stress cost is:

6 − highest die result

So if you roll a 6, the resistance costs 0 stress. If your highest die is a 1, it costs 5 stress. You always succeed at resisting — the question is how much it takes out of you.

If you roll two or more 6s, you resist so well that you actually clear 1 stress instead of paying any.

The GM and the player negotiate how the consequence is reduced. A Level 2 harm might become Level 1. A “you drop your weapon” might become “your grip slips but you hold on.” The fiction should reflect the effort of resistance.

See Section 2.2 for the full stress and harm rules.

3.10 Teamwork

Characters work together in three ways.

3.10.1 Assist

When you assist an ally, you add +1D to their roll. You must describe how you help, and it must make fictional sense. Assisting costs 1 stress — you are exposing yourself to the same risks as the acting character.

Multiple characters can assist the same roll, each adding +1D and paying 1 stress. The acting character rolls all the bonus dice along with their own.

3.10.2 Protect

When an ally would suffer a consequence, you can step in and absorb it instead. You describe how you intervene — shoving them aside, interposing your shield, taking the hit. You then suffer the consequence (or resist it yourself).

Protecting does not cost stress by itself, but you are now the one facing the consequence and may need to resist it.

3.10.3 Group Actions

When the whole party acts together toward the same goal — sneaking past guards, climbing a cliff, charging into battle — one player leads the group action. Every participating character rolls their own dice for the relevant action. The best result among all the rolls is taken as the group’s result.

However, every character who rolled a bad outcome (fewer hits than the difficulty) inflicts 1 stress on the leader. Leading a group action means taking responsibility for everyone’s performance.

Group actions are powerful but costly. They are best used when the whole group must succeed together and failure of any one member would compromise everyone.

3.11 Contests

A contest occurs when two characters act in direct opposition — arm wrestling, a foot race, a staring match, a tug-of-war over a magic sword. Both sides are trying to win, and the outcome depends on the comparison of their efforts, not on an absolute threshold.

3.11.1 How Contests Work

Each participant rolls their relevant action dice and counts hits (3+ as usual). Compare hit totals:

1. The side with more hits wins.
2. If hit totals are tied, the side with more 6s wins.
3. If still tied, the contest is a draw — neither side gains the upper hand, and the fiction continues from a stalemate.

Excess hits (hits beyond the opponent’s total) intensify the victory — a wider margin of victory means a more decisive result, just as in a standard action roll.

Scene tags and threat ratings apply as usual, shifting position or difficulty for one or both sides.

The player always rolls. When a PC contests an NPC, the player rolls and the GM sets position based on the NPC’s threat rating and the circumstances. A contest against a Good (+1) arm wrestler means the player’s position worsens by one tier. A contest against a Terrible (-3) opponent is barely a contest at all.

When two PCs contest each other, both players roll.

3.11.2 When to Use a Contest

Use a contest when:

• Two characters directly oppose each other on a single action.
• The outcome should be determined in one roll, not a series.
• Both sides have a meaningful chance of success.

Do not use a contest for complex, extended struggles — use opposed clocks for those (see Section 3.7). A contest resolves a single moment of opposition.

Two characters grab for the same sword on the ground. Both roll Fight and count hits. The first gets 1 hit; the second gets 2 hits. The second character snatches the sword. The first stumbles — the GM describes a consequence appropriate to their loss.

3.12 Auctions

An auction resolves a contest among three or more participants — a bar brawl, a foot race through the market, a drinking contest, an argument over who gets the enchanted shield, a dogpile for a loose ball. Auctions add tension and player psychology to multi-party contests.

3.12.1 How Auctions Work

1. Everyone rolls in secret. Each participant rolls their relevant action dice and counts hits (3+), but keeps the result hidden (write it down or use a hidden method the group prefers).

2. Bidding begins. Starting with the first participant (the GM decides order, or go clockwise), each player makes a bid — a number representing how hard their character commits. A bid of 1 is cautious. A higher bid is aggressive. The bid represents fictional effort: throwing yourself into the brawl, sprinting flat out, arguing at the top of your lungs.

   The first bidder sets the floor. Each subsequent bidder must either raise (bid higher than the current highest) or make a one-bid (bid exactly 1, the minimum commitment). A one-bid can only be made once per auction — you cannot bid 4 and then later bid 1. Your first bid is your only bid.

3. Reveal and resolve. Once everyone has bid, all hits are revealed. Each participant adds their hidden hit count to their bid. The highest total wins the auction.

   If the highest total is tied, those participants compare hit counts alone — the higher count wins. If still tied, the contest is a draw between those participants.

4. Consequences. The winner achieves their goal. Everyone else suffers a consequence proportional to how hard they committed — a high bid that loses means you overextended. A one-bid that loses means you barely tried and got out clean.

3.12.2 The Psychology of Auctions

The hidden hits create uncertainty. You know your own count, but not anyone else’s. A high hit count means you can afford a modest bid and still win — or you can bid high and dominate. Zero hits means you need an aggressive bid to compete, but if someone else also bid high with better hits, you lose badly.

One-bids are the safe play — minimum commitment, minimum consequences. But if everyone makes a one-bid, the person with the most hits wins cheaply. The tension lies in guessing what others will do.

Players can (and should) roleplay their bids. A bid is not just a number — it is a fictional commitment. “I throw myself across the table and grab for the sword with both hands” is a high bid. “I reach out casually, keeping one eye on the door” is a one-bid.

3.12.3 Auction Examples

A bar brawl. Four characters get into a fight over an insult. Each rolls Fight in secret. The bidding begins — the barbarian bids 4 (all in), the rogue bids 1 (one-bid, looking for the exit), the knight bids 3 (measured aggression), the drunk merchant bids 4 (liquid courage). Hits are revealed: barbarian got 1 hit (total 5), rogue got 1 hit (total 2), knight got 2 hits (total 5), merchant got 0 hits (total 4). The barbarian and knight are tied at 5 — compare hit counts, the knight’s 2 beats the barbarian’s 1. The knight wins the brawl. The barbarian overcommitted and took a chair to the head. The merchant is on the floor. The rogue slipped away clean.

An argument over treasure. The party found a magic ring and three characters want it. Each rolls Sway (or Command, depending on their approach) in secret. The bidding represents how forcefully they argue their claim. The winner gets the ring — and everyone else remembers how the argument went.

A foot race. Five competitors, including two PCs and three NPCs. The PCs roll Move in secret. The GM rolls for the NPCs (this is an exception to the “only players roll” rule — in a multi-party auction, the GM rolls for NPC participants to keep the hidden-bid structure intact). Bidding represents how hard each runner pushes. The winner crosses the finish line first. High bidders who lost may have pulled a muscle or collapsed from exhaustion.

3.12.4 Extended Auctions

For longer contests — a chase through a city, a prolonged drinking match, a series of wrestling bouts — run multiple rounds of auction. Each round, participants may drop out (voluntarily or from accumulated consequences). The last participant standing wins.

Between rounds, consequences accumulate. A character who bid high and lost in round one starts round two at worse position. A character who made a one-bid and lost is in better shape but made no progress. The GM tracks this through the fiction or with clocks for complex extended auctions.

4 Combat

Combat uses the same rules as the rest of the game. Characters roll action dice, the GM sets position and difficulty, scene tags modify the situation, and every roll moves the fiction forward. There is no separate combat system — only a set of tactical options that become available when violence breaks out.

Combat rolls use a higher threshold. When a character rolls to strike or defend — any roll compared against a target’s Defense or Attack value — each die showing 4 or higher counts as a hit (50% per die). All other actions in combat (Assess, Rally, Suppress, etc.) use the standard 3+ threshold. The harder threshold reflects the chaos and resistance of direct combat.

Only players roll dice. The GM describes what enemies do, sets position and difficulty, and applies consequences — but never picks up the dice. When a creature attacks a character, the player rolls to defend. When a character strikes at a creature, the player rolls to hit. Every mechanical outcome is driven by a player’s roll.

Every roll moves the game forward. There are no wasted rolls. A successful strike deals harm. A failed defense means the character takes harm. A partial success ticks a clock, shifts a position, or creates a complication. The fiction always advances.

4.1 When Combat Begins

Combat begins when the fiction demands it — someone draws a weapon, a creature lunges, an ambush is sprung. The GM does not need to formally announce “roll initiative.” Instead, the GM asks a question:

“The bandits step out from behind the rocks, blades drawn. What do you do?”

If the situation is chaotic and turn order matters, the GM calls for an initiative roll. Each player rolls Survey (you are reading the situation and reacting) against difficulty 1. Characters who get at least one hit act before the enemies. Characters who miss act after. Within each group, players decide their own order.

If one side has surprise, the surprised side does not act in the first round. A character with a relevant scene tag — “good vantage” on the hilltop, a sentry with “poor awareness” — may gain or lose the advantage of surprise at the GM’s discretion.

If the situation is not chaotic — a duel, a planned ambush, a slow standoff — the GM may simply go around the table. Combat is structured play, not a straitjacket.

4.2 The Turn

On each turn, a character may:

• Take one action — any action from the list below, or any other action that makes fictional sense.
• Move to a new position within the scene — crossing a room, closing to melee range, falling back behind cover. Movement does not require a roll unless the terrain or situation makes it dangerous or uncertain.
• Perform free interactions — drawing a weapon, shouting a warning, opening an unlocked door, picking something up off the ground. These are minor acts that take no meaningful time.

A turn represents a few seconds of fictional time. The GM keeps turns moving — if a player hesitates too long, their character hesitates too.

4.2.1 Choosing an Action

The action a character takes on their turn is not limited to swinging a sword. Any action rating from Section 2.1 can be used in combat. Fight and Shoot are the obvious choices for dealing harm, but:

• Study to identify a creature’s weakness mid-fight.
• Command to rally a broken ally or direct a coordinated strike.
• Tinker to disable a trap or barricade a door.
• Attune to sense a magical threat or disrupt a ward.
• Consort to negotiate a surrender or call out to a former ally among the enemy ranks.
• Sway to feint, taunt, or demoralize.
• Hunt to track a fleeing enemy through the chaos.
• Survey to spot a hidden threat or find an escape route.
• Move to cross dangerous terrain, vault a barrier, or dodge through a melee.
• Endure to hold a position, resist a poison, or stay on your feet after a devastating blow.

The GM sets position and difficulty as usual. Scene tags apply. The fiction determines what is possible.

4.3 Combat Actions

These are the tactical options available to any character during combat. Each is a specific way to use an action roll to achieve a tactical goal. They are not the only things a character can do — they are named patterns that come up often enough to deserve clear rules.

4.3.1 Strike

Attack an enemy to deal harm. Roll Fight (melee) or Shoot (ranged), counting hits at the combat threshold (4+). Compare your hits to the target’s Defense (see Section 4.7).

See Section 4.6 for weapon base harm values.

4.3.2 Defend

When an enemy acts against a character — an attack, a grapple, a spell — the player rolls to avoid or mitigate the threat. Roll the most appropriate action at the combat threshold (4+), comparing hits to the attacker’s Attack value (see Section 4.7):

• Fight to parry a melee attack or hold your ground.
• Move to dodge, dive for cover, or get out of the way.
• Endure to absorb the impact and stay standing.

Defend is a player-facing roll that replaces the GM rolling an attack. The GM describes what the enemy does; the player decides how their character responds and rolls.

4.3.3 Assess

Study the battlefield, read an opponent, or analyze a tactical situation. Roll Survey (reading the scene) or Study (analyzing a specific enemy or obstacle).

On a success, the character gains holds — points of tactical insight that can be spent later in the same combat.

