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NOW IS THE TIME OF MONSTERS


A RETRO TABLETOP ADVENTURE GAME

 * Introduction
   * Design Goals
   * Terminology
   * Example of Play
 * Core Mechanics
   * The Basics
   * Adventuring Gear
   * Combat
   * Faerie Magic
   * Church Magic
   * Exploration Procedures
   * Dungeoneering
   * Orienteering
   * Between Adventures
 * Creating a Character
   * Folk of the Wold
   * Character Advancement
   * Feats
 * Hirelings and Warbands
 * Domains
 * Advice
 * Acknowledgements


RESOURCES

 * PDF Version
 * Character Sheet
 * Item Cards


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License.


INTRODUCTION

Now Is The Time of Monsters is a retro-inspired adventure game of exploration
designed to foster a feeling of in-world adventure for characters who are
possibly not yet seasoned adventurers but will become such very soon. They have
been driven from their old life and seek treasure and glory in the depths of the
wilderness, in ruins, and in battle.

Characters are quick to create, with differentiation mostly stemming from the
equipment they carry instead of classes or ancestries. Their advancement and
improvement is based on mythopoeic results, whether by recovering lost or stolen
treasures or other in-world deeds.

This website serves as the canonical rules for the game, providing all of the
mechanics, rules, and accessories necessary to play. All written game content is
licensed under the CC-BY-SA 4.0 license. The game is inspired by Knave, Maze
Rats, Cairn, Old-School Essentials, and Into the Odd.


THE OLD WORLD IS DYING, A NEW ONE STRUGGLES TO BE BORN. NOW IS THE TIME OF
MONSTERS.


DESIGN GOALS

 * Simple Mechanics: Everything can be done using a standard six sided die, if
   it’s even needed at all. Rules are made to facilitate play and stay out of
   the way.
 * Player Choice: Players should be given enough information about their
   surroundings and the world, including obvious consequences to their actions,
   to make informed decisions.
 * Player Skill: Challenges should be overcome by player ability in critical
   thinking and problem solving, not by character skills or special features.
 * Character Ability: Characters are competent in most of their attempts at
   exploration given enough time to research and prepare.
 * Classless: Characters are defined by their backgrounds, calls to action, and
   their inventory as opposed to fixed roles and set abilities.
 * Diegetic Growth: Characters gain new strengths through the course of play by
   completing or participating in in-world events and milestones.
 * Mortality: Characters are extraordinary but still human. The world poses
   risks that may severely wound or even kill them if they make foolish choices.
   Players should treat the world like it can kill their characters with ease.
 * Rule of Reasonable: Players should engage with the fictional universe and
   positioning their characters are in to determine what actions are possible.
   If it makes sense, it can happen with reasonable outcomes.
 * Low Magic: Magic is real and it exists, but it is neither common nor easy to
   use. Most people will never see magic and those who wield it do so at their
   own risk. Monsters can be magical but these often stay far away from human
   civilization.
 * Cooperative Play: Characters should not actively work against one another
   unless explicitly agreed upon by all players involved. Players work towards a
   shared goal or objective.
 * Anti-“Capitalist Realism”: The world design aims to simulate one that is
   foreign to ours. It is not a world of merchants, industry, and banks but one
   of communities and kings, a palatial economy.
 * Anthropocentrism: The world is fantastical but still human centered. While
   elves, dwarves, and goblins may exist they are completely alien to the human
   experience. Characters are expected to be humans.
 * Emergent Narrative: Characters make their own story but they do not make it
   as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but
   under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the actions
   of the past.
 * Rules as Framework: The rules and procedures presented here are guidelines
   and are designed to be hacked, changed, dropped, replaced, etc as needed for
   the needs of each group.


TERMINOLOGY

There are some common terms and notations that are helpful to understand when
playing Now Is The Time Of Monsters.


DICE NOTATION

 * d6: a regular six-sided die.
 * d3: a six-sided die but take half of each result, rounded up (i.e. a 1-2 is
   1, 3-4 is 2, and 5-6 is 3).
 * d2: a six-sided die but take one third of each result, rounded up (i.e. a 1-3
   is 1 and 4-6 is 2). Or just flip a coin. Either way works.
 * d66: two six-sided die with one of them representing the tens column and the
   other the ones column (i.e. a 1 and a 3 is a 13). Produces results from 11 to
   66.
 * Xd6: Roll X six-sided dice and add them.
 * X-in-6: If something has a X-in-6 chance of succeeding or happening, then a
   roll of less than or equal to X on a d6 succeeds.


ESSENTIAL TERMS

 * Referee: The person who creates the in-game world, runs the sessions for the
   Players, determines NPC reactions and risks and chances of success of PC
   actions. They are impartial to the world and events.
 * Players: The other people playing the game who aren’t the Referee. They
   control the Player Characters.
 * Player Characters (PCs): The characters created and controlled by the
   Players.
 * Non-Player Characters (NPCs): Characters not controlled by a Player.
 * Characters: The characters created and controlled by the Players or the
   Referee.
 * Hex: A portion of in-game world represented by a regular hexagonal area.
   Typically three miles face-to-face.
 * Opponent: Adversaries, human or otherwise. To be avoided, parleyed with, or
   fought when necessary.


EXAMPLE OF PLAY

Referee: You move through the dusty crypt with caution. As you round the corner,
your torchlight reveals that it opens up to a large chamber. The flagstone in
front of you appears raised higher than the others and there are slots in the
wall behind you. What do you do?

Ordulf: I take out my waterskin and pour some water on the ground near the
raised stone to see what happens.

Referee: The water travels between the stones and drips down once it reaches the
raised stone. It looks like it goes below the visible floor as if the stone is a
false floor.

Hilda: I’d like to take my shield and press it up against the slots in the wall.

Ordulf: And I’d like to leap across the raised stone.

Referee: Okay, Hilda, you can do that. Ordulf, make a strength test with
disadvantage as this is a fairly long jump and you don’t have space to get a
lead up.

Ordulf: Hmm, I rolled an 8.

Referee: You start with what looks like a good run up, considering, but don’t
quite make the jump you need. You end on the edge of the pressure plate and it
begins to depress. You all hear a click. Hilda, you hear the sounds of darts
being loosed from their slings and then they hit your shield, lower its usage it
by 1 but no darts get past your barrier and the plate remains down.

Ordulf: What do I see when I’m in the room?

Referee: The room you stand in appears to be a 30’ by 30’ square room, with a
raised, stone dais holding a chest in the middle. It is otherwise bare and
dusty.

Hilda: I tell my henchman to keep holding the shield up to the wall so we can
continue on, in case there’s more darts ready to fire as I walk into the room
with Ordulf.

Ordulf: I approach the dais cautiously, looking for anything out of place or
valuable. I want to take my time to do this.

Referee: How are you searching? Are you prodding, feeling it out, or what?

Ordulf: I guess I’m walking around it, is it a circle? How high off the ground
is it?

