Cartomancy } { ] [

By Vincent van der Zwaag

IndexIntroductions 1Basics of Play 2 The Deck 2 Cards 3Actions 4 Edged 5 Jokers 5 Concentration 5 Advantage & Disadvantage 5Combat 6 One Turn 6 Damage 7 Statuses 7 Aftermath 7The Worlds 8 Teleportation Circles 8 Anti Magic 8 Other Realms 8Characters 9 Experience Points 10 Life and Death 11Character Creation 13Cultures 14 Imperial Humans 15 Wildling Humans 16 Mountain Dwarves 17 Grey Dwarves 18 High Elves 19 Wood Elves 20 Halflings 21 Half-orcs 22

Classes 23 Druid 24 Mage 27 Monk 31 Priest 34 Ranger 37 Rogue 41 Warlock 45 Warrior 49Traits 52Gear 54 Attire 54 Shields 55 Weapons 55 Tools 56 Potions & Scrolls 56 Gold 58 Magical Gear 58Adversaries 59 Critical 60 Abilities 61 Beast Archetypes 64 Construct Archetypes 68 Demon Archetypes 70 Dragon Archetypes 73 Elemental Archetypes 75 Humanoid Archetypes 76 Spirit Archetypes 80 Undead Archetypes 82 Custom Adversaries 83Appendix 88

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Introductions

A fantasy world shapes around the players, and plagues them with hindrances and obstacles. Will they rise to the occasion, or will they fall like so many before them. It is all in the luck of the draw; the fortune of the cards; their cartomancy.

Cartomancy is a role-playing card game (RPcG) system in which players use a normal deck of playing cards to represent their character and the actions they undertake. Each player has his own deck, and the card that are included in the deck determine that player’s capabilities and strengths. With these mechanics they venture through a fantasy realm ripe with challenges and adventure.

SheetsIn order to play this game, each player must have a character sheet printed out in front of him/her. These sheets can be downloaded from vincentgames.com/cartomancy.

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Basics of Play

The game is divided into sessions. Multiple sessions make up a single Adventure. All Adventures combined are known as the Campaign. The world described in this ruleset is a fantasy world that can be molded into any type of game you desire.

It is up to the Game Master (GM) to create the fantasy world and the stories that exist within it. It helps to create a map and an outlining of the history. Set a strong goal for the campaign, and have the heroes start at a single location. Within the campaign will be multiple adventures, each leading the party of heroes through a new story arc. Each of these adventures might take multiple sessions to complete. To play a single session, each player must have a deck of playing cards, and the GM must have 2 six-sided dice.

When in DoubtCertain game mechanics or abilities might seem to overlap one another, or even contradict. When in doubt, apply the rules that make the most sense in the current narrative. However, the GM always has the final decision. Sometimes values must be halved, these values are always rounded down (i.e. half of 5 is 2).

The DeckEach player starts with a deck of cards consisting of the Ace (worth 1), 2, 3, and 4 of each suit, as well as 2 Jokers. This deck of cards will expand just as the PC will grow in skill. The cards that belong in the player’s deck are listed on that player’s character sheet. New cards can be added by spending experience points (EXP).

Depending on the chosen class, the Jack, Queen, and King cards have special abilities. The value of a face card starts at 5 when added to the deck, but may be increased by spending EXP. However, the value of any face card may never be higher than the value of the highest number-card of that suit in the player’s deck. For example, the K} may only be upgraded to be worth 6 if the 6} is already in the deck.

Cards are drawn from the deck into the player’s hand. Each player has a draw-limit (starts at 4, can be upgraded to 5 and 6), which determines the amount of cards the player may have in his hand when filling it up. A player may have more than his draw-limit in his hand, but may then not draw cards as usual. If the deck runs out, the player reshuffles the discard pile to form a new deck.

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CardsEach player will have his own deck of cards that he will use throughout the game. The cards that go into the deck describe what the PC is capable of and what he excels at.

There are 4 different suits of cards, the two black suits (} and ]) pertain to the physical attributes of the PC, the two red suits ({ and [) describe the mental attributes.

The } and { suits are considered open and direct - other characters can see the PC using them - whilst the ] and [ suits are hidden and silent.

}ForceThis suit describes all the strong physical actions the PC performs. These can be tests of pure strength like lifting a heavy rock or jumping a great distance, they can be tests of endurance when swimming or climbing, and they can also be tests of constitution when trying to resists a poison for instance.

{SpiritThis suit indicates the character of the PC. It deals with charismatic conversations, inspiring speeches, animal handling, tests of bravery and willpower, as well as when performing for an audience.

]AgilityThis suit handles all precise physical actions. It applies to precision tests when aiming, when testing reflexes or balance, when trying to stealth or remain silent, and when performing dexterous actions like picking a lock, disarming a trap, or picking someone’s pockets.

[WisdomThis suit houses all the different types of information the PC might acquire. It pertains to crafting skills, the understanding of the unknowns and foreign, knowledge and experience with any and all subjects, and the testing of any senses - like searching or investigating - and general awareness.

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Actions

Small and simple actions that are performed by the PC do not require cards to be played. However, the more intense undertakings require the player to make an action and play cards from his hand - as indicated by the game master (GM). In short, when performing an action, do the following:

1 Set TN.2 GM chooses a suit.3 PC chooses a suit (if able)4 Play cards, until choosing to stop or

playing a card of a non-chosen suit.5 Add Edges.6 Succeed of fail the action.7 Draw back up to draw-limit.

When this happens, the GM determines the target number (TN) of the action. The TN is not shared with the PCs, and it determines the value that must be collected as a total of all the cards played by the player performing the action. If no specific values are available, the TN is based on the roll of 2 dice - thus averaging at 7, and ranging from 2 to 12. One of these dice can be replaced by a static value when dealing with another character. Some magical obstacles and creatures will have a TN ranging up to 24.

Next, the GM chooses one of the four suits that may be used for the action. This suit will be the most obvious tested attributes of the PC. Afterwards, the PC may choose a second suit that may be used for the action. In some cases, the scenario only allows for a single suit, in which case no second suit is chosen - the chosen suits must always fit the narrative. The player will be limited to player cards out of the chosen suits for the action. However, the player may still add 1 cards from a suit that was not chosen, but only if this makes sense in the narrative, and he may not play any more cards afterwards.

To perform the action, the player plays all the cards he wants to use in a single move. Each card is placed in front of the player, forming a line from left-to-right. The total value of the action is equal to the total value of all the cards in that line. Face cards are special because they have abilities linked to them. However, this ability does not have to be used, and the player may play such a card simply for its value. When doing playing cards openly, the player may add Edges. Once satisfied with the cards that were played, the player ends his action, and the GM tells (through narrative) if he succeeded or not. The action either passes or fails based on whether the player matches/surpasses the

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TN or not. Lastly, the player draws cards from his deck, until his hand equal his draw-limit.

EdgesIn order to add an Edge to the action, the player - when done playing cards - adds an additional card to the row of played cards as normal, but face down. It does not matter what card is used. The player may add up to 3 Edges, adding 1 face down cards for each. Each Edge increases the quality of the success. Note that Edges only take effect when the TN was met. Some items also have a unique Edge effect that can be triggered by adding an Edge (i.e. increase damage dealt).

JokersJokers represent the PC’s failures, and is worth 0. As long as it remains on the player’s hand, he will have less options to work with. Jokers are unique in the fact that they cannot be used as Edges, and that they cannot enter the Damage pile or Exhaust pile. To get rid of a Joker in hand, the player must add it to an action. Whenever a Joker is played, it is instead instantly given to the GM. The GM keeps the Jokers given to him, and uses them to trigger obstacles and other hindrances to the players, at a time of his choosing. When used in this matter, the joker is added to the player’s discard pile.

ConcentrationIt is assumed that the PCs are able to multitask to some degree. However, some abilities and action specifically require concentration (as listed in the description of the ability). A character can only ever concentrate on a single task, and starting a new task that also requires concentration will halt the effects of the previous task. If a character that is concentrating takes more damage than there are cards in his hand, concentration is automatically lost.

Advantage & DisadvantageCertain factors will influence the success rate of a PC’s actions. Looking for something in the dark will hinder the PC, whilst trying to find something the PC is very familiar with will be beneficial. Likewise, shooting an arrow against a strong wind is detrimental, whilst trying to push an object downhill will be easier. These advantages and disadvantages are determined by the GM.

When having an advantage on an action, the GM will roll each die twice, and keep the lowest result. When having disadvantage on an action, the GM will roll each die twice, and keep the highest result.

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Combat

When combat starts, initiative must be determined. A player does this by looking at the bottom card of his deck. The value of that card determines his initiative. For all other characters (the ones controlled by the GM), the GM rolls a die. The enemies are grouped by type, and thus share initiative. Once determined, the character with the highest initiative starts, and other characters take turns based on the order. The order is kept track off by the GM.

One TurnWhen it is a player’s turn, he may move and perform a single action - which may be performed in any order (even using part of the movement, performing an action, and continuing moving). A single turn represents about 5 seconds of time.

A PC is considered to be able to move about 10 yards each turn. However, this amount can be altered based on the PC’s circumstances; if he is knocked prone or otherwise not on his feet, it will take half his movement to get back up; or if he is adjacent to any enemies that are actively trying to harm him, it will take half the PC’s movement to step away from those enemies.

The action will most likely be an attack, but can be a great many different things (not all of which require cards to be played). The TN for an attack is based on the target character’s Defence rating and the roll of a die (as determined by the GM). If the action passes, damage is dealt. If the double the value of the TN is met, the PC deals critical damage; doubling all damage dealt.

When it is a non-player character’s (NPC) turn to act, he too may move and perform one action, as determined by the GM. When attacking, the targeted PC may play cards to add to his Defence rating. The cards played in this manner are not played as an action, and therefore the player may not draw new cards afterwards. The NPC’s combat rating is added to a die roll, and compared to the PC’s Defence (possibly increased with cards). If the NPC’s rating is highest, the PC takes damage.

So in short, what you may do during your turn (in any order):

1 Move.2 Take an action.

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DamageWhen a PC takes damage, the player takes cards from his deck and places them in his Damage pile. Whenever the player must do this, but is not able to, because there are no cards in his deck or discard pile, that PC goes unconcious. At the start of each of that player’s turns, he discards one card from his hand into the Damage pile. When not able to do this, the PC dies.

When an NPC takes damage, his Health is lowered. When the Health is reduced to 0, the NPC dies - unless the last hit was meant to only knock the target unconscious.

There are other sources of harm, both during and outside of combat, that can damage creatures. For instance, a creature can fall from a height twice his own length, and for every measurement of height equal to his own length beyond that, he will take 2 unpreventable damage. Fire causes 1 damage for every round a creature is in it, and stronger heats like lava deal 5 damage per round. Lastly, drowning or other forms of suffocation deal 2 damage per round.

StatusesCertain effects will knock characters to the ground. This is known as going prone. If a character prone, it takes half his movement to get back up, and all attacks against it have an advantage.

Fear can also take over a character’s mind. When fearful of something, the PC may not choose to move any closer, and any actions involving the target of its fear, or any actions in the presence of it, have a disadvantage.

Paralyzed PCs are unable to move, speak, or act in any way. They have no defence, and attacks against it automatically succeed as critical hits.

Sleep can also be forced upon a PC. This special type of sleep does not have the PC regain any exhausted cards. The PC remains sleeping until he is woken by another PC or any sort of loud noise or rough physical contact.

AftermathAfter combat, if the PCs are able, they may take a quick 10-minute rest to catch their breath. This allows them to shuffle discard pile into their deck. This is a free action, that does not create any exhaustion.

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The Worlds

The fantasy world in which this game takes place is up to your imagination. The GM will shape the majority of cultures and landscapes, but there are some tools that would make sense within the narrative as well have a nice link towards the player’s abilities.

Teleportation CirclesThroughout the world, each major settlement is expected to have a teleportation circle. These are used by mages to travel quickly between cities. They take a very long time to make, but once finished, a mage could spend an hour or so studying it and use a teleportation spell to instantly transport himself to that location - regardless of where he is in the world.

Anti MagicThere are certain naturally occurring materials in the world that negate any form of magic. These materials can be harvested or mined, and can be used in any building or structure. This means that there will be placed in the world were magic simply cannot be performed. Any magical effect entering such a location will dissipate, and no new magical abilities can be initiated.

Other RealmsBeyond the normal world, lie other dimensions - some known, other unknown. Two of these are well known. The Abyss is a realm of fire and and torment, and it is where the Demons come from. The Ethereal Dream is a realm of sunshine and nature, and it is where the Spirit come from. There are many other planes, some nearly resembling the normal world, known as the Inner Realms, and some that are alien and unfathomable, known as the Outer Realms.

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Characters

The character each player will embody throughout the game, and within the game word - also known as the player character (PC) - is defined in the game by a collection of traits and abilities. These describe, his physical, spiritual, and mental attributes, and the extent of his knowledge and capabilities as an adventurer. Depending on the chosen class of the PC, the character sheet will look slightly different. Each player should have his character sheet printed out and in front of him during play. Each player should also have his own deck of standard playing cards.

Class This lists the class of the PC. Since each class has its own character sheet, it is important that the player starts out with the correct sheet.

Character Info Here the player lists his PC’s name, culture, age, spoken languages, and traits.

Abilities Divided into class-specific abilities and culture-specific abilities, the players is able to unlock these in order to be a more capable adventurer. The empty lines are meant for the cultural ability that is chosen during character creation.

Gear Whatever the PC carries on him to use in his adventures is listed here. It has space for the PC’s weapons, arrire, shield, tools, and his gold amount.

Defence The PC’s gear might give a bonus to defending against attacks. The total bonus is listed here.

Draw-limit After each action, the player may draw cards to fill up his hand. The amount of cards that may be be in hand after drawing is listed here. Generally more PCs starts with a draw-limit of 4, but this can increase throughout the game.

Experience Throughout the game, players will gain experience points to show their growth. These points are spent on advancing abilities. Listed here are both the current value and the total amount of experience points ever collected.

Card Abilities Classes are mostly defined by the abilities that are linked to their face cards. Each class has a single suit in which they are best, but all suits have unique abilities linked to their face cards.

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Card Piles These four spaces are meant for cards to be placed on, in piles. Cards start of in the deck (top-left), and are drawn into hand from there. When player, they go into the discard pile (top-right). When becoming exhausted, cards are added to the exhaust pile (bottom-left). Lastly, when taking damage, cards are placed on the damage pile (bottom-right). The discard pile, exhaust pile, and damage pile have their cards placed face-up, whilst the player’s deck always remains face-down. When a player is tolled to “look at” at card from his deck, it means he draws the cards from his deck, but then also places it back in the same order.

Experience PointsThroughout the game PCs will earn experience points (EXP), which can be used to increase their capabilities. On the character sheet are a lot of abilities, each of which must be ‘unlocked’ in order to be used. They all have a circle in front of their name. If this circle is blank ( ), it means the ability is not yet unlocked. If the circle is filled in ( ), it means the ability is unlocked and available for use. To fill in a single circle, 1EXP must be spend. Some abilities show multiple circle adjacent to each other ( ), which means each circle must be filed in before the ability is unlocked - the ability only becomes available if all the circles in front of it are filled in.

Some abilities also have improvements, listed at the bottom of that ability. These can also be unlocked by spend EXP. However, an improvement of any ability may only be unlocked , if that ability is unlocked as well. Abilities with these improvements often have the basic value already listed and unlocked (the circle is filled in), which does not mean the entire ability is unlocked.

For the card abilities, there are more limitations. Shown directly under the titles of each suit of cards, are the numbers 5 til 10 - each with its own circle. Each stands for the card of that suit, for example the 5 underneath }Force stands for the 5}. When spending EXP to unlock these fields, the player adds the new card to his deck. The more cards a player has in his deck, the stronger he is, and the longer he will be able to adventure before resting. When unlocking these number cards, the player can only spend EXP on the leftmost locked value (i.e. the 6} cannot be unlocked before the 5} is in the deck).

Below these numbered cards are the face cards. Each PC starts out with all Aces, which will all be worth only 1. They can spend 2EXP to unlock a new value for an Ace, increasing it from 1 to 11. Depending on the class, one suit will have both the Jack, Queen, and King available, whereas the other suits wil have only the Queen and King. Each face card also has a row of numbers listed beneath it, ranging from 5 to 10. These directly indicate the value of that face card - the highest unlocked number is the value of that card.