• Partial success: 1 hold.
• Full success: 2 holds.
• Full success with 2+ excess hits: 3 holds.

Spend a hold to:

• Ask the GM a question about the tactical situation: “What is the greatest threat?” “Where is their weak point?” “What are they about to do?” The GM answers honestly.
• Gain +1D on a subsequent action roll against the assessed target or situation. Describe how the insight helps.

Holds last until the end of the combat or until the situation changes so dramatically that the assessment no longer applies. Unused holds are lost.

Assess rewards the character who looks before they leap. A round spent studying a powerful enemy’s fighting style is not a round wasted — it is preparation that pays off in every subsequent attack.

4.3.4 Evade

Give ground, break contact, or make yourself a difficult target. Roll Move. On a success, the character’s position improves by one tier for the next action taken against them (desperate → risky, risky → controlled). With 2 or more excess hits, it improves by two tiers.

Evade does not deal harm. It is a defensive action for characters who need to buy time, reposition, or survive until help arrives. A character who evades is not cowering — they are fighting smart, using terrain and movement to deny the enemy a clean shot.

On a partial success, the character repositions but is still exposed — the position improvement applies, but the GM introduces a minor complication (cut off from allies, backed toward a cliff, etc.).

4.3.5 Suppress

Pin an enemy down, deny an area, or force a target to deal with you before acting freely. Roll Shoot (ranged suppression), Command (shouted orders and intimidation), or Fight (holding a chokepoint).

On a success, the target is suppressed — they cannot act freely until they deal with the suppression. The GM describes what this looks like: arrows forcing the enemy behind cover, a fighter blocking the doorway, a commanding shout that makes the enemy hesitate.

A suppressed target must spend their next action breaking free of the suppression — moving to new cover, engaging the suppressor in melee, or finding another way around. If they ignore the suppression and act anyway, their position worsens by two tiers.

• Partial success: Suppression holds for one enemy action, and the suppressor suffers a minor complication.
• Full success: Suppression holds until the target spends an action to break free.
• Full success with 2+ excess hits: Suppression holds and the target suffers a consequence (minor harm, lost equipment, broken morale) in addition.

4.3.6 Protect

Step in to shield an ally from harm. When a nearby character would suffer a consequence, another character may declare they are protecting them. The protecting character absorbs the consequence instead.

Protect does not require a roll — the character simply takes the hit. The protecting character may then resist the consequence as normal (see Section 3.9), rolling the appropriate attribute to reduce the harm and paying stress for the effort.

A character must be close enough to intervene, and the protection must make fictional sense. You cannot protect someone across a battlefield, and you cannot shield someone from a collapsing ceiling by standing behind them.

4.3.7 Focus

Take a moment to prepare, concentrate, or line up a precise action. Roll Study (analyzing), Hunt (lining up a shot), or Survey (waiting for the perfect moment).

On a success, the character’s next action gains reduced difficulty (−1 difficulty, minimum 1) or +1D, player’s choice. With 2 or more excess hits, the next action gains both.

Focus represents patience and precision. A character who spends a turn focusing before striking is trading speed for impact — the opposite of the time-vs-difficulty trade described elsewhere.

On a partial success, the character gains the benefit on their next action but suffers a complication — an enemy closes distance, an opportunity elsewhere is lost, the situation shifts.

On a bad outcome, the moment passes. The character does not gain the benefit and suffers a consequence — interrupted, exposed, caught flat-footed.

4.3.8 Grapple

Seize an opponent, pin them, throw them, or wrestle them to the ground. Grappling is a contest (see Section 3.11), not a standard strike — two characters competing for control rather than dealing harm.

Initiating a grapple. The attacker and the target each roll Fight and count hits. Compare hit totals as a contest (see Section 3.11): more hits wins, with more 6s breaking ties. When grappling an NPC, the player rolls and the GM sets position based on the NPC’s threat rating and size.

• The grappler wins: The target is restrained. A restrained character’s position worsens by two tiers on all actions, and they cannot move freely. With 2 or more excess hits, the grappler may also deal Level 1 harm (a joint lock, a chokehold, a slam to the ground).
• The target wins: The grapple fails. The attacker is exposed — the GM describes a consequence (off-balance, overextended, open to a counterattack).
• Tie: Neither gains control. Both characters are locked together, struggling — neither can act freely until one breaks the grapple on a subsequent turn.

Maintaining a grapple. On each subsequent turn, the grappler must spend their action to maintain control. This is another contest roll. If the grappler wins, the hold continues (and on a full success, the grappler may deal Level 1 harm or worsen the target’s situation). If the target wins, they break free.

While restrained, a character can attempt to break free (Fight or Move to escape), use a small weapon (a dagger, not a greatsword), or take any action the GM agrees is possible while pinned. All such actions are at worse position (typically desperate).

Unarmed strikes do not require the grapple rules. A punch, kick, or headbutt is simply a Strike with an improvised weapon (Mediocre rating, Level 0 harm — a bruise or stun). Grappling is for when the goal is control, not damage.

4.3.9 Brawl

When three or more characters are tangled in a chaotic melee — a bar fight, a dogpile over a dropped weapon, a scrum in a narrow corridor — use an auction (see Section 3.12) instead of individual contests.

Each participant rolls Fight in secret. Bidding represents how recklessly each character throws themselves into the chaos. The winner comes out on top — they have the weapon, they are standing while others are not, they pinned the target.

Consequences for losers scale with their bids:

• One-bid losers got out clean or were barely involved. Minimal consequence — maybe a shove or a bruised ego.
• Low-bid losers took a few hits. Level 1 harm or a minor complication.
• High-bid losers overcommitted. Level 2 harm, lost equipment, or a worse position (pinned, disarmed, thrown out a window).

Brawls are fast and unpredictable. They resolve a chaotic multi-party fight in a single round of bidding rather than tracking individual attacks and defenses for every participant. Use them when the fiction is messy — when tracking precise turn order would slow the game down more than it adds.

For longer or more dramatic multi-party fights, use an extended auction (see Section 3.12) — multiple rounds of bidding with participants dropping out as consequences accumulate.

4.4 Other Actions in Combat

Combat is not limited to the tactical actions listed above. A character’s turn can be spent on anything that makes fictional sense. Here are common non-combat actions that arise during a fight:

4.4.1 Dash

Move farther or faster than a normal turn allows. A character who spends their action on a dash can cover twice the normal distance, or move through dangerous terrain without rolling. If the terrain is especially hazardous, the GM may still call for a Move roll.

Dash is for moments when getting somewhere fast matters more than fighting — reaching a fallen ally, fleeing a collapsing room, or closing distance on a retreating enemy.

4.4.2 Use an Item

Draw a potion and drink it, light a torch, throw a rope, apply a bandage, pour oil on the floor. Using a simple item is typically a free interaction. Using an item that requires care or precision — applying an antidote to a poisoned ally, setting a trap under pressure, reading a scroll — requires an appropriate action roll (Tinker, Study, Attune, etc.).

4.4.3 Cast a Spell

Magic in combat follows the magic system (see Section 5). Casting a spell is an action like any other — the player rolls the appropriate action, the GM sets position and difficulty, and the result moves the fiction forward. Spells are not a separate system; they are actions with supernatural effects.

Some spells may require a Focus action first (a ritual needs preparation) or may be quick enough to cast as a normal action. The magic system determines the details.

4.4.4 Rally

Snap an ally out of panic, give a rousing speech, or help someone push through pain. Roll Command (authority and force of will) or Consort (warmth and camaraderie). On a success, the target clears a condition, recovers from a temporary setback, or gains the courage to act despite fear.

Rally does not heal harm. It addresses psychological and morale effects — fear, despair, confusion, hesitation.

4.4.5 Interact with the Environment

Kick over a table for cover, cut a chandelier’s rope, bar a door, collapse a tunnel entrance. Combat takes place in a living environment, and clever characters use it. The GM sets the action and the difficulty based on what the character is trying to do.

Environmental interactions are often the most creative actions in a fight. The rules do not need to anticipate every possibility — the action list and the position-and-difficulty framework handle anything a character might attempt.

4.5 Momentum

When a combat action produces excess hits, the character gains momentum.

Momentum is a binary flag — you either have it or you don’t. Gaining momentum when you already have it changes nothing. Momentum expires at the end of combat.

Spending momentum. When a character with momentum lands a successful strike, they may spend their momentum for +1 harm level on that strike.

Excess hit effects built into other combat actions — Assess holds, Evade position improvement, Focus bonuses, Suppress consequences, Grapple bonus harm — happen automatically. They are not momentum purchases and do not consume excess hits.

4.6 Harm & Armor

4.6.1 Dealing Harm

When a character strikes an enemy, the harm dealt depends on the weapon and the degree of success. Weapons are rated using the adjective ladder (see Section 3.2):

The degree of success modifies the harm:

• Partial success: Base harm as listed.
• Full success: Base harm + 1 level. In combat, any excess hits grant momentum (see Section 4.5).

4.6.2 Damage Types

Every source of harm has a damage type — a keyword that describes what kind of injury it inflicts. Damage types matter because creatures, armor, and magical effects can grant resistance to specific types (see Section 4.6.5).

Physical damage has three sub-types — Piercing (arrows, spears, fangs), Slashing (swords, claws, axes), and Bludgeoning (hammers, falls, fists). A resistance to Physical covers all three. A resistance to a sub-type is narrower.

Most weapons deal Physical damage. A flaming sword deals Fire. A priest’s smite deals Holy. A spell’s damage type is determined when the spell is designed (see Section 5.5). When in doubt, it is Physical.

Two additional types exist outside the table — Poison and Psychic. These are not random encounter types but appear on specific creatures and spells.

4.6.3 Weapon Traits

Beyond their rating, weapons may have traits — properties that alter how the weapon functions in combat.

A weapon may have multiple traits. A spear might be Reach + Thrown + Numerous. A hand crossbow might be Subtle + Slow.

Shock is the martial character’s answer to “I missed.” A weapon with Shock always connects at least glancingly — the weight of a mace, the reach of a polearm, the threat of a heavy blade — unless the target’s armor is too heavy to care. On a bad outcome on a Strike roll, a Shock weapon deals Level 0 harm (a bruise, a stagger, a rattled shield arm) to any target wearing Fair armor or less. Targets in Good or Great armor shrug it off. Shock damage cannot be increased by momentum or any other effect.

4.6.4 Armor

Armor reduces incoming harm by one or more levels. Like weapons, armor is rated on the adjective ladder:

A character wearing Good armor who takes Level 2 harm reduces it to Level 1. Armor absorbs harm before resistance rolls — if the reduced harm is acceptable, the character does not need to spend stress to resist further.

Fair armor is fragile. It can absorb one hit per combat before it is too damaged or displaced to help further. Good and Great armor hold up through the fight.

Shields provide an additional benefit: a character with a shield may resist one melee attack per round without rolling, reducing the harm by 1 level. This is in addition to armor.

4.6.5 Resistance

A creature or character may be resistant to a damage type. This comes from ancestry (dwarves resist Poison), equipment (a breastplate resists mundane Piercing), spells (a ward resists Arcane), or innate nature (a fire elemental resists Fire).

Resistance caps the harm level. A character with resistance to a damage type cannot suffer more than Level 1 harm from that type. If a source would deal Level 2 or Level 3 harm of a resisted type, it is reduced to Level 1 instead. Level 1 harm and Level 0 harm pass through unchanged — resistance does not grant immunity.

Immunity is the extreme form: harm of that type is ignored entirely. Immunity is rare and usually limited to creatures of supernatural nature (a fire elemental is immune to Fire, not merely resistant).

