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WHAT IS GRIMWILD?
Grimwild is a game of cinematic fantasy adventure.
You go on quests, delve into dungeons, and explore the wilderness. It’s set in a
world of your choosing, or one you create together—the key being it's a world in
need of adventurers. Grimwild isn't a setting. That's up to you. This game gives
you the rules, monsters, and adventurers to play a campaign in that setting that
feels like a fun, ensemble cast TV series, each session a new episode.
Gameplay flows smoothly. The rules resolve actions quickly, favoring the dramatic
over the realistic. They provide a strong framework to pace the game, manage
tension, and create great scenes. They give significant creative freedom to add set
dressing and even larger details into scenes to play off of, keeping the story
moving forward and prioritizing common sense over detailed tracking.
The story is character-driven. As players, you work together to decide your
adventuring party's identity, then make characters that fit well within it. You set
your group arcs, then choose your own character arcs, broad themes that give you
experience when you bring them into play and help steer the story.
Characters are revealed through play. You start with a clear concept that fits well
within your party, but you don't necessarily need all of the details upfront—focus
on what sounds fun to bring into play. You can always use the tools the game gives
you to add details about your past and connect the dots as they come up, leaving
plenty of space to grow together into a cohesive, colorful party.
Things get dramatic. You're rewarded for playing into your traits in ways that
complicate the situation, giving good reason to think in-character and sometimes
picking the less than optimal path. Inevitably, sparks fly, leading to in-fighting
between protagonists, just like any great story with characters driven by their own
motivations. This is all cleanly resolved with quarrels—a simple roll to move
things forward, encouraging and providing a release valve for this friction!
The story is a maelstrom of dice rolls and fun ideas.
From all this pushing and pulling on the narrative, storylines and side plots
emerge. In spite of the tension, the choices you make about your party's arcs and
the characters growing together over time give compelling reason to stay together
and focused. It's a TV show that you're the main characters of, messy and fun and
full of surprises.
GETTING STARTED
Grimwild's a tabletop roleplaying game, which this book assumes you're familiar
with. The basics aren't covered here, but there are plenty of resources online and
you can always join our Discord community to ask questions. Visit us at
[Link] to join.
Thematically, Grimwild draws heavily on the heroic fantasy of Dungeons & Dragons
and wears this influence on its sleeve. It’s especially rooted in modern D&D, from
3rd edition onwards. Inspiration was also taken from Dungeon World and its many
descendents, like Unlimited Dungeons, Chasing Adventure, Homebrew World, and
Stonetop.
Mechanically, the Moxie system that Grimwild is built on draws from a variety of
character-driven games, with the biggest influences being Burning Wheel, Cortex
Prime, Blades in the Dark, and Fate.
TO PLAY, YOU NEED:
◆ Players: You need one person as the gamemaster (GM) and some players, ideally
three or four. Guidelines for solo and duet play are in Ch. 7: Extras.
◆ Time: Sessions work best at 3 hours. For longer sessions, consider using downtime
(pg. 16) to break them up and reset per-session rules.
◆ Rules: All players should know the core rules, including GM rules. They're short,
free, and referenced on the sheets. It makes play go much more smoothly.
◆ Understanding: Read the rules once, then re-read them again. They'll make more
sense. ◆ Dice: Each player needs 4-6 d6s, notated as d (e.g., 2d, 4d), and 2-4 d8s,
called thorns and notated as t (e.g., 1t, 3t). The GM needs 8 d6s. ◆ Sheets:
Character, GM, and reference sheets are available at [Link] or
drivethrurpg. com. Links to supported VTTs and online tools are on the website. A
smaller version of the blank character sheet can be found in the back. ◆ Safety: To
help everyone feel comfortable with the themes within your campaigns, use the TTRPG
Safety Toolkit: [Link]/ttrpgsafetytoolkit.
CONVENTIONS IN THIS BOOK
◆ System Terms: These are bolded when first introduced or when clarity is needed.
Otherwise, they're not specifically styled. Emphasis is shown with italics,
sometimes boldly. When unsure, reference the index in the back.
◆ Pools: In Grimwild, "pool" always refers to diminishing pools (pg. 13), differing
from its broader use in other RPGs.
◆ D66 Tables: These are 6x6 random tables. Roll 2d6: one die for the tens place,
the other for the ones place (e.g., 1 and 3 is 13 or 31). Look at both results (13
= column 1, row 3; 31 = column 3, row 1) and choose the one that grabs you.
◆ Crucibles: These are d66 tables that provide a few words to smash together for
inspiration. Interpret them literally or figuratively. Re-roll if needed.
◆ The Reader: This book addresses the reader as "you," typically from the player
perspective. In Chapter 3, "you" is the GM perspective.
◆ Made with Moxie: Most of chapters 1 and 2 are the core Moxie system. Those pages
will be marked with this logo in the bottom-right.
GAMEPLAY OVERVIEW
Grimwild is built with the Moxie cinematic toolkit, a tabletop RPG ruleset that
focuses on cinematic action and character-driven gameplay. Below is how the key
parts tie together and an intro to the game's terms. The rules are explained
throughout chapters 1 and 2, followed by examples of play. The game uses a lot of
its own terminology, so here's a basic rundown of the key parts which you'll
encounter throughout the rules. Don't worry about understanding all of this right
now!
SETTING UP THE GAME
As a group, form an adventuring party by choosing a few key words that clearly say
what your party is and what it's not. Your PCs have already adventured together,
each fitting into the party concept in some way. This cuts right to the story in
progress, ready to jump into your next adventure.
Make characters by choosing two backgrounds that reflect your past, like your
heritage and professions, along with an adventurer path that grants a powerful core
talent. Assign stats, traits, and desires, then forge bonds with the other PCs.
Establish group and character story arcs, which you play towards to drive the
story.
PLAYING THE GAME
As a player, describe what your character thinks, feels, and does. When you try
something risky, you make an action roll. When the GM puts you in direct danger,
you make a defense roll. You can also make a montage roll to skip past parts you
don’t want to play out in detail. Rolls are made with a handful of d6s equal to a
stat, keeping the highest to set the outcome: perfect, messy, or grim. Rolling two
6s is a critical and you choose a bonus. Difficulty and damage add one or more d8s
called thorns to your roll, which might cut the outcome down a level. If a grim
gets cut, it’s a disaster and things get really bad for you!
Use your creative freedom to add set dressing to scenes to play off of, and a
narrative currency called story to declare significant story details to push the
fiction. Earn spark by introducing character-related complications called tangles
and facing adversity, then spend it to gain a bonus on rolls.
After each session, you earn experience (XP) towards increasing in level, which
grants new talents.
RUNNING THE GAME
As the GM, present dilemmas and drama, then let the players come up with solutions.
Keep the spotlight moving to give everyone screen time and prompt the players to
describe their actions. Map the fiction to rules, and make rulings to fill in gaps.
Open the door wide for collaboration and enjoy the story.
Use GM moves as tools and guiding principles to act as the world and pace the
story. Impact moves hit the PCs with direct consequences. They require prompting
from foreshadowing, grim rolls, or by spending suspense, gained from making
suspense moves or holding off on making a prompted impact move.
Make story rolls to disclaim decision-making and use the GM crucible to help come
up with ideas. Control the camera to create a cinematic feel, zooming in and out on
what’s important. Use diminishing pools to create and track tension and challenges
to represent the toughest, most interesting obstacles PCs face.
PLAY WITH MOXIE
Grimwild is built with the Moxie ruleset and designed for cinematic gameplay. The
heart of that is narrative collaboration. It's all about creating a shared
imagination space, managing the spotlight, and diving into narration. The rules
will get you halfway there—they're all pointing towards keeping the pace flowing
quickly and the action dramatic. The other half is in your hands, the players at
the table, and the attitude you all approach the game with.
