Micronomicon 210830
Micronomicon 210830
A Compendium of M agic
for Tiny Dungeon 2e and other games
by John D. Payne
A Compendium of Magic
for Tiny Dungeon 2e and other games
by John D. Payne
©2021 Gallant Knight Games. TinyD6, Beach Patrol, Tiny Living Dead,
Tiny Gods, TinyZine, Tiny Dungeon 2e, Tiny Wasteland, and
Tiny Frontiers: Revised are trademarks and copyrights of
Gallant Knight Games in the U.S.A. and other coun-
tries. All Gallant Knight Games characters and char-
acter names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are
trademarks of Gallant Knight Games.
CONTENTS
Foreword.................................... 1 The Fall of Telmara................ 243
by James M. Spahn by Shawn Carman
Introduction............................... 3 Fellbright: City of Bliss.......... 251
by Brad J. Lyon
Part One: Traits The Forge................................ 265
Prologue: Gathering................... 9 by Quincy J. Allen
1. Alchemist.............................. 13 Gate Crashers......................... 275
2. Archmage............................. 27 by David Paul Guzmán
3. Artificer................................ 45 Gods of Diazorr..................... 291
by Jeffrey L. Scifert
4. Bard...................................... 59
Inkslingers............................. 305
5. Beastspeaker......................... 69
by Joe McGee
6. Cookpot............................... 81
Knowledge Arkana, Inc..........317
7. Familiar................................ 91 by Mario Cordova
8. Healer................................. 105 The Land of Broken Roads..... 327
9. Psionics................................117 by Ryan English
10. Shaman............................. 127 Mage Hunters......................... 337
by John D. Payne
11. Spell Reader...................... 139
The Price of Power.................. 349
12. Spell-Touched................... 155
by Gregory Israel
13. Teleportation mage.......... 167
Rule of Three.......................... 359
Epilogue: Scattering............... 177 by John D. Payne
Search for the Silver Haven.... 373
Part Two: Settings by John D. Payne
Avalant................................... 185 Songs of Oversea.................... 389
by Christopher Ruocchio by Justin Finley
Clash of the Pastrium............. 195 Thule: Adventures in
by Mari Murdock the Arctic............................ 401
The Cost of Sunsteel............... 203 by Carolyn Ivy Stein and
by Patrick M. Tracy Stephen Stein
The Crossroads....................... 213 The Woken............................. 411
by John D. Payne by Josh Vogt
Dark Alleys of the Soul.......... 223 Appendix: Nanosettings......... 419
by Steve Diamond by John D. Payne
Defending the Keep............... 231 Index...................................... 421
by John D. Payne
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
No surprise that for a big fat book like this there are a lot of people to
be thanked. First, I would like to offer my sincerest thanks to Brandon
McFadden for creating Tiny Dungeon, and to Alan Bahr for develop-
ing the 2nd edition and the whole TinyD6 line.
Many thanks also to Rick Hershey, who had the original idea for this
project, got me involved, and then graciously allowed me to run with it.
He also created a ton of the amazing art in this book.
Some people say text is important for a book, and they may be right. So
I would like to thank everyone who wrote a setting, or even a pitch. I’d
also like to thank Greg for his thoughtful edits, and Jarrod and Jeff for
their eagle-eyed proofreading.
Big, big thanks also to a big, big crew of patrons, playtesters, and alpha
readers: Matthew David Becket, JaNae Besendorfer, Aletha Bradley, Tay-
lor Campbell, Nathan Dodge, Miles English, Ryan English, Benjamin
Fife, Justin Finley, Brian Fitzpatrick, Nate Givens, David Guzman, Gret-
tle Haglund, Travis Heermann, Greg Israel, Brad Lyon, Caitlin Mabey,
Mark Parish, James Payne, Curt Pederson, Diann Read, Michael R.
Rupp, Carolyn Stein, Todd S. Tuttle, Mark Wright, David Young, and
probably some other awesome people I forgot because I am a cretin.
Last of all, I want to thank my angel wife and my cherubic children. This
great big tiny book of magic could never have existed without your love
and support. Thank you for putting up with an overloaded and distracted
daddy for the last two and a half years. I love you more than everything.
Dedicated to my dad,
who was always my biggest fan.
Foreword
by James M. Spahn
1
Within the pages of the Micromonimcon you’ll find sorcerous spells,
enthralling enchantments, and ancient artifacts. You’ll find strange
creatures and blades bound in destiny. But, more importantly, you’ll
find hundreds of story hooks to help you craft the TinyD6 campaign
that fires the imagination of you and your players—hopefully for years
to come. This isn’t just a book of magic. This is a book of untapped
potential. All you have to do is turn the page and keep reading . . .
James M. Spahn
ENnie & Origins Award Winning Game Designer
2
INTRODUCTION
This Is a Book of M agic
What kind of magic?
New spells, of course. And Scrolls, and Alchemical Draughts. New Mag-
ical Disciplines. New Traits, including lots of new Prestige Traits. New
Enemies, and new Heritages for you to play. And some cool new optional
rules.
But more than anything else, this book shares magical new ideas to help
you have even more fun playing Tiny Dungeon 2e (and other TinyD6
games).
3
Part 2 of the book contains a number of microsettings—each one de-
signed to let you play with the cool new magic stuff found in Part 1.
Like the microsettings that come with Tiny Dungeon 2e, they give you
enough information to spark your imagination, while leaving you com-
pletely in the driver’s seat.
♦ Has your Archmage been bugging you for more spells? How
about 13 new Magical Disciplines (p. 29-38), tailored for dif-
ferent Heritages, different environments, even different flavors
of necromancy?
4
♦ Got a wannabe warlock? Maybe try a Trait that lets you sum-
mon raging demons (p. 95) instead of mute shadow creatures.
And then test your mettle against some uniquely nasty demon-
ic Enemies (p.99-103)!
♦ Does your Healer want to shake the pillars of heaven? Check out
these four Prestige Traits (p. 111-113) for distinctly different fla-
vors of wholly awesome holy warriors.
♦ Ever wondered how and where Spell Readers find new scrolls?
Well, we’ve got some ideas that may help (p.146). And a whole
lot of scrolls (p. 141-143) that are ready to roll.
I fell in love with Tiny Dungeon because of the way it provides starting
points from which players and GMs take their own imaginative flights of
fancy, rather than chaining them down with strict rules. It’s liberating!
And I sincerely hope that this book will empower
that kind of free and creative play.
Have fun!
5
PART ONE:
TRAITS
PROLOGUE:
GATHERING
I should have felt at peace in the University’s great hall. Its majestic rows
of polished marble pillars always reminded me somehow of my own forest
home. And in the cool dark of midnight, with all the bustling noisy students
long since gone, I usually would have expected tranquil serenity. But tonight,
the air fairly crackled with tension, and with sorcerous power.
“Put those things away,” I said, trying hard to keep the growl out of my
voice. “Let’s try to have a civilized conversation, if you please.”
At over seven feet and approaching six hundred pounds of muscle and
fur, I intimidated most smaller creatures whether I wanted to or not. That’s
why I wore the top hat. Made me look more cute and cuddly, less like an apex
predator. Tended to put people at ease, which was a good thing in a room as
full of suspicion and anger as this one.
“Him first.” Slender and pale as a sliver of moon, Baroness Miyuki’s
delicate ivory tresses danced gently about her heart-shaped face, floating in
the air as if she were underwater—or perhaps lifted by breezes that touched
no one else. But the twin wands in her hands were rock steady, their tips lit
with white and amber flames. One pointed directly at my heart. The other,
at the final member of our little triumvirate.
Blind Varanus, bent with age, leaned on his staff, a serpentine dragon
carved along its length. Sullen green light from a jade skull in the dragon’s
mouth illuminated a pair of gleaming white saurian skeletons flanking Va-
ranus on either side, their empty eye sockets staring, their undead jaws lined
with needle-sharp teeth.
9
“Insufferable insolence,” Varanus rasped, forked black tongue flicking out
Prologue: Gathering
between cold, hard words. “Test my patience once more and I shall take you
apart, bone by bone.”
“Enough!” I roared, drawing myself up to my full height. “We have no
time for these petty squabbles. The Son of Heaven is dead.”
Neither one spoke, but they did stop glaring at each other and turned to
me. The Baroness nodded, and the necromancer let out a reluctant grunt of
affirmation.
In one paw, I unfurled a vellum roll covered with symbols of many
kinds—arcane, astrological, and mathematical. “For years we have stud-
ied, deciphered, debated. But on this point we all agree. The gate must be
opened by the next new moon.”
The Baroness glanced up through the skylight to where the last hint of
waning crescent was rising above the sleeping University. “Tomorrow night,”
she said, lovely brow furrowing with a single graceful line of concern.
“And still we lack the final piece.” Varanus scowled and ground the butt
of his staff on the stone floor.
“But,” I lifted a single claw. “We do know where to find it.”
The two of them looked at each other.
“Risky,” Varanus muttered.
Miyuki nodded her agreement. “The Grand Chamberlain’s estate is well-
protected even when he has no reason to be wary. And with the death of the
Emperor, he is sure to take extra precautions. Does he know our plans?”
Varanus shook his head. “No, but he knows we plan something.” The old
necromancer scratched his scarred snout thoughtfully. “Probably he thinks we
are after the same thing he is—the throne. Regardless, he will do his best to
stop us.”
I chuckled, narrowing my eyes and opening my mouth just wide enough
to show some teeth. “Let him try.”
The two of them mirrored my predator’s grin, but behind those danger-
ous smiles I could see more than a little worry. It was natural. We had been
preparing for this moment for decades, and if we succeeded, the whole world
was going to change.
But, one step at a time. Taking a deep breath, I rolled up the parchment.
“Gather those you trust. No more than one from any faction. Meet here tomor-
row midnight. Be swift, be secret. And do not fail.”
“I have not sacrificed my life and my sight to fail now,” Varanus said..
“Tomorrow midnight,” Miyuki said, her face serene, and not quite mock-
ing. As always.
10
There were other things I could have said, words of comfort or inspiration
Prologue: Gathering
I could have offered. But I had a long way to go (though not nearly so far as
we were hoping to go tomorrow night) and time was short.
So instead of a rousing speech, I pronounced a single word, a word un-
known in any tongue of Yōkai or mortalkind. A rush of wind and the smell
of burnt, yeasty vomit told me that a portal had opened—a door to a place
and time so far beyond our own that it could only be described as outside real-
ity. A strange and terrifying realm, alien in every sense of the word.
I did not turn to look, but from the faces of my co-conspirators, I could
tell that this was a bad one. I braced myself.
“Do not fail,” I said again.
And then the tentacles took me, and pulled me through the portal.
11
1. ALCHEMIST
Sealight Waterfall peered into the flask, holding herself as still as a rooted
oak so as not to disturb the Potion of Presence. There was an image in the
smoky liquid– tall marble pillars, flickering flames, a bear in a top hat– and
as long as the potion remained settled, the image was clear.
“Steady, Lady. Steady,” Sealight murmured. Meat folk were always so
impetuous.
A hundred yards away, her Lady, the Baroness Miyuki was standing in
the room with the pillars, in a clandestine meeting with two of the most
dangerous mages in the city. Maybe on the whole island. Alone.
Naturally, the Baroness wanted backup, which was why Sealight was
waiting discreetly in a nearby garden. Having dipped her Lady’s silver
wuxing pendant in the Potion of Presence, she could see, hear, and even smell
everything happening at the meeting as if she were actually hanging from her
Lady’s neck.
An impossibility, of course, since Sealight’s arms were longer than the
Lady was tall. Although, she had heard tell of a shrinking Elixir, which– She
set the distracting thought aside. The Lady needed her full attention right now.
In the flask, the bear in the top hat lifted a paw in warning. “Do not
fail,” he said. Then the image swirled and fouled as a bold green kitsutsuki
landed on Sealight’s hand and pecked at her bark, disturbing the potion.
“Shoo.” She pointed at the juniper in the opposite corner of the garden.
“Go peck on him. He’s got ants. He’ d love it.”
The little bird flew off, and the liquid in the potion slowly began to calm.
Unfortunately, the bear had gone, and the conversation appeared to be over.
13
All Sealight could see were marble pillars, rushing past in parallel lines on
Trait: Alchemist
either side.
The Baroness must be running, she thought. And even though she hadn’t
heard any order to come, Sealight decided that if her Lady was running, she
had better run and join her.
Putting a stopper in the flask, she turned to leave the garden, only to see
four kitsune, swords drawn and bushy orange tails swishing behind them. From
their armor and livery, they were Dōshin, the Emperor’s police. Sealight felt
her sap run cold. More bad luck.
“Alchemy,” said one, his muzzle opening in a foxy grin. “Black magic.
Forbidden. I hate to think what this could mean for you– and your house, of
course. But maybe if you were to make a donation to the Dōshin widows and
orphans fund, that bottle of yours would turn out to be nothing but ordinary
water.”
This set the lot of them off into yips
of ugly laughter.
“But it is ordinary water. See?” Sealight
tossed it to them. And in the moment that
all eyes were drawn to the flask flying through
the air, she pulled out three more flasks. And
threw them, too.
“These, on the other hand.” She laughed.
“These are alchemical flame bombs.”
A lot of people thought that Treefolk had
an irrational aversion to fire. Because they
burn. But as she stepped over the smoking
bodies of the four Dōshin on her way
out the garden, Sealight mused
that meat folk burn, too, when
things get hot enough. Which they
did, sometimes.
Especially when peo-
ple got between her and
her Lady.
14
A lchemical Draughts
Trait: Alchemist
Practitioners of the arcane science of alchemy create magical Draughts
that anyone can use. This does not require a test so long as the alchemist
knows how to make the Draught and has the necessary reagents, or in-
gredients. (Although don’t be surprised if your GM asks you to make a
Test the first time you try a new recipe.)
Draughts on Tap
There are two primary ways your Alchemist can get Draughts with-
out waiting for the GM to hand them out. First, any time you come
across an unknown liquid, Test with Advantage to identify it. Most
of the liquids you identify will have no alchemical properties, but
sometimes (6 on a 1d6) you will find a potion, poison, alchemical
bomb, or perhaps a reagent.
Second, if you have a recipe for an alchemical Draught, you can brew
up as many doses as you have reagents for. If you’re out of reagents, you
may (if your GM is feeling very kind) be able to purchase more, or you
may find them while adventuring. (See “Is Alchemy a Science?” for more
thoughts on reagents.)
15
Schools of A lchemy
Trait: Alchemist
Just as Archmages divide the study of spells into different Magical Dis-
ciplines, Alchemists divide up the study of Draughts into various Schools
of Alchemy. Each School is focused on 6 Draughts, usually of the same
type. For example, the Draughts from The Painfully Complete Alchemist
divide up neatly into four Schools, as seen in the following tables.
16
Poisons
Trait: Alchemist
Roll Name Effect
As the Pacify (Crystal) spell, but whoever is next
1 Pacifying poison
to roll against this target gets Advantage.
2 Unsettling poison As the Unsettle (Crystal) spell.
3 Bone Chilling poison As the Bone Chill (Diamond) spell.
A lchemical Bombs
Roll Name Effect
As the Coldsnap (Diamond) spell, except it affects
1 Coldsnap bomb
everyone within 10 feet of the target.
Burning Flame As the Licking Flames OR Burn and Ignite (Ruby)
2
bomb spell.
As the Tentacles (Sapphire) spell, except the tentacles
3 Tentacle bomb
attack indiscriminately.
Entangling As the Entangling Vines (Wood) martial arts
4
Vine bomb technique.
Creates a sudden burst of blinding light. All within
10 feet of target must save or suffer Disadvantage on
5 Flash bomb
their next turn. Target saves with Disadvantage. No
save for Dwarves, etc.
Creates a cloud of obscuring smoke. Target rendered
6 Smoke bomb Sneaky (as the Trait) for their next action. Targets
with the Sneaky trait get a free action.
17
School of Natural Poisons
Trait: Alchemist
1. Hungry Fungal poison: Like the Hungry Fungus spell (p. 30),
this poison only harms non-living organic matter. But instead
of Testing with Disadvantage to poison after a successful Attack,
you should Test with Disadvantage after a miss. Success means
the poison has come into contact with non-living organic matter
(silken cloak, papyrus scroll, leather belt, wooden shield, etc.)
your Enemy wears or carries, and will destroy the item before
the Enemy’s next turn.
2. Fervid Ritual poison: As the Fervid Rite spell (p. 31), but the
effect does not spread to secondary targets.
3. Pollen Blasted poison: As the Pollen Blast spell (p. 31), but the
allergens are delivered via ingestion or contact instead of in a
cloud.
6. Breath of Night poison: Like the Night Breath spell (p. 34),
this poison puts the target to sleep for 1d6 turns, or until taking
damage.
Administering Poisons
Ingestion: Alchemists may Test with Advantage to mix poison into food or
drink. Failure means the dose (and the food) is wasted. Poison takes effect
upon ingestion unless the target makes a Save Test.
18
School of Tactical Bombs
Trait: Alchemist
For more information on the listed bombs, see Gate Crashers (pp 278-280).
1. Frostbite bomb
4. Submersion bomb
6. Dessication bomb
Throwing Bombs
Alchemical bombs are typically designed to activate when exposed to air, and
are typically delivered by throwing a breakable bottle at a target. This requires
a Ranged Attack Test. (Thrown bottles can be a Mastered Weapon.)
19
Prestige Trait
Trait: Alchemist
Doctor of A lchemy
“I didn’t spend ten years tasting troll urine to be called Mister Alchemist!”
You have delved into the mysteries of alchemy and honed your skills to an
astonishing degree. To take this trait, you must have the Alchemist Trait.
When you select this Trait, you must pick a single School of Alchemy
(e.g. Bombs) to specialize in. With this specialized training, you can
now create of the Draughts associated with this School. You may take
this Trait multiple times. Each time you do, you may select an addition-
al School.
A lchemical Elixirs
Just as with any other alchemical Draught, Elixirs can be created by
characters with the Alchemist Trait, so long as they have the necessary
Recipes and reagents. Unlike lesser Draughts, however, the reagents
(and Recipes) for Elixirs should be difficult to obtain. For example, the
bejeweled crown of a queen, or the still-beating heart of a dragon. GMs
are encouraged to use their imagination.
Is alchemy a science?
The science of chemistry has roots in historical alchemy, which leads some
GMs to treat alchemy like it’s a science, too. Comprehensible, quantifiable,
safe. And you can go that way if you want.
You can also go the other way. Get a little gonzo. Throw logic out the window.
Let your players choose reagents based on color (“Healing draughts are red,
obviously, so I’ll need blood, roses, and cherries.”), the sounds of the words
(“Mana potion sounds like ‘banana ocean,’ so I’ll mash up this plantain with
some seawater.”), or any other zany criterion they like (“Greek fire? Sure
thing! Just need feta and some hot sauce.”).
You can also follow the actual recipes of real-life alchemists like Paracelsus,
Robert Fludd, or even Sir Isaac Newton. Or you can require your players to
harvest the organs of magical beasts. (A good rule of thumb is 1 die roll per
2 creature HP, with every 5 or 6 yielding reagents sufficient for one draught.)
Bottom line, it’s your game. Do what works for you and your players.
20
Because of the extreme difficulty of obtaining Recipes and reagents for
Trait: Alchemist
an Elixir, kind-hearted GMs may, at their discretion, permit Alchemists
to forego the usual Standard Test for mixing the draught (“Whoops.
Looks like you need more crystalized baby unicorn tears.”). Another al-
ternative is to require a Test, but have a failure result in an inferior Elixir
(temporary, limited doses, less effective, etc.) being produced instead of
nothing at all.
21
A lchemical Metals
Trait: Alchemist
Sun Steel is a brilliant, golden color like the heart of a summer bon-
fire. Mixing this Elixir of Transmutation requires gold and other hot
and wet reagents associated with elemental air.
Sun Steel weapons and armor allow the wielder to smite evil, either as
a Purifier (from Chapter 8: Healer) or as a Paladin (TD2e, p. 71). The
probability is evenly split. Most Sun Steel items also shine with blaz-
ing brilliance. Test 3d6 when the item is created to see if it is one of the
shiny bright ones. If so, determine the conditions under which it shines—
perhaps with a table such as the following.
Moon Silver is a gray-white metal with a soft, pale blue sheen. Mixing
this Elixir of Transmutation requires mercury and other cold and wet Re-
agents associated with elemental water.
Moon Silver items allow their users to reproduce the effect of a single al-
chemical potion, poison, or bomb. Many Moon Silver items also emit a
cool, elfin glow. Test 2d6 when the item is created to see if this one does.
If so, determine when it glows (perhaps with the above table).
Night Iron is inky black in color, but it glitters and sparkles with the
reflected light of powdered gems. Mixing this Elixir of Transmutation
requires gemstones, and other cold and dry Reagents associated with el-
emental earth.
Possessing a Night Iron item grants the user the Psionic Adept Trait (from
Chapter 9: Psionics). Some Night Iron items also shimmer with a faintly
twinkling light. Test 1d6 when the item is created to see if it shimmers.
If it does, determine when it twinkles (perhaps with the above table).
22
Hellbronze is a dull yellow metal streaked with orange, red, and black.
Trait: Alchemist
Mixing this Elixir of Transmutation requires sulfur and other hot and
dry Reagents associated with elemental fire.
Possessing a Hellbronze item grants the user a single Demonic Trait and
a Demonic Curse (see below). Hellbronze items are also intelligent (and
sometimes helpful) because a demonic entity is imprisoned in the item.
Since demons do not cooperate with each other, no character may use
more than a single Hellbronze item.
Demonic Traits
Each of the following Traits comes with both a benefit and a visible physi-
cal alteration that marks the user as one who traffics with infernal powers.
Roll 1d6 to randomly determine which Trait your
character has, or create your own. See the TD2e
Enemies list for ideas.
2 Fangs of Venom (as Giant Spider Poisoned Bite Trait, TD2e, p. 51)
23
Demonic Curses
Trait: Alchemist
Demonic Curses are a kind of Drawback Trait (see TZ 10, pp. 10-11)
which may or may not be permanent. You may acquire a Demonic
Curse by giving in to infernal temptations, or by simply picking up a
Hellbronze item. To randomly determine which Curse afflicts your
character, roll 3d6 and consult the table above.
3 Envy 11 Gluttony
4 Gluttony 12 Greed
5 Greed 13 Lust
6 Lust 14 Pride
7 Pride 15 Sloth
8 Sloth 16 Wrath
9 Wrath 17 Envy
10 Envy 18 Gluttony
Envy: You need to be the best. Any time you witness another’s spec-
tacular success, you must Test to avoid secretly targeting that person
for humiliation or destruction.
Greed: Gaining wealth is all you think about. Any day your Gold Piece
total is not at least 1% more than the day before, you must make a Save
Test or Test with Disadvantage on all mental Tests.
Lust: Your insatiable appetite for carnal pleasures leads you to take insane
risks in pursuit of the strange. Test with Disadvantage to resist any se-
duction attempt.
24
Pride: Pride is the father of all sin. At the start of every game session, roll
Trait: Alchemist
1d6 to randomly determine your Curse (1 Envy, 2 Gluttony, 3 Greed, 4
Lust, 5 Sloth, 6 Wrath).
Wrath: Any time you roll all 1s, you fly into an uncontrollable rage and
attack the nearest target. After you kill, you may Test with Disadvantage
to regain control.
25
2. ARCHMAGE
Night falls, and the children of the desert rise to feed. Prey seek water.
Hunters seek prey. There is nothing else.
I am a hunter. Swift, silent, and cold as my namesake, the centipede. I
have tracked my prey east and south for six weeks. Almost to the edge of the
sands. But no matter how far they run, no one who steals from the City of
Bliss is ever beyond the reach of the Sijada, or the magic we command.
At the crest of the dune, I stop my carpet. A mile ahead, perhaps. A pin-
point of light. Behind my keffiyeh, I smile. It is time. The sword of justice will
fall.
From the sand, a golem rises, formed by my word and my will. Tall as a
ghaf tree, and terrible as a leopard, he awaits my command.
“Slay.” I point at the light. “Leave none alive.”
It nods and strides ahead, each pace longer than a man. I follow on my
carpet, to ensure that none escape.
Then I feel the scratch of the withered finger worn on a cord around my
neck. My carpet stops. I pull the dead digit out from my tunic, and place it in
my hand, still scratching.
I speak my name. “Harish.” It grows still.
I speak the name of my first and oldest and most terrible master. “Vara-
nus.” It crooks again, and I understand. A summons.
Twenty years, and seven, since we parted ways. He walks the way of the
catacombs, and I walk the dunes. One path, then two. Now, one again.
I nod. “Show me the way, Master.”
27
The desiccated finger straightens, pointing east. And north.
Trait: Archmage
I cast a glance to my right. The golem still marches east and south. Un-
tiring, inexorable, relentless. I salute him. “Farewell, and good hunting.”
With a whisper, my carpet speeds away. I have been called to a different
hunt.
M asters of M agic
Tiny Dungeon 2e strikes a lot of people as a low-magic game. And it can
be! But it doesn’t have to be. Especially when you add in Prestige Traits
like Archmage, which really let you add a lot of arcane might to your ar-
senal—one Magical Discipline at a time.
Each time you take the Archmage Prestige Trait, your character masters
four more spells. That might not seem like a lot, but you can do an awful
lot with even a handful of spells—just ask Gandalf!
This section presents a wealth of new material designed for your Arch-
mage character: new magical items, new Enemies, and (most importantly)
lots of new spells! As in the core rulebook, the spells here are organized
into Magical Disciplines—and these are organized into
three categories. First, you will find Nature-based Dis-
ciplines, whose magic is rooted in a particular biome or
ecosystem. Second come Heritage Magical Disciplines,
emerging from the arcane practices of particular peoples.
Finally, Necromantic Disciplines draw on the power of
death.
28
New M agical Disciplines
Trait: Archmage
Archmages may select one of the disciplines described below to represent
their school of magic. A spell typically takes one Action to complete, and
follows any of the rules listed. Archmages know all the spells listed in
each of their chosen Disciplines.
Cavern Magic
Drawn from the deep, cold magic of earth’s rocky strata and hidden
caves.
♦ Choke damp: Test with Disadvantage to turn the air bad in a
designated Zone. Air-breathing creatures who remain in the
Zone suffer Disadvantage on all Tests. Casting again on a sub-
sequent turn makes the air worse, such that air breathers must
make a Save Test or fall unconscious and lose 1 HP per turn
until they make a Save Test or are no longer in the Zone.
29
♦ Deep Drums: Test to summon a terrifying (High Threat) mon-
Trait: Archmage
Dune Magic
Allows you to tap into the shimmering, sun-drenched power of the piti-
less, empty desert.
30
♦ Sand Golem: Test once per day to create a temporary magical
Trait: Archmage
servant out of available sand. Your Sand Golem begins with 1
HP and 3 Traits (from Fellbright: City of Bliss), but as long
as there is more sand you can Test again to give it 1 more Trait
or 3 HP. Failure results in the Sand Golem’s dissolution. After
a command is fulfilled, Test to prevent dissolution.
Grove Magic
Builds on the natural magic generated by the masses of green growing
things found in forests.
31
Plains Magic
Trait: Archmage
32
♦ Golden Nose: Test to sniff out the mystic aura of the nearest
Trait: Archmage
food or treasure hidden in the earth or among plants growing
out of the earth. Limited to one successful test per day.
♦ Granite Pelt: Test to imbue your hair and beard (or fur) with
the obdurate strength of stone. For 6 turns, you may Test 1d6
when hit by magic. On a successful Test, you are not affected.
♦ Rune Claw: Draw a mystic symbol in the air with your hands
and Test to hit a target in the near or far zone with your unarmed
melee attack.
33
♦ Regeneration Trigger: Test to activate a living creature’s un-
Trait: Archmage
34
bon dioxide, putting one Close or Near air-breathing target to
Trait: Archmage
sleep for 1d6 turns, or until taking damage.
♦ Quick Beams: Test to gain an extra action this turn and 1d3
more. Or test with Disadvantage to give anyone an extra action
each turn for 1d6+1 turns.
Bone Magic
A necromantic discipline that concentrates
on skeletons and bones.
35
♦ Boney Buddy: Test to summon a skeletal beast (as the Animal
Trait: Archmage
Carrion Magic
A discipline of necromancy centered around flesh and undeath.
36
Haunt Magic
Trait: Archmage
A discipline of necromancy focused on ghosts, spirits, and other ethereal
undead.
♦ Banshee Wail: Test once per day to make the target’s next Save
Test a Save or Die Test. On a Critical Failure, the caster’s next
Save Test is a Death Save.
♦ Borrowed Mastery: Once per day, pick up a weapon, instru-
ment, or tool, and Test to be partially possessed by a ghost that
can give you Mastery (or Advantage). Effect lasts until combat
ends, or for 2d6 minutes out of combat.
♦ Instant Seance: Test to summon a local ghost or spirit to answer
1d3 questions. May be cast once per location per day. Ghosts
mostly know about things that happened during their lifetimes
(your GM may Test to see if the ghost has useful information).
Scourge Magic
A necromantic discipline that
explores the bizarre, horrifying
nature of negative life and imi-
tates some of the powers of major
Undead Enemies.
37
♦ Mummy’s Curse: Test to lay a curse on your target. Only one
Trait: Archmage
Second, you may notice that Fields (see Chapter 9: Psionics), look a lot like
Magical Disciplines. That’s on purpose. A lot of campaigns don’t use Psionics
at all, so if you want to, you can just use those Talents as Spells for Archmages.
Third, try increasing the power of Cantrips (from Chapter 12: Spell-Touched).
You could also try decreasing the power of Elixirs (Chapter 1: Alchemist),
Spellsongs (Chapter 4: Bard), Incantations (Chapter 10: Shaman), and Scrolls
(Chapter 11: Spell Reader; read “For the GM: Limitations for Scrolls” for ideas).
Fourth, as you comb through this book, you will find a number of Prestige Traits
that have multiple powers or abilities (e.g., Cauldron Witch, Shadowsouled, and
Transporter). You may want to try adapting these as Magical Disciplines instead.
Fifth, most of the Trait chapters include a set of six magic items, many of
which could also be transformed into spells—with a little imagination. Find
four that work well together and you have yourself a new Magical Discipline.
Finally, you can always make up your own. It’s your game, right? If you do, try
to match the power levels of the Archmage spells found in the TD2e core rule-
book (i.e., they shouldn’t do 10d6 damage). And try to include a variety of
effects, including buffs, damage, healing, transportation, scrying, etc.
Undead Enemies
Trait: Archmage
The list of Example Enemies in the core TD2e rulebook includes several
undead Enemies (Draco-lich, Necromancer, Skeleton, Zombie, Zombie
T-Rex). Here are several more you may encounter in your adventures.
As you may notice, all of these Enemies come from non-human dead,
which makes them a little different. Each one has a Trait or two tied in
to its unique Heritage. You can drop (or alter) these to bring them back
to the boring old human standard. Or you can mix and match (and
make up your own Traits) to play with vampire Treefolk, Goblin li-
ches, and Karhu ghosts.
HP Traits
HP Traits
39
Grizz Lich: Undead Karhu mage fueled by unholy magics. Often found
Trait: Archmage
HP Traits
Diehard
Educated
Insightful
Strong
40
Mumblin: Unnaturally preserved by powerful spells and careful prepa-
Trait: Archmage
ration, the mummified Goblin uses magical traps to hunt and torment
those who violate its labyrinthine tomb.
HP Traits
Dark-fighter.
Spell Reader: Tomb has 1d6 spells written into the walls,
hidden among the glyphs.
Trap Master
Vigilant
41
Shade Tree: Undead shadow in the shape of Treefolk, raised by evil
Trait: Archmage
magic.
HP Traits
Vampire Dwarf: Cursed creatures risen from the dead to seek the blood
of the living.
HP Traits
Opportunist
42
New M agic Items
Trait: Archmage
♦ Cranium Cane. Polished ebony walking stick with a silver skull
handle. While holding it, you may command Undead as if a Nec
romancer. If you are a Necromancer, any Undead you command
will Test with Advantage on Save Tests to resist being turned.