Resistance is separate from armor. Armor reduces harm from any physical attack. Resistance caps harm from a specific type. They stack: a character in Good armor (reduce by 1 level) who also resists Fire takes Level 2 Fire harm, armor reduces it to Level 1, and resistance confirms the cap — Level 1 is recorded. If the same character took Level 3 Fire harm, resistance caps it at Level 1, and armor would reduce it further to Level 0 (a bruise, not a wound).

Some resistances are conditional. A breastplate resists mundane Piercing — it stops arrows and spear thrusts — but not magical Piercing or a siege ballista. The condition is noted alongside the resistance: “Resist Piercing (mundane).”

4.6.6 Receiving Harm

When a character takes harm, mark it on the harm track (see Section 2.2). If there is no empty box at the appropriate level, the harm moves up to the next level. A character at Level 3 harm who takes more severe harm is dying.

A character can always choose to resist harm (see Section 3.9), paying stress to reduce the severity. The decision to resist happens after the harm level is determined but before it is recorded.

4.7 Enemies

Enemies do not have action ratings, stress tracks, or playbooks. They are part of the fiction, and the GM runs them as such. When an enemy acts, the GM describes what it does and the affected player rolls to respond.

4.7.1 Threat Rating

Every enemy has a threat rating on the adjective ladder. This single value captures how dangerous the enemy is overall — its skill, ferocity, toughness, and cunning.

The threat rating functions as a scene tag. A Good (+1) knight improves the enemy’s fictional position — the player’s position worsens by one tier when acting against it. A Terrible (-3) skeleton is the opposite — the player’s position improves dramatically.

The GM may also apply the threat rating to difficulty. A Great (+2) creature’s hide may be so tough that the difficulty to harm it increases by 2 — requiring exceptional skill just to land a blow.

4.7.2 Defense and Attack

Every enemy that participates in combat has two derived values:

• Defense = fighting skill tier + armor tier. This is the number of hits (at 4+) a player needs to match or exceed when striking the enemy.
• Attack = fighting skill tier + weapon tier. This is the number of hits (at 4+) a player needs to match or exceed when defending against the enemy.

These values are precalculated on the enemy’s stat block so the GM never needs to compute them at the table.

A bandit (Defense 1) drops to any solid hit. A knight (Defense 4) requires a skilled fighter with a good roll — a rank 4 Fighter rolls 4D6 at the 4+ threshold, expecting 2 hits on average, so a knight is a serious fight. A dragon (Defense 6) is nearly impossible to harm without extraordinary dice pools (high rank plus assists and pushes).

4.7.3 Harm Clocks

Simple enemies — a bandit, a wolf, a skeleton — drop when they take any meaningful harm. They do not need a clock.

Tougher enemies use a harm clock to track how much punishment they can absorb before going down:

• 4 segments: A tough opponent. A veteran soldier, an armored guard, a large beast.
• 6 segments: A dangerous foe. A troll, a knight in full plate, a minor supernatural creature.
• 8 segments: A major threat. A dragon, a demon, a fortified war machine.

When a character deals harm to a clocked enemy, the player ticks segments based on the degree of success: partial = 1 segment, full = 1 segment plus 1 per excess hit. When the clock fills, the enemy is defeated — dead, unconscious, routed, or otherwise out of the fight.

4.7.4 Enemy Actions

The GM does not roll for enemies. Instead, the GM uses GM actions (see Section 3.6) to represent what enemies do. In combat, the most common GM actions are:

• Apply harm as a consequence of a player’s partial success or bad outcome. The harm is proportional to the enemy’s threat rating and the result of the player’s roll.
• Demand a response by describing the enemy attacking. The affected player rolls to Defend against the enemy’s Attack value. Position is set by the circumstances.
• Tick a clock for enemies with their own goals (performing a ritual, calling reinforcements, escaping).
• Worsen position to represent an enemy flanking, closing distance, or seizing tactical advantage.
• Offer a hard choice when the enemy’s action forces a dilemma — block the doorway or protect the fallen ally, hold your ground or give chase.

Any GM action from Section 3.6 is valid in combat. The list above highlights the ones that come up most often. Players are always rolling, always making decisions, and always engaged. The GM makes enemies feel threatening through the fiction and through well-chosen consequences — not through dice rolls.

4.7.5 Groups of Enemies

A group of similar enemies — a pack of wolves, a squad of guards — is treated as a single entity with a larger harm clock and increased threat.

• A small group (3–5): Increase the harm clock by 2 segments. The group’s threat rating may increase by 1.
• A large group (6–12): Increase the harm clock by 4 segments. The group’s threat rating increases by 1.
• A mob (12+): Use an 8-segment clock minimum. The group’s threat rating increases by 2.

As the group takes harm and the clock fills, describe individuals falling — the pack thinning, soldiers breaking rank. When the clock fills, the group is defeated.

A player may suppress a group to break their cohesion, or strike to thin their numbers. A well-placed area effect (a fireball, a collapsing wall) may tick multiple segments at once at the GM’s discretion.

4.8 Ending Combat

Combat ends when one side is eliminated, but that is rarely the only way — and often not the most interesting one. Most fights end before the last hit point is spent. Here are the common ways combat wraps up.

4.8.1 Total Defeat

One side’s harm clocks are all filled. Every combatant is dead, unconscious, or otherwise out of the fight. This is the default assumption in many games, but in practice it is the least common ending at the table. Most fights resolve before this point.

4.8.2 Rout

One side breaks and flees. When enemies face a sudden reversal — their leader falls, they take their first casualty, half their number is down, or a terrifying display shatters their nerve — the GM makes a morale roll (see Section 3.8.1.1). On a failure, the enemies break.

The GM may also declare a rout without rolling when the situation is obviously hopeless — a lone survivor facing an unscathed party, mindless creatures whose controller is slain, or any case where rolling would be a formality.

A routed enemy drops the fight and runs. PCs may pursue (Dash or Hunt), let them go, or attempt to demand surrender before they escape.

4.8.3 Mutual Withdrawal

Both sides decide the fight is not worth continuing. One side backs away, the other does not pursue. This often follows a few rounds of inconclusive fighting or a shift in the fiction — reinforcements are coming, the building is on fire, the prize has already been taken.

No roll is needed if both sides want to disengage. If one side withdraws and the other pursues, it becomes a chase (resolve with appropriate action rolls outside the combat framework).

4.8.4 Surrender

A combatant — PC or NPC — may attempt to end the fight by demanding or offering surrender. This is not a named combat action. It is something a character does on their turn when the fiction supports it: a shouted demand after cutting down the enemy leader, a raised hand and dropped weapon, a formal call for quarter.

Demanding surrender. A PC who wants to demand surrender uses their turn and rolls an appropriate action — Command (authority, force of will), Sway (intimidation, persuasion), or Consort (appealing to shared bonds or mercy). The GM sets position and difficulty based on the situation:

• Favorable conditions (enemy wounded, outnumbered, leader fallen, harm clock mostly full): lower difficulty, controlled or risky position.
• Neutral conditions (fight is roughly even, neither side is clearly winning): standard difficulty, risky position.
• Unfavorable conditions (the enemy is winning, the demand is absurd, there is no reason for them to surrender): high difficulty, desperate position. A full success may be impossible — see below.

The outcome follows the standard framework:

• Full success: The target surrenders. Combat ends for that enemy or group.
• Partial success: The target hesitates, wavers, or is briefly disrupted. They may parley, offer terms, or simply freeze for a moment — but the fight is not over yet. The GM determines what the hesitation looks like.
• Bad outcome: The demand fails. The target is insulted, emboldened, or simply ignores it. The fight continues and the character’s turn is spent.

When full success is impossible. The GM may rule that a demand cannot fully succeed given the circumstances. A lone adventurer ordering the city guard to lay down arms is not going to end the fight with a speech. But a roll still matters — a partial success might buy a moment of confusion, a laugh that delays the attack, or a reputation for audacity that matters later. Not being arrested on the spot for the attempt is its own kind of success.

Offering surrender. A PC (or NPC) may offer to surrender instead of demanding it. No roll is required — the character drops their weapon, raises their hands, or speaks the words. The other side decides whether to accept. For PCs, this is a player decision. For NPCs, the GM decides based on the enemy’s nature and goals. Bandits might accept ransom. Zealots might not accept surrender at all.

Refusing reasonable surrender. When a combatant refuses a reasonable offer of surrender — after clearly losing a fight, when disarmed, when their allies have fallen, when the harm clock is exhausted — there are consequences beyond the continued violence:

• Stress. The character who fights on past the point of reason takes 1 stress at the end of the fight (or immediately, if the GM prefers). Continuing to fight when the battle is plainly lost is psychologically punishing.
• Reputation. Refusing to accept an enemy’s surrender — killing someone who has yielded — is a serious act. It may cause reputational harm: allies lose trust, factions hear about it, future enemies fight to the death because they know quarter will not be given. The GM tracks this through the fiction and may impose it as a scene tag in future social encounters.

These consequences apply to both PCs and NPCs. A bandit chief who refuses to surrender when surrounded costs her followers stress and morale. A PC who executes a yielding prisoner will carry that decision forward.

NPC surrender demands. The GM does not roll dice, so an NPC demanding surrender is handled as a GM action — the enemy calls for quarter, offers terms, or threatens consequences. The player whose character is addressed decides how to respond. If the PC refuses, play continues normally. If the PC accepts, they lay down arms and the fiction follows from there.

5 Magic

Magic exists in the world, but it is not commonplace. Spells are defined things — named, known, and cataloged. A campaign’s spellbook is the reference for what magic is possible in that world. Characters learn spells from this catalog. They do not invent new magic at the table.

This chapter has two parts. The first covers the rules for casting spells — what a character does at the table when they use magic. The second covers building spells — the system the GM uses to construct the campaign’s spell catalog. Players do not need to read the second part to play a spellcaster, but understanding it helps them appreciate what their spells can and cannot do.

5.1 Magic in the World

The GM decides how common and accessible magic is in the campaign. This decision shapes everything — how many spells exist, how they are learned, and what it takes to bring new magic into the world.

High magic. Spells are numerous and well-documented. Academies teach the arcane arts. Scrolls and spellbooks are traded in markets. A character who wants to learn a new spell needs time, coin, and access to a teacher or library. Creating a genuinely new spell requires research — weeks or months of study, expensive materials, and a successful series of rolls.

Low magic. Spells are rare, jealously guarded, and poorly understood. Magic is a thing of legend, old pacts, and forgotten places. A character who knows even one spell is remarkable. Learning a new spell might require a quest — finding a lost tome, earning a god’s favor, or bargaining with something dangerous. Creating a new spell is the work of a lifetime, or the gift of a power beyond mortal understanding.

No magic. Spells do not exist. This chapter does not apply. The Priest and Mage playbooks would need to be reworked or removed for a no-magic campaign.

Regardless of the setting’s magic level, a new spell is never available in the same session it is conceived. Magic is not improvised. Even in a high-magic world, a new spell must be researched, tested, and refined before it can be cast reliably.

5.2 Casting a Spell

Casting a spell is an action like any other. The character rolls the appropriate action dice, the GM sets position and difficulty, and the result moves the fiction forward.

5.2.1 The Casting Roll

The action used depends on the spell and the power source:

• Attune for spells that channel supernatural forces — sensing magic, communing with spirits, invoking divine power, reaching across planar boundaries.
• Study for spells that rely on knowledge and precision — reciting formulae, reading glyphs, analyzing magical structures, identifying enchantments.
• Tinker for spells that are prepared as physical objects — activating a potion, triggering an alchemical device, inscribing a rune.
• Command for spells that impose the caster’s will — compelling creatures, turning undead, binding spirits, projecting authority through divine mandate.