PLAY CINEMATICALLY
Trust in the collaborative process. Everyone at the table adds details into the
story. You have to work together and play off of each other or the game, and the
story you're telling, will fall flat.
Use the camera, your shared imagination. Each player has two perspectives, from
your character and as the audience watching this TV show. Use the camera and vivid
description to paint a cool scene in everyone's mind.
Tell us what it looks like, before and after your rolls.
Give details about what you do, don’t just leave it at broad statements. Zoom in
and out. Use the camera to show things outside of your own character as well—pan
around, cut to other scenes, and describe NPCs. Invoke cinematic vibes and create
great scenes.
PLAY IN GOOD FAITH
Don’t be a weasel. Do what your character would do, then let the GM map it back to
the rules. Don’t overdo it trying to work your way into better rolls. The fun is
letting the story flow naturally. When you ask the rules what happens next, follow
where it points with enthusiasm.
Separate player and character knowledge. It’s more fun when everyone knows what’s
going on in the game. Don’t keep secrets from each other, keep them from
characters. As a player, be aware of what your character knows and doesn’t know and
play towards both.
Use the meta-channel sparingly. This is conversation about the game between
players. It’s unavoidable, but minimize it to keep that shared imagination in sync
at the table. For anything longer than a quick question, call for a pause to talk
things through, a clean break point to resume from later.
Know the rules. Everyone can get a copy of the game PDF (it's free!). The rules say
a lot about the types of stories to be told with the game, and the less time you
spend talking about the rules, the more time you have for roleplaying. Making a
cheat sheet on rules you often forget can be a big help, or even just skimming the
book pre-game.
PLAY TO TELL A STORY
Think of the game as a series of improv prompts, posed by yourselves and the rules.
When you respond to them, consider the following:
◆ What would my character do?
◆ What would make for a cool scene?
◆ What would move the story forward?
◆ What opens the door to get others involved?
Don’t talk yourself out of fun. The first idea that
jumps into your head is often the one you should
go with. Don’t overthink or rationalize yourself
out of it. Like any great TV show character, go
where the fun lies. Great stories involve excitement, danger, and hard choices.
Open doors and step through them. The best scenes involve characters playing off of
each other, so make chances for others to get involved. When someone invites you
into a scene, step through that door—even if it means a bit of mental gymnastics to
justify your character’s actions. And as long as you step through the door at
times, remember that it can be just as interesting to close the door instead.
Work the spotlight. There’s no turn order of any kind, but there is screen time.
Strive to make sure everyone gets their fair share, including yourself.
◆ Grab the spotlight when there’s a lull or you have a great idea.
◆ Share the spotlight by opening doors or following up on another PC’s actions.
◆ Pass the spotlight when you’ve been holding it too long.
◆ Point the spotlight to see another PC’s response or what they’ve been up to.
◆ Never steal the spotlight. Everyone works hard to set up their moment.
Don't play to win, play to tell stories. Work towards the same goal—to tell a great
story where everyone's character has a chance to grow. Failure isn't losing, it's
just another opportunity to have a great scene. Of course, your character wants to
succeed! However, your goal as a player is keeping the story interesting. Play into
the bad luck just as you do the good to help ensure you craft compelling stories.
PLAY CHARACTERS THAT GROW
Leave lots of blank space. Your PC starts with a past and connections to the world,
but it's best as latticework. Learn who they are through play. Leave space for the
other PCs and story to fit in.
Don’t be afraid to change. PCs often go through hell. Any dramatic story has
adversity. Let what happens change who they are. Announce what your PC's thinking,
especially big shifts. If nobody else at the table knows, it’s not really happening
in that shared imagination.
Don’t be afraid to stay the same. Some aspects of your character might be
immutable. That’s also part of what makes a great character. There can be those
things they will stick to, even to the bitter end. Just make sure it’s worth it,
and fun. Don’t die on small hills—die on entertaining ones.
Make time for smaller moments. Quiet time, a conversation about nothing,
introspection, reflection—these make for great scenes to flesh out your characters
and the world. Don't just rush from action scene to action scene.
Most importantly, do stuff! Find reasons to get into the spotlight, push story arcs
forward, and make fun scenes. When there's no opportunity, add some details to the
story to create one!
CORE RULES
EXAMPLES OF PLAY PG. 24
CORE MECHANIC. When things get risky and dramatic, roll to see what happens. Grab a
few d6 dice (d) equal to the stat the GM picks to test, roll them, and take the
highest to determine the outcome—6: perfect, 4-5: messy, 1-3: grim.
◆ A critical happens when you roll two or more 6s. Ignore any cuts and choose a
critical bonus: greater effect—secondary effect—setup a follow-up.
◆ A disaster happens when a grim is cut by a thorn. Whatever the risk was before,
double it—the worst case scenario comes to pass.
SPARK. Pure protagonist energy. Take spark (max 2) when you add a tangle, roll a
disaster, resolve a story arc, or quarrel. Spend it to take +1d on a roll.
THORNS. One or two d8s (t) added to your roll by the GM to reflect a tougher than
normal task. Each 7 or 8 on a thorn cuts a roll’s outcome by one step (messy→grim).
A normal roll is +0t/tough. The GM adds thorns with their gut feeling, given the
situation. They can make it +1t/very tough or +2t/extremely tough. If it’s at
+3t/impossible or more, the task can’t be done—break it up into steps or try a new
approach. If needed, they can assess factors:
◆ Intrinsic: Scale, opposing skill, numbers...
Huge chasm, expert detective, group of thugs.
◆ Externals: Environment, training, tools...
Heavy rain, not a doctor, shovel’s broken.
◆ Intangibles: Strong feelings, bad info, mojo...
You love him, the map is wrong, you’re cursed.
Damage to a PC also adds thorns to a roll, but they don’t count towards making it
impossible.
SMOOTH FLOW. If a grim threatens to grind the story to a halt, the GM can keep
things moving— you get what you want, but in a way that makes things much worse. If
a roll somehow turns out to have no effect (the guard was already dead), you learn
new info or setup for a follow-up.
WORKING TOGETHER
ASSIST. Help another PC on a roll. State how & why, then roll 1d and share the
risk. Include your roll result with theirs for the final outcome—then each narrate
your contribution, using your own result and bonds as a guide.
You can assist when another PC's action prompts an impact move. You make a 1d
defense roll for them.
When you share the risk, you open yourself up to consequences, which can prompt a
more powerful or additional impact move, or the GM can take suspense instead.
TEAMWORK. When 3+ PCs work together, the GM picks who rolls the action—sometimes
the most skilled (lifting a boulder), sometimes the least (sneaking in). The other
PCs assist.
SETUP. When a previous action makes a follow-up more effective, you assist without
risk. You roll 1d as a normal assist, but don't share the risk. If it was your own
action, you take +1d.
OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE. When an assist or setup comes from the world, like an NPC or
the environment, the GM rolls 1d to represent it.
DICE ROLLS
ACTION ROLL. Roll to pull off something risky. State how & why, clarifying your
intent. The GM picks the stat that matches your intentions.
PERFECT. You do it, and avoid trouble.
MESSY. You do it, but there’s trouble.
Prompts an impact move.
GRIM. You fail, and there’s trouble.
Prompts an impact move.
The GM makes an impact move to introduce consequences. You don't get a defense roll
against impact moves prompted by your own action rolls— avoiding danger is already
factored into the roll.
MONTAGE ROLL. Roll to condense a sequence you don’t want to play out in detail, but
still want to leave up to the dice. Roll 2d, resolving it all as a single action
roll, then narrate a few beats. Keep things moving or zoom in on a grim.
