This thread is intended for those without access to the rulebook learn the basic rules of the game.  The book provides more details, like a full list of arcane spells and details on the verious gods, but anything not provided in this thread can be instead provided on a case-by-case basis.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of the rules for yourself, you can do so here.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:13, Sun 14 May 2023.

Rolling Dice
Each character has five attributes: Agility (reflexes, speed, dexterity), Charisma (charm, deception, force of personality), Intellect (knowledge, willpower, spirit), Perception (alertness, aim, sharp senses), and Strength (physical might, endurance, stamina).  Each of these is rated between -3 and +3 at character creation; they can eventually go higher, but never lower.

Most of the die rolling you do will be as a chack, which is 1d20 plus your modifier in a single ability.  You may sometimes have additional bonuses or penalties, but this is rare.  You may also sometimes have Advantage (roll 2d20, keep higher) or Disadvantage (roll 2d20, keep lower).  How well you do depends on the roll:

• Natural 20: Critical Success.  You do it with extra effect.  If this was an attack roll, you score a critical hit.
• 16 or higher: Full Success.  You do it perfectly.  If this was an attack roll, you hit.
• 10-15: Partial Success.  You succeed, but with some drawback.  If this was an attack roll, you hit but suffer a mishap, such as being hit in return.
• 9 or less: Failure.  You don't succeed.  If this was an attack, you miss and suffer a a mishap.
• Natural 1: Critical failure.  Expect the worst.  If this was an attack, you miss and suffer a serious mishap.

When you roll a failure or critical failure, put an X in the "Failure" column next to that attribute on your character sheet.  This will be important when you return to town - it's worth XP and a chance to increase that attribute.

Sometimes, you may be able to roll a Skilled check.  This normally happens when you attempt something that's related to your background, (e.g., mixing a potion if your background is Alchemist).  In these cases, you treat a Failure result as a Partial Success, but still mark the Failure column.

Assisting: Up to two characters can assist a PC with an ability check. Each assistant provides a +1 bonus to the roll but is exposed to any risks or mishaps.

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Inventory Management
Every item you carry takes up an item slot.  You can't carry more items than you have available slots.

Some items are Heavy.  You can carry a maximum number of Heavy items equal to 1 plus your Strength (minimum 0).  For each item above this limit, you suffer a -1 penalty to Strength and Agility checks (maximum penalty -3).  In addition, some items are Very Heavy; these count as 2 Heavy items.

You have six Equipment slots, which represent items close at hand: a sheathed weapon, a shield slung across your back, etc.  You can access these items quickly and easily.

Containers allow you to carry additional items.  A bag holds 3 items and a backpack holds 6.  Both types of containers can hold Heavy items, but not Very Heavy items.  To access items in a container, you must Rummage for them, leaving yourself briefly open and vulnerable.

Pouches and pots hold very tiny items like coins and gems.  They take up an item slot.

A quiver can  hold up to 3 stacks of ammo, and a scroll case can hold up to 3 magical scrolls.  These don't require Rummaging.

You have a single Apparel slot, which contains everything you're wearing: armor, boots, a cloak, etc.  Unworn items take up another slot.

Tiny things like keys and slips of paper can be held in your pockets.  These don't take up a slot but  require Rummaging to retrieve.

Your pockets can hold up to 100 coins.  Any more than that has to be stored in an item slot.  A single slot can hold up to 500 coins, and counts as Heavy if holding more than 250.

Supply Dice: Some items, like ammunition, are expendable, and represented using a supply die (d4, d6, d8, d10, or d12).  When you buy such an item, either gain a d4 stack of it, or increase your existing stack by one die size.  When you use the stack (e.g., by firing ammunition from a ranged weapon), roll your supply die for it.  On a 1-2, the stack's supply die drops by one size, or is completely expended if the supply die was a d4.

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Other Rules
Weapon Range: Every weapon has one or more ranges at which it is best (Close, Near, Far, and/or Distant). Using a weapon outside its ideal range incurs Disadvantage, if you can use it at all.  (A sword cannot typically be used on a faraway enemy.)

Dual Wielding: If you are wielding two weapons at once, you can choose which one to use on a given attack.  All your attacks suffer Disadvantage unless at least one of the weapons has the Off-hand property.

Armor: Wearing armor provides you with an Armor Rating (AR).  This value is subtracted from the damage you take from an attack.  Holding a shield gives you +1 AR.  You can also try to roll to block threats with your shield.

Death Checks: If you drop to 0 HP, roll a d20.  You can't go below 0 HP, but for each point of damage you would have taken beyond that, take a -1 penalty to the roll.