♦ No Quarter Staff. Straight oaken staff a little taller than you are.
Lets you deliver spells by striking target with the staff, using the
appropriate Attack Test instead of a spell Test.
43
3. Artificer
ARTIFICER
Meticulously inspecting the gleaming, golden carapace of the artifact
on her workbench, Anda decided it was ready. Plucking the second-smallest
socket wrench from the third tray in her enormous toolbox, she carefully gave
the final bolt a one-quarter turn, and was rewarded with a satisfying click.
“You little ripper,” she grinned.
Then she put away her tools, shut the toolbox, and closed her eyes. With
her mind’s eye, she envisioned her patron and mentor, Varanus, paying spe-
cial attention to his scaly snout, with its powerful jaws, sharp, serrated teeth
and long, forked tongue. She imagined his voice, hissing low and raspy into
her ears. Lifting her hands slightly, she reached out and made as if to pluck
the thoughts and images out of the air, and place them into her construct.
Daft, she knew, but somehow it helped her to channel the spell.
Finally, she opened her eyes, and was delighted to see her new Coglet
glowing with residual magic. As the glow faded, a faint hum emanated from
the scorpion construct, and its eight jeweled legs tapped a staccato rhythm
as it turned in circles, orienting itself and then climbing atop the toolbox.
Abruptly, it chirped and faced her, emerald tail-stinger blinking a cheery
green.
“A convo already? Stone the crows.” Anda reached forward and squeezed
both pincers together.
The little scorpion opened its golden mouthparts to speak, but thanks to
the eldritch vibrations of the rice-paper membrane inside, it had the famil-
iar rasp of her mentor, Varanus. “The hour has come, and so must you. Drop
45
whatever you’re doing and follow your Coglet to the Forbidden City. There
Trait: Artificer
46
Originally found only in the Destiny of Tides setting, this chapter pres-
ents an alternative version adapted for a wide variety of fantasy settings.
If it sounds fun, try it out in your campaign.
One reason is that magic items can be shared with friends and allies.
As the old Fey saying goes, “Give an orc a lightning bolt and
you protect your friend for a day. Give your friend a ring
of lightning bolts, and he will kill orcs until the Depletion
Points run out.”
47
Trait: Artificer
Start by checking the Southern Cross Trading Company Catalog, Vol. 1 to see
if there’s a similar item. Say your player wants to make a trinket that protects
from fire. That sounds like Dragonhide Boots (p. 15), which cost 50 gold.
Charging your Artificer more than 50 gold for the materials to make this is
basically punishing the player. So, cut it in half and consider that (25 gold in
this case) the maximum cost to the artificer.
This maximum includes both the cost of the physical materials and the cost
of hiring the services of someone with the necessary Trait or spell. If the Ar-
tificer has either of these already, then the cost should halve again (in this
case, about 13 gold). And if both are available, then there may well be no
monetary cost to the Artificer. After all, your player has already paid, in effort.
One final note: Since no Artificer can have every Trait or spell that can be built
into an artifact, almost every Artificer will hire people with interesting abilities
from time to time. This may be a good way to help your PCs earn a little coin—
or to hook them into a new adventure.
after all! But if you like getting into all the dirty financial details, this
might be your magically-self-heating cup of tea!
Finally, although someone in the artificing process has to know the
spell, it doesn’t always have to be the Artificer. It could be a teammate,
a wizard for hire, or an NPC in your retinue. Relying on someone else
to provide the magical knowledge makes crafting more difficult (see: Ad-
justing the Roll), but it also opens up a lot of possibilities.
48
Fell Harvester: We use every part of the basilisk. Test
Trait: Artificer
with Advantage to harvest bio-materials (gryphon
wing feathers, dragon flame glands, disappearing
Yeti fur, etc.) from magical creatures.
As a rule, you may Test to find 1 unit of usable bio-
materials for each 2 HP (rounding down) possessed
by the magical creature in life. Your GM may, of
course, adjust this number up or down.
Golem Artificers
Artificers may take the Golemancer Prestige Trait
(TZC 2018, p. 137-9), even if they do not have the Spell-
Touched or Blacksmith Traits. Golems constructed by Artificers are powered
by magic, or by magic and technology, but not by technology alone.
Artificers who use these magical bio-materials in their crafting are able
to reproduce magical Traits and spell-like abilities of harvested creatures
without knowledge of a spell. Further, artifacts produced with harvested
bio-materials are by default usable by anyone. Finally, these bio-materials
may also be useful as Reagents for Alchemists.
Arcane Animator: There’s nothing quite like making new friends. You
have mastered the magical craft of animating objects and bending
them to your will. To take this Prestige Trait, you must have the Artifi-
cer Trait.
This Prestige Trait allows you to Enchant magical constructs (i.e. animate
them and bind magical abilities to them). A successful Test animates a
single object with 3 HP (or up to 3 objects with 1 HP each). The con-
struct will obey your (simple) commands and will possess 1 sensory fac-
ulty (vision, sound, taste, smell, temperature, pressure) of your choice.
You may also attempt multiple Tests to Enchant more complex con-
structs. An additional Test is required for each additional sense, Trait,
known spell or magical effect, or other faculty (speech, reason, etc.). A
failed Test means you can not add this particular Enchantment to this
construct. Two failed Tests in a row means the object can not be En-
chanted further.
49
Crafting Your Items
Trait: Artificer
Artificers put magic in the item, but where do they get the item? And how do
Fell Harvesters turn a bloody carcass into useful gear? It’s your game, it’s your
character. Get together with your GM and agree on something that works for
you. Maybe one of these . . .
One option is to buy your baubles down at the bazaar, and then enchant
them. Or hire an NPC to turn your pile of roc feathers into a cape of flying.
Another option is to use a Trait that helps you craft. If you’re a Trapmaster,
build yourself some nasty little needle traps before you enchant your sleep
spell onto the prickly points. Or if you’re a Blacksmith, pick up your hammer
and pound out an arming sword. Then quench it in dragon’s blood for that
special Fell Harvester finish.
There are also an infinite variety of Family Trades that might come in handy. If
you’re going to be artificing magic rings, try goldsmith or silversmith. If you
plan to craft your armor out of minotaur hide, leatherworking or tanning
might be your choice. Vertical integration for the win!
This Prestige Trait also allows you to Disenchant magical constructs (i.e.,
break the magical bonds that animate them.) As a Ranged Attack, Dis-
enchanting does 1 damage without a Test to any magical construct (such
as an Animated Statue, one of the Goletia, etc.), while a Standard Test
is required to completely disanimate temporary constructs, or to re-
move individual faculties from a more powerful construct. At GM’s dis-
cretion, you may Test with Disadvantage to Disenchant the animated
dead, such as Skeletons.
50
spells captured in material objects. The same is true of an Alchemist’s
Trait: Artificer
Draughts. A spell on a scroll, or in a Draught, or enshrined in any
other artifact, can not be transferred to a different object.
Likewise, abilities that belong to some external entity, rather than the
caster, can not be placed in artifacts in ordinary circumstances. This
rules out most Shaman abilities, as well as the magical powers of Fa-
miliars (and summoned Demons).
Other magical Traits can lend their power to artifacts in more special-
ized ways. For example, Artificers with the Beastspeaker Trait can create
Spirit Talismans, which summon beasts to aid the user of the artifact.
And of course, you and your GM may come up with other ideas for craft-
ing new and exciting artifacts. Don’t feel too constrained by the guidelines
in this chapter. Artificers are inventors. So get creative, and have fun!
51
Trait Talisman: Reproduces the effect of a single non-magical Trait. Re-
Trait: Artificer
Good quality
Extraordinary materials Inferior materials
materials
Required time Short on required
Plenty of extra time
available time
Artificer has
Artificer has (or has access Artificer has Trait or
access to this spell
to) multiple relevant Traits Prestige Trait for
(e.g., a willing
or Family Trades. this spell.
helper).
Producing single-use Artifact with 1 +1 Depletion Point
trinket Depletion Point
Spell Artifact
Spell Trinket Spirit Talisman
Spellsong Artifact
Charm Trinket Healing Talisman
Psi Artifact
Psi Trinket Trait Talisman
Chi Artifact
Usable only by the creator Usable by any caster Usable by anyone
Obviously, there are a number of variables involved. Rather than trying
Trait: Artificer
to come up with a chart detailed and specific enough to cover every pos-
sible outcome, the choice of exactly how to adjust the difficulty is left up
to the GM.
Tell your GM what you want to do, and work out together what you
will need to do to succeed.
Constructed Enemies
There are a number of Enemy constructs
already found in Tiny Dungeon, includ-
ing Animated Statues, the weaker and
greater Goletia from Legacy: The War of
the Widows (TD2e, p. 94-95) and of course
the motley denizens of The Enchanted Castle
(TDHE, p. 131-138). GMs and players can cre-
ate hosts of others suitable to their own cam-
paigns. Below are a few examples that may
provide useful models.
53
Animated Object: An ordinary object temporarily brought to life by
Trait: Artificer
HP Traits
HP Traits
54
Coglet: Clockwork automatons that act as remote proxies for spellcasters.
Trait: Artificer
HP Traits
HP Traits
Vigilant
HP Traits
Fleet of Foot
55
Shellonian: An unholy conglomeration of siege engine and magical
Trait: Artificer
factory, this animated war machine resembles a colossal turtle with six
sturdy iron limbs and an immense beak.
HP Traits
New Heritage
Simulacrum
You are fully functional, aren’t you? Also known as mannikins, golems, or
doll-men, Simulacra are artificial life forms given intelligence and auton-
HP Traits
56
omy by powerful magic. They are created in the shape of other sapient
Trait: Artificer
beings, and may be fashioned of flesh, stone, wood, cloth, metal, clay, or
other substances. (Shape and material should be chosen when the char-
acter is created.)
They have no culture of their own, both since they are imitators by na-
ture and also because they are few in number. Most cultures treat them
as property, rather than as intelligent beings with their own rights, and
most other sapients fear and shun them. This is especially true of sapi-
ents in whose form they were created, which often leads Simulacra to
either idolize them and crave their acceptance or hate them and seek to
torment them. They usually live on the margins of society—as furtive
outcasts, or perhaps as part of a tight-knit criminal gang.
57
4. BARD
When the devil came calling, Bob the Bard did not look up from his lute.
He knew all too well that it doesn’t do to pay the devil any mind. So he kept his
head down, sat on his log, and played a duet with the noisy streamlet running
over the stones.
The devil knew right away what was happening, of course, and stepped
between Bob and the rising sun, casting a lovely shadow that fell right on the
bronze rune frets of his lute. But Bob just let his fingers keep dancing and ig-
nored that devil.
“Robert,” said the devil, in her honey-sweet voice, “we need to talk.”
Bob didn’t feel like talking, so he sang instead. He sang Gettin’ Mighty
Tired, and then Time for Movin’ On, and finally Get On Out My Kitchen,
Please. But the hell-spawned thing did not take the hint.
“What you want, devil woman?” he asked around the cat tail clenched in
his teeth. He kept playing, of course. His mama hadn’t raised any dummies.
“It’s not about what I want, Robert,” said the devil, just as soft and
smooth as a satin bow on a silk dress. “As you well know.”
“And you well know,” Bob said, “that ain’t what they call me round here.”
“Robert–”
“Name’s important.” Bob cut the devil off. “Address me proper or we don’t
have a thing to talk about.”
The devil huffed and stomped her pretty little hooves.
Bob kept strumming, trying to wrap his fingers around some particularly
difficult chord voicings that stretched out four or five frets. He could get them
59
on the high frets all right, but they belonged on the low frets, if he could just
Trait: Bard
Bardic M agic
Bardic magic is conveyed by music. There is no Bard Trait in the core
TD2e rulebook, but in the Bard Trait Tree (TZ 9, pp. 12-13), bardic
magic is accessed by two Traits, Bard and Master Performer, which
function a bit like Spell Reader and Spell-Touched, respectively. The
Bard Trait allows you to access a small number of immensely powerful
spells (Song Traits), while the Master Performer Trait allows you a wide
variety of subtle effects and influences.
Since bardic magic, more than any other type of magic, is all about how
it is delivered, you may wish to have your Bard player characters perform
other kinds of magic also as songs. In most cases, this will have no im-
pact on the mechanics, but it could be a lot of fun to play that way.
Making your other magic have bardic overtones also gives you the flex-
ibility to build the kind of bard you envision in your head. Want to
play a musical cleric who heals with hymns? Take the
Bard and Healer Traits, and mend bones with Gre-
gorian chants, or a Dharma trumpet. Do you want
to play a Fey Enchantress? Take the Bard and Spell-
Touched Traits, and spin your illusions and glamors
through song. Or maybe you want to get really
wild and play an Alchemist who bottles up songs
in glass flasks to throw at the enemy. It’s all up
to you.
60
Bardic Prestige Traits
Since neither the Bard nor Master Performer Trait requires players to spend
their one and only Prestige Trait slot, you may want to have them take a look
at Steffie de Vaan’s four Exalted Performer Prestige Traits (TZ 28, pp. 4-7), any
of which would make a very cool super-Bard.
You might also want to check out the Bard Prestige Trait designed for use in
Patrick M. Tracy’s masterful Swords Against Deviltry setting (TZ 10, pp. 26-27),
particularly for the ingenious way instruments are used.
Charming Music
A Master Performer channels magical power through song to “alter
moods,” or influence others’ emotions. With a successful Standard Test,
you can inspire fearful allies to fight, calm rampaging monsters, win the
trust of suspicious warlords, and terrify mobs into dropping their pitch-
forks and fleeing. These kinds of uses of bardic magic are called Charms.
61
Sample Charms
Trait: Bard
Trait: Bard
Some players hate Bards because they are infamously lousy in combat.
And to be fair, if you want to build a fighting machine
that rolls through melee like a juggernaut, a Bard
may not be for you.
To determine whether a Bard can sway a target audience, the GM will assign
Attitude Points to the mood of the listener(s). For a sapient creature with pow-
erful feelings, the Attitude Points would typically be equal in number to the
Hit Points. For animals, half hit points. For a crowd or mob, treat all the listen-
ers together as a single Enemy and assign a number appropriate to the level of
threat they represent (see TD2e, pp. 44-45.)
Each successful attack from the Bard reduces the target’s Attitude Point total
by 1. When the target’s Attitude Points are reduced to zero, the mood of the
target changes as the Bard wishes.
Cold blood and hot passions
Trait: Bard
Because the music of the Bard aims to alter or influence the moods or
passions of listeners, their Charms and Songs are usually less effective
in influencing Lizardfolk. Because of their Cold-Blooded Heritage Trait,
“[a]ny attempt to persuade, influence, or manipulate [them] through ap-
peals to emotion or feelings suffers Disadvantage.”
64
ing to charm a listener using any other instrument, or no instrument at
Trait: Bard
all, they Test with Disadvantage.
If you are using the optional rules for experience and character growth
(TD2e, pp. 20-21), your Bard characters can gain new Instrument Mas-
teries or Proficiencies just as they can gain new Weapon Masteries or
Proficiencies.
A lternative Traits:
Spellsinger and M aster Spellsinger
The Spellsinger Trait and Master Spellsinger Prestige Trait are together
an optional variant on bardic magic that diverges slightly from the build
you would get using the Bard Trait Tree (TZ 9, pp. 12-13). You may wish
to use them in your game world, either as a substitute or as a supplement.
Your magic can charm others in a variety of small ways. Among other
things, you can: Distract listeners, Enchant listeners to give you second
chances, Attune listeners to focus on their next Tests, Alert listeners to a
threat, Dispel illusions and enchantments, or Popularize a message that
listeners will spread through the community (see Basic Charms, above).
Charms require both a Standard Test and some time (usually a few min-
utes) to perform the song.
65
Master Spellsinger: . . . To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak. You have
Trait: Bard
mastered bardic music, and can use your music to affect the world around
you in more powerful ways. To take this Prestige Trait, you must have the
Spellsinger Trait.
Upon selecting this Trait, you must pick two Spellsongs that your Master
Spellsinger knows. Performing a Spellsong requires success on a Standard
Test and consumes all your actions in a single combat round. Each Spell-
song can be performed once per day. You may take this Trait multiple
times. Each time you do, you may select an additional two Spellsongs.
Spellsongs
♦ Burning Ring: Your scorching song calls up a wall of fire in a
ten-foot circle around you, hiding you from all outside and burn-
ing any who attempt to cross through the flames. A successful
Test each round sustains.
♦ Fools Rush: Dazed and confused by your melody, all Enemies
must make a Save Test or attack the highest Threat creature pres-
ent. A successful Test each round sustains.
♦ Heaven’s Door: The impossible beauty of your tune opens a
gateway, and a celestial ally or astral creature emerges to fight
for you (until the end of this combat). A successful sustain
Test each round is needed to keep the gate open and the
ally fighting.
66
M agical Instruments
Trait: Bard
Unless otherwise noted, these instruments can be used by anyone to pro-
duce music, but only characters with Bardic magic Traits can produce the
magical effects.
69
They hit the priests just as the sun peeked up over the horizon, lighting
Trait: Beastspeaker
up the sacral gems with a fiery glow. Tuko’s companions slashed with hooked
beaks and razor sharp talons at the faces and upraised arms of the priests,
driving three them off the top of the pyramid.
Tuko himself dropped his eagle form at the last second and used his very
own goblin feet to deliver a kick to the face of a fourth priest, who tumbled
down.
“What? How?!” spluttered the little old high priest, bent practically
double under the weight of his bejeweled ceremonial finery.
The only other priest atop the pyramid—also the only one with the brains
to have noticed the eagles and wondered what they meant—wasted no words.
Instead, she stepped protectively in front of the high priest and lifted a ceremo-
nial dagger of jagged black obsidian. But Tuko shifted into his gorilla form
just long enough to toss her down the steps, where she crashed into a quartet of
guards rushing up with swords drawn.
“Who sent you?” stammered the high priest, backing away. “The Serpent
Empire? The Fisher Kings? Or have the Cold Ones finally betrayed us?”
Stooping to retrieve the priestess’s razor-sharp knife, Tuko ran through
each possible answer in his mind, calculating which answer would cause the
most chaos. “A bear in a top hat,” he said finally.
“You’re not an assassin?”
Tuko laughed. “Politics is stupid. We just need these pretty rocks.” And
with two neat slashes, he cut off the high priest’s opulent ruby-encrusted gold
collar. Then he draped it around his own neck, pinning it back together with
a brooch removed from the old priest’s robe.
“The insolence!” The high priest trembled with rage—and probably age.
He looked like he’ d got to the trembly years. Then his lips quirked in a smug
little smile, probably seeing guards coming to the top of the temple’s stone
steps. “You will not get away with this. There is nowhere you can run that
we will not follow you.”
Just for fun, Tuko took the old priest’s headdress, too. “Watch me, Pops.”
Then he sprinted to the edge of the pyramid, changing into an eagle as he ran.
He jumped off, sprouting wings, and flew straight toward the rising sun. Sling
stones and darts missed him to either side, and with a few flaps of his powerful
wings, he was out of range.
Time to bring Dr. Elliot his rubies, Tuko thought. I wonder what
they’re for?
70
Speaking with Beasts
Trait: Beastspeaker
Characters with the Beastspeaker Trait have the magical ability to com-
municate with animal life. Very cool. So what should you talk about?
Well, most obviously, animals can act as your eyes and ears, giving you
intelligence about things like who or what is lurking on the other side
of the hill. But a savvy Beastspeaker can find lots of other uses for this
Trait—like asking your animal pals to go ambush the ambushers that
you now know are waiting for you.
First, every kind of animal life is guided strongly by instinct. So it’s going
to be tough to convince a hungry lioness not to eat you—but she might
be interested to know that easier prey is about two minutes behind you
on the trail. The more closely your request aligns with the beast’s basic
nature, the more likely you are to succeed.
Second, size matters. Bigger and smaller animals have different advan-
tages and disadvantages for a Beastspeaker. Bigger animals, with their
greater ability to understand complex requests and greater
physical capabilities, also have a greater will and mind
of their own. Smaller animals, less obtrusive
and less stubborn, also have smaller minds
with less ability to understand what you’re
asking them and smaller bodies that can
do less to help you. Shrews are always ready
to rumble, but their bites do a lot less damage
than a lion’s.
71
slugs, for example) are likely to be even more challenging. But as always,
Trait: Beastspeaker
New Trait
Animal Magnetism
Dogs like me. Dogs and elephants. Test with Advantage when attempting
to persuade, convince, or influence non-sapient animals. This is not a
Prestige Trait, but it does require the Beastspeaker Trait.
Beast Form
Four legs are better than two. You have learned the ways of the beasts
and can magically transform into an animal shape. To take this Pres-
tige Trait, you must have the Beastspeaker Trait.
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For your Beast Form, use the rules for the creation of
Trait: Beastspeaker
an Animal Companion, with the following excep-
tion: The two Traits selected from the Player Trait
List must be Traits your character already has.
Shifting into Beast Form takes one Action. When
reduced to 0 HP in Beast Form, you instantly shift
back to your true form, whether you make your Save
Test or not. You may take this Trait multiple times. Each
time you do, you may select an additional Beast Form.
Finding Beasts
Of course, for this Trait to be useful in the game, the Beastspeaker has
to actually encounter animals. Thoughtful GMs will be aware of this
and have beasts popping up here and there throughout the adventure.
But if you want more cowbell, as it were, you can take the initiative by
searching out animal life to speak with. This will usually require a Test.
What’s a Beast?
The Beastspeaker Trait lets you talk to beasts, so you might wonder what
counts as a beast? Animals, of course, so not animated statues or will-o’-the-
wisps or attack tulips. And not sapients, even animalians like Karhu, Salimar,
or Lionkin. But what about insects and other small creatures with very simple
nervous systems? Or gigantic creatures—say, a turtle so large that it can be
mistaken for an island? Or animal-like monsters, like the legendary hydra?
This chapter assumes that members of any vertebrate species, from finger-
nail-sized frogs to towering sauropods, count as beasts. As always, your GM
will make the final ruling, and may impose Disadvantage. But when your party
is confronted by a flame-spouting sky jelly as big as a thundercloud, why not
see if it wants to chat? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
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It’s also up to the GM to tell you what sort of beast you find if your Test
Trait: Beastspeaker
succeeds. Every habitat will have different sorts of animal life. Random
generation tables of the sort provided below may help to speed play along.
You may wish to talk to your GM about helping to create your own
unique tables for biomes your party may encounter.
However your GM handles Mounts, if you want a more exotic option than
the standard equine, you may want to peruse these tables. And don’t forget
about templates like Giant or Faerie (see below).
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♦ Giant animals are (10%, 50%, 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x) larger and accord-
Trait: Beastspeaker
ingly have more Hit Points and perhaps other Traits appropriate
to their size.
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Beast found in a wooded environment
Roll 1d6 for a column, then 1d6 for a row.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Roll Critter Aquatic Flying Predator Grazing Special
1 Stick bug Tree frog Owl Weasel Capybara Dire (roll again)
2 Chipmunk Turtle Pheasant Wolverine Deer Spirit (roll again)
3 Chameleon Otter Bat Cobra Panda Undead (roll again)
4 Rabbit Trout Falcon Wolf Tapir Faerie (roll again)
Wood Elk/ Hybrid (roll again
5 Porcupine Pike Bear
pecker Moose twice)
6 Lemur Alligator Eagle Tiger Gorilla Pegapony/ponicorn
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Beast found in an urban environment
Roll 1d6 for a column, then 1d6 for a row.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Roll Pest Aquatic Varmint Pets Working Special
1 Roach Frog Raccoon Cat Horse Tame/Feral (roll again)
Cotton- Transformed
2 Mouse Skunk Dog Cow
mouth (roll again)
3 Rat Duck Vulture Parakeet Goat Eldritch (roll again)
4 Squirrel Bass Monkey Goldfish Chicken Umbral (roll again)
5 Pigeon Koi Fox Hamster Sheep Hybrid (roll twice)
6 Crow Caiman Coyote Iguana Pig Wyrmling
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New Enemy
Trait: Beastspeaker
HP Traits
M agic cloaks
By default, most of these magical items can only be used by characters
with the Beastspeaker Trait. However, your GM might permit other
characters to use them if they have Family Trades or Traits related to
animals or nature (e.g., Tracker, Survivalist, etc.). If you think your
character should be able to use it, make your case. Maybe you’ll catch
the GM in a good mood.
In either case, you are left with five columns and a six-sided die. One option is
to simply ignore a roll of six. Another is to double up on column five—which
on every chart is full of very common creatures. Finally, you can always make
up your own list of beasts to replace the missing column.
78
♦ Cape of Beings Animalculous: Dashing red military cape.
Trait: Beastspeaker
Once per session, Test to speak to tiny one-celled animals, to
either cause or heal disease in a single living being. This change
may take a day or two to manifest. Requires the Beastspeaker
Trait.
y
♦ Veil of the Quiet Mouse: Made of fine, greying lace. Once per
day, Test to shrink down to the size of a small rodent for 1d6
minutes. Requires the
Beastspeaker Trait.
y
yy
6. COOKPOT
“Eat!” I say, and I push the bowl out the door.
The vampire just look at me, with those eyes. You know. He don’t want
the soup. He want to eat me. But nobody eat Babulya Zharóvnya.
“Is good soup,” I tell him. “And you too skinny. Eat!”
He look some more at me. He got eyes like the moon, big and silver and
beautiful. Very handsome. Maybe he try to hypnotize me. But nobody hypno-
tize Babulya Zharóvnya.
The vampire take the bowl. He nod his head, very polite. “Dear lady,” he
say. “The aroma of your proffered sustenance has indeed awakened my appe-
tite.” He smile, but carefully, to hide the teeth. Like he gonna fool me.
I no say nothing. I just wait.
Then he bow, in his green velvet suit and red silk kerchief, to me, in my
scratchy black sarafan. Him, tall and noble, like a prince. Me, a bent old
lady with no more eggs and no more efts. And no more silly butterfly heart
to flutter and swoon for lying vampires. Ha!
He try again, whispering like a lover. “It would please me greatly to take
advantage of your hospitality. May I come in?”
“No.”
He lean in, as far as he can. “The night is cold, and if your home is as
warm as your smile, I would love to break bread with you.”
“You no breaking nothing in my house, vampire.”
He stand up. “What?”
“You heared me. Eat the soup, or I no invite you in.”
“Why?”
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“You hungry. You want blood.” I point at the bowl. “This soup got beets,
Trait: Cookpot
hogweed, spinach. Lot of iron, protein. Nice and red. Just as good as blood.
Better!” Then I take a bite to show him is no poison.
The vampire think about that. Then he eat.
“Good. Come in, Mr. Vampire.”
He come in, and right away he’s try to bite me. But he can’t. He just stop,
like a statue. Because he ate the soup. And nobody who eats from Babulya’s pot
can hurt Babulya. Ha!
I give him a smack with my big spoon. “Bad vampire! No!”
Then he turn to bat, like they do, and he try to fly away. But I catch. And
I tear his wings with my teeth. This not my first vampire.
“Now you talk. Who sent you?”
He just hiss and show me his little bat teeth, so I give him another smack.
“Talk, or Babulya throw you in the soup.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Bats and beets is good together.”
“He’ ll kill me.”
“Oh, too bad. Poor vampire.” I break his wing. “You want to live forever?
Talk!”
He quiet for a while. I give him a shake.
“Enough! You want a name? Malchior. He’s the one who sent me.”
“Malchior, eh? Good. I deal with him later. Thank you, vampire.”
“You’re welcome.” He sound pretty sour. “Now will you let me go?”
“Sure.”
I throw him in the pot. Nobody live
forever. Not even Babulya Zharóvnya.
Cooking M agic
When Halflings were introduced as a playable Her-
itage, they came with a delightful magical Trait, the Halfling
Cookpot (TZ 9, p. 8), which Halflings can use to cook up a meal to heal
themselves and a number of their friends. This Trait is intriguing in that
it shares elements of other magical Traits, but also diverges in a number
of ways. For example:
♦ The Cookpot allows you to restore your friends’ Hit Points, like
a Healer does. Except more—sometimes a lot more. And it also
lets you heal yourself, which is nice.
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♦ Like an Alchemist, you spend time out of combat making some-
Trait: Cookpot
thing that people consume to get the effect. But the consumption
takes more time, and the possible effects are not nearly as varied,
perhaps because the magic doesn’t (usually) come from exotic or
eldritch ingredients.
Plant Food
According to their Heritage Trait, Treefolk can only heal
from direct sunlight and sleep. It’s also possible that
they do not eat, in the conventional sense. So is there
anything they can get from the Cookpot? It’s all up to
your GM, of course. But here are a couple of ideas.
♦ Treefolk can’t eat meals made for meat folk, but they can sometimes
make use of kitchen scraps and leavings. Any cookpot Test that rolls
doubles (even a Critical Fail) produces fertilizer that allows Treefolk to
heal 50% faster for 2 hours.
New Trait
Cookpot Adept: Po-tay-toes—boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a stew. You
have learned the Halfling art of magical meal preparation. With one hour
of cooking, and a successful Test, you can create a meal that heals those
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who eat it. Roll 2d3 for a pool of Hit Points to be shared in total among
Trait: Cookpot
those who partook of the meal, allowing them to heal. You may Test
once per meal, but only the first successful Test each day will yield the
magical result (unless you have the Fast Food Trait).
Cooking Traits
Halflings were not the only thing intro-
duced in TinyZine 9. It also details four
other Cooking Traits that require the Hal-
fling Cookpot Trait (Gourmet Chef, Hun-
dred Weight Feast, Fast Food, and Exotic
Ingredients). That requirement is also satisfied by the Cookpot Adept
Trait, so if you are taking this Trait, you are strongly encouraged to go
read the full descriptions of these Cooking Traits and give them a try.
All of these Cooking Traits (including the Prestige Traits) require either
the Halfling Cookpot or Cookpot Adept Trait.
You are also encouraged to work with your GM and, in the spirit of true
kitchen magic, come up with your own Cooking Traits that blend in
other Traits in fun and terrifying ways. For example, maybe you want
to use your Animation Magic and your Cookpot magic together to bake
up life-size, semi-sentient gingerbread men. And make them fight each
other, for whatever reason. Hey, no judgment here!
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Beastie Treats: Would you do it for a Beastie Treat? Test to prepare a meal
Trait: Cookpot
that will secure the temporary loyalty of a beast or beasts. Roll for a Hit
Point pool as normal, but instead of HP healed, this will be the total
HP of the beast(s) you can bribe. Beast(s) will perform one task with
the same faithfulness as an Animal Companion. If you have the Beast-
speaker Trait, you may Test with Disadvantage after each task to see if
the beast will perform another for you.
Bone Broth: Nothing a little chicken soup can’t help. Test to prepare a
meal that grants those who partake an instant Save Test to be rid of a
disease, poison, curse, or insanity. A successful save instantly stops any
ongoing damage, but you will need a good night’s sleep before you are
truly well. Roll for a pool as normal, but instead of determining the
number of Hit Points to be restored, this will determine the number of
dice rolled in Save Tests (limit 3 per character). If you have the Healer
Trait, the broth also restores 2 HP to all those who share in the meal.
Cookie’s Revenge: Don’t mess with the chef. Test to prepare a meal that
harms rather than heals, doing 2d3 damage to be shared out among
those who partook of the meal.
If you have the Alchemist Trait, everyone who
took damage also gets magical food poisoning.
Victims may attempt a Save Test once per day,
and Test with Disadvantage on all Tests until
they succeed.
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Empty Hand: Utensils are for chumps. You have learned to use your
Trait: Cookpot
hands to smash and chop your ingredients. You suffer no penalty for
preparing a meal without your chef’s knife. If you can manifest the As-
tral Blade Psionic Talent, you may now use it against all physical Enemies.
Frosty Delights: My milkshake brings all the Orcs to the yard. You have
learned to cook delicious frozen treats, and suffer no penalty for prepar-
ing a meal without a heat source. Your frozen desserts restore double HP
to Cryothermic Salimar, Ice Witches and other creatures of cold. For Fire
Giants and other creatures of fire, they do damage.