If multiple PCs join, each rolls 2d and shares the risk. Collaborate on the
results. 6s on separate rolls don’t count towards criticals.
DEFENSE ROLL. Roll to avoid incoming trouble, but only when not caused by your own
action. The GM calls for the roll and picks a stat to test.
PERFECT. You avoid the trouble.
MESSY. You avoid the brunt of the trouble.
The GM lightens the consequences.
GRIM. You fail to avoid the trouble.
The GM follows through on the move.
The GM calls for defense rolls when they target you directly with an impact move.
On a messy, there's still some trouble, like taking lesser damage, losing the
chance to act, or being in a worse position (knocked off the cliff→your sword is
knocked off).
Defense is cinematic—a reaction, out of your hands. The GM picks the stat to fit
the danger, your PC’s likely reaction, vulnerabilities, and what feels right for
the moment. This keeps it varied—you can’t always use a strong stat.
Brawn absorbs a punch, Agility dodges it, Wits sees it coming, and Presence avoids
the fight. (Players can soft veto!)
DIMINISHING POOLS
POOLS. A set of d6s used to track things like time, resources, or effort. When
triggered (🎲), roll the pool and drop 1d for each 1-3 result. At 0d, the pool
depletes and the fiction changes.
The size of a pool is 4d/short, 6d/mid, or 8d/long. At 0d, an event occurs, a
situation ends, or a resource is depleted. Make sure to reflect the fiction—if a
pool and the fiction don't match up, adjust or scrap the pool.
◆ If no dice are dropped from a task pool on a messy or perfect action roll,
instead take a secondary effect (they spill a secret, some mooks die).
◆ If the pool roll was 1d and it didn't drop, you can instead push yourself to drop
the last die. In similar cases, the GM can spend suspense (pg. 30) to drop the last
die.
◆ Drop 1d from the pool before rolling it when a talent tells you to do so or you
take the greater effect critical bonus. This stacks.
Pools can be flexibly applied in many situations, usually by the GM. Some typical
pools are listed below. Others are found throughout the book.
Timer Pools. Events unfolding in the background. 🎲 Key moments, time passing, or a
few PCs take action. 6d Reinforcements Arrive, 8d Sunrise.
Pressure Pools. Threats becoming more likely. 🎲 Impact moves, major events, or
threat level.
6d Lookouts Spot You, 8d Corruption Grows.
Task Pools. Effort to overcome tasks. 🎲 Task progress, usually an action roll. 4d
Barroom Brawl, 6d Tracking Quarry, 8d Escape the Guards.
Resource Pools. Quantity of something precious. 🎲 The resource sees significant
usage. 4d Food Supplies, 8d Manpower Left.
Note: Pools are always notated with the size of the pool in front of it, usually
written in italics.
NARRATIVE WEIGHT
VANTAGE. Your character's frame of reference, the sum of your backstory, talents,
and the current fiction—everything on your sheet and what’s affecting you in the
story. When a question arises about what you can do, have, or know, check it
against your vantage: does it feel like a given, a stretch, or a reach?
A doctor can suture a wound, a thief likely has a lockpick, but a farmer probably
wouldn’t know an actress.
Proper vantage opens up possibilities and gives the freedom to declare story
details. Lacking it makes things more difficult, or even impossible.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE. You’re assumed to have the gear and skills that are a given for
your vantage. This avoids detailed tracking and ensures PCs are competent where it
makes sense.
DETAILS. Use the details on your sheet as creative inspiration—and limitations!—for
roleplaying. They are player (not GM) tools. When unsure of your PC's actions or
thoughts, play towards or even against a relevant detail. Update details as the
story unfolds, announcing the change and giving a vignette to give it weight and
clearly convey the change to the other players.
CHARACTER DETAILS
CHARACTER CREATION PG. 49
BACKGROUND. Your heritage, upbringing, and profession—the core of your vantage. You
choose any two that most influences who you are now. Each gives you three wises,
evocative key phrases that clearly expand your vantage.
The ragamuffin background means you learned a lot from the streets; without it,
your upbringing is just set dressing.
TRAITS. Choose 2 that strongly describe you and 1 that definitely doesn’t. Brave
and rash, not quiet.
DESIRES. Choose 2 that you strongly desire and 1 that you don’t at all. Love and
thrills, not wealth.
FEATURES. Detail your 3 most distinctive, outward features that others quickly
notice.
TALENTS. Special advantages and abilities that set your PC apart. At character
creation, you choose a path (rogue, wizard, fighter), which gives you its core
talent and a list of talents that align thematically with it. You gain new talents
as you level, choosing from your path list or taking talents from other paths.
The path name is simply a label for organizing talents thematically. On its own, it
doesn't expand vantage. However, talents do expand vantage.
Being a "fighter" doesn't mean anything, but the Fighting Style core talent expands
your vantage.
STATS. Your core capabilities rated from 1/poor to 3/great, used for action and
defense rolls.
Brawn
Power, menace, toughness.
Wits
Smarts, trickery, reading situations.
Agility
Precision, athletics, reflexes.
Presence
Influence, willpower, reading people
◆ Brawn and Agility are physical stats.
◆ Wits and Presence are mental stats.
BONDS. Your dynamic with each PC. Match an intensity (left) and a nature (right)
below, or write your own. Interpret them as makes sense.
Deep
Complex
Growing
Lowkey
Playful
Tense
Affection
Camaraderie
Curiosity
Doubts
Respect
Rivalry
Bonds are your strongest view of the other PC, and not necessarily reciprocal (your
tense doubts is their playful rivalry). You can change a bond anytime, such as in
response to something they've done or something new you've learned about them. When
it changes, give a short vignette (better if together!). The other PC takes spark.
CREATIVE FREEDOM
STORY ROLLS PG. 29
SET DRESSING. Add minor, common sense details freely. Make assumptions and add set
dressing to scenes to play off of to keep things flowing dynamically. There’s no
need to check in with the GM—they’ll step in if a detail goes beyond set dressing.
Anything that’s a given for your vantage, like knowing someone or having equipment
that makes sense, is set dressing.
TANGLES. Character-driven complications you introduce into a scene and have to
follow-up on. In return, you take spark. Tangles must stem from your vantage or
story arcs and always have an immediate impact, like an action roll, an option
closing off, or forcing inaction at an important moment. These are things like:
◆ Unwise decisions your PC would likely make.
You toss aside your sword to keep things fair.
◆ Personal motivations over group goals.
You poison the general's wine, getting your revenge.
◆ Complications from beliefs or backstory.
You forgot to tell everyone you dated the baron.
STORY. Pure cinematic momentum. Each session, you have 2 story. Spend it to add
story details that go beyond set dressing, creating new opportunities or shifting
the scene in your favor. Added details must fit your vantage, at least as a
stretch, or tie to a story arc. Example details:
◆ Character: Gear, contacts, backstory...
The wizard was your mentor. You have just the thing!
◆ Scene: NPC actions, objects, atmospherics...
The guard falls asleep. There's a secret door.
◆ Setting: History, geography, factions...
There's a town over those hills. The king falls ill.
Added details can't override rolls or contradict the established story. If your
detail affects another PC, get permission. The GM can make a story roll to see how
true or beneficial it is, or add nuance. On a grim, it may backfire! The GM can
also veto details to keep things coherent.
There are gray zones between set dressing, story details, and details simply too
impactful to add. Set boundaries with your group.
STORY ARCS
Evocative phrases that give your PC and group a thematic direction. Find out where
they lead through play— they're a starting direction, not the destination.
Pick a group arc together, then a character arc. Pick from the examples or write
your own. Keep it short.
Take spark by resolving an arc with a meaningful moment, however big or small it
is. This could mean achieving your goal, adjusting it for the next step, or moving
on from it entirely.
