Black Cairn

Black Cairn is a roleplaying game designed to emulate the soulslike genre,

and ensure compatibility with OSR, Runecairn, Knave, and Cairn modules. Black

Cairn is a humans only RPG, any other ancestries are not provided. Black Cairn is

dedicated to the memory of E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, Rob Kuntz, and my

stepdad(still alive) David Frye.

Characters
Characters have Attributes, Equipment, and Encumbrance. Primary attributes are

determined by Starting Class choice, Secondary Attributes are determined

differently for each one. Create a character by choosing a class, noting

equipment and attributes, rolling for Hit Points, noting a name, and choosing a

trinket from the table below.

Trinket Ability

YaHWeH insignia Channel Eldritch Energy for 4d6 damage(auto-hit)

at the cost of 1 Vitality.

Yaldabaoth's Tendril Gain +4 Damage Reduction points for one hour at

the cost of 1 Vitality.

Skeletal Spirits Spend 1 Constitution to summon 2d4 Skeletons

under your control.

Gazyg's Wand +2 to damage with spells.

Nosenra's Blade +1 Dagger

Helmet of The Flame +1 Damage Reduction

Nyarlothotep Insignia Cast Charm once per day at the cost of one

Charisma

None None

Attributes
There are 2 types of attributes, Primary, and Secondary, Primary Attributes are

determined by starting class choice, secondary attributes are determined

separately per attribute. There are 6 Primary Attributes, Strength, Dexterity,

Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Primary Attributes are used for

Attribute Tests, roll a d20 and a roll under the relevant Primary Attribute is a

success. There are 3 secondary attributes, Damage Reduction, Vitality, and Hit

Points. Damage Reduction is determined by armor worn, and can be used to

absorb damage, though no damage may be reduced below 0, when the pool of

damage reduction is reduced to 0, test constitution or the armor breaks, Damage

Reduction can be replenished by resting at a Cairn. Vitality is determined by

dividing your constitution score by 3(round down), Vitality can be reduced by 1 by

abilities and death, when Vitality reaches 0, your character dies permanently. Hit

Points are determined by rolling a d8 for every level possessed, when Hit Points

reach 0, you die. Hit Points can be replenished at a rate of 1d4 Hit Points per day

by resting at a Cairn.

Starting Classes
There are 5 starting classes, Warriors,

Sorcerers, Rogues, Priests, and Vagabonds.

Warriors

Warriors begin with the following primary

attributes: Strength 13, Dexterity 12,

Constitution 11, Intelligence 7, Wisdom 10,

Charisma 10. Warriors begin with the

following items: Two Weapons of choice,

Shield, Chainmail, 7 days rations, 10’ pole.

Sorcerers

Sorcerers begin with the following primary

attributes: Strength 7, Dexterity 12,

Constitution 10, Intelligence 13, Wisdom 12,

Charisma 10. Sorcerers begin with the

following items: dagger, 3 Spellbooks(Spells of Wardens choice), Cloth, 7 days

rations, 10’ pole.

Rogues

Rogues begin with the following primary attributes: Strength 12, Dexterity 13,

Constitution 11, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 10, Charisma 7. Rogues begin with the

following items: Shortsword, Thieves Tools, Leather, 7 days rations, 10’ pole.

Priests

Priests begin with the following primary attributes: Strength 12, Dexterity 10,

Constitution 11, Intelligence 10, Wisdom 13, Charisma 7. Priests begin with the

following items: Mace, 2 Holy Scrolls(Spells of Wardens Choice), Shield, and

Gambeson.

Vagabonds

Vagabonds generate their attributes by rolling 3d6 for each Primary Attribute in

order. Vagabonds begin with the following items: Shortsword, Shield, Leather,

Spellbook(Spell of Wardens Choice), Thieves Tools, 7 days rations, 10’ pole.

Equipment
Use the following lists and tables below to conduct an economy within your

games, and use the damage and damage reduction scores from the tables below

as well. Most items take up one encumbrance slot, but Armors with Damage

Reduction over 2 and Weapons that deal over 1d6 damage take up two.