Kettle Black: Dude, where did you get that pot? You can summon an
umbral cooking vessel, inky black, that glitters and sparkles with a faint
light like distant stars. This allows you to prepare meals (and Test with
no penalty) even when you have no earthly kettle.
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If you have the Familiar Trait, you can also cook and eat
Trait: Cookpot
shadows when you have no earthly food (Caution: relying
on this diet may turn you into a Shade or Wraith).
Pot of Gold: Do you feel lucky, punk? Test to prepare a meal that grants
luck to those who partake. On a successful Test, roll 2d3 for a pool of
lucky dice to share out. Those who get lucky dice can use one (and only
one) to get an instant second chance whenever they fail a Test. Luck wears
off when you eat your next meal.
Spirit Food: Four fried chickens and a coke. Test to cook a meal that will
please the Spirits of this place and earn you a Boon, as with the Shaman-
ic Adept Trait. If you have any shamanic Trait, this does not count against
your limit of one offering per day.
Whistle While You Work: Sing for your supper and you might get break-
fast. You have learned to use music to speed your meal preparation. Prep
time for your meals is cut in half. If you have any Bardic Trait, you also
gain Focus on your Test.
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mealtime innovation, discovered a new time to sit down and have a bite.
Trait: Cookpot
You may attempt one additional meal per day. Also, you get to take two
Cooking Traits for free. This Trait may be taken multiple times, each
time selecting two more Cooking Traits.
Cauldron Witch: And your little dog, too. Your cookpot now simmers
and bubbles with sorceries most potent. You have become in some ways
attuned to your cauldron, and in time may invest it with great magical
power.
As a Cauldron Witch, you gain three benefits. First, you are not required
to share meals from your cookpot, and may instead choose to enjoy all
the benefits yourself. Second, Cauldron Witches are permitted to take
Cauldron Traits (see below). You are not required to take one, and you
do not get one for free. Third, you may Test to brew up a witchy meal
granting you 2d3 hexes to cast in the next 24 hours.
Hexes are a kind of curse witches use to spoil things. To use one in com-
bat, spend an Action on your turn to hold the hex in reserve. Then, some
time before your next turn, you can Test (with Advantage) to throw your
hex and ruin someone else’s Action (this must be done during or imme-
diately after the Action). Success means the Action fails and can not be
attempted again until the next turn.
When an assistant succeeds, roll an additional 1d3 for the pool. Do this even if
the head cook fails, adding the assistant’s 1d3 to the head cook’s 0 dice.
There is no limit to the number of times per day cooks may roll to assist, and
rolls to assist do not count against the daily limit of times they can use their
own Trait.
Cauldron Traits
Trait: Cookpot
Cauldron Traits belong to specific cooking vessels, not to the Cauldron
Witches themselves. If the vessel is lost or destroyed, the Trait is likewise
lost. Maybe that’s why Cauldron Witches tend to use ginormous iron ket-
tles instead of cute little china teapots.
Like the list of Cookpot Traits above, this list is not exclusive. GMs and
players are encouraged to come up with Cauldron Traits that fit their
own unique campaigns and characters.
♦ Flying Pan: Watch out for the unidentified frying object! Your
Cauldron functions as an airborne vehicle, allowing you to fly
as if you were mounted on a griffin.
♦ Poison Pot: This dish will transport you straight to heaven. Your
Cauldron can be used to brew up poisons as if you were an Al-
chemist.
91
was very disappointed to conclude that he might find out if their spears were
Trait: Familiar
Familiar Spirits
Characters with the Familiar Trait are able to
summon an intangible creature of shadow
from the Umbral Realm. Although familiars
are typically benevolent spirits, allowing an-
other entity—even a friendly one—to attach
itself to your soul is a matter of great conse-
quence, one which opens up a number of doorways to arcane power.
92
New Traits and Prestige Traits
Trait: Familiar
Banisher
Get lost! Test to banish a familiar to a remote corner of
the Umbral Realm. Test with Disadvantage to simi-
larly banish summoned demons. Banished entities
can not return for 1d6 turns. This is not a Pres-
tige Trait, but it does require the Familiar Trait.
Binder
You will be mine, you will be mine, all mine. Test to
bind a manifested familiar to your will, causing it to
obey you instead of its master. The opposing mage may
take control of the familiar again in 1d3 turns. This is not a
Prestige Trait, but it does require the Familiar Trait.
Buffered
Faceless shadow cats never die, they just fade away. Your mind is protect-
ed by an etheric buffer, so when your familiar (or demon) is reduced to
0 Hit Points and disappears, you take no damage. This is not a Prestige
Trait, but it does require the Familiar Trait.
M aster of Shadows
Two faceless shadow cats are better than one. You have learned to summon
another benevolent spirit from the Umbral Realm as a familiar. Further,
you may grant this shadow creature one Familiar Trait (see Traits for
Familiars, below). You may manifest one familiar or multiple familiars
at once, as you choose. To take this Prestige Trait, you must have the Fa-
miliar Trait.
You may take this Trait multiple times. Each time you do, you gain an
additional familiar and may grant it a single Familiar Trait.
Shadowsouled
You merely adopted the shadows. I was born in them. Through a mysterious
means, you have merged with your familiar and emerged a new umbral
creature with uncanny shadow powers. To take this Prestige Trait, you
must have the Familiar Trait.
93
Fusing with your familiar has several effects. First, you cast a shadow in
Trait: Familiar
the shape of your familiar instead of your own self. Second, your famil-
iar can no longer manifest or take new Familiar Traits. However, when
you take this Trait you can choose to take one or more of your familiar’s
Traits (such as Invisible) for yourself by eliminating an equal number of
your own (non-Heritage) Traits.
Your merger also gives you additional Shadowsouled powers. You may
select any two of the following:
♦ Phase Out: Test to make your body incorporeal until your next
turn, so that all non-magical attacks pass clear through you. You
may also pass through solid objects as an Action.
♦ Umbral Twin: You can manifest and command your own shad-
ow as if it were a familiar with Borrower and one other Familiar
Trait.
You may take this Trait multiple times. Each time you do, you gain two
additional Shadowsouled powers.
94
Summoner
Trait: Familiar
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine. You
can summon a lesser infernal spirit. This demon
replaces your familiar, which will no longer
manifest. This is not a Prestige Trait, but it
does require the Familiar Trait.
Who is my demon?
For some players, a demon is just another weapon or tool, and the particulars
don’t matter much. But why not give it a little personality, a little flavor?
To start with, most folklore says denizens of the netherworld can only be sum-
moned if you know their names. So what’s your demon’s name? And if you are
worried about saying its name aloud in front of others who might try to use
that knowledge for their own benefit, what are you going to call your demon
in public? You might use a grandiose title or epithet like Thorn of Glory, Spawn
of the Pits, or The Resplendent One. Or maybe Mr. Toad.
Unlike familiars, demons tend to take fearsome or bizarre shapes when they
manifest (although, like familiars, these forms are typically no larger than a
dog). What does your demon look like? You might find inspiration in myths,
pop culture, or the list of Infernal Enemies below. And if you really want peo-
ple to tremble when your demon shows up, you can give it a Familiar Trait like
Terrifying Presence.
Hell stinks, and infernal creatures tend to bring some of that stench with
them when they manifest. What does your demon smell like? Sulphur and
brimstone is traditional, but players are encouraged to reach out for other
awful scents like burnt hair, sweaty gym socks, or bloated whale carcass
(the table below can be used to quickly generate random reeks.)
95
This Demon Smells Like . . .
Trait: Familiar
1 2 3
Roll Humanoid odors Scents of Decay Animal smell
4 5 6
Roll Nasty Fluids Plant Funks Ugly You Can Taste
Diabolist
You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight? Having made a deep-
er study infernal spirits, you have gained more power over demons, and
have also learned to summon devils. To take this Prestige Trait, you must
have the Summoner Trait.
96
The summoned devil will remain entirely incorporeal, and will answer
Trait: Familiar
one simple question. Devils are knowledgeable, but not omniscient. They
are also not friendly, or trustworthy. Some say they can deceive even when
every word they say is true.
You may ask more questions than one, but any further answers must be
coerced from your Devil in a contest of wills (Test with Advantage for
your first contest, followed by a standard Test for your second. All other
Tests will be with Disadvantage). Failure in such a contest typically means
the spirit refuses to answer—although it might instead ask something of
value in exchange for an answer. Prudent Summoners will resist the temp-
tation to make such bargains. Imprudent Summoners may end up with
a quest, or a geas, or a Demonic Curse (from Chapter 1: Alchemist).
Infernal R eaver
He fights like a man possessed! When you summon a demon, it does not
manifest externally. Instead, you chain it inside your soul to fuel your
own brutal combat power. To take this Prestige Trait, you must have
the Summoner Trait.
To access your powers, Test to summon and master your demon. If you
fail, you take 1 damage. On a critical fail, you are unable to summon
your demon until the next midnight. If you succeed, three things hap-
pen:
2. Every attack you make is imbued with infernal flame and does
an additional 1 damage.
3. You can Test 1d6 whenever you are hit by an enemy. If your Test
is successful, you ignore the damage until the end of combat.
To extinguish your powers, dismiss your demon and make a Save Test.
If you fail, you immediately take all the damage you ignored during
combat, plus 1. On a critical fail, you are also afflicted by a Demonic
Curse (from Chapter 1: Alchemist). If you succeed, you immediately
take half the damage you ignored during combat, plus 1.
97
New Traits for Familiars
Trait: Familiar
Autonomous
There are no strings on me. Your familiar (or demon) has a stronger bond
with you and is now able to manifest effortlessly within a 100 foot radi-
us of its master. Manifesting within 500 feet (about the distance at which
a human voice can be heard) requires a successful Test with Advantage.
Manifesting within 1 mile (about the distance at which a human eye
could see a familiar) requires a Test. Outside of that, a familiar can
manifest anywhere you can visualize, so long as you succeed on a Test
with Disadvantage.
Black Saddle
He ain’t heavy, he’s my caster. Your familiar (or demon) can carry you, as
a mount. It can expand in size, if needed to carry you, but does not gain
any combat benefit, etc., from this larger size. To take this Familiar Trait,
your familiar must have the Corporeal Familiar Trait.
Borrower
What’s yours is mine. Your familiar (or demon) can borrow one of your
Traits and use it for a short time. Only one Trait can be borrowed at a
time, and you can not use it while it is being borrowed. Swapping out
borrowed Traits takes one Action.
Traits granting access to multiple Spells (e.g., Archmage, Bard, Psionic
Adept, Shamanic Adept, Spell-Touched, etc.) can not be borrowed, but
individual Spells can, with the same restrictions.
Fury Spawn
All movement in the universe is caused by tension between positive and neg-
ative furies. Your familiar (or demon) is a spawn of the furies, linked to
the mystic energies channeled by masters of unarmed combat, and can
Trait: Familiar
mechanics for using the Technique as you would for a PC Martial Artist
(which in some cases may require the familiar (or demon) to become cor-
poreal.
This Trait may be taken multiple times. Each time, you may select an
additional Technique to give your familiar (or demon).
Shade Form
Hurts so good. Your familiar (or demon) manifests a form composed of
negative energy, meaning that it is healed by damage and damaged by
healing.
Terrifying Presence
Your three-faced shadow hyena is really, really, really freaking me out, man!
Something about your familiar (or demon) inspires fear. When you sum-
mon it into a new situation (e.g. combat), all creatures within 5 feet of it
must make a Save Test or Test with Disadvantage on their next Test. This
applies to beasts as well as sapients, allies as well as Enemies, and even
the caster.
Infernal Enemies
Brimstone Jelly (Lesser): An undulating, quivering mass of drippy,
stinky goo. Oh, and it’s on fire.
HP Traits
Dark-fighter
3
Fire-Wreathed: As the Fire Giant Trait (TD2e, p. 49).
(Medium)
Gelatinous: Not affected by most attacks. Test 2d6 to ig-
nore physical damage.
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Dandelion Imp: AKA dandies, roach demons, rat-faced imps, Hell’s
Trait: Familiar
pigeons, etc. Like their namesake, they are little, yellow, and almost im-
possible to get rid of once a colony takes root.
HP Traits
Infernal Denizen
HP Traits
Infernal Denizen
101
Foul Fiend: Scaly-skinned demons with horns, bat-like wings, and a
Trait: Familiar
HP Traits
Charismatic
8 Infernal Denizen
(High) Spite: Foul Fiends deal +1 damage against any injured
foe who has 3 or fewer Hit Points.
Cleave
Diehard
Strong
Trait: Familiar
Native to the Umbral Realm, these fierce canine spirits are prized in the
Netherworld as guardians and hunters.
HP Traits
Dark Vision
Perceptive
Tracker
HP Traits
Dark-fighter
Infernal Denizen
Multiple Attacks
Occult Teleportation
28 Poisoned Bite (as the Giant Spider Trait, TD2e, p. 51)
(Epic)
Reek of Hell
Spell-Touched
Spell Reader
103
8. HEALER
Setting his feet as best he could on the rocky slope, Etzok Khalot rammed
the butt of his staff into the zombie’s gaping mouth. Using the staff as a con-
duit, he poured positive life energy into the undead creature, the fire of creation
burning it from the inside out. As smoke poured out of the abomination’s nose,
ears, and empty eye sockets, Etzok gritted his teeth in grim satisfaction.
“Dust to dust, minion of Malchior.” He gave a sudden, hard shove and
the thing lost its balance, pinwheeling down the steep mountainside, loose
rocks cascading in a trail behind.
“—be back, Etzok Khalot,” the tumbling cadaver moaned, decaying bits
popping off as it cartwheeled away into the night.
“Good!” Etzok called after it. “Because I’m not done with you! So get back
up here and let’s get you interred!”
A trickle of pebbles down and to his left alerted him that something else
was trying to make its way up the mountain. He pivoted, brandishing his
staff, to face the threat, but saw nothing but a thicket of greenbrier.
“That goes for you, too. For all of you!” Etzok bellowed. “Shuffle off back
to Malchior, or I’ ll bury every last rotting one of you. Between me and this
mountain, we’ve got the stones to put you all in cairns.”
They had been after him since nightfall, endless waves of the unquiet
dead. How many hours had passed now? How many remained before sun-
rise? With the stars behind a curtain of clouds, Etzok had no way to know for
sure. And in the chaos of the fight—of the cavalcade of fights—he had lost all
sense of how much time had passed. But one thing he knew for sure. As long
as life coursed through his veins, he would use it to fight these bloodless fiends.
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The greenbriar convulsed, sending pebbles bouncing down the mountain-
Trait: Healer
side again. Etzok made his way across the loose scree, careful of his footing. The
jeweled tip of his staff glowed with righteous light, ready to burn down what-
ever hid in the thorny bushes.
“E-e-e-e-etzok Khalot,” moaned a hollow voice from inside the thicket.
“Keep my name out of your filthy mouth,” Etzok growled.
“Me-e-e-e-ess-age,” it bleated. “I ha-a-a-ave a message.”
Reaching the greenbriar patch, Etzok wished for an axe. But all he had
was his staff, so he poked it in and began shoving aside the bristling tangle of
thorny branches. “Not interested in talking to a crime against life and creation.”
“Ma-a-a-a-a-ster says–”
With a furious blow, Etzok knocked aside the last briars between him
and the abomination. It was about the height of a man, and seemed to be
standing on two legs, but it was clearly constructed from a pile of sheep bones,
topped by a decomposing ram’s skull with curving horns.
“Shut your dead mouth!” he roared. “I’ d no more hear from a necroman-
cer than one of his perverse creations! Especially Malchior!”
The skeleton thing cocked its ram head to one side and said, “Who is
Ma-a-a-alchior?”
“Your master.”
“No-o-o-o-ot our master.”
“No?”Etzok paused in mid-swing.
“We serve Vara-a-a-a-a-nus.”
“Oh?” said Etzok, planting the butt of his staff in the rocky ground at his
feet. “Varanus? Well, that’s a different vein of ore, entirely. Tell me, what’s
that old bag of scales been up to? Then let’s hear that message.”
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if you want your character to be the champion of a god (or the defender
Trait: Healer
of a faith), it’s easy enough to play that way.
To start with, every character has a Belief. For some, this might be noth-
ing more than a pithy saying or one-liner, but it can also be much more
nuanced, rich, and complex. Take the opportunity to think about the
principles that guide your character and try writing down a few differ-
ent belief statements. Pick one for your character and set the rest aside to
use as creeds, scriptures, or articles of faith. If some of them are at odds
with each other, all the better. Now your character’s religion has sects!
Awesome!
Communities of Faith
Every character in Tiny Dungeon 2e is also required to specify a Fami-
ly Trade, the purpose of which is to help you “give them a little bit of a
backstory” (TD2e, p. 24). To build more godly characters, consider a
Family Trade that’s overtly religious (medicine man, priestess, scribe,
mullah). Or, it could be tied somehow to a religious organization or
institution. For example, perhaps your family were vintners who made
the sacramental wine, caretakers of the church’s graveyard, or innkeep-
ers near a pilgrimage site.
107
rule? A secret cult? The major provider of healthcare and education in
Trait: Healer
your realm? Making details like these part of your character’s story and
gameplay may never give you Advantage on a Test—but it can’t hurt!
Trait: Healer
1 2 3
4 5 6
central theme or role that connects these disparate elements? For ex-
ample, Romans revered Mercury as a god of travelers, luck, divination,
wealth, trickery and thievery, eloquence, etc., but all of these flowed from
his status as the messenger of the gods.
109
Deities also typically (though not always) have a name
Trait: Healer
and divine titles. You may want to name your god and
create a couple of titles, usually “broad, powerful de-
scriptors like ‘Father of Dragons’ or ‘Avatar of Justice’”
(Tiny Gods, p. 25).
Sample Pantheon
Brine Mother Mistress of the Deep, Mother of Monsters
* Brine Mother, Crydwain, and Noracht created by Justin Finley, David Guzmán,
and Will Munn, respectively.
111
one time. They must accept the second result. Anyone who does not
choose to use this blessing before the end of the game session loses it.
Pioneer
To boldly go where no one has gone before! Rather than curse the dark
works of wizards and witches, you light the lamp of faith and press
forward, exploring the frontiers of magical knowledge in a holy quest
for truth. To take this Prestige Trait, you must have the Healer Trait
and either Spell-Touched or Spell Reader.
When you select this Trait, you learn three spells you select from any
Magical Discipline, after you and the GM agree that these spells are
related to one of your Deity’s Domains. You may also, once per day,
pray for divine favor. On a successful Test, your Deity will grant you a
spell to be used a single time that day. Test 1d6 if you want to be granted
a specific spell.
You may take this Trait multiple times. Each time you do, you learn
three more spells appropriate to your Deity, and you
may Test once more per day for divine favor.
Promised
I promise you, I will. Your magical abilities
come from a covenant, a sacred promise
made between you and your God. To
take this Prestige Trait, you must
have the Healer Trait. When you
take this Trait, you may designate
up to three of your other Traits as
Promised Traits, holy gifts from
your chosen Deity. At least one of
those must be either Healer or a
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Domain Trait (such as the ones found in TZ 12, pp. 8-10). Any time
Trait: Healer
you use one of your Promised Traits, you gain Focus automatically.
You must also choose one Commandment or one Taboo associated with
your Deity. When performing a Test relating to your chosen Taboo, you
suffer Disadvantage. If you break your chosen Commandment, you suf-
fer Disadvantage on all Tests using your Promised Traits until you have
reconciled with your Deity.
Purifier
The walking dead are a disease, and I am the cure. Your devotion to life
has led you to hate the undead, and to gain the power you need to wipe
them off the face of the planet. To take this Trait, you must have the
Healer Trait.
113
M agic Items for Healers
Trait: Healer
All items require that the character have the Healer Trait.
115
9. Psionics
PSIONICS
As his eyelids descended for a blink, Changchub took a moment to med-
itate. He focused his thoughts on his fur, some of which was white, and some
of which was black. And some of it lay in a direction contrary to the rest.
Millions of individual hairs, yet all of it was his own fur. Many, yet one.
As his eyelids rose up again, Changchub let himself be aware of the
creature standing in front of him. A Psycog, it was called. More than ten feet
tall at its full height, with three eyes, chitinous armor, sickle-like claws, and
a circular mouth full of teeth and grasping pedipalps. And of course, like
many of its kind, the Psycog possessed both Gifts and Talents—superior, per-
haps, to his own.
Changchub’s body felt fear. His breaths had become rapid and shallow,
and his heart had begun to beat faster. Vital oxygen was rushing to his
muscles, which were contracting. The hairs in his fur were standing on end,
making him look larger and more powerful. All of these reactions could be
controlled, but he permitted them. They were appropriate.
The blink reached completion. Changchub aligned his chakras and opened
a small hole in reality that allowed his mind to touch the astral plane. He al-
lowed the internal and external energies to merge, and multiply, until he saw
the path that the cosmos had laid out before him. The end was obscure, but the
first step was very clear. Which was good, because his moment was up.
“Well?” the Psycog demanded, flexing both its clawed fingers and its
barbed pedipalps. “Will you serve? Or will you die?”
Changchub lifted his hands and reverently pressed them together, salut-
ing not just this creature in particular, but the true and unified nature of all
117
creatures and creations which shared the cosmos, and in their myriad forms
Trait: Psionics
118
Some psionic abilities can be used on a being that is aware, meaning
Trait: Psionics
capable of perceiving its environment and making decisions guided by
these sensory perceptions. (Such beings could also be called sentient, but
that word is easily confused with sapient, so we are using aware instead.)
Most beasts and monsters fall into this category, but not most bugs,
germs, or plants, which respond to stimuli but do not really make deci-
sions. Again, your GM will make the final call.
Finally, there are some psionic abilities that can only be used on living
targets. Unless your GM says so, this excludes objects and constructs
(animated or not), as well as the undead. This is often combined with
one of the above limitations.
New Trait
Psionic Adept: You can read minds? You have awakened your mind to
wield psychic powers, making you capable of wondrous acts with a
mere thought. Test to perform minor psychic feats (such as the Gifts
listed below) with an Action.
Psionic Gifts
♦ Astral Perception: See astral or invisible objects, ghosts, umbral
beings, etc.
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New Prestige Trait
Trait: Psionics
Psionic Master: I’m breaking through, I’m bending spoons. Through rig-
orous mental discipline and transcendent introspection, you have pierced
the veil of illusion and unlocked new possibilities. To take this Trait, you
must have the Psionic Adept Trait.
After you select this Trait, you must pick one of the Psionic Fields (see
below) to specialize in. You may take this Trait multiple times. Each
time you do, you may select an additional Psionic Field.
Psionic Fields
A Psionic Master may select one of the Fields below to represent their
psychic focus. Talents typically take one Action to complete, and follow
the rules listed. Psionic Masters can use all four Talents in their Fields.
♦ Forking Paths: Once per day, Test to see and comprehend all
the divergent outcomes of your choices before they happen. This
grants you Focus on all actions for 2d6 turns, or until you roll a
Critical Fail. After the effect ends, you Test with Disadvantage
on all actions for 1d6 turns as you struggle with an information
overload.
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Trait: Psionics
THE CONNECTED MIND
121
THE OPENED DOOR
Trait: Psionics
Allows you to enter and draw energy from the astral plane.
♦ Astral Blade: Test to draw energy from the astral plane and give
it the shape of an ordinary weapon of your choosing. The man-
ifested weapon is magical, granting Advantage on Attack Tests.
However, it only affects living, aware beings.
♦ Crystal Ally: Gain an ally from the astral plane that manifests in
our reality as a small, crystalline structure that hovers in an orbit
around your head. The ally follows the rules for Familiars, with
three exceptions. First, it is not perceivable by ordinary senses.
Second, you may manifest any of your Psionic Gifts and Tal-
ents through it. Third, it may not acquire Familiar Traits.
122
your physical body. Additional Tests may be required if you are
Trait: Psionics
carrying additional weight.
♦ Psychokinesis: Test to move physical objects without touching
them. The effects are roughly equivalent to those you can achieve
with your body. Test with Disadvantage to move heavy objects.
♦ Force Storm: Once per day, Test to create a storm of kinetic
force that shatters fragile objects and does 1 damage to all ene-
mies within 10’ (or in the Close and Near Zones). Test with
Disadvantage to do 2 damage to Enemies and severely damage
most physical objects.
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THE FORTIFIED TEMPLE
Trait: Psionics
New Enemy
Psycogs: Three-eyed humanoids with four small mouth tendrils and a
chip on their shoulders. Rumored to be natives of the astral plane, when
found in our world they are highly sought after as mage-hunters.
HP Traits
Vigilant
124
New Items for Psionic Characters
Trait: Psionics
♦ Demonbane Flute: Bamboo dangjeok marked with strange
symbols. Psionic characters may Test to decipher the symbols
and learn its secret song. While this song is played, any char-
acter who can hear it Tests with Advantage on all Gifts and
Talents used against Eldritch Enemies.
♦ Kambala Birthstone: Necklace with a star
ruby the size and shape of a dove’s egg. If given
to a Crystal Ally, the gem will be consumed, and
the Crystal Ally will be able to take Familiar Traits.
♦ Mirror of Total Recall: Jade handled looking glass. After
using a Psionic Talent with a once-a-day limit, the holder may
Test to gain an additional daily use. Holders with Eidetic Mem-
ory may Test with Advantage.
♦ Most Benevolent Kitten: Gold clock in the shape of a cat with
an upraised paw. Once per day, a holder with access to at least
one Psionic Gift may Test to gain the effects of the Lucky Trait
(stacks with the Lucky Trait).
♦ Onus of Friendship: Elephant tusk carved into a statuette of a
woman dancing with a bear. The holder may use his or her Psion-
ic Gifts and Talents on all living creatures, sapient or not, aware
or not.
♦ Shawl of Liberation: Silk scarf elaborately painted with a death
motif. Grants Advantage when using Psionic Talents against
the Undead, even Talents that usually would not affect Undead
targets.
For example: the kitten could be used by anyone, the shawl could grant
Advantage on magical attacks, and the mirror could allow a character to use
some other kind of once-a-day spell or Trait. You’re the GM, it’s your game,
take whatever inspiration you find here and have fun.
10. Shaman
SHAMAN
As salty sea winds whipped her red-gold hair into her face, Kinari stepped
to the prow of her war canoe and set down the cherrywood offering bowl. A
handful of bitter little beans was all it contained, but the Spirits wanted what
they wanted. And they wanted these beans.
The winds lashed her even more ferociously as she stepped back from the
bowl, with one particularly puckish gust blasting her conical straw hat right
off her ears and far out to sea. Kinari did not react; any response would just
bring more teasing of the same sort. Wind Spirits tended to be mischievous,
especially at sea.
Behind her, sixty handpicked warriors followed her lead and sat quiet-
ly with their oars up, despite shrieking winds and threatening waves. They
had seen stranger things than this, and had seen her triumph over all of
them.
The beans spiraled out of the bowl and up into the air, where they were
pulverized by impossibly precise little whirlwinds. As the fine, dark powder
dissipated in the air, Kinari thought of enemies she had seen likewise atom-
ized. And smiled.
The storm, too, settled into a more pleasant mood, and a Spirit descended
from the lightening clouds in the form of a raven, inky-black down to its clever
claws and glittering eyes.
“Your offering pleases us,” it said, with a voice much larger and richer
than a bird’s caw. “But we have a question. Why do you wish to go back?”
Kinari tucked away a stray wisp of hair. “My sister needs me.”
127
“Who? This. . . Baroness?” The spirit opened its beak wide enough to split
Trait: Shaman
128
and High Shamans). So anyone can make a Spirit Offering, but only a
Trait: Shaman
Shaman will get a Boon in return. Similarly, anyone can participate in
an Incantation, but unless it is led by a Shaman, the ritual will produce
no result. See below for more on Offerings, Boons, and Incantations.
Second, outside of Spirit World, most Spirits are indifferent rather than
benevolent. Shamans are strongest in places with friendly or familiar
Spirits—venerated ancestors, the Spirits of the land where their people
have dwelt for generations. When Shamans leave these places of power,
they must carry fetishes or totems that permit their guardian Spirits to
travel with them. Without them, all Tests involving their powers are made
with Disadvantage. At the GM’s discretion, they may also be required
to force the Spirits to do their bidding, as explained in the section below
on Forcing and Backlash.
129
Shamanic Warrior: Spirits protect my body and guide my blade. Exactly as
Trait: Shaman
in the Spirit World micro-setting, this Trait lets you Test to sacrifice HP
and gain Warrior Boons (TD2e, p. 111). However, you must Test with
Disadvantage if you are outside your place of power without your totem.
High Shaman: Spirits are the essence of Magic. You can Test to use any of
the abilities of the Familiar, Healer, and Spell-Touched Traits. However,
all your shamanic abilities Test with Disadvantage if you are outside your
place of power without your totem. To take this Prestige Trait, you must
have the Shaman Adept Trait.
However you do it, picking a Family Trade can be a fun way to figure out
your character’s back story. Thinking about the role of Shamans in the
community is also a great way to do a little world-building (and maybe
even to find some adventure hooks), so don’t forget to get your GM in-
volved.
130
Death and Nature
Trait: Shaman
The Spirit World setting does not specify what kind of Spirits make
Spirit Magic work, but shamans in myth and folklore deal most often
with the Spirits of the Dead and the Spirits of Nature. By default, sha-
manic characters interact with both types of Spirits. But if they wish
to, players may declare that their Shamans are either Death Shamans
or Nature Shamans. If GMs wish to, they may declare that there are
tensions and conflicts between Death and Nature Shamans, or even
divisions between the Spirits of the Dead and the Spirits of Nature.
Due to their strong ties to the Spirits of the Dead, Death Shamans have
an affinity for ancestor, ghost, netherworld, and demon magicks. Death
Shamans with the High Shaman Prestige Trait may, therefore, spend a
Trait to acquire any necromantic Magical Discipline (see “Archmage”
or TZ 23) as if they were Archmages. Death Shamans with the Shaman
Adept Trait may take the Summoner Trait, even if they do not have the
Familiar Trait.
Because of their strong ties to the Spirits of Nature, Nature Shamans
have an affinity for plant, animal, weather, and elemental magicks. Na-
ture Shamans with the High Shaman Prestige Trait may, therefore,
spend a Trait to acquire Emerald Magic (TD2e, p. 75) or any other na-
ture-based Magical Discipline (see “Archmage”)
as if they were Archmages. Nature Sha-
mans with the Shaman Adept Trait may
take the Archdruid Prestige Trait, even if
they do not have the Beastspeaker Trait.
Nature Shamans with the Shamanic War-
rior Trait may take the Beast Form Prestige
Trait, even if they do not have the Beast-
speaker Trait.
131
different sorts of offerings. If you are not sure what your Spirits would
Trait: Shaman
After making the offering, the Shaman makes a Test. Success means the
Spirits are pleased and will grant a Boon. (See table: “Spirit Offering
Boons,” TD2e, p. 109). Boons are temporary. They are received the fol-
lowing morning upon waking, and will typically endure until midnight.
132
However, if a 1 is rolled on any die, the Shaman has angered the Spirits
Trait: Shaman
and may suffer a Backlash. Note that when forcing, it is possible to both
succeed and trigger a Backlash. Unless the Shaman makes a Save Test
with Disadvantage, the Spirits lash out. The GM may either invent
consequences appropriate to the situation, or roll 2d6 and consult the
Backlash Table (TD2e, p. 110; see also Spirit World: Greater Spirits, p. 5).
Incantations
Shaman Adepts and High Shamans can lead other characters in Incan-
tations, rituals that produce powerful magic effects comparable to the
Scrolls used by Spell Readers. Unlike reading a Scroll, however, per-
forming an Incantation takes time—several minutes at least, and in
some cases much more.
Also, remember that each additional caster helps by increasing the magic
number for failure by 1.
133
Sample Incantations You Might Discover
Trait: Shaman
Be very careful handing out Incantations to your players. Like Spell Read-
er Scrolls, they can be very powerful. And like Spell-Touched Cantrips, they
are infinitely reusable! They do, of course, have two big limitations: Incanta-
tions require plenty of both time and people.