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Similar to unlocking number cards, the player may only spend EXP on the leftmost locked value (i.e. the K{ may only be upgraded to a worth of 10, is it already worth 9). However, there is another limitation, any face card may never be worth more than the highest number card of the same suit (i.e. the K{ may only be upgraded to a worth of 10, if the 10{ is in the player’s deck).

Spending EXP can only be done whilst in a safe haven, and is normally done only between sessions of play. There should be a narratively satisfying reason for the character to learn something new, or grow in its capabilities.

On average a PC will receive 2-5 EXP per session. The GM should reward 2EXP for completing a small story arch, an additional 2EXP if the players managed to successfully deal with any antagonist/major challenge, and an additional 1EXP to any player that performed an amazing feat of any kind.

Life and DeathFor heroes adventuring into the unknown, harm and injury have grievous consequences, and even a survivable wound can keep a hero out of action for a long time. There are five different places the player’s cards may end up, each representing a different aspect of the PC.

The deck of cards shows the physical energy, morale, and mental aptitude of the PC - his readiness for action. The discard pile indicates

past actions and ideas. The cards in hand show what’s on the PC’s mind, and determine his mood and behaviour. The damage pile shows how badly wounded the PC is, and hinders him in all aspects. The exhaust pile indicates how weary and tired the PC is from his adventures, and his eagerness for a good rest.

ExhaustionOver the course of the story, PCs will slowly get exhausted. Whenever a player has 0 cards in his deck, he must shuffle his discard pile to form a new deck. When this happens, the PC also becomes exhausted. This is represented by taking one card from the newly shuffled deck and placing it on the exhaust pile. Cards in this pile cannot be drawn or used, and can only be regained when resting.

UnconsciousThroughout play, PCs will lose cards to both the damage pile and exhaust pile. If at any point in time the player’s deck is empty as well as his discard pile, his PC falls unconscious. Whilst unconscious, the PC cannot act or communicate in any way, and the player may not play any cards from his hand. As soon as an unconscious PC gains any cards into his deck, he regains consciousness.

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DyingWhenever the PC takes damage whilst unconscious, he discards cards from his hand. If his hand is every empty, that PC dies. Outside of combat, the player must remove 1 card from his hand for every hour he is not resting (i.e. being transported, kept in an unsafe place).

RecoveringThe players may choose to rest whenever they have an 8 hours period of relative quietness in a safe place. During this period they eat and sleep, and perform relaxing tasks. As a reward, they shuffle all the cards in their hand, their discard pile, their exhaust pile, and any cards still in the deck, and form a new deck. Then, they draw cards up to their draw-limit, and take half the cards from their Damage pile and place it into their exhaust pile.

Alternatively, when spending over 30 minutes being idle, any player may shuffle his hand into his deck, and draw cards up to his draw-limit. This does not allow for any recovering, but does renew the player’s hand.

RetiringMost heroes do not become old. Some, however, can choose to end their adventuring careers early, and enjoy the remainder of their days in peace. In game terms, the player lets go of his PC and creates a new one. By choosing to retire, the hero ensures he has the chance to pass along as much of his experience as he can to whoever is going to take his place. If the heroes dies, he will not be able to do so. The exception to this rule is a heroic death - if the hero dies a proper heroic death, the GM should reward the player by treating it as if the hero retired willingly.

The new PC will start with a bonus amount of EXP at the start of the character creation process. For every 5 EXP the retiring character had, the new PC starts with 1 additional EXP at character creation.

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Character Creation

In order to create your very own playable character (PC), simply follow the following steps.

1 ClassThe most determining choice a player will make in shaping his character, is that character’s class. It is advised to first choose the class, and take the corresponding character sheet.

2 CultureThe player can continue by choosing the culture his character belongs/belonged to. There are eight cultures to choose from, each with its own style and cultural aspects. When having chosen the culture, the player copied it onto the character sheet, along with the spoken languages. He choses a reasonable age for his character, and from the list of traits, the player may choose one to apply to his character. Lastly, one of the cultural abilities is chosen and copied onto the sheet.

3 Class SpecificsThen the player comes back to his class, to make some final choices. There are also class specific traits, and the player chooses one of those as well, to add to his character sheet. Each class has specific gear it starts with, and the player chooses which to take - copying the information down on his sheet.

4 BackgroundAt any time during this process, the player can choose a fitting name and create a background story for his hero. To represent the PC’s past experiences, all players receive 6 EXP to instantly spend on advancing their characters. Any EXP not spend at this point, will be lost.

5 DeckLastly, the player takes a deck of playing cards and removes the cards he hasn’t unlocked yet, to form his own personal player deck.

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Cultures

The cultures described below are a collection of standards held in most fantasy worlds. They each describe an archetype of race, standard of living, and attitude towards the outside world. It is easy to workshop these cultures into specific ones that suite the world you are playing in, for instance you could start by giving them a name.

Each culture has a name, a list of languages they generally speak, the age at which the average member dies of old age, traits that are common amongst the culture, and a culture-specific ability.

Culture Description PageImperial Humans Humans found in settlement and port cities all across the world. 15Wildling Humans Living in the wilderness, surviving through hunting and gathering. 16Mountain Dwarves Hailing from massive stone cities high on top the mountains. 17Grey Dwarves Born and raised within the endless tunnel

systems below the earth.18

High Elves The perfect society of peace, knowledge, and order. 19Wood Elves Hidden within the deep of the forests, and truly one with nature. 20Halflings Found all around the world, in both major cities and the wild. 21Half-orcs Either part of a secluded tribe, or wandering

the many cities of the world.22

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Imperial HumansThe imperial humans are those that have founded the great cities of the world. Build on labour and trade, they hail from settlements packed with all sorts of folk. They generally have a strong sense of lineage and duty, but can also have a sharp eye for making some gold.

LanguagesCommon.

AgeUp to 80 years.

TraitsBoating, Charming, Clever, Divinity-lore, Folk-lore, Horsemanship, Lordly, Magic-lore, Minstrelsy, Thievery, Trading, Trustworthy.

AbilityBirthright: There is no gold cost for small services in your hometown. You may avoid dying by losing this ability.

You come from a noble house, that is well respected by those that know of it. Within the settlement you hail from, folks will ignore any small gold amounts you might owe them. However, if you ever get dealt a killing blow, you might just find yourself trading in all this luxury for a meager living - but living nonetheless. When this happens, you may choose one of the following two options:

you die and a new character you create inherits what you left him and freely gains this ability, or you miraculously survive but lose all your gold, as well as this ability, and you are presumed dead by your people.

Courageous: While fighting a fearful creature, gain +2 to all actions.

Fear plays no part in adventures, and getting more accustomed to encountering the horrific monster of the world has left you with a strong backbone. When average adventurer would run and hide, you stand up tall. The bonus applies to all actions that are directly related to a creature that is able to cause fear (either through an ability or spell), whilst in that creature’s presence. This is regardless of whether or not you are actually afraid of the creature.

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Wildling HumansThe humans that stay away from settlements, and prefer to live freely, are best known for their survivability in the wild. They give nothing about titles or ranks, and focus on the community as a whole.

LanguagesCommon.

AgeUp to 70 years.

TraitsBoating, Creature-lore, Folk-lore, Herb-lore, Keen-eyed, Leechcraft, Quick of Hearing, Storytelling, Terrain-lore, Tracking, Trustworthy, Wary.

AbilityPerseverance: When taking damage, take the first 2 cards from the top of the discard pile.

Life in the wilderness has left you with a tough skin, and taking damage has a less-negative effect on your capabilities. This means you will get exhausted less quickly, and be able to remain versatile even during combat. This ability applies when taking damage from any source, and though it doesn’t lower the damage taken, it does allow you to take the first 2 damage cards from the discard pile instead of your deck.

Hunter: You can thrown up to long range.

During the hunt, the hardest part is getting close to the beast, so being able to throw your spear at it from a great distance is a big advantage. You are able to use throwing weapons to a greater extend, as well as be able to quickly thrown smaller objects to safety or straight into danger from great distances.

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Mountain DwarvesMassive cities dot the mountains of most fantasy worlds, most often built by dwarves. These dwarves are familiar with the outside world, and share their crafts to gain riches or fame. Many of these dwarves also set out to venture into rest of the world.

LanguagesCommon, Dwarvish.

AgeUp to 150 years.

TraitsCreature-lore, Folk-lore, Leechcraft, Lordly, Mountaineering, Terrain-lore, Thievery, Trading, Trustworthy, Wary.

AbilityRedoubtable: Gain +1 Defence.

Life between the boulders and stone has left you in similar strength. You are tough and rough, and harder to damage. You’ll still get hit of course, but it takes a strong swing to inflict any wounds.

Stone-bourn: When in a mountainous area, gain +4 to all actions using [Wisdom cards.

You are at home between the mountain peaks and canyons. Your eyes are sharp at scanning the surroundings, and quick to find weaknesses and opportunities. The bonus is applied only when in the mountains, or a similar terrain, and applies to all actions that have [Wisdom as one of the two chosen suits. This means that if a [Wisdom card is added as the third suit, the bonus is not added.

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Grey DwarvesSome dwarves are born, live, and die under the mountain. Their cultures build vast tunnel systems under the ground, and mine ever deeper for more gems and precious metals. Usually uninterested and untrusting of other cultures, these dwarves need a good reason to leave their underground world.

LanguagesCommon, Dwarvish.

AgeUp to 150 years.

TraitsClever, Creature-lore, Divinity-lore, Lordly, Minstrelsy, Mountaineering, Terrain-lore, Trading, Wary.

AbilityDarkborn: When underground or during night, gain +1 to all actions.

Your eyes have perfectly adapted to the darkness you lived in most your life. You feel so comfortable underground, that your sense sharpen when you enter darkness. When in a location that is nearly completely dark, like when being underground - or some other form of ceiling is blocking the sun’s light - or during night when the moon isn’t full, you receive a bonus to all actions. Note

that if you are close to a light source, like a big campfire, the bonus does not apply (even when underground or during the night).

Stonecrusher: Always deal +1 damage in melee.

Years of hammering rock walls has left you with a strong swing.You are more powerful than the average dwarf, and can use it to your advantage. All attacks in close quarters combat give you the opportunity to use your strong physique, increase the damage dealt.

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High ElvesThe apex of civilization is found with the high elves. These beautiful beings live a life of bliss, and with their long lifespans they focus on gaining knowledge and sharing insights with each other. Most are known to have magic capabilities.

LanguagesCommon, Elvish.

AgeUp to 500 years.

TraitsCharming, Clever, Divinity-lore, Herb-lore, Horsemanship, Keen-eyed, Leechcraft, Magic-lore, Minstrelsy, Storytelling, Trustworthy, Wary.

AbilityForesight: Once per session, the GM gives you information about a negative events likely to occur soon.

With the this ability, you are able to - once per session - invoke the power of your elven bloodline. When doing so, the GM gives you a piece of relevant information regarding negative events that are likely to occur to you or your surroundings, in the near future.

Magical Aptitude: Gain +3 to resisting magical effects.

The naturally occurring magic within your bloodline has made you more tolerant towards the arcane. You have a resistance against being targeted and affected by magical abilities and spell, thanks to the magical essence flowing through your veins. The bonus applies whenever you have to perform an action as a result of a spell or some other magical effect.

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Wood ElvesThe fast moving shadows in the forests are known as wood elves. They build cities in the trees and under rivers, becoming one with the world around them. Their archery skills are known by all, and their druidic ancestry gives them a strong connection to nature.

LanguagesCommon, Elvish.

AgeUp to 500 years.

TraitsBoating, Clever, Creature-lore, Herb-lore, Horsemanship, Keen-eyed, Leechcraft, Minstrelsy, Quick of Hearing, Terrain-lore, Tracking.

AbilityNature’s Resolve: Once per day, shuffle half your damage pile into your deck.

Able to recover your wounds and heal from sickness, you feel better simply by being in touch with nature. You are only able to do so if you are in direct touch with nature, and not when inside a settlement.

Sylvan: You cannot get lost in forests, and always know where north is.

You feel perfectly at home in the many forests and glens. You recognize nearly all trees and plants, and remember the path through a forest like the back of your hand. Additionally, you always know where north is, which you can tell by which side the moss is growing on stones, or by the setting of the sun, etc.

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HalflingsOften mistaken for little humans, the halflings are found all over the world. Some stay in calm areas, with houses built under the hills, other prefer the business of human settlements, and yet other prefer a life on the road. Their small size makes them easy to miss, which is something they use to their advantage a lot.

LanguagesCommon, Gnomish.

AgeUp to 100 years.

TraitsCharming, Folk-lore, Herb-lore, Minstrelsy, Quick of Hearing, Storytelling, Thievery, Trustworthy.

AbilityStout-hearted: Gain +2 to all actions using {Spirit cards.

You optimism and high morale improve your overall abilities, and increase your chances of success. The bonus applies to all actions that have {Spirit as one of the two chosen suits. This means that if a {Spirit card is added as the third suit, the bonus is not added.

Bardic: Gain +4 to all non-hostile actions towards new characters.

Your charm knows no limits, and people’s first impression of you is always that of a likeable friend. This natural charm give you a bonus to all actions during your first encounter with the a character you can communicate with, as long as these actions are not considered hostile by that character.

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Half-orcsA race of unknown origin, the half-orcs are thought to be the ‘cured’ versions of orcs. Still somewhat rough in appearance and attitude, half-orcs tend to stay away from major settlements. They are also known to form nomadic caravans.

LanguagesCommon, Orcish.

AgeUp to 60 years.

TraitsCreature-lore, Keen-eyed, Leechcraft, Mountaineering, Terrain-lore, Thievery, Tracking, Trading, Wary.

AbilityTough as Stone: When resting, but before shuffling cards, place 2 damage cards onto your deck.

You wounds recover at a faster rate than the average half-orc - a trait you will lucky enough to be born with. This means that whenever you are resting - and thus recover damaged cards - you may select two cards from your damage pile, and add them to your deck. Afterwards you apply the normal resting effects, which includes regaining more damaged cards, as well as shuffle your deck.

Brutal Strength: After a successful attack, damage any number of cards to increase damage by the same amount.

You have learned to put your entire weight into your attacks. This overcharge of power does leave you somewhat hurt, but it might be worth it in order to take out the enemy before he takes out you. This ability is triggered before the damage is actually applies, and thus can be doubled when dealing a critical hit.

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Classes

The class of a PC describes what his specialities are and where his strength lie. It primarily determines the abilities linked to the face cards the player can add to his deck. Each class has a name, a list of traits that are common to that type of character, class-specific abilities, and a list of abilities linked to the face cards. Depending on the chosen class of the PC, he will also be able to unlock the following abilities.

Increased Defence: Gain a bonus to Defence.

Your skill in combat has improved, and you know where to place your feet and how

to parry incoming blows. The bonus to Defence is listed in the Defence-field.

Increased Draw-limit: Increase your draw-limit.

Drawing upon your inner reserves, you find yourself capable of more diverse actions and coming up with more tactics. The draw-limit increase is listed directly in the Draw-limit-field. Unique to this ability, is the requires of having at least 15 total EXP. This means that no EXP may be spend on this ability, before first having a total (not current) EXP of 15 or higher.

Class Description PageDruid A spell-caster that draws energy from

nature to shapechange into beasts.24

Mage A book-learned wizard, able to cast the most powerful spells. 27Monk A master of ki and hand-to-hand combat,

able to supersede all limitations.31

Priest A holy paladin that uses it divine presence to smite down foes. 34Ranger A lone wanderer who create at ranged

combat, and has an animal friend.37

Rogue A sneaking sword buckler, able to find his way into any location. 41Warlock A necrotic wizard able to summon skeletons and bind demons. 45Warrior An all-around fighter able to take on any

foe with strength and tactics.49

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DruidThese natural wizards draw magic from the nature around them, they can also shapechange into any number of beasts.

TraitsCreature-lore, Folk-lore, Herb-lore, Keen-eyed, Leechcraft, Magic-lore, Minstrelsy, Storytelling, Terrain-lore, Trustworthy.

GearClothing or Light armour.Light weapon or Ranged weapon.Two from: Hourglass, Lantern, Rope, Torch,

Herbalism kit, Musical instrument.2 Gold.

AbilitiesDruidcraft: You can make plants grow at will.

You are one with nature, and can call upon nature’s energy to make plants and flowers grow. This ability affects a single plant, and the growth or decay does not go fast. You cannot grow anything fast enough or strong enough to hinder or harm anyone.

Natural Recovery: Whenever you recover damaged cards, recover additional card.

Drawing upon nature’s energies, you recover wounds at an increased rate. Whenever you recover damage cards, either from magic, potions, or resting, you recover additional cards.