Referee: Okay, since you’re taking your time, make sure you count that for your
torches. Yes, it’s circular and it’s only a few feet above the floor. You don’t
see anything out of the ordinary about this dais. There’s no indications of
traps or locks and the chest on top looks ornately carved out of wood. Some of
the carvings on the chest appear to depict a tale of one of the warrior-kings
who first conquered this land from the First Men though you can’t quite be sure
which one.

Ordulf: I go up to the chest and open it.

Hilda: No, wait, what if-

Referee: Too late, Hilda. Ordulf, you open the treasure chest to find inside
piles of silver, jewelry, and and an intricately made helmet befitting of a true
warrior-king, decorated with inlaid gold and and crested in the shape of a boar,
the hair still in place. You also find a well-made, matching sword, with its
pommel being the symbol of the Brass Sun.

Ordulf: I take the helmet and sword from the chest.

Referee: As you do, a ghostly apparition appears in front of you. In a deep,
booming voice, coming from seemingly nowhere and everywhere, you hear, “Who
disturbs my rest? Who dares to take the Crown of Henga?” You recognize the name
Henga as one of your peoples’ legendary conquerors of Loecer and founder of the
Kingdom of Gwynt, a descendant of the gods themselves.

Hilda: I told you!


CORE MECHANICS

The following mechanics will give the players and referee the basic tools needed
to play the game.


THE BASICS


TESTS & CONTESTS

There are two types of rolls where the outcome of an action is uncertain. The
acting party, either player or referee, rolls 2d6 and adds the appropriate
bonuses:

 * Test: roll equal to or above a target number, typically 7;
 * Contest: two or more characters attempt conflicting actions, both roll and
   compare the results. Players win on a tie;
 * Critical Success: a natural roll of 12 is a critical success, there are no
   critical failures.

ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE

Situations may be advantageous or disadvantageous to the characters or NPCs, as
determined by the referee. The situation should be resolved automatically if
there is more than one net source of advantage or disadvantage.

 * Advantage: roll 3d6, take the best 2 results;
 * Disadvantage: roll 3d6, take the worst 2 results;


ATTRIBUTES AND SAVES

Character abilities are represented by 3 attributes: fortitude, reflex, and
will. These attributes are used to save against various ill effects. Saves are
either tests against the environment or contests against an opponent’s actions.

 * Fortitude: physical punishment, constitution, and illness;
 * Reflex: agility, reactions, and mental acuity;
 * Will: willpower and mental resilience.

Additionally, characters have both stamina and wounds representing their ability
to fight on and physical staying power.


TIME AND ACTIONS

Time is measured in the following ways:

 * Rounds: 10 seconds, tracks time during encounters and combat;
 * Turns: 10 minutes, used during dungeon exploration;
 * Watches: lasts 4 hours, used during overland travel and exploration;
 * Days, Weeks, Months, Seasons: 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, and 4 months,
   respectively. Used during downtime, domain management, and other
   longer-timespan activities.


INVENTORY

Characters can comfortably carry items in a total of 10 inventory slots: 1 for
each hand, 2 worn on the body, and 6 in a backpack or other similar container or
set of containers.

Characters can swap items worn on their body and carried in their hands once per
round and still act. If they swap more than one item or a held or worn item with
one kept in their pack they cannot take other actions that round. Armor takes a
full turn to put on or take off.

Characters get a bonus equal to one half the number of empty pack slots to tests
for performing stealthy activities (hiding, climbing difficult surfaces, picking
pockets) and while orienteering (tracking, replenishing supplies, etc.)


LIGHT AND DARKNESS

There are 3 main categories of light:

 * Bright: like daylight, allows characters to perform actions normally;
 * Dim: like moonlight, actions relying on visibility are at a disadvantage or
   take twice as long;
 * Darkness: minimal light, reading is impossible but can make out movement or
   obstacles;
 * Pitch Black: the complete absence of light and visibility. The common
   experience in a dungeon.

All normal sources of light such as torches, lamps, lanterns, etc. emanate
bright light to a radius of 10’, dim light a further 10’ beyond that, and
darkness another 10’. Candles provide light for half of that. Bonfires,
braziers, and other large or extra intense source emanates light to a radius of
twice the normal size. When exploring, typically one torch or similar is needed
for every 4 characters, retainers, etc.

Size Example Source Light Step Small Candle 5' Normal Lamp, torch, or lantern
10' Large Bonfire, brazier 20'

DUNGEON VISION

Some characters, usually non-human NPCs, may have the ability to see in
situations other than bright light. The two main types of this ability that
exist are:

 * Heat Vision: sees thermal output, whether from biological sources or
   otherwise. Blocked by sufficiently thick walls, doors, etc.;
 * Low-light Vision: see in dim light as if bright, in darkness as if in dim
   light, and in bright light has disadvantage on anything involving sight.


ADVENTURING GEAR


ACQUIRING ITEMS, GOODS, & SERVICES

All items have a base rarity (X-in-6 availability) which can be modified by the
size and prosperity of a settlement and can be rechecked each month. Available
items are shared with the party by settlements if they are in good standing.

 * Common [5]: basic goods found in most settlements;
 * Uncommon [3]: items and services typically found in larger towns and cities;
 * Rare [1]: available only in the most cosmopolitan areas.


QUALITY & USAGE

An item’s usage and quality is used to determine if a limited resource is
broken, depleted, and how durable items are. Items typically have a base usage
of 4, meaning they have 4 uses before breaking or running out. Items have an
X-in-6 chance of reducing their usage by 1 when used, with X equal to their
quality.

Items with only 1 usage left automatically fail their quality tests.

Test an items usage after a fight for each weapon used and for all armor worn.
The referee may also ask you to mark off usage when adventuring gear is used in
unusual ways.

TORCHES & LANTERNS

The usage of torches, lanterns, and other light sources automatically reduces by
1 after 6 turns.


SUPPLY

Supply is a meta-item which can be converted into any simple and non-shared
adventuring gear or equipment such as a hammer, caltrops, crowbar, or other tool
needed in that moment. All items created by supply have a usage and quality of
2.


WEAPONS

Weapons can be light, medium, or heavy as well as melee or ranged:

 * Light: one-handed utility weapons like hatchets or daggers;
 * Medium: common weapons like spears, axes, javelins, or swords;
 * Heavy: two-handed instruments of war like polearms or longswords;
 * Melee: attacks targets only nearby;
 * Ranged: can hit targets at distance.

Weapons add to combat contests according to their attack bonus (AT) below.

Weapon Category Attack Bonus Rarity Light — Common Medium +1 Uncommon Heavy +2
Rare Melee — — Ranged -1 —

For example, a war bow is a heavy ranged weapon so its attack bonus is a total
of -1 (from +2-1).


ARMOR

Armor reduces the damage a character takes each round by its Armor Value (AV).
Lower all worn armor’s usage when the character’s stamina is reduced to 0.