If these two limitations are not enough, and an Incantation is wrecking your
game, you do have one other way to shut it down. Like all Shamanic magic,
Incantations require the aid of the Spirits. And the Spirits need not be party
to an abuse of magical power. Don’t be afraid to warn your players (perhaps
in a character’s dream) that the Spirits are unhappy and may refuse to help
them—either with the Incantation, or with any Shamanic magic at all. If they
continue anyway, then it’s time for forcing and backlash.
And if you want to escalate the backlash, go for it. You’re the GM.
134
♦ Cry of Blood (Magic Number: 9): Calls upon the Spirits of the
Trait: Shaman
Dead to avenge a slain ally. Incantation must take place in the
presence of the body, and only those who knew the slain or
witnessed the slaying can participate. When the Incantation is
successful, the slayer must make a Save or Die Test. But while the
Incantation is being cast, the slayer will know the location and
intent of the casters. Any slain allies so avenged can never be
resurrected.
135
Or you can roleplay it out, following these 3 steps.
Trait: Shaman
136
Spirit Generation Table
Trait: Shaman
Roll 3d6. If the total of the 3 dice is even, this is a Spirit of Nature. If
the total is odd, this is a Spirit of the Dead.
Looks
Roll like a Roll Made of Roll Oh, and also it
Aquatic Is extraordinarily
5 5 Earth 5
Animal old/young.
Is unusually large/
6 Plant 6 Plant 6
small.
* When a Spirit appears in the form of a sapient creature, it typically appears ei-
ther as the same sapient type as the Shaman, or the most prevalent sapient
found here over the last millennium.
11. Spell
SPELL Reader
READER
‘Life sciences,’ read the shiny black letters on the placard, ‘Kyros R.’ The
door into which the card was tacked must have been at least three inches thick,
reinforced with heavy iron bands, but it opened at a touch, swinging inward
with the faintest of groans.
“Come in.” The voice was harsh and rasping.
I pulled out the scroll I was to deliver, straightened my haori coat and
kimono, and strode in, closing the door behind me.
The pungent, suffocating smell of embalming fluid, together with the
immaculately scrubbed floors and obsessively organized bookshelves, told me
in no uncertain terms that this was not a place for casual visitors. Books,
wicker storage boxes, scroll boxes, and porcelain and glass jars had all been
stuck in their places as neatly and rigidly as butterflies pinned in a display
case.
But it wasn’t a butterfly Professor Kyros had pinned down on the shining
steel table in the center of the room, right above the little bronze grate gleaming
wetly in the floor. It was a cadaver, mid-dissection, papery dry skin meticu-
lously secured with bright, hooked needles to display the vital organs inside. It
was the most . . . orderly corpse I had ever seen.
“Office hours concluded several hours ago,” said the Lizardfolk stand-
ing on the other side of the table from me. Even hunched over in his scholar’s
robes, he was clearly half again as tall as I was, and wickedly pointed spines
protruded from his scaly face, his thick neck, and even his knuckles. “Are
you . . . lost?”
139
“Professor Kyros, I assume?” I kept myself composed and stepped forward,
Trait: Spell Reader
extending the scroll toward him, not releasing it into his claws until he nodded
an answer to the question. “This is from my master.”
“Malchior.”
I said nothing, stepping back from that table. I was glad to have the evil
thing out of my hands. Sorcerous scrolls like this one were rare, powerful, and
dangerous. Reading them was forbidden. But as my master had explained, it
was also sometimes necessary. Which is why he needed the professor.
Kyros grunted and turned his eyes to the unfurled scroll. A brazier stood
next to the table, blue flames dancing over large stones glowing white with
heat. He turned to take advantage of the light, ignoring me.
I cleared my throat. “As you can see, this spell will deliver you directly to
a secure location convenient to my master—where you will be handsomely
rewarded, assuming the objective is complete.”
“Very neat,” Kyros said, with grudging approval in his voice. “He always
did careful work.”
“Shall I tell my master you accept?”
He pulled out a dagger, and my hands flew to the hilt of my katana. But
instead of flinching, Kyros laughed.
“Boy,” he rasped, “we are not going to cross blades.”
“No?”
“No.” He twirled the knife in his hand. “This shiny toy has never tasted
hot blood, and never shall. It has a different thirst entirely.”
Before I could ask what that meant, Kyros stabbed the dagger into the
scroll, which screamed. Like a piglet, fleeing the butcher’s apprentice.
Paralyzed with horrified fascination, I watched as the vellum writhed in
his hands, flapping and shaking like a living fish thrown on a red-hot teppan
grill. Kyros chuckled with awful amusement, and the blade of the knife grew
black as it drank ink from the scroll.
What kind of sorcery was this? Bad enough to carry the forbidden scroll,
and worse to be in the presence of one who could read the words of blackest
magic and release the vile energies they contained. But this—what was it?
Absorbing the power of the spell itself? It was beyond evil. It was unthinkable.
I took a halting step back.
“Time to open the door, wouldn’t you say?” Kyros hissed.
I didn’t bother to answer, but instead dashed across the spotless stone floor
to the massive oak door—the only exit from the laboratory. Behind me, I
heard the tortured sound of something enormous tearing.
I couldn’t help it. I glanced back. And I saw a jagged black hole into
nothing, hanging in the middle of the air, apparently ripped open by the
ghastly black blade Kyros still held in his hand.
140
It was the most terrifying thing I had ever seen, until something crawled
Words of Power
When the gods created sapient beings, the first words they spoke to them
were words of power. Some of these divine words were heard and tran-
scribed by the first mages, who hid them away for fear of angering the
gods by profaning their holy language with mortal lips. But as time went
on, mages grew less cautious and more ambitious, and many of the words
of power were found and read. Legend has it that at least the following
six remain unused.
141
♦ Word of Joy: Instantly restores one dead ally to life, at full HP.
Trait: Spell Reader
♦ Word of Torment: All foes within the sound of the Spell Read-
er’s voice suffer crippling agony; each takes 1 damage and makes
all Tests with Disadvantage until succeeding at a Save Test.
♦ Scroll of the East Wind: Grants all allies an extra Action each
turn until the end of combat.
142
♦ Scroll of the West Wind: Causes a variety of flowering plants
143
M agic books
Trait: Spell Reader
The following are not scrolls, but are magical texts that you might find
on your adventures. Although they are designed to be useful for Spell
Readers, you and your GM might work out other uses.
♦ Book of Capture: When open and active, the book will Test
with Disadvantage to capture any spell spoken within earshot,
writing it to the page as a scroll. Requires an Action to open and
activate. An additional Action is required each time a spell is
captured, to turn the page and reactivate the book.
♦ Book of Combinations: Leave two scrolls inside for a day, then
Test to combine. Success gives you a new spell scroll with ele-
ments of both of the original scrolls. Failure destroys one or both
scrolls, unless you make a Save Test with Disadvantage.
♦ Book of Protection: When held, this book grants Advantage on
Save Tests against sanity damage.
♦ Book of Safety: The pages of this book are carved out to make
a secret chamber big enough for a typical scroll. Storing a scroll
allows you a Save Test to avoid the scroll’s destruction when the
scroll is removed and read.
♦ Book of Summoning: Test to open a portal and summon one
random Eldritch Enemy, as the Eldritch Sorcerer ability. Works
1d6 times.
♦ Book of Teaching: Teaches a Spell Reader
one random Archmage spell.
144
method for your GM to populate your dragon hoards and magic shops
To create a Minor Scroll which emulates a spell from the Magical Dis-
ciplines, disregard any Test required by the spell and substitute the
Standard Test required for any Spell Reader to use a Scroll. GMs: If
you want a truly high-magic world, try allowing your Spell Readers to
Test with Advantage when reading a Minor Scroll.
For more variety, Minor Scrolls can also duplicate the effects of the
Techniques listed in the Martial Disciplines (TD2e, pp. 77-79). Roll
1d20, and again be sure to substitute the Spell Reader’s Standard Test
for any Test described in the Technique. You can also create Minor
Scrolls with the effects of Spell-Touched Cantrips, Psionic Talents,
Enemy Traits, etc. The possibilities are limitless!
Your GM should be careful about exactly how great a chance they give
Spell Readers to find new spells. Indeed, if your campaign doesn’t use
Minor Scrolls the GM may wish to have your character decode unknown
texts to find fragments or clues instead of spells. These will have no ef-
fect on their own, but if you find all the pieces and assemble them in
the proper order, you might gain a Scroll of true power.
145
your GMs is advised to choose (or roll for) a Minor Scroll. Or, if you’re
Trait: Spell Reader
gathering fragments, you might get some hints about what the fragment-
ed Scroll might do once assembled.
1 Unknown text
3 Minor scroll
146
Limitations for Scrolls
One option is to give them major scrolls with some kind of limitation on use.
For example, consider the scroll used in the Literal Tiny Dungeon adventure to
shrink the whole party down to a few inches in size (TZ 5, pp. 20-21). Shrinking
multiple sapient creatures is definitely major magic, but the scroll is limited in
four important ways. First, the effect lasts for only a few hours before wearing
off. Second, the scroll is meant to be used on friendly targets. Third, the scroll
is meant to be used outside of combat. Fourth, it is possessed by a friendly NPC.
Only the first of these limitations is explicitly laid out in the text, but all four do
limit the scroll’s use.
You can build limitations of this sort (explicit or implicit) into a scroll handed
out to a starting character. With a scroll in hand, the player can feel like their
choice of a Trait wasn’t a complete loss, but you, as the GM, still have some con-
trol over when and how the power is exercised. Here are some examples of
limitations you might consider:
While these limitations are designed for scrolls that characters start the game
with, players may find that their GM has built limitations such as these into
scrolls given to their adventurers as rewards by mischievous fairies, or found
in the pockets of dead mages, or sold at discount magic shops. Let the buyer
beware.
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Prestige Traits
Trait: Spell Reader
Spell Writer
Another spell for my collection! A true scholar of magic, you can Test to ap-
prehend spells, write new spell scrolls, and create spell codices. To take
this Prestige Trait, you must have the Spell Reader Trait.
Apprehending a spell means hearing it, memorizing it, and understand-
ing it well enough to attempt to write it down. Out of combat, this re-
quires nothing more than a succesful Test. In combat, as an Action you
can attempt to apprehend. Then, until the start of your next turn, you
can Test whenever you hear a spell read from a scroll. If your Test is suc-
cessful, you have apprehended the spell. Only one spell can be apprehend-
ed at a time; holding two spells in your mind at once would damage your
sanity.
Writing a spell you have apprehended requires a Test and can only be at-
tempted outside of combat. A successful Test creates a new Scroll, exactly
like the one you heard read. Failure creates nothing and the attempt may
not be repeated (unless you apprehend the same spell again).
The Spell Writer’s third and final ability is to use a scroll to create a spell
codex—a kind of master code or set of instructions for writing multiple
copies of the same scroll. Creating a spell codex requires a Test (usually
with Disadvantage), some time (at least an hour for a major scroll), and
an intact spell scroll. Whether the attempt succeeds or fails, the original
spell scroll is destroyed.
Once you have a codex, all you need to
copy out new scrolls is some time and a
Test. A successful Test means you have
copied the spell onto a single scroll. You
can do this once per day per codex. Fail-
ure costs you nothing but wasted time—
unless it is a critical failure, in which
case the codex is destroyed.
Eldritch Sorcerer
Read a book, and take a look—a cosmic
nightmare! By releasing the otherworldly
148
energies trapped in supernatural texts, you achieve incredible feats of
149
New Eldritch Enemies
Trait: Spell Reader
HP Traits
Brainier Beetle: Extra-large Brain Beetle with thick, spiky armor and an
even more grotesquely swollen, pulsating, slime-dripping brain. Speaks in
sepulchral tones from beautiful humanoid lips, but does not communi-
cate anything sane.
HP Traits
HP Traits
150
Chitinoid Monarch: A giant chitinoid whose every limb is a smaller chi-
HP Traits
Regeneration
Jellypod: Intensely cold crystalline jellyfish that drifts in and out of our
dimension.
HP Traits
151
Pseudoblob: A gelatinous mass of translucent goo the size of an ox,
Trait: Spell Reader
HP Traits
HP Traits
153
12. Spell-Touched
SPELL-TOUCHED
Bertrán Fierro sensed the necromancer lurking in the darkness, could
feel the twisted energies of his magic clearly enough to point a claw right at
him. Or throw a fireball. But just as he was reaching for his boleadoras, the
necromancer surprised him by stepping into the light.
“May I join you?” The necromancer was pale, and tall for one of the Fey,
with pointed ears and a mane of wavy hair that came down to his shoulders.
He was alone– no servitors. And he was smiling, politely.
Bertrán nodded, but did not smile. The sight of his powerful teeth often
made smaller peoples nervous. “Please.” He gestured with his paw to a spot
across the campfire from himself and Chanticleer. “I have but simple fare to
offer you, but what I have is yours.”
“That is very kind, thank you,” said the necromancer.
He opened Chanticleer’s saddlebags, found a gourd, and poured the nec-
romancer some cocido from the little kettle sitting next to the fire. Then he cut
a strip of jerky and brought meat and drink to his guest.
The necromancer took them. “Quite a remarkable mount you have there.”
Bertrán’s furry chest swelled with the compliment. “Yes.” He stroked one
folded, leathery wing fondly, and was rewarded with a thrumming chirrup of
appreciation. “Chanticleer is as beautiful and proud as his namesake.”
“The chicken?”
His eyes shot to the necromancer, whose face was studiously neutral.
“Rooster. The heroic rooster of song and story, the only equal of the legendary
Reynard.”
155
“Of course.” The necromancer nodded and sipped, warily, from his gourd.
Trait: Spell-Touched
156
The necromancer’s pallid face remained bland and unimpressed. It made
Trait: Spell-Touched
Fierro even angrier than before.
“Bleat on, little calf. Tell me what you want.” And from within the capa-
cious folds of his poncho, he produced the weighted cords of his trusty boleadoras.
“Your former master meddles with powers he does not understand. I have
tried to persuade him to turn aside from his madness, but in vain. My hope is
that one who knew him, one he trusted, might have better luck.”
“And if he does not listen?”
The necromancer’s lips quirked upward in a brief smile, and he threw
a pouch over the campfire to land at Fierro’s feet with a muffled jingle. “Try
harder. Be persuasive. Whatever it takes. Do we understand each other?”
For an answer, Bertrán Fierro began to whirl his boleadoras, every spin
gathering arcane energies, shaping them with his mind, preparing to unleash
them with one deadly throw.
Across the fire, the necromancer scrambled to his feet.
“I was born alone,” Bertrán growled, “and that’s how I’ ll die. But first
I’ ll pay you for all the insults you’ve given me at my own fire.”
“I meant no offense.”
“Liar!” Fierro’s boleadoras were a blur of whirling flame, ready to spin
out any of a hundred deadly spells. “You insult my drink, my food, my mount,
my herd. All of these I could forgive. But then you ask me to betray my master.
For fewer coins than I carry on my belt!”
“You want more?”
“The honor of Bertrán Fierro is not for sale! Not at any price!”
“Are you sure?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.
In answer, Fierro threw a gout of flame from his boleadoras. The arc of
fire whistled up and over the campfire in a hot heartbeat and struck the nec-
romancer full in his corpse-white, lying face.
But instead of reeling backward in pain, the necromancer
held up his hands to his cheeks and chin, which were sud-
denly covered in a layer of gray-white ash. “What . . ?
What have you done?”
“Burned away your lies.” Fierro spun his bole
adoras one last time, and a fierce gust of wind
blew away the ash that covered the necromancer’s
face.
But that face was no longer thin and pale and
Fey. Instead, it was long and scaly and full of teeth.
The man who had called himself Malchior was
gone, and in his place was his old master, Varanus,
blind eyes staring out blankly into the night.
157
“Well done, Fierro, my pupil. You have passed the test. Indeed, more tests
Trait: Spell-Touched
than one.”
And for once, Bertrán Fierro, master of the lonely plains, herdsman and
spell-slinger, poet and outlaw, was at a loss for words.
“Sit, my pupil. We have much to discuss.”
158
♦ . . . she narrows her eyes and your body instantly convulses,
Trait: Spell-Touched
emptying your stomach in heaves so powerful you can feel your
ribs cracking.”
All of these Ranged Attacks have the same game effect: target takes 1
damage. But each says something very different about the caster. Hope-
fully, they also give you ideas about other sorts of spells the caster might
use—not to mention personality, goals, likely allies and hench-
men, stronghold type and layout, approach to combat,
and even treasure.
For example, a player that rolled 1-1-1 would have a character that throws
red fireballs for her Ranged Attack. Cool! And that might help the player
figure out a little more about what her Spell-Touched character is like, and
what her magic does.
And if red fireballs don’t sound like fun to her, she can always roll again.
Or make something else up entirely. But having something specified for
the basic Ranged Attack can be a foundation upon which the Spell-
Touched character’s repertoire of spells is built.
159
Customizing Cantrips
Trait: Spell-Touched
Once you have picked out a ranged attack for your Spell-Touched char-
acter and started developing a theme or motif, you might want to take
a minute or two to think about how to customize the other basic Spell-
Touched abilities.
In Tiny Dungeon 2e, there are a half-dozen foundational spells that any
Spell-Touched character always has at their disposal (TD2e, p. 18). Like
cantrips in many RPGs, these are minor magical effects that can be per-
formed at will. But they do all require a standard Test—at least
in pressure-filled combat situations. These classic cantrips are:
♦ Sense magic around the caster or in nearby items;
♦ Produce small illusory objects;
♦ Make small objects turn invisible;
♦ Conjure light sources or phantom sounds from nowhere;
♦ Ignite or douse small flames;
♦ Manipulate and move small objects (if you have eye contact with
them).
Consider each of these in turn and see if there is a way this effect could
be achieved that builds on the theme or motif of your character’s basic
magical Ranged attack.
For example, say you rolled 2-2-2 and ended up with bolts or arrows of
orange acid. Perhaps when your character senses magic, he or she sees
orange arrows pointing to magic items. And maybe when he or she turns
objects invisible, they look like they are dissolving away into nothing-
ness, eaten up by acid. You may not be able to make every single one of
your basic abilities fit your theme, but give it a try and you might be sur-
prised at how far your imagination goes.
Heritage Cantrips
Characters come from somewhere. Each one has a particular cultural
and biological Heritage that might affect the way they cast spells. So
you might want to talk with your GM about variants or substitutes in
160
your list of basic Cantrips. For example, a cryothermic Salimar might
Trait: Spell-Touched
create ice or frost instead of igniting fires. A Karhu mage, with her sen-
sitive nose, might create phantom smells instead of sounds. And perhaps
instead of conjuring light sources, a Treefolk mage might be able to mag-
ically store an hour of sunlight for later use.
161
M anor House Intrigue Cantrips
Trait: Spell-Touched
162
Traits and Prestige Traits
Trait: Spell-Touched
If you like the nearly unlimited flexibility that the Spell-Touched Trait
offers, and want a more powerful version of that, here are some options
that may serve as alternatives to the path of the Archmage.
Unbalanced: This one goes to eleven. Your magical powers are not as
evenly distributed as those of other Spell-Touched, but you have learned
to lean on your strengths. This is not a Prestige Trait, but it does require
the Spell-Touched Trait.
Choose an area of strength for your Spell-Touched magic (green, fire,
iron, undead, sounds, moonlight, etc.) and an area of weakness (yellow,
cold, wood, sapients, smells, sunlight) that corresponds in some way.
Spells that play to your strength can have much larger effects—compa-
rable to Archmage spells, as opposed to typical Spell-Touched abilities.
However, spells related to your weakness will have radically diminished
effects—or may not be possible at all.
163
Why not lean into it and just chase the strange? To take this Prestige
Trait: Spell-Touched
When you use your magical abilities, you can try to release a much larger
flow of sorcerous power. Begin with 2d6, as usual. But for each success-
ful die result (typically a 5 or 6), roll another die. Continue adding dice
so long as your successful die results cascade. Then count up all your suc-
cessful die results—the more you have, the larger the effect your magic
produces. One successful die result yields the same result as an ordinary
Spell-Touched spell. Two successful die results would be about double.
Six or more might shake a kingdom, literally.
If you want to boost your simple Ranged Attack with chaotic magical
energy, you can use the same cascading dice method. With one success-
ful die result, you do 1 damage to your target. With 3 successful die
results, you do 3 damage, and so on.
Finally, anytime you attempt to enhance your magic with the power of
chaos, you must designate one of your initial dice as the chaos die (try
using a different color or size). If the chaos die comes up as a one—re-
gardless of whether or not the Test succeeds—then chaotic magical en-
ergy has built up in the area. Unless you make a successful Save Test to
contain the discharge, the magic goes wild and something strange hap-
pens. GMs may invent their own chaotic effects, follow the guidelines for
Roll 1 2 3
2d6 Caster Target Bystander(s)
Transforms into a: dungeon beast, forest beast, city beast, monster, new
1
heritage, new sex.
Can now sense: demons, divine messengers [TZ12], ghosts, nothing at all,
2
shamanic Spirits, umbral creatures.
Acquires a new: fear, hate, love, helpful hallucination, native language,
3
Psionic Gift.
Loses all: clothing, curses, magical items, magical effects, money, short
4
term memory.
Trait: Spell-Touched
such as the one below.
M agic Wands
♦ Wand of Cupid’s Arrow: When your first magical ranged attack
against a target hits, the target must make a Save Test. Failure
results in the target loving you devotedly until the end of combat
(or until the moon rises next, if cast outside of combat).
♦ Wand of Halfling’s Luck: When your magical ranged attack
misses, Test with Disadvantage for a second chance.
♦ Wand of Orc’s Fury: Your magical ranged attacks Test with
Disadvantage, but do 1 extra damage.
♦ Wand of Pixie’s Moxie: Any magical ranged attacks
you cast at Enemies more than double your size do 1
extra damage.
♦ Wand of Snowball’s Chance: Your magical ranged attack works
just like it does for the Chaos-Touched.
♦ Wand of Vampire’s Kiss: Every time your magical ranged at-
tack hits, Test 1d6 to heal yourself 1 damage.
Roll 4 5 6
2d6 Spell Place Object
Does not use up action Becomes a (dead/high)
1 Explodes.
/ requires extra action magic zone.
Increases or decreases Experiences (double/no) Gains bonus related to
2
range or area of effect random magic effects. element in spell.
Is annoying (blinds, Is hit by natural Gains resistance to
3
buzzes, stinks, etc.). disaster. spell element.
Is spectacular (fire- Becomes divinely Is drained of magical
4
works, trumpets). sanctified. power.
5 Takes effect later. Relocates. Becomes magical.
Is physically duplicated Gets fountain of (acid, Becomes (ice, gold,
6 as a scroll, potion, beer, fire, money, huge, sentient, sticky,
artifact, etc. poison, water) tiny).
Note: You may want to roll some of these in advance, to keep the game moving quickly.
13. TELEPORTATION
MAGE
Tilde Ellinor had never been to the garden before, but her buttons had.
So she ported in without any problem.
“Fancy!” she said to herself, patting one of the carved black marble columns
as she strode forward, eyes drinking in her conspicuously opulent surroundings.
Most of the lords and ladies of the court had enclosed gardens, and many of
those gardens had a pavilion. But only the pavilion of the Emperor’s Grand
Chamberlain had individually crafted gold roof tiles.
“A bit breezy, though.” She spotted the book on a lectern in the center of
the pavilion, pages open and ruffling gently as a gentle summer wind blew
past. “Not where I would keep my tome of ineffable cosmic mystery.”
The scrape of a sandal on stone behind her made her whirl around. In a
black silk kimono adorned five times with the emblem of his house stood the
Grand Chamberlain, Ren Malchior.
“A moot point,” Malchior said, gliding across the stone with a stride in
equal measures graceful and purposeful. “As it is not your tome.”
Ellinor grinned. “Well, give me a minute.”
Malchior returned her smile, but with compressed lips and flat eyes. “I
think not. This book is far too valuable, far too powerful, to fall into the
hands such as yours. Or your master’s.”
Ellinor danced a couple of steps back and put the lectern between herself
and the Grand Chamberlain. “I don’t have a master.”
Malchior’s smile grew even tighter, and his shadow grew longer. And
darker. “I know who sent you. And why.” Pieces of his elongated shadow
167
broke off and floated noiselessly to ring her in a circle of menacing shades. “I
Trait: Teleportation Mage
168
For the GM: Introducing Teleportation
If your campaign doesn’t already use Teleportation Magic,
here are some adventure hooks that can help you bring it in.
♦ Captured by the Goblin King, the adventurers let slip that they have
recently been in the courts of the Fey Queen. The King offers them
freedom (and more!) if they will undertake a dangerous mission to
retrieve a priceless heirloom stolen by his enemy.
♦ Inns and bath houses are buzzing with rumors of a secret cabal of
Treefolk assassins who can disguise themselves as ordinary trees.
Others say they hide themselves by shrinking down to seeds. And,
well, there must be some reason no one can stop them.
NOTE: Most of these hooks mention amulets, even though the Teleportation
Mage Trait in this chapter drops the amulet requirement. The big reason for this
is to give you a way out if you decide not to keep Teleportation Magic in your
game world. A lot easier to wave your hand and make all the artifacts disap-
pear than to make all the people with the Trait disappear. Although on second
thought, they probably would be very good at disappearing . . .
Teleportation as Inherent M agic
Trait: Teleportation Mage
New Traits
Teleportation Mage
There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home. You are able to in-
stantaneously travel from one place to another. Your magic follows the
guidelines below. These are mostly the same as those presented in the
Teleportation Magic Trait (TZ 4, p.7), with the notable exception that
you do not need to have a darkstone amulet or other teleportation magic
item.
Always Oriented
Wherever you port, there you are. You are
not required to make a Save Test when
you teleport, and you do not get disori-
ented. This is not a Prestige Trait, but
it does require the Teleportation Mage
Trait.
Distant Action
Time for me to reach out and touch.
Your teleportation magic no longer re-
quires direct contact with your skin to
170
function, and can be effective in Close, Near, or Far Zones. This would
Heavy Lifter
Do you even lift, bro? When you teleport, you can bring heavy or bulky
items with you. As long as you could physically carry it, and it is in di-
rect contact with your skin, it will teleport with
you. Only applies to inanimate objects, not living
creatures. This is not a Prestige Trait, but it does
require the Teleportation Mage Trait.
♦ Clothing and other incidental objects in direct contact with your skin
teleport with you.
◊ Although the GM has the final say, typically you can not take any-
thing larger or heavier than another normal set of clothes with
you when you teleport.
♦ Upon arriving at a new location, you must make a Save Test to avoid
being disoriented for 1d6 turns.
Ripper Portal
You’re tearing me apart! You may Test to open a magical rift inside an-
other creature, causing 1d3 damage that can only be healed magically.
Since you are not actually trying to teleport your target to any particular
place, you do not need to concentrate on your destination prior to Test-
ing. But you must still follow all other Guidelines for Teleportation
Mages. This is not a Prestige Trait, but it does require the Teleporta-
tion Mage Trait.
172
portation magic to make melee (or ranged, or magical) attacks at a dis-
Rift Jumper
What if you could find brand new worlds . . . ? Through arcane study,
you have learned the secret of teleporting to unknown places, even un-
known worlds. To take this Prestige Trait, you must have the Teleporta-
tion Mage Trait.
You are no longer required to teleport only to locations you have been
physically present (although you will need to follow the other Guide-
lines for Teleportation Mages). When you do teleport to a known
destination, you may Test with Advantage. If you have detailed infor-
mation about your destination, a standard 2d6 Test will suffice. If your
information is poor, you will Test with Disadvantage.
Further, the more alien your destination, the more remote from your
own experiences, the greater disorientation you may face. Attempting
a cold teleport to the infernal realms, for example, may well drive you
mad. And if it doesn’t, well, you’ve got a day before you can try to go
back. So, pack a lunch and a celestial mace.
Transporter
I get people from point A to point B, mostly
in one piece. Having mastered the art
of magically moving yourself from
place to place, you can now do the
same for others. To take this Pres-
tige Trait, you must have the Tele-
portation Mage Trait.
As a Transporter, you gain one additional
teleport per day. You may also select one of the
following powers (unless otherwise noted, all
173
Transporter powers follow all the Guide-
Trait: Teleportation Mage
174
it appears in the locket. When wearing the locket, Teleportation
175
EPILOGUE:
SCATTERING
I removed my hat, ducked my head low, and squeezed sideways out the
front door of my teeny little human-sized cottage. The nearly new moon had
gone down hours ago, and all nearby lamps had been extinguished, as per my
orders. So no one saw me stealing across the campus on silent paws, except for
the uncaring stars.
Oh, and a dormouse, running through the upper boughs of the keyaki
elms planted to the side of the footpath. Leaping from branch to branch, the
chubby little rodent was keeping pace with me as I padded along through the
darkness.
“Tuko?” I called out, trying to keep my voice low. “Are we alone?”
“Yes, Dr. Elliot.” The dormouse squeaked. Then it jumped out of the
tree, and as it fell, the little fuzzball transformed into a grinning, pointy-
eared Goblin. “Your approach to the great hall is completely empty.”
“Except for your little friends,” I observed, resuming my walk.
He smiled, white teeth flashing in the night.“One hundred keen ears, at
your service. And ninety-nine keen eyes.”
“Excellent.” And then, because I was sure he wanted me to, I asked,
“Ninety-nine?”
“Good old Blinky. He’s an extra good listener,” Tuko said, and then with
a wink he was a dormouse once more, dashing off to climb a nearby tree.
As I neared the great hall, two figures emerged from the shadows to meet
me—the hulking form of Kyros Regulus, lagartine spines protruding from his
academic robes, and Tilde Ellinor, lithe and light of foot in her continental-
style breeches and blouse.
177
“Ellinor. Professor,” I greeted them. “Are the portals ready?”
Epilogue: Scattering
178
Some of them were clearly unhappy with my little speech, but all of them
Epilogue: Scattering
kept their mouths shut. Wise.
“I have always preferred to work with those capable of greater initiative,
but I must confess that I am ready to put his recommendations to the test.”
“Sir,” began a dark-skinned Human female—the Artificer, if I was not
mistaken. “Please forgive our–”
I held up a hand, cutting her off. “If we are willing to skip past the deaths,
then let us skip past the apologies as well. We race against time.”
The Artificer quirked an eyebrow, tucking something away inside her
jacket that looked quite a bit like a pocketwatch, except that it seemed to
have arms and legs. “Not just against time, though.”
“Correct,” I nodded. “We have an enemy.”
“Malchior,” said a Fey lady of fierce dignity with fox ears poking up out
of her flame-colored hair.
I looked up to see Varanus entering the great hall, closing the door after
himself. “There is more to Malchior than meets the eye,” I muttered.
“And what does that mean?” A burly, bearded Dwarf stepped forward,
broad hands gripping a knobby-headed staff carved with runes of healing and
purification. “Is he not our enemy? What are we all here for, if not to kick his
courtly teeth in?”
There was a general murmur of agreement.
I cleared my throat. “Suffice it to say for now that Malchior is not our
primary problem. We face a far larger foe. Larger, in fact, than most of
us have dared to contemplate. And thereby hangs a tale.”
The anger, pain, and fear had not entirely dissipated from the room, but
they were receding. And a strong tide of curiosity was rising. As I spoke, the
mages found seats—and bowls of steaming hot soup from Babulya’s cookpot.
“Many years ago,” I began, “three young mages, walking very different
paths, together found a set of scrolls whose arcane power was . . .”
“Terrible,” rasped Varanus, taking his place behind his disciples.
“Undeniable.” Miyuki’s voice rang out from the other side of the great
hall, as she strode through the columns to join her proteges.
I nodded. “But also impenetrable. None of the young mages, even those
learned in the occult languages of magic itself, could decipher the scrolls. At
least, not individually.”
“And so they made a pact.” Miyuki’s full lips pulled back from her deli-
cately pointed teeth in a predatory smile. “Setting aside all quarrels to unlock
the secrets of the scrolls.”