The GM and the player agree on which action applies based on the fiction. A Priest invoking holy fire rolls Attune or Command. A Mage reciting a fireball formula rolls Study. An Alchemist hurling a prepared flask rolls Tinker or Shoot.

5.2.2 Position and Difficulty in Magic

Position is set by the circumstances, not the spell itself. Casting in safety (a prepared ritual, no enemies nearby) is controlled. Casting in the middle of a fight is risky. Casting while wounded, surrounded, and desperate is desperate. Scene tags apply as usual.

Difficulty is determined by the spell’s tier (see Section 5.7) relative to the situation. A powerful spell used against a minor obstacle has lower difficulty. A minor cantrip used against a major threat has higher difficulty. The GM adjudicates based on the spell’s description and the fiction.

5.2.3 Consequences of Failure

When a casting roll goes poorly, the consequences depend on the power source and the position. Each power source section below specifies what partial success and bad outcomes look like.

• Partial success: The spell works, but at a cost beyond the normal expenditure — a complication, a side effect, or reduced potency. The power source determines the details.
• Bad outcome: The spell fails or misfires. The caster pays the full cost with no benefit. In desperate position, the spell may backfire — harming the caster, alerting enemies, or producing the opposite of the intended effect.

Magic is never free. Even on a full success, the caster pays the spell’s cost from their power source.

5.3 Power Sources

Every spellcaster draws magic from a source. The source determines how the character pays for spells and what happens when they push too hard. A character’s playbook and background determine their power source.

5.3.1 Vancian Spellcasting

Wizards, mages, scholars of the arcane.

A Mage memorizes spells by studying their spellbook each morning (or during a long rest). The process takes about an hour of concentrated study. Memorizing a spell loads its arcane pattern into the caster’s mind, where it sits ready to be triggered.

Spell slots. A Mage has a number of spell slots determined by their experience. Each slot holds one memorized spell of that tier or lower. A starting Mage typically has 3–4 slots across Tiers 1 and 2. Slots increase as the character advances.

Casting and forgetting. Triggering a memorized spell releases the pattern and wipes it from the caster’s mind. The spell is gone until re-memorized. To cast the same spell twice in a day, the Mage must memorize it in two separate slots.

Choosing spells. Each morning, the Mage selects which spells to memorize from their spellbook. This is the Mage’s central tactical decision — choosing between versatility (many different spells) and reliability (duplicating key spells). A Mage without their spellbook cannot re-memorize; they are limited to whatever patterns remain in their mind.

The spellbook. A Mage’s spellbook is their most precious possession. It contains the formulae for every spell the Mage has learned. Losing it does not erase currently memorized spells, but the Mage cannot prepare new ones until the book is recovered or replaced. Copying spells into a new book requires time, materials, and access to the original spell (another book, a scroll, or a teacher).

Cantrips (Tier 0 spells) do not require slots. A Mage who knows a cantrip can cast it freely — see Section 5.4.1.

5.3.1.1 Vancian Partial Success

When a Mage rolls a partial success on a casting roll, the spell works but the slot is expended and a complication occurs. On a full success, the slot is expended and the spell works cleanly. On a bad outcome, the slot is expended and the spell fails entirely.

The slot is always expended — that is the base cost of Vancian casting, regardless of the outcome.

The GM chooses a complication that fits the fiction, or rolls on the table below.

5.3.2 Mana (Sorcery)

Sorcerers, innate talents, magical creatures. Typically an NPC power source.

A character with mana has an internal reserve of magical energy. Each spell costs a number of mana points equal to its tier (see Section 5.7). When the reserve is empty, the character cannot cast until they rest.

Mana pool size depends on the character’s Attune and Study ratings. A typical sorcerer has 4–6 mana points. The pool grows with experience.

Recovery. Mana recovers fully after a long rest (a full night’s sleep in safety). A short rest (an hour of quiet) recovers half the pool, rounded down.

Mana burn. A sorcerer who has run out of mana may attempt to cast anyway. Roll the casting normally, but the sorcerer also takes harm equal to the spell’s tier — the raw energy scorches through them. On a bad outcome, the spell also fails entirely. The harm always happens, regardless of the roll’s success. Mana burn is a desperate gamble, not a routine tactic.

5.3.3 Pact

Warlocks, those who bargain with powers beyond the mortal world.

A character with a pact does not pay for individual spells. Instead, every spell they cast ticks a pact clock — a 6-segment clock that represents the patron’s growing interest and influence.

• Tiers 1–2 spells: Tick 1 segment.
• Tier 3 spells: Tick 2 segments.
• Tier 4+ spells: Tick 3 segments.

When the pact clock fills, the patron collects. The nature of the collection depends on the patron and the fiction — a task the warlock must perform, a price extracted from the warlock’s body or mind, a temporary loss of power, or something stranger. The GM and the player negotiate the terms when the pact is first established and again each time the clock fills.

After the patron collects, the clock resets to zero.

The pact is a relationship. A warlock who serves their patron’s interests faithfully may find the collections lenient. One who defies or ignores the patron will find them increasingly harsh. The GM plays the patron as a character with goals and expectations.

5.3.4 Devotion

Priests, paladins, druids, shamans.

A character who channels divine power does not pay in mana or pact ticks. Instead, they risk divine displeasure. Each spell cast ticks a displeasure clock — a 6-segment clock that represents the character’s standing with their source of power.

• Spells aligned with the character’s faith: Tick 1 segment, regardless of tier. The power flows freely when used in service of its purpose.
• Spells that stretch the boundaries of the faith: Tick 2 segments. Using healing magic to harm, invoking a god of peace in battle, channeling nature’s power in a city.
• Spells that contradict the faith: Tick 3 segments. The power resists being used against its nature.

When the displeasure clock fills, the divine source withdraws. The character loses access to magic until they atone — through prayer, ritual, sacrifice, a quest, or whatever the fiction demands. The clock resets after atonement.

Prayer and forgiveness. During a short rest (about an hour), a Priest may spend the time in prayer, petitioning their divine source to restore favor. Roll Attune against difficulty 1:

• Full success: Clear 2 segments, plus 1 per excess hit.
• Partial success: Clear 1 segment.
• Bad outcome: The gods are silent. No segments cleared.

The maximum segments cleared on any single prayer is capped by the character’s Study rating — knowledge of the proper rites, hymns, and acts of contrition matters. A neophyte with Study 1 can clear at most 1 segment, regardless of excess hits. A seasoned high priest with Study 3 can clear up to 3. A character with Study 0 does not know the rites well enough to petition at all.

This means the displeasure clock’s 6 segments hit differently at different levels of experience. A beginning Priest might clear 1 segment per rest and must choose their miracles carefully. A veteran can recover several segments between encounters and wield divine power more freely — not because the gods are more generous, but because the Priest knows how to ask.

Faith tenets. When a Priest character is created, the player and the GM should agree on three to five tenets of the character’s faith. These tenets determine which spells are aligned, which stretch the boundaries, and which contradict. Example tenets for a sun god’s priest:

• Protect the innocent.
• Destroy undead and shadow creatures.
• Never use deception.
• Bring light to dark places.

Tenets are guidelines, not a legal code. The GM interprets them in the spirit of the fiction.

5.3.5 Alchemy

Alchemists, artificers, runesmiths.

An alchemist does not cast spells in the moment. They prepare magical effects in advance as physical objects — potions, bombs, scrolls, devices, inscribed runes. Preparation happens during downtime (see Section 6), not during play.

Each prepared item holds one spell effect. The item is consumed when used (a potion is drunk, a bomb is thrown, a scroll crumbles). The number of items an alchemist can maintain at any time depends on their Tinker rating:

• Tinker 1: 2 prepared items.
• Tinker 2: 4 prepared items.
• Tinker 3: 6 prepared items.
• Tinker 4: 8 prepared items.

Using a prepared item does not require a casting roll — the magic is already bound in the object. The character rolls the appropriate action to deliver it (Tinker to apply a potion, Shoot to throw a bomb, Study to read a scroll). The roll determines whether the delivery succeeds, not whether the magic works.

Preparation costs. Each item requires materials with a cost proportional to the spell’s tier. The GM determines what materials are available in the campaign.

5.3.6 Blood Magic

Desperate casters, forbidden traditions, those who pay with flesh.

Blood magic has no external source. The caster fuels spells with their own vitality. Each spell costs harm or stress directly:

• Tier 1: 1 stress or Level 1 harm.
• Tier 2: 2 stress or Level 1 harm.
• Tier 3: 3 stress or Level 2 harm.
• Tier 4+: 4 stress or Level 2 harm, plus 1 stress per tier above 4.

The caster chooses whether to pay in stress or harm each time they cast. Paying in harm represents physical sacrifice — bleeding, aging, burning from within. Paying in stress represents mental and spiritual erosion.

Blood magic is powerful because it has no daily limit, no clock, and no patron to appease. It is dangerous because the cost is immediate and personal. A blood mage who pushes too hard will kill themselves.

5.4 Cantrips & Rituals

Not all magic demands a price from the caster’s power source. The weakest spells and the slowest spells trade something else instead.

5.4.1 Cantrips

A cantrip is a Tier 0 spell — minor magic that costs nothing from the caster’s power source. No mana, no clock ticks, no stress. Cantrips are available to any character with at least 1 rank in Attune, regardless of playbook or power source.

The cost of a cantrip is opportunity. In combat, casting one takes an action — that’s an action not spent striking, defending, or moving. A cantrip still requires a casting roll if the situation is uncertain or dangerous.

What a cantrip can do:

• Deal harm to a single target, up to Level 1 — comparable to a dagger or a thrown rock, not a sword. A Spark can wound. It cannot kill outright.
• Produce a useful instant effect — light a fire, mend a rope, chill a drink, clean a garment, create a brief sound.
• Provide a brief minor advantage — a flash of insight, a moment of steadied hands. Effects last one round at most, or a single use.

What a cantrip cannot do:

• Deal harm to multiple targets. Area effects require a real spell with a real cost.
• Produce effects that last beyond one round in combat or a few moments out of combat. A cantrip-lit flame on a torch you are holding stays lit, but the moment it leaves your possession, the magic fades.
• Compel, charm, dominate, or otherwise override a creature’s will. Mind-affecting magic always costs something.
• Create significant battlefield effects — walls, zones, darkness, silence, terrain changes. These alter the situation for everyone and demand a power source.
• Produce effects that synergize broadly with allies — buffs, debuffs, or conditions that persist long enough for others to exploit them. A cantrip that briefly dazzles one enemy is fine. A cantrip that blinds a group for the rest of the fight is not.

Cantrips are personal. A cantrip’s effect is sustained by the caster’s presence and attention. An object enchanted by a cantrip — a glowing stone, a mended rope, a chilled waterskin — loses its magic when it leaves the caster’s possession. You cannot hand out glowing rocks as torches. You carry your own light.

5.4.2 Ritual Casting

Any spell in the campaign catalog can be cast as a ritual if the caster has time, safety, and the proper materials. Ritual casting trades speed for reduced cost:

• Casting time: 10 minutes for Tier 1–2 spells, 1 hour for Tier 3–4, several hours for Tier 5+. The GM sets the exact time based on the fiction.
• Cost reduction: The spell’s effective tier is reduced by 2 for determining resource cost (minimum 0). A Tier 3 spell cast as a ritual costs as though it were Tier 1. A Tier 1 or 2 spell cast as a ritual is free — equivalent to a cantrip.
• Components: Rituals often require physical materials — incense, chalk circles, blessed water, rare herbs. The GM determines what is needed.