Armor Category Armor Value Rarity Light +1 Uncommon Heavy +2 Rare Shield -
Uncommon Helmet +1 Rare

SHIELDS WILL BE SPLINTERED, HELMETS WILL BE SUNDERED

Shields can be sacrificed to negate all incoming damage. Helmets can be
sacrificed to prevent being taken out of action.


RELICS

Relics are items imbued through the powers of belief or magic with magical
properties and effects, typically associated with gods, heroes, and villains of
myths . Anyone can use a relic if they have identified its activation method.
Relics are identified by either testing out the item or by a 1-in-6 chance of
knowing what the item is. This chance can be increased by 1 for each relevant
book of lore consulted by the party attempting to identify it, whether carried
by a character or stored in a library or other location. A relic’s power can
still be felt by those in close proximity even if they are unaware of the
specific powers.

The effects relics generate are typically one use or for a limited duration, not
constant, with limited uses which can be recharged when certain conditions are
met or on a timed basis.


SILVERED WEAPONS AND POTENT OILS

Silver and other reagents throughout the world have potent effects against
minions of evil. Certain opponents are susceptible to silvered weapons or other
items such as holy water or wolfsbane oil. Proper research and preparation can
turn otherwise unwinnable fights into all out routs. Silvered weapons are
significantly more rare than normal but have lower quality.


MASTERWORK ITEMS

Masterwork weapons are those that increase your ability to successfully attack
opponents. Weapons crafted by master smiths grant +1 to combat contests. Truly
unrivaled swords can grant up to +2 on these rolls.

Masterwork armor similarly increases the AV of the worn armor.


MAJESTY

Great heroes wear the finest gear. For each masterwork or magic item used by a
character, they may roll with advantage once until finishing a long rest.
Characters may benefit from a number of majestic equipment up to their level
minus 2.


SHARED EQUIPMENT

Many items such as armor and weapons, are for personal use but others are able
to be used by the group. So long as one character in a group carries the shared
gear all characters are considered to benefit from its usage.

Shared Gear Typically Includes Rarity Camping Gear Hatchet, tents, flint &
tinder, spikes, mallet, bedrolls, rope Uncommon Climbing Gear Mallet, pitons,
rope, grappling hook, harness Rare Cold Weather Gear Furs, hats, hoods, cloaks
Rare Rations Dried meats and fruits, nuts, hard tack, pots & pans, kettle Common
Watersekins Sealed animal bladders, straps Common


COMBAT

When fights break out, PCs and NPCs must be prepared to fight. These rules
explain how combat should be managed.

 * Actions: most simple actions can be taken during combat. Attack an enemy,
   cast a spell, flip a table, swap an item, or other fast actions;
 * Attacks: attacks are decided by tests against the target number of 8, adding
   Fighter Level (FL). Attacks deal the lowest die of the roll on a failure and
   the highest die on a success. Attacks with two-handed are made with
   advantage. On a critical hit, roll an additional 1d6 damage;
 * Maneuvers: actions that are not attacks, such as tripping, disarming, or
   shoving opponents are typically contests between the two combatants;
 * Blast Attacks: some attacks affect all targets inside an area such as a
   dragon’s breath or a molotov cocktail. These attacks are typically contests;
 * Damage: damage is first subtracted from stamina and then wounds. Some damage
   may affect wounds no matter what. PCs and NPCs only take the highest damage
   dealt each round minus their armor value (AV);
 * Damage Multipliers: some PCs and NPCs reduce certain damage in half by
   resistances or doubled by vulnerabilities;
 * Surprise: parties that are not aware at the beginning of an encounter have a
   2-in-6 chance of being surprised when meeting. Surprised groups do not act in
   the first round if combat is initiated;


ORDER OF EVENTS

Rounds are side based and players go first unless they are surprised. Actions
take place in the following order:

 1. Evaluate morale.
 2. Declare if you will be casting a spell or moving while next to an opponent.
 3. Movement.
 4. Melee attacks are resolved.
 5. Ranged attacks are resolved.
 6. Spell casting is resolved.

If you are casting a spell while next to an opponent, you allow them to make an
attack against you even if it’s not their turn during the melee attack phase. If
you are moving away from next to an opponent you can either move your full speed
and allow an attack or move half your speed.

MOVEMENT AND RETREAT

Characters can move 40 feet in a round. When next to an opponent, characters
wanting to move can either:

 * Withdraw: Move 5 feet and suffer no consequences;
 * Retreat: Move full movement distance and may not take other actions. Melee
   attacks against characters retreating have advantage.

ATTACKS AND DAMAGE

All attacks are tests using your attack bonus (AB). Damage is dealt equal to the
difference between your roll and the target number, 7. For example, a roll of 9
will deal 2 damage. Attack bonus is equal to your Fighter Dice (FD) + any
bonuses from weapons or other equipment.

Damage taken is reduced by your armor value unless otherwise stated or when
armor would not protect the character, such as from some spells, poisons, etc.


HEALTH AND STRESS

A character’s ability to keep adventuring is represented by their stamina and
wounds:

 * Stamina: a character’s endurance, energy to continue, and staying power;
 * Wounds: the physical hits a character can withstand before being knocked
   unconscious or dying.

Characters must rest to keep their overall health up. The two kinds of rests are
short and long rests and recover stamina and wounds respectively:

 * Short Rest: Quick recovery of 1 turn to catch your breath, take a drink of
   water, and recover all lost stamina;
 * Long Rest: Characters recover 1 wound and remove 1 stress for each week spent
   resting in a safe haven.

STRESS

Actions and situations which may fatigue, burden, or otherwise overwhelm a
character may cause them stress. Stress takes up 1 inventory slot. If all
inventory slots are filled with stress, the character dies.

DYING AND OUT OF ACTION

When reduced to 0 wounds, characters are taken out of action and are considered
unconscious. If an out of action character receives help within 1 hour, they can
roll on the table below. Helping this way takes 1 turn and can only be attempted
once. If the characters use a field medic kit they make this roll with
advantage.

2d6 Out of Action Effect 2-5 Dead: The character dies. 6-10 Wounded: Regain 1
wound and gain 1 stress. 11-12 KO’d: Regain 1 wound.


MORALE

Morale (ML) is a representation of an NPC’s discipline and will to fight on.
Hirelings and warbands have an ML equal to 6 + their patron’s majesty. If the
roll is above this target, the NPC will flee or surrender. The referee tests the
morale of opponents, hirelings, and warbands in the following circumstances:

 * When the first character on their side is killed;
 * When a champion, leader, warband captain, etc. is killed, knocked
   unconscious, or captured;
 * When their numbers are reduced to 1/2 of the starting strength (of the
   overall group and for each individual warband);


FAERIE MAGIC

There is only one known way for humans to consistently control faerie magic and
that is to channel it through fine spell powders of crushed gemstone prepared
with faerie essence. Different colored gemstones control different domains of
magic.

The quality of the spell powder is determined by the quality of the gemstones
used to create it. Every 250 gp worth of gems used adds one quality to the
resulting spell powder.

Spell powders can also be bound in spell scrolls which are one-use incantations
with specific effects.