Shapechange [Action]: Exhaust a card to change into a beast, until you dismiss the effect. The suit of the card determines the shapechange. The beast’s Defence and Attack values replace those of the PC.

All druids are able to shapechange into a whole manner of beasts. This can be used to great effect: you can change into a bear when entering combat, change into a rat when you need to sneak away, change into a giant spider when getting ready to ambush, change into a hawk to scout the area, and many other options. The shapechange remains until you dismiss the effect.

The type of beast you change into determines the Defence ratings as well as the attack type. This passive bonus to Defence replaces your normal Defence rating. The attack type of the chosen beast is the only attack you can make while in this form. You cannot attack with your weapons, or use any abilities - this includes all abilities linked to face cards.

Card AbilitiesNatural Weapon: Discard to deal additional damage with fisticuffs. Lasts for as long as you concentrate.

J}: Vine-like growth protrude from you arms, forming massive claws. They give you the opportunity to strike at your enemy when they think you are disarmed. Sometimes it’s best to go feral.

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Lightning [Action]: Discard to attack a target within long range. Add 1 Edge to deal 1 damage to a creature within short range of the target.

Q}: You call upon the energy of the weather, and channel great bolts of thunder through yourself onto your target. With some extra effort you are able to have it fork off and strike an even greater number of foes.

Stonecraft: Discard to freely shape stone with your hands. Lasts for as long as you concentrate.

K}: Though rock holds no life, it is still a part of nature. You are able to shape it to your will, as if it were as soft as water. This allows you to get through stone walls with ease, or even carve entire tunnels - if you had the time to spare. With mastery of this technique, you can put all your force into pulling the rock from the earth below, creating a wall of stone. This wall is up to 5 paces wide, 2 paces high, and thick enough to be able to stand. It can curve however you want, and it can even come up in separate pieces. The wall is as strong as any wall of stone would be in your current area.

Familiar: Discard to communicate a simple idea to a group of small beasts. They will help as best as they can.

Q{: All beasts are your friends, and you have learned to communicate with them through sounds and gestures. The smallest amongst them are especially interested and amicable towards you. You can ask them for help with

minor tasks, and they will do their best - as long as it doesn’t cause them any harm.

Summon Weather: Exhaust and take 10 minutes, to create a weather effect in your current location and 500 yards around.

K{: Mastery of the weather is a rare gift amongst druids, but onces under control, it gives great advantages: sudden thunderstorms can distract even the most attentive; clear skies can make for easy travelling; and thick clouds can hide those that wish to remain hidden. The versatility of this spell is immense, and the area it affects is larger than most spellcasters would even dream of achieving.

Adapt: Discard to gain a feature naturally occurring in animals. Requires concentration.

Q]: Your advanced skill at shapechanging allows you to alter only small parts of yourself - which might not give you the full benefits of becoming a beast, but it doesn’t prevent you from performing other spells and actions. When doing so, you gain only a single naturally occurring feature in any beast. Examples of this include water breathing, darkvision, featherweight, spider climb, longstride, resistance to heat or cold, flexibility, and many more.

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Spirit Form: Discard when shapechanging, to become a spirit instead. The same Defence and Attack values are used, but you also gain an additional bonus (depending on the suit).

K]: A new way of shapechanging can be mastered only by those that look beyond the forests, and pay attention to the natural spirits that dwell within them. Learning from these beings allows you to adapt to their ways, and shapechange into more than just beasts. It is a harder process, and most druid only do it rarely. But the advantages are worth the effort. When using this ability, you gain all the normal benefits from shapechanging (and use all the normal values), but then gain an additional bonus. When changing into a large spirit (instead of a large beast), your Defence increases drastically, as you swap hide for bark. Small spirits are known for their speed. Medium spirits have a multitude of ways of dealing with their foes, and are able to attack them at a longer range. Flying spirits seem to be naturally resistant to all forms of magic. This means that they can ignore any magical effect that is laid upon them, and that they take no damage from spells that directly target them. However, if a magical effect causes damage in an area of effect, this protection does not apply (i.e. if a fireball explodes next to you, the fire still harms you even though it originated through magic).

Vines: Discard to create a vine within long range, that grasps an object or creature within short range and pulls it close.

Q[: Vines are a weed that grows almost everywhere, and calling upon them is an easy trick. You channel nature’s energies to make the vines grow strong, and have it reach out to whatever it can grasp. This vine grows, lashes out, and pulls the target in - all within a matter of seconds. If the target is too heavy (as most massive creature would be), the vines has no effect. Note also that the vines withers away and releases its target, the moment it has pulled it close.

Mirage: Exhaust to create an illusionary landscape all around you for 50 yards.

K[: With a bit of dust in the air, and changes in temperature, creature a mirage is rather simple. The skill comes with the quality of the image, and it’s a skill you’ve mastered. You can create any type of terrain with you mirage; snowy landscapes, phosphorus bogs, canyons, cliffs, etc. Most will be fooled by the mirage, though some magically-adept observers might see through it. The mirage is only visual, and the illusion will be seen through the moment a creature touches it.

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MageThese bookish spellcasters gain their magical abilities from arcane knowledge and the understanding and handling of magical forces.

TraitsClever, Divinity-lore, Magic-lore, Quick of Hearing, Storytelling, Trading, Trustworthy, Wary.

GearClothing.Light weapon or Ranged weapon.Two from: Hourglass, Lantern, Oil, Telescope,

Tinkering tools, Herbalism tools.4 Gold.

AbilitiesDetect Magic [Action]: You become aware any magical sources within long range.

With the ability channel arcane energies, also comes the ability to find its sources and other bottlenecks of magical power. You are able to focus on such points, and locate sources of magic within your vicinity. This will tell you direction and strength - the closer you are to the source, the stronger the sense.

Identify: Take 10 minutes to learn more about a magical object you can study.

Many objects in the world are magical, or have magic infused in them, and if you take the time to study them, you will

learn their secrets. With this ability, the knowledge will simply flow through you whenever you study a magical object.

SpellcastingCantrips: Discard a card to perform a simple spell. The suit of the card determines the spell. The effects last for as long as you concentrate.

As a mage you always have some spells at hand. These simple spells are known as cantrips, and require little effort on your part. In order to perform such a spell, you simply discard a cards with the matching suit.

Arcane Bolt [Action]: Attack a target within short range. Add 1 Edge to gain a bonus to the action.

The Arcane Bolt is a must have for any adventuring mage. It provides an offensive measure to deal with any dangerous foes willing to claim your life. You curl your fingers and shoot forth a burst of purplish lightning shaped into a ball. Like a comet it races towards your target. With Edges, you are able to hone in on your target, increasing the precision of your attack.

Light: Create torch-sized floating lights.

The Light spell comes in handy not only when studying in some dark and dusty library. It gives you a light source in even the darkest of places, which can do as much for morale as it can do for your sight. The light source is about as strong as a torch would be, and once cast it will last for as long as your concentrate on it. The light

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will automatically hover around you, following as you move - like your own miniature sun. The light does not provide warmth, and is not strong enough to damage or hinder anyone.

Mage Hand: Create a spectral floating hand.

The Mage Hand is a useful and versatile spell. Creating a spectral hand that floats around is useful for unlocking doors at a distance, for grasping books for too-high-shelves, for picking a gem from a den of snakes, and many more reasons. The spectral hand appears at a point your choose within short range, and lasts for as long as your concentrate. It cannot go beyond long range of you, and will disappear if it does. You can control this hand as if it were your own (thus possibly requiring an action to do so), but can also have it move as slow speed. It cannot be used to attack, nor can it carry anything more than what you would be able to carry in a single hand.

Illusion: Create a simple sound or vague stationary image within short range.

The Illusion spell is a neat trick that can fool those not looking to carefully. You have the choice of either creature an image or a sound. When creating an image, it cannot exceed the size of an average human, and it’s quality is left wanting. A creature adjacent to the illusion will most likely spot that it’s fake. Also, you are not able to put too much detail into the image. When creating a sound, it can be anything from a voice,

to a rockslide, to a bird’s chirp, and anything in between. Yet again the quality is left wanting, as any voice will be but a murmur. However, any simple sounds, like collision sounds or simple animal sounds, will be convincing. The location of either your visual or audible illusion can be within short range, as long as you can see the location. It lasts for as long as your concentrate. WIth enough skill, you will be able to make the illusion both an image and a sound at the same time.

Card AbilitiesFlames [Action]: Discard to create a burst of flames within short range that deals damage to all creatures.

Q}: You channel the magic inside, and let forth a burst of flames. The ring of fire shoots forth from beneath your feet and reaches into all direction. Any creatures within short range of you (except for you) are damaged by the flames.

Frost [Action]: Discard to target an area within long range, and have all creatures within short range of the chosen area move at half speed for a short duration.

K}: If your foe stays at a distance, you will have more time to through arcane bolts at it. Likewise, if your foe tries to flee, being frozen could make that task quite hard for it. With this spell you are able to extremely quickly cool an area to the point of freezing. The area will be covered with a thin layer of ice, and any creature caught in it when the

} { [] 29

spell is cast, will feel their armour freeze and their muscles cool. This effect becomes stronger as you start to master the spell.

Spell Mastery: While in your hand, your cantrips have an increased effect. Arcane Bolt is up to long range. Light creates a campfire-sized light. Mage Hand can be used to attack with fisticuffs. Illusion does not require concentration.

Q{: You try to remember your teachings, and perform the cantrips in the way you were taught - which increases their efficiency! Each cantrip is affected in another way. Your Arcane Bolt now travels further, able to hit targets at long range. Your Light spell now creatures lights that blaze at the strength of a small campfire - however they still don’t produce any heat, nor do they harm. Your Mage Hand spell gains in mass, and can be used to attack as if it were your own hand. Lastly, your Illusion no longer requires concentration, and simply remains until you dismiss it, if you lose consciousness, or if you are outside long range of it.

Wild Magic: Discard when casting a spell, to look at the top card of your deck. The suit of the card determines the effect. If it is a Joker, you overcharge and instead take 5 damage.

K{: The arcane energies you call upon can sometimes act strangely and unpredictable. But instead of fearing it, you can call upon these bursts of unknown energy, and use it to strengthen any spell you cast. To do so, you

look at the top card of your deck, and the bonus effect is determined by the suit of the card. If you are unlucky enough to draw a Joker, you instead take the overcharge damage, as the arcane energies refuse to be used by you.

When drawing a }Force card, the damage of the spell increases. This only applies if the spell affects a creature. For instance, your Flames spell already deal damage, so its damage is increased, but even though your Frost spell doesn’t damage its targeted creatures, it now had a damage boost. However, spells that do not affect anyone, like your Illusion cantrip, gain no bonus from this effect.

If you draw a {Spirit card, the spell no longer requires any concentration to remain active. This only applies to spells that require concentration, like most of your cantrips, or the Invisibility spell. Instead of concentrating, the spell simply remains until you dismiss it, lose consciousness, or if you are outside of long range of the target.

When the card is of the ]Agility suit, you are able to split the spell in two, and target twice as many areas. For spells that require a specific creature to be selected, like your Blight and Paralyze spells, this means double the amount of creatures may be selected - as long as all creatures are within the allowed range. For spells that allow you to select an area of effect, like your Frost spell and Illusion cantrip, you are able to target another area in which the spell takes effect - as long as it is within the allowed range.

} { []30

Lastly, when drawing a [Wisdom card, the range of the spell is doubled. This applies to the casting range, not to the range of effect. For instance, your Arcane Bolt will be able to fly twice as far, and the area at which your Frost spell takes effect can be twice as far away. However, the effect of the Frost spell once cast, would not double - nor would the range of your Flames spell, etc.

Blight [Action]: Discard to have creatures within short range take damage at the start of each turn.

Q]: With this spell you draw the natural energies from your targets, causing them pain all over. WIth mastery of this spell, you will be able to inflict more pain, and target even more creatures at the same time. The special thing about this spell, is that it takes effect over time, and lasts for as long as the creature is unable to rest. Once rested, the effect fades.

Paralyze [Action]: Exhaust to paralyze a creature with low Wisdom, within short range, for a short duration.

K]: This spell can be used to great effect, though it does seem that any creature of a high intelligence or strength of will, is able to resist the effects; the spell is completely ignored by those with a high enough [Wisdom value. If they are effect, however, they instantly lose consciousness and fall limb to the ground. They are unable to communicate or act in any way.

Truesight: Discard to be able to see invisible objects and creatures, see in the dark, and read any language, for a short duration.

J[: Channeling the arcane waves allows you to see those that wish not to be seen, and also be able to translate the meaning put into words. While active, you can see any type of magic that is meant to make objects or creature invisible, and also use that new sight to be able to see in the dark as if it was dimly lit. In addition, the magical effect allows you to read any text as if you knew the language it was written in, without actually understanding the words.

Teleport [Action]: Exhaust to instantly move to a location within long range.

Q[: As long as you can clearly see the location, and it is not too far away, you can have yourself travel through the arcane waylines flowing through everything, and suddenly appear at your chosen location.

If you have fully mastered this spell, you will be able to transport yourself any other creatures to a teleportation circle. This teleportation circle must be one you are familiar with, which means you have to have studied it for over an hour without distractions. For more about teleportation circle see page 8.

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Invisibility [Action]: Exhaust to become invisible for a short duration. Lasts until losing concentration or performing any other action.

K[: With this spell you are able to to cloak yourself with the arcane energy, and bend light around yourself, making you seem invisible. However, the cloak is fragile, and if you were to perform any other action, like attacking or casting a spell, it would fade.

MonkThese quick and agile fighters use their ki to perform feats of extreme speed and strength. They use their ki instead of magic, to perform feats unimaginable to normal fighter.

TraitsClever, Creature-lore, Herb-lore, Keen-eyed, Leechcraft, Quick of Hearing, Storytelling, Terrain-lore, Trustworthy.

GearClothing or Light armour.Light weapon or Small weapon.Two from: Fishing kit, Hourglass,

Lantern, Rope, Herbalism kit.1 Gold.

AbilitiesDeflect: When taking damage from a ranged weapon attack, exhaust cards from your deck equal to half the damage taken, to ignore all damage.

When you focus, time seems to slow down, and catching a projectile seems as easy as can be. This ability only applies when an attack shoots a projectile towards you (like a bow or a gun). The amount of cards that must be exhausted should be at least enough to cover half of the damage (i.e. against an attack of 5 damage, 3 cards must be exhausted). This allows you to becomes less susceptible to ranged attacks.

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Empowered: When attacking with fisticuffs or a light weapon, add 1 Edge to increase the damage dealt.

As master of quick attacks, you are able to inflict major damage with your fists and any light weapons you carry. This ability does require an Edge to be played, but that also means it can be applied multiple times.

Martial Arts: Once per round, you may freely attack with fisticuffs.

You are so fast that your opponents don’t even see your attacks coming. The free attack is on top of any other action you take during each round of combat.

Meditation: You only need 4 hours of sleep to gain the benefits of a full rest.

Calming your minds is the first trick a monk learns, and you have mastered it to such a degree that your body matches the calmness of your mind.

Readiness: Gain a bonus to initiative.

Your time adventuring has left you ready for anything. You can a passive bonus to initiative whenever combat starts.

Card AbilitiesKnockdown [Action]: Discard to make an adjacent creature go prone.

Q}: A swift swipe of the legs has even the strongest foes fall back... else an elbow to the stomach does the trick… or a kick in the groin. Making a creature go prone means it has less movement during its next turn, as well as making it easier to hit.

Flame Fists: Exhaust to be able to attack with fisticuffs at short range, for a short duration.

K}: Your hands become balls of flame, as you strike at your enemies by projecting your fist into a ball of fire. With this, no one can escape your fury.

Elder Tongue: While in your hand, you understand all spoken languages.

Q{: Tuning into the mindset of another is a skill that took years to master. Now, you will be able to understand the full meaning of what others say, regardless of the language they choose to speak. When you are also able to speak these language, you are not aware of doing so; the words simply leave you mouth, without you understanding where they came from.

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Patience: You may play this card at anytime, and it will be automatically applied to your next action, regardless of the chosen suits.

K{: A patient man is a victorious man. This can can be played at any time, and is played in front of you as if you are playing an action. It will remain here until you actually do perform an action. When doing so, this card’s value is added to the action, even if it is an action that does not allow {Spirit cards.

Windwalker: Discard to fall at half speed for a short duration.

J]: You channel the wind around you to lighten your step, and with that comes a slowed decent that prevents you from crashing. Having your fall speed halved, means you can fall from twice the height before taking damage. However, the effect only lasts for a couple of seconds. With complete mastery of this technique, you will be able to take steps in mid air, as if stepping on something solid. This allows you to quickly get onto high ground or simply hover in mid air.