Ritual casting is useless in combat or any situation where minutes matter. It is the magic of preparation, of sacred rites performed in temple sanctuaries, of alchemists working through the night, of a Priest consecrating ground before the battle rather than during it.

Rituals and power sources. The cost reduction applies to whatever resource the caster normally pays:

• Mana: Spend fewer mana points (effective tier - 2).
• Devotion: Fewer displeasure ticks, or none for low-tier aligned spells. Daily prayers and blessings are rituals in practice — this is why routine worship does not drain a Priest.
• Pact: The patron still notices, but ritual casting reduces pact clock ticks by the same formula. A warlock who takes the time to perform proper rites shows respect.
• Blood Magic: Reduced stress or harm cost.
• Alchemy: Already ritual by nature. Alchemists prepare spells as items — this is their standard mode.

5.5 Spell Components

Every spell is built from components. Each component has tiers that determine the spell’s power and cost. The GM uses these tables to construct spells for the campaign’s catalog. Players do not interact with these tables during play — they cast finished spells.

5.5.1 Range

How far the spell can reach from the caster.

5.5.2 Area

How many targets or how large an area the spell affects.

5.5.3 Duration

How long the spell’s effect lasts.

5.5.4 Potency

The strength of the spell’s primary effect. Potency determines how much harm a damaging spell deals, how much a healing spell restores, how strongly a charm compels, or how solid an illusion appears.

5.5.5 Side Effects

Optional modifiers that add complexity, flavor, or drawbacks to a spell. Side effects can reduce a spell’s total tier (making it cheaper to cast) if they impose meaningful limitations, or increase it if they add beneficial extras.

5.6 Building a Spell

To build a spell, the GM selects a tier for each component, then calculates the spell’s tier using the formula below. The tier determines the spell’s cost to cast and its place in the campaign’s power scale.

Potency is the primary driver. Each step of potency costs progressively more — a spell that deals Level 3 harm is inherently expensive regardless of how it is delivered. The delivery components (Range, Area, Duration) matter, but less than what the spell actually does.

5.6.1 Base Tier

The spell’s potency sets a base tier using a non-linear scale:

5.6.2 Delivery

Sum the spell’s Range, Area, and Duration tiers. This total is the spell’s reach. Every 2 points of reach adds 1 tier of delivery cost.

5.6.3 The Formula

Spell Tier = Base Tier + Delivery + Side Effects

Cantrip exception. A spell with Potency 0 and only cosmetic effects (light, mending, prestidigitation) is Tier 0 regardless of its other components. These are minor magical tricks, not real spells.

Utility exception. A spell with Potency 0 that provides a genuinely useful effect — an alarm, detection, or scrying — is at minimum Tier 1. For these spells, use Delivery + Side Effects directly, with a minimum result of 1.

5.6.4 Example: Cure

The caster lays hands on a wounded creature and mends a minor injury.

Base Tier (Minor) = 1. Reach = 1 + 0 + 0 = 1, Delivery = +0. No side effects. Spell Tier = 1.

A Tier 1 spell — the cheapest real magic. A mage burns a spell slot, a priest ticks one segment on their displeasure clock.

5.6.5 Example: Heal Wounds

The caster lays hands on a wounded creature and restores vitality, closing deeper wounds.

Base Tier (Moderate) = 3. Reach = 1, Delivery = +0. No side effects. Spell Tier = 3.

One step of potency (Minor → Moderate) added 2 tiers, not 1. The non-linear base means stronger effects cost disproportionately more. This is a workhorse healing spell — effective, affordable, but the healer must be within arm’s reach.

5.6.6 Example: Fireball

A ball of fire explodes at a point within range, burning everything in the area.

Base Tier (Major) = 5. Reach = 3 + 2 + 0 = 5, Delivery = +2. Side effects = -1. Spell Tier = 6.

Area damage at Level 2 is Major potency — one step above what a single-target Level 2 spell would cost. The thunderous detonation (Loud) shaves one tier off. Without it, this would be Tier 7.

5.6.7 Example: Alarm

The caster wards a doorway or campsite. If any creature larger than a rat enters the area within the next day, the caster is alerted by a mental ping or chime.

Potency 0 with a useful effect — the utility exception applies. Reach = 2 + 1 + 4 = 7, Delivery = 3. Side effects = -2. Delivery + Side Effects = 1, minimum 1. Spell Tier = 1.

Despite high reach, the trivial potency keeps this cheap. The formula’s non-linear base means a cantrip-level effect with impressive delivery is still low-tier magic. The ritual casting time and consumed materials (chalk for the circle, salt for the ward) bring it down further.

5.6.8 Example: Raise Dead

The caster restores life to a creature that died within the last day. The creature returns alive but barely — at Level 3 harm and 0 stress.

Base Tier (Extreme) = 7. Reach = 1, Delivery = +0. Side effects = -2. Spell Tier = 5.

Resurrection is the most powerful effect in the catalog. The high base tier reflects that even with minimal delivery and heavy limitations, bringing back the dead is extraordinary magic. The ritual requirement and rare consumed materials knock it down from Tier 7, but it remains firmly high-tier.

5.7 Spell Difficulty

A spell’s tier determines its cost, but the casting roll is still an action roll with position and difficulty set by the GM. Higher- tier spells are not inherently harder to cast — they are harder to afford. A Tier 6 fireball uses the same casting roll as a Tier 1 shield spell. The difference is the price of failure and the drain on the caster’s resources.

However, the GM may apply scene tags or adjust position and difficulty based on the spell’s tier relative to the caster’s capability:

• A novice casting a high-tier spell beyond their usual range may be in worse position (risky → desperate) — the magic strains against their control.
• A master casting a low-tier spell in calm conditions is in controlled position at low difficulty — the magic is routine.
• Environmental interference — anti-magic zones, competing spellcasters, unstable magical fields — can worsen position or raise difficulty regardless of spell tier.

5.8 Creating New Spells

New spells are not invented at the table during play. They are created between sessions, during downtime, or as the result of significant in-game events. The process depends on the campaign’s magic level:

High magic. A character with access to a library or mentor can research a new spell. This requires:

• A clear description of the desired effect.
• Time: days to weeks, depending on the spell’s tier.
• Coin: materials and reference texts cost money proportional to the tier.
• A series of Study or Tinker rolls, tracked with a progress clock. A Tier 3 spell might require an 8-segment research clock. A Tier 6 spell might require a 12-segment clock spread across multiple sessions of downtime.

Low magic. Creating a new spell is a story-level event. It might require:

• A quest to find lost knowledge — a ruined library, a dying sage, a sealed vault.
• A bargain with a supernatural power — a god’s blessing, a demon’s secret, a spirit’s gift.
• A great deed that reshapes the caster’s relationship with magic itself.

The GM decides when a new spell enters the world. The effect builder tables provide the framework, but the narrative justification matters more than the mechanical process.

In all cases, a new spell is added to the campaign’s spellbook and becomes available to any character who can learn it. Magic belongs to the world, not to individuals.

5.9 Sample Spells

The following spells form a starter catalog suitable for most fantasy campaigns. The GM may use this list as-is, modify it, or build an entirely custom catalog using the spell component tables.

5.9.1 Tier 0 — Cantrips

Tier 0 spells cost nothing from the caster’s power source. Any character with at least 1 rank in Attune can cast these. See Section 5.4.1 for what cantrips can and cannot do.

Spark. (Near, Single, Instant, Minor.) A bolt of energy — fire, frost, lightning, or force, depending on the caster’s style — strikes a single target for Level 1 harm. Comparable to a thrown dagger, not a fireball. Also useful for lighting a fire or signaling.

Light. (Self, Single, Long, Potency 0.) The caster causes an object they are holding or wearing to glow with soft light, illuminating a 10-meter radius for one hour. The light is an exception to the one-round cantrip limit — it persists because the caster maintains it passively. If the object leaves the caster’s possession, the light fades at the end of their next turn.

Mend. (Touch, Single, Instant, Potency 0.) Repair a small break or tear in a nonliving object — a cracked pot, a torn rope, a snapped bowstring. The object is restored to functional condition. Does not work on magical objects or complex mechanisms.

Prestidigitation. (Self, Single, Instant, Potency 0.) A minor magical trick — chill or warm a small object, clean a garment, flavor a meal, create a brief sound or scent. Trivial effects that cannot deceive, harm, or persist.

Jolt. (Touch, Single, Instant, Minor, Unavoidable.) The caster channels a burst of raw energy through their hand into a target they are touching. Deals Level 1 harm. A melee-range combat cantrip for casters without a weapon — the magical equivalent of a punch, but one that bypasses the target’s static defense.

5.9.2 Tier 1 Spells

Cure. (Touch, Single, Instant, Minor.) The caster lays hands on a creature and clears one Level 1 harm box. A minor wound closes, a bruise fades. Does not treat disease or poison.

Alarm. (Near, Small, Extended, Potency 0, Ritual, Material component.) The caster inscribes a ward in chalk or salt around a doorway, campsite, or small area. If any creature larger than a rat enters the area within the next day, the caster is alerted — by a mental ping, a chime, or a flash of light (chosen at casting). Requires 10 minutes and a material component (chalk or salt for the ward circle) consumed in the casting.

Bane. (Near, Single, Brief, Minor, Concentration.) The caster curses a target within range. For a few rounds, the target suffers -1D on their next action. Requires concentration.

Detect Magic. (Self, Medium, Brief, Cantrip.) The caster senses magical auras within a 5-meter radius for a few rounds. Stronger magic glows brighter. Does not identify the nature of the magic — only its presence and approximate strength.

Shield of Faith. (Self, Single, Short, Minor, Concentration.) A shimmering ward reduces incoming harm by 1 level for the duration of the scene. Requires concentration — taking harm forces a resist roll to maintain the spell.

5.9.3 Tier 2 Spells

Ray of Frost. (Near, Single, Instant, Minor.) A bolt of freezing energy deals Level 1 harm to a single target. The cold damage is elemental — creatures resistant to cold may ignore or reduce the effect. The target’s movement is impaired for one round (the GM may apply a “poor footing” scene tag at -2).

Silence. (Near, Small, Short, Minor, Concentration.) A zone of absolute silence fills a small area for one scene. No sound enters or leaves. Blocks all verbal communication, chanting, and sound-based magic within the area.

Bless Weapon. (Touch, Single, Short, Minor.) A weapon glows faintly and reduces difficulty by 1 against supernatural creatures (undead, demons, fey) for one scene. No benefit against mundane targets.

5.9.4 Tier 3 Spells

Heal Wounds. (Touch, Single, Instant, Moderate.) The caster lays hands on a wounded creature and clears one Level 2 harm box (or two Level 1 boxes). Does not regrow limbs or cure disease.

Hold Person. (Near, Single, Brief, Moderate, Concentration.) The target is paralyzed for a few rounds. They can think and breathe but cannot move, speak, or take actions. Requires concentration from the caster — if concentration breaks, the spell ends. The target may resist with a Presence check at the end of each round, ending the effect on a success.

Misty Step. (Self, Single, Instant, Moderate.) The caster vanishes in a swirl of mist and reappears at a point they can see within 10 meters. The teleportation is instantaneous — the caster cannot be intercepted in transit. Does not allow passage through wards or anti-magic barriers.

5.9.5 Tier 4 Spells

Lightning Bolt. (Far, Single, Instant, Moderate, Loud, Unavoidable.) A crackling bolt of lightning strikes a target for Level 2 harm. Lightning bypasses the target’s static defense — it cannot be dodged or blocked by armor. The thunderclap is audible for a great distance.