Because all magic requires the use of spell powders, it is known who is casting
magic as long as the caster can be seen.


SPELL POWDERS

The following are the known effects of various colored gemstones:

 * Brown: shape dead wood and unworked stone, part water, corrode metal;
 * Red: explode fire and earth, reveal the unseen, hasten attacks;
 * Orange: read omens, understand languages, throw or impersonate voices;
 * Yellow: control temperatures, freeze or thaw water, cleanse food and water;
 * Green: speak with trees, grow or wither plants, control weather;
 * Blue: create illusions, detect dangers, put creatures to sleep;
 * Purple: resist or dispel magic, break enchantments, prevent magical
   detection;
 * Grey: enhance abilities, locate nearby objects, polymorph;
 * White: expand or extinguish light, pacify opponents, breathe harmful
   substances;
 * Black: place curses, demoralize enemies, dominate minds;

Spell powders made from clear gemstones do not allow you to cast a spell but
instead power magic staffs.

Spells can either be cast in 1 round or in 1 turn. When cast in 1 round,
automatically reduce a spell powder’s usage by 1. When cast in 1 or more turns,
test the spell powder’s usage. Though all spells are cast automatically, some
may allow the target to contest the effect like resisting a charm or dodging an
explosion.


SPELL POWER

Magicians have a pool of spell dice (SD) equal to 1 + the number of magical
accoutrements, such as robes or orbs, worn or wielded by the character. When
casting spells, choose and roll a number of available spell dice to invest for
the spell’s magnitude.

Spells have effects based on the sum of the rolled dice and/or the quantity of
dice but some magic may have a minimum investment amount. Spell dice have a
3-in-6 chance to return to the dice pool. Spell dice are recovered after a long
rest.

MAGICAL MISHAPS

The more powerful a spell, the more likely it is to go wrong when casting. Based
on the spell dice used, consequences can occur for unwise magicians.
Consequences for arrogant sorcerers are determined based on the dice invested in
their spells. When rolling multiples, these are the consequences:

 * Doubles: gain stress;
 * Triples: stress and can no longer cast magic until finishing a long rest;
 * Quadruples: death.

COVENS, CIRCLES, & COUNCILS

When 3 or more magicians have spent a night ritually merging their powers, they
can combine the dice pool of all bonded magicians until the dice pool is
depleted. They must remain within eyesight and earshot of each other to maintain
this benefit. If the link is broken, the remaining spell dice are divided evenly
among magicians. Magical mishaps are applied to all


SPELL SCROLLS

Spell scrolls can be identified like any other relic. Scrolls take

USING SPELL SCROLLS

To cast a spell from a scroll, you must be able to read the incantation
inscribed on the paper aloud and hold it aloft with both hands. Expending the
stored power in a scroll takes 1 round. When casting a spell from a scroll, no
additional power may be used than that which was originally invested in the
scroll when it was scribed. Do not roll for magical mishaps.

MAKING SPELL SCROLLS

Spell scrolls can be made by expending one usage of spell powders and writing
supplies and sacrificing adequate spell dice until you finish a long rest.
Invest spell dice in casting a spell scroll the same as normal. Spell scrolls
start with a base amount of spell dice invested when cast, depending on the
strength of the spell and the inscriber’s abilities. A spell scroll takes 1 day
to inscribe for each spell die invested.


MAGIC STAFFS

Some powerful mages have discovered the secrets of infusing ash wood staffs with
magical powers by inlaying them with spell powders in specific arcane designs.
These staffs allow a mage to conjure the following cantrips:

 * Detect Magic (DM): Spend 1 turn concentrating on an object or 10 foot square
   area within 30 feet to determine if it has any magical properties. Failed
   attempts may be re-attempted. If successful, you only learn that there is
   magic, not what the magic is. Concentrating on an area will not reveal magic
   on any specific objects inside, only an idea of the whole area;
 * Identify (ID): Spend 1 turn in contact with an object known or suspected to
   have magical properties to determine what they are. Failed checks may be
   re-attempted;
 * Open / Close (OC): Open or close an unlocked door, gate, etc. and holds it
   that way for 1 round per spell dice. Failed attempts may not be re-attempted
   ;
 * Charm (CH): Force a person within 30 feet to treat the mage as a friend and
   ally for a number of rounds equal to mage’s spell dice. During this time, the
   target will follow the mage’s suggestions, orders, etc. unless it would
   endanger them. Once the effect is over,
 * Fear (FE): Force a number of creatures up to your spell dice within 30 feet
   to make a morale check. May only be used once per turn;
 * Heal (HE): Heal a creature for 1 wound. Failed attempts may not be
   reattempted until the next dawnl.

A magic staff is held in one hand and provides 2 magic dice but cannot be used
to cast magic on its own other than the above cantrips. Once per day, the staff
may also radiate light as a torch for a number of turns equal to the wielder’s
spell dice.

CONJURING CANTRIPS

Roll 2d6 and compare to the target number for each cantrip. If the roll is over
the target number, the cantrip is successfully conjured.

SD DM ID OC CH FE HE 1 7 9 9 10 9 10 2 7 8 8 9 8 10 3 6 7 8 9 8 9 4 5 7 7 8 7 8
5 5 6 7 8 7 8 6 4 6 6 7 6 7 7 4 5 6 7 6 7 8 3 5 5 6 5 6 9 3 4 5 6 4 6 10+ 2 3 4
5 3 5


CHURCH MAGIC

Though they are reluctant to call it magic, the miracles and blessings the
Church offers are indistinguishable from magic to the laity. However, unlike the
capricious faerie magic, the Church’s magic is based on ritual and ceremony and
as such, all Church Magic requires the use of specially prepared incense and the
precise incantation of various benedictions. The burning of this incense is
variously said to carry the prayers of the faithful to the heavens, to choke the
evil spirits and negative energies in the area, and to purify the desecrated.
Unlike faerie magic, however, Church magic can only be invoked by a truly
faithful member of the Church and, though one may not need to be a member of the
clergy to do so, the laity doing this is strongly frowned upon.


CENSERS AND HOLY SMOKES

While incense can be burned in altars, a traveling or adventuring priest
typically carries a censer to disburse the Church’s blessings on a place or
populace. Priests are able to invoke the following miracles through holy rituals
if carrying a censer in both hands or if utilizng a consecrated altar. All
miracles may only be attempted once per turn.

 * Bless (BL): Take 1 round to give allies within 30 feet advantage on attacks
   and saves for the next round;
 * Detect Faeries (DF): Take 1 turn to check for the presence of any faeries,
   whether current or within the recent past, in a 10 foot by 10 foot square
   area that you can see;
 * Consecrate (CO): Take 1 turn to render rotten, poisoned, etc. food and water
   safe to eat and drink. Make an altar safe to use for holy purposes.
   Consecrating food and water may only be attempted once, altars may be
   repeatedly attemped to be cleansed;
 * Rally (RA): Take 1 round to stop any allies that have failed their morale
   tests within 30 feet from fleeing and overcome any magical fear effects;
 * Encourage (EN): Take 1 round to stop any allies that would make a morale test
   within 30 feet from fleeing and prevent them from being subjected to magical
   fear effects for 1 turn;
 * Rebuke Undead (RU): Take 1 round to force 2d6+MP HD worth of undead to leave
   the area if possible. When doing so, they will not harm the priest but may be
   hostile to their allies if the exit is blocked.