You shrug your shoulders and let the knight ride off—you have more to worry about
than your revenge.
Group arcs unite players around a theme, while character arcs help you express your
own story. Most importantly, they give you authorial power—you can use story or
tangles to add story details tied to your arcs to bring them into play!
Story arcs signal to the GM that you want drama, dilemmas, and opportunities to
arise around them. Aim to resolve arcs within 3-5 sessions to keep things fresh.
For struggles (flirt with betrayal), get group permission—limiting them to a few
sessions and involving everyone makes it more fun.
Ambitions
Build a Reputation
Explore the World
Finish the Mission
Make Things Right
Satisfy Desires
Uncover the Truth
Struggles
Come Unraveled
Doubt Convictions
Feed My Vices
Flirt with Betrayal
Keep a Secret
Survive the Storm
Growth
Embrace Change
Escape My Past
Find Belonging
Just Enjoy Life
Prove Myself
Settle Debts
DAMAGE & RECOVERY
HIT WITH IMPACT PG. 30
MARKS. Light damage, a temporary hindrance to a stat (winded, confused). Take +1t
on the next roll with that stat, then clear the mark.
If a stat is already marked, you take harm (below) instead. As long as a stat is
unmarked, even if you have its related harm, you can take a mark to it.
Marks are often combined with another mark or other consequences when inflicted
directly (Agility mark + thrown off your horse). You also take a mark when you push
yourself.
HARM. Heavy damage to your mind or body, a lingering hindrance. This is the default
damage from an impact move—though it can be split into a couple of marks or other
consequences.
◆ Heavy physical damage or stacked marks to
Brawn or Agility leave you bloodied.
◆ Heavy mental damage or stacked marks to
Wits or Presence leave you rattled.
Bloodied and rattled inflict +1t each on all rolls. Taking a type of harm for the
second time leaves you dropped—you're out of the scene. Make a story roll (usually
2d)—on a perfect, you're merely out until the scene ends. On a messy, things get
even worse, like also taking on a condition (4d dying, broken leg, trauma). On a
grim, things get far worse, like dying or taking on a permanent condition
(insanity, morality shift).
Damage should match the tone of the scene— tame stakes might inflict a mark, while
dire stakes might inflict both harm and dropped at once.
VEX. An intense flash of emotion like anger, fear, or confusion. Vex is inflicted
as a consequence, either on its own or in addition to a mark or harm. Vex prompts
an immediate, instinctive response. Choose one:
Fight
Flight
Freeze
Freakout
Interpret the response, which usually lasts a beat or two. Your PC is driven by
emotion, but you decide how it plays out. Aim to balance what's fun, what fits the
story, and what flows from the emotion.
CONDITIONS. Specific injuries or maladies that
impact only relevant situations and are often lasting. They sometimes come
alongside harm or a mark (rattled + broken heart), and can be:
◆ Urgent: 4d bleeding out, 6d losing your mind.
◆ Short-term: Twisted ankle, drunk.
◆ Long-term: Broken arm, a deep hatred.
◆ Permanent: Gouged out eye, insanity
Take +1t when a condition specifically hinders a roll.
Conditions can also reduce your vantage, which can prohibit a rolls (can't jump
with a broken leg).
Conditions clear when it makes sense, like after a scene, with rest, or when a pool
tracking them depletes. They may also require treatment or another specific method
to clear them.
You have the final say on long-term and permanent conditions. When you take one,
work with the GM to find a good fit for your PC and the situation.
TREATMENT. Harm can be cleared with treatment, which requires time, tools, and
training. Treatment always carries risk, requiring an action roll. On a messy, they
recover but other problems arise (left with a mark, takes longer than expected). On
a grim, you aggravate the situation (long-term condition, death).
Marks can't benefit from treatment. They are light enough already that only time
heals them, cleared with rest, rolling, or specific talents.
Conditions can be treated when it makes sense, which might require working towards
a task pool or fulfilling specific requirements before it clears.
REST. A stretch of time between significant action (a night's camp, a week's
travel). Paced for drama, not realism. Clear all marks and harm.
DOWNTIME. Extended breaks (a month, a season). Fully heal, including relevant
conditions, and reset per-session talents. The GM rolls faction pools, then picks
one and depletes it completely to move the story forward.
ODDS & ENDS
POTENCY. The ability to pull off jaw-dropping feats. When you have potency on a
task, you ignore thorns from difficulty (but not from other sources like damage)
and can attempt normally impossible (+3t) tasks. A potent feat can do things like:
◆ Group action: Something a team of people could accomplish with an action.
Lifting a boulder, a volley of arrows, inciting mutiny.
◆ Stretching Limits: Something just beyond normal human limitations.
Leap a massive gap, endure fire, tell ridiculous lies.
◆ Mystical: Feats that don't fit in with the above, but have similar narrative
impact.
Befriend a wild tiger, use echoes to create a rockslide.
Potency is only concerned with difficulty thorns. It alters rolls with thorns from
difficulty as such:
◆ +3t/impossible rolls become +0t/tough.
◆ +1t/+2t rolls become +0t/tough.
◆ +0t rolls are automatically successful if there are no thorns from other sources.
◆ On a messy or perfect on a +0t/+1t/+2t (from difficulty) you gain greater effect
(as a critical).
There's a gray zone between jaw-dropping and too much. Something +3t is okay, but
+4t is too far.
POWER POOLS. The power of some talents or items, rolled in place of a stat. The
same roll determines the outcome and drops dice from the pool. Even if it's
automatically successful, still roll the pool when used and drop dice. You must
roll all dice in the pool. 🎲 The talent or item is used. 4d Fireball Wand, 6d
Cleric domain.
INTERRUPT. Make an action roll to try to stop an impact move. This requires a
specific talent. If not already involved, you now share the risk. On a messy, the
GM takes or keeps suspense.
BUFFS. Beneficial effects (fearless, invisible) that expand vantage, ease tasks,
make rolls unnecessary, or provide outside assistance. If you give a buff to an
ally that persists in your absence, you can assist relevant rolls without risk.
SPARK. Spark carries over each session and you can spend multiple spark on a single
roll.
QUARRELS. Conflicts between PCs—arguments, competitions, or even violence. Quickly
resolve impasses in the story—don't waste time debating! First, make sure all
players agree to the quarrel. Clearly state the stakes for winning and losing,
erring on the side of dramatic (bruises, not bloodied; hurt feelings, not vex).
Each player rolls 2d and the highest wins (5 beats 4). Others can assist, or they
can join at 2d with their own agenda. On a tie, compromise or keep quarreling.
The winner narrates how they won. Then, the loser narrates how they handle losing.
The results of the quarrel are final—it's okay for the PC that lost to be bitter,
but the story moves in the winner's direction. Both sides take spark.
PUSH YOURSELF. Expend extra effort to activate certain talents that require it.
After using the talent, mark a related stat (your choice). Talents that require you
to push yourself can be activated without a mark once per session.
ALWAYS. If you have the ability to always succeed or receive a benefit, it holds
true unless the GM makes a Counter move, a strong NPC trait is in play, or other
extenuating circumstances arise. In short, "always" means 95% of the time.
PRE-SESSION RECAP. Before each session (after the first), recall the previous
session and share your PC's best moment. Each player takes spark.
When all are finished, the GM Recaps (taking suspense) tying all of these moments
together into a proper "Previously on..." and starts the session.
POST-SESSION XP. After each session, take 1 XP and fill in its box. You start at
level 1 and advance when you fill boxes equal to the next level (Lvl. 4→5 = 5 more
boxes). This lets you choose a new talent.
The GM can award 1 bonus XP for a standout session (about 1 in 4). For a slower
pace, slash each XP box before filling it.