• Natural 20: You're fine. You're not even unconscious, though taking more damage will necessitate another Death Check.
• 16 or higher: You're unconscious.
• 10-15: You're unconscious and wounded.
• 6-9: You're unconscious, wounded, and dying.
• 5 or less: You're dead.  RIP.
• Natural 1: You're dead, but somehow it's even worse than that.  I'll tell you how.

Restoring HP: You can restore your HP by resting.  Sleeping one watch (half a night) restores 1d4 HP, while sleeping two watches (a full night) restores 2d4.  If you're sleeping in safe lodging, such as in an inn or at home, double the number of dice.  During downtime (between adventures), you reover all your HP unless you're wounded.  You can take the Recuperate downtime action to remove that condition, in which case you regain all HP, as normal.

There are six watches in a day - dawn, morning, afternoon, evening, dusk, and night - and each is about 4 hours long.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:07, Thu 20 July 2023.

A hero can be afflicted with any of the following common conditions:

Blinded: You can't see. Fail all ability checks that require vision, or the GM may apply a penalty.

Clumsy: Gain a penalty equal to the AR of the clumsy armor on Agility and arcane spellcasting checks.

Dead: You have perished! Don't worry, it's part of the game. Mourn the loss, celebrate the glorious demise, roll a new character, and sally forth again!

Deafened: You can't hear. Fail all ability checks that require hearing, or penalty to the roll.

Diseased: You are suffering from a sickness or disease. Penalty to ability checks. May worsen and cause additional conditions.

Dying: You're dying and will soon perish without help. Make a death check every turn until you remove this condition with medical aid, a lucky critical success, or healing magic. Suffer a -1 penalty for each consecutive check. If someone spends a turn bandaging you up, they can make an Intellect check to attempt to remove this condition.

Encumbered: You're carrying too many heavy items. Penalty to Strength and Agility checks equal to the number of extra heavy items, maximum 3. Dropping excess items removes this condition.

Exhausted: You're totally sapped of energy. -2 penalty to Strength and Agility checks. Sleeping or resting at least one watch removes this condition.

Hungry: After a day with no food, you are hungry. Start a tally of days without food if this continues. Remove this condition by eating food.

Panicked: You're stricken with fear and can't do anything other than panic, flee, or hide without pushing yourself. Penalty to Charisma, Intellect, and Perception checks.

Poisoned: You are suffering from poison or venom. Penalty to ability checks. May worsen and cause additional conditions.

Sleep Deprived: You've failed to get sufficient sleep. -2 to all checks. Sleeping at least one watch removes this condition but you're sleepy. Sleeping two watches removes it completely.

Sleepy: You've only gotten 4 hours of sleep in the past day. If another day passes without getting a full two watches of sleep, you become Sleep Deprived.

Starving: After a week of no food, you're starving. -3 to all checks. You die after three weeks with no food. Remove with three days of consistent food.

Stranded: You've been lost or left behind in the wilderness. This PC cannot adventure again until the Rescue downtime action is performed.

Stunned: You're confused and dazed. Penalty to Intellect checks.

Thirsty: After a day with no water, you are thirsty and dehydrated. Start a tally of days without water. Penalty to all checks equal to the tally. You die after three days without water. Removed with an ample amount of water to drink.

Unconscious: Sleeping or knocked-out; prone, vulnerable, and unaware. Can't act or react at all.

Unsteady: You have lost feeling or balance, are dizzy, or can't stop shaking. Penalty to Agility checks.

Upset: You're socially or emotionally upset. Penalty to Charisma checks.

Winded: You're out of breath. -1 penalty to Strength and Agility checks. Take a break and catch your breath to remove this condition.

Wounded: You're mortally wounded. You can't recover any HP until you use the Recuperate downtime action to remove this condition.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:20, Sun 04 June 2023.

At some point you're going to need to spend your money.  Here's a list of items, weapons and armor available.





If you're heaving trouble reading these images, you can click on them for full-size versions.

At the end of each adventure, upon returning to town, you gain experience.  For each of the following achievements you accomplished, gain 1 XP:

• Rolled a Critical Success.
• Rolled a Critical Failure.
• Revealed something interesting about your character or their past.
• Explored a new significant location.
• Discovered significant information.
• Met a new ally, contact, or rival.
• Survived a harrowing encounter.
• Defeated a dangerous enemy.
• Recovered valuable a treasure.
• Solved a challenge, puzzle, or mystery.
• Completed a quest or mission.
• Acquired, created, or upgraded an army, stronghold, or establishment.

The first two questions, as well as the last, should be obvious.  For the rest, I'll go through them and answer them individually.  If any of you feel you earned a "yes" that I overlooked, you are welcome to make a case for it.

In addition, for each ability score in which you marked failure, gain 1 XP, then roll a d6.  On a 1, the ability is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of -3).  If your roll is 2 or higher and exceeds your current score (which will always be the case until the score reaches +2), increase the score by 1.