MIRACLE POWER

Priests have a miracle power (MP) equal to 1 + the number of liturgical
vestments, such as stoles or mitres, worn or wielded by the character.

Spells have effects based on the sum of the rolled dice and/or the quantity of
dice but some magic may have a minimum investment amount. Spell dice have a
3-in-6 chance to return to the dice pool. Spell dice are recovered after a long
rest.

INVOKING MIRACLES

Roll 2d6 and compare to the target number for each miracle. If the roll is over
the target number, the miracle is successfully invoked.

MP BL DF CO RA EN RU 1 10 9 10 8 9 7 2 9 8 10 8 8 7 3 8 7 9 7 8 6 4 8 7 8 7 7 5
5 7 6 8 6 7 5 6 7 6 7 6 6 4 7 6 5 7 5 6 4 8 6 5 6 4 5 3 9 5 4 5 3 4 3 10+ 4 3 5
3 3 2


EXPLORATION PROCEDURES

Traveling through the wilderness and exploring dungeons have similar procedures.


HAZARD ROLLS

The referee should make a hazard roll by rolling a d6 on the relevant table at
regular intervals:

 * Dungeon: Every 2 turns or 30 minutes of real world time. Also when party
   makes loud sounds or disturbances;
 * Overland: Every watch.

d6 Result Orienteering Dungeoneering 1 Encounter Travel Encounter Wandering
Monster 2 Omen Sign of a future encounter such as tracks, a recent campsite,
etc. Droppings, nests, graffiti, etc. for potential wandering monsters 3 Fatigue
Rest and eat 1 watch or be stressed Rest 1 turn or be stressed 4 Misfortune
Shared equipment damaged or spoiled, reduce by 1 usage A strange, chilly wind
blows; light sources other than lanterns go out and lose 1 usage 5 Boon Find a
cache of resources, increase the usage of all shared equipment by 1 Hidden
treasure, find a trophy or treasure map 6 - - -


ENCOUNTERS

Wandering monsters or other NPCs are encountered at the following distances
moving towards the party:

 * Dungeon: 2d6 x 10 feet;
 * Overland: 4d6 x 30 feet.

When an encounter starts, the referee must determine surprise. The referee and 1
player check on a 2-in-6 chance if that side is surprised.

NPC DISPOSITIONS

Referees can determine the reaction of any encountered NPCs using the table
below or as befits the situation:

2d6 Disposition 2-3 Hostile 4-5 Wary 6-8 Neutral 9-10 Curious 11-12 Friendly


DUNGEONEERING

Dungeoneering refers to the act of exploring (and looting) a dungeon.


DUNGEON ACTIONS

Adventuring parties can take one of the following actions each turn while
exploring a dungeon:

 * Crawl: Move 120 feet. Moving at this slow pace allows characters to map the
   area, detect traps, and proceed cautiously;
 * Run: Move 3,000 feet. PCs are automatically surprised when encountering NPCs,
   will trigger all unknown traps, and cannot map the area;
 * Search: Search through a room for all hidden, but not secret, features or
   items;
 * Interact: Trigger or disarm a trap, unlock a door, or loot the area;
 * Rest: Drink water, catch their breaths, and take stock of surroundings.


ORIENTEERING

Orienteering refers to overland travel.


TRAVEL ACTIONS

The game assumes that you will be playing on a hex map where each hex is
approximately 3 mile across, face-to-face. Each watch, adventuring parties can
take one of the following actions:

 * Travel: Parties can use 12 move points (MV) per watch counted when moving
   into and out of a hex. Points are halved if using appropriate means like
   horses or boats and doubled at night and in bad weather. If moving through a
   hex would use more MPs than the party currently has available, they do not
   successfully move until the next watch and must subtract the overage from
   their MPs that watch;
 * Search: Search 1/4 (NE, SE, SW, NW) of a hex for non-obvious features,
   locations, or lairs;
 * Resupply: Refill all usage of waterskins and 1 usage of rations on 2-in-6. A
   plentiful hex makes this roll a 3-in-6 while a sparse hex makes it a 1-in-6;
 * Track: Spend time tracking down leads in a single hex on a quest;
 * Camp: Set up camp and/or spend time sleeping and eating. Hirelings who do not
   camp for at least one watch per day lose loyalty.


NAVIGATION

Each watch when traveling, one player should test, target 7, to determine if
they get lost. When lost, parties must use double MV. Tests made in disorienting
terrain are made with disadvantage and with advantage in clear terrain.
Following roads, rivers, or other clear paths negates the need for this check.


TERRAIN TYPES

Below are the common types of terrain and their characteristics and movement
point cost denoted in brackets:

Terrain Type MV Cost Characteristics Grassland 3 Sparse, Clear Farmland 3
Plentiful, Clear Light Forest 6 Plentiful Dense Forest 9 Plentiful, Disorienting
Hills 6 Clear Mountains 12 Sparse, Disorienting Wetlands 9 Plentiful Badlands 6
Sparse Open Water 3 Sparse Desert 3 Sparse, Disorienting


SURVIVAL TESTS

Each day the characters must test the usage of their shared equipment. If any
shared gear is missing, each character must test their fortitude, target 7 + 1
for each missing gear, or become stressed. Supply can be used to prevent
failure.


QUESTS AND TRACKING

In the course of their adventures, characters may agree to undertake quests,
typically to hunt monsters or other moving targets, that rely on tracking and
exploration.

The referee should let the players know the difficulty of the quest before
accepting. This difficulty is represented by a varying number of leads required
to be found, typically between 1d6 (easy) and 10d6 (legendary) or 1d6 per HD of
the target being hunted. Roll 2d6 for each watch spent actively pursuing a quest
and consult the chart to determine progress.

2d6 Tracking Result 2-3 Major Hardship 4-5 Minor Hardship 6-7 Leads, Minor
Hardship 8-9 Leads 10-11 Double Leads 12 Double Leads, Boon

 * Major Hardship: A dangerous problem like becoming lost or ambushed;
 * Minor Hardship: An inconvenience or hazard like losing supplies or becoming
   delayed by the environment;
 * Lead: The party finds clues to where their target is or has found the target
   if enough tracks are found;
 * Boon: A small beneficial encounter like finding a hidden cache of equipment
   or friendly hunters offering game and water.


WEATHER

At the beginning of the first watch each day, the referee should check for
changes in the weather using the sequence below. The tables provided assume a
temperate climate.