Invisibility. (Touch, Single, Short, Moderate, Concentration, Silent.) The target becomes invisible for one scene. The effect breaks if the target attacks, casts a spell, or takes harm. Requires concentration from the caster.

Wall of Fire. (Near, Medium, Short, Moderate, Concentration, Loud.) A wall of roaring flame fills a line or curve up to 5 meters long. Passing through the wall deals Level 2 harm. The wall lasts for one scene and requires concentration.

5.9.6 Tier 5 Spells

Raise Dead. (Touch, Single, Instant, Extreme, Ritual, Material component.) The caster restores life to a creature that died within the last day. The creature returns at Level 3 harm and 0 stress — alive but barely. Requires a 10-minute ritual and rare materials consumed in the casting.

5.9.7 Tier 6+ Spells

Fireball. (Far, Medium, Instant, Major, Loud.) A ball of fire explodes at a point within range, dealing Level 2 harm to everything in a 5-meter radius. The detonation is unmistakable.

Dominate. (Near, Single, Long, Major, Concentration, Silent.) The caster seizes control of a target’s mind for one hour. The target obeys the caster’s commands as though they were their own desires. Requires concentration. If the target is ordered to act against their nature, they may resist with a Presence check.

Teleport. (Beyond, Small, Instant, Major, Ritual, Material component.) The caster and a few companions are instantly transported to a location the caster has visited before. Requires a 10-minute ritual and a material component linked to the destination (a stone from the place, a map drawn there, soil from the ground). Teleportation warps the fabric of reality — even a short-range variant like Misty Step demands moderate power, and spanning great distances pushes the effect to the highest tier.

6 Downtime

This chapter is forthcoming.

7 Equipment

This chapter covers the gear adventurers carry, how much they can carry, and what it costs. Weapons, armor, and mundane items are the tools of the trade — and every slot in your pack is a choice.

7.1 Encumbrance

Every character has a limited number of inventory slots. A slot holds one significant item — a weapon, a coil of rope, a waterskin, a bundle of torches. Your total slots equal:

Inventory Slots = 5 + Body score

Your Body score is the total ranks in your four Body actions (Fight, Move, Endure, Brawn). See Section 2.1.5.

A starting Fighter with Body score 6 has 11 slots. A starting Mage with Body score 2 has 7. A common laborer with Body score 4 has 9.

7.1.1 What Fills a Slot

• One weapon takes 1 slot. A two-handed weapon takes 2.
• Armor takes slots based on weight: light armor 1, medium armor 2, heavy armor 3. A shield takes 1.
• Bundled small items share a slot. A quiver of arrows, a pouch of sling stones, a set of thieves’ tools, ten iron spikes — each bundle is 1 slot.
• Bulky items take 2 slots: a ladder, a chest, a body being carried.
• Tiny items are free until the GM says otherwise. A single key, a ring, a scrap of parchment. If you are carrying a suspiciously large number of “tiny” items, the GM may rule they fill a slot.
• Coins are free in reasonable quantities. A purse of spending money costs nothing. A sack of treasure takes slots — roughly 1 slot per 500 coins.

7.1.2 Worn vs. Carried

Items worn on the body (armor, a belt knife, a cloak) are always accessible. Items carried in a pack or satchel take a moment to retrieve — in combat, pulling something from your pack costs your action for the turn (see Section 4.4).

A character sheet should distinguish between worn items (immediately available) and packed items (require a moment to access). Both count against your total slots.

7.1.3 Over-Encumbered

If you carry more items than your slots allow, you are over-encumbered:

• You cannot Move or Dash. You can only shuffle at walking pace.
• All physical actions suffer -1D.
• You cannot resist physical consequences with Body (the strain leaves nothing in reserve).

Drop something or redistribute the load to clear the penalty.

7.1.4 Inventory as Choice

The slot system exists to create meaningful decisions, not to simulate physics. The question is never “how many pounds can I carry?” — it is “what am I willing to leave behind?”