Weapon(s) Damage Cost

Dagger 1d4 2

Mace, Shortsword, 1d6 7

Shortbow
 Sword, Warhammer, 1d8 15
Longbow

Two-Handed Sword, 1d10 18

Polearm

Armor Damage Reduction Cost

Cloth/Improvised 1 0

Leather 2 5

Gambeson 3 10

Chainmail 4 40

Plate 5 400

Shield +1 10

Spellbooks: Spellbooks each contain one arcane spell and disappear when the

spell is cast if an Intelligence test is failed, spellbooks take up one encumbrance

slot.

Holy Scrolls: Holy Scrolls contain one divine spell and disappear when the spell is

cast if a Wisdom test is failed, holy scrolls take up one encumbrance slot.

Thieves Tools: Thieves tools are required to remove traps, and pick locks. Only

one attempt for each may be made per level. Removing Traps and Picking Locks

are dexterity tests. Thieves' tools are of limited use, Ud10.

Dagger: Daggers take up ½ an encumbrance slot and deal 1d4 damage

Staffs : Staffs take up 1 slot and deal 1d6-1 damage(min 1)

Rations: Each day of rations is enough food and water to sustain the average

human for one day.

10’ Pole: A 10 foot long pole.

Adventuring & Combat
There are 2 types of players in Black Cairn, The Warden and The Adventurers. The

Warden dictates and creates and controls the world around the adventurers. The

Adventurers create and control individual characters. Time in dungeons and

wildernesses is measured in 10 minute Turns, 10ft in a dungeon or 100 yards in a

wilderness may be searched in 1 turn. Every 2 turns, check for wandering monsters

by rolling a d20, on a roll of 6

or less, a wandering monster

of your choice appears. In

combat, time is measured in 10

second rounds, at the

beginning of combat, roll a d6,

on a roll of 1-2 the players are

surprised, at the beginning of

combat, the leader of the

Adventurers must test

Dexterity to act before their

opponents. In one combat

round, you may perform a

minor object interaction, move

up to 30’, and cast a spell or

perform an attack, in that

order. To make an attack, test

Strength for a melee attack, or

Dexterity for a ranged attack.

In combat when targeted by

an attack, an adventurer may choose to either Flee or Roll, when fleeing, move up

to 30’ away from your enemy and test Dexterity to avoid all damage. When Rolling,

test Dexterity to avoid all damage on a success, or take half damage on a failure,

Rolling adds 1 point of fatigue. Fatigue consumes one inventory slot per point of

fatigue. Cairns are imbued with divine energy and replenish Hit Points and

Fatigue at a rate of 1d4 per day rested. You may see something starting with “U”

and a dice notation, this indicates a usage die, which is a form of tracking

something of limited usage. Roll the usage die every time the item is used, and on

a roll of 1-2, go down a die size, the die sizes are as follows d20 > d12 > d10 > d8 > d6

> d4. When a usage die of d4 downgrades, the item is expended. Monsters deal an

amount of damage dictated by their Hit Dice(all Hit Dice for monsters are d8’s), as

shown in the table below. Monsters are worth an exponential 100 runes per Hit

Dice, creatures of less than 1 Hit Dice are worth 40 Runes.

MONSTER HD DAMAGE

1 d4 (2)

2 d6 (3)

3 2d4 (4)

4 d10 (5)

5 d12 (6)

6 d6 + d8 (7)

7 2d8 (8)

8 3d6 (9)

9 2d10 (10)
10+ d10 + d12 (11)

Levels
Levels are gained every 2000 xp exponentially(4000 for 3rd level, 8000

for 4th, 16000 for 5th, etc.). Every level you deal +1 damage with your

weapons and gain another 1d8 hp. Every 2 levels past level 1 you can

cast spells of a higher spell level, capping at spell level 5(spell level 1 =

character levels 1-2, spell level 2 = character levels 3-4, spell level 3 =

character levels 5-6, spell level 4 = character levels 7-8, spell level 5 =

character levels 9+). XP is awarded at a rate of 1 Rune = 1 XP. Every

level roll 1d20 for each Primary Attribute, if the roll is above that

score, increase the score by 1.