“And so they did.” I nodded. “Years passed, then decades, and still they
studied the scrolls, poring over them until they knew every dot and scratch by
heart.”
179
“Just as well,” Varanus said drily, blind eyes hidden behind his bandages.
Epilogue: Scattering
“They didn’t always trust each other,” Miyuki said, a note of sadness, or
perhaps guilt, in her musical voice. “But none of them ever revealed the exis-
tence of the scrolls to another living soul, not even their most trusted disciples.”
“Until now.” I reached into my waistcoat and pulled out a roll of vellum.
The great hall was absolutely silent, and as I looked around the room I
saw that every eye was focused on the bundle of scrolls I held in my paw. I also
saw that Ellinor and Professor Kyros had found their way in. The professor gave
me a nod. They were ready.
I smiled. “Our enemy is not one wizard, or king, no matter how mighty.
We fight a power spread not just across this world, but many worlds. And to
defeat this menace, we must likewise reach across the chasms of space and time,
gathering weapons and allies wherever we may.”
At this cue, Ellinor and Kyros began opening their portals, and the gath-
ered mages turned to watch as shimmering discs of brightest light and writhing
holes of blackest darkness appeared from nowhere, hanging there in thin air
like the many mirrors of the Dowager Empress.
As the last portal opened, I heard the distant sound of bells from the
university’s clock tower, tolling the hour. Midnight. Relief wooshed out of
me in a completely involuntary sigh. We had done it.
And from the last portal, a figure stepped. He was a Karhu, like myself,
but smaller, and with black and white fur. His powerful body was draped in
silken robes the color of the dawn, and he wore serenity like a crown. Like a
birthright.
“I am Changchub,” said the Karhu, with a bow at once reverent and
ready for action. “And my world is in danger, as is yours. As are they all.
Many battles, but only one war. Will you come? Will you join us in the
fight?”
“I will,” I said.
“As will I,” Varanus rasped, guided forward by the tall mage wrapped up
in black.
Baroness Miyuki joined us, eyes twinkling as she murmured, “They say
travel broadens the mind.”
In mere moments, every mage present had come forward. Sometimes
alone, and sometimes in pairs, Changchub hurried them through portals,
murmuring a sentence or two to each one, and then closing the portals
behind them.
Soon, there was only one left. And only one mage. I peered at the shining
disc hanging in the air in front of me, but its scintillating surface gave up no
secrets.
180
“You will meet someone on the other side,” Changchub said. “You will
Epilogue: Scattering
not be alone.”
There were questions I could have asked, and perhaps answers he could
have given. But as he gestured to my portal, urgency was plain on his face. And
I had a very, very long way to go.
So I took a deep breath, screwed my hat on a little tighter, and stepped
through the portal, leaving behind everything I had ever known, risking ev-
erything I had ever gained, to save everything I had ever loved.
181
PART TWO:
SETTINGS
Avalant
by Christopher Ruocchio
Introduction
The Earth is lost.
The Keepers teach that all her lands were burned to cinders, all her wa-
ters boiled away. None remembers why, nor recalls who is to blame. They
say that seven ships set sail across the sea of stars, carrying the last survi-
vors in icy sleep to await revival on new worlds. Where the other six are,
none now knows.
You are one of the Keepers, the machine knights sworn to protect the
sleeping humans on their long journey. You were built aboard this ship,
programmed and trained to fulfill your sacred duty. But the humans are
dead.
The Makers who built your forebears and the very world on which you
sail, the sleepers who once slumbered in icy vaults deep inside the Avalant
will never awaken, some say. Others say the ship will not even reach its
destination.
185
Still more whisper there was never anywhere
to go. Many of the Keepers have abandoned
their posts, following Kor, the Usurper King.
Still others have gone mad, forgetting even
their own names. They lurk in the warrens of
the once-mighty vessel, cannibalizing their
fellow Keepers and other machines in order
to survive and build a new purpose for them
selves.
Creating a K eeper
How do players create their Keeper characters? As always, the ultimate
decision is up to the GM, but here are a few different ways you can go:
Setting: Avalant
186
K eeper Types and Fantasy A nalogs
Type Analog HP Heritage Trait
the rules for Human Heritage, except they have a Ship Function
instead of a Family Trade, and their Heritage Trait must directly
serve that function. For example, a character with Repair Drone
as its Function might have Blacksmith, or a Chemical Engineer-
ing Droid might have Alchemist.
Setting: Avalant
187
The Ship
The Avalant was launched from Earth some time in the forty-third cen-
tury, part of mankind’s plan to escape Earth as its resources at last began
to run out and war began to tear the planet apart. Some say it was the
only vessel, others that it was one of seven. The Avalant stretches for
hundreds of miles behind an enormous deflector plate so large it might
have been a slice taken from the surface of a planet or moon.
The decks below this massive forward plate are stacked vertically along
the shaft of the vessel, so that the thrust of the ancient sublight engines
generates artificial gravity when the ship is underway, giving the whole
vessel the feeling of a single enormous tower, three hundred miles high
and more than thirty wide.
Much of the livestock carried aboard the ship and carefully bred for cen-
turies has escaped and gone wild, and it’s not uncommon to find a bear,
a wolf, or even a lion rummaging through the halls with the rats, or to
find what’s left of them recycled for spare parts by the desperate cannibal-
ists who dwell in the access passages and down near the engines.
188
Magic on the Avalant
The Keepers of the Avalant believe they live in a fantastic realm of magic
and quests. But can these robots actually do magic? If so, how? And what
kinds? As always, the answers to these questions are up to you, the GM. But
here are some possibilities to consider . . .
♦ Magic is real, and works perfectly well for robots. The Avalant itself is
powered by magic.
through the Sleeping Catacombs, where mankind died its final death
when the hypersleep pods failed. Some say only Kor himself knows the
way.
189
the palatial crew apartments for his own.
Gathering a circle of Royal Knights about
him, he shared the terrible news with the
ship: that mankind was dead, that the Keep-
ers had failed in their sacred duty, that the
ship was dead and would never sail again.
Kor rules the parts of the ship he controls with an iron fist, tearing apart
any machine that dares challenge his might. His Royal Knights frequent-
ly raid the lower depths of the Avalant, capturing or destroying swarms
of the mongrel cannibalists. Some say they are searching for the Last
Man, others that they wish to restart the Avalant’s damaged engines
and sail wither Kor wills.
In addition to his knights, Kor commands the ship’s security and mon-
itoring equipment. The grid is damaged in places, but especially higher
up, he sees all, and no one passes in the higher levels without his knowl-
edge or permission, unless one is willing to venture into the dangerous
maintenance and utility corridors or—worse—find a way to get outside.
The Cannibalists
Perhaps artificial intelligence is not made to live forever—and why
should it be? The Keeper androids were built in the image of mankind,
and man was mortal, or so they say. But machines die slow deaths, and
the cannibalists have died slowest of all. Built of scrap metal and the
Setting: Avalant
various pieces of dead Keepers, the cannibalists are machines that have
lost their minds. Each a mess of competing programs from their various
parts, the cannibalists have gone mad and haunt the maintenance tun-
nels and lower reaches of the Avalant, roving through the halls in war
tribes, fighting one another and the odd sane machine too brave or fool-
ish to enter their domain.
190
Many of them no longer even look like Keepers anymore, having traded
their human-android shape for monstrous bodies with many arms and
tentacles and other appendages adapted for life in the radiation-soaked
lower reaches of the ship.
Not much is known about their numbers, which are always changing
as they repair the dead or use the dead to repair themselves, and less is
known about how they organize. Rumors of clan chiefs are heard above
in the court of King Kor. Ugly names. Evil names. The Hellion. The Rip-
per. Grind. They do not often range higher than the ship’s midsection,
unless it is to raid for spare parts. Some say it is because they are afraid
of Kor and his knights. Others say it is because they are protecting some-
thing, something that may have driven them mad in the first place . . .
Whatever they are, however many they may be . . . one thing is certain:
die on the Avalant, and you will find your chassis and parts carved up
and used for parts by the cannibalists. Face them at your peril.
The Cataclysm
A long time ago, an unknown object struck the
ship near the tail section and the engines. Odds
are it was only a meteor—such things are
common in deep space, and one must
have gotten past the Avalant’s forward
shield plate. The impact devastated one
of the ship’s hydrogen fuel tanks and
blew out a huge part of the lower reach-
es, leaving much of the section exposed
to vacuum.
191
the power grid and the fusion reactors
has complicated matters considerably.
The L ast M an
Maybe it’s only a legend. Maybe it is only a dream. But if it is, then
perhaps legends and dreams are better than the truth. From the low-
est engine rooms to the heights of the bridge, machines whisper that
one of the Makers survived the cataclysm, that of all the dead cryo-
pods on the ship, one’s batteries still function. If it’s true, then that
human can set to rights all the chaos and conflict on the ship, for there
are doors and functions no machine can access, such as the navigational
computer on the bridge. Perhaps that is why False King Kor hunts
through the lower reaches, seeking the Last Man to give his or her
thumbprint to the orders that will reboot the ship’s navigational ma-
Setting: Avalant
But there is another way. High above in the levels near the bridge, there
is a library of frozen tissue. Animals and plants and human embryos still
locked in cold storage. They say one of the Makers needs only say the
word and new humans will go into production in the gene tanks. Per-
192
haps the Makers can be saved, perhaps all the damage done can be
undone and the world set to rights.
Setting: Avalant
193
CLASH OF
THE PASTRIUM: THE
GINGERBREAD JOUST
by Mari Murdock
Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me. I’m the Gingerbread Man.
- The Gingerbread Man
Ingredients
♦ 100 grams capricorn-milk butter, softened
♦ 1 roc egg yolk
♦ 30 grams homunculus spleen
♦ 10 grams Grade A demon blood*
♦ 70 grams Faerie Dust brand sugar or powdered sugar
♦ 200 grams amaranth flour, sifted
♦ 1/3 teaspoon cinnamon-flavored mummy dust
♦ 1/3 teaspoon mandrake ginger powder
♦ 1/4 teaspoon cloven hoof extract
♦ 1/8 teaspoon distilled hydra gasps
♦ Vanilla to taste
*Molasses can serve as a substitute, but you’ ll get something a
lot less snappy and wicked.
195
Directions
Preheat your oven to 20° above Dragonfire and lightly grease a large
baking sheet. In a large bowl, cream butter, egg yolk, spleen, and—
Hey! Don’t read my recipe! It’s my secret formula for the Gingerbread
Joust. You know, the super clandestine underground colosseum rumbles
between magical pastries? Oh, you and your friends don’t know about
that. Well, just for your information, I’ve taken third place seven times in
a row for my Gingersnap Juggernaut, and I just know I’ll win first prize
for sure this year.
Oh, you and your friends are interested in competing? Well, as a fellow
baker, let me give you some advice. Make sure you don’t use butter-
cream icing. That stuff melts instantly under the stage torches. Diedre
Donnagain lost an entire generation of cupcakes that way.
About six hundred years ago, some alchemists began to brag that their
school of magic was the one that created the Gingerbread Man. After
all, they said, baking is only a mundane form of mixing chemical re-
agents. The summoners took great offense to that, asserting that the
Gingerbread Man was in fact a spirit-infused baked good, so they
should get the credit. That’s when the animator cabal threw a fit, say-
ing that the Gingerbread Man was in fact a cookie golem. These dis-
agreements lead to public clashes between magic schools, resulting in
espionage, assassinations, and defamation via rudely worded academ-
ic papers. So the Pastrium stepped in.
196
The Pastrium was a clandestine baking guild working to discover the
secret behind sentient baked goods, so they established a competition
between the magical schools to see who could reproduce the original
baker’s creative process. Every year, representative bakers from the var-
ious branches of magic submit an animated dessert to face off in gladi-
atorial battles in the Crustulum Colosseum. Winners receive the title of
Panifex Praevalidus, a great honor complete with bragging rights. If you
and your friends want to submit a dessert to the Gingerbread Joust, all
you have to do is fill out the form below!
Application to Compete
♦ Pick a Magic School (EX: Enchanting, Alchemy, Necromancy, etc.):
♦ Gladiator Name:
♦ Any sponsorships:
Contest Rules
♦ The gladiator must be a dessert. Dessert is defined loosely, so if
you can make a case for it, you’re in!
Setting: Clash of the Pastrium
197
The Prize:
Winners are entitled to hold the title of Panifex Praevalidus for one year,
and they cannot be snubbed or scorned for their gloating or subverted
in their bragging rights. These bragging rights are
non-transferable and must be used within the allot-
ted year. Winners also receive a certificate of ad-
mission into the Crustulum Colosseum’s Hall of
Fame and a gold stirring spoon, a prize generously
donated by Clerics for Cake.
3 (Medium) Melee 15
Description
Description
Dierdre Donnagain has upgraded her cake recipe to produce a dozen con-
testants known as the Dropkick Doughnuts. Each of these fighters have
a hole where their brains should go and often forget what they’re doing
midbattle. However, when they’re working together, they can wallop just
as well as the next tart. Take care not to get burned by their boiling oil
cauldrons or dropkicked in the face.
Gingersnap Juggernaut XXVI
Unsponsored, to “protect the recipe.”
HP Attack Movement
15 (Solo) Melee 25
Description
Cream Puffian
Sponsored by Faerie Dust Baked Goods Corporation
HP Attack Movement
Description
199
Mincemeat Mauler
Sponsored by the Omega Alpha Omega Necromancer’s Fraternity
HP Attack Movement
50 (Epic) Melee 10
Description
Goyler Muk’s indigestible pie shell filled with a mixture of dried fruit
and dread. Though often considered an unfair contestant because its su-
per dense filling gives it an innate ability to absorb enormous amounts of
damage, this chunky hunk is slow on his feet. Meat is not allowed in any
recipe in the competition, but Goyler may cheat a little.
A dventure Hooks:
♦ Gather the magical ingredients for your dessert’s magical formu-
la. What are they, and where can you find them? Following your
grocery list may require paying loads of gold, journeying to the
farthest reaches of the world, or trading a piece of your soul.
♦ Practice making your recipe. If you don’t know what you’re doing
and it goes horribly wrong, you may need to put down whatever
comes out of the oven.
♦ Procure sponsorships from local organizations in the various
branches of magic. They are always competing and can’t wait to
help their school get to the top. They offer funds for expensive
ingredients or fighting trainers for your creations.
♦ Sabotage your opponents’ spells, recipes, or fighters! They’re
Setting: Clash of the Pastrium
200
♦ You heard that someone is cheating. Who
is it and how are they fixing their
formula to bend the rules and
what kind of trouble does that
lead to?
♦ By chance, you learn the identity
of the original baker of the Gin-
gerbread Man! Track down his
recipe, bake his creation, and try
not to let it run away!
♦ Why exactly does the Pastrium hold
this competition? Are they really
interested in friendly rivalry or
are their motivations darker?
Do you need to earn the title of
Panifex Praevalidus to find out?
♦ A pack of ravenous foxes have been luring dessert gladiators
into dark alleys and eating them. They’re probably descendants
of the original fox who ate the Gingerbread Man. Hunt down
and destroy these wily devils before they get your dessert.
♦ Rule of Three: The stakes for this cooking contest are much
higher than you might think.
201
THE COST
OF SUNSTEEL
by Patrick M. Tracy
Themes
This setting presents the players with several moral and ethical questions.
Is it right for the rich adventurers’ gold to dictate that so many must
suffer to bring them their Sunsteel? Should the mining company be
so dismissive of the ecological disaster that has killed off a whole is-
land’s ecosystem? What rights should be granted to created people,
such as the Built Men? As with any game setting, the level to which
these concerns are examined depends on the interest of the group and
the Game Master’s fiat. The situation in Dulorivan can serve as any-
thing from a night’s diversion in a larger campaign to a long-form dis-
cussion of these contentious topics.
Dark as a Dungeon
We’re all dying in Dulorivan. Every day, getting sicker. We breathe in the
poison, drink it with our evening mead, wash it into our clothes. Without our
daily elixir, we’ d start coughing in a week. After a fortnight, we’ d be bleeding
203
from our eyes, and it just gets worse from there. But heroes need their bright
and magic blades. They’ ll lay down the price of a kingdom for a Sunsteel sword,
and this is the only place with a known vein of the precious ore. The ore that,
before refinement, will kill damn near anyone with its toxins.
And so we work this desolate island where not a single tree can grow. We
know we’ ll never be wholly healthy again, and that even with the alchemists’
draught, we’ ll probably die early and badly. Even worse, we countenance the
servitude of the Built Men, sending those poor replicas of life down into the
mines where no sane organic would ever dare to go.
The making of those gleaming swords is an ugly business. Every one of
them carries death upon it before ever being swung in anger. But the money
is too good to deny, and so we grin into the poison dust and tell ourselves we’ ll
get out before the sickness of Dulorivan takes us.
The actual mining is done by the Built Men, who are magically built
automatons. These Built Men are owned by the mining company and
work off the “debt” of their creation over the course of several years.
Often, they are lost to weird horrors in the mine or
terribly damaged, due to dangerous working con-
ditions. While treated as property, they are fully
sentient, with all the hopes and dreams of any
Setting: The Cost of Sunsteel
204
New Heritage
Built Men
Like Simulacra (from Chapter 3: Artificer), Built Men are the result of
harnessing magical powers and using them to create artificial life (al-
beit a less than altogether moral example). This Heritage could be used
outside the confines of the Cost of Sunsteel setting, perhaps in happier
circumstances.
With bodies of hardwood, joints of brass, and eyes of crystal, the Built
Men are automatons brought to life by the Dulorivan Mining
Consortium, owned by the company for a span of four years.
Given sentience, they are set to work in the toxic gloom of the
mines upon their first day of awareness. Many do not rotate up
to the surface for months on end, only seeing the sun when
damaged sufficiently to require repair.
Without the need for rest or food, they chip away at the walls of their
stone prison, overseen by their own kind, knowing nothing but hard-
ship and danger. But the spirits within these automatons give them all
Setting: The Cost of Sunsteel
the hopes and desires of any self-aware being. Were they simply ma-
chines devoid of souls, their plight would not be so grim. For the Built
Men, however, they quickly come to know the injustice of their plight.
A few are built as warriors, enjoying a little more freedom, but they are
no less constrained, and perhaps even less likely to earn out the cost of
their making. These are used to clear the worst of the horrors from the
mines, as well as guard the shipments of refined metal as they go to
market in distant lands. Some act as bodyguards for the higher rank-
ing, richer stockholders. The Mining Consortium is unafraid to spend
the lives of these Built Men on any endeavor that seems like it might
turn a profit.
205
After earning out their contracts, a few of the free Built Men stay on the
island to make money as their sturdy natures allow, but others go as far
as they can get from the place of their servitude. Wherever they go,
however, the lingering questions as to whether they are truly as alive as
a normal organic person tend to come up. They seem doomed to keep
having to prove their right to exist and be free.
Built Men start with the following Hit Points and Heritage Traits:
HP Traits
206
Light Damage: Any damage that leaves the Built Man with at least 1
remaining Hit Point is considered Light damage. Repairing a still-func-
Setting: The Cost of Sunsteel
tioning individual is far easier than one with grave mechanical damage.
With the Blacksmith trait, a Test can repair 2 damage in 15 minutes, or
restore a Built Man to full vitality after 6 hours of work during a break.
Note that much of this time is taken up with glue curing, etc., so the
Blacksmith could gain productive rest during this repair interval.
207
Unskilled Repair: Someone without the Blacksmith trait can make a
Test with Disadvantage to repair 1 Hit Point of Light Damage per 15-
minute attempt, but is not sufficiently skillful to repair a heavily dam-
aged Built Man. Both skilled and unskilled repair is greatly aided by an
Automaton Repair Kit (see above).
New Traits
Ruggedized: By riveting and bolting additional armor atop
their bodies, a Built Man character can increase their tough-
ness against damage. This trait grants them 3 additional Hit
Points. The repair of these Hit Points is done in the typical
way, as described above.
208
Personalized: A Built Man may elect to have structural and cosmetic
changes made, so as to better reflect their sense of self. These
changes can evince a chosen gender, a more detailed face,
a color scheme, or whatever helps the spirit with-
in the wood and metal feel more confi-
dent. Personalized characters can make
a Test with Advantage once per day,
as a function of their heightened sense
of self.
New Items
Anti-toxin Elixir: Elsewhere, needing such
things would be a rarity, but on Du- lorivan,
any living person must drink one of these each day or
begin to sicken with the poison of the island. Making such a draught
requires a successful Alchemy Test and material components costing
5 gold pieces. Failure wastes the components, while success yields 10
doses. Wholesale cost: 1gp/dose. Retail: 2-5gp/dose.
Automaton Repair Kit: This item allows the repair of damage to Built
Men, even by unskilled individuals. The kit contains glue, wood filler,
lubricating oil, and an assortment of small hammers, chisels, and wrench-
es. People without the Blacksmith trait (or other applicable training) can
Test to repair Light Damage to a Built Man, restoring 2 points of dam-
age. Each Test takes 15 minutes. If a full 6 hours is taken to do more ex-
haustive repairs, one successful Test can restore a Built Man to full Hit
Setting: The Cost of Sunsteel
Points, or allow a Built Man with Heavy Damage to be ready for revi-
talization (see Built Men Heritage for more details).
This item allows a character with the Blacksmith trait to Test with Ad-
vantage, and full restoration requires only 3 hours for skilled technicians
to accomplish. Cost: 10 gold, with 10 uses before an additional 5 gold
will need to be spent on replacement parts.
Scroll of Machine Revival: This spell scroll allows a Built Man who has
incurred Heavy Damage to be brought back to consciousness. A Spell
Reader Test is required to read the scroll. Cost: 10 gold
209
A dventure Hooks
♦ Someone has tampered with the anti-toxin, and there is suddenly
not enough to go around. Extraordinary measures will be nec-
essary, or many will sicken and die.
♦ The Built Men have staged a work stoppage. The characters have
been asked to get them back into the mines, either by diplomacy
or by force.
♦ The toxins from Dulorivan are washing into the sea, causing the
nearby sea life to mutate into bizarre creatures. Under
the light of the moon, these soggy horrors sham-
ble up from the waves, craving flesh
and blood.
210
♦ All the “normal” mine employees sign an agreement not to dis-
cuss the Built Men with outsiders, but one old Dwarf has been
raising awareness in a nearby city. Now, groups of angry pilgrims
are sailing toward Dulorivan with the intent to protest the Built
Men’s mistreatment.
211
THE CROSSROADS
by John D. Payne
Introduction
When the moon is new, head out to the Crossroads. Stop by the smoke-
house, have some ribs, and put a few quarters into the old jukebox. But be
212
gone before The Crows ride in. Rough bunch of gals. Church’ ll be closed, but
you might could catch Pastor Lucky there—or he might catch you. Take a stroll
down by Sender Creek and you’ ll find Miss Judy selling wondrous restoratives
and cure-alls. Whatever you need, she has it. For a price, of course. Nice place,
the Crossroads. Good honest folk. Stay a while, won’t you?
It also has deep, powerful secrets that may not be obvious at first. But the
more time PCs spend here, the more they should notice the strangeness
of the place and begin to unravel the mysteries they find here (see Walk
the Long Road, below).
Setting: The Crossroads
213
Other Worlds, Other Roads
This setting is written with rural America in mind, but the Crossroads could
be found in most other settings or genres. Here are some ideas to help you
fit it into whatever TinyD6 game you want to play.
♦ Beach Patrol: Head down the cove to Cross Point for fish tacos and
cervezas at Smokey’s. But be careful how late you stay. Things get
strange down there after dark.
♦ Tiny Dungeon 2e: Roads from the Dragonsmoke Inn lead to four
realms, but no king holds sway this far from civilization. Yet some-
how the Inn seems to survive just fine.
♦ Tiny Frontiers: Revised: It’s not on any of your star charts, but when
you came out of warp, you picked up the auto-hail from Crossways
Station.
♦ Tiny Gods: Your Demigods discover they can neither spend nor
recover Conviction here at the Crossroads. And there’s some-
thing familiar about the people here.
♦ Tiny Gunslingers: Change the motorcycles out for horses, and the
trailer park for a mostly deserted miners camp, and you’re pretty well
set.
♦ Tiny Living Dead: Have your first outbreak right here at the Cross-
roads, or come across it (fortified into a defensible compound) later
in the campaign.
♦ Tiny Pirates: They say Crossbones Island is where the Spanish first
learned about barbacoa. And other, less savory secrets.
214
Bethabara Community Church
The church’s doors open to the east, but hardly a soul ever walks in. Per-
haps because the chapel is always cold, no matter the weather outside.
And the basement rec room is always, always locked. Behind the church
is a surprisingly expansive graveyard, more than a little overgrown with
weeds and wildflowers. Most of the gravestones are illegible, worn with
age and covered with climbing honeysuckle. Behind that is an unruly
forest of rowan, ash, maple, and mistletoe. Good place to get a kiss at
Christmas, or any time, really.
Pastor Lucky
You might wonder if it’s appropriate for a preacher to wear a tie with
a wolf howling at the moon, but Pastor Lucky will tell you with a grin
that it’s not a wolf. It’s a coyote. And in real life, they don’t get outsmart-
ed by roadrunners. Tricky fellow, Pastor Lucky. He quotes the Bible, the
Egyptian Book of the Dead, and the Principia Discordia with equal fa-
cility—but he’ll tell you reading rots the brain. And that doubt is the
cornerstone of faith. A practitioner of glossolalia and collector of old
books and ancient texts, he’s a good one to talk to if you come across
a scrap of paper with odd scribbles no one else understands. He might
even buy it off you. Always ready with a smile, Pastor Lucky speaks well
of everyone—except Judy, who he obviously both desires and loathes.
Maybe they had a thing?
The Smokehouse
Best barbecue in the state, says a newspaper clipping so
Setting: The Crossroads
weathered you can’t even tell what year it’s from. But
it’s still true. The shack looks like it was a
labor of love, rather than the labor of pro-
fessional contractors. The roof is tin, the
folding chairs are rusty, and the table
tops are laminated with ads for bail
bondsmen and payday loans. But
they have plenty of pickles, a sur-
prisingly well-stocked jukebox, and
a sweet, smoky, heavenly smell that
215
will work its way deep into your hair, your
clothes, and your ever-loving soul. Now, you
want coleslaw with those ribs or not?
Matt Wooden
Right outside the smokehouse, practi-
cally on your way in the front door, is
the smoker—big as an elephant and
black as coal. Bent with age and half-
blind, Old Matt tends the fire at the
smoker. Always has, since before there
was a Smokehouse . . . since before
there was a Crossroads. Maybe since
before there were roads. All day and
well into the evening, he sits and waits
with his two enormous, hungry dogs. There’s an empty chair next to him,
and anyone is welcome to sit a spell and talk, or (more likely) share com-
panionable silence—except for Jimmy Earl King, who gets a growl from
both Matt and the dogs.
The Sisters
Three rawboned old women, bigger than most men, cook, serve, and
ring up customers. Matt calls them “the Sisters,” but there is some spec-
ulation as to whether this means that they are all siblings, or that the
three women are (or were) nuns, or something else entirely. Their dark,
glittering eyes pierce all they see, and if you are unlucky they will tell
your future. You are also unlucky if you are in Tiny’s company, since
they consider him a useless lump and needle him incessantly, along with
anyone who seems to be on his side.
Setting: The Crossroads
Alabaster Crows
Whenever you least expect it, this all-girl biker gang blows through the
Crossroads, leaving broken bottles, broken hearts, and broken chairs
in their wake. Their two leaders are a sleek, vicious pair who go by the
names Hugs and Money. Despite Matt’s frequent refrain that the Crows
are “rowdy gals, and rude,” the whole gang has a surprisingly affectionate
relationship with the old man, and treat him with what seems to be gen-
uine respect. Many of them even call him Daddy.
216
The Hackles
There is an empty field south of the Crossroads called the Hackles (or
sometimes Dame’s Green). It’s mostly scrappy centipede grass and Pen-
sacola bahia, with a few clumps of white mulberry, but right in the center
of the field is an immense live oak, the biggest in the county. It attracts
occasional tourists, both because of its unusual size and because of ru-
mors that under a harvest moon you can see ghostly shadows confirming
that southern trees do indeed bear strange fruit. The only other notable
feature of the Hackles is the creek, but more about that later.
Judy Scarlett
Raven-haired and immaculately manicured, Miss Judy peddles supple-
ments and secrets with equal enthusiasm. She loves wild tales, rude jokes,
and juicy gossip—which she is always ready to dish, except about the Sis-
ters. “I ain’t got nothin’ to say about them, and they don’t say nothin’
about me. And that’s the way it stays.” At night, you can often find her
in the Hackles, dancing with fireflies, collecting moonlight in mason
jars, or simply waiting under the tree for someone seeking a favor. She
always has favors. And if you ask her nice, and you’re willing to pay the
price, she’ll sell you most anything—miracles, charms, forgiveness, obliv-
ion. She’ll make a new man out of you, provided you’re prepared to leave
the old one behind.
Sender Creek
Sender Creek runs south from Lake Julie, down through the hills north
of the trailer park, around west of the church, and then doubles back to
cut through the Hackles. It comes down from the hills strong and cold,
and there have been a number of drownings recorded here over the years.
Setting: The Crossroads
There are some who say that if you don’t get the body of a drowned per-
son out of the water before sundown, their spirit will be trapped there
until the end of time. Others say that these deaths are no accident, that
they are the work of beautiful and heartless spirits who seek to warm
themselves with foolish mortals. But people say all kind of things.
217
down at the Creek, always in search of the one that got away—a mon-
strous creature, “half catfish, half snake, and half alligator gar,” that he
calls Big George Gandy. He also swings a hammer for Jimmy Earl at the
trailer park, provides security and janitorial services for the storage unit,
and buses (and bounces) at the Smokehouse. Despite working multiple
jobs for everyone around, he never has any money and is always begging
Pastor Lucky for charity. Folks say he is the reason that Lila Day and Miss
Judy are not on speaking terms.
218
So-Well Storage
Surrounded by an eight foot fence topped with razor wire, So-Well
Storage (“We Store So-Well!”) is just a half mile up the road from the
trailer park. The grounds are covered by dozens of cameras and pa
trolled by a sleek, vigilant squad of Dobermans (“24 Hour Security!”).
The storage units themselves (“All units air-conditioned!”) range from
closet-sized individual lockers to a couple of garages big enough to com-
fortably fit a class-A RV and a toy hauler. The facility is ostensibly owned
by the widow Sowell, but it has been so long since anyone saw her that
they have stopped joking that she got lost in the maze of her own stor-
age units.
A dventure Hooks
♦ Pastor Lucky wants you to find out where Judy gets or makes her
herbal remedies and essential oils. He wants to expose her as a
charlatan and pleads for your assistance. “Whatever she’s selling,
it’s not medicine.”
Setting: The Crossroads
♦ Matt says his dogs came home with human bones from the
cemetery behind the church. Will you re-bury them? He fears
he would be caught if he tried to go himself.
♦ One of the Sisters grabs your arm and says, “I seen you sleep in
Jimmy Earl’s park, and you didn’t never wake up.” Another
chimes in, “Gonna see you walk in, and never walk out.” The
last nods sagely. “I see you now. You still asleep. You still in
there!”
219
♦ Judy needs a vial of water from the cold bottom of Sender Creek
to make a special batch of tonic for Hugs and Money. But she
can’t swim. If you can fetch her some, she would give you half
the elixir she makes.
♦ Tiny wants your help getting his fiberglass replica Spyder out of
So-Well Storage. “Jimmy Earl cheated me, again.” He can’t pay,
but would gladly owe you a favor.
Who are these gods? As written, they take elements from a variety of
different mythologies, so feel free to use whichever pantheon you like.
If your game world has established deities, go ahead and use those. If
you want something totally new, try generating some new gods (from
Chapter 8: Healer). Do what works for your game.
Why are they incognito? There are different possible answers. Perhaps
this is how meager mortal minds make sense of their interactions with
the unearthly, incomprehensible realm of the gods, which the players
Setting: The Crossroads
have stumbled into by accident. Or perhaps the one or more of the gods
is weaving a powerful web of illusion. One way or another, they appear
to be at the Crossroads because they are confronted with a difficult choice
and cannot agree on the path they should follow.