LEVEL. A PC starts at level 1 and can go up to level 7. This takes 6 months of
weekly play. For longer play, slow down progression.
SPELLCASTING
Spellcasting is the ability to harness magic, acquired through talents or arcana.
While each style has its quirks, they all follow the same laws of magic. Spells are
cast using touchstones—key terms like spell names, godly domains, or item
descriptions. You interpret these on-the-fly, defining the permissions and
limitations of your magic when you cast. Each source clearly defines its
touchstones, casting methods, and costs.
Magic has four magnitudes: cantrips, spells, potent spells, and rituals. Determine
the magic's magnitude by comparing:
Spells have effects equal to an action roll, results one person with the right
training and tools can achieve. They're the baseline magnitude of magic.
Cantrips are set dressing, minor effects that don't require rolls. Success is
automatic.
A fire cantrip lights a candle. The brooms sweep the room clean for you. You talk
to the flower and it starts to bloom.
Cantrip utility lets you flavor other action rolls with cantrips, or even use them
to replace gear when using relevant touchstones. This reasonably expands vantage.
You roll the stat you'd normally roll for the now-possible action, like Brawn or
Agility to swing a conjured sword
◆ The final result, not the method, to what can be achieved by a non-magic action
roll.
◆ The narrative impact, not the result, to the impact of a normal action roll.
Final result is used to judge most cases, seeing if the magic is replicating what
can be done through non-magic means. The second is then used when the first isn't
possible.
Narrative impact is used to judge spellcasting results without mundane equivalents,
to ensure that magic and non-magic means have the same overall impact on the story.
The GM uses the guideline and examples on these pages to set the line between
spells and potent spells, as well as the upper limit—beyond extraordinary magic
(+4t), only accomplishable with rituals. This is a judgment call set through play,
so transparency and consistency are key.
◆ The final result, not the method, to what can be achieved by a non-magic action
roll.
◆ The narrative impact, not the result, to the impact of a normal action roll.
◆ Cantrips are similar to something that doesn't require a roll. They should feel
flavorful.
◆ Spells are similar to an action roll, impactful but not dominating a scene. They
should feel useful.
◆ Potent spells are similar to a group effort, effort over time, or a single effort
with potency. They should feel powerful.
Transforming a cat into a dog temporarily is a spell, as the GM feels the narrative
impact within this scene is similar to a normal action. If there was little to no
impact in this scene, it might even be a cantrip. However, turning it into a tiger
is most definitely a potent spell.
CANTRIPS
Cantrips are set dressing, minor effects that don't require rolls. Success is
automatic.
A fire cantrip lights a candle. The brooms sweep the room clean for you. You talk
to the flower and it starts to bloom.
Cantrip utility lets you flavor other action rolls with cantrips, or even use them
to replace gear when using relevant touchstones. This reasonably expands vantage.
You roll the stat you'd normally roll for the now-possible action, like Brawn or
Agility to swing a conjured sword.
SPELLS
Spells have effects equal to an action roll, results one person with the right
training and tools can achieve. They're the baseline magnitude of magic.
▸ Just like sticking an arrow in a bugbear, a spell can blast it with flames or
enchant their ally to backstab them. [Result: The bugbear is dead.]
▸ Just like picking a lock or smashing it apart, a spell can melt through it with
acid or let you phase through the door. [Result: You get past the lock.]
▸ Just like outplaying someone at a game, a spell can read your opponent's mind or
commune with your ancestors for help. [Result: You win the match.]
POTENT SPELLS
Potent spells accomplish more than a normal spell—they give potency and broaden
vantage. A potent spell can achieve effects equal to an entire group working
together, as with normal potency. You can attempt jaw-dropping effects
(+3t/difficulty). A normally +1t or +2t task has greater effect (critical bonus),
and a +0t roll is automatic.
▸ Normally, fighting this group of goblins would be extremely difficult (+2t), but
a potent spell Fireball is like a whole group fighting them (+2t→+0t, plus greater
effect!).
▸ Normally, someone couldn't bust down this thick stone wall, but a potent spell
Thunderous Boom can do it (+3t→+0t).
▸ Normally, your nemesis would never help you (+3t), but a potent spell Charm can
convince them (+3t→+0t).
TOUCHSTONES
Spellcasting ability comes with touchstones and all magic effects must logically
align with them, making sense and feeling natural. If it feels like a reach, it’s
beyond the touchstone’s bounds.
▸ Flaming can burn or illuminate, but can’t calm someone.
▸ Dazzling can blind or distract, but can’t mend objects.
▸ Warding can create barriers, but can’t attack.
You cast Flaming Claw as a spell at the goblins, aiming for a huge claw to grab
one, ignite it, and hurl it into the rest. This fits the touchstones, but your
intent— harming multiple goblins at once—might work as a spell on a bunch of mooks,
but these are some tough goblins. You'll have to choose to target just one or cast
a potent spell to pull off the full effect.
The GM can veto spells that don't align with your touchstones. They can also
instead allow it, but inflict a thorn or collateral effects when it's pushing your
touchstones, but not completely implausible.
▸ A Slime Wall spell can slow enemies, but has trouble completely blocking them
(+1t).
▸ A Dominion domain spell can command someone to help, but can’t cause wounds.
▸ A Wand of Invisibility can make objects disappear, but can’t make sounds vanish.
You want to grab a treasure chest and haul it across the chasm and try to cast your
flaming claw spell to do it. Discussing it with the GM, you both decide that the
claw has a physical form, but since it's on fire, it'll scorch anything it touches.
The GM says that the chest will be 4d On Fire. This is just a spell, since you
could get across the chasm with an action.
EXAMPLES
Below are some touchstones and how their effectiveness increases with the magnitude
of magic.
TOUCHSTONE
Shimmering Vision
Jovial Wings
Shadow sorcery
Healing domain
Warding domain
Fiend patron
Air primordial
CANTRIP
Flash of light
Glide downstairs
Snuff a light
Heal a headache
Block the rain
Summon hellflies
Scatter leaves
SPELL
Simple illusion
Soar up a wall
Blind a foe
Heal a mark
Shield an ally
Summon imp
Push off a cliff
POTENT
Complex illusion
Fly to the clouds
Summon darkness
Heal harm
Shield a group
Call a hellhound
Carry up a cliffside
SPELL RITUAL
Permanent illusion
Grow real wings
Eternal night
Regrow a limb
Build a town wall
Summon demon
Craft a tornado
Touchstone Limitations: When you take a magic talent, have a discussion with the GM
about what your magic can and can't do. Clearly defining it in this way makes the
magic more fun to play with— creativity thrives within limitations. If a PC's magic
feels too broad during the campaign, consider discussing new limitations to keep it
balanced and engaging.
A shadow sorcerer might limit their magic so shadows can never cause physical harm,
or they might make them tangible but useless in direct sunlight. Most limitations
arise naturally from the touchstones.
SPELLCASTING RULINGS
Magic's a freeform system, built on flexibility and creative rulings from the GM,
with the understanding that its freedom is meant to preserve the feeling of magic.
While this system can be exploited in unfun ways aimed at "winning," it relies on
you buying into your magic touchstones and the magnitudes of magic. Don't be a
weasel—play in good faith and have fun with the freedom it gives you. With that in
mind, here are some common rulings for various situations involving magic:
Magic Trappings: Discuss with the GM how your casting appears, its visual style,
movements you make, and tools you use. All magic is clear and evident—trying to
hide it is extremely difficult at best, but usually impossible. Losing implements
or being hindered can deny permission to cast or inflict thorns.
Magic on Defense Rolls: The GM chooses the stat for defense rolls, and can choose
to let you use spellcasting. This counts as set dressing and doesn't cost a
resource, like dice dropped from a pool. If the GM calls for another stat, but you
have a clear spell-based counter, you can ask them if you have time to cast a spell
instead. This is a spell as usual and it's the GM's choice if you have time.
