Refereeing

The Referee can use these guidelines to stay consistent without slowing the game down. They won’t cover every situation, but they should make running the game a lot easier.

Guidelines

Conversions

To play Nightsong using the extensive adventures and bestiaries published for countless OSR games over the years, the guidelines below can be used to convert NPCs and creatures into the Nightsong format.

These are good baselines, but the Referee may adjust the numbers in case they do not feel right at the table.

Nightsong NPCs

In Nightsong, NPCs are defined by:

Drives: What the NPC wants, fears, or is trying to achieve. Drives inform behavior and negotiation.

Hit Points: The amount of Damage an NPC can sustain before being taken out.

Attacks: The weapons, natural attacks, or abilities used to deal Damage.

Armor/Shields: Equipment or natural protection that helps resist Damage.

Resolve: A percentage rating representing the NPC’s will to fight. 30% is cowardly, 50% is average, 70% or higher is steadfast. When a morale test is triggered, the Referee rolls 1D%. If the result is equal to or under the Resolve rating, the NPC holds. Otherwise, they rout, flee, or yield.

Specials: Unique traits, powers, or exceptions that bend or break the standard rules of play.

Nightsong “Saves”

Many traditional old-school games call for “saves” to avoid special effects or dangerous consequences. In Nightsong, only player characters make these rolls. When a save is required, the character makes a DR12 Check using the most appropriate Ability, adjusting the DR up or down to reflect the severity of the threat. When an NPC would be asked to save, the Referee rolls the 1D% Die of Fate to determine the outcome instead.

MÖRK BORG

• Hit Points: Stay the same.
• Weapons: Stay the same. D2 damage becomes D4 in Nightsong.
• Armor: Tier 1 Armor becomes D4. Tier 2 or Tier 3 Armor becomes D6. Shields stay the same.
• Resolve: Use the creature’s Morale score. Morale 2-5 is 30%, Morale 6-7 is 50%, Morale 8-9 is 70%, and Morale 10-12 is 90%.

Cairn

• Hit Points: Stay the same.
• Weapons: Stay the same.
• Armor: Armor 1 becomes D4. Armor 2 or 3 becomes D6.
• Resolve: Use the creature’s WIL score. WIL 3-6 is 30%, WIL 7-11 is 50%, WIL 12-15 is 70%, and WIL 16-18 is 90%.

Knave

• Hit Points: If the creature lists Hit Dice, use Hit Dice x 4. If it already lists HP, stay the same.
• Weapons: Stay the same.
• Armor: Light Armor or 1-2 Armor Points becomes D4. Heavier Armor or 3+ Armor Points becomes D6.
• Resolve: Use the creature’s Morale score directly. Morale 2-5 is 30%, Morale 6-7 is 50%, Morale 8-9 is 70%, and Morale 10-12 is 90%.

Old-School Essentials

• Hit Points: Use Hit Dice x 4.
• Weapons: Stay the same.
• Armor: Unarmored, hide, or Leather Armor is None or D4. Mail, plate, or supernatural plating is D6. Shields stay the same if noted.
• Resolve: Use the creature’s Morale score. Morale 2-5 is 30%, Morale 6-7 is 50%, Morale 8-9 is 70%, and Morale 10-12 is 90%.

DCC

• Hit Points: If the stat block already lists HP, stay the same. Otherwise use Hit Dice x 4.
• Weapons: Stay the same. If the creature uses “funky dice” damage, round to the closest standard die.
• Armor: Unarmored, hide, or Leather Armor is None or D4. Mail, plate, or supernatural plating is D6. Shields stay the same if noted.
• Resolve: Set Resolve by the creature’s temperament. Skittish, hungry, pressed into service, or weak-willed foes are 30%. Typical soldiers, bandits, beasts, and guards are 50%. Elite troops, cultists, undead, constructs, and fanatics are 70%. Mindless horrors, holy guardians, and beings that do not fear death are 90%.

Thank you

Thank you so much for reading Nightsong!

What Next

Now that you have finished reading the game, here are a few paths forward.

Play: print the cheatsheet, create characters using our online tool. Gather dice or use the dice roller, a few players, then step into a world of wonders and dangers.

Feedback: Nightsong is still evolving, and reader feedback helps sharpen both the rules and the presentation. Notes on clarity, edge cases, typos, and table use are all welcome. Visit farirpgs.com/discord or farirpgs.com/contact.

Suggestions: Nightsong is a community project. If there are additional rules, tables, procedures, or guidelines that would make the game easier to run or more fun to play, suggestions are welcome.

Donations: Nightsong is free and always will be. If the game brought something to your table and you want to support its continued development, donations are welcome.

Third-Party Works: Nightsong is meant to be hacked, expanded, and remixed into new adventures and new games. To publish work based on Nightsong, download compatibility logos at nightsong.farirpgs.com/license and include the following notice in the published work:

This product is based on Nightsong, published by Fari RPGs (https://farirpgs.com/), developed and authored by René-Pier Deshaies-Gélinas, and is licensed for use under the Open RPG Creative License. This product is licensed under the ORC License held in the Library of Congress at TX 9-307-067 and available online at various locations including www.azoralaw.com/orclicense and others. All warranties are disclaimed as set forth therein.

More: For updates, tools, downloads, and related projects, visit nightsong.farirpgs.com.