Spells
1st level Arcane Spells

Charm: A Nearby NPC or Monster obeys a

simple command and will perform a simple

Action.

Magic Missile: A Faraway or Distant target

takes 1d6 damage for each of the

Spellcaster’s Levels.
Light: Creates dim light from a Nearby spot or object that lasts for Ud8 Minutes.

Shield: Gives the caster Arcane Mail (Damage Reduction 2)

2nd Level Arcane Spells

Sleep: Roll the Wizard’sHD, Nearby Creatures with fewer HP than rolled fall asleep -

lasts Ud6 Minutes.

Detect Magic: Everything Nearby that is magic glows - lasts Ud6 Minutes.

Knock/Lock: A Nearby door or lock is either opened or locked.

Web: Traps a Nearby area, stopping movement - lasts Ud6 Minutes.

3rd Level Arcane Spells

Darkness: Pure darkness covers a Nearby area and blocks all types of vision -

lasts Ud6 Minutes.

Dispel Magic: Removes or reverses the effects of a Nearby Arcane spell.

Magic Mouth: Creates an illusory mouth that repeats a phrase to all Nearby

Creatures.

Read Languages: Read all languages - lasts Ud12 Minutes.

4th Level Arcane Spells

Invisibility: A Nearby Creature is made invisible until it Attacks or the spell is

dispelled.

Fireball: 1d4 Nearby Creatures take 1d6 damage for each of the Spellcaster’s

Levels.

Darkvision: A Nearby Creature can see in absolute darknesss - lasts Ud6 Minutes.

Confusion: 2d6 Nearby targets immediately make a Reaction Roll

5th Level Arcane Spells

Telekinesis: As an Action, the Spellcaster may Move a Nearby object - lasts Ud10

Minutes.

Polymorph Self/Other: Transform a Nearby Creature to have the appearance of

another for a Day.

Remove Curse: Removes a curse from a Nearby target.

Elemental Wall: Wall of one of the four elements (air, earth, fire, or water) covers a

Nearby area, any Creature that comes Close takes damage equal to its HD.

1st Level Divine Spells

Cure Light Wounds: Heal a Nearby target 1d8 HP.

Detect Evil: Everything Nearby that is evil glows - lasts Ud6 Minutes.

Light: Create dim light from a Nearby spot or object - lasts Ud8 Minutes.

Protection from Evil: Advantage on all harmful tests against an evil source - lasts

Ud8 Minutes.

Turn Undead: 1d6/CL undead are affected by this spell, all undead must test CON

or run away from the cleric for Ud8 rounds.

2nd Level Divine Spells

Purify Food and Drink: Purifies all Nearby food and drink.

Bless: Nearby allies gain +1 to stats when making Attacks and saves - lasts Ud8

Minutes.

Find Traps: Notice all Nearby traps - lasts Ud6 Minutes.

Hold Person: Paralyzes 1d4 Nearby targets. Test WIS each Turn to see if the effect

lasts.
3rd Level Divine Spells

Silence: Magical silence covering everything Nearby to a target - lasts Ud8

Minutes.

Speak with Animals: Can understand and talk with animals - lasts Ud8 Minutes.

Daylight: A Nearby area is illuminated by sunlight - lasts Ud8 Minutes.

Cure Disease: Cures a Nearby target of all diseases.

4th Level Divine Spells

Locate Object: Sense the direction of a known object - lasts Ud6 Minutes.

Prayer: All Nearby allies Defend against Attacks with Advantage - lasts Ud4

Moments.

Remove Curse: Removes a curse from a Nearby target.

Speak with the Dead: Ask a Nearby corpse three questions.

5th level Divine Spells

Create Food/Water: Create enough food/water for all Close Creatures for one

Day.

Cure Serious Wounds: Heal a Nearby target 3d8+3 HP.

Neutralise Poison: Instantly remove a poison or immunize a Nearby target from

poison.