Assisting with Magic: Using magic to assist a roll is just set dressing with no
cost—just keep the narration reasonable (the weaker end of a spell). Remember
you're assisting. If you're making the action roll on a group level, cast as usual.
Detecting Magic: With a relevant touchstone, you can recognize magic easily.
Without one, it's harder, though magic ability counts as a factor. Without
training, the magic must be very obvious to be noticed.
Dispelling Magic: Anyone aware that something is magic can try to dispel it. This
does not require training—you can cast a spell with relevant touchstones that
counters it, cause enough of a disturbance to it (smashing the arcane shield with a
battleaxe, shaking someone until they're no longer charmed), or outsmarting the
magic's logic in some way (throwing water on a fire spell). Creativity should be
rewarded here.
Healing Magic: Spells can clear marks, heal minor conditions, or calm a vex
response. Potent spells can pull off +3t/impossible healing, such as healing harm
instantly or curing major conditions (mend a broken bone, but not a severed arm).
Rituals are needed for more extreme conditions like regrowing limbs, curing
blindness, or removing deep trauma.
Resurrection: Bringing back the dead is a costly, extremely risky ritual rarely
worth the price you'll surely have to pay. Tread carefully. Buffs & Debuffs: Spells
that help or hinder are considered on a case-by-case basis, with the player and GM
working together. As a starting point, a buff can apply the effects of a critical:
greater effect—secondary effect—setup. Debuffs can do the same for anyone working
against the foe. They can also add vantage (the ability to fly, invisibility).
Potent buffs might last longer, affect multiple targets, make +0t rolls
automatically successful, or allow for a potent feat. Get creative with applying
the mechanics and capture the feeling the spell is going for.
Magic Duration: As a rule of thumb, a spell lasts just a moment, maybe two, and a
potent spell lasts for a scene. This is judged by the GM based on the intended
effect, which you balance against the magnitude of spell.
Potions: Magical items, like potions, that allow you to use them as tools require
an action to apply, such as rolling Agility to throw and hit someone with a potion.
The efficacy of a potion is usually automatic, based on what tier of potion it is,
but you can make a story roll if it's unclear. The more powerful the potion, the
more dice you roll for the story roll.
RITUALS
Rituals can accomplish magical effects far beyond what can be done with even potent
spells, equal to the labor of an entire team of people over an extended period,
effects that can have significant impact on the world, or push the very limits of
implausibility. Casting a ritual consists of 3 parts:
◆ Possess a source of magic with relevant touchstones.
◆ Anchor the ritual to the physical and metaphysical realms.
◆ Complete the ritual's rites to finalize its casting.
Source of magic can be a spellcasting talent or a scroll, potion, or other arcana.
It might also be something creative like asking or tricking a monster into helping.
Even a PC without magic ability can initiate a ritual as long as they have a source
of magic.
Anchors for a ritual are chosen by the GM and players together. They should feel
connected to the ritual's touchstones and intent, and match the intended impact of
the ritual. Two or three anchors, like those on the right, are best.
Rites are the act of casting the ritual, a challenge that must be overcome, made
far more difficult or even impossible if any of the anchors are missing.
Below are some example rituals and anchors.
◆ Possess a source of magic with relevant touchstones.
◆ Anchor the ritual to the physical and metaphysical realms.
◆ Complete the ritual's rites to finalize its casting.
▸ Binding Ritual: Nine chanters. A circle of perfectly round stones. A sacrificial
imp.
▸ Summoning Ritual: Phoenix feathers. A moonlit glade. The hour of the eclipse.
▸ Regeneration Ritual: Sacred water. The tears of a unicorn. A high priest's
blessing.
ANCHORS
Ancient Knowledge
Artifact or Relic
Auspicious Timing
Circle of Casters
Divine Guidance
Enchanted Location
Exotic Ingredients
Harness Energy
Item of Great Import
Sacred Dance
Sacrificial Offering
Sanctified Ground
Specific Helper
An enormous fire is raging across the countryside and your party seeks to stop it
with a Ritual of Torrential Rains. You realize the risks in getting the ritual
wrong, but you have no choice. First, you have to convince both a water elemental
and an air elemental (circle of casters) to help, then lead them high atop a
mountain overlooking the land (enchanted location). You gather everything and begin
the rites, but at the mountaintop the elementals begin to fight, complicating the
ritual (+1t). Just then, the tribe of the gnoll shaman who's been starting the
fires arrives to stop you.
A restless spirit is driving the village to madness, and you must banish it with
the Ritual of Opening the Veil. First, locate the cursed Tablet of Communion, a
major arcana that lets you communicate with the spirit. With its guidance, you
uncover the spirit’s grave and gather sanctified soil. At the witching hour, you
combine the anchors to perform the rites, but the cursed Tablet wrestles for
control, threatening to tear open the Veil—a new challenge, 8d | Maintain Control.
TREASURE
Treasure is the currency of an adventurer, useful in trade with the powerful
entities in the world to further your own aims. Your skills put you beyond worrying
about the expenses of daily life and adventuring gear.
You deal in treasures—minor, major, and mythic, anything from a stash of gold to a
rare artifact or magical item. While the treasure's label gives some indication of
its value and the table below shows what you might get for it in trade, a treasure
is only truly as valuable as what someone will give you for it.
Treasures are shared by the party, unless chosen otherwise. With each adventure,
it's assumed that you're gaining some coin to spend on your own. Treasures are the
things beyond that, valuable resources the party can leverage.
Hauling treasure isn't a problem unless the GM specifically makes it one. You can
also assume that when a PC needs one of the party's treasures, they happen to have
it on them if it makes sense. That is, unless the GM Complicates Things (pg. 33).
VALUE
TANGIBLES
INTANGIBLES
MAGIC
Minor
Gift, noble
Pet, exotic
Map, detailed
Service, highly skilled
Mercenaries, a few
Provide help, town
Arcana, minor
Casting, spell
Ritual, simple
Major
Gift, royal
Estate, spacious
Sailing ship, swift
Service, very risky
Mercenaries, a squad
Provide help, city
Arcana, major
Casting, potent spell
Ritual, moderate
Mythic
Gift, imperial
Keep, formidable
Sailing ship, mighty
Service, unique
Mercenaries, an army
Provide help, kingdom
Arcana, mythic
Ritual, complex
Soul, powerful
Finding Treasure: When you gain treasure, the GM can either specify what it is or
just give its tier and handwave it. If you want specifics on it later or it becomes
important to the story, figure it out then. It's the GM's job to match up treasure
and the nature of the adventure and campaign. When unsure about what exactly is
found, they can use a story roll or GM crucible to help.
Carousing: Any time you're in a settlement, you can carouse by selling off a minor
treasure, with each PC spending their leisure time as they like. Make a montage
roll and narrate—or suffer—the results. After the scenes finish up, everyone takes
spark regardless of the roll.
EXAMPLE TREASURES
Minor Treasures
Noble signet ring, found in the ruins of an ancient castle. Map to a hidden city,
discovered in a bandit's hideout. Bag of enchanted seeds, unearthed in a druid
grove.
Major Treasures
Beautiful coastal estate, a gift from the prince.
Living Crystal pendant, from a golem's shattered core. Starlit Compass, from the
wreckage of the Nightship.
Mythic Treasures
Phoenix Feather Cloak, pulled out of a volcanic lair. Dragonbane Sword, found on a
corpse in the dragon's lair. The royal treasury, carried right out of the vault
ARCANA
Arcana are rare artifacts of power, magic imbued in them through ritual or other
esoteric forces. They grant vantage, letting you do what's otherwise impossible, or
greatly enhance specific tasks by granting outside assistance, at a cost. Some
create strange, unique effects tied to their creator's intent. As always, it's the
GM's role to map fiction to rules for each arcana. Arcana have the same tiers as
treasure: minor, major, and mythic.