First, check for changes in weather by rolling 3d6 to see if the weather pattern
has changed:

3d6 Settled Weather Unsettled Weather 3-8 Weather becomes unsettled No change
9-18 No change Weather settles

Then, determine any changed weather. When weather changes from settled to
unsettled and each day the weather remains unsettled, roll 3d6 on the tables
below to determine the new weather pattern.

SETTLED WEATHER PATTERN (ROLL FIRST DAY OF SETTLED WEATHER ONLY):

3d6 Winter Spring Summer Fall 3-8 Cold & foggy Cool & foggy Cool & cloudy Cool &
foggy 9-10 Cold & clear Cool & clear Warm & clear Cool & clear 11-12 Cool &
clear Warm & clear Hot & clear Warm & clear 13-18 Cool & cloudy Warm & cloudy
Warm & cloudy Warm & cloudy

UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERNS (ROLL EACH DAY OF UNSETTLED WEATHER):

3d6 Winter Spring Summer Fall 3-8 Cold fog Clear & dry Clear & dry Clear & dry
9-10 Flurries Cool drizzle Sun showers Cool drizzle 11-12 Driving snow Intense
rain Rain & wind Intense rain 13-18 Blizzard Thunderstorm Thunderstorm
Thunderstorm


BETWEEN ADVENTURES

Under Construction

 * Downtime, resting, crafting, resupplying, schmoozing,


CREATING A CHARACTER

To create a character, follow these five (or six) simple steps:

 1. Determine their background
 2. Determine a drive to adventure
 3. Place attribute scores
 4. Determine starting equipment
 5. Give your character a punchy name
 6. (Optionally) Roll character traits


BACKGROUNDS

A background helps fill in what a character did before their adventuring life.
Roll d66 on the table below for a background or create your own. A character
performs actions related to their background either outright or with advantage.

Lower Class Lower Class Lumpen 11 Bricklayer 21 Woodsman 31 Burglar 12 Fisherman
22 Brewer 32 Grave Robber 13 Miner 23 Porter 33 Con Artist 14 Shepherd 24
Gardener 34 Thrall 15 Servant 25 Messenger 35 Prisoner 16 Trapper 26 Cook 36
Outlaw

Yeoman Intelligentsia Middle Class 41 Squire 51 Functionary 61 Entertainer 42
Manhunter 52 Scribe 62 Mason 43 Militia Drill Sergeant 53 Cartographer 63
Craftsman 44 Border Scout 54 Vicar 64 Courtier 45 Forest Warden 55 Monk 65
Magistrate 46 Herald 56 Healer 66 Alchemist


DRIVE

Every character has something in their past or in their temperament that forced
them from their home and into becoming an adventurer. Players can either come up
with a drive on their own with the approval of the referee or use the table on
the following page by rolling d66.

Owes a favor to… Lured by… Hunted by… 11 a corrupt noble 21 ancient secrets 31 a
vengeful druid 12 a bandit leader 22 unclaimed treasures 32 a jealous faerie 13
a druid circle 23 forbidden knowledge 33 humiliated bandits 14 a rebel faction
24 (un)holy relics 34 vigilantes 15 a religious leader 25 land and freedom 35 a
powerful sorcerer 16 an elf prince 26 fame and glory 36 the religious
authorities

Enemy of… Fled from… Duty to… 41 a secret society 51 your raided village 61 your
family, clan, or tribe 42 a pirate capatain 52 famine or drought 62 a religious
order 43 your former master 53 a localized plague 63 an unrequited love 44 an
elf prince 54 a bad marriage 64 your former master 45 an influential noble 55 a
natural disaster 65 a secret society 46 a beastman warlord 56 a shipwreck 66 a
guild or social club


PLACE ATTRIBUTES

Characters start with +1 in one attribute and -1 in another; the last attribute
is 0.

Add 1 to your FD, SD, or MD.

STAMINA AND WOUNDS

Characters also start with 4 stamina and 2 wounds.


CHARACTER NAMES

Give your character a short, memorable name like Zelda, Odo, or Andre. Epithets,
sobriquets, and titles are earned, not claimed, by accomplishing worthy deeds.


DETERMINE STARTING EQUIPMENT

All characters begin with adventuring gear, quality and usage 3, either
according to the randomized method or from a starting package.

RANDOM METHOD

Start with two types of adventuring gear. Roll d66 twice to determine which
ones. If you roll the same item, you may roll again for the second one.

Gear 11 Antitoxin 21 Chalk 31 Rope ladder, 10' 12 Handheld bell 22 Chisel 32
Manacles 13 Bucket 23 Crowbar 33 Marbles 14 Caltrops 24 Hand drill 34 Metal file
15 Canvas, 5’x5' 25 Glue 35 Handheld mirror 16 Chain, 10' 26 Grease 36 Weighted
net

Gear 41 Oil 51 Saw 61 Magnifying glass 42 Llock and key 52 Shovel 62 Small
hunting trap 43 Pickaxe 53 Soap 63 Large hunting trap 44 Pole, 10' 54 Iron
spikes 64 Twine 45 Writing supplies 55 Spyglass 65 Sealing wax 46 Sandbag 56 Tar
66 Whistle

Roll 2d6 to determine armor type.

2-3 4-5 6-8 9-10 11-12 Light armor and helmet Helmet No armor Shield Light armor
and shield

Roll 2d6 to determine weapons.

2-3 4-5 6-8 9-10 11-12 Heavy ranged weapon Medium ranged weapon Light melee
weapon Medium melee weapon Heavy melee weapon

Roll d6 to determine shared gear.

1 2 3 4 5 6 Climbing gear Rations Torches Waterskins Camping gear None

Roll 2d6 to determine a specialty item.

2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12 Blue spell powder Lockpicks Supply Field medic’s kit Censer

STARTING PACKAGES

Choose from the following

ADVENTURER:

Adventurer Light melee weapon (hatchet) Torches Ten-foot pole Weighted net
Supply

HEALER:

Healer Light melee weapon (club) Waterskins Antitoxin Soap Field medic’s kit

HUNTER:

Hunter Medium ranged weapon (hunting bow) Simple melee weapon (melee) Camping
gear Small hunting trap Supply

INVESTIGATOR:

Investigator Light melee weapon (dagger) Spyglass Magnifying glass Climbing gear
Lockpicks

MENDICANT PREACHER:

Mendicant Preacher Light melee weapon (staff) Camping gear Handheld bell Writing
supplies Censer

SORCERER:

Sorcerer Blue Spell powder Sealing wax Spyglass Light melee weapon (dagger)
Torches

TREASURE HUNTER:

Treasure Hunter Light melee weapon (whip) Sandbag Writing Supplies Climbing gear
Supply

WARRIOR:

Warrior Heavy melee weapon (greatsword) Light armor and helmet Sealing wax Tongs
Rations Field medic’s kit


PERSONALITY TRAITS (OPTIONAL)