Intervene: Discard to become the target of an attack that would otherwise hit an adjacent creature.

Q]: Self-sacrifice is a noble quality, and to be able to protect your friends, is to do so. Your speed allows your to step between your foes and your friends, and take their attack instead.

Shadowstep: Exhaust when (partially) covered with darkness, to instantly move to any location you can see that is also in darkness.

K]: Many consider shadow a servant of evil, but they are merely illusions cast by the light - illusions you can use to your advantage. Wrapping yourself in shadows, you find yourself transported to another location near instantly. This ability can be used if at least most of your body is covered in darkness. The targeted location must also be nearly completely covered in darkness. However, that location must also be clearly visible to you, hence this ability not working so well if there are no light sources present.

Survey: Discard to learn the TN of any action, if you can observe its area of circumstances.

A[: A quick glance teaches you more than what others could do with a week long study. Your eyes scan the objective and you quickly understand its likelihood of succeeding. The area of circumstances determines on the type of action you wish to learn about. When trying to convince another character of something, you will have to observe that character. If wanting to jump from roof to roof, you will have to observe the gap between the buildings. If you want to intimidate a pack of wolves, you will have to observe the wolf pack. Unlike other Aces, this one can never gain a value of 11, but instead had an ability linked to it.

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Tranquility: Discard to avoid being affected by a mental status (i.e. charmed, frightened, mind controlled).

Q[: Many foes will go after your mind rather than your flesh, and it does you good to be prepared against such invasions. With this ability you will be able to withstand even the strongest of mental attacks. Statuses it can defend against include any and all effects that hinder you mentally but not physically. For examples, being charmed to like someone, being to fearful to attack, being mind controlled by a mage, etc. This card can be played even when already under the effects of such a status.

Astral Projection: Exhaust when dreaming, to leave your body and go into a spectral form until you awaken or take damage (which is applied to you when you wake).

K[: When in deep slumber, your awareness coalesces into a spectral form shaped like you. It dimly glows and can be seen by other creatures. In this form you are able to travel around, whilst your real body rests and recovers. Note, however, that most creatures will be hesitant to interact with you, or might even considered you hostile. You remember whatever you do during your astral projection when you awaken, which happens when you would normally wake or when your spectral form takes any damage (the damage is then applied to your real body). When in your spectral form you are unable to speak or interact with any objects or creatures.

PriestThese acolytes of deities gain magical capabilities as a reward for their service and faith.

TraitsCharming, Creature-lore, Divinity-lore, Folk-lore, Horsemanship, Lordly, Magic-lore, Minstrelsy, Trustworthy.

GearLight armour or Heavy armour.Shield or Ranged weapon.Small weapon or Large weapon.Two from: Holy water, Lantern, Rope,

Smithing tools, Musical instrument.2 Gold.

AbilitiesAura of Protection: Exhaust a card to give a bonus to Defence, to all allies within short range. Lasts until dismissed. Only one aura may be active at any time.

Your presence is enough to ward off attacks. You, and those within your vicinity, are less likely to be successfully struck by any foe wishing to do you harm. This aura remains active until you dismiss it, or lose consciousness. There are multiple auras you can learn, but only one may be active at any time. Activating another aura will dismiss the effect of this aura.

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Heal [Action]: Exhaust any number of cards, to have a creature you touch recover health for every card (it shuffles damaged cards into his deck)

Through divine magic, you have the ability to have wounds heal on their own. Within a mere second you can have creature recover from wounds that would otherwise kill them. When using this ability, you exhaust any number of cards in your hand, to have your target (which could be yourself) recover health. The amount of health recovered per exhausted card depends on your mastery of this spell. The value of the cards you chose to exhaust has no influence on the amount of health recovered.

Holy Strike: You deal additional damage to Undead creature.

The divine deity that protects you is a bane to all those that defile life. You deal even more damage if the target of your attack is an undead creature.

Pray to Deity (name): Once per session, exhaust your entire discard pile, to shuffle your damage pile into your deck.

Regardless of whether you unlock this ability, you must fill in the name of your deity, in the space behind this ability. When unlocked, you are able to pray for a miracle, which will happen on occasion. When using this ability, you instantly recover all damage you have taken, at the price of becoming very exhausted.

Card AbilitiesVengeance: When used in an attack against a Demon, Spirit, or Undead creature, the attack deals critical damage.

Q}: You strike hard at those that do not belong in this realm, and they will feel your vengeance. With a burst of divine power, your attack strengthens and is guided towards it the most effect way of dealing with your foe. When using this card in attack against a demon, spirit, or undead creature, you automatically deal critical damage (doubling the total damage). This means normal rules for dealing critical damage are ignored.

Aura of Warding: Discard to prevent Demons, Spirits, and Undead creatures from entering within short range of you. Lasts until dismissed. Only one aura may be active at any time.

K}: The divine magic that flows through you wards of any beings not native to this realm. These creatures are unable to come close to you while the aura is active. If such a creature is always within the area of effect, it cannot move any closer, and will want to walk out of the area. This aura remains active until you dismiss it, or lose consciousness. There are multiple auras you can learn, but only one may be active at any time. Activating another aura will dismiss the effect of this aura.

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Holy Awareness: While in your hand, you are automatically aware of any Demons, Spirits, and Undead creatures within a short range.

J{: Your deity’s watchful eyes give you a sixth sense to avoiding danger. If any beings from another realm draw near, you will know it before any other. With a better understanding of this ability, you are even able to sense the mall intent some people have towards you. These include any humanoid creatures that want to cause you physical harm, or manipulate you into harming yourself or those you care about.

Command [Action]: Discard to successfully convince another character to perform a single task that does not put it into harm.

Q{: A mighty presence makes for great followers, and with your divine magic you are able to convince even the stubborn of people. With this ability you can have a humanoid creature follow one of your commands, as long as it does not put them into direct danger or cause harm to anything they deeply care about. After the character performs this task, to the best of his abilities, he will not be aware of the spell, but might still wonder why he did what he did (with all the consequences that bears).

Smite [Action]: Discard to attack a target within long range.

K{: Calling upon the skies, you forge a hammer of light that falls upon your foe. Even at great distances you smite those that oppose you.

Aura of Devotion: Exhaust to give a bonus to all actions using ]Agility cards, for all allies within short range. Lasts until dismissed. Only one aura may be active at any time.

Q]: With this aura, everyone around you sharpens their minds, and naturally avoids any mishaps. While active, you and any other PCs around you, gain a bonus on ]Agility. The bonus applies to all actions that have ]Agility as one of the two chosen suits. This means that if a ]Agility card is added as the third suit, the bonus is not added. This aura remains active until you dismiss it, or lose consciousness. There are multiple auras you can learn, but only one may be active at any time. Activating another aura will dismiss the effect of this aura.

Divine Shield: Discard when taking damage, to take only half damage.

K]: You deity will sometimes step in, and guard you from any harm that would befall you. This shield of light takes the strengths out of incoming blows. With a better understanding of this ability, the shield can also be applied to your allies.

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Cure [Action]: Exhaust to have a creature you touch be cured of an illness or other negative effect.

Q[: There are many different things that can take hold of a person, other than wounds and bruises. There are curses and spells that can befuddle the mind, and also illnesses and poisons that weaken the body. All these are curable with your holy magic.

Banish [Action]: Exhaust to target an object or creature within short range. If the target was summoned to this realm, it is instantly destroyed.

K[: As a final measurement to withstand the otherworldly beings, you have learned to banish them back from whence they came. With this spell you can target an object or creature that is not native to this realm, and it will be instantly destroyed and send back to the realm it came from.

RangerThese ranged-specialists have some magical capabilities and, most importantly, an animal companion.

TraitsBoating, Creature-lore, Folk-lore, Herb-lore, Horsemanship, Keen-eyed, Leechcraft, Minstrelsy, Mountaineering, Quick of Hearing, Terrain-lore, Tracking.

GearLight armour.Light weapon or Small weapon.Small weapon, Ranged weapon,

or Great ranged weapon.Two from: Climbing kit, Fishing kit, Hunting

trap, Oil, Caltrops, Rope, Telescope, Torch, Musical instrument.

2 Gold.

AbilitiesBlack Arrows: At the start of each session, gain black arrows equal to the highest [Wisdom card. When attacking, you may use a black arrow. If you hit, the target misses its next attack. At the end of combat you may recover the black arrows, if able.

Your time alone in the wild has made you become creative, and you know the secret to making black tips for your projectiles, which hinder the prey you’re hunting, and make them

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less accurate. You start each sessions with a set number of black arrows, equal to the highest [Wisdom number card in your deck. Whenever you attack, or use your ranged weapon, you may declare to the GM that you are using one of your black arrows. Then perform the attack as normal. If it hits, the target wil miss its next attack. If the target has not attack by the end of its next round, the effect fades. When combat ends, you are allowed to search for any black arrows that remained. This doesn’t mean all the ones you shoot can be found again, the arrows can get lost, or broken, or burned, etc. The 10 spaces beneath the ability can be used to keep track of the number of black arrows you have available or the number you have lost.

Kindred Spirits: When affected by a spell, you may have it also affect your animal companion.

The connection you have with your animal companion has become more than simple friendship, and the magical connection is now able to transfer the arcane. When you are directly targeted by a spell, you may choose to have it also affect your animal companion, as if it was directly targeted by that spell.

Landstride: Outside of combat, you move twice as fast in open terrain.

A ranger’s life is that of travel. You walk more in a year, than most men do in a decade, and all this hiking has left you with a keen physique. Whenever you are in open terrain

- everywhere not crowded, like open fields - you use your experience to fasten your pace and speed through the area. During combat, however, you notice that the focus on defence hinders you from running at full speed.

Readiness: Gain a bonus to initiative.

Your time adventuring has left you ready for anything. You can a passive bonus to initiative whenever combat starts.

Sure Shot: You are not hindered by natural elements that might negatively affect your ranged weapon attacks.

You have become a master at ranged combat, able to shoot the ears of a rat at a range where most men couldn’t even see the rat was there. You are no longer hindered by by shooting against the wind, if the target is hidden in darkness, or any other effect that naturally occurs and lowers your chance of hitting the target.

Animal CompanionWhen you choose to become a ranger, you also gain an animal companion. In all likelihood, your animal companion is you best friend and fights alongside you no matter the odds. Firstly, you must choose a name for the beast, as well as determine what kind of animal it is. Your animal companion must be a beast creature, and you can choose between a flying, fast, or strong beast. Each type has its own starting

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values, which can be increased by spending EXP. Copy these starting values onto your character sheet. The line under Health is divided into two sections, the right half is for the total Health value, the left half is for the current Health value.

Type Health Defence DamageFlying Crow, eagle, hawk, large bat, owl, raven, etc.

1 10 1

Fast Badger, dog, hyena, panther, wolf, etc.

3 7 2

Strong Bear, boar, giant spider, lion, tiger, etc.

5 4 2

Your animal companion can perform simple tasks on your command. During combat, it may move every round. Once per round of combat, you may discard a card to command it to attack. The target must be adjacent to your animal companion, as it can only attack in melee. The attack action’s rating is equal to double the value of the discarded card - which means you need to make sure the attack hits with only this one card, as you may not add any more cards. When attacked, use your animal companion’s Defence rating as the TN. If the attack hits, lowers its Health by the amount of damage. If it has 0 Health, it falls unconscious. It will die within 24 hours if his wounds are not seen to.

Card AbilitiesDouble Shot [Action]: Exhaust to attack the same target twice.

Q}: A quick one-two takes care of most prey, especially if hit with a precision only you can master. This ability does cost an action to use, but you get two attacks for the price of one. However, both of these attacks must be at the same target.

Strong Arm: When used in a ranged attack, the target may be twice as far away, or if the target is within normal range, deal extra damage.

K}: You put all your strength into a single attack, allowing for the projectile to fly twice as far, hitting targets that would be long gone if it was not for you skill. This also applies to thrown weapons. If the target is within normal range however, the extra strength puts more force behind the shot, dealing more damage.

Animal Senses: While in your hand, gain a bonus to all actions your animal companion is directly assisting with.

Q{: You and your animal companion are the perfect team, and together all tasks go quicker and with greater ease. The bonus applies to all actions that your animal companion can directly assist in - most of which will either use the beast’s strength to your advantage, or its keen senses.

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Follow the Stars: Exhaust to find tracks that lead to a refuge (a safe place).

K{: Though all rangers prefer to be alone with their animal companion, they are aware of one another, and help out whenever they can. Most rangers that find a safe haven, will mark it in such a way that other rangers are able to find tracks leading towards it. This way, when a ranger is in need, he will always have a place to stay. These places are known as refuges, and they are always safe places. However, they vary wildly: they can have shelter or be open under the sky, they can have supplies for firewood, dried foods, medicinal herbs, or absolutely nothing, and they can even hold another ranger, or messages left behind by them. When using this ability, you will find tracks leading to such a refuge, however they are rarely closeby, and your skill at reading tracks determines how close by the nearest refuge is.

Quickdraw: Discard to instantly be allowed a ranged attack, unless surprised.

Q]: Sometimes you move without thinking, and the target simply reeks back in pain before you. Having fought prey for most your life, shooting them comes as second nature. With this ability you are allowed in instant attack, regardless of the circumstances. However, you do need to be able to see the target, hence it not being available when you are surprised or ambushed.

Foe-bane (type): While in your hand, gain a bonus to all actions involving the enemy type.

K]: When you take this ability, you must choose a type of foe you are especially good at hunting. This choice is permanent, and can be any of the creature types: Beasts, Constructs, Demons, Dragons, Elementals, Humanoids, Spirits, or Undead. Write your choice in the space after the title of this ability. You gain a bonus to all actions concerning your selected creature type. This includes attacks, as well as any actions to recollect information about them, or tracking them, etc. If you choose a creature type that has its own language, you now also know that language.

Alertness: Discard to avoid being surprised.

A[: No one survives long in the wild, if they aren’t on their guard - and you are always on your guard. Even when the enemy thinks they have you ready to ambush, you turn the tables and jump up ready for action. By using this ability, you ignore any penalties from being surprised. Unlike other Aces, this one can never gain a value of 11, but instead had an ability linked to it.

Rumour of the Earth: Exhaust to have the GM give you useful information about the quarry you are hunting or the place you are seeking.

J[: Tracking is not just about footprints and broken branches, it’s about listening to nature and seeing where she leads you. When

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using this ability, the GM will give you a direct piece of information regarding the creature you are hunting, or the location that you are searching for. It doesn’t directly points you towards the exact location, but it does push you in the right direction - or at the very least, gives you a hint on where to search next.

Hunter’s Mark: Discard to magically mark a creature. You can always identify it, and have a sense of which direction it is.

Q[: The magical bond you have with your animal companion grants you the ability to put a similar mark onto your prey. If you can clearly see a creature, you can place a mark on it. This effect is not noticeable, unless the creature is especially adapt and identifying magic. The mark allows you to easily identify the target in crowded areas, and you always have a sense of the direction it is in. However, it does not give you a sense of distance, nor any other vital information about the creature and its location.

Bullseye: When used in an attack, instead of dealing damage, have the target drop something, half its movement, or push it away.

K[: Sometimes the best shots are those that delay your prey, not just harm it. With the precision of your shots, you are able to have the target drop whatever they are holding, or stunt its movement to either catch it before it flees or halt it before it comes close. You can even push it away from you.

RogueThese sneaky assassins and thieves avoid being seen and influence things from the shadows.

TraitsCharming, Clever, Folk-lore, Keen-eyed, Minstrelsy, Quick of Hearing, Storytelling, Thievery, Trading, Wary.

GearLight armour.Light weapon or Small weapon.Small weapon or Ranged weapon.Thieves’ tools.Two from: Climbing kit, Hourglass, Lantern,

Caltrops, Rope, Telescope, Disguise tools.3 Gold.

AbilitiesBlindsense: You are aware of invisible objects and creatures next to you/within short range.

Always aware of the unexpected, you have learned to watch for the shifting of dust, and the changing of wind directions, in order to see those that wish not to be seen.

Dodge: You take only half damage from attacks not directly targeting you.

Whether you try to dodge a fireball flung in your direction, or escaping an avalanche, you seem to have an extra sense for avoiding

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danger. This ability applies to all attacks and other events that can cause you harm, which are not directly focused on damage you.

Flexible: When in an enclosed space, gain a bonus to all actions.