When the party finds a hoard of gold, someone has to drop their spare weapon or their rope to carry it out. When a Mage picks up a second spellbook, they might need to abandon their cooking kit. These choices define characters as much as their action ranks do.

```{=typst}
#import "templates/chapter-page.typ": chapter-opener
#chapter-opener(
  number: 8,
  title: "Tactical Skirmish",
  entries: (
    "When to Use These Rules",
    "The Skirmish Round",
    "Action Points",
    "Movement",
    "Range & Distance",
    "Cover & Elevation",
    "Visibility & Stealth",
    "Chase & Retreat",
  ),
)

8 Tactical Skirmish

The core combat rules in Section 4 are abstract. They resolve fights in broad strokes — who hits, who gets hurt, what changes in the fiction. They work well for ambushes, brawls, and encounters where positioning is felt rather than measured.

Sometimes you want more. A dungeon room with pillars and pit traps. A rooftop chase across a moonlit city. A desperate rearguard holding a bridge while the wounded retreat. When the physical layout of the space matters — where everyone is standing, who can see whom, how far the archer can reach — use these tactical skirmish rules.

8.1 When to Use These Rules

Tactical skirmish is an optional layer. It replaces the normal combat turn structure (Section 4.2) with an action-point system, adds a grid or ruler for positioning, and lets the GM roll dice for NPCs.

Use it when:

• Positioning matters. Flanking, chokepoints, line of sight, elevation, and cover are important to the fight.
• Multiple combatants. Both sides have enough figures that tracking who is where becomes valuable.
• The players want it. Some groups enjoy tactical play. Others find it tedious. Ask.

Do not use it for every fight. A tavern brawl, a one-on-one duel, or a quick ambush resolved in two rolls does not need a grid. The abstract combat rules handle those fine.

8.1.1 What Changes

These rules replace the following from Section 4:

• The turn structure (Section 4.2) — replaced by action points.
• “Players roll all dice” — the GM rolls for NPCs in tactical mode.

Everything else from Section 4 still applies: Strike, Defend, Assess, Evade, Suppress, Protect, Focus, Grapple, Brawl, momentum, harm and armor, damage types, weapon traits, resistance, and enemy stat blocks all work as written.

8.2 The Skirmish Round

A round consists of each team taking one turn. A team is all the characters controlled by one side — the PCs and their allies, or the GM’s NPCs. Within a team’s turn, characters activate in any order the controlling player (or GM) chooses.

8.2.1 Surprise

Before the first round, determine whether either side has surprise. The GM makes a fortune roll (see Section 3.8) as a team test:

• Roll 1D6 + modifiers against a target number.
• Modifiers come from the fiction: sentries asleep or a well-laid ambush (+1); approaching through open ground or the enemy was already on alert (-1).
• The default TN is 4 (Even odds).

A single d6 is swingy by design. A party that wants to tilt the odds their way should invest in Prowl and Hunt — a Thief scouting ahead is the reliable answer to “we don’t want to get surprised.”

If surprise is not in question — both sides see each other coming — skip this step.

8.2.2 Initiative

At the start of each round (after any surprise round), each side rolls 1D6. The higher roll acts first. On a tie, the PCs act first.

Once initiative is determined for the first non-surprise round, it holds for the rest of the encounter unless the fiction demands a reroll (a dramatic shift in circumstances, a new faction entering the fight).

8.3 Action Points

Each character has 3 action points (AP) per round. Every action costs AP to perform. When a character has spent all their AP, their activation is over. Unspent AP are lost at the end of the round — they do not carry over.

8.3.1 Action Costs

8.3.2 Low Rank Penalty

Actions cost double AP if the character’s rank in the relevant action is below 2. A character with Fight 1 who attempts a melee attack pays 2 AP instead of 1. A character with Prowl 0 who tries to enter stealth pays 2 AP. For Use a skill, the penalty keys off whichever action the character rolls — a character leaning on Sway 1 to intimidate pays 2 AP.

This reflects the difference between trained competence and fumbling effort. Characters are not prevented from attempting actions outside their expertise — they just burn more time doing so.

Magical actions already cost 2 AP. A caster with fewer than 2 ranks in the relevant casting action (Attune for mages, Pray for priests) pays 4 AP — effectively impossible in a single round without outside help. This represents the extreme difficulty of battlefield spellcasting for the untrained.

8.3.3 Free Actions

Some things cost no AP:

• Speaking a short sentence or shouting a warning.
• Dropping a held item.
• Falling prone (intentionally).
• Standing up from prone costs 1 step of movement, not a separate AP.

8.4 Movement

8.4.1 The Grid

Tactical skirmish uses a grid (square or hex) or a ruler. Each grid square (or hex, or ruler increment) represents one step — approximately 1.5 meters (5 feet).

A character occupies one step. Large creatures may occupy more (noted in their stat block).

8.4.2 Speed

A character’s base speed is 4 steps per AP spent on movement. Armor reduces this:

A character may spend multiple AP on movement in a single round. Spending 2 AP in no armor covers 8 steps. Spending all 3 AP in Great armor covers 6 steps — slow but possible. A character with deep ranks in Move can burn all 3 AP on movement to cover ground quickly; that mobility is the reward for those investments, paid for elsewhere.

8.4.3 Difficult Terrain

Rubble, deep mud, thick undergrowth, shallow water, ice, or steep slopes are difficult terrain. Moving through difficult terrain costs 2 steps of movement per 1 step traveled. A character with 4 steps of speed covers only 2 steps of difficult terrain per AP.

8.4.4 Prone

A prone character:

• Has -1D on melee Strike rolls.
• Grants attackers +1D on melee attacks against them.
• Gains partial cover against ranged attacks (see Section 8.6).
• Costs 1 step of movement to stand. This comes out of the character’s next movement, not a separate AP.

8.4.5 Flight

A flying creature uses the same AP and speed rules but moves in three dimensions. Flight ignores difficult terrain and ground-level obstacles. A flying creature that is knocked prone falls — use Table 8.7 for the harm based on altitude at the time of the fall.

8.4.6 Disengage

A character adjacent to an enemy may move away, but the enemy gets a free attack — a single Strike at no AP cost.

To avoid the free attack, the character must disengage: spend 1 AP to carefully withdraw 1 step. The withdrawal counts against the character’s normal speed for that AP — a character whose speed has been reduced to 0 by some effect cannot disengage at all. After disengaging, the character may spend further AP on normal movement.

8.5 Range & Distance

Distance in tactical skirmish is measured in steps, not abstracted into narrative range.

Range bands exist for reference — weapon ranges, spell ranges, and ability descriptions may use these terms. On the grid, count steps directly.

8.5.1 Weapon Range

Weapons have a maximum range in steps noted in their stat block. Beyond that range, the weapon cannot hit.

• Melee weapons require Adjacent range (0–1 steps). Reach weapons extend this by 1 step.
• Thrown weapons reach Close range (4 steps).
• Bows reach Far range (20 steps).
• Crossbows reach Distant range (21+ steps).
• Slings reach Near range (10 steps).

Attacks at Near or Far range suffer -1D. Attacks at Distant range suffer -2D total (the Distant penalty replaces the Near/Far penalty, it does not stack with it). These range penalties do stack with cover.

8.6 Cover & Elevation

8.6.1 Cover

Cover is anything between the attacker and the target that could block or deflect an attack — a wall, a pillar, an overturned table, a tree trunk.

Cover is determined from the attacker’s position. The GM adjudicates what constitutes partial, heavy, or total cover based on the grid and the fiction.

8.6.2 Elevation

Elevation is relative. A character has elevation over another when they are 4 or more steps (6m) higher — standing on a rooftop, a cliff edge, or a castle wall.

Elevation also extends effective range. Shooting downward from height is easier — the GM may grant +1 step per 2 steps of elevation to maximum weapon range when the geometry matters.

8.6.3 Falling

A character who falls takes harm based on distance:

Falling harm is Physical (Bludgeoning). Armor reduces it normally.

8.7 Visibility & Stealth

8.7.1 Lighting Conditions

Darkvision. Some ancestries (dwarves, elves in some settings) can see in darkness. Darkvision treats Dark as Dim out to Near range (10 steps). Beyond that, it is still Dark.

Infravision. Heat-sight. Treats Dark as Dim out to Close range (4 steps), but only detects living (warm) creatures — not undead, constructs, or objects at ambient temperature.

A character carrying a light source (torch, lantern, magical light) illuminates the area around them to Bright out to Close range and Dim out to Near range. They are also highly visible — they cannot enter stealth while carrying an active light source.

8.7.2 Stealth

A character may spend 1 AP to enter stealth if they are in Dim or Dark conditions, behind total cover, or otherwise out of sight of all enemies. This costs 2 AP if the character’s Prowl rank is below 2 — the same low-rank penalty as any other action.

While in stealth:

• The character’s position is unknown to enemies in the fiction. PCs leave their figure on the grid — stealth runs on the honor system. The other players are trusted not to act on out-of-character knowledge of where their hidden teammate is, and may roleplay their characters guessing or signaling approximate positions. The GM sees everything and adjudicates; nothing the GM does is cheating, so long as the GM is an impartial judge (or biased in the players’ favor when that is what makes the game fun). For hidden NPCs, the GM tracks position off the map — either on a private sketch, or simply by counting total distance moved and placing the figure on reveal wherever best serves the story.
• The character can move at half speed (2 steps per AP instead of
  4. without breaking stealth.
• Moving at full speed, attacking, casting a spell, making loud noise, or entering Bright lighting breaks stealth immediately.

Ambush from stealth. The first attack from stealth gains +1D. After the attack, the character is no longer hidden regardless of the result.

Detecting hidden characters. A character may spend 1 AP to Search (Hunt or Survey) for hidden enemies. The GM sets a difficulty based on the hider’s Prowl rank and the fiction. On success, the hidden character is revealed and placed on the grid.

8.7.3 Invisibility

Magical invisibility works like stealth but does not require cover or darkness to enter. An invisible character can move at full speed without breaking concealment. Attacking or casting a spell still breaks invisibility (unless the spell specifically says otherwise).

Invisible characters can still be detected by sound, smell, or tremorsense. Searching for an invisible character imposes +1 difficulty.

8.8 Chase & Retreat

When one side tries to flee and the other pursues, compare speeds:

• Faster side. The fleeing character cannot escape unless they break line of sight (turn a corner, enter stealth, reach a door and bar it). The pursuer closes 1 step per AP of speed advantage.
• Equal speed. Stalemate. Neither side gains or loses ground. The chase continues until the fiction changes — one side tires, reaches an obstacle, or an ally intervenes.
• Slower pursuer. The fleeing character escapes after spending enough AP to open a gap beyond the pursuer’s range. As a rough guideline: if the fleeing character opens a gap of 10+ steps and has no obstacles ahead, they are away.

A character adjacent to an enemy who wants to flee must disengage first (see Section 8.4.6) or accept the free attack.

8.8.1 Organized Withdrawal

If an entire team decides to retreat, the GM calls for a morale roll on the pursuing side (see Section 3.8.1.1). Enemies without strong motivation may not pursue — they have won the field.

If the pursuers do follow, resolve as individual chases. Characters in Great armor will have difficulty outrunning unarmored pursuers. Rearguard actions — one character holding a chokepoint while the others escape — are a natural result of speed differences.

9 Bestiary & Adversaries

This chapter provides creatures, monsters, and NPCs for the GM to use in play. Every entry uses the combat system from Section 4.7 — threat ratings, defense and attack values, harm clocks, and tags. If you need a refresher on how those work, read that section first.

9.1 Encounter Building

An encounter is any situation where the party faces opposition that might lead to combat. Not every encounter should lead to combat — some creatures flee, negotiate, or simply watch from a distance — but the GM should know what happens if swords come out.

9.1.1 Threat Budget

Use the threat budget to gauge whether an encounter is appropriate for the party. A party of four starting PCs (rank 1–2 in their best actions) can handle roughly the following per encounter:

These are guidelines, not hard limits. A clever party with good positioning can punch above their weight. A surprised party caught without armor is in trouble against anything.

9.1.2 Scaling

For parties smaller than four, reduce the budget by one row or drop the number of enemies. For parties larger than four, add one enemy at the encounter’s base threat per extra PC, or step up the lead enemy’s threat by one.

9.1.3 Mixing Threats

A single powerful enemy is dramatic but predictable — the party focuses fire. Mixed encounters are more interesting: a Good (+1) troll backed by a small group of Poor (-2) goblins forces the party to split attention. The troll is the real danger, but ignoring the goblins means taking hits from behind.

When mixing threats, use the group rules from Section 4.7. A pack of wolves is one entity with one harm clock, not six separate combatants to track.

9.2 Reading a Stat Block

Every creature and NPC in this chapter uses a compact stat line:

Giant Spider — Fair (0) · Def 2 · Atk 2 · HC 4 · venomous, web-spinner, ambush predator

The fields are:

• Name. What it is.
• Threat. The adjective-ladder rating from Table 4.7. This sets the creature’s fictional position and may modify difficulty.
• Def (Defense). Fighting skill + armor. The number of hits a player needs when striking this creature.
• Atk (Attack). Fighting skill + weapon tier. The number of hits a player needs when defending against this creature.
• HC (Harm Clock). How many segments before the creature is defeated. A dash (—) means it drops to any solid hit.
• Tags. Italicized descriptors. Tags are not mechanics — they are fiction that the GM uses to decide what the creature can do. A venomous spider can poison you. A flying creature can’t be reached by melee without jumping or climbing. An armored creature might shrug off arrows.

Creatures without a harm clock are mooks — one good hit and they’re out. Creatures with a harm clock are clocked enemies and follow the rules in Section 4.7.

9.3 Forest

Forests range from sun-dappled woodlands to dense, lightless old growth. The creatures here include natural beasts, fey spirits, lurking undead, and the ever-present threat of humanoid raiders.

9.3.1 Common Forest Creatures

Roll D66 (first D6 = tens, second D6 = ones) for a random encounter.

9.3.2 Forest Boss Monsters

Roll D6 when the encounter calls for a major threat.

1 — Green Dragon — Great (+2) · Def 5 · Atk 5 · HC 8 · flying, poison breath, cunning, territorial
Poison breath fills a wide area — everyone in the zone must resist or take Level 2 harm. The dragon is intelligent and speaks; it may parley if offered sufficient tribute.

2 — Ancient Treant — Great (+2) · Def 5 · Atk 4 · HC 8 · huge, crushing, command plants, slow
Can command nearby trees and undergrowth to entangle intruders (everyone in the area must Move to escape or lose their action). Fire deals double clock segments.

3 — Archfey — Great (+2) · Def 4 · Atk 4 · HC 6 · spellcaster, charm, illusion, iron-vulnerable
Commands powerful enchantments. On any partial success against the Archfey, the player must also resist a compulsion (Mind resistance or act against their interests for one round). Iron weapons bypass its defenses entirely.

4 — Elder Werewolf — Great (+2) · Def 4 · Atk 5 · HC 8 · shapechanger, regenerating, silver-vulnerable, pack alpha