Gear 11 Antitoxin 21 Chalk 31 Rope ladder, 10' 12 Handheld bell 22 Chisel 32
Manacles 13 Bucket 23 Crowbar 33 Marbles 14 Caltrops 24 Hand drill 34 Metal file
15 Canvas, 5’x5' 25 Glue 35 Handheld mirror 16 Chain, 10' 26 Grease 36 Weighted
net

Gear 41 Oil 51 Saw 61 Magnifying glass 42 Llock and key 52 Shovel 62 Small
hunting trap 43 Pickaxe 53 Soap 63 Large hunting trap 44 Pole, 10' 54 Iron
spikes 64 Twine 45 Writing supplies 55 Spyglass 65 Sealing wax 46 Sandbag 56 Tar
66 Whistle


FOLK OF THE WOLD

The majority of denizens living in the Wold are humans, though there are other
sentient

HUMANS

 * What do you want to know, they’re humans
 * Mistrusting of demi-humans

ELF

 * Created by Faerie Lords from various creatures of the forest
 * Immortal, but not invincible
 * Have a random table for creature-like vestigial appendages (small horns,
   bushy tails, stripes, feathers, etc)
 * Susceptible to meteoric iron

GOATFOLK

 * Wandering nomads and shepherds

 * Humanoid goats

 * Prominence in society determined by length of horns

 * Aversion to humans due to development of lands


OPTIONAL

As an optional rule,

Roll 3d6:

3-5 6-15 16-18 Goatfolk Human Elf


CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT

Levels are a measure of a character’s achievements, fame or infamy, and deeds.
Characters start at level 1.

Trophies are any great works of art or artifacts the characters return from the
wilderness or the enemy camp to civilization. They are typically large or
otherwise impractical to carry normally. Trophies may also be parts from
monsters like a dragon’s tooth or troll’s head.

Whenever the party brings trophies back to civilization that they are not
claiming for themselves or their followers, they may attempt to gain a level. A
character needs to use at least as many trophies as their current gain a level.
When doing so, they roll 1d6 and compare it to their current level; if it is
greater, they gain the level; otherwise they stay at the same level. When
gaining a level, characters may choose two of the following advancements:

 * Increase stamina by 4;
 * Increase wounds by 2;
 * Increase one attribute by 1 to a maximum of 3;
 * Increase base FD, SD, or MD, by 1;

Each character may only gain one level for each set of trophies recovered by the
party.


GOLD COINS

Remnants of a lost time, coins of gold, silver, and other precious metals are
acceptable trophies to bring back to civilization provided they are brought in
sufficient quantities. These coins are typically melted down and used to create
great works of art or adorn churches and palaces as displays of power. Every 250
coins of any metal requires 1 inventory slot.

Metal Quantity Platinum 100 Gold 250 Electrum 500 Silver 1,000 Copper 5,000


FEATS

Characters should acquire new abilities, improvements to their skills and
attributes, and other boons by means of in-game achievements.

These feats all have a requirement to gain the boon they confer on your
character and upkeep of deeds to maintain their benefits. Some feats may be
mutually exclusive.

The following list is not an exhaustive list

BANDIT

 * Requirements: Earn the ire of a local lord or other official for consistently
   stealing goods from travelers and settlements;
 * Boon: Commoners may provide you with supplies or services out of fear of
   retribution even if they are not friendly. Roll checks for supplies with
   disadvantage when not in a position to threaten or cajole and with advantage
   otherwise. Roll reactions with magistrates at disavantage;
 * Upkeep: Do not submit yourself to any lawful punishment and do not serve a
   lord as a Thane.

CAPTAIN

 * Requirements: Command a warband;
 * Boon: Gain 4 stamina and 2 wounds;
 * Upkeep: Must actively be leading the warband. When the warband dissolves or
   deserts you lose this benefit.

DRUID OF THE OLD WAYS

 * Requirements: Assist and be inducted into a druidic circle by sacrificing a
   white stag on a henge altar during a new moon in the witness of at least 3
   druids;
 * Boon: Learn druidic magic and secrets, communicate with animals and trees.
   Increase SD by 1;
 * Upkeep: Must assist and take part in druidic activities on significant days
   (equinox, solstice, etc). You cannot be a friend of the elfs or be a member
   of the One True Church and must oppose its expansion.

FOREST WARDEN

 * Requirement: Must use the search action in a hex to fully explore it;
 * Boon: Gain advantage on checks to track or resupply within that hex;
 * Upkeep: Must continue to explore the area every season.

GIANTSBANE

 * Requirements: Slay a giant and bring back to civilization a trophy as proof;
 * Boon: Gain 2 wounds;
 * Upkeep: You must not lose a fight with a giant or refuse to hunt one when
   asked to.

INQUISITOR

 * Requirements: Become consecrated into the One True Church by a regional (not
   local) leader or higher as a tool to root out corruption in its ranks and in
   the populace;
 * Boon: Increase your miracle power by 1. Gain advantage when tracking down
   enemies of the Church;
 * Upkeep: Always bear a symbol of the Church visibly and confront and vanquish
   its enemies in the wilderness and anything anathema to it. Return any lost or
   otherwise (un)holy relics to the Church. Cannot also be a Warrior-Priest.

MASTER DUELIST

 * Requirements: Beat another master duelist in 1-on-1 melee combat;
 * Boon: Roll contests using a heavy melee weapon with advantage when you are
   not next to any allies;
 * Upkeep: You cannot refuse a fair duel.

PRINCE OF THIEVES

 * Requirements: Donate to commoners 60 inventory slots worth of goods acquired
   through highway banditry or other means of robbery of the rich. Cannot have
   stolen from commoners;
 * Boon: Be treated better by commoners but worse by nobles. Many commoners may
   be willing to hide or assist you and your fellow travelers. Negates any
   negative effects of being a Bandit among the commoners;
 * Upkeep: Do not steal from commoners, continue to donate to the oppressed at
   least once a season.

SKALD

 * Requirements: Study under a master skald for 3d6 months and successfully beat
   their contest of riddles;
 * Boon: You can ask the referee 1 question about the lore of a person, place,
   or thing and get a truthful answer. This should be information that wouldn’t
   generally be known;
 * Upkeep: You can never refuse to regale a lord or social gathering with myths,
   tales, or riddles.

THANE

 * Requirements: Pledge loyalty to a lord and be declared their champion;
 * Boon: The lord’s subjects roll reaction with advantage or disadvantage,
   depending on their view of the lord. Can raise one militia warband from your
   domain if you have not currently raised one. Increase your majesty by 1;
 * Upkeep: Answer the lord’s call and undertake their quests and missions. You
   can only serve one lord at a time and cannot be a Bandit.

WARRIOR-PRIEST

 * Requirements: Become consecrated into the One True Church by a regional (not
   local) leader or higher as a servant of its righteous crusades;
 * Boon: Gain 4 stamina and 2 wounds. Roll attacks with advantage when fighting
   enemies of the Church;
 * Upkeep: Always bear a symbol of the Church visibly and confront and vanquish
   its enemies in the wilderness and anything anathema to it. Return any lost or
   otherwise (un)holy relics to the Church. Cannot also be an Inquisitor.

