Adventuring

Journeying

Use these procedures when characters journey into the wilds.

Travel: Characters can travel six miles per Watch across clear terrain. Difficult terrain halves this distance. Clear paths double it. Traveling on horseback doubles the distance. Traveling by ship triples it.

Weather: At the start of each Watch, roll the Die of Fate to see whether the weather holds. If not, the group can wait it out and make no progress this Watch, or press on with Disadvantage and halve their travel distance. The Referee may adjust the threshold based on season and climate: 30% in dry or mild seasons, 70% in stormy or harsh ones.

Navigation: When traveling without a clear path or landmark, roll the Die of Fate at the start of each Watch to see whether the characters stay on course. If not, they get lost or drift in an unintended direction. The Referee may adjust the threshold based on terrain and weather: 30% in dense forests, fog, or blizzards, 70% on open plains or under clear skies.

Foraging: When foraging or hunting, roll the Die of Fate to see whether the characters find anything worthwhile. If they do, increase one ration’s Step Die by 1 step. The Referee may adjust the threshold based on terrain and season: 30% or lower in barren or frozen regions, 70% or higher in lush or abundant ones.

Rations: Each character must consume one ration per day, rolling its Step Die, or gain a “starving” Condition.

Short Rest: Characters may spend one Turn (10 minutes) taking a Short Rest to recover. Resting takes time, and time may cost opportunities or attract danger.

Long Rest: Characters may spend one Watch (6 hours) taking a Long Rest to recover. If they do not do this at least once each day, they gain a “fatigued” Condition.

Delving

Use these procedures when characters delve into lightless reaches.

Movement: Each Turn, characters may carefully move to a nearby area and take one additional action.

Light: A reliable light source is required when exploring depths and dungeons. Without one, characters have Disadvantage on all their rolls. A single light source is enough for a group moving together. When a light is lit, a player rolls the Step Die of the consumable item. The Referee then tracks its duration with a Step Die: D6 for torches and D8 for oil lanterns. Each Turn, the Referee rolls that die and steps it down as normal. At D0, the light goes out and a new one must be lit.

Encounters & Events

Use these procedures whenever characters journey or delve.

Events: At the start of each Turn (10 minutes) or Watch (6 hours), roll the Die of Fate to see whether the way ahead stays clear. If not, the Referee introduces an encounter, hazard, complication, or sign of a looming event. The Referee may adjust the threshold based on how active the environment is: 30% in quiet or empty stretches, 70% in populated or dangerous territory.

Looming Events: When the Referee reveals signs of a looming event, start an Event Step Die to show it drawing closer. The larger the die, the more time remains before it occurs. If unsure, use a D6. At the start of each following Turn or Watch, roll the Event Step Die and step it down as normal. At D0, the event unfolds.

Distance: When an encounter occurs, roll the Die of Fate to see if it starts far or near. If it is far, the group has time to react, hide, or prepare. If it is near, the characters must act now. The Referee may adjust the threshold based on terrain: 30% in dense cover or darkness, 70% on open ground or with advance warning.

Reactions: When the characters meet an NPC or creature, use whatever reaction fits the situation. When the response is uncertain, roll the Die of Fate to see whether the NPC is curious, kind, or helpful. If not, they are wary, dangerous, or hostile. The Referee may adjust the threshold based on the situation: 30% for predators or hostile creatures, 70% for typically peaceful folk.

Resolve: NPCs have a Resolve rating expressed as a percentage. A rating of 30% is cowardly, 50% is average, and 70% or higher is steadfast. If a group of NPCs loses half their numbers or a lone NPC loses half their HP, the Referee rolls 1D%. If the result is equal to or under the Resolve rating, the NPC holds. Otherwise, they rout, flee, or yield.

NPCs and Creatures

Use these procedures when characters encounter NPCs or creatures.

Drive: Most NPCs have drives or goals. They may accept bribes, withdraw when outmatched, or negotiate if it serves them. Violence is rarely the only option.

Hit Points: Most NPCs and creatures have 4-12 HP. Tough or large beings have 13-20 HP. Only colossal threats exceed 20 HP, up to a maximum of 30 HP.

Damage: Unarmed or weak attacks deal D4 Damage. Light Weapons or attacks deal D6 Damage. Medium Weapons or dangerous attacks deal D8 Damage. Heavy Weapons or deadly threats deal D10 Damage. Some Weapons or attacks deal Damage multiple times, shown with a plus sign, such as D8 + D8. In those cases, roll each Damage die and keep the single highest result.

Armor: Most NPCs and creatures have no Armor. Some have D4 Armor, while hardier foes have D6. Unusual beings may grant attackers Advantage, impose Disadvantage on certain attacks, or prove immune to them entirely.