Regenerates 1 clock segment per round unless harmed by silver or fire. Commands a wolf pack (treat as a small group, Poor (-2), HC 4) that fights alongside it.

5 — Giant of the Wood — Great (+2) · Def 4 · Atk 5 · HC 8 · huge, boulder-throwing, crushing, slow
Throws boulders at range (Atk 4, ranged). In melee, its club strikes hit everything in reach — adjacent PCs must all defend on a single swing.

6 — Hydra — Superb (+3) · Def 5 · Atk 6 · HC 8 · multi-headed, regenerating, fire-vulnerable, aquatic
Five heads means five attacks per round — the GM may demand responses from multiple PCs. Severed heads regrow unless the stump is burned. Fire prevents regeneration for one round.

9.4 Dungeon

Dungeons are enclosed spaces — tombs, ruins, mines, sewers, temple vaults. The air is stale, the light is scarce, and nothing down here is friendly.

9.4.1 Common Dungeon Creatures

Roll D66 for a random encounter.

9.4.2 Dungeon Boss Monsters

Roll D6 when the encounter calls for a major threat.

1 — Lich — Superb (+3) · Def 5 · Atk 5 · HC 8 · undead, spellcaster, phylactery, fear aura
A dead wizard sustained by dark magic. Casts spells as a rank 4 Mage. Cannot be permanently destroyed unless its phylactery is found and shattered — otherwise it reforms in 1D6 days.

2 — Eye Tyrant — Great (+2) · Def 4 · Atk 5 · HC 8 · flying, anti-magic cone, eye rays, paranoid
A floating sphere of eyes. Its central eye projects a cone that suppresses all magic — spells fail, enchanted items go dormant. Each round, it fires 1D6 eye rays at different targets (each ray demands a separate defense or resistance roll).

3 — Demon — Great (+2) · Def 5 · Atk 5 · HC 8 · fire, summoner, fear aura, magic-resistant
Immune to fire and mundane weapons. Once per encounter, it can summon a small group of lesser demons (Poor (-2), HC 4). Silver and holy weapons harm it normally.

4 — Deep Dragon — Superb (+3) · Def 6 · Atk 6 · HC 8 · huge, breath weapon, cunning, darkvision, flying
An underground dragon adapted to cavern life. Its breath weapon is a cone of caustic gas (everyone in the zone takes Level 2 harm unless they resist with Body). Intelligent and vain — may be bargained with.

5 — Vampire Lord — Great (+2) · Def 4 · Atk 5 · HC 8 · undead, charm, shapechanger, regenerating, fast
Regenerates 1 clock segment per round unless in sunlight or staked through the heart. Can charm a PC on eye contact (Mind resistance or obey one command). Turns to mist at 0 HC unless destroyed in its coffin.

6 — Aboleth — Great (+2) · Def 4 · Atk 4 · HC 8 · aquatic, psychic, enslaving, ancient, slimy
A primordial creature from before the gods. Psychic attacks bypass armor — defend with Mind resistance, not combat skill. Anyone it touches must resist or become enslaved (acts on the aboleth’s behalf until cured or the aboleth dies).

9.5 NPC Generator

When the party encounters humanoid opponents — guards, bandits, cultists, rival adventurers — use this generator to create them on the fly. Roll three D6 in sequence:

• First D6: Role (what the NPC does for a living)
• Second D6: Specific type (what kind within that role)
• Third D6: Twist (a narrative complication)

If you need a name, roll on the Name Tables in the appendix.

9.5.1 Role and Base Stats

The first die determines the NPC’s role and base combat stats. Most NPCs are not looking for a fight — these stats apply only if violence breaks out.

9.5.2 Specific Type

The second die narrows the role to a specific type. Each type adds one or two tags and may adjust the base stats. Adjustments are noted in parentheses.

1 — Soldier

2 — Criminal

3 — Merchant

4 — Noble

5 — Clergy

6 — Common Folk

9.5.3 Twist

The third die adds a narrative complication. Twists don’t change stats — they give the GM a hook for roleplaying and a reason the NPC might matter beyond the current scene.

9.6 Designing New Zones

The forest and dungeon tables above are templates. To create tables for other environments — subterranean caverns, city streets (day and night variants), coastal waters, arctic wastes — follow this pattern:

1. Pick a theme. What defines this zone? Underground, urban, aquatic? The theme shapes which creatures feel right.
2. Fill the D66 table. 36 entries, weighted toward lower threats. Roughly: 6 Terrible, 8 Poor, 10 Mediocre, 8 Fair, 4 Good.
3. Write 6 bosses. Great to Superb threats with special abilities. Each boss should demand a different tactical response.
4. Use common names. “Cave bear” beats “ursus speluncae.” Players should know what they’re fighting from the name alone.
5. Vary creature types. Mix beasts, undead, constructs, fey, and humanoids. Monotony is the enemy of interesting encounters.

10 Adventure Sites

A site is a place the party rides into — a hamlet, a walled town, a ruined keep, a monastery on a hill. This chapter gives the GM tools to make a site interesting in a hurry, without writing a gazetteer first.

10.1 Site Tags

A site tag is a one-line label that tells you what makes a place interesting. “Bad Water.” “Buried Evil.” “Tyrannical Leader.” A tag isn’t a full adventure — it’s a hook, a twist, and a handful of NPCs the GM can grab when the party rides into town and asks so what’s going on here?

Roll D66 on the tag table. If you want a richer situation, roll twice and blend the two results into a single premise. Two tags stirred together usually produce something stranger and more memorable than either alone — a settlement with Faded Glory and Buried Evil is a fallen house guarding a secret it no longer understands.

Each tag lists five buckets the GM can pick from. Take what you need; ignore the rest.

• Foes — NPCs who’ll push against the PCs.
• Allies — NPCs who’ll seek the PCs out for help.
• Twist — a complication that keeps the situation from being too pat.
• Loot — objects worth fighting over or carrying off.
• Scene — a location that puts the tag on stage.

10.2 Bad Water

The local water is failing or fouled. Wells run dry, streams turn brackish, or someone is poisoning the supply on purpose. Crops wither and tempers are short.

• Foes — a hidden poisoner, a would-be water baron buying up dry farms cheap, a desperate neighbor diverting a stream.
• Allies — a dowser who knows where to dig, a priest running a free water ration, a magistrate sent to investigate.
• Twist — the village’s own tannery is the poison; a curse followed a crime no one will admit to; the spring still runs but a monster nests in the source.
• Loot — the location of a hidden spring, a deed to water rights, an old dwarven sluice-key.
• Scene — a parched field where a fight breaks out over a half-full bucket; the bottom of a dry well with something down there; a funeral for a child who drank the wrong cup.

10.3 Buried Evil

Something is under the town. An old tomb, a sealed pit, a thing the founders chained and then forgot. Somebody local is about to unearth it — for gold, for curiosity, or because it called them.

• Foes — a treasure-hunter hiring muscle, a thrall of the buried thing wearing a friendly face, a rival cult racing the PCs to the seal.
• Allies — an elder who remembers the warning songs, a traveling scholar chasing the same rumor, a priest whose nerve is already breaking.
• Twist — the evil appears as a beautiful object nobody wants to give up; its influence spreads by touch; the “evil” was a guardian against something worse.
• Loot — the binding-key that only works once, the tome naming the thing, a relic taken from its grasp centuries ago.
• Scene — a cellar where the stone is warm; a forgotten shrine repurposed as a grain store; the house of the person who dug too deep, now very quiet.

10.4 Dungeon Exploration

When the party crosses the threshold of a tomb, ruin, mine, or sealed vault, the game shifts gears. Distances are short, light is scarce, and every choice eats time the dungeon is using against them. This section gives the GM a turn structure for that mode of play.

10.4.1 The Exploration Turn

An exploration turn represents roughly ten minutes of careful movement — long enough to cross a few rooms at a watchful pace, search a chamber thoroughly, force a stuck door, or rest a moment against a wall. It is the unit of time between combat rounds (seconds) and downtime (days).

On each exploration turn, the party does one significant thing together:

• Move through one explored area to the next.
• Carefully explore a new room or passage.
• Search a chamber for hidden doors, traps, or loot.
• Force, pick, or batter a door open.
• Pause to bandage, eat, or catch breath.

After the party declares its action, the GM resolves the turn in order:

1. Light burns down. Tick torches, lanterns, and timed spells (see Section 10.4.3).
2. The dungeon notices. Tick the Alertness clock if the party did anything that would draw attention (see Section 10.4.2).
3. Wandering check. The GM makes a fortune roll for a wandering encounter, with TN set by the current alertness level (see Section 10.4.5).
4. Resolve the action. Whatever the party chose to do happens — rolls, fiction, consequences.

Fast travel through cleared, mapped territory does not consume turns. Once a corridor is known and quiet, the party walks it between turns, not during them.

10.4.2 The Alertness Clock

A dungeon is not a static map — it is a household, however foul. Track its awareness of the intruders with a single 4-segment danger clock (see Section 3.7). Each filled segment names a stage:

Tick the clock when the party gives the dungeon a reason:

• +1 tick — a failed stealth roll, a broken door, a body left in the open, a torch carried past a sentry’s line of sight, a spell whose effect leaves a trace.
• +2 ticks — a fight that produced shouts or screams, a prisoner who escaped, a magical alarm tripped.
• +1 per turn while the party rests in unsecured ground.

What ticks reset? Generally none — the dungeon does not forget. Clearing a wing, killing every witness, or sealing a section behind a collapse may reduce the clock by 1 segment at the GM’s discretion.

Stage shifts should be felt in the fiction before they are announced. At Suspicious, a door the PCs left ajar is now closed. At Alerted, the next room they enter is empty — the inhabitants moved. At Aroused, the corridor behind them echoes with footfalls.

10.4.3 Light & Darkness

Most dungeons are pitch black. Without a light source, characters cannot see traps, cannot read inscriptions, cannot target at range, and suffer -2D on actions that require sight. Creatures with darkvision do not share this penalty, and gain +1 tick to Alertness against torch-bearing intruders each turn the party is visible from a distance.

Tick a tally next to each lit source on the table. When a torch gutters out mid-turn, resolve the rest of the turn in darkness — unless someone spends their action lighting a fresh one.

10.4.4 Rations & Hunger

A ration is one day’s food and water for one character. It takes 1 inventory slot per three rations bundled (see Section 7.1). Each day spent crawling, traveling, or camping consumes one ration per character.

A character who skips a day’s ration begins a personal 3-segment Hunger clock. Each further missed day ticks one segment. When the clock fills, the character takes Level 1 harm (exhaustion), suffers -1D on all physical actions, and cannot recover stress until they have eaten and rested. A full meal and a night’s safe rest clears the clock.

Foraging in a dungeon is a Survey or Hunt roll at Hard difficulty or worse — there is rarely anything down here a person should eat.

10.4.5 Wandering Encounters

Each exploration turn, the GM makes a fortune roll (see Section 3.8) to see whether something wanders into the party. The TN is set by the current Alertness stage:

On a success, roll on the local encounter table — for classic underground sites, use Table 9.3. On a failure by exactly 1, the party finds a sign of an encounter instead (fresh tracks, a dropped weapon, a scuffle heard two rooms over). Signs let players act on the warning — change route, set an ambush, snuff the torch.

A wandering encounter that is avoided still happened: tick the Alertness clock, because something out there now knows roughly where the party is.

10.4.6 Resting in the Dark

A short pause — one exploration turn spent catching breath in a defensible spot — lets each character roll a fortune die to clear 1 stress per success (TN 4+). It does not heal harm.

A full camp — six turns (≈1 hour) of watches, food, and sleep — clears Level 1 harm and all stress, but ticks the Alertness clock +1 per turn unless the party has secured the area: barred doors, posted lookouts, and no sound or light leaking out. A secured camp ticks Alertness only once for the whole rest.

Recovery beyond Level 1 harm requires returning to a safe haven and proper downtime.

Appendix: Name Tables

When you need a name on the spot — a captured bandit, a tavern keeper, a mysterious stranger — roll 2D6 on the appropriate table. First D6 picks the row, second D6 picks the column.

These names are deliberately generic fantasy: easy to pronounce, easy to remember, and free of setting-specific connotations. Swap tables freely regardless of gender — a name is a name.

10.5 Male Names

Table 10.1: Male Names

	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)
(1)	Aldric	Bram	Cael	Dorin	Edric	Finn
(2)	Gareth	Hale	Ivar	Jorin	Kemp	Leoric
(3)	Marten	Niall	Oswin	Perin	Rask	Soren
(4)	Theron	Ulric	Voss	Wren	Yorick	Zan
(5)	Colm	Drystan	Emeric	Florian	Giles	Havel
(6)	Jasper	Kael	Lucan	Merric	Nolan	Owen

10.6 Female Names

Table 10.2: Female Names

	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)	(6)
(1)	Aelith	Brenna	Cora	Dagny	Elara	Faye
(2)	Gwen	Hild	Isolde	Jessa	Keira	Lira
(3)	Maren	Neve	Oona	Petra	Rhea	Sigrid
(4)	Thora	Una	Vela	Wynn	Yara	Zara
(5)	Astrid	Bronwen	Celia	Dove	Elin	Freya
(6)	Helga	Ida	Juniper	Katla	Livia	Mira

Appendix: Inspirations

Games, books, and designers whose work shaped this one. Borrowing is called out where it’s pointed enough to be worth naming; the synthesis and the specifics are ours.

10.7 Game systems

• Hercules & Xena Roleplaying Game — West End Games. The d6 pool and attribute structure draw from here more directly than from any FitD-adjacent game: attributes feeding into skill pools, counting successes at a threshold on d6s.
• Blades in the Dark / Forged in the Dark — John Harper. Stress and push, resistance rolls, harm levels, clocks, position-and-difficulty framing, playbooks as a character-creation unit. Contributes the economy-of-play layer on top of the West End d6 foundation.
• Powered by the Apocalypse — Meguey and Vincent Baker. Playbooks as a design idea, and the broader move to player-facing rolls.
• Worlds Without Number — Sine Nomine Publishing (Kevin Crawford). Lifepath-style background tables; faction/downtime sensibility.
• Dark Dungeons X — Gurbintroll Games. OSR structural DNA: hirelings, retainers, funnel-friendly lethality.
• Core Space — Battle Systems Ltd. Tactical-skirmish sensibilities for the grid-based mode.
• ICON — Massif Press (Tom Parkinson-Morgan, Miguel Lopez). Narrative/tactical split — one system for story beats, another for the map — informed our three-mode structure.
• Dungeons & Dragons — Gygax, Arneson, and everyone after. Vancian magic (spellbooks, memorize-and-forget spell slots) comes straight from here, via Jack Vance.
• Dungeon Crawl Classics — Goodman Games. Funnel play and the idea that low-level PCs are cheap.
• D6 System — West End Games. Exploding dice. Our variant keys on pairs of 6s rather than single “wild die” rerolls, but the idea that a 6 keeps going comes from here.

10.8 Literary

• Jack Vance, The Dying Earth. The magic system is named after him for a reason: spells as fragile, pre-memorized shapes that leave the mind once cast.

10.9 Generic / widespread

Some mechanics are too widespread to attribute to one source:

• Action points in tactical play — wargaming convention.
• D66 and percentile encounter tables — OSR / Traveller heritage.
• Random NPC and encounter generation — generic OSR practice.

Appendix: License

10.10 CC0 1.0 Universal — Public Domain Dedication

To the extent possible under law, J. D. M. has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to Wizards & Lizards. This work is published from the United States.

You may copy, modify, distribute, and use this work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

No warranty is given. The work is provided “as-is.”

The full legal text of the CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication is available at:

https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/legalcode

A human-readable summary is available at:

https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/