Through years of thievery and skulduggery, you have learned to use your surroundings to your advantage. This bonus applies only when you are limited in your movement due to your surroundings. For instance, when indoors, in a dense jungle, or in crowd of people.

Luck: Once per action, add the top card of your deck to the action. This card still follows normal suit rules.

If you can’t win by skill, best to pray lady luck is on your side. With this ability, you can add 1 random card to your current action, by drawing it from the deck. This card still follows the suit rules for that action. Thus, if the card’s suit is one of the chosen suits for this action, more cards can be played afterwards. Else, you may no longer add cards to this action.

Readiness: Gain a bonus to initiative.

Your time adventuring has left you ready for anything. You can a passive bonus to initiative whenever combat starts.

Sneak Attack: If the target is unaware of you, your first attack deals double damage.

The best type of victim is an unaware one. With deadly precision you hone in on the fragile areas of your target. This ability doubles the first attack’s damage, which is separate from critical hitting. This means that the damage is first doubled, before any critical hit effects are applied. Note that it only applies to the first attack, so if the first attack misses, no doubling effect is applied to later attacks.

Card AbilitiesQuick Escape: Discard to avoid being found when stealthing.

Q}: Nimble and fast, you manage to get out of harm’s way before it has found you. It does not matter how many creatures are looking for you, or how many thought they found you. However, it only works if you are already successfully hidden.

Quick Climb: Exhaust to climb and run three times faster for a short duration.

K}: The best treasures are always hidden away, and years of looking for them has left you with strong arms and legs. You fuel yourself with adrenaline as you climb and run faster for as long as the effect lasts.

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Silver Tongued: Discard to have a lie believed.

Q{: Cheating comes as second nature to you, and convincing even the stubborn of people is a skill you’re well familiar with. The lie can be anything you have said that was false. However, it does not mean the character will suddenly change his opinion about you, or necessarily change his behavior.

Thieves’ Cant: Discard to notice a piece of secret dialect or code hidden in plain sight; the GM gives you a single piece of information about your current objective or surroundings.

K{: It is common among thieves and rogues to share information. This can be an etching in wood to warn for danger, a speck of paint to show where guards frequently pass, or even the presence of certain weeds that indicate entrances to hideouts. Likewise, these signs can also be used in speech, with bird sounds and other noises someone could inform the people around him without warning guards of their plans. The information you receive is directly related to your surroundings or the character you are interacting with. It will not be much information, and possibly already something you knew, but this secret language was never meant for detailed conversations.

Three-points Landing: Discard when falling from a height that would cause damage, to receive less damage.

J]: Even the best of thieves sometimes lose their footing, and when they do, they quickly learn to break the fall. With this ability you have mastered the art, and are able to reduce any damage taken from any fall that would cause harm.

Versatile: When played, you may add any card from your discard pile to the action. This card still follows normal suit rules.

Q]: Never change a winning combo; if something worked before, it’ll work again. When using this card in any action, instantly take a card from your discard pile and add it to this action. This card still follows the suit rules, which means that if the card’s suit is one of the chosen suits for this action, more cards can be played afterwards. Else, you may no longer add cards to this action.

Supreme Sneaking: Discard if there is even the smallest of opportunity to hide, to instantly and successfully hide.

K]: Having mastered the art of hiding, you find opportunities no one else would. Whether a guard loses focus for a single second, a shadow happens to fall upon your location, or any other random little happenstance allows you to be hidden from sight for a slither of a moment, you are able to make the most out of it.

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Awareness: Discard at the start of combat to gain a bonus to initiative.

A[: You are always aware for danger, you have to be, if you want to keep your neck. Unlike other Aces, this one can never gain a value of 11, but instead had an ability linked to it.

Underworld Connections: Exhaust when in a settlement, to find a shady person and have him perform a simple task.

Q[: You know people, and those people know other people. None of which really know each other, and that might be for the best, but you find yourself easily coming in contact with the underbelly of any city. This ability can only be used when in an area densely populated by people, like a city. Within a short time you can find someone and convince him to perform a small task for you. The shady character will not simply do everything for you, but is willing to perform some simple actions. You can ask him to carry a message to someone within the city or within a single day’s travel. You can ask him to bring tidings of the settlement you are in, to learn about the latest gossip. You can ask him to investigate a place within the settlement, and have him come back later to give you the information he has found out. Lasly, you can ask him to stand guard and protect either an object, or a person, or a location. He will not be the greatest fighter, and will run if things get too tough.

Flashback: Exhaust to recognize a character based on a solid description or a good view. The GM tells you about that character’s background.

K[: Having dealt with many different people, you tend to forget some of them. But every now and then you recognize a face and remember something from your past. You can use this ability whenever a character is described, or when you see the character clearly - as long as it is not a character you are already familiar with. The GM will tell you how you knew (of) him, and give you hints towards his desires and attitude, as well as any information that would be readily available to those that know the character a little.

} { [] 45

WarlockThese infamous spellslingers gain their magical capabilities by making a pact with an otherworldly being. Special about them is that they start with a higher base draw-limit, though the magic they produce does often have a blood price.

TraitsCharming, Clever, Divinity-lore, Magic-lore, Quick of Hearing, Storytelling, Thievery, Trading, Wary.

GearClothing.Light weapon or Small weapon.Two from: Hourglass, Lantern, Oil,

Telescope, Disguise tools.3 Gold.

AbilitiesInner Chains: Discard a card to draw cards and place them back on either the top or bottom of the deck, in any order.

You find the connection you have with your patron allows you to call forth certain situations and opportunities. When used, you draw cards from your deck, and may look at them. Then, you may choose - for each card individually - whether to place that card on the top or bottom of your deck. Of course this allows you to delay negative effects, and alter future events.

Pact Master’s Calling (name): Once per session, exhaust your entire discard pile, to ignore any amount of damage taken.

When you create a warlock character, you must think about who or what the entity is that grants you power. Write its name in the space behind this ability. If this ability is unlocked, it means you are able to call upon your patron, and it will answer with protection - of a sort.

SpellcastingDark Magic: Damage a card to perform a simple spell. The suit of the card determines the spell.

With the eldritch magic that flows through you from another dimension, you find yourself able to perform a few simple spell at will. However, this does require a small blood prize to be paid. But what is pain over such power? The suit of the card your use determines the spell.

Eldritch Bolt [Action]: Attack a target within short range. Add 1 Edge to gain a bonus to the action.

The Eldritch Bolt spell allows you to shoot forth a fireball of black necrotic energy. With each Edge, the attack becomes more precise, as you shoot down targets at range.

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Charm: Gain a bonus to all actions on conversing with a single target. After the spell ends, the target becomes aware of the magical influence.

Your Charm spell is perfect for getting your way with the simple minded people of the world. It will make people susceptible to you, and willing to aid. It gives your an advantage on all conversational actions you undertake with the target, which must be someone you are able to communicate with. However, after the spell effects fade - which is about 1 minute after the conversation ends - the target becomes aware of the charm spell that was put upon it. This might turn them hostile towards you.

Blood Shield: Gain a bonus to Defence until the start of your next combat turn.

The Blood Shield spell draws the iron from your body to form a small shield around your fist. The shield does not require any hands to hold, and will remain for only a short duration. The bonus it provides is against all incoming attacks, until the end of your next turn. Thus, it is best in circumstances where you expect a large number of attacks, instead of a single strong one.

Telepathy: Speak telepathically with a character you can see.

Lastly, you are able to gain the power of Telepathy. This allows you to speak to a character you can see. This is a two-way conversation, in which you can talk to them and they can respond. It lasts for as long as you

will it, but the target must remain within your sight for the remainder of the effect. If you ever lose sight of your target, the effect fades.

Card AbilitiesCorruption: Discard when damaging yourself, to have all enemies adjacent to you take damage.

Q}: The file connection you have with your patron, allows for its corruption to seep into our world. Whenever you take damage, either by inflicting it upon yourself, or if it is brought on by others, you can let the corruption through, and lash at anything in your vicinity.

Shadow Chains [Action]: Exhaust to bind a Demon with low Wisdom, within short range to your will. It follows simple commands for a short duration.

K}: Your understanding of the necrotic and demonic forces of the universe gives you the ability to bind demons to your will. When encountering a demon, you can use this spell to have it become your companion for a short time. This only works of the demon has a low [Wisdom value. For the duration of the binding, the demon follows your commands, if they are not too complex. It will fight for you, and protect you, but will most likely turn hostile the moment the spell effect fades.

} { [] 47

Eldritch Voice: Discard to call a suit and draw a card. If the suit matches, trigger any ability you’ve unlocked. Else, damage that card.

J{: Your otherworldly knowledge gives you glimpses into the near future, which allow you to act on what is yet to come. When using this ability, you predict what suit the top card of your deck will be. Then, you draw that card. If the suit matches, you may perform any ability you have unlocked (either class abilities, your spellcasting abilities, or any face card abilities). This performed ability is free, and does not require an action.

Dominate [Action]: Damage to mind control a character within short range for a short duration.

Q{: You have learned to replace another person’s consciousness with that off your own. When casting this spell, you leave your body behind, and are placed within the body of your target. The target must be a humanoid creature. You have complete control over his body, but maintain your own mind. Meanwhile, your own body wil fall limp, and be completely defenceless for the duration of the effect. After the duration ends, or when you dismiss the effects, your mind returns to your body, and the target’s mind returns as well. The target will be unaware of your domination, though he will be aware of any action he performed while your mind was controlling him. Also, any intelligent person, or one familiar with the spell, will instantly recognize the effects of the spell.

Raise Undead: Damage and take 10 minutes, to bring back a small or medium dead beast or humanoid creature for a short duration. It follows simple commands.

K{: Due to the necrotic nature of your dark magic, you are able to revive the dead to become the unliving. The target you bring to life once again, must be a dead beast or humanoid creature, and it takes quite a while to complete the ritual. Once completed however, the undead being will be your follower, and will perform any simple task you order him to. Unlike living followers, it does not fear death, and will not ignore orders that would cause it harm. When brought back as your undead minion, the creature starts with full health, based on the type of creature ( as listed on your character sheet). It also has a Defence rating and a Damage rating, to be used during combat. All these values replace any values the creature might have had when it was still alive - neither does it have any of the abilities it might have had before. The only thing that remains the same from the time the creature was still alive, is its size and its movement speed. It loses its ability to speak, and any sense of free will.

During combat, he will be allowed to move during your turn. Once per round of combat, you may discard any card to have it attack an adjacent creature. The attack value of this action is equal to twice the value of the card you choose to discard. When attacked, its Defence value is used as the TN for that opponent -

} { []48

you are not able to increase this value with any cards. When taking damage, its Health is lowered - which can be marked on the field left of its maximum health. Once its health is reduced to 0, it dies once more, to become the corpse it was before you resurrect it.

Blood Weapon: Damage to create a melee weapon.

Q]: Just like your Blood Shield spell, you pull forth from your blood a black iron bladed weapon, that can be used to attack your foes. The weapon can have the shape of any one-handed melee weapon, however the damage it deals is fixed and it does not have any Edge effect. The weapon disappears when you dismiss it, or when it loses contact with you.

Hex: Discard to have a creature within long range gain a penalty to Defence against you. Only one target may be hexed at any time.

K]: Cursing your target, the necrotic magic seeps over it, making it more vulnerable to you. You must be able to clearly see the target, and the effect lasts for as long as it remains within your sight, or if you dismiss it. If you hex another target, the hex on the previous target will be removed.

Nighteyes: When used in an action relying on sight, gain a bonus to that action.

Q[: The eyes are the window to the soul, and for one that has bound its soul to an unknown being, your eyes are as sharp as they could be. When focusing on your sight, you find that you are able to see even the tiniest of details within a matter of seconds. The bonus applied by this card, is in additional to the value of the card.

Seeming: Exhaust to change your appearance for a short duration. It can be up to half your size larger or smaller. It is not a physical change, only visual and audible.

K[: Disguising yourself is a sure way to escape notice. With a veil of magic, you are able to have other see what you want them to see. You body can take on the shape of any creature with similar builds; it must have a torso, two arms, 2 legs, and a head. Within these limitations your illusion can be as varied as you can imagine. The seeming effect is only an illusion - in both sound and visuals - and thus it will be seen through once physical contact is made.

} { [] 49

WarriorThese fierce fighters are masters of all forms of combat. They excel at tactical thinking and combat maneuvers.

TraitsCreature-lore, Folk-lore, Horsemanship, Keen-eyed, Lordly, Mountaineering, Terrain-lore, Thievery, Trustworthy, Wary.

GearLight armour or Heavy armour.Shield or Light weapon.Small weapon, Large weapon,

or Ranged weapon.Two from: Climbing kit, Lantern, Oil,

Rope, Torch, Smithing tools.4 Gold.

AbilitiesAim: Gain a bonus to all ranged attacks.

Your skill with ranged weapons has improved with practice. This bonus applies to all attacks with ranged weapon or throwing weapons.

Battle Shout [Action]: An ally who can hear you may attack.

With a quick and fearsome shout, you are able to make your comrades move and think faster. This allows you to use your action, to have another PC use an action out of

turn, either to allow them to get to safety, to deal the final blow, or simply because they are in a better position than you are.

Bravery: Gain a bonus to resisting fear.

Calling upon your strength of will, you are able to stand up against the true monsters of the world. The bonus applies to all abilities and spells that require you to make an action to resists the effects of fear.

Disarm: During combat, add 2 Edges to disarm the opponent.

You are able to disarm an enemy carrying a weapon, to stall their assault. They will have to either use a secondary weapon, or spend an action regaining their dropped weapon. To trigger this effect, you must add 2 Edges during an attack.

Feint: Exhaust any card when missing a melee attack, to place half of the cards played this action on the top of your deck.

Even in the most hectic of fights, you are able to play mindgames with your enemy. Feinting gives you a second opportunity to perform special moves. You choose the cards that are placed back on your deck.

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Protector: Your shield applies its Defence bonus twice.

You have become extremely skilled at defending against incoming blows with your shield. This increase in defence is listed in the Defence-field on your character sheet, and does not apply directly to the shield item.

Readiness: Gain a bonus to initiative.

Your time adventuring has left you ready for anything. You can a passive bonus to initiative whenever combat starts.

Card AbilitiesAthletics: Exhaust to jump twice as far or run twice as fast for a short duration.

J}: Calling upon a deep pool of energy, you exceed the normal limitations of strength, even if only for a short duration. When exhausting this card, the effect remains active for a certain amount of rounds.

Giant Slayer: When used in an attack against a creature of a large, massive, or enormous size, deal extra damage.

Q}: Hunting prey is always easier when the prey is massive. Not only are they easier to hit, they also make for a more enjoying sight when they fall. You learned to inflict maximum damage into all things larger than normal. The additional damage is added before damage is applied, allowing it to be affected by critical hits. When

used against a creature of small or medium size, no additional damage is dealt. Likewise, if the attack does not hit, and thus deals no normal weapon damage, no additional damage is dealt.

Indomitable: Discard to look at the top cards of your deck and add any }Force to your current action.

K}: You learned to draw upon your inner reserves and rely on your battle reflexes during combat, and find your body acting on its own. When used, you draw cards from the top of your deck, and look at each of them. All cards of the }Force suit are instantly added to the current action, and all cards of other suits are placed back on top of our deck in the same order. The drawn }Force cards are added regardless of the suits that were allowed to be used in the current action. However, normal limitations still apply, and thus if the }Force suit was not chosen for this action, no more cards may be played after this one.

Bully: Discard to successfully intimidate or scare someone.

Q{: It is always best to convince people to do what is best for them… Or you’ll simply make them do it. No matter the size or strength of a creature, you will intimidate them when using this card. This doesn’t mean they will be scared of you per se, but it does help in many situations.

} { [] 51

Rage [Action]: Damage to receive less damage from all sources until the end of combat.

K{: For a moment your eyes go red, filled the rage of war. You become a killing machine, unable to be bothered with fear or pain. As an action, you may damage this card to go into a rage status. Whilst in this status, you reduce all damage taken, from any source. When combat ends, when you fall unconscious, or have some other reason to calm down, the status ends and the effect fades away.

Counter Strike: Discard when taking melee damage, to instantly deal damage to the attacker.

Q]: With a rapid swing you take a stab at your enemy when he is up and close to you. SImply by discarding this card at the right moment, you are able to damage opponents during their own turn.

Double Strike: Exhaust after a successful attack, to instantly make another attack against any valid target.

K]: Finding the opportunity for a second attack, you hone in and find the target. You can double up against the target you already successful damaged, or any other target within attacking range. This does not have to be with the same weapon.

Brutal Precision: Discard after dealing damage, to deal additional damage.