What is their dilemma? They face a challenge beyond their own consid-
erable abilities. It could be a rival pantheon threatening to subsume or
extinguish them, or the predations of unthinkable cosmic entities that
feed on divinity, or just the existential terror of their own irrelevance in
a world that has moved past them. Maybe all of the above. In any case,
220
they are divided, and not just because they
disagree about their immediate problem(s).
Conflicts between gods can run infinitely
deep, which PCs would do well to remem-
ber when they are contemplating taking
sides.
Where do the PCs fit in with all this? Well, this is one of the things the
gods are trying to figure out—and probably the main reason why they
are giving the PCs little things to do. Are they capable? Can they be
trusted? How might they be useful?
The PCs, too, have to size up the situation. And once they realize what’s
going on and who they’re talking to (more or less), they have to make
some choices of their own. They could try to help the pantheon (by re-
covering lost relics or artifacts, rebuilding or sanctifying places of power,
or proselyting up a power base of zealous new converts). They could try
to ascend to godhood themselves, either by joining the pantheon or steal-
Setting: The Crossroads
ing their divine powers. They might even make a pact with the pantheon’s
enemies, whoever they might be.
But none of these choices will come without a cost, and no path will take
them quite where they expect. That’s life at the Crossroads.
221
DARK ALLEYS
OF THE SOUL
by Steve Diamond
Possible
Con Artists, Heists, Supernatural Detective Agencies
Themes:
223
There was a brief moment where I con-
sidered pouring back my booze into the
bottle. Instead, I downed it in a single
motion.
“We’ ll do it,” I said. “But we need
a bit of the coin up-front. The kinds of
questions we will need to ask won’t be
cheap. Understand?”
“Of course.” She pulled a small leath-
er bag from a fold in her dress. I’ ll give her
credit; there was no hesitation. Looking
back, maybe there should have been. That
should have been the first sign that things,
like usual, were about to go completely
sideways. Angelica set the bag of coins on the desk between us. I could tell
just from the clinking sound it made on the wood how full the bag was.
How rich it was.
I nodded my thanks, and she left without another word.
Five minutes drifted by before Lila said, “She’s gonna be trouble for us.
For you.”
“You’re not wrong.”
“We gonna need the whole crew?”
“Yeah. Especially Dixon.”
“You sure about that, boss? She’s—”
“I know what she is. That’s why we need her. She made a pact with her
demon, and now she can track anything magical.”
“How do you know this is magical?”
I sighed, reached out and plucked the coin purse from where it sat. A few
Setting: Dark Alleys of the Soul
bounces in my palm confirmed it held more than the Agency had received in
the last six months combined. “No one pays this much for normal work.”
Welcome to Novus
You know what fantasy needs more of? Noir. Detective stories. Femme
fatales.
Shadowed, smoke-filled rooms. You know the ones. Maybe the bosses
led you down to the basement of the local precinct where the dust is
thicker than the gunk in the bottom of the coffee pot. Someone has to
224
track down the city’s magic users when
they go off-rails. It’s not a job for the weak
of heart or mind. There are nightmares in
those shadows that make the distinction
between man and monster very thin
indeed.
Straight Shooters in a
Crooked City
“Dark Alleys of the Soul” is a setting that can be used on its own (make
up your own giant, crime-ridden fantasy city), or as a skin put on top of
any other setting in the Micronomicon or Tiny Dungeon 2e.
Whether you are part of an actual fantasy law enforcement agency, a pri-
vate investigator of some sort, an independent problem-solving group,
or just someone sick of all the dirt in your city . . . well, this is the place
for you. Cities all have one thing in common: crime. Murder isn’t unique
to “real life.” Neither are drugs, black markets, or thieves.
But magic . . . magic makes all of those things infinitely worse. Infinitely
Setting: Dark Alleys of the Soul
more dangerous.
This is where you come in. Fighting fire with fire. Or perhaps, “shadow
with shadow” is a more accurate term in this context. Maybe you should
be criminals. But your moral compass doesn’t point that way. If you don’t
use the magic you know—or the magic forced upon you—to solve the
city’s issues, you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself.
Just remember, sometimes the problems you are solving don’t come from
the criminals on the streets, but from those in your own organization.
Keep your eyes open and your spells locked-and-loaded.
225
Dead Men and Broken Hearts
The streets of Novus are never clean, never lit. They smell like despair on
the best of days, and reek of madness on the worst.
At the center of the known world, Novus was once a beacon of enlight-
enment, trade, magic, and prosperity. But it has fallen, like all good
things eventually do. There are still pockets of light and goodness, fight-
ing against the encroaching dark . . . but most times those are just bad
things trying to blind you so you don’t see where the shadows really are.
It’s said Novus was built on the bones of old, dead gods. Some say it was
literally built with those same bones. Whichever path you follow and be-
lieve, the result tends to be the same.
Corruption exists at all levels, from the Council that rules Novus—and
thus the rest of the known world—down to the kids in the orphanages.
Everyone has an angle. That includes you.
Now, this isn’t to say you’re corrupt. You may be a little dirty . . . but
crooked? Nah. Not your style.
From the highest spires of the rich to the docks, to the slums, to the
whorehouses and outhouses . . . everyone has issues. Everyone has
problems. This is where you come in. Law enforcement (where pos-
sible), or Private Investigators, or just one of the few citizens who still
mostly gives a crap . . . you can still do a lot of good.
Setting: Dark Alleys of the Soul
And maybe—just maybe—you can set things going in the right direc-
tion to take Novus back to the times when people felt safe walking in
broad daylight.
A dventure Hooks
“Dark Alleys of the Soul” can be as simple or complex as you want it.
The goal of these sample hooks is to make the players the stars of the
show. This is meant to be dark, grim, and smoke-filled. But that doesn’t
mean humor is wasted. The darker the tale, the more laughter is needed,
226
after all. But this is noir. This is investigative. Make sure the players are
put in difficult situations. But fun trumps all.
Take a look at all those Magical Traits and options in the first half of this
book. All those demons. All those spells. Now, instead of hunting them
down (which you will totally do!), imagine them being assets on your
side, used to hunt down baddies.
I. Cold Case
Setting: Dark Alleys of the Soul
227
Private Investigators are a dime a dozen in Novus. In fact, they spend
most of their time investigating other investigators. That’s just the game.
But every so often, every P.I. stumbles across the case that pushes them
to make a choice.
Maybe it’s just like an old murder you worked back before you got
drummed out of the Novus Constabulary. Or maybe you and your crew
have just had it with those in power doing whatever they want.
The point is, simple jobs are rarely so simple in a city like this one. Cor-
ruption, redemption, and personal history are the main themes of this
hook.
228
Which means something else is gone.
In Novus, money is the least important thing held in a bank.
Dream a little bigger, darling.
Your superiors believe there is something much bigger at work here, and
they want you to figure it out. In fact, they are willing to set up a task
force to take down whoever is responsible. The Constabulary’s resources
are yours.
But you get the team you need, as long as they are the misfit toys of the
Constabulary.
III. On the L am
You’ve been framed. You screwed up and pissed off someone high up on
Setting: Dark Alleys of the Soul
the food chain. Good job. Now every constable, soldier, P.I., hooker, and
rodent is on the look-out for you. You’ d best make good use of those old
friends in low places.
You should probably get on that, because as good as you and your friends
are at tracking and doing the impossible, there are always others with the
same magical skills as you.
229
DEFENDING THE KEEP
by John D. Payne
Concept
Atop a broken mountain on the cursed and desolate Isle of Bones, a soli-
tary stone tower stands alone against wave after wave of monsters. Last month
they came one at a time. Last week they came in dozens. Last night . . . a host.
Dead warriors fallen in ancient battles now rise from the wasted earth
to slay again. And if that’s not enough—eldritch monsters summoned from
unfathomable worlds beyond by sorcerers long since dead still stalk the land
as living weapons of mass destruction.
And then there’s you. And the Keep. Can you defend it from the onslaught?
Can you bottle up the tide of horrors ready to flood the world with destruction?
Will you find the key that will stop the attacks and bring peace to the island
again?
231
ing stomach and to hear the words of Micah the ferryman over the howling
winds.
“A fitting name, the Isle of Bones. Who knows how many heroes lie there?
Too many to bury, there were. And once the war was over, King Felix never
had the appetite to make good on his promises. This island was going to be his
capital. This coast was supposed to be bursting with new folk, new farms. They
said the sea would be so full of trading ships you could walk to the mainland.”
Micah spits over the side of his little boat. “Lies. Lies and ghosts. Nothing else,
now.”
Tying his boat up at the rude pier, Micah shakes his head. “No, I stay
here,” he says, patting the ballista at the prow of his boat. “Until sundown.
In case you come back.”
As you make your way down a path that you pray is made of round
white cobblestones, you gaze uneasily at the severed skeletal hand that your
guide wears as an amulet around his neck. “Dis give me power,” says Grug-
goriye the Troll. “Like priests from old days.”
“Dis our island. We live here, much peace. Follow nature. Waste noth-
ing. Honor ancestors. Eat ancestors.” He licks his lips, and you can not help
but notice his sharp, protruding tusks. “Then, Goblins came. Filthy pirates,
sin and mammon. Anger Goddess. Ruin everything.”
Gruggoriye thumps his massive chest with a fist as big as your head.
“We fight back. Us and ancestors, too. Living and dead, all Bone Trolls unite
in holy war. Much war, many year. Crush nasty
Goblins, wipe dem out. Dem and monsters they
bring. Big win. But also lose. Bone Trolls all
dead now. All but Gruggoriye.” He
shrugs. “Dat okay.
Dead troll still troll.”
As you climb the slope up to the
Keep, you are met and welcomed by
Setting: Defending the Keep
232
please. We find it best if we limit our time out of doors, and things have been
getting worse of late. We hope you can help us discover the reason why.”
♦ Regeneration: At the start of its turn a Bone Troll recovers one Hit
Point.
Demi-Oni: So, yeah, my mom was a real monster. Born from the union
of a demonic Oni and a Human (or other sapient), Demi-Oni are rare
and often misunderstood. They are not (necessarily) servants of hell, but
233
do often share their monstrous parent’s interest in guarding and pun-
ishment, as well as their disinclination to compassion.
Demi-Oni take something of their looks from each parent. They are
typically tall and have wild hair and red, orange, or blue skin. They
often have one or more (short or long) horns on their heads, and they
sometimes have fangs, claws, or cloven hooves for feet.
Demi-Oni Attributes
♦ 6 Hit Points
♦ Demi-Oni starts with the Heritage Traits Terrifying Aura and Strike
of Torment
The K eep
A stout stone tower five stories tall, the Keep sits on a ragged crag (the
Setting: Defending the Keep
ruined remains of the Isle’s highest mount) near the northern shore of
the Isle of Bones. Beneath it are catacombs in which are buried prior
generations of nuns who lived in the keep, as well as a number of he-
roes and martyrs from the magical war that raged here for so many
years.
The original plan called for an inner wall, outer wall, courtyards and a
number of outbuildings. Some of the stones even got quarried, and can
be seen scattered here and there amid the blasted fields of bone and mud,
but only the Keep was ever built. And now it’s the only thing standing
between the last inhabitants of the island and certain doom.
234
Enclave Traits
If you have Tiny Wastelands and wish to use the Enclave rules (pp.64-73), you
can use the following Enclave Traits: Population 2; Defense 3; Storage 3; Fuel
n/a; Food 2; Insanity 2.
The Keep also includes the following buildings: Basic Fortifications, Basic
Storage, Basic Living Quarters, Armory, Barracks, Place of Worship, Food Silo.
And since there are no vehicles (aside from Horses) and no fuel in this setting,
the following buildings are not available as improvements: Basic Fuel Dump,
Chopshop, Fuel Depot, Generator.
Daughters of Virtue
The Daughters of Virtue are an order of militant nuns found primarily
in the Human realms. A few of their Order came to the Isle with the
Human armies that ended the war, and they ended up staying. And in
the years since, they have welcomed Sisters of various Heritages (includ-
ing Goblins, Fey, etc.). All of the Sisters in the Keep are trained to some
degree in combat, and many have at least one magical Trait.
They worship three deities: the Bright One, who sings the day into exis-
tence each morning and is the patron of Bards; the Changing One, who
alters with the phases of the moon, and is the patron of Alchemists; and
the Infinite One, who has forms as myriad as the stars, and is the patron
of Familiars.
Setting: Defending the Keep
Upon joining the order, each nun leaves behind her old name and takes
upon her the name of a virtue or ideal, such as Kindness, Fortitude, or
Chastity. They do not marry and are forbidden to sleep under the same
roof as a man—although in the Keep this rule has been relaxed enough
to allow for Men’s Quarters (but these are locked at night, and only the
Abbess has the key).
Some, all, or none of the player characters in the party may be Daugh-
ters of Virtue. No specific Trait is required, but it is strongly recom-
mended that Nun be chosen for the character’s Family Trade, and that
the character’s guiding Belief should in some way reflect the values of the
Order.
235
Defending the K eep
Attackers must come up the hill, which forces them into a narrow ap-
proach. The bottom of the hill is about as far away as most ranged weap-
ons can shoot (the extreme edge of the Far combat zone). Beyond that,
only magical attacks and siege weapons (like ballistae) can reach.
Zone Weapons
THE KEEP
Distant Siege
Other than the Distant Zone, which can have any number of combatants, the terrain
limits attackers to four at any one time.
the windows, but there is room for two on the roof (cur-
rently empty).
Although miniatures (or tokens, or pennies) are not required for play,
they can be a great aid in keeping track of both attackers and defenders
during waves.
NPC Capabilities
There are perhaps twenty Daughters of Virtue in the Keep, about half
of whom are injured or in some other way unfit for combat. But every
236
Daughter left on the Isle has at least some kind of ranged weapon profi-
ciency, and many of them also have a magical Trait. So the Keep might
start with something like 1d3+1 of each of the following:
♦ Daughter of Brightness (Bard): Sings sacred hymns that
repel Undead or Eldritch attackers, halting their advance.
Each singer can prevent 2 ordinary attackers (in the same
combat Zone) from moving forward.
♦ Daughter of Change (Alchemist): Can throw/launch a
potion of Goblin’s Fire bomb, doing 2 fire damage. Two
hits in the same zone (in the same round) ignite a fire
that does 1 damage to all in the zone until put out.
♦ Daughter of the Infinite (Familiar): Familiars used as spotters
aid the accuracy of these Daughters’ ranged attacks, which gain
Focus.
The Daughters of Virtue are warrior nuns, so each Daughter also has a
melee proficiency. (You might also find a Martial Artist or two among
them.) But remember, these nuns have been in this fight a while, and
they need relief. The PCs should not expect the Daughters to bear the
brunt of the assaults.
237
GMs can require Players to Test every time they
wish to lead in battle, or can permit PCs who have
successfully led before to lead again without a subse-
quent Test.
Enemies
The Keep is attacked over and over again by waves of Enemies, typically
either Undead or Eldritch. For the first attack the PCs face, start with
ordinary minions (in a homogenous horde) coming up the hill in a
straight line. Keep it nice and simple. Subsequent waves should get
tougher and introduce more challenging foes with new weapons and
more complex tactics.
6 Boss
(super high HP) Eldritch Horror w/ 2x HP)
For more enemies, see Chapter 2: Archmage and Chapter 11: Spell Reader.
You can also throw completely unexpected types of attackers into the
mix. For example, you could have monsters, or mutated beasts (or mu-
tated monsters). Or the attackers could be sapients—pirates seeking
plunder, refugees seeking food, descendants of the original inhabitants
wanting to reclaim their land, an invading warlord, crusaders convinced
you are bad guys, evil mages who want this place of power, etc.
238
Gameplay
The Game Master runs the adventure, as always, and should tailor ses-
sions to the needs of the campaign, player enjoyment, etc. But as a default,
consider a sequence for each play session that runs something like this:
1. Wave attack (which resolves in a few minutes)
2. Expedition (which takes the bulk of a typical play session)
3. Chance to improve the Keep’s defenses
4. Second wave attack.
As the campaign goes on, things should get more difficult—including
wave attacks that show up at unexpected times. Like right before (or
during) improving defenses. Or when the PCs are away on an expedi-
tion. They may return just in time to witness the attack, and
might even decide to mount a flanking assault of their own
against the attacking force. Of course, this might mean
they wake up in the Land of Broken Roads.
If you want to be really nasty, you might have multiple
waves hitting one on top of another. For example, flying
Eldritch forces are spotted in the distance just as the Un-
dead Trolls are reaching the Near combat zone.
You might also have unexpected lulls, where no attack comes
(or where multiple waves end up attacking each other, effec-
tively canceling each other out). One reason is to give your
players a break when they really need it (remember, games are sup-
Setting: Defending the Keep
posed to be fun!). Another reason is to really freak them out and make
them wonder when the other shoe is going to drop.
Improving defenses
Attacks are going to get worse before they get better, which means that
the Keep’s defenders are going to have to up their game to survive. Given
the limitations of time, manpower, and other resources, it is probably wise
to invest in people rather than new buildings.
Unlocking new capabilities for the defenders might mean improving
weapons, gaining new (magical) traits, finding artifacts or spells, or
239
even recruiting new defenders. Let Play-
ers take the lead and reward their inno-
vation (“Hey, can these Bards sing up new
earthen bulwarks out of the mud?”). But re-
member also that the opposing forces are also making their own im-
provements. Each wave should feel more and more desperate, and come
closer and closer to taking the Keep.
Expeditions
When not defending the Keep, the PCs should go out on expeditions,
usually to raid or explore underground complexes of some sort. Because
the Isle was the site of many, many years of magical warfare, there are
not many buildings standing. But there are quite a few structures under-
ground. Some of these are the sacred temples of the Bone Trolls, which
were always built underground to honor their Dead Goddess, the Dark
Lady of the Underworld. Some of these structures are the lower levels of
fortresses built by one army or another (late in the war, it was virtually
impossible to build above ground, and so various combatants just dug
deep). And some of the tunnels were excavated by the monsters that have
taken up residence here.
In the beginning, expeditions will be designed to address short term
goals. For example, they may need to gather sling stones or supplies
for fletching arrows, or to hunt, fish, or forage for food or water. They
may be sent out to rescue someone carried away from the Keep by ma-
rauders or monsters, or to recruit other NPCs.
At some point, however, the PCs will need to mount expeditions focused
on the longer-term goals of the campaign. Most importantly, they need
to discover the source of the monster attacks and stop them, or the Keep
Setting: Defending the Keep
can not survive. Each successful expedition should move the heroes clos-
er to this ultimate success, usually by recovering some artifact(s) of the
evil magics that still haunt this Isle (see the next section).
You, the GM, will need to decide how many of these small victories are
needed for ultimate success, but don’t be afraid to fine-tune it as you go
along. If you have been telling the players that four pieces are missing,
you can always reveal that the Sisters have been in possession of three of
these all along. Or that through some treachery, two of the ones previ-
ously recovered have been lost. Adjust your pacing to maximize player
enjoyment.
240
The Source of the Attacks
Things are getting worse on the island and attacks on the Keep are
growing ever more difficult because there are evil intelligences operat-
ing behind the scenes. Both the Eldritch Sorcerers and the Necromancers
that led the great war have survived in some fashion, and are seeking to
restore their old armies, conquer the Isle, and use it as a base to extend
their dominion outward.
The last of the Eldritch Sorcerers among the Goblins inscribed their
minds into magical texts; fragments of these can be found (and should
be found, by the PCs) all over the Isle (see Chapter 11: Spell Read-
er: Unknown Texts). Some of these fragments can be read as magical
scrolls (many of which have an Eldritch flavor), but all of them have
some piece of the sorcerers’ consciousness and memories (which may
be revealed in strange dreams). The more any PC reads, the greater the
chance that she will lose her mind and become dominated by the
will of the dead sorcerer.
And if they don’t, there’s always room for a few more corpses on the Isle
of Bones.
241
THE FALL OF TELMARA
by Shawn Carman of Kyoudai Games
Plays Well With: Defending the Keep, Fellbright, Gate Crashers, Knowl-
edge Arcana Inc., Land of Broken Roads, Price of Power.
A R ising Power
The Kingdom of Telmara is relatively young and founded around ex-
tremely peculiar circumstances. The region it occupies was, until a
century ago, a dry scrubland with almost no resources other than a
ring-shaped outcropping of small mountains that produced stone that
was only barely adequate for building purposes. There were numerous
other kingdoms in that part of the world, none of whom found the area
worth expending the resources to claim. It wasn’t until a powerful wizard
adventurer had his final duel with a lifelong rival that the region became
more interesting.
The magic duel caused significant upheaval due to one of the wizards
commanding powerful earth magic. When the battle was ended, a
massive crystal had been unearthed from deep belowground. Recog-
nizing the powerful magic emanating from the crystal, the victorious
wizard gathered together a number of servants, allies, and mercenaries
to create a base of power and began selling fragments of the crystal,
bringing all of them tremendous wealth in the process. Neighboring
kingdoms, once they realized the value held by the new stronghold,
243
attempted to seize it, but the wizard and his accomplices easily pitted
rivals against one another with exclusive trading contracts, large gifts
of crystals, and other social and economic manipulations. Twenty years
after establishing his stronghold, the wizard cannily negotiated with no
less than four other kingdoms to become Telphis the Wise, first King
of Telmara.
For just over a century, the Kingdom of Telmara has been a major eco-
nomic player in its region. The crystals that it provides are eagerly sought
after by wealthy spellcasters all over the world, many of whom are per-
fectly happy to pay exorbitant sums to acquire as many of them as pos-
sible—for they lose their power with use. The crystals are eventually
consumed by the exchange of energy when a wizard places arcane power
in it to withdraw later, and more must eventually be acquired. While
selling only a few would not be able to fund an entire kingdom, when
hundreds of crystals are sold every month—with additional revenue com-
ing in from visiting merchants and spellcasters—the kingdom has been
extremely prosperous despite the bleak surrounding landscape.
In the century since the kingdom’s founding, four monarchs have sat
upon the throne, beginning with Telphis the Wise, continuing with
his daughter Talara the Just, and his grandson Thomar the Merciful.
The fourth and current monarch is something of an anomaly in that he
appears to lack the strong moral character of his bloodline and has prov-
en susceptible to manipulation from external forces. Tayden the Strong,
often called by his subjects Tayden the Meek when there
are no prying ears to hear, has often lamented the rigid
schedule of harvesting that his ancestors put
into place and has eagerly sought a means to
increase production. Recently, the means to
do exactly that came into his possession.
Setting: The Fall of Telmara
244
ately ordered the modern-day House of Secrets, a once-great guild of
spellcasters reduced to a sedentary group of wizard-merchants, to find
a way to reach the crystal beneath their kingdom, and they commenced
a study to find it some time back.
One month ago, guild workers finally managed to tunnel deeply enough
into the rock beneath the palace to uncover the second crystal.
Telmaran Crystals
The crystals beneath Telmara, one of
which is well known and the other of
which is known only to the King’s inner-
most circle, are believed to have fallen from the stars long before man-
kind ever walked the earth.
For reasons unknown, the shards of the crystals have the capability of
absorbing magical energy from skilled spellcasters who direct it into
them as a conscious action. The crystals can store this energy for long
periods of time, and arcane practitioners can draw upon it to make use
of it in spellcasting or expend it in lieu of their own energy during ritu-
als. A wizard who charges a crystal and then allows his own energy to
recover can repeat this process numerous times, resulting in a vast quan-
tity of magical energy at his disposal for whatever task he has in mind.
This has allowed massive strides forward in the development of long-term
Setting: The Fall of Telmara
ritual magic, which has always required vast amounts of energy and thus
been impossible to complete without large numbers of participating spell-
casters.
Since the discovery of the Telmaran crystals, a single spellcaster can rep-
licate the work of ten wizards of equal power if he has the time and the
crystals to charge. As might be imagined, this has caused Telmaran crys-
tals to become a highly coveted and valuable resource throughout the
Known Kingdoms, so much so that being unable to obtain them (due ei-
ther to a lack of funds or having been blacklisted among merchants) can
be a significant obstacle for a spellcaster to advance in their skills.
245
Psionic Capacity
The Kingdom of Telmara is well-known for one other phenomenon be-
sides being the only known source of arcane crystal batteries: the preva-
lence of psionic powers among intelligent beings. There have always been
various creatures with the capacity for mental powers of one sort or an-
other, mostly unintelligent in nature. For an intelligent being to use
psionic power has always been incredibly rare, but in Telmara, it occurs
with much greater frequency than in other lands.
Because this phenomenon is centered in the kingdom, and because it
can be observed to exist in diminishing frequency as one travels away,
it has long been hypothesized that proximity to Telmaran
crystals is in some way involved in the awakening of these
powers. No one has ever been able to substantiate this claim
or begin to understand how such a thing might be possi-
ble.
Nevertheless, there are a greater number of telepaths,
precognitives, telekinetics, and a number of other
Psionic Adepts and Masters in Telmara than
anywhere else in the Known Kingdoms.
The Truth
The two known crystals unearthed beneath Tel-
mara both fell from the heavens long before man-
kind was around to witness the event. These extra-
terrestrial crystals are not what they appear, and
while they are not truly alive, they are neverthe-
less aware. In their normal state, the crystals absorb magic and project
Setting: The Fall of Telmara
their own awareness into the minds of those whose magic is drawn into
them.
The first crystal to be uncovered during the duel a century ago was frac-
tured on impact, and its intelligence lost. The shards retain the ability
to absorb magic, but they merely store that magic until it is drawn upon
by an outside source, becoming a very valuable sort of “arcane battery”
that spellcasters covet.
Despite the loss of the awareness that it once possessed, the crystal still
releases its own extraterrestrial energies upon the charging of the crystal
246
Shards and Spellcasting
A mage who successfully Tests to cast a spell (or read a scroll) into a shard
can draw the stored spell out of the shard later simply by using an Action,
with no need for an additional Test.
for the first time, an act that often occurs in Telmara due to the testing
of the crystals before they are sold by certain merchant groups. These
energies can, and do, locate sympathetic hosts—hosts who unknowing-
ly absorb the energy and eventually begin manifesting psionic abilities
when they reach an adequate level of energy saturation.
The second crystal is an altogether different matter. The intact crystal re-
cently uncovered deep beneath Telmara has its intelligence intact, and
now that it has made contact with human minds, its powers are awake
for the first time in thousands of years.
Within a very short time after the crystal was uncovered, the House of
Secrets was compromised, and within a week, both the guild and the
King they theoretically serve were nothing more than puppets of the
terrible crystal from beyond the stars, which desires nothing more than
Setting: The Fall of Telmara
The Timeline
Without the intervention of heroes (or at the very least, morally ambiv-
alent adventurers), the fall of Telmara is a foregone conclusion, and it is
entirely possible that the world beyond will fall shortly thereafter. The
only ones immune to the influence of the crystal are those who are al-
ready suffused with the energy of the broken crystal: the psionicists of
Telmara. Unfortunately, by the time they have the chance to do any-
thing about it, they will be facing a vastly superior enemy that enjoys
247
the benefits of near-limitless magical power as well as instantaneous, si-
lent communication between all members of its hive-mind. Fortunately,
at least, psionicists generate a sort of interference that can obscure the in-
fluence of the crystal for those in their immediate vicinity, meaning that
unless their comrades actively seek to utilize a shard of the second crystal,
they are immune to the attempts of the crystal and its minions to dom-
inate them through other magical means.
♦ Six months ago, King Tayden the Meek discovered the writings
of his ancestors and ordered the wizard’s guild, the House of Se-
crets, to begin excavating the second crystal.
♦ Two weeks ago, the entire House of Secrets fell completely under
the crystal’s control and began extending its influence through-
out the merchant families carrying the crystals outside the king-
dom.
♦ Ten days ago, the House of Secrets consolidated its power over
all unaffiliated spellcasters in Telmara and began utilizing ritual
magic to extend their control over non-magical individuals.
♦ Three days ago, more than sixty percent of Telmara was part of
the great crystal. Those who remain have begun to notice that
things are not at all what they seem . . .
Setting: The Fall of Telmara
249
FELLBRIGHT:
CITY OF BLISS
by Brad J. Lyon
Overview
At the heart of the realm’s harshest desert, stands the enchanted city of
Fellbright. This mysterious metropolis was unexpectedly exposed after
an explosion destroyed the magical barrier that hid it from the natural
world. It is unknown how long Fellbright endured under the very noses
of the rulers of the realm. Some say the city has stood for centuries and
that many of its citizens are lost travelers who attempted to cross the un-
forgiving desert.
Not long after the magical barrier fell, word spread across the realm
that Lord Sahir, a powerful sorcerer, and ruler of Fellbright, had cre-
ated a bridge that allowed safe passage over the Deathglaives. Claims
of the city’s beauty and the temptations it had to offer dominated the
251
conversations of gossip mongers throughout the kingdoms. Before long,
droves of travelers wanting to indulge in the delights and excitement of
this magical city, embarked on a pilgrimage to Fellbright. On their jour-
ney, travelers heard tales of the magical wonders of the Wishfire Bazaar,
of gambling in the Six Djinn Den of Chance, and of the glorious bat-
tles held in the Black Sand Coliseum.
of Bliss.
Setting
Fellbright resembles a mythical Arabian city combined with the flare and
excitement of Las Vegas. It is comprised of multistory, clay buildings clad
252
with arches, columns, mosaic walls, carved stucco, glazed tiles, and col-
orful canopies. The city is interconnected with a series of wide streets and
narrow alleyways. Floating braziers, glowing orbs, and glittering sprites
fill the city with magical illumination.
The main roads are lined with establishments adorned with enchanted
banners and signs to lure passersby inside. Owners of these establish-
ments are of all Heritages and although they seem kind and jovial, if
you pay close attention, something about them might seem a little odd.
On the other hand, the heat and excitement may just be playing tricks on
your senses.
There is, however, one thing for certain in Fellbright. Visitors should
avoid the maze of back alleys, for, without a guide, one could easily
lose their way and quite possibly much, much more.
Points of Interest
♦ The Bridge of Kismet was magically formed from sand and silk
by Lord Sahir. Spanning over the Deathglaives, the extensive,
elevated walkway allows safe passage to and from Fellbright.
Massive canopies shade the bridge from the extreme heat and
beautiful attendants ensure that travelers are comfortable during
their trek. Stories have been told that the attendants, known as
the Murafaqa, read the minds of visitors in order to direct them
to their vice of choice within the city.
253
ing in Fellbright and is the home of Lord Sahir. Its ornate ar-
chitecture, lush gardens, and luxurious furnishings surpass that
of any castle in the realm. It is said that magical treasures are
on display in every room of the palace yet not a single guard is
present.
♦ The Nomadic Soul is one of the most popular inns for those
wanting to extend their stay in Fellbright. One might be sur-
prised when entering the small building as it appears to only
house a foyer and front desk. But do not fret. Once you have
viewed and selected suitable accommodations from the enchant-
ed mirage pool, the concierge will provide you with a magic key.
Merely speak the word etched into the key and you will be trans-
ported to your room. The size of your coin purse will determine
whether you sleep on a floor mat in a bare, one-room cabin or
snuggle into a bed of clouds surrounded by serenading seraphim
in a royal suite. As always, be cautious, for rumors have begun to
spread that some who enter the Nomadic Soul never leave.
254
oval arena and vendors cater to the excited spectators. Black sand
covers the arena floor, giving the coliseum its name as well as
hiding the blood of the defeated. The most popular events cur-
rently held in the coliseum are the Cavalier’s Cup and the Lock
Horns League.
♦ The Lost Ways are the network of alleyways that connect the
main streets to the modest dwellings of the denizens of
Fellbright. They also lead to the darker vices that the
city has to offer. If gold is in short supply, one can
always find cheaper alternatives to their desires in
the back alleys. Be warned, if one ventures too
deep into the Lost Ways, you may unwillingly be
Setting: Fellbright
New Enemies
Djinn: Magical beings who resemble extremely tall
humans. Their skin tone comes in a variety of colors
256
and they tend to wear loose-fitting garments made of shimmering silk.