WITCH

 * Requirements: Make an appropriate gift to a witch coven and be inducted by a
   rite of sacrifice.
 * Boon: Be taught the secrets of cauldron magic and poppetry. Be granted safety
   and secrecy by members of the coven;
 * Upkeep: Take part in the coven’s rituals and do not betray their trust.


HIRELINGS AND WARBANDS

Frequently, a character or party may wish to employ the assistance of various
types of followers, from individual hirelings to groups of soldiers known as
warbands. Followers allow the players to do:

 * Stay out of danger more easily
 * Engage in mass combat


HIRELINGS

Hirelings are helpers who support you on your travels in exchange for a share of
the glory, as determined by a share of the trophies recovered. Only full
trophies count towards a party’s advancement. All hirelings have 4 pack slots
and 2 hand slots. Hireling availability, indicated in brackets after their type
based on an X-in-6 chance, should be re-checked at the start of each month in
any given settlement. The 3 types of hirelings are:

 * Henchmen [5] (1/4 trophy): start with a torch. They will accompany you on
   adventures but will not take excessive risks or fight except to defend
   themselves. If carrying a source of light, they will try to make sure their
   patron is within its range unless otherwise directed;
 * Retainers [3] (1/2 trophy): start with either a two handed martial weapon or
   a shield and one handed martial melee weapon and join in combat. They provide
   advantage to melee or ranged attacks made by their patron when adjacent or
   can attack with disadvantage. If an adjacent patron would be taken out of
   action there is a 3-in-6 chance that they are killed instead;
 * Specialists [1] (1 trophy): start with a 10’ pole and will test for traps and
   other secret or hidden mechanisms and attempt to disarm any traps found in
   the manner directed by their patron. They will also use any lockpicks
   provided to open locked doors or containers.


WARBANDS

Warbands are groups of warriors under a character’s command, recruited in
friendly towns and cities by characters. Recruitment chance, indicated in
brackets after their type based on an X-in-6 chance, can be re-checked at the
start of a new month in a settlement. Characters can command a number of
warbands equal to their majesty. Warbands have 8d6+16 warriors and 1 wound per
warrior. Warbands have inventory slots to represent the combat equipment they
are carrying and do not need to worry about other items.

 * Militia [5]: local free folk who can be raised to arms for a specific quest
   or expedition. Militias have 2 hand slots 1 body slot, and 1 pack slot;
 * Companions [1] (2 trophies): professional soldiers in a leader’s employ. They
   require 2 trophies monthly as payment for their service or else they grow
   listless and desert at a rate of 1d6 weekly. Housecarls have 2 hand slots, 2
   body slots, and 2 pack slots.

MASS COMBAT

Warbands roll Xd6 to attack, where X is equal to the number of warriors in it,
with an X-in-6 chance to deal 1 wound using the following table:

Weapon Category Wound Chance Light Melee 2-in-6 Medium Melee 3-in-6 Heavy Melee
4-in-6 Light Ranged 1-in-6 Medium Ranged 2-in-6 Heavy Ranged 3-in-6


LOYALTY

Loyalty is a measure of a hireling’s or warband’s willingness to follow you.
Their loyalty starts at 2d6 and has a maximum of 12. When you ask hirelings to
perform a dangerous task outside of their job description, roll 2d6. If it is
greater than their current loyalty they refuse to take that risk. Regardless of
the result, their loyalty lowers by 1. Loyalty can be increased by saving their
life, giving extra shares of the glory, or other sacrifices by the patron.
Hirelings will leave when loyalty reaches 0.


DOMAINS

Under Construction

Ideas:

 * warbands no longer require trophies

 * warbands can now heal (i.e. recover wounded and recruit new members)

 * roll with advantage when checking for new warbands

 * increases majesty by 1

 * domain events (natural disasters, plentiful harvests, etc)


ADVICE


ADVICE FOR PLAYERS AND REFEREES

 * Simple Mechanics: Everything can be done using a standard six sided die, if
   it’s even needed at all. Rules are made to facilitate play and stay out of
   the way.
 * Player Choice: Players should be given enough information about their
   surroundings and the world, including obvious consequences to their actions,
   to make informed decisions.
 * Player Skill: Challenges should be overcome by player ability in critical
   thinking and problem solving, not by character skills or special features.
 * Character Ability: Characters are competent in most of their attempts at
   exploration given enough time to research and prepare.
 * Classless: Characters are defined by their backgrounds, calls to action, and
   their inventory as opposed to fixed roles and set abilities.
 * Diegetic Growth: Characters gain new strengths through the course of play by
   completing or participating in in-world events and milestones.
 * Mortality: Characters are extraordinary but still human. The world poses
   risks that may severely wound or even kill them if they make foolish choices.
   Players should treat the world like it can kill their characters with ease.
 * Rule of Reasonable: Players should engage with the fictional universe and
   positioning their characters are in to determine what actions are possible.
   If it makes sense, it can happen with reasonable outcomes.
 * Low Magic: Magic is real and it exists, but it is neither common nor easy to
   use. Most people will never see magic and those who wield it do so at their
   own risk. Monsters can be magical but these often stay far away from human
   civilization.
 * Cooperative Play: Characters should not actively work against one another
   unless explicitly agreed upon by all players involved. Players work towards a
   shared goal or objective.
 * Anti-“Capitalist Realism”: The world design aims to simulate one that is
   foreign to ours. It is not a world of merchants, industry, and banks but one
   of communities and kings.
 * Anthropocentrism: The world is fantastical but still human centered. While
   elves, dwarves, and goblins may exist they are completely alien to the human
   experience. Characters are expected to be humans.
 * Emergent Narrative: Characters make their own story but they do not make it
   as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but
   under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the actions
   of the past.
 * Rules as Framework: The rules presented here are guidelines, not


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

These are games, blogs, and books I have used for inspiration or borrowed from
to make my own fantasy heartbreaker. I’m sure there’s plenty of others I found
and used but can’t remember exactly where that brain worm came from.

 * Ben Milton for Knave and Maze Rats with their simplicity, concision, and
   ingenuity
 * Gavin Norman for Old-School Essentials for setting the gold standard in
   layout and for Dolmenwood’s wonderful weirdness
 * Josh from the Rise Up Comus blog for introducing me to diegetic feats
 * Mausritter for the tactile inventory
 * Arnold K for the hirelings
 * Into the Wyrd and Wild*_ for the great and simple survival and hunting rules
 * The Gundobad Games blog for the basic design of Warbands
 * The Chuang Collective for giving one of the best RPG names as a
   political-economic history of the industrial development of China

My Appendix N:

 * The Witcher
 * Dolmenwood / Wormskin
 * Skyrim
 * Beowulf
 * The Wanderer
 * Vikings (the TV show)
 * The Last Kingdom
 * Herknungr
 * Y Gododdin
 * Le Morte d’Arthur
 * Thrones of Britannia: A Total War Saga
 * Icelandic Sagas