Q[: Your eyes sharpen and you find the weakness in the foe’s defences, a weakness they’ll sorely regret. Though it does require you to first make a successful attack, the additional damage is added before damage is applied, allowing it to affected by critical hits.

Measure Up: Discard to learn the highest Combat rating of the creatures you observe.

K[: With a quick scan of the possible battlefield, you gage each individual for their combat prowess, picking your targets carefully. You can observe a whole crowd of creatures, and you will notice which stand out. The GM will tell you which creature or creatures have the highest combat rating - but the GM will not tell you the actual value. However, the GM might give you a rough idea of the value, if it makes sense in the narrative.

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Traits

Besides the cards in the deck, a PC is also described by his traits. They represent the knacks, insights, and craft-secrets handed down over the years, making the PC uniquely knowledgeable about the subject. traits are invoked by both the players and the GM, to either automatically succeed at an action, or to be allowed an action in a situation normally out of the PC’s control. Doing so, always requires a narrative explanation of how the trait adds to the situation.

BoatingYou know how to handle a boat in the running waters of a river, or in the tricky currents of open waters.

CharmingYour speech and manners are naturally pleasant and respectful.

CleverYou are ingenious and smart, quick to learn and able to make intuitive leaps.

Creature-lore*This is not a single trait; you must select the type of enemy this Speciality applies to - choosing from Beast, Construct,

Demon, Dragon, Elemental, Spirit, and Undead. This trait gives you knowledge of the characteristics, habits, strengths, and weaknesses of your chosen enemy.

Divinity-loreYou have a general understanding of the different deities and gold-like beings of the world - either real or only worshipped.

Folk-lore*This is not a single trait; you must select a culture this Speciality applies to - choosing from one of the playable cultures. You posses knowledge of the many traditional customs, beliefs, and stories of your chosen culture. If the chosen culture speaks a languages not native to your culture, you also learn that language.

Herb-loreYou can identify spices and plants, and know their properties, which proves helpful when cooking or preparing salves and potions.

HorsemanshipYou can readily tell a good mount from a poor or mediocre one, and when you are mounted you feel more at ease than upon your feet.

} { [] 53

Keen-eyedThe keenness of your eyesight surpasses that of most folk.

LeechcraftYou are skilled, according to the tradition of your people, in the healing of wounds and sickness.

LordlyYour dignified bearing arouses feelings of reverence and respect in onlookers.

Magic-loreYou have a greater understanding of the history of the arcane, and can recall in detail magical events that happened long ago.

MinstrelsyYour musical lore runs deeper than most, as you partake of the knowledge of musicians coming from foreign lands.

MountaineeringYou are familiar with the difficulties often encountered when crossing mountain passes, and with the ways of overcoming them.

Quick of HearingNo sound escapes your attention.

StorytellingYou are a masterful narrator of deeds and stories, able to weave plots and facts with passion and vividness.

Terrain-lore*This is not a single trait; you must select a terrain type this Speciality applies to - choosing from Arctic, Coast, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Mountain, and Swamp. You may call upon your knowledge of the chosen terrain type when traversing it as part of your journey.

ThieveryThis venerable talent includes pickpocketing, lockpicking and, in general, any shadowy way to get hold of the possessions of others or access protected areas.

TrackingYou find it easy to recognise and follow the paths created across the wild by the passage of beasts and men, and to distinguish between them.

TradingYou find yourself at ease when negotiating the buying and selling of items, or even information.

TrustworthyYou are reliable and faithful, and your word is a valid pledge.

WaryYou are always mindful of your surroundings, and observant of the speech and behaviour of strangers.

} { []54

Gear

All PCs carry gear to survive in the wilderness. A PC can only carry one attire, and has two hands to carry items in - but may carry more gear on his person. Items to not have a specific weight, but each PC is considered to be able to carry 6 heavy objects and any amount of light objects. Heavy objects in this contexts are anything that would hinder the PC when moving, like sets of armour and larger weapons.

Each gear item comes in categories, and each category has a set of examples. Within this game, all gear names can be made up, and described however the player and GM wants to call it. However, it is advised to use the terminology of the examples, as it will make it easier to relay in which category the item falls. Alternatively, you can also right an abbreviation of the gear type behind the name of the item (i.e. you can call your sword “Mr. Stabby (Light)”). When listing items, it is also ideal to write the value of the bonus it applies; for instance a shield that adds a bonus of 2 to Defence, could be written as “Shield +2”.

AttireA suit of armour is an essential asset for any warrior in battle. The level of protection, weight, and beauty of the armour depends on

the material used and the cunning of its make. Armour increases the PC’s Defence rating, indicating the bonus the player receives to his defensive action when being attacked during combat. There are three categories of attire, each with a different bonus to Defence.

ClothingThis attire adds no Defence bonus. It is mostly worn by spellslingers and any that don’t fancy getting into a fight. Examples include a coat, robe, shirt, silks, tunic, and vest.

Light armourA padded layer of armour that grants a bonus of +3 Defence. It is a viable option for those that want some extra protection when foes draw nearer. Examples include a chainmail, corslet, hauberk, and leather armour.

Heavy armourThick and heavy, this armour grands +6 Defence. However, it also inflict a penalty to actions relying on physical speed and dexterity: during any action, the first player ]Agility card is completely ignored. This is shown by placing this card sideways; its value is 0. Examples include a mail armour, plate armour, scale mail, and warplate.

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ShieldsThe PC can also carry a shield to further increase his Defence rating. It is carried in a single hand, just like a weapon would be.

ShieldWhen carrying a shield, you gain a bonus to Defence of +2. Examples include a buckler, kite shield, shield, and tower shield.

WeaponsA weapon is essential for every PC to survive. Whether he is a veteran warrior or a spellcasting in training, everyone needs to be able to protect himself. Weapons have a Damage and Range rating.

The Damage rating determines the amount of Health that is lost when a creature is successfully hit by it.

The Range rating determines at what distance the character must be to be eligible for targeting, and is indicated with three dots. Each of these dots stands for a range-increment; melee, short range, and long range. If a dot is filled in, it means a creature at this range may be targeted. Melee is when the target is adjacent, short range is for up to 30 yards, and long range for up to 60 yards. Generally a PC can throw an object up to short range, but heavier objects have a disadvantage when thrown.

FisticuffsThese are the PC’s punches and martial arts skills. They deal 1 damage at range. It has no specific Edge effects.

Light weaponThis is a one-handed weapon that is good for close up, and can also be thrown. It deals 2 damage at range. When adding an Edge, it can increase the accuracy, increasing the total value of the action by 2. Examples include a dagger, handaxe, and throwing stars.

Small weaponThis is a small one-handed melee weapon and is probably the most versatile in shape. It deals 2 damage at range. An Edge increases the damage dealt by 1. Examples include an axe, club, hammer, lance, mace, short sword, and spear.

Large weaponThis is a large and heavy two-handed melee weapon. It deals 3 damage at range. An Edge can be added to either break the shield of the target or knocking him prone. Examples include a great axe, long sword, polearm, and warhammer.

Ranged weaponThis is a small one-handed ranged weapon that can be used for quick strikes. It deals 1 damage at range. An Edge increases the damage dealt by 1. Examples include a blowgun, hand crossbow, pistol, and sling.

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Great ranged weaponThis is a large two-handed ranged weapon that can be used for heavy blows at long distances. It deals 2 damage at range. Edges increase the accuracy, increasing the total value of the action by 2. Examples include a bow, crossbow, and rifle.

ToolsThe PC may also carry a larger number of tools to aid in his adventures. Examples include a bomb, caltrops, climbing kit, disguise tools, fishing kit, herbalism kit, holy water, hourglass, hunting trap, lantern, musical instrument, oil, poison, rope, smithing tools, thieves’ tools, telescope, tinkering tools, torch, and many more.

Potions & ScrollsUnique amongst tools, are potions and scrolls. Potions are one-use vials of magic, that allow for an instant effect to take hold of the drinker. Scrolls have similar effects, but instead can apply to multiple targets. A PC can use an action to use one of his potions or scrolls, the effects of which vary greatly. Both come in three classes of quality; normal, greater, and superior (i.e. a Potion of Defence, a Scroll of Greater Invisibility, and a Potion of Superior Damage). The higher the quality, the greater the effect. Additionally, scrolls also have a number of uses on them (often unknown to the players), which is determined by the roll of

a single die, and thus ranges from 1 to 6. Also, scrolls can be used on any target within short range, whereas potions only affect the drinker.

Below follows a list of types of potions and scrolls. Each has the effects based on the three degrees of quality listed behind their title, between brackets.

Agility (+2, +4, +6)Gain a bonus to the first played ]Agility card each action, for 5 minutes.

Communication (10m, 30m, 1h)Gain the ability understand and speak any language, for a short duration.

Damage (+1, +2, +3)Deal additional damage with all successful non-magical attacks, for 5 minutes.

Darkvision (10m, 30m, 1h)Gain the ability to see clearly in the dark, for a short duration.

Defence (+3, +6, +10)Gain a bonus to Defence for 10 minutes.

Featherfall (1m, 10m, 30m)Gain the ability to fall at half speed, for a short duration.

Flight (1m, 10m, 30m)Gain the ability to fly, for a short duration.

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Force (+2, +4, +6)Gain a bonus to the first played }Force card each action, for 5 minutes.

Haste (1m, 10m, 30m)Gain fast movement speed for a short duration.

Health (5, 10, 30)This can only be a potion. When used, the creature instantly recovers an amount of health.

Immunity (1h, 1d, 1w)Gain immunity to all poisons and illnesses, for a short duration.

Initiative (+5, +10, +15)Gain a bonus to initiative for 30 minutes.

Invisibility (1m, 10m, 30m)Become invisible for a short duration. Whilst invisible, if you perform any action, like attacking or casting a spell, the invisibility fades.

Magic Damage (+1, +2, +3)Deal additional damage with all successful magical attacks, for 5 minutes.

Resistance (10s, 1m, 5m)Take only half damage from all sources, for a short duration.

Spider Climbing (1m, 10m, 30m)Gain the ability to stick to walls as if you were walking on a flat surface, for a short duration.

Spirit (+2, +4, +6)Gain a bonus to the first played {Spirit card each action, for 5 minutes.

TeleportationThis can only be a scroll and it has no quality levels. When used, it transports the reader and up to 8 other creatures to either a fixed teleportation circle, or a teleportation circle the reader is familiar with. For more about teleportation circle see page 8.

True Sight (10m, 40m, 1h)Gain the ability to detect illusions and see invisible objects and creatures, for a short duration.

Water Breathing (30m, 1h, 6h)Gain the ability to breath underwater, for a short duration.

Wisdom (+2, +4, +6)Gain a bonus to the first played [Wisdom card each action, for 5 minutes.

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GoldThe currency within this world is gold. There are also silver and copper pieces but those are not listed for the sake of ease. Gold comes into player when purchasing, renting, or hiring an object or service. In general, 1 gold is enough for a party of heroes to spend the night at an inn, or to buy a new weapon or simple piece of armour. As a rule of thumb, gold should not be used to gage a player’s progression, and a PC with 100 gold to his name can do just about anything.

Magical GearSome items exceed the normal limitations of the mundane, and excel to qualities only achievable through magic. The magic that has been infused within the object becomes one with it, and cannot be removed or negated under any circumstances. Magical gear is rare, and the higher the potency of the magical effect, the rared it is.

The effects of magical gear vary widely, but generally they increase the effectiveness of the item. For instance, a normal shield might add a +2 to Defence, whilst a magical shield might add +3 Defence. The individual bonus to the items are counted separately, which means that in the previous example the shield would have a magical +1 Defence bonus (on top of its normal +2).

Attire and shields gain bonuses to their Defence. They gain either a +1, +2, or +3 magical bonus. Weapons gain a bonus to the Damage they deal - gaining a +1, +2, or +3 magical bonus to Damage. Alternatively or additionally, an item can have a special effect similar to the effects of potions and scrolls - also in the three degrees listed there.

Besides attire, shields, and weapons, tools can also have special features, like those of the potions and scrolls. These can be tools as listed under the Tools sections above, or other objects that do not normally require to be listed under tools. Examples include ammunition, belts, boots, bracers, brooches, capes, circlets, cloaks, gauntlets, gems, gloves, hats, helms, horns, necklaces, rings, tomes, and wands.

As with all gear, it is smart to list the bonus they grant on the character sheet under gear. For instance, a belt that adds a bonus to the first played [Wisdom card each action can be listed as “Belt of Wisdom +2”, or a light armour that has increased Defence can be listed as “Chainmail +4”, or a sword that deals additional damage can be listed as “Mr. Stabby (Light+3)”.

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Adversaries

NPCs come in all shapes and sizes. They can be dwarves, men, or elves, just like the PCs, or vile monsters from shadowy places. Below follows a glossary of terms:

NameThe name of the creature.

TypeThe type of creature. This can be Beasts, Constructs, Demons, Dragons, Elementals, Humanoids, Spirits, or Undead.

SizeEach size category of a creature is around double the size of the previous category and half the size of the next one. The categories are: small, medium, large, massive, enormous.

SpeedThe average speed at which the creature moves. It can be slow (under 5 yards/round), normal (around 10 yards/round), fast (up to 30 yards/round), or swift (up to 60 yards/round). The movement can also be limited to either swimming or flying.

Challenge RatingThe numerical indicator of how big a challenge the creature poses to the players. The amount of CR the GM uses to balance out the players very much depends on the skill level of the players, and the type of play the GM wants to create. It is up to the GM to find a comfortable level. The CR is purely a guide, not an exact measuring tool.

AttributesThe values for the four attributes the PCs also have. They generally range from 1-6, but can go higher for more powerful beings.

HealthThe amount of damage the creature can take before falling.

DefenceThe value used when attacked by another creature.

CombatThe value used when attacking another creature.

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ExhaustAn amount of points used to fuel special abilities. Certain abilities create exhaust points, and a creature may never have more exhaust points than his exhaust rating.

CriticalThe special effect that triggers when rolling a 6 on an attack.

AttackThe general attack capabilities of the creature.

AbilitiesSpecial abilities that are triggered by the GM and often create exhaust points.

CriticalThe rules for triggering a critical hit work differently for NPCs than for the PCs. A creature automatically triggers its critical effect when the GM rolls a 6 on his attack. Each creature has its own critical effect, and possible even multiple ones, depending on the types of attacks it can perform. Poisons are special because they have a lasting effect - the amount of turns that the effect will remain active for is equal to the result of a single die roll. Additionally, if the poison was applied to an unaware target, the effect remains active for an amount of hours equal to the result of a single die roll.

DisarmThe target drops his weapon.

DrainThe target exhausts half the cards in hand.

Hallucinatory PoisonThe target starts to hallucinate, becoming fearful of everything.

Knock-downThe target goes prone.

Paralyzing PoisonThe target becomes paralyzed. Whilst paralyzed, the target cannot act or communicate in any way.

PierceThe damage dealt is doubled.

Sleeping PoisonThe target falls asleep. Whilst asleep, the target cannot act or communicate in anyway. Any damage will wake the target.

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AbilitiesMost creatures display an array of special abilities, representing their innate powers, behavioural oddities or unique characteristics. The GM is entitled to make use of an ability even when it requires the expenditure of the last point of exhaustion possessed by the creature.

If the creature has to use an action to perform the ability it will be listed as [Action] behind the title. Likewise if the ability is always active, it will state [Passive] behind the title. If an ability has neither, it is an ability that can be activated in additional to any other action taken during its turn. Some abilities may even be triggered outside of combat. Abilities might create exhaustion, these abilities are marked with an asterisk (*) after the title. Lastly, magical abilities also have the keyword “Spell” in their title.

Absorb (Passive)The creature cannot be harmed by magical means.

Ambush*Automatically ambush the target(s). May only be done at the start of combat.

Blind* (Action)An adjacent target becomes partially blind for an amount of rounds equal to the result of a single die. Blinded, the target gains disadvantage on all actions relying on sight.

Break Shield*After a successful attack, the shield carried by the target is smashed away.

Break Spell* (Action)The target within long range must test [Wisdom against TN 8 or the object it is holding breaks apart.

Called Defence*Double the creature’s Defence until the start of its next turn.

Called Shot*After a successful attack, trigger the Critical effect.

Confusion (Action)The target within short range discards all [Wisdom cards from hand. Or when targeting an NPC, his [Wisdom is lowered to 0 for 3 rounds.

Counter*Ignore the ability of a face card used by a PC (it still has its value).

Cursed (Action)The target within long range receives +2 damage from this creature for 1 hour. Only one target may be cursed at any time.