An arcana's name and description serve as its touchstones, while its tier reflects
the magnitude of magic bound to it. Unlike the rigid laws of magic governing PC
magic, guidelines for arcana are looser, typically following this pattern:
◆ Minor arcana have cantrip to spell-level effects.
◆ Major arcana have spell to potent spell-level effects.
◆ Mythic arcana have ritual-level effects.
DESIGNING ARCANA
Arcana are generally tools for the GM, crafted to fit the campaign. The GM Crucible
(pg. 29) is a great source of inspiration for designing them.
Arcana are what they are—they're truths within the fiction. They can do what their
description says. A shortcut to creating one works like this, though. Start with an
evocative name and a single touchstone word, then apply one or two Sorcery
techniques (pg. 72): attack—creation—defense— enhancement—hindrance—influence—
transformation—traversal. From that, you can build out the description. Or begin
with the description and work backwards towards defining the touchstones.
▸ Staff of Embers (fire, elementals, creation)
▸ Ring of Solitude (time, hindrance, traversal)
▸ Swiftblade (attack, multiple strikes)
An arcana's power level can be balanced by giving it requirements, like the
following:
◆ Minor arcana have cantrip to spell-level effects.
◆ Major arcana have spell to potent spell-level effects.
◆ Mythic arcana have ritual-level effects.
◆ Activation: Requires spending spark, pushingyourself, or another resource to
activate.
◆ Limited Usage: Has a resource or power pool, usually 4d. At 0d, it must be
recharged by
satisfying a specific anchor, like a ritual.
ARCANA RULINGS
Arcana are as flexible as spellcasting—if not more so—and demand just as much
creativity and GM rulings when used. Here are some examples:
Wands and similar: Bestow spellcasting ability on those wielding them. They have
limited usage, a power pool rolled to cast from them. They don't require training
to use.
Potions and similar: Potions have a magnitude one level higher than its tier. A
Minor Healing Potion can accomplish what a spell can (heal a mark). Major potions
are potent spell effects and Mythic potions are ritual-level effects.
Scrolls: Single-use arcana that match the tier of their effects, unlike other
consumables. Lacking vantage to cast spells means you take thorns casting from
them. Scrolls are also highly sought after for learning spells with the wizard's
Spellcraft talent (pg. 76).
Crafting Arcana: The act of binding magic to items requires a ritual and a source
of magic with the proper touchstones to make it. A ritual of creation generally
takes far longer, though is often less dangerous, than merely achieving the same
effect through a ritual.
Purchasing Arcana: Prices depend entirely on the seller's desires, usually
something other than coin. Finding one for sale is exceedingly rare, but you might
locate someone willing to craft it for you for the right price.
LIST OF ARCANA
In Chapter 7: Extras, you can find 12 pages of minor, major, and mythic arcana, as
well as a thorough random potion generator!
EXAMPLES OF PLAY
You tell the GM you want to punch the guy in the face, so he calls for a Brawn
roll. Confused, you rewind a bit and explain that you're sucker punching him, and
it's mostly just to get him to back down. Seeing the situation more clearly now,
the GM calls for Agility.
With an Agility of 2, you roll 2d and get 3, 5 :: messy. You're going to do it, but
the GM makes an impact move. That guy will be back with some friends. The GM starts
a 4d Hooligans timer.
This is why the how & why is important. Without it, the GM can't get the stat
right.
▸ On a grim here, X would have happened.
▸ On a messy, Y would have happened.
▸ On a perfect, you could have...
The fighter grabs the orc by the shirt and threatens him, but the orc's not
budging. The GM makes his impact move—the price for the horses just doubled, and
you all have nowhere near enough treasure.
You step up and try a softer approach, negotiating with Presence at +1t from the
price doubling. You roll 3d1t and get 4, 6, 6 - 7 :: critical! In spite of the
price, your critical ignores the cut. You get the horses for the cost of the
treasure and choose a secondary effect—you want to make sure this orc remains
friendly permanently. The GM okays it and you're now friends with the best horse
trader this side of the Ironback Mountains.
For the critical, you could have chosen something else.
▸ Greater effect would have gotten you the horses for a nominal price.
▸ Setup just doesn't make much sense in this situation, though if you were looking
to rob the orc later, it might apply.
You want to climb up this cliff to get away from the goblins shooting arrows at
you. The GM has you roll Agility and adds a thorn to represent the goblins. You
roll a 5 - 7 :: grim. Your messy gets cut by the 7 and turns into a grim. The GM
lets you know you're getting an arrow in your back and falling back down the wall,
ending up bloodied. You start gleefully narrating how horribly it goes.
You decide to make a second attempt. This time, you spend spark and now have
another thorn from being bloodied. You roll 2d2t and get 6, 3 - 7, 1 :: messy. The
messy means you did it, so the GM thinks on the consequences and makes you rattled.
That was one scary as hell climb. Once again, you get to narrating your near-
demise.
It's possible to roll again for the same thing, as long as the situation's changed.
If nothing has changed, it shouldn't need a roll in the first place.
One very important point is that messy is successful, it's just not pretty. Here
the GM faces a bit of a dilemma—you're being shot at with arrows. If you took
bloodied, you could have died. But you did make it to the top of the cliff. They
went with rattled due to how terrifying it was, but bloodied could have worked as
well. It's just that you would have been dropped at the top.
You call the guard over to distract him with chit-chat, rolling Presence and get 3,
6 :: perfect! This gives your rogue friend a chance to pick the lock. They spent a
story point to have found some wire they could finagle into a makeshift lockpick,
but using it on the lock is still +2t. They roll Agility, getting 3, 4, 2 - 7, 8 ::
disaster! The messy (4) is cut by the thorns twice (7, 8) from a messy to a grim,
then to a disaster. The lock opens, but the GM makes two impact moves here. The
guard runs over, kicks the door, bloodies the rogue, and slams it shut, locking it.
Without spending that story, the rogue wouldn't have even been able to pick the
lock. Had the guard been watching, the difficulty (+3t) would have also prevented
them from trying. These are the kinds of factors players and GMs must consider when
judging rolls, and how thorns can affect the outcomes.
At the end, the GM's second impact move comes from the disaster. In this case, the
GM could have even dropped the rogue.
You want to cast a healing spell to remove an arrow from the rogue. The wizard and
fighter assist. The GM decides you make the action roll, which ends up being a 2,
4, 1. The fighter rolls a 1 and the wizard a 6. The end result is 2, 4, 1, 1, 6 ::
perfect!
You start narrating. Your describe your healing spell going awry and things getting
real bloody. The rogue starts fighting it and the fighter says they can't quite
hold the squirrely rogue down. The wizard steps in with their enchantment magic and
soothes the rogue, letting you finish your work.
When you roll assists, all of the results are combined towards one outcome, but
each person rolls their own dice.
In this case, the healer is most important so they're leading the roll. If nobody
had medical knowledge, the leader might have been the fighter—holding down the
rogue now becomes vitally important.
Post roll, be sure to narrate together!
As the session winds to a close, the GM calls for a montage roll to escape the
collapsing dungeon. You're bloodied, so you have a thorn and roll 1, 1 :: 7,
disaster. The wizard in your group rolls 2, 2 :: grim. The fighter rolls a 4, 2 ::
messy! The best outcome is a messy, so the overall outcome is a messy. You manage
to get out, but the impact move leaves you each with Agility and Presence marked.
You collaborate on the narration.