They are passionate but temperamental by nature. Most are bound to
an artifact and are obligated to serve those who find it. For this reason,
the artifact is kept in a secret location and guarded with magical traps.
It is unknown if destroying the artifact will kill the Djinn or set it free.
HP Traits
HP Traits
HP Traits
HP Traits
Charismatic
258
New Mounted Combat Traits
Born in the Saddle: When you are about to be knocked off your mount,
make a Test with Disadvantage. If you succeed, you manage right your-
self and remain in the saddle.
Hold the Line: Make a Test to remain steadfast and intimidate the on-
coming attacker. If successful, the first attack against you is with Disad-
vantage.
New Heritages
Demonkin
Demonkin are Human/demon half-breeds known to use persuasion and
seduction to get what they want. Most Demonkin tend to be attractive,
elegant, and passionate which allows them to charm their way into and
out of many situations. However, their arrogance and compulsiveness can
be their downfall if not kept in check.
Demonkin share many physical similarities with humans and fey. Their
major differences include cranial horns of varying size and shape, elon-
gated canines, and skin color. Of course, with proper attire and a little bit
of magic, these features can be easily obscured.
R atfolk
Ratfolk are rat-like beings with long, tapered tails and coarse fur that
covers most of their bodies. The most common fur colors are black,
brown, or white. By nature, Ratfolk tend to be sly, greedy, and callous
but they can be a valuable ally when push comes to shove. In large packs,
their viciousness and persistence are incredibly lethal.
259
Ratfolk stand around five feet tall and tend to have a slender, athletic
build. Their keen senses make them excellent trackers and scavengers.
Ratfolk are also extremely hardy and can stave off many types of diseas-
es. They are even known to eat tainted food and drink contaminated
water without immediate consequences.
Iron Gut: I’ll take the rancid meat with a side of poisonous
5
mushrooms. When making a Save Test against poisons and
(Medium)
diseases, you succeed on a 4, 5, or 6.
A dventure Hooks
♦ Spies: Hired by religious zealots known as the Judgement of the
Blight, you are a group of spies whose mission is to gather infor-
mation about Lord Sahir, Fellbright, and security measures. How
much information can you obtain without getting caught? And
how much information is enough to satisfy religious fanatics set
on purging the world of Fellbright and the sinners within?
from a shady investor? Once you’ve acquired the entry fee, you
and your companions just have to decide if you are going to
play it straight or make use of your special abilities to gain the
upper hand. With competition like the legendary Demonkin
gambler, Cybeis Blithe, you will need every trick in the book to
win.
260
Setting: Fellbright
261
♦ Competitors: One or more of
your companions have come
to Fellbright to compete in an
event at the Black Sand Coli-
seum. Newcomers are welcomed by
the spectators but no pleasantries are
offered by the competition. In fact, under-
handed deals and sabotage are common occur-
rences. Your team will need to keep their eyes sharp and ears
open as to not fall victim to cheats and swindlers. Of course, a
lot of gold could be made by someone willing to take a fall. The
question is, can you live with yourself?
262
ing to gain an edge over your rivals, you query the locals about
the significance of the Crest of the Sallow Moon. Those who do
not shun you with silence, reply with a wicked grin and the words,
“Soothe the Sallow Moon, till breath doth consume.” Uncertain
of its meaning, you begin to wonder what role your performance
has at the gala ball. Are you there to entertain the guests or for
something more ritualistic?
♦ Police: You have been recruited to form an elite squad of Sijada
Mages whose mission is to crack down on the increase of theft
and murder within Fellbright. Attacks seem to generally focus
on visitors. You will be supplied unique uniforms as well as the
standard-issue magic carpet and goggles. Your primary suspects
are a Ratfolk gang known as the Mischief Grail. Their base of
operations is located somewhere in the Lost Ways. Unfortu-
nately, the locals are unwilling to lend any aid. Are they scared
of the Mischief Grail or is something more devious afoot in the
City of Bliss?
263
THE FORGE
by Quincy J. Allen
264
Overview
The world reviles human/elf hybrids—especially those
with magic in their blood. Humans chain them
as slaves. Elves hunt them as abominations. Most
are forced to live at the ragged edges of civilization,
or beyond.
The letters carved into the stone above the door name this place the Ar-
cology. But those who survive their schooling and walk back out that
door call it The Forge. And every one of those graduates is a weapon in
the war to carve out a place in this world where Half-Elves can finally
live in peace.
(not a group). For their physical possessions, they have the clothes on
their backs, 1d6+1 items from the Adventurer’s Kit (TD2e p. 37), a sin-
gle weapon, and one gold piece.
They also start out Learning to use the Spell-Touched Trait and their
Mastered Weapon. A Trait that characters are Learning can be used,
but Tests will only succeed with a roll of 6, rather than 5 or 6. And you
can’t use Focus on any Trait you are Learning.
265
Each year characters are in the academy, they will be Learning two more
things. When their Learning is complete they are ready to advance to
the next year. Feel free to narrate most of the year as a montage, slow-
ing down only for the two or three most exciting incidents of the year,
instead of playing through every day. For example, if you are using the
optional XP rules, when your players have almost enough to buy both
things they are Learning, it’s time to fast-forward to end-of-year exams.
After completing their three years at the Forge, player characters stop
using the rules for Learning. Instead, they advance and acquire new
Traits (or don’t) in whatever way is normal in your game world.
Family Trade
Character 1 non-magical Trait of Spell-Touched Trait
creation your choice Mastered weapon
Single weapon proficiency
Family Trade
Heritage Trait of your
1 non-magical Trait of
Begin year 1 choice
your choice
at the Forge 1 weapon group
Spell Touched Trait
proficiency
Mastered weapon
Family Trade
Heritage Trait
Spell Touched Trait 1 Trait of your choice
Begin year 2 1 non-magical Trait of Archmage, including 1
your choice Magical Discipline
Mastered weapon
Weapon group proficiency
Family Trade
Setting: The Forge
Half-Elf Attributes
Half-Elves have the following attributes, including one of the listed Heritage
Traits:
♦ 6 Hit Points
♦ Hide In Plain Sight: Once per day, you may Test to hide while being
watched.
267
Coming to
the A rcology
Your newly created characters have
a hard road ahead of them, literally.
Before their schooling can begin, they
must leave home, journey to the hid-
den Stones of Valai, pass through the
G’Dann Forest, and reach the acad-
emy itself.
All roads end at the edge of the G’Dann Forest, but there are secret path-
ways through. The beginning of each path is marked by a hidden pair
of Valai Stones, enchanted to glow under the full moon, visible only to
Half-Elves.
Starting in their very first week of school, students spend five (of eight)
days in classes, two days patrolling the Forest, and one day preparing for
the next week. Classes are drawn from a wide-ranging curriculum with
an emphasis on magic and combat.
268
initiations and rules. Rivalries and challenges between clubs are com-
mon, and sometimes intense, but faculty see this as preferable to conflicts
between individual students, most of whom grew up in desperate, vi-
olent circumstances.
The Arcology offers sanctuary for the students, not just from the hard
world they knew before, but also from the surrounding G’Dann Forest.
Riddled with caverns, ruins, and catacombs, the Forest
is home to an astonishing assortment of monsters and
fell beasts. Many students have wondered how the
Forest never runs out of Enemies, despite all the pa-
trolling. Rumor says the secret is connected to great
magics that govern the Forest, but only Luriel and
Rilgore know for sure.
269
Rilgore Triskalion, Guardian General
One of the two founders of the Arcology, Rilgore
currently directs its Guardians in the field. Grim,
prone to silence, and a harsh taskmaster, Rilgore
is considered by many to be the deadliest assassin
alive or dead.
Battle Magic
Perfectly complements the brash and aggressive fighting style of Luriel
Evenseer.
♦ Danger Magnet: Test to curse a target so that for one turn every
opponent the target attacks gets the benefit of the Opportunist
Trait.
270
Slayer’s Magic
Designed for the use of Rilgore Triskalion and his network of hidden
assassins.
♦ Death Watch: Test to summon spectral beetles whose haunting
clicks and taps drive your Enemies to distraction, causing
them to Test with Disadvantage on all Save Tests.
♦ Grasping Garrote: Test to cause a nearby rope, vine, scarf,
etc. to wrap around your target’s throat, doing 1 damage per
turn until the target makes a Save Test.
♦ Mad Shadows: Test to inspire an irrational terror of
encroaching shadows, leading your target to attack them
instead of you. Dispelled once your target “hits” a shadow.
♦ Mirror Assassin: Test to create an illusory double to mimic
your actions, doing damage if it hits. If an Enemy hits you,
Test to have the attack hit (and dispel) the double instead.
A dventure hooks
Although you and/or your players may not wish to play through
every single day of the students’ three years in the Forge, there are
certainly plenty of exciting things that can happen during the course
of their studies. Here are some ideas:
♦ Cavern fishing. Once a year, the doors to Darkemar Caverns
under the school are unlocked, and students compete to bag
the biggest, baddest monster.
♦ Close the portal. Accidents happen, and sometimes the faculty
open doors they should not, releasing monsters, demons, or other
entities eager to prey on vulnerable students.
Setting: The Forge
271
♦ Final exams. End of year exams come in the form of challenging
tasks given to groups of students, such as entering the G’Dann
Forest and bringing back a specific magical beast.
♦ Patrol the Forest. Even first-year students go out with the Scouts,
patrolling farther away from the Arcology as they gain strength.
Or if they get lost.
272
Leaving the Forge
Graduates who have a home to go back to often choose to return and
stand watch over their families and communities. If they can, they keep
their new skills and powers secret, to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
The best of the students, however, usually elect to take the Valedictory
Trial, hoping to win a post at the Arcology as a Scout, Instructor, or
Guardian. The former two necessarily stay close to the school, but
Guardians range far and wide performing a variety of missions, includ-
ing espionage, assassination, bodyguarding, sabotage, and mercenary
duty.
Although Rilgore plays his cards close to the vest, many speculate that
the Guardian General’s grand strategy is to foment conflict and strife,
setting Humans and Elves against each other. With both weakened,
there may be room for a new Half-Elf civilization to rise and take its
rightful place in the world. After two centuries of struggle, this prize
is still out of reach—but perhaps this will be the year that the Forge
produces blades strong enough and sharp enough to cut through to a
brighter future and a better world.
Authorities are still seeking answers after the mass disappearance of over
a hundred Japanese citizens, including nearly fifty high school students, yes-
terday afternoon. Eyewitnesses, scattered across the Greater Tokyo Area, gave
a similar account: a “flash of blue light” followed by a “shimmering hole in
the air” that appeared without warning, engulfing victims before vanishing
just as suddenly.
Emergency services were quickly overwhelmed with calls as Tokyo resi-
dents desperately tried to learn if their loved ones were among the victims.
Unfortunately, reports were still arriving late into last night, as family mem-
bers, teachers, and co-workers continued to add names to the list of those
missing.
We’ ll continue to bring you updates as this story unfolds . . .
275
show of searching for answers — or someone to blame — amidst the
chaos. Soon, media leaks and declassified reports revealed that scientists
had predicted such an event for months, and those same conditions were
increasing.
Fearing a repeat of the Tokyo Cascade, the global community became
surprisingly cooperative, sharing data they’d gathered in its aftermath, as
well as findings they’d kept secret for decades prior. Within three months,
protocols were established to detect Gate activity and an international sat-
ellite network began scanning the globe for energy signatures that warn
of new Gates. First-response teams were assembled and trained, ready to
quarantine Gates as they appeared. Authorities prepared for the worst,
while panic gripped the public and Gate openings dominated the news.
Then, eight months after the Tokyo Cascade, the public’s fear was real-
ized when the Siskiyou Breach opened in Northern California.
Armed first-response teams were on-site within the hour and, for the
first time, were met with violent resistance. The Siskiyou Breach be-
came the first documented instance of extra-dimensional hostiles en-
tering our world. Two security teams were overwhelmed, and another
was forced to withdraw, before local authorities deployed the National
Guard. It took three days to secure the area surrounding the Siskiyou
Breach, and the quarantine zone was en-
forced until the Gate finally vanished six
weeks later.
276
opportunity, allowing survey teams to collect extensive samples—includ-
ing living creatures—from the other side. In the aftermath, scientists
worldwide were given access to the biological data and exotic materials
that were collected, with the understanding that everyone would share
their findings.
It was during these extended surveys that another important discovery
was made: the Gates weren’t just a bridge between dimensions. These
phenomena were bleeding resonant energy onto both sides, and that
energy was bringing fundamental changes along with it.
R esonance
Whenever Gates manifest, they cause fluc-
tuations in other-dimensional energy called
“Resonance” which is unique to each destination. New Gates are fueled
by this energy, and as the levels approach zero, Gates destabilize and dis-
appear. While a small amount of residual resonance can remain when a
Gate closes, it typically fades from the environment soon thereafter.
Most living things are innately attuned to, and dependent upon, the res-
onance of their original dimension. Therefore, biological samples taken
from the Gates begin to deteriorate when removed from their native en-
vironment. Of course, the opposite is also true: those who travel beyond
the Gates begin to experience “Resonance Sickness,” where their biol-
ogy suffers the same deterioration. Unfortunately, while some people
are more resilient than others, enough exposure to other-dimensional
resonance proves fatal to most.
In practical terms, those subjected to Gate resonance must monitor
their exposure, and are restricted from entering at the first sign of res-
Setting: Gate Crashers
277
of dimensional resonance the subject absorbed. Humanity itself had
begun to change.
Creating Delvers
In the Gate Crashers setting, players take the role of Delvers: characters that
have the ability to adapt to other-dimensional resonance. Some of these
individuals—particularly those who have combat-oriented roles—have un-
dergone an adaptive mutation, allowing them to exhibit abilities beyond that
of normal people.
The typical Delver uses the Human Heritage presented in Tiny Dungeons 2e or
Tiny Frontiers Revised, with the following addition: all Delvers also possess the
Resonance Adaptation Trait.
With your Game Master’s permission, Delvers can select any type of Trait
designed for TinyD6. Additionally, Delvers with unique backgrounds can be
created using any Heritage or Archetype contained in other TinyD6 books.
As always, the Game Master has the final say regarding what materials are
available for use in your game.
the discovery of resonance sickness, but medical
coverage and the promise of familial support
ensured that many still took the risk. Casualties
were high during the first year, and researchers
secretly used Delvers as test subjects to study res-
onance sickness, exposure levels, and the condi-
tions for adaptation.
Even though the possibilities are limitless, there are some commonly
used terms to describe Gates and the environments beyond them.
Ironically, despite the danger involved, many of these terms borrow
Setting: Gate Crashers
It’s not uncommon to hear of a Dungeon or Lair and the Minions, Mobs,
and Bosses within. Zones are even more widely used, describing an area
with a particular biome, like a rainforest, volcanic island, or snow-cov-
ered wilderness. Some Zones might be classified as a Realm, particularly
if it contains intelligent inhabitants. Ruins are Zones that once held a
civilization, but only the remains linger to be plundered.
279
Gates themselves also earn names based on their behavior. While these
terms aren’t as widely used by Delvers, they remain in use when report-
ing a Gate’s properties to authorities and monitoring groups.
♦ Semi-Stable Gates: The simplest type, whose energy decays steadi-
ly until it closes. Semi-stable gates might remain open for days or
months, but an hour spent observing the energy signature can
determine the remaining duration.
♦ Recurring Gates: Have an energy signature that waxes and wanes
like a tide. As the energy swells, the Gate will open for a time,
until the energy ebbs again, closing the Gate. Recurring Gates
tend to be predictable, opening and closing at set intervals.
♦ Pulse Gates: Unstable recurring gates, whose energy signature
diminishes each time they open, resulting in a perpetually
smaller duration each time they appear. Once the energy sig-
nature has been expended, pulse Gates vanish permanently.
♦ Transient Gates: More of a “dimensional hiccup” than a bridge
between worlds. Characterized by a momentary surge of reso-
nance, these Gates only open for a moment before disappearing.
Aside from the standard classifications, there are rarer Gate types that
have earned their own designation. They are particularly noteworthy
because of their potential for resource acquisition, the extreme danger
in traversing them, or both.
♦ Breach Gates: Usually referred to as a “Breach,” are semi-stable or
recurring Gates that result in potentially hostile creatures
traversing to our side. The name became popularized af-
ter the Siskiyou Breach, and has been used ever since.
♦ Gate Cascades: Made famous by the Tokyo Cascade
Setting: Gate Crashers
280
quickly claimed, and rigorously strip-
mined of all their worth before the
Gates destabilize and their riches
vanish forever.
Treasures,
Tomes, and Tactics
No matter the destination, there is always a
chance that valuable materials can be ac-
quired when traversing the Gates. Exotic ma-
terials like Sun Steel, Moon Silver, Night Iron, and Hellbronze continue
to advance alchemy and artificing. Likewise, biological materials are
used as alchemical components or for the creation of Xenografts (see
Project Typhon, below).
Even magic tomes, psionic crystals, and enchanted weapons and armor
have been found beyond the Gates. One such discovery was the Ars Ve-
Game Masters looking for a quick “dungeon of the week” game can find inspi-
ration in several TinyD6 products. Tables for random environments are found
in Tiny Frontiers Revised pp.54-60. The Enemies Chart (Tiny Dungeons 2e, p.45;
Tiny Frontiers Revised, p.51; or Tiny Wastelands, p.47) gives guidance on enemies
Setting: Gate Crashers
and their threat levels. Their respective bestiaries also provide a variety of foes
to pit against players.
Gallant Knight Games’ official TinyZine is another excellent resource for unique
destinations beyond the gates. In particular, the “Roll-and-Play” series by Steffie
de Vaan, featured in several issues, offers an excellent way to quickly generate
environments, treasures, and organizations.
Deep Dive: Traps & Treasures Beneath the City of the Wise by John D. Payne, is a
Tiny Trove resource that provides tables to generate conditions, foes, and trea-
sures that might be found in various dungeon, lair, or ruin environments.
nandi, an alchemy tome that led to new branches of para-pharmacology
and materials science, and has even spread to include military applica-
tions.
Interestingly, passages in the Ars Venandi warning against combinations
of volatile components were researched by applying principles of modern
chemistry. This led to binary (or two-component) alchemical formulae,
consisting of alchemical primers and elemental catalysts that trigger a re-
action when combined. Among Delvers, this practice has become known
as “tactical alchemy.”
Tactical A lchemy
Activating tactical alchemy requires a two-step chain of attacks, usually
carried out by different team members.
The first is the alchemical primer, typically in the form of an alchemical
bomb that requires a successful Ranged Attack Test. If successful, the
primer discharges an effect on the target.
The second is the elemental catalyst, which applies elemental energy to
the alchemical primer to produce a secondary reaction. Because of the
potential area of effect, elemental catalysts are usually applied at range
via ammunition or spells.
A ir-Based Chains
Alchemical Primer Elemental Catalyst Tactical Burst
Glacial Mind
Coldsnap bomb
(Diamond Magic) Deep Freeze
Frostbite bomb Sun Steel ammunition
Setting: Gate Crashers
282
In order to successfully initiate the reaction, the catalyst must target the
area coated by the primer. This precise targeting is considered a “called
shot,” and requires an exceptional success (see New Rule: Exceptional Suc-
cess, below). If the catalyst hits, it does damage as normal. However, with
an exceptional success, the chain of attacks triggers a tactical burst.
Earth-Based Chains
Alchemical Primer Elemental Catalyst Tactical Burst
Entangling Vine bomb Thorns (Emerald Magic)
Rite of Spring
Gorgon’s Gaze bomb Night Iron ammunition
♦ Rite of Spring: Until your next turn, each time the target takes
Melee damage, the attacker recovers 1 HP.
Fire-Based Chains
Alchemical Primer Elemental Catalyst Tactical Burst
Burning Flame bomb Chi Blast (Fire Discipline)
Explosive Burst
Fevered Mind bomb Hellbronze ammunition
Setting: Gate Crashers
283
Water-Based Chains
Alchemical Primer Elemental Catalyst Tactical Burst
Salted Wounds
Desiccation bomb
(Sapphire Magic) Tidal Crash
Submersion bomb Moon Silver ammunition
Project Typhon
Just as some individuals can adapt to dimensional resonance, some oth-
er-dimensional creatures have proven similarly adaptive. Provided with
samples that don’t degrade, scientists began genetic experimentation.
These studies laid the groundwork for ProjectTyphon, which worked to
combine other-dimensional attributes with human recipients via Xeno-
grafting.
The first successful Xenograft paired a human test subject with a creature
that crossed over during the Siskiyou Breach. Though the global com-
munity argued ethical and political concerns, it wasn’t long before other
successful subjects appeared.
Setting: Gate Crashers
284
New Rule: Exceptional Success
Sometimes Game Masters wish to differentiate between a simple success and
an exceptional result. This optional rule is presented as a solution to these sit-
uations.
Tests involving an exceptional result use the normal rules in every way ex-
cept one: while a standard success can still be achieved normally
(typically by rolling a 5 or 6), an exceptional success only occurs by rolling
two or more “successes.”
For example, a player wishes to make a “called shot” with her bow, aiming for
a cyclops’s eye, hoping to inflict blindness along with the damage. The Game
Master decides the shot will require an exceptional success. The player has
Bow Mastery, and rolls 3d6, resulting in a 5, 2, and 4. It’s enough to hit the
cyclops, but doesn’t meet the two successes she hoped for. The arrow strikes
the cyclops and does damage as normal, but doesn’t blind him.
For her second Action, the player uses the Focus Action, expanding her suc-
cess range to 4, 5, or 6 when she attempts the same shot next round. For her
next attack, the player rolls 3d6, resulting in a 2, 5, and 4. The two success-
es result in an exceptional success; the cyclops takes damage and is blinded.
X enograft Transformation
To play a Xenograft, create a Delver as normal. Then, select a Xenograft
Drawback Trait along with its bonus Trait, representing the biological
component you’ve assimilated. With your Game Master’s approval, this
bonus selection can include options normally reserved as Heritage Traits
or Archetype Traits, or even Traits used only by Enemies and
Monsters.
Setting: Gate Crashers
X enograft Drawback
Traits
Xenograft Drawback Traits reflect the
toll that the transformation pro-
cess takes on the body by in-
flicting a penalty of some
kind. They don’t count as a
Trait choice, and selecting one
immediately grants a bonus
Trait. While Drawback Traits are fully explored in TinyZine #10, choos-
ing one during a Xenograft transformation does not count against the
usual limit.
In addition to the Drawback Traits listed in TinyZine #10, the following
are also found among Project Typhon subjects.
Campaign Hooks
While dungeon running in the Gate Crashers setting may be exciting,
both Game Masters and players may eventually wish to pursue some of
the unanswered questions of the setting: why do the Gates exist, does
286
something control them, how is resonance changing our world, and
more. When that time comes, here are a few ways to shake up the set-
ting:
287
A lternate Settings
While Gate Crashers was written as a parallel to our modern-day world,
it’s easy to reimagine it using magical fantasy, dimension-spanning sci-
ence fiction, post-apocalyptic survival, or any number of other settings
as its backdrop. Here are some suggestions for those who want to use
the Gate Crashers concept, but in a different default setting.
Fantasy
In a magical setting, resonance may be caused by wild magic or
ancient rituals. These phenomena give rise to belief in faerie rings, mys-
tic portals, and towns that emerge from the mist every hundred years. It’s
even possible that some long-lost magic ritual exists to call forth Gates,
perhaps to summon fearsome creatures or legendary heroes.
For low or no magic settings, the Gates become all the more mysteri-
ous. They might be viewed as a doorway to the gods’ realm or a perilous
entrance to the underworld. Those who are changed by the Gates are
considered blessed (or cursed) by the divine.
Science Fiction
In a future setting, discovery of the Gates probably occurs in much the
same way, though Delvers might include cyborgs, mutants, and holo-
graphic AIs. Civilizations that have encountered alien species may view
Gates as just another form of exploration.
Cyber-dystopias are likely to see corporations take center stage, compet-
ing over Gates and unwilling to share their discoveries. This might lead
to just as much action on the homefront as in the Gates themselves, as
players attempt to access the discoveries of rival Delver teams.
Setting: Gate Crashers
Post-A pocalypse
In a world destroyed by an uncontained Breach, the last remnants of
humanity are pushed to the brink. Eldritch horrors, inhuman conquer-
288
ors, or hordes of undead pour through the Breach in an unending tide,
locking the few remaining survivors in a constant struggle for survival.
289
Gods of Diazorr
by Jeffrey L. Scifert
291
Character Creation
Every player character in Gods of Diazorr is potentially a scion of the
Gods of Light, but since this mythic heritage is hidden, character cre-
ation mostly follows normal rules. The first exception is the availability
of the Xeno-Hunter Trait (TF:R, p. 42). The second is a different set of
default Heritages (Remember, though, you’re the GM. Amend this list
as you see fit).
292
resist or speak out against this naked injustice are imprisoned, exiled, or
hunted down. However, as your players will discover when they touch
the Shadow, there are serious Disadvantages to being “blessed.”
Catching Fire
Unlike the Chimeric Pantheon, the old Gods of Light didn’t play favor-
ites among Heritages, sowing their seed far and wide. Any PC could be
a Demigod; there’s no way to know until it comes out in play. Because
in addition to all the things that can go horribly wrong when characters
use magic (see Thaumaturgy and Shadow, below), there is also the pos-
sibility of something going awesomely right.
Any extraordinary success (such as rolling two sixes) on a Test that in-
volves magic represents an ineffable, transcendent moment where heaven
and earth touch and anything is possible. More concretely, this character
gains a point of Conviction, a quantum of almighty power you can use to
perform feats of godly might (see Tiny Gods, p. 22). Further, since using
Conviction means tapping into the original power of the Gods of Light
rather than the polluted magic of Thaumaturgy, spending it carries no
risk of Shadow contamination.
293
them see what this might indicate about their essential godly character
(Critical success baking cupcakes? Maybe you’re the Demigod of flaky
pastries).
Having Conviction should literally change the game for your players,
giving them both their first real dose of power and their first real breath
of hope in the campaign (you might even rule that Prestige Traits can
only be selected after one of the players ascends to demigodhood). Let
them enjoy it for a while, reveling in their newfound capabilities. Then
turn up the heat.
294
fluence of the Chimeric Pantheon and their agents (see Ecclesiast, below).
And for every 2 shadow points characters acquire, they must make a Save
Test or undergo a Shadow Transformation (see following pages).
In addition to (or instead of) these tables, you may wish to use any or
all of the following: Demonic Traits and Demonic Curses (from Chap-
ter 1: Alchemist), Random Beasts (Chapter 5: Beastspeaker), Demonic
smells (Chapter 7: Familiar), Xenograft Drawbacks (from Gate Crash-
ers), Dragonblood Traits (Mage Hunters), Ocean Beasts (Search for the
Silver Haven), Mutation Traits and Mutant Generator (Tiny Wastelands,
p. 36-7, 86), Drawbacks (TZ 10, p. 10-11), and demonic Mutation Traits
(TZ 33, p. 6).
The more Shadow Transformations a character accumulates, obviously
the more difficult it will be to live a normal life. But even characters who
make all their saves need to beware. Any character with Shadow Points
equal to or greater than double their maximum Health will die within
1d6 days.
Purging Shadow
Ecclesiasts teach that Shadow Transformations only come upon the dis-
obedient who flaunt the will of the Pantheon. This is not true, and yet
surely they must have some way to either purge themselves of Shadow or
prevent themselves from falling into it in the first place, since they seem
to use magic without ill effect.
For those outside the Order—despite myriad rumors, folk remedies,
and fairy tales about ways to recover those who have fallen or trans-
formed—there seems to be no relief. Healers cannot heal it, Alchemists
Setting: Gods of Diazorr
can not cure it, and no cunning device of the Artificers can ward it off.
Shadow points merely accumulate. For this reason,
magic use is rare among the common folk of
Diazorr. Even those who are born with the
power use it only in the utmost extreme.
But as the light of dawn chases away even
the darkest shadows of night, many believe
that a scion of the Gods of Light would be
able to recover those who have fallen into the
Shadow of the Chimeric Pantheon.
295
Shadow Transformations (roll 2d6, then 1d6)
2d6 Transformation
Fingers: (1) grow to twice normal length; (2) fuse into three
digits; (3) become beast-like paws, losing opposable thumbs;
4
(4) become tentacle-like; (5) are replaced with crab-like pincers;
(6) gain an extra joint and claws.
Skin becomes: (1) albino; (2) feathered; (3) furry; (4) rough like a
5
shark; (5) scaled like a fish or lizard; (6) transparent.
Ears become: (1) cat-like; (2) bat-like; (3) donkey-like; (4) ele-
phant-like; (5) replaced with feathered tufts like an owl; (6) ves-
6
tigial, inside the head and attached to the jaw bones (can sense
vibrations and hear low-frequency airborne sounds).
A body part becomes necrotic and/or drops off. Lose your: (1) arm;
7 (2) leg; (3) hand; (4) foot; (5) fingers and toes; (6) eye(s), ear(s), nose,
or tongue.
Setting: Gods of Diazorr
296
Shadow Transformations (roll 2d6, then 1d6)
2d6 Transformation
Develop: (1) oozing ear wax; (2) itching pox; (3) weeping mouth
8 sores; (4) pustulent armpit boils; (5) barklike skin warts; (6) an
endless trickle of purulent, bloody tears.
Eyes become: (1) cat-like; (2) dark crimson, in the iris and/or
sclera; (3) fused into one, like a cyclops; (4) divided into eight,
like a spider; (5) absent, and character develops either echoloca-
9 tion like a bat or reptilian pit holes behind their ears with which
they can sense infrared heat signatures; (6) supplemented by a pa-
rietal eye which forms in the forehead and is covered by skin, used
for detecting light and color via a biochemical pathway.
297
Feel free to make things easier or harder on your players to fit the mood
of your campaign, but a good starting place is 1d3 points of Shadow
purged for every point of Conviction spent. Recovering a Shadow Trans-
formation should require Conviction plus some additional magic. Some
GMs may also wish to have extraordinary successes purge a character of
all Shadow, instead of accumulating (unuseable) Conviction, until the
character has successfully tested to awaken the Demigod within.
298
Reff, Death’s Right Hand and Watcher Without Pity
The Exalted
Mortal leaders of the Chimeric Order, the Exalted are powerful Thau-
maturges who execute the Pantheon’s most vital commands.
HP Traits
Charismatic
Resolute
14 those who have fallen into Shadow. Test 1d6 on those with
(Heroic) 1-2 Shadow points, 2d6 for 3-4 Shadow points, and 3d6
for those with 5 or more. On a successful Test, your com-
mand is carried out immediately by the target. Any targets
who do not make successful Save Tests on their turn may
be commanded again as an Action (with no Test required)
on your turn.
Strong
299
Gier-Te, Exalted Master of War: The only Dominante among the Ex-
alted, the Master of War commands the Order’s armies. He is always
accompanied by an honor guard of Chevaliers and Belligerante foot
soldiers.
HP Traits
Armor Master
10 Diehard
(Heroic)
Healer
Paladin
Shield Bearer
Setting: Gods of Diazorr
Maerri Dane, Exalted Mistress of Evocatores: Beneath her cherubic
exterior beats the heart of a hunter without peer and without mercy.
HP Traits
Alchemist
Insightful
8
Spell Reader
(High)
Spell Touched
Summoner
HP Traits
Acrobat
Dark-fighter
Setting: Gods of Diazorr
Sneaky
HP Traits
Armor Master
7 Cavalier or Outrider
(High) Cleave
Shield Bearer
HP Traits
Alchemist
6 Familiar or Summoner
Setting: Gods of Diazorr
(High) Spell-Touched
Xeno-Hunter
HP Traits
HP Traits
Charismatic
5
Shadow Puppeteer (see Kraed Nadom)
(Medium)
Spell Reader
A dventure Hooks
♦ An Ecclesiast who once saved your life confesses that he has
developed webbed feet. “If the Order finds out, they’ll see it as
a sign of the Pantheon’s disfavor. I’ll end up just another trans-
formed wretch! You’ve got to help me!”