Finally, check to see whether you've earned enough XP to gain a level.


When you gain a level, do the following:

• Increase your max HP by 1.
• Assign a rank to one class, or to your kin if you are a dwarf, elf, or halfling.

When you assign a rank to a class, note it on your sheet and choose one of its talents to gain.  There is no restriction on, or penalty for, multiclassing.  You may take whatever talents you like (apart from other kins' talents); they are sorted by class primarily (though not entirely) to keep them ordered by theme.  You may choose from the following classes.

Assassin
Barbarian
Bard
Beast Master
Cavalier
Cleric (Having any ranks in cleric allows you to cast holy magic, regardless of your talents.)
Delver
Druid
Fighter
Ranger
Thief
Wizard (Having any ranks in wizard makes it easier to cast arcane spells, regardless of your talents.)
Kin: As stated above, if you are of the correct kin, you can take talents for a Dwarf, Elf, or Halfling.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 12:51, Thu 06 July 2023.

Anyone can cast arcane spells (or try).  This post covers the basics.

• To cast a spell, you need to read it off of a scroll.  This means you need to be holding the scroll in one of your hands and be able to see it clearly enough to read.  Unlike in some other games, casting a spell does not consume the scroll.
• To actually cast the spell, you need to spend a few moments chanting, gesturing, and concentrating.  You must also make an Intelligence check.  If you're wearing Clumsy armor, you incur a penalty to the check equal to the armor's AR.  If you don't have ranks in Wizard, you critically fail this check on a natural 2 as well as a 1.  Other characters can assist the check, as normal, but if any of them lack ranks in Wizard, the check critically fails on a natural 3 or less.
• If you critically fail casting a spell, the GM will roll on the Arcane Corruption table.  Beware, for magic is dangerous.
• Unless otherwise noted, spells last for 10 minutes and target creatures, objects, or areas within your sight.
• A spell can be cast as a ritual for greater effect.  This takes a full turn and requires 1 gp worth of materials.  Depending on the effect you're trying to produce, you may also need to cast the spell in a place of unusual magical power.

Spells Discovered so Far
Illusion: A realistic but slightly uncanny illusory image is rendered nearby. It can be up to the size of a house or as small as a mouse. You control its form, behavior, and movement but it makes no sound.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 00:54, Wed 12 July 2023.

At the start of each adventure, pick one of your characters, or create a new one.  The character you choose (or create) will take part in the next adventure; the rest will do their own thing.  If you choose an existing character, you get Downtime, during which you perform one of the following activities.  Some talents let you perform an extra Downtime activity.

• Carouse: Spend time partying and socializing to make new contacts, gain information, improve your reputation, relax, etc. Choose to carouse with either lower class, middle class, or upper class folks, and spend 100cp, 1000cp, or 10,000cp, respectively. Make a carousing check; +1 for each additional payment you spend to impress the crowd, up to +3. The GM will say what happens.
• Craft: If skilled in a craft, you can attempt to create an appropriate item for 1/2 its normal cost in materials. Make a check for your craft, and the GM will say the results.
• Crime: Spend downtime doing illicit activities in hopes of a quick score. Make a check per the GM, who will say what happens. Crime pays with good results, but bad results might land an adventurer in jail!
• Gamble: Try your luck in the gambling dens in hopes of windfall. Bet at least 10cp and roll 2d6. The GM will say if you win, lose, or worse.
• Govern: Spend time building, maintaining, or operating a stronghold, army, domain, or establishment.
• Joust: If you have a mount and plate armor, you can enter a jousting competition. Make a Strength check. If successful, you'll earn a tidy sum of coin.
• Pit Fight: Enter the ring and test your might against other combatants in non-lethal combat. Make a Strength check. Successful pit fighters make good prize money.
• Recuperate: If you are wounded or have another serious condition requiring bed rest to relieve, you can spend downtime recuperating to heal. The GM will say what is removed, and if any checks are needed for recuperation.
• Religious Service: Perform religious rites, services, and sacrifices to gain favor with a temple, deity, demon, spirit, etc.
• Rescue: If an adventurer becomes stranded, use this action to get them back home.
• Research: Spend downtime to gather information about a subject. You must have access to a place of study. Make an Intellect check and the GM will say what is learned, if anything.
• Special Project: If you have something special in mind, tell the GM. There may be a check involved depending on the activity. Use this downtime for activities that don't fit the other categories.
• Trade: Spend time and effort finding a buyer or someone who can sell you something special. The GM will call for a check and say the result.
• Training: Spend downtime to traing, allowing you to make an ability change check on one of your choice.
• Work: Perform basic labor to make some quick coin. Earn 2d4x5cp. If you have a professional background, earn 2d4x10cp instead.