You already have an Agility mark, so it goes to Brawn—that's marked, too, so it
goes to bloodied. Unfortunately, you were also bloodied so you're instead dropped.
You make a 2d roll and get a messy, completely knocked out.
The wizard describes getting everyone lost in the tunnels. You narrate collapsing
from your wounds, telling the group to leave you behind. The fighter refuses,
hoists you over their shoulder, and heads in a single direction—and somehow finds
their way to the surface!
Outside, the rogue stands waiting and cheekily asks what took you so long. They
were elsewhere and got a perfect on their montage.
After a long adventuring session is the perfect timing for a montage. Everyone has
grown a bit tired of that location and want to move on to bigger things.
Had the overall result here been a grim, it may have been a good idea to zoom in on
a tough scene as they get caught fleeing the dungeon. The GM could have inflicted
those marks, dropped your character even, then started the scene off.
This is a good look at how damage escalates. If Brawn wasn't marked, you could have
gotten away with just a mark even if you were already bloodied. Unfortunately, the
adventure had taken a toll and just that last small hit was the straw that broke
the camel's back.
A 2d roll on dropped is a good default. That last hit was from a mark, so unlikely
to have killed you. Even 3d would have been okay.
You're walking through the library at night when an assassin strikes from above.
This could be Wits to see it coming, but the GM thinks it's more of a physical
reaction, Agility. The GM makes it clear this is dire stakes—a grim means you're
dropped, maybe dead!
You take +1t since the assassin has the drop on you. You get 6, 1 - 8 :: messy! The
knife misses and you don't end up bloodied, but Brawn gets marked as the assassin
crashes into you, knocking the wind out of you. You're both sprawled out on the
ground, the knife now between you. What do you do?
The GM has a lot of flexibility in choosing the defense they want to test—and
testing the stats is the best way of thinking about what's happening. The player
has no choice in the stat, besides a soft veto on things that are very out of
character.
The GM could have made this Brawn if the assassin had tried to garrote them, or
Wits if they didn't want to assume the assassin went unspotted. Presence is pretty
hard to make sense of in this scenario, though.
You have a special pack of blessed incense you brought from your home temple. It's
a 4d resource pool. Each time you use it, it triggers a roll to see how much is
remaining. The first time you use it, you roll 4d and get 6, 2, 6, 4. The 2 result
drops the pool by 1, 4d→3d. The next time you use it, you roll 3d and get 4 5 5.
Nothing is dropped from the pool! While you did use it, the pool's an abstract
measurement of how much is remaining and doesn't change this time. The final time,
though, you roll 3d again and get 2 1 2, 3d→0d. The pool depletes and you're out of
incense!
This is a really straightforward example of how pools work. If you were working
against a task pool or trying to affect a timer with an action roll and it dropped
nothing, remember that you instead get a secondary effect instead.
You and the cleric, as honored prisoners, are hauled out to join the chieftain at
the head table. The GM has made it clear that the chieftain angers easily, so they
start a 4d Temper pool. You find a chance during the meal to try to persuade the
chieftain to let you go, but roll a grim. Annoyed with your badgering, they bash
the table and gesture for the guards to haul you back to your tent. This triggers
the Temper pool and the GM rolls 1, 3, 1, 6 :: 4d→1d. With just 1d left, the GM
makes sure to describe the chieftain being on the edge of losing it. The cleric
decides to keep their mouth shut.
Pools can be very swingy, which is by design. Here we see things almost instantly
move towards an incredibly tense situation. This is very cinematic.
You might also end up with a much longer leash than you imagined if the pool
doesn't drop much at all. Either way, it's clear that they had best tread lightly.
Even when not rolled, pools have a great passive effect on scenes like this.
You look to your desire for belonging and, feeling found at last, replace it with a
new one—honor. You introduce a tangle, deciding to stay on the bridge. "Go," you
tell your friends, turning to hold off the horde on the bridge while they escape.
While traits and desires don't give spark directly, they do give you vantage to add
tangles. When they change, you should also let your group see it play out.
The heir must survive as the battle turns into a rout. Just then, you introduce a
tangle—you spot your nemesis, Mortica, across the battlefield. By choosing the
tangle, you risk the mission to protect the heir, but your vengeance is more
important. You take spark.
The GM decides to make a 2d story roll and lets you know first what might happen.
On a perfect, you spot her first. On a grim, she spots you first. On a messy, you
both spot each other.
Here we see the player introducing story details via a tangle instead of using
story, which is completely fine.
On a perfect, you might also consider another tangle—to wait until Mortica sees her
to engage honorably. Mortica, however, would definitely blindside you with an
impact move on that grim.
Fleeing from a massive cave troll, you spend story and invoke your Dwarf of the
Deepmoot heritage's underground navigation wise. You say you spot a tight side
tunnel to lead the troll in to fight it. The GM decides the cave troll can't
maneuver well and +2t becomes +1t.
A cave troll is massively dangerous, +2t, but if it can't maneuver well, it's only
kind of dangerous. Story can definitely be used to gain mechanical advantage like
this.
You start the game with the character arcs Enjoy Life and Keep a Secret, which
makes sense since you're the runaway heir to the Orchard Kingdom. Your job is to
find ways to express these arcs through play, especially growth arcs like Enjoying
Life. The GM's job is to challenge them and offer opportunity, especially a crisis
arc like Keeping a Secret. It's clear that you don't want to live a life of
responsibility, but that life will come calling whether you like it or not.
The game will hum along just fine without story arcs. They're a player tool that
expands vantage and lets you push the story towards what you want to be doing. They
tell the GM, and other players, that you are interested in these themes.
If they fit your play style well, lean into them.
As you enter the small city, you remember your Settle Debts story arc and want to
explore it. You spend story and declare that the father you never knew is here and
you've carried this chip on your shoulder a long time—now's the time to confront
him.
Through play, you learn that your father has become a benevolent guild leader in
the city, looked up to by all. Not very interested in bringing down someone helpful
to the community, you bury the feelings and move on. You take spark for finishing
the arc.
Here, you don't use a tangle, instead opting to spend story. Tangles are always
bad, while story just makes things happen.
Arcs aren't prescriptive. They don't have any ending in mind. Whether you
accomplish it, end it through failing at it, or just give up on it, you take spark
as your character finds something new to drive them.
You want to spend story to add a detail about the guard dozing off to create a new
opportunity to sneak in, but the GM vetoes it—they established earlier that the
Toadking runs a very disciplined army. While not impossible to occur, it still
feels off.
Hunting for mechanical advantage with story is okay, but it's best used to enable
scenes you want to explore and bypass those you don't. Still, the Toadking says you
have to deal with the guards here.
Your party meets with the archmage, who reveals a dark secret about your past. The
GM targets your Presence to keep it together, adding a thorn—the secret is
especially damning. You roll 4, 1, 5 - 7 :: grim. You're overwhelmed by memories,
becoming rattled but choose to spend spark to take vex instead!
Now you have a choice. You could fight and attack the archmage in a rage, someone
your party sees as an ally. You could flight away from the group, back outside the
tower. You could freeze, dropping the potion you intended to give the archmage. You
could freakout, lashing out at your allies' shocked, judgemental stares.
Also, don't forget that you take +1t when you follow through due to the emotional
turmoil! Not all vex responses require an action roll, though.
The dragon roars! The party all roll Presence defense, getting grims. Everyone
takes vex, terrified! You choose flight and scurry away to hide. The fighter
decides to freakout, and runs to hide behind the wizard. The wizard freezes,
dropping her spellbook, which the fighter kicks away. The cleric grabs his
battlehammer and chooses to fight, charging towards certain doom.
Vex gives a chance to really double down on who your character is or go in the
exact opposite direction with something surprising. Either way, it's a big open
door to roleplaying.