Protect: Gives Nearby Characters damage reduction 2

Monsters
CREATURE HD ACTIONS AND SPECIALS

Fire Beetle 1 Light glands have a usage die of d8.

Giant Vampire Bat 1 1d6 damage next moment after attack.

Deadly Centipede 1 Bite (0) plus CON test or die - only has 1-2hp.

Manes Demon 1 2 Claws (1d2) + 1 Bite (1d4), Half damage from

non-magic weapons

Goblin 1 Only has 1d6 hp.

Hobgoblin 1 Usually has a backup shield if one is

sundered.

Human Berserker 1 Disadvantage on defense rolls when

Berserker attacks.

Giant Ant Warrior 2 Poisonous Bite (1d6) + CON test or add 2d6

damage to the attack.

Carrion Creeper 2 Bite (1) + 6 Tentacles (0) + CON test or

Paralysed.

Ghoul 2 2 claws (1d3) + 1 bite (1d4) + CON test or

Paralysed.

Giant Leech 2 Drains a Level the moment after dealing

damage.

Bugbear 3 All enemies DEX tests are rolled with

disadvantage.

Harpy 3 Song - CHA test or PCs must move towards

it.

Wererat 3 Cannot gain Advantage when attempting to

surprise a Wererat.

Shadow 3 Touch (1d4 and -1 STR), only hit by magic

weapons.

Doppleganger 3 Change form in a moment, disadvantage

against magic tests.

Wight 3 Can only be hit by magical or silver

weapons, Drain 1 Level with Hit.

Blink Dog 4 Teleport nearby once per fight.

Grizzly Bear 4 2 claws (1d3) + if both hit hug for 1d8

damage.

Gargoyle 4 2 claws (1d3) + 1 bite (1d4) + 1 horn (1d6).

Gelatinous Cube 4 CON test on touch or be Paralyzed, immune

to cold and lightning.

Werewolf 4 Only silver weapons can hurt it.

Ogre 4 Gives advantage on all CHA tests made

against it.

Cockatrice 5 Bite (1d3) and CON test or Petrified.

Owlbear 5 2 claws (1d6) + 1 bite (2d6) + Hug for 2d8 if

evade roll is 16-20.

Basilisk 6 CON test on eye contact or be petrified.

Succubus/Incubus 6 2 Claws (1d3), Advantage on magic tests,

immune to non magic weapons, level drain (-1) with kiss. Can cast Charm person

(spell) once per hour.

Mummy 6 Attacks stop healing until cure wounds cast,

immune to normal weapons, half damage from magic weapons.

Banshee 7 Shriek - CON test or Paralyzed for 2d6

moments.

Djinni 7 Can take Gaseous Form, Create Objects,

Create Illusions, Cast Invisibility (spell) as action.

Spectre 8 A person killed by a Spectre will become a

Spectre in 1d6 minutes.

Chimera 8 2 Claws (1d3) + 2 Goat horns (1d4) + 1 Lion

bite (2d4) + 1 Dragon bite (3d4) or Breathes fire as a Dragon (3d8).

Balor Demon 9 Sword (1d12+2) + Whip (0) DEX test or be

pulled Close to the Balor and burnt for 3d6 fire damage.

Hezrou Demon 9 2 Claws (1d3) + 1 Bite (2d8), Cause Fear (as

per Banish) or Darkness (spell) - each once per fight.

Black Pudding 10 Metal objects that touch it melt the next

moment.

Frost Giant 10 Throws boulders or great chunks of ice.

Stone Golem 12 Only spells that affect rock or stone work,

weapons must be +2 or better to damage it.

Giant Slug 12 Spit Acid - d4+2 nearby targets (1d12) test

DEX for ½ damage.

Dragon 9 to 11 2 Claws (1d8) + Bite (1d10), Breathes fire - d4+2

nearby targets (3d8) Can cast 1d4 1st level spells + 1d2 2nd level spells.

Black Cairn
Black Cairn is a soulslike game easily

compatible with all OSR games.