Resolve: Most NPCs have a Resolve of 50%. Cowardly or weak-willed foes may have as little as 30%, while elite or fanatical enemies can have 70% or higher.

Specials: Some NPCs or creatures use attacks that break the usual rules. These attacks might call for a Check, ignore standard Weapon Dice, bypass Armor entirely, inflict Conditions, or impose unusual effects.

Forces: Warbands, armies, and massive creatures count as one NPC. They ignore damage from individuals and require coordinated force or tactics to harm. At 0 HP, they perish, rout, or yield.

Recruitment

Characters may gather or recruit help throughout their journey. Some serve out of duty, others out of conviction, but most expect payment.

Individual recruits are treated as NPCs with HP, a Weapon Die, Armor, and a Resolve rating. Groups or warbands are treated as a Force, also with HP, a Weapon Die, Armor, and a Resolve rating. The Referee sets these values based on the group’s quality and number.

NPCs must be fed, rested, and paid. When any of these needs go unmet, the Referee rolls the Die of Fate against the Force’s Resolve. If the result is above the Resolve rating, the NPCs mutiny, desert, or disband. Otherwise, reduce their Resolve by 10%. Resolve recovers by 10% per day once their needs are being met again.

Structures and ___

Structures have HP and sometimes Armor. At 0 HP, they are destroyed. Repairing or providing care for them takes one day of work per point of HP restored.

Light Structures: Buildings made of wood or similar materials cannot be harmed by ordinary Weapons. Damaging them requires fire, magic, heavy ordnance, or a creature large enough to tear them apart.

Fortifications: Walls and stonework are immune to most forms of attack. Breaking through requires heavy ordnance or finding a way around, such as a gate, a hatch, or a sewer.

• Small (gate, hatch, weak spot): 5 HP, D4 Armor.
• Medium (barricade, reinforced door): 10 HP, D4 Armor.
• Large (fortress wall, vault): 10 HP, D6 Armor.

Mounts and Flyers: When mounts or flyers collide, each takes D12 Damage. If one vessel is much larger than the other, the larger one only takes D6 Damage and the smaller one takes D12 Damage.

• Small (cart, raft, skiff): 4 HP.
• Medium (carriage, longship, glider): 7 HP, D4 Armor.
• Large (warship, airship, convoy): 10 HP, D6 Armor.

Heavy Ordnance: This is the only reliable way to damage fortified structures.

• Small (portable): D12 Damage.
• Medium (mounted): D12 Blast Damage.
• Large (immobile): D12 + D12 + D12 Blast Damage.

Living World

Use these procedures to create a Land, a part of the world that feels alive and worth exploring. Each Land is represented by a 5 x 5 flower map of 6-mile hexes.

Open the interactive hex mapping tool →

Regions

Repeat these steps until every hex in the Land is filled with a Region.

1. Roll 1D6 and consult the table below to determine the Region’s type and Spread Die.
2. Drop the Region’s Spread Die onto the map to choose its start hex. If it lands off the map, reroll. If it lands on a colored hex, move it to the nearest uncolored hex.
3. Color a number of uncolored hexes equal to the result, starting from the start hex and spreading outward. If the Region gets boxed in before all hexes are placed, place the remainder from the nearest uncolored hex.
4. Use the tables below to generate the Region’s name, features, and more.

Region Type 1D6

Region Vegetation 1D6

Factions

Factions populate a Region and shape its conflicts, trade, faith, and everyday life. Follow these steps to add Factions to a Region.

1. Roll 1D4 to determine how many Factions exist in the Region.
2. For each Faction, roll 1D6 and consult the table below to determine its type and Influence Die.
3. Drop the Faction’s Influence Die onto the map to choose its start hex. If it lands off the map, reroll. If it lands on a hex already claimed by another Faction, move it to the nearest unclaimed hex.
4. Claim a number of hexes equal to the result, starting from the start hex and spreading outward by coloring the borders of those hexes. This marks the Faction’s territory.
5. Use the tables below to generate the Faction’s name, wants, methods, assets, and current activity.

Faction Type 1D6

Faction Clocks

Factions are always working toward a goal. To represent this, assign each Faction a Goal Step Die and roll it between sessions. The larger the die, the longer or more complex the goal. If unsure, use a D6. At D0, the Faction reaches its goal, and the Land changes to reflect it.

Region Names

Use the following tables to generate a Region name based on its land type.

Region Features and Spark

Use the following tables when generating a Region’s features or overall vibe. Create a Spark by pairing one Spark Theme with one Spark Action to suggest a live situation in the Region.

Features 1D66

Descriptor 1D66

Spark Theme 1D66

Spark Action 1D66

Faction Names

Use the following tables to generate a Faction name based on its type.

Faction Goals and Assets

Use the following tables when generating a Faction’s goals, methods, resources, and current activity.

Has… 1D66

Is…