Darkvision [Passive]The creature can see perfectly in darkness.

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Dragon Blast* (Action)Instantly attack all targets within range of a single attack.

Drain Spirit (Action)The target within short range discards all {Spirit cards from hand. Or when targeting an NPC, his {Spirit is lowered to 0 for 3 rounds.

Elusive (Passive)The creature can only be damaged in melee.

Enrage (Passive)PCs must exhaust a card to do any action other than attacking.

Fear-inspiring (Passive)When first encountering this creature, the PC must test {Spirit against TN 10 or become fearful of it.

Fear Feeder Spell* (Action)For each target within long range that is fearful of this creature, it gains 5 health.

Fear of Fire (Passive)The creature gains 1 exhaustion each round it is adjacent to a fire.

Fear of Sunlight (Passive)The creature gains 1 exhaustion each round it is in direct sunlight.

Fear Spell* (Action)The target within long range must test {Spirit against TN 10 or become fearful of the creature.

Feast on Suffering (Passive)The creature lowers his exhaustion by 1 whenever a PC takes any damage from it or any allied creatures.

Fierce (Passive)This creature makes a critical hit on a 5 or 6.

Fleeing (Passive)If at the start of a round this creature has full exhaustion, it tries to flee.

Freedom of Movement*The creature escape any movement impairing effects and may move up to his normal movement speed (again).

Ghostly (Passive)The creature cannot take damage. When its exhaustion is filled, it disappears.

Hateful (Passive)When reduced to 0 health, the creature is not defeated. Instead, when taking damage, it gains 1 exhaustion or is defeated.

Hatred (name) (Passive)This ability requires a culture to be selected as the object of its hate. All actions against this culture have an advantage.

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Heal Spell* (Action)As an action, an ally within long range of the creature regains 5 health.

Illusionary Attack Spell*The target within long range must test ]Agility against TN 10 or the creature may instantly make a successful attack.

Keen Defences*When not taking damage from an enemy’s melee attack, trigger a Critical effect.

Lair (Passive)If the creature is encountered in its lair, all actions against it have a disadvantage, and all actions it makes have an advantage.

Multiattack (Passive)When using an action to attack, this creature may make two attacks.

Offhand Attack*After a successful attack, instantly attack the same target with another type of attack.

Rally* (Action)All allies of the creature within long range, lower their exhaustion by 3.

Seduce Spell* (Action)The target within long range must test {Spirit against TN 8 or be seduced and unable to attack the creature for an amount of rounds equal to the result of a single die roll.

Seize*After a successful attack, the creature holds onto its target. Neither the target nor creature can move, and the target does not gain any bonuses to Defence. The target can escape by using an action to do so.

Shadow Cloak* (Action)Summon shadows to hide, becoming hidden from other creatures.

Shapechange* (Action)Change the physical attributes of the creature.

Sleep Spell* (Action)The target within long range must test {Spirit against TN 10 or fall asleep.

Slow Spell* (Action)The target within long range must test }Force against TN 8 or become slowed for an amount of rounds equal to the result of a single die roll. Slowed targets move at half speed, deal half damage, and gain only half their Defence bonus.

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Stupefy Spell* (Action)The target within long range must test [Wisdom against TN 6 or become stupefied for an amount of rounds equal to the result of a single die roll. A stupefied character must spend his turn moving towards the nearest thing that can harm him.

Summon (name)*Summon one creature. The creature arrives at the start of the following turn.

Tentacles*Target one additional target with an attack.

Thick Skin (Passive)The creature halves all damage taken.

Weak Spot (Passive)Whenever the creature rolls a 1 on an attack, it exposes its weak spot. Until its next turn, its Defence rating is lowered (as listed).

Wide Swing (Passive)Creatures adjacent to the target are also affected by this creature’s attacks.

Beast ArchetypesThere are a near infinite amount of beasts roaming the world. The following six archetypes should fit most creatures, though small adjustments might be needed. Not all beasts are hostile, the majority of smaller animals will even be passive towards the PCs. Most beasts get aggressive when entering their den however. Below are multiple examples of different types of beasts. One clear adjustment to the archetypes that must be performed is adding a poison as critical effect, when designing a spider-like beast. There are three types of poisons a spider could be able to inflict; Hallucinatory poison, paralyzing poison, and sleeping poison.

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Small BeastsEverything less than half the size or weight of an average human is considered small. Small beasts include animals like a bat, cat, frog, hawk, lizard, octopus, owl, rat, raven, snake, and weasel. They are generally harmless, and can be hunted for food.

Abilities: Generally none, though some might have Darkvision.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom0 0 1 0

Health Defence Combat Exhaust1 0 0 0

Attack Damage Range CriticalBite 1 -

Combat Rating: 0.

Movement Speed: Slow, or Normal when it is naturally flying or swimming.

Abilities: Generally none, though some might have Darkvision.

Medium BeastsThe majority of beasts the PCs will interact with will be medium-sized. These group of beasts is divided into two types, the quick and strong. Quick beasts are those that favour agility and patience over aggression and temper. They include animals like an ape, deer, dog, eagle, giant spider, and wolf. When encountering a single one they don’t pose much of a threat, but in packs they can be quite the challenge.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom2 1 2 2

Health Defence Combat Exhaust5 3 2 2

Attack Damage Range CriticalBite 3 PierceClaw 4 -

Combat Rating: 1.

Movement Speed: Normal.

Abilities: Generally none, though some might have Darkvision or Fear of Fire. The stronger ones can also have Seize.

} { []66

Strong beasts are those that rely on their thick hide and strong swipes to take down foes. They are generally solitary animals and can be dangerous when encountered without preparation. This includes animals like a badger, boar, hyena, or vulture.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom4 2 1 1

Health Defence Combat Exhaust8 2 2 1

Attack Damage Range CriticalBite 3 Knock-

downClaw 4 Disarm

Combat Rating: 1.

Movement Speed: Normal.

Abilities: Generally none, though some might have Darkvision or Fear of Fire. The stronger ones can also have Seize.

Large BeastsThose beasts that are easily identified as being able to easily overpower a single PC, most-likely belong to this category. They are at least twice the size or weight of the average character, and therefore have massive strength. They use this to great effect either by being agile and quick, or rough and powerful. The flexible and often times sneaky large beasts are considered quick beasts. These include animals like a lion, panther, and tiger.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom5 3 4 3

Health Defence Combat Exhaust15 5 4 3

Attack Damage Range CriticalBite 5 PierceClaw 7 -

Combat Rating: 4.

Movement Speed: Fast.

Abilities: Most will have the Seize ability, and some will have Darkvision or Fear of Fire.

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Strong large beasts are amongst the hardest beasts to slay. They have a thick hide and a stronger build. Examples of these animals are a bear, camel, crocodile, horse, or shark.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom5 3 2 4

Health Defence Combat Exhaust20 3 5 2

Attack Damage Range CriticalBite 5 Knock-

downClaw 7 Disarm

Combat Rating: 4.

Movement Speed: Normal or Fast.

Abilities: Most will have the Seize ability, and some will have Darkvision or Fear of Fire.

Massive BeastsThere are some beasts that grow to unnaturally large sizes. They are a bulk of muscles that is hard to get through even with the sharpest of blades. Examples include a broodmother spider, chimera, dragon turtle, elephant, giant worm, griffon, hippogriff, wyvern, and yeti.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom7 5 4 4

Health Defence Combat Exhaust40 5 6 4

Attack Damage Range CriticalBite 6 Knock-

downClaw 8 Disarm

Combat Rating: 9.

Movement Speed: Normal or Fast.

Abilities: Always Wild Swing or Multiattack, and possibly have Darkvision or Fear of Fire.

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Enormous BeastsLastly, some beasts are of such immeasurable size that they form the stuff of legends and myths. They are seen by none that life to tell the tale, only to be found in the most secret of places or on the depths of the ocean. Examples include the hydra and kraken.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom10 6 6 5

Health Defence Combat Exhaust75 7 7 8

Attack Damage Range CriticalBite 12 Knock-

downClaw 9 Drain

Combat Rating: 22.

Movement Speed: Fast.

Abilities: Always Wild Swing or Multiattack, and possibly have Darkvision or Tentacles.

Construct ArchetypesSome creatures were not born but created. These are known as constructs. They can be either successful or out-of-control projects from eager mages, or beings shaped by deities in a time long forgotten. Because they lack any organs, they are extremely durable against damage. Their temperament is often that of its creator, whether benevolent or evil. They also understand any languages spoken by their creator, though not all can communicate.

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Medium ConstructsMost mage start they meddling with artificial life on a small scale. They animate objects and pore life into clay figures. The size of these creations is manageable, and they often resemble humanoid figures. Examples include an animated armour, clockwork soldier, flying sword, scarecrow, and small clay golem.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom3 0 1 3

Health Defence Combat Exhaust6 5 3 1

Attack Damage Range CriticalSmash 3 Knock-

down

Combat Rating: 2.

Movement Speed: Slow or Normal.

Abilities: Always Thick Skin, and some will have Absorb.

Large ConstructsThe most successful animators will manage to create large statues that are able to come to life. These are ideal as guardians, as they need no maintenance while they what for years and years to be activated. Examples include a clockwork guardian, iron golem, and stone golem.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom6 0 3 3

Health Defence Combat Exhaust15 6 4 2

Attack Damage Range CriticalSmash 5 Knock-

down

Combat Rating: 4.

Movement Speed: Normal or Fast.

Abilities: Always Thick Skin, and some will have Absorb or Weak Spot.

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Massive ConstructsCreated in a time long past, the titan are made up of stone, magically infused with divine magic. They are rare, and the roam places known only to a few. There immense power and size makes it easy to confuse them for gods themselves.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom10 5 4 4

Health Defence Combat Exhaust40 7 5 4

Attack Damage Range CriticalSmash 8 Knock-

down

Combat Rating: 12.

Movement Speed: Fast.

Abilities: Always Thick Skin, Absorb and, Wide Swing and Weak Spot.

Demon ArchetypesThere are numerous other dimension, some similar to ours, others strange and twisted. From the darkest dimension come the demons. They are unnatural eldritch beings that want only to conquer and torment. They can be conniving, manipulating, or outright vicious and murderous. They are either summoned to this realm by mislead warlocks, or find tears in dimension through which to escape the hell they come from. The language spoken by most demons is either abyssal or darkspeech.

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Small DemonsDemons are as varied as the living races of this realm, maybe even more so. Smallest among them are the ones that survive by lying, cheating, and ambushing the weak. These tiny demons are not known for that skills in combat, and tend to run away when defeat seems inevitable. Examples include imps, mimics, and oozes - though they can grow much larger as well.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom1 2 3 3

Health Defence Combat Exhaust3 1 4 2

Attack Damage Range CriticalClaw 3 -Necrotic Blast Spell

2 Drain

Combat Rating: 1.

Movement Speed: Slow or Normal.

Abilities: Often Fleeing or Ambush.

Medium DemonsThe majority of demons belongs to this archetype and the next - in a world based around strength, the bigger the better. Some of these demons hide amongst regular folk, being able to shapechange at will. Others are vicious monsters that feed on fear and pain. Examples of these are the displacer, fiend, hellhound, or succubus.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom4 3 3 5

Health Defence Combat Exhaust10 4 5 5

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 5 DisarmNecrotic Blast Spell

3 Drain

Combat Rating: 3.

Movement Speed: Normal or Fast.

Abilities: Often Feast on Suffering, Drain Spirit, or Shapechange.

} { []72

Large DemonsMaking up a large portion of the existing demons, large demons come in a large variety. They might be manipulating tacticieners, or vile warmasters, or even neutral beings that simply want to find a place in the world… to conquer. Examples include a devil, gorgon, naga, nightmare, and shadow demon.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom6 4 4 5

Health Defence Combat Exhaust22 5 6 7

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 7 PierceNecrotic Blast Spell

5 Drain

Combat Rating: 7.

Movement Speed: Normal or Fast.

Abilities: Often Fear-inspiring, Multiattack, and if they can perform magic they might have Fear Feeder Spell, Seduce Spell, or Slow Spell.

Massive DemonsFew demons grow to a massive size, but those that do are sure to be overlord and rulers of armies. These demons strive only for total domination, and rarely leave their kingdoms. Examples are the doomguard and the pit fiend.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom12 6 5 8

Health Defence Combat Exhaust45 6 7 9

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 10 PierceNecrotic Blast Spell

7 Drain

Combat Rating: 13.

Movement Speed: Fast.

Abilities: Often Fear-inspiring, Multiattack, Enrage, and if they can perform magic they might have Fear Feeder Spell, Fear Spell, Break Spell, Seduce Spell, or Slow Spell.

} { [] 73

Dragon ArchetypesOne of the most ancient races of beings are the dragons. Their strong physique makes them ideal hunters, their sharp minds make them perfect manipulators, and their inherent arcane blood makes them a challenge beyond anything anyone could ever imagine. Dragons live for over thousands of years, and through their time they learn all sorts of things. It is common for a dragon to speak multiple languages, and be proficient in many spells. Dragon come in multiple forms, they all seek treasures and power, yet each slightly differs in attitude and breath weapon; red dragons seek domination and subjugation, and breath fire; blue dragons are vain and cruel, and breath lightning; green dragons are schemers and corrupters, and breath acid; white dragons are primal and breath ice.

Medium DragonsAfter being freshly hatches out of their eggs, the dragon is already a killing machine. Born with sharp teeth and a hide as thick as any armour, these young dragons quickly learn how powerful their are. Newly hatched dragons are known as wyrmlings, and the more grown are called drakes. Magical abilities are rare amongst such young dragons.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom4 3 4 5

Health Defence Combat Exhaust18 6 5 3

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 5 Knock-

downBite 7 -Breath 3 -

Combat Rating: 6.

Movement Speed: Fast.

Abilities: Often Darkvision, Fear-inspiring, Multiattack, Seize, Counter, and Dragon Blast.

} { []74

Massive DragonsAfter a relatively short period of growth (around 100 years), the young drake turns into a real dragon. It had grown in both strength and aptitude, and is now an equal match for ever the fiercest of foes. It is as this time that they start to plot to gain power and treasures.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom12 7 5 6

Health Defence Combat Exhaust46 9 7 9

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 12 Knock-

downBite 9 PierceBreath 6 Drain

Combat Rating: 19.

Movement Speed: Fast or Swift.

Abilities: Often Weak Spot, Freedom of Movement, Darkvision, Fear-inspiring, Multiattack, Seize, Counter, Dragon Blast, and for magical abilities they often have Fear Feeder Spell, Sleep Spell, Slow Spell, and Stupefy Spell.

Enormous DragonsIf able to collect a massive hoard and even a following of fearful subjugates, the dragon will remain and grow up to a enormous size. Few of these dragons exist, and those that do not fall to the jealousy of other dragons, are amongst the most powerful beings in existence. These most-dominant dragons are known as ancient dragons.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom16 8 9 10

Health Defence Combat Exhaust80 12 9 14

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 15 Knock-

downBite 11 PierceBreath 8 Drain

Combat Rating: 40.

Movement Speed: Swift.

Abilities: Often Weak Spot, Freedom of Movement, Darkvision, Fear-inspiring, Multiattack, Seize, Counter, Dragon Blast, and for magical abilities they often have Fear Feeder Spell, Sleep Spell, Slow Spell, and Stupefy Spell.

} { [] 75

Elemental ArchetypesAt the creation of the worlds there were only the raw elemental powers of nature. From this, life was born, in a large variety of shapes and sizes. Some grew closer to animals, with tangible bodies and feral instincts, whilst others remained in raw energy-like states. Those of more intelligence also speak a guttural languages that is known as elemental. All elemental are linked to one of the four prime elements: air, earth, fire, and water.

Medium ElementalsMost of the beast-like elemental beings do not grow overly large. Their strict requirements for their surroundings leaves them restricted to very specific location. These include the firesnakes from volcanic locations, water nymphs from hidden lakes, gargoyles from the high mountain peaks, and the invisible beings hidden in the windy places of the world.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom2 4 3 2

Health Defence Combat Exhaust12 2 4 3

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 3 Drain

Combat Rating: 2.

Movement Speed: Normal or Fast.

Abilities: Can include Confusion or Blind.

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Large ElementalsThe raw elemental entities are commonly known as elementals, and they take on many shapes. Of course the most common ones are directly related to the primal elements, but others have altered their shape to fit their surroundings - these sub-element include dust, ice, magma, mud, sand, smoke, and steam.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom3 4 4 4

Health Defence Combat Exhaust20 5 5 5

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 6 Drain

Combat Rating: 5.

Movement Speed: Fast.

Abilities: Can include Confusion, Blind, Elusive, Absorb, or Wild Swing.

Humanoid ArchetypesThe most diverse type of creatures are the humanoids. They include the races the PCs belong to, and all other races of general intellect and and human-like features. They can be both civilized and savage in nature, good and evil, large and small. The amount of languages spoken by these types of creatures is limitless. Most species have their own languages, though those that live in similar areas might share languages. Generally, the weapons and attire carried by the less civilized species is of a lower quality.

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Small HumanoidsThe smaller sized humanoids are often considered weaker, and though that might be the case for goblin, a dwarf is just as hearty as a full-grown human. Therefore, when creating a small-yet-strong character, use the values for a medium-sized humanoid. The values listed here are for the frail humanoids. Examples of any small humanoids include a dark dwarf, fishman, gnome, goblin, grey dwarves, and mountain dwarf.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom2 1 3 2

Health Defence Combat Exhaust4 2 2 2

Attack Damage Range CriticalMelee 2 -Ranged 1 -

Combat Rating: 1.

Movement Speed: Normal.

Abilities: Can include Hatred (culture), and for magic-users it can have Heal Spell and Stupefy Spell.

Medium HumanoidsThe vast majority of character encountered by the PCs will be of this category. All the shopkeepers, commoners, bandits, and kings, will be medium-sized humanoids. Examples of species include a dark elf, gnoll, high elf, harpy, hobgoblin, human, kobold, lizardfolk, merfolk, orc, and wood elf. Because the category is so diverse, there are multiple values listed below.

The commoner is the average NPC that will interact with the players. He doesn’t know much about combat or magic, and performs simple tasks in a simple life. Examples include the acolyte, bard, barkeep, innkeep, monarch, noble, scout, and smith.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom3 3 3 3

Health Defence Combat Exhaust8 2 2 2

Attack Damage Range CriticalMelee 4 -Ranged 2 Pierce

Combat Rating: 2.

Movement Speed: Normal.

Abilities: Can include Hatred (culture).

} { []78

The warrior is every NPC that is skilled in combat, either through training as a soldier or guard, or by a life of crime. They can be trusted to stand up against those that oppose them. Examples include an assassin, bandit, gladiator, guard, knight, monk, spy, thug, and tribal warrior.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom4 3 4 3

Health Defence Combat Exhaust14 4 5 3

Attack Damage Range CriticalMelee 5 -Offhand 2 DisarmRanged 3 Pierce

Combat Rating: 3.

Movement Speed: Normal.

Abilities: Can include Hatred (culture), Multiattack, Fierce, Keen Defences, Called Shot, Called Defence, Offhand Attack, Rally, Shadow Cloak, Break Shield, and Blind.

The spellslinger is the archetype for magical NPCs - those that have inherent magical abilities or trains their skins in the arcane. They generally play supporting roles, and are strongest when in a group of warriors. Examples include the cultist, druid, mage, priest, and warlock.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom2 4 3 4

Health Defence Combat Exhaust10 4 4 6

Attack Damage Range CriticalMelee 2 -Arcane Blast Spell

4 Drain

Combat Rating: 3.

Movement Speed: Normal.

Abilities: Can include Hatred (culture), Confusion, Called Shot, Rally, Summon (creature), Shapechange, and for spells it can include Illusionary Attack Spell, Heal Spell, Sleep Spell, Slow Spell, and Stupefy Spell.

} { [] 79

Large HumanoidsGenerally the increase of size only indicates an increase of strength, not intelligence. For the large humanoids that exist, is is true. Most life secluded from society, and only come in contact with it per change. Examples include a cave troll, ogre, river troll, stone troll, and werewolf.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom6 3 3 3

Health Defence Combat Exhaust20 4 5 5

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 7 Knock-

down

Combat Rating: 5.

Movement Speed: Normal.

Abilities: Can include Hatred (culture), Fear of Sunlight, Thick Skin, Wide Swing, Seize, and Break Shield.

Massive HumanoidsClose to the elemental energies, or hidden high in the mountains and deep under the sea, live giants that tower over all other life. They live secluded lives, building settlements, and hunting and gathering tos survive. Examples include a cyclops, mountain giant, fire giant, frost giant, hill giant, sea giant, and storm giant.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom10 5 5 6

Health Defence Combat Exhaust40 5 7 7

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 10 Knock-

down

Combat Rating: 11.

Movement Speed: Normal or Fast.

Abilities: Can include Hatred (culture), Thick Skin, Wide Swing, Seize, and Freedom of Movement.

} { []80

Spirit ArchetypesThe magical creatures living in the forest, and other places secluded from civilization, are known as spirits. These beings are generally kind-hearted, and only get aggressive when their sanctuary is attacked. Most speak sylvan - a beautifully sounding language. The more intellectual of the spirits can form societies around their sanctuaries, protecting and maintaining it.

Small SpiritsThe most delicate and strange of the spirits are also the smallest. These beings are sometimes a mere collection of emotions and shapes. Guiding weary travellers to the right path, or scaring those that venture too close. Some are also capable of casting spells, as the magical essence of their existence gives them easy access to such abilities. Examples include the faerie dragon, pixie, sprite, and wisp.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom1 5 3 2

Health Defence Combat Exhaust2 3 2 4

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 2 -

Combat Rating: 1.

Movement Speed: Slow or Normal.

Abilities: Can include Absorb, Counter, and for spells they can have Seduce Spell, Slow Spell, and Stupefy Spell.

} { [] 81

Medium SpiritsThe majority of the spirit living in the hidden societies of the forests and groves, will be of a size equal to the PCs. These spirits are just in rich as rolls as most of the humanoid species; there are guardians, spellcasters, rangers, rulers, and more. Not all have magical abilities, but the majority does to at least some degree. Examples include a dryad, faun, hag, nymph, and satyr.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom3 6 3 4

Health Defence Combat Exhaust10 3 4 7

Attack Damage Range CriticalMelee 5 -Ranged 3 PierceArcane Blast Spell

4 Drain

Combat Rating: 3.

Movement Speed: Normal or Fast.

Abilities: Can include Absorb, Multiattack, Confusion, Ambush, Called Shot, Freedom of Movement, Rally, and for spells if can have Heal Spell, Seduce Spell, Sleep Spell, Slow Spell, and Stupefy Spell. It can also have poisonous weapons, that inflict Hallucinatory Poison, Paralyzing Poison, or Sleeping Poison.

Large SpiritsSpirits of the largest sizes are either slow in their movement - if not completely stagnant - or swift like the wind. The slow ones form perfect guardians, and their natural forms makes them hard to spot in a dense forest. They lack any magical capabilities, but their thick bark-hide makes them tough to defeat. Examples include an awakened tree or a treant. The other types are rarely seen, and believed to be pure fairy tales by some. Examples include a spriggan, unicorn, or wendigo.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom8 6 3 4

Health Defence Combat Exhaust26 3 4 7

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 8 Knock-

down

Combat Rating: 5.

Movement Speed: Normal or Fast.

Abilities: Can include Absorb, Thick Skin, Wide Swing, Seize, Tentacles, and Called Defence.

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Undead ArchetypesAll creatures that lived at some point can be brought back to some resemblance of life. These beings are known as the undead, and are most commonly brought back by powerful necromancers. The undead feel no pain and do not fear death, making them the perfect army for those that seek to conquer the land of the living. The magic that holds them together is fragile, but a broken body can be brought back again, and again.

Medium UndeadIt is easiest to bring back beings that have not been dead for too long, therefore the necromancers often camp close to cities and town, for a fresh supply of bodies. The majority of the undead beings will be of races similar to the PCs, only they have their flesh falling off, or might even be only walking skeletons. Some have magical capabilities, whilst other are feral beings out to kill whatever crosses their path. Listed below are the weaker and more feral undead beings. To create an undead warrior or ranger or mage, take the attributes ratings from the living variant and add the Fear of Sunlight ability. Examples of these stronger undead creatures include a death knight, necromancer, revenant, vampire, and wraith. For the values listed below, examples include a banshee, ghost, ghoul, mummy, skeleton, specter, wight, and zombie.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom4 3 3 2

Health Defence Combat Exhaust8 3 4 2

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 4 -Ranged 2 Pierce

Combat Rating: 2.

Movement Speed: Normal or Fast.

Abilities: Always includes Fear of Sunlight, and can include Feast on Suffering, Ghostly, Hateful, Multiattack, Drain Spirit, and Cursed.

} { [] 83

Large UndeadThe most powerful of necromancers change into something unholy, which gives them increased capabilities. They are known as liches, and are at the heart of every undead scourge. They posses strong magical capabilities, and strike fear into all that oppose them.

}Force {Spirit ]Agility [Wisdom4 4 4 5

Health Defence Combat Exhaust22 4 5 8

Attack Damage Range CriticalSwipe 5 PierceNecrotic Blast Spell

5 Drain

Combat Rating: 6.

Movement Speed: Fast.

Abilities: Always has Fear of Sunlight, and can have Enrage, Elusive, Fear-inspiring, Feast on Suffering, Hateful, Absorb, Lair, Multiattack, Cursed, Counter, Summon (creature), and for spells it can have Break Spell, Fear Feeder Spell, Fear Spell, and Sleep Spell.

Custom AdversariesThe listed adversaries can be easily altered to fit any type of creature, but if you want to create your very own you can use these guidelines. NPCs are ranked on their CR, which is created by looking at all the aspects that make up the creature. Each aspect has its own Building Points (BP), used to help design the NPC. Start with 0BP, and go through the steps listed below, adding aspects to the NPCs. With each step, write down your choice as well as the BP for that category.

TypeEach creature must belong to a type-category, in order to be (un)affected by abilities and other game effects. The options are: beast, construct, demon, dragon, elemental, humanoid, spirit, and undead.

There is no BP based on this choice.

SizeThere are five categories of size for creatures. Each category is up to twice bigger than the previous category. The options are: small, medium, large, massive, and enormous. Most PCs belong to the medium category.

There is no BP cost for this choice, but it does affect expectations for the attributes values, health, and damage.

} { []84

SpeedThis choice is mostly made on flavour of the character - make it based on what suits the creature best. A predator will be generally faster, whilst a giant being might be slower. Each of the categories is roughly twice faster than the previous. The options are: slow, normal, fast, and swift.

There is no BP ased on this choice.

Attribute RatingsBP = (Force + Spirit + Agility + Wisdom) / 4

The four attributes used for player-interaction with the creature are the same as the PCs’ attributes; }Force, {Spirit, ]Agility, and [Wisdom. Generally these values ranked from 1 to 6 (like the result of a die roll). It should indicate the average value the creature should roll on the tested attribute. For an above-average being, like those that reside in the crevices of the world, the value for these attributes can grow even higher. However, to give the PCs a reasonable change, the value should be limited to a maximum of 12. On average a small creature has each value at 1-2, medium creatures around 3, large creatures around 4, massive creatures at 5-6, and enormous creature at 8-9.

The BP cost for the chosen attributes is equal to the total value of all four attributes, divided by 4.

Health & DefenceBP = Health * Defence / 3

The amount of damage a creature can take before falling is determined mostly by its size, as well as the type of its skin, hide, or armour. The average health for a small creature lies around 2-3, for medium creatures around 10, for large creature around 20, for massive creatures around 40, and enormous creatures around 80.

The defence value of the creature determines at what speed its health will be lost, and thus is influential on the BP cost. The value is ranked like an attributes, ranging from 1-6, and possible higher for special beings. Also, the value should not exceed 12. For those with an exceptionally high defence, it is advised to add the Weak Spot ability, in order to give the players a chance of victory. The average defence for small creatures lies around 1-2, medium creatures at 3-4, large creatures at 4-5, massive creatures around 6, and enormous creatures around 9.

The BP cost is equal to the health multiple by the defence, and divided by 3.

Combat & AttacksBP = (Highest Damage + Longest Range) * Combat / 3 + Critical effect (2)

To determine the creature’s combat efficiency, you must look at both its combat value and the types of attacks it can perform. The combat value represents the average die roll

} { [] 85

the creature should have when attacking, and is measured in a similar fashion as the defence value and attributes values (from 1-6, and not exceeding 12). The average for small creatures is 2, for medium creatures 3-4, for large creatures 4-5, for massive creatures 6-7, and for enormous creatures around 8.

A creature can have as many types of attacks as would seem natural, but more is not always better. Each attack should have a unique quality that makes it tactically more effective when used in specific situations. For instance, one attack might deal less damage than the other but has a larger range, or one attack might be good at disarming warrior whilst another is pury damage-based. Three attacks are more than enough to make a creature diverse during combat, especially since it will most likely have unique abilities to surprise the players with. The maximum damage an attack does for small creatures is around 2, for medium creatures around 5, for large creatures from 7, for massive creatures around 10, and for enormous creatures around 14. The range at which these attacks happen is up to what makes most sense. Though attacks with longer ranges should also have an decrease in damage, to have them make more tactical sense.

The critical effects on the attacks should be whatever makes the most sense. The choices are disarm, drain, knock-down, and pierce (as described on page 60). For poisonous creatures or weapons with poison-edges,

the critical effect could also be hallucinatory poison, paralyzing poison, or sleeping poison.

The BP cost is equal to the highest damage of all the attacks, added together with the highest range increment of all the attacks (0 for melee, 1 for short range, or 2 for long range), multiplied by the combat value, divided by 3, and then add 2 if there are any critical effects (regardless of which one, or how many different ones).

Exhaust & AbilitiesBP = Exhaust + Total of Abilities

The number of special abilities and the amount of times these can be called upon greatly determines the creature’s versatility in dealing with the PCs. Once again, the value of exhaust is based on the size of the creature, with larger creature being able to make use of a larger bank of energy. On average the exhaust value for small creatures lies around 2, for medium creatures around 3, for large creatures around 5, for massive creatures around 7, and for enormous creatures around 11. However, the type of the creature might also have an effect; demons for instance have higher values, whilst constructs have relatively low values.

Abilities are tools to shape a unique being. It is possible to create your own abilities - which can be done easiest by slightly adjusted existing abilities (as listed on page 61). Each ability has its own increase to BR, and thus should be looked at on a ability-by-ability basis.

} { []86

The costs for each ability are listed below.

Ability BPAbsorb Equal to creature’s

health, divided by 2.Ambush 2Blind 2Break Shield 1Break Spell 5Called Defence 1Called Shot 2Confusion 2Counter 4Cursed 5Darkvision 1Dragon Blast 5Drain Spirit 2Elusive Equal to creature’s

health, divided by 2.Enrage 3Fear-inspiring 3Fear Feeder Spell 4Fear of Fire -1Fear of Sunlight -1Fear Spell 3Feast of Suffering 5Fierce 4Fleeing -1Freedom of Movement 2Ghostly 5

Hateful 5Hatred (...) 1Heal Spell 4Illusionary Attack Spell 2Keen Defences 2Lair 4Multiattack 4Offhand Attack 3Rally 3Seduce Spell 4Seize 2Shadow Cloak 2Shapechange 2Sleep Spell 3Slow Spell 3Stupefy Spell 3Summon (...) Equal to the

summoned creature’s CR, multiplied by 5.

Tentacles 5Thick Skin 6Weak Spot -1Wide Swing 4

The BP costs for this segment is equal to the total of the exhaust value and any costs for the abilities that are added.

} { [] 87

Completing the CreatureCR = Total BP / 10

In order to finish the creature, a name must be chosen and the BP must be changed into CR. You can also add an image, or draw one yourself, adding to the flavour of the being.

In order to calculate the CR value, add all the individual BP costs together, and divide it by 10 (rounding upwards). The result is the CR value of the creature. Write down this value, and any side information, like a description of the creature’s behavior, and you have completed the process.

} { []88

Appendix

The eight different character sheets can be downloaded on vincentgames.com/cartomancy

Each class has its own character sheet, and each player must have a copy of a character sheet matching his chosen class.

Additionally, below is the list of all the different Edges, which can be used by to players to keep track of their options during any action.

Edge Effect Triggered byAccuracy Increase the total value

of the action by 2.Light weapons, Great Ranged weapons, Arcane Bolt spell, and Eldritch Bolt spell.

Pierce Increase the damage dealt by 1. Only if already dealing damage.

Small weapons, Ranged weapons, Lightning spell, Shapechange ability, and Empowered ability.

Break Shield The target’s shield is smashed to the ground.

Large weapons.

Knock-down The target goes prone. Large weapons, and Shapechange ability.

Disarm The target drops whatever its holding. Shapechange ability, and Disarm ability.