♦ At your mandatory annual physical inspection, the barber asks
how long you have had a birthmark on the back of your head. “It
looks like a sun,” he mutters suspiciously.
♦ Leaving a show trial for your tenement’s former overseer, you find
a note in your pocket that reads, “We know what you are. Pay up,
or you’re next.”
♦ A Chevalier and a squad of Belligerantes are burning down some-
body’s home. As you hurry past, a scrap of singed paper drifts
down out of the smoke, landing in your open hand. “You there!”
shouts the Chevalier, “Give that to me, and do not read it!”
Setting: Gods of Diazorr
♦ Waiting in line for your wine ration, you overhear two Silvestres
whispering about a new cult to the Gods of Light, hiding in the
sewers. They say they can recover people who have fallen into
Shadow. Then the Silvestres notice you, murmur “Monitore,”
and hush.
♦ You find an Evocatore in your room one night, grinning in the
moonlight. “One of my sisters has been holding
back relics and cursed items. Very naughty of
her not to share. Help me find her cache and
I’ll let you keep a trinket.”
303
INKSLINGERS
by Joe McGee, Quirkville Games
Overview
Magic is not something you are born with . . . it is something you buy.
In a world where great, gear-driven machines grind out mass-produced
products for the masses, where factory chimneys belch forth clouds of
coal smoke, where pickpockets, fencers, thieves, and cutthroats prey on
the unfortunate in the shadows of crumbling buildings and narrow al-
leyways, where those with wealth hold the power and turn a blind eye, a
new power shift threatens to upset the power balance and status quo.
Arcane tattooists give ordinary people magical powers . . . as long as they
can pay the price. When a mysterious plague decimates the population, it
is the Inkslinger Guild who finds a way to bring back the dead. Now the
city faces a growing population of “Revenants” who struggle to fit into so-
ciety, as well as unchecked and uncontrolled magical powers that tip the
scales of balance and threaten to throw the city into spell-powered chaos.
More Heritages
In the Inkslingers microsetting, there are two Heritages: Human, and Revenant.
However, if you want to include all Heritages (or a select few) in your campaign,
go for it! That could add an interesting dynamic to Revenants . . . imagine
having been a young man and coming back in the body of an old Dwarf!
The Inkslinger Guild
The Inkslinger Guild has mastered the ability to empower ordinary peo-
ple with extraordinary powers. Through magical ink elixirs and specific
spell tattooing, the Inkslinger is able to provide the tattooed subject
with the ability to wield one or more arcane abilities . . . for a price. It
started with the wealthy, the ones who could afford to pay for the ser-
vice of the Guild. Then it was the criminals who could also pay (at the
cost of a serious spike in criminal activity and the spending of ill-gained
money). Finally, the lower class—feeling crushed between the already
powerful elite with their new ability to magically press their weight upon
the poor, and the criminals, using magic to take advantage of them—
turned to drastic measures. People turned to crime, sold organs, sold
their services, their bodies, their children . . . anything to get enough
to be Inked with some new power.
It wasn’t long before the “Haves” and the “Have Nots” were no longer
separated by magical ability, and while the coffers of the Inkslinger
Guild grew fatter and fatter, the streets grew more and more danger-
ous. The number of citizens with magical ability continued to grow, but
their control over their powers did not necessarily grow with them. Build-
ings burned to the ground at the reckless whim of someone who could
suddenly hurl fireballs. Politicians were charmed into making decisions
they might not have made on their own accord. Invisible husbands
caught their wives in acts of indiscretion. Gangs waged magical wars,
leaving behind an incredible amount of collateral damage in both lives
and property.
The City was out of control. Not only did unregulated and unchecked
magical ability threaten the very foundation of society, but the Inkslinger
Guild had grown far too powerful and influential. They were outlawed.
Declared an illegal and unsanctioned organization.
Setting: Inkslingers
The Guild went into hiding, operating in back-alley shops and always on
the move, their resources and leaders kept dispersed and highly secreted.
306
New Traits
Inked: Want to see what I can do? You have an ar-
cane tattoo on your body that allows you to do
something otherwise not humanly possible. Be cre-
ative, but be specific! This Trait may be
taken multiple times.
Magical Tattoos
Inkslingers can imbue a single arcane
power on a person, giving them a spe-
cific magical ability. Like an Archmage
spell, this ability should be focused, and is infinitely reusable. For example, a
tattoo may give a person the ability to cast fireballs at will (Magic Ranged At-
tack, Damage 1, Combustible). GMs and players should work together to create/
define the powers they have/want as well as the cost they must pay the Guild.
TinyD6 sourcebooks in any genre are great places to find unique ideas for awe-
some new magical tattoos.
Inkslinger: My mark on your flesh gives you power. You have the artistic
ability and arcane talent to imbue ordinary people with extraordinary
powers. This is not a Prestige Trait, but it does require the Alchemist
Trait.
You can Test to grant one magical power to a target. If it is the target’s
1st arcane tattoo, Test with Advantage, 2nd Test is Standard, 3rd and sub-
sequent Tests at Disadvantage as the body fights against an influx of so
much arcane energy in the body. Tattoos take 1d6 hours to complete and
require magical ink infused with rare and dangerous Witchrock. Use the
“depletion points” rules for ink supply. Supply starts at 6. Roll a d6 after
every use (tattoo), if the number rolled is equal to or higher than the
Setting: Inkslingers
current supply, it goes down by one, until it is gone and must be resup-
plied . . . which could be an adventure in itself!
307
The process requires the same amount of time and the same supplies as
the Inkslinger Trait. If the person is recently deceased, Test 2d6. If the
person has been deceased for longer than a few days, Test with Disad-
vantage. If the Reclaimer knows the deceased, or is very familiar with
them, Test at Advantage. Remember, the Reclaimer must have a picture
of the person, or know what they look like.
The Plague
Some say it was airborne, carried in the thick factory smog that chokes
out the sun. Some say it was spread by vermin. Others claim it was cre-
ated by the City Barons to control the lower class. And there are others
who whisper that it is an unnatural effect of the Witchrock coursing
through the bodies of the Inked. Whatever the cause, the Plague knew
no class or social boundaries, striking rich and poor, young and old,
tattooed or not. It decimated the population.
As the corpses piled up, the City sprang into action, collecting the dead
for immediate cremation. Burning the bodies was considered a neces-
sary procedure for ensuring the Plague did not spread and quite simply
because there was not enough space, or manpower, to bury all of the
current dead (and the continuing and rising body count).
Before long, the City would have another reason to bury the dead: to
stop the Inkslinger Guild from bringing the departed back to life and
creating a new class of citizen: Revenants.
308
R evenants
The Inkslinger Guild quickly capitalized on
the sudden and devastating loss of life.
New Heritage
Revenant
309
regardless of the color they had in life. Revenants do not need to eat,
drink, or sleep and always Test with Disadvantage on any social situa-
tion.
The Ministry of Mortality is not keen on destroying Revenants as
they are intelligent and emotional creatures considered, on some level,
as being alive. However, Revenants are forced to live in newly erected
“Cold Zones”—neighborhoods blocked off for Revenants and their
families—and treated entirely as second class citizens.
Revenant players may choose the body they appear in. How different is
it from who you were before? Are you suddenly in a much younger body?
Instead of bronzed skin and long, dark hair, do you now have a pale com-
plexion and ginger curls? Were you a young lady now in the body of a
middle-aged man?
HP Traits
310
The Inkslingers need the Ghouls so that they can keep providing their
Revenant service. The Ghouls need the Inkslingers in order to have a
service worth providing. It’s a morbid, mutual interdependency and
something that puts them both on the City’s wanted list.
Final Considerations
Unstable M agic and Collateral Damage
With ordinary (untrained) people running around with magical powers,
it’s quite common for bad things to happen. People get hurt, property
gets destroyed, things get out of hand. What do you expect when some-
one can suddenly freeze people by touching them or lift ten times their
weight?
Witchrock
The scientific term is “arcanumite” and this glowing, greenish mineral
is the key element in the inks the Inkslingers use. Where does it come
from? How hard is it to get? What are the side effects of prolonged use
or exposure?
311
Using players’ real-life tattoos
For obvious reasons, a game in this setting will attract players (and GMs!)
with tattoos. These are not just fun art—they’re game resources!
For example, tattoos can drive character creation. Your group could play
themselves and pick one tattoo they have that’s actually magic. The im-
ages could also represent other Traits, a Family Background, a belief, a
weapon or possession, etc. Or, ask your players to tell the stories behind
their tattoos and let those stories inspire a special bonus for their char-
acters.
♦ “My wife and I each got half a heart. See? They match up.”
“Cool! Once per session, when your character is touching a loved
one, they can communicate without speaking.”
♦ “All the guys in my unit got a bumblebee just like this one.”
“Cool. Once per session, you can test to rally your comrades.”
Between Sun & Shadow (Blue Oxrat, 2020) has the Alchemical Inker
Trait, which allows characters to turn potions into single-use tattoos.
Turn this idea on its head and use your players’ tattoos to give you ideas
for potions!
Try giving out temporary or rub-on tattoos to your players (especially the
undecorated ones) to serve as perishable spell scrolls, or limited-use arti-
Setting: Inkslingers
facts. Game benefits for the character last as long as the art lasts on the
player. (Test at Disadvantage when it’s noticeably fading or peeling.)
You can also use the people in your group (inked or not) as a living ran-
dom encounter table. Number every person in your group, starting with
yourself (the GM) as 1. When it’s time for a random encounter, roll a die
to pick a person in your group, and then a D6 for location (1 right leg, 2
left leg, 3 torso, 4 right arm, 5 left arm, 6 head or neck).
312
Setting: Inkslingers
313
If that person has no tattoo there, there’s no encounter. But if there is
some ink there, let the tattoo(s) inspire you or flavor the encounter. A
butterfly tattoo might signify an evanescent, beautiful moment of re-
spite from the party’s struggles, or it might be a scary bug dude with
weird, dripping mouthparts. Either way, your player will probably never
look at her tattoo the same way again.
A dventure Hooks
♦ A child born from two Inked parents begins to develop natural
magic from birth? This is a threat to the guild and cannot be
tolerated. Find the child, bring her to the Guild, and you will be
handsomely rewarded.
♦ You’re Ghouls and the order is in for a specific vessel. The only
problem is, is that the target is still alive . . . and a high profile
public figure with a very good security detail.
♦ You’ve gotten used to your new body . . . it’s different than who
you were before, but hey, you’re alive again. And now you’re going
to track down the Ghouls who murdered you and sold your body
Setting: Inkslingers
♦ You’re Inked. You can do amazing things. And now the City
wants to take your powers from you? Or limit them? Tattooed
citizens are being forced to register? Rumor has it that many are
being rounded up and put into some kind of special prison. The
Resistance is forming and you are going to join them and fight
back.
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♦ You have been to the other side, you know what’s there . . . and
it’s not happy to have so many souls torn from it and brought
back to the world of the living. It’s coming. A war is coming . . .
and you may be the only ones who can save both Revenant and
Living alike.
♦ Spirit World (TD2e, pp. 108-114) – Not everyone has the money
to pay a Reclaimer to bring back their loved one. But perhaps they
Setting: Inkslingers
can communicate with them and let them know they’re trying.
Or maybe they can get a little help from the other side to do what
they need to do to get the job done.
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KNOWLEDGE
ARKANA, INC.
by Mario Cordova
Overview
Knowledge Arkana Inc. is a gritty urban fantasy setting with an 80s/90s
aesthetic and Cold War vibe. Players are part of a professional dungeoneer-
316
ing and artifact assessment firm, tasked with investigating claims of
newly discovered dungeons, lore, or artifacts in conflict zones or oth-
erwise politically sensitive areas. The firm also, on occasion, takes inde-
pendent contracts to locate or assess artifacts or arcane lore for interested
parties.
317
Bringing KNA into your world
Knowledge Arkana Inc. can be used in any fantasy setting with a large urban
center, and is not explicitly tied to Arkenstone.
A rkenstone
Arkenstone was one of the largest and most prosperous of the Dwarven
Mountain Enclaves during the Thousand Kingdoms Era. When the
Union of Freeholds (UFH) was founded 250 years ago, Arkenstone
refused to join, concerned it would lose too much of its sovereignty and
influence. Modern-day Arkenstone has re-imagined itself as an indepen-
dent city-state and controls several hundred miles of land and several
dozen outposts.
Bordering several major nations, it has become a multicultural hub and
point of political intrigue for the region. It has signed non-aggression
pacts with the UFH and the Shir’Raqi Ascendancy. The Goburyn Tech-
nocracy works closely with Arkenstone and the two have a mutual aid
and defense agreement with each other. Arkenstone is best known for
its silver mines, along with its steel and precious metal exports—specif-
ically ArkenSteel by Rand Metals.
Arkenstone City is divided into several districts:
318
Tavern Town District
Easily accessed via the Arkenstone Tram system, the entertainment dis-
trict, or “Tavern Town” as it is called, is the place to blow off some steam
after a long shift. Multiple malls, casinos, restaurants, hotels, theaters,
beaches, and taverns help facilitate a good time. It is the home of the
Arkenstone Arena where various gladiatorial combat games and con-
certs are held. Some of the best views of the Great River can be found
here. There are also plenty of illicit forms of entertainment to be had in
the back streets of Tavern Town and, as such, the city guard have an in-
creased presence in the district.
319
The Industrial District
The industrial district—aka The Forge— is home to Arkenstone’s man-
ufacturing and mineral processing facilities. Much of the city’s working
poor, and homeless call this part of town home, living in various hous-
ing projects or small tent cities. Several gangs can be found here as well.
Rand Metals’ main ArkenSteel Materials Lab is also in this district.
Waterfront District
Adjacent to The Forge District, this is home to Arkenstone’s shipping
and warehouse industries. It is similar to both Durinn’s Hearth and the
industrial district in terms of population and crime statistics. The city
guard has a moderate presence in the area. It is located further down-
river in comparison to the Tavern Town district. The Arkenstone defense
force maintains a base in the area which houses the various patrol and
rapid response airships and cutters.
The Guild: A collection of various major and minor businesses and mer-
cenary companies. They primarily consult on policies that may affect the
city’s economic and strategic position in the realm and, on occasion, pro-
320
321
vide material and personnel support to address certain issues as they
arise. It is rumored that several mercenary companies maintain sever-
al special ops. and deniable assets for this exact purpose.
Union of Freeholds
The nation most similar to Arkenstone, but at a much larger scale. UFH
maintains a non-aggression pact with Ark
enstone on paper, but this does not dis-
suade them from covertly operating within
Setting: Knowledge Arkana, Inc.
322
high druids. They have been in a cold war with the UFH for over 15
years. They also have a non-aggression pact with Arkenstone. In terms
of technology, they are behind both the UFH and Arkenstone but are
masters of arcane warfare, making them a match for any rival. The As-
cendancy Police operate out of the Shir’Raqi embassy. They are much
more brutal compared to their UFH counterparts, and are not above
gunning down a target in the street.
Goburyn Technocracy
What is now the Technocracy was once part of the Ascendancy, but
twenty-five years ago they managed to gain their independence after a
bloody revolution. Most historians and political commentators believe
the Goburyn rebellion was the biggest factor in the Ascendancy suing
for a cease-fire with the UFH. The Technocracy has allied itself with
Arkenstone, entering into a mutual-aid and defense pact. The Goburyn
Technocracy has helped Arkenstone strengthen its financial and trans-
portation infrastructure. There are rumors that a new high-speed shipping
tram is being developed to connect the two nations.
323
ArkenSteel melee weapon: AS melee weapons are extremely balanced
and can hit with incredible force. An AS weapon does 2 points of dam-
age on a critical hit.
A dventure Hooks
Breaking News: Breaking news is the quintessential type of KNA Ad-
venture and serves as a great introductory adventure to the setting. City
work crews, while working on a section of tram tunnel, have discovered
what appears to be a previously unknown tomb or dungeon complex.
KNA has been tasked with surveying the dungeon . . . seems like a
cakewalk, or is it? Rival or unsanctioned adventuring groups have been
rumored to be in the area trying to poach the site. Will KNA have to
resort to violence to finish the job or can they dissuade the interlopers
from continuing on?
The Idol: During the Thousand Kingdoms Era there were many vile and
degenerate cults to the old gods, practicing dark eldritch rites in the dark
corners of the earth. An artifact from one of those cults has surfaced on
the black market along with some odd going-ons. The Arkenstone city
Setting: Knowledge Arkana, Inc.
guard has asked KNA to assist in locating the idol and investigating
these strange happenings.
324
325
LandofBrokenRoads
byline
THE LAND OF
BROKEN ROADS
by Ryan English
Introduction
Don’t rip up that character sheet just because your character died! In-
stead, let them be reborn into a new world, one that needs their advanced
talents. In Land of Broken Roads, the age of mankind is nearly at an end.
Only the greatest heroes can save humanity from extinction. Come, be
reborn, and fight anew!
326
The Setting
This world is dying. Continent-spanning Golden Age empires have fallen,
so slowly a complacent humanity never even realized what was happen-
ing. The wilds, the places of power, the spirits and monsters, the magical
beasts—all have encroached and overrun civilization. The great palaces
and temples are now ruins, the great cities lost to the wilderness and
forgotten. The roads that united the lands of mankind are now broken
and impassable. After a thousand years of slow collapse, only a handful
Setting: Land of Broken Roads
327
serve the gods and teach mankind what they have lost, driving back the
wilderness and reclaiming once-glorious realms. Perhaps you will rise as
conqueror and subdue the world beneath your heel. Perhaps you will
venture into the deepest recesses of the thickest forests in search of the
temples and libraries of the long-forgotten Golden Age and the greatest
mysteries they contain—and hopefully some answers.
No matter what you choose to do, watch your back. The wild areas of
the world are dangerous enough, but threats could come from anywhere.
You were selected to be the torch-bearer of one of the gods, and just as
the gods ally, argue, and squabble amongst themselves, so might their
champions. What if there are others out there like you, and they see you
as competition? What if certain ancient cults or organizations aren’t as
dead as everything thinks? And most troubling of all, what if the thou-
sand-year collapse of mankind was orchestrated by mysterious powers
who do not appreciate your interference?
A dventurer Creation
To begin, the Game Master should work out
the details of character creation with their
players. Using the Isekai option (see below),
the player and the GM should decide
on the particulars of exactly how
and why their fallen Adven- turer is
selected by one of this world’s gods to
be reborn here and how they might have
changed in the process.
Setting: Land of Broken Roads
328
Human and must learn to live life as one. Once reborn, these other-
worlders may gain experience, power, and resources like any normal
character.
Players and Game Masters are encouraged to use fallen Adventurers from
any of the TinyD6 line of games. Adventurers with purely physical Traits
that just don’t make sense, such as Karhu’s Powerful Claws or a Tree-
folk’s Ancient Heart should pick alternative Traits.
Some Isekai characters may come from worlds with no magical powers or
supernatural abilities. At GM’s discretion, the gods may grant additional
new magical Traits to such characters. See Part One of this book and
Tiny Dungeon 2e for options.)
Locals
If a player doesn’t have, or doesn’t want to play, a fallen Adventurer from
a previous campaign, they may choose to play one of the humans living
in the Land of Broken Roads.
These new Adventurers should work with the Game Master to explain
why they’re not starving peasants. Are they the last child of a long line
of divine sages? Did they happen to find a possessed book that taught
them they ways of the Druids (for a price)? Are they the first scrappy ap-
prentices of some of the other players who decided to start an Adventurer’s
Guild?
After the character backgrounds are complete, the Game Master presents
the players with a blank map and a dot marking where they are. Over the
329
course of the campaign, the map will be filled in as the Adventurers
explore the Land of Broken Roads. Aside from the small and shrinking
kingdom the players find themselves in (or near), no one really knows
what’s out there. Now, that old weaver, Marie, can tell you that when
she was a girl, the kingdom used to trade with another one far to the
south, but no one’s come from there in decades. And the hunter,
Charles, can tell you there’s an old stone road that his grandfather said
leads to a glorious marble fountain and holy shrine, but he hasn’t been
there himself. Lots of rumors, but are any of them true? You’ll have to
find out for yourself.
3. Select one or more items from the previous list and either exag-
gerate them or invert them. For example, tall becomes 1000-meter
tall trees.
4. This forest is now an ocean of green, both land and sky, as the
impossibly-tall trees that tower over you cover the sky with
their canopy and verdant moss and ferns cover the ground. The
Setting: Land of Broken Roads
air is humid and cool, and each night a deep fog makes
travel impossible, even with a light. No matter how far
you look in any direction, you see nothing
but the same plant-life, above
and below. However, there
may yet be dangers creep
ing beneath the ferns or
living high amongst the
leaves that you simply
won’t spot until it’s
too late.
330
Here’s another example:
1. Ocean
2. Clear, deep, wide, stormy.
3. Invert deep to get shallow, and build from there.
4. The ocean is a perfect mirror beneath the bright sunlight, but no
Setting: Land of Broken Roads
331
you can think of as your players explore—and don’t skimp on the ruins!
Put broken statues in odd places and encourage the players to speculate
wildly about their origins and purpose. And not just that, but fallen
towers, crumbling temples, collapsing mausoleums, vine-covered and
rotting civic buildings, all juxtaposed with long-overgrown wild plac-
es and the terrifying things that now inhabit them. These are this
setting’s bread and butter.
Campaign Structure
So what does a Broken Roads campaign look like? Generally speaking,
the GM should help the players decide that on their own. If they want to
rebuild civilization, give them plots and stories about establishing trade
routes and training centers, increasing crop yields with magical fertiliz-
er, arming the Royal Guard with magical weapons, and so on. If they
want to conquer the world, give them things to conquer and control.
Maybe the first human kingdom was easy, but there are tribes of liz-
ardmen to the east and goblins to the west who must be subjugated
next. If they want to explore for its own sake, help them unravel the
great mysteries of this world—what the ancients knew, where it all went
wrong, and who the enemy of mankind truly is.
The world is full of people in need, grave threats, and wondrous things
waiting to be discovered— great beasts, undead horrors, magical mis-
takes. And what was that about a demon king? No matter what players
decide to do in terms of long-term goals, give them reasons to get out and
explore. They need to rescue someone. They need a magical key. They
need to open a trade route. Encourage them to establish outposts and
Setting: Land of Broken Roads
new villages, to build themselves grand castles on the edges of the fron-
tier, and so on, to give them a growing sense of ownership of the world.
Make sure that your players have a chance to feel awesome and powerful.
No one alive has seen true Adventurers, especially ones of this caliber.
None of these starving peasants or skinny kings can stand up to your
players, and none of them know the ways of magic—unless one of them
is secretly an otherworlder.
332
sense of the word. Grand events, great deeds, and the most dire of threats.
Fabulous wealth and world-shifting mysteries. These are days that will live
in epic poems for ten thousand years, if the Adventurers are successful.
which a single hero does the thing, this setting works perfectly for parties
of any size. In terms of campaign and party goals, this setting is intended
for experienced players bringing old characters back to life, and as such,
the players are likely to find a groove working with the GM to make the
game fun for everyone. However, if party cohesiveness is starting to veer
off-course, it might be the right time to introduce a Big Bad, such as the
Demon King. This puts the Adventurers’ actions in a greater context and
makes it easier to keep the party moving in the same direction. After all,
everyone understands needing to kill the Big Bad.
But what if not everyone agrees about the coolest thing to be doing?
Well, it’s not as hard as it might look to give everyone the adventure
they’re hoping for. Suppose you have an Adventurer who wants to ex-
333
plore, another who wants to conquer, and
another who wants to build. You could weave
it together like this:
Possible Variations
If playing the chosen champion of one of the gods of the Land of Broken
Roads isn’t your cup of tea, perhaps one of these other options might be
the thing you’re looking for:
♦ Fast Forward: Your Adventurer was born and lived in the Gold-
en Age, so many centuries ago. Through some trick of fate (or
magical experiment gone awry) your mind was thrust into the
grim and decaying future—into Now. Perhaps you’re in your
old body, in the center of a crater wearing but a few burned and
Setting: Land of Broken Roads
334
♦ Remade: Your Adventurer died, but the gods needed a new
champion pronto, so they fashioned you a new body to use. A
sexy and powerful one, hopefully, but it’ll take some getting used
to. Now, why did they drop you in the middle of this mountain
range, and what’s for breakfast?
335
Mage Hunters
by John D. Payne
Introduction
Mages broke the world, the Dragons say, and so we shall not suffer a
mage to live. But they have better things to do than hunt them down. That's
where you come in. You’re already condemned to die (probably for being a
mage yourself), so no big deal if rogue warlocks incinerate you, or monsters
eat you, or you get caught in a downpour of razor sharp obsidian shards. So
take your merry band of Hunters out into the Wild Zones, and pray that if
you return with your bounty, the Ark will open its doors and—more impor-
tantly—its purse. Good luck! Have fun out there! But whatever you do, don't
wake the Dragons.
A Broken World
Cataclysmic magic fractured the world into savage Zones, each with its
own uniquely brutal climate and deadly wildlife. Civilized sapients live
in massive, mobile Arkologies that drive, fly, or crawl through desolate
337
wastelands, their huddled masses safely ensconced inside layers of pro-
tective spells and armor plating.
The Zones are ruled by Clans of Dragons, locked in endless (hot and
cold) wars against rival clans. Happily, most of them have little interest
in directly managing the affairs of their subjects, but there are at least
two Laws that every Clan enforces ruthlessly.
1. Do not wake the Dragons.
2. You shall not suffer a mage to live.
This means any magical Trait is a death sentence—unless the condemned
mage is willing to serve the Dragons, such as by hunting down other
mages.
Mage Hunters are thus in the paradoxical position of being both the
living property of the Dragons and also being the only sapients who
are free to travel between Arkologies and through the various Zones.
And because the Dragons have better things to do than hunt down
petty criminals—like having huge destructive wars and sleeping on
their shiny treasure hoards—Mage Hunters are the enforcers of Drag-
on Law. Until they screw up. Then they’re lunch.
338
For the Player
In some ways, like the death sentence hanging over their heads, Mage Hunt-
ers are all alike. But only you know what makes your Hunter tick. Does he crave
freedom, treasure, or the thrill of the kill? Is she trying to amass a fortune large
enough to buy her way into the Hierarky, or to build her own Ark? Are they un-
raveling the tangle of lies behind the world’s demise, slowly building an army
big enough to challenge the Dragons, or just looking to fake their deaths and
move into a sorcerous stronghold of their own? It’s up to you, the player.
the Arks can always shut their doors—or call on the Dragons to execute
judgement. Of course, sometimes Dragons execute the ones making the
appeal. So pick your battles, and don’t forget the First Law.
Hunter Traits
Spell Hound: Hmm… floral aroma with hints of citrus and ball lightning.
Yes, the sorceress drank from this very goblet. You Test with Advantage to
track a sapient or creature that has been using magic. When close enough
to touch, you can also know without Testing whether a sapient or crea-
ture possesses any magical Traits.
Setting: Mage Hunters
339
340
Heritage and Status
Although each Arkology is different, it is common to divide sapients into
three distinct social ranks based on their Heritage. At the bottom are the
Fallen (Humans, Fey, Dwarves, Goblins) generally held responsible for
the world being broken. In the middle are the Lifted (Beast Races, Sim-
ulacra, and Tree Folk), who were created by the Fallen from lesser crea-
tures. And at the top are the Descendants (Dragonbloods), which includes
any who show signs of Dragon ancestry.
In ancient times, powerful magics made it possible for sapients of every
Heritage to interbreed with Dragons. Today, evidence of these eldritch
trysts is found in people of every Heritage who show signs of Dragon
ancestry.
This Trait is typically chosen at character creation, but can be taken later
with the GM’s permission and given the right circumstances. For exam-
ple, surviving an encounter with a dragon might make the old blood sing
in your character, leading him to undergo a dramatic physical change.
341
That said, the previous age seems to have produced
a ridiculous number of magical items, which are
perfectly legal to use, although more interesting
and powerful items are likely to be seized by Arkol-
ogy authorities, or the Dragons themselves.
Each Hunter should begin play with one magic item. The
GM may design these specifically for the campaign, or may use
the following table to randomly generate them.
Characters are likely to find more of these kinds of magic items as trea-
sure (or even as trash) in their adventures.
342
Danger Zones
Each Zone has its own geoforms and climate, and because the world is
broken, changes between Zones are stark and sudden, with chaotic and
unstable overlaps where they meet. For example, you might see freezing
hailstorms howling across lava flows.
GMs are encouraged to design their own Zones, complete with (mun-
dane or magical) natural hazards, to suit the unique needs of their players
and campaigns. However, it is also possible to quickly generate a ran-
dom climate for a Zone using a table like the following.
R andom Zone
Roll 1d6 1 2 3
Climate Mountains Coast Desert
Natural Volcanoes, Tsunami Floods, Heat, Dust and Sand
Hazards Earthquakes Hurricanes Storms
4 5 6
GMs may wish to make natural hazards part of the challenge of the
adventure. Some of these hazards are ubiquitous but unlikely to im-
mediately kill—like mosquitos and other tropical pests. Treat these
more or less like Radiation in Tiny Wastelands (p. 77). Failing to make
a daily Save Test means characters will suffer minor damage—like a
point of damage that can’t be healed through normal means, to repre-
Setting: Mage Hunters
343
Wilder Zones
To make some or all of your
Zones even wilder, have all
magic there follow the rules
for Wild Magic (from Chapter 12:
Spell-Touched). Then have Arkol-
ogies be warded against Wild Magic (except
when something breaks down), and sprinkle
in a few Trinkets that create a bubble of nor-
mal magic. It’s just another way to show how Some bunnies are extra dire.
magic has broken the world.
Another way to make a zone wilder is to make ordinary animals more terrify-
ing and dangerous. Try adding Templates—then unleash your Dire Bunnies!
Likewise, Plants and even minerals might also be made more aware, and more
savage. Keep those Hunters on their toes!
Dragons
Dragons are largely immune to this kind of magical alteration, so GMs
may use Dragons mostly as they appear in the Enemies list—with two
suggested modifications.
First, vary the number of Hit Points to reflect changes in age. For very
young Dragons, use 5 HP Hatchlings (from Tiny Dungeon Hatchling
Setting: Mage Hunters
344
weapons, or perhaps even different Hit Points. GMs may wish to em-
ulate the types seen in particular books or games, or come up with
their own typology. But it is strongly recommended that each Clan be
adapted to a single climate or ecosystem, such that when Hunters enter
a Zone, they know what type of Dragon rules (or would like to rule)
there.
One simple method is to have six Dragon Clans, one for each Climate
listed above. For color and breath weapons, consult the table of Ranged
Attacks in Spell-Touched and just use them in the order listed. Thus,
mountainous Zones would be home to Red Dragons that breathe balls
of fire, and Jungles would have Green Dragons that spray poison.
Sample Zones
The Appassu Zone has a desert climate, and it is ruled by Yellow Dragons
from the Uetakkis Clan. Appassu Ark is shaped like an enormous turtle
with caterpillar treads instead of feet, and is ruled by a Human Autark
who many believe to be a secret warlock.
The neighboring Zone to the northwest is Akkrusis, which is mountain-
ous and ruled by Red Dragons from the Namakkish Clan. The Akkrusis
Ark is a domed fortress lifted into the air by jets of crimson fire. Called
the City of Torments since the days before it was an Ark, it is ruled by
Aghite priests of an ancient Dragon Cult
teaching vengeance against the Fallen.
The Siwwaris Zone, south and east, is
a mysterious forest of mist and shad-
ow ruled by Indigo Dragons from
the Shi’a’wan clan. The Siwwaris Ark
Setting: Mage Hunters
345
A dventure Hooks
1. Your latest quarry is a wild-eyed witch who refuses the brand.
As your Flight brings her in, she keeps shouting, “The Dragons
are the ones who broke the world! Set me free and I’ll show you
proof!” Nearby Dragonblood priests seem displeased that you
heard this.
2. You spend your bounty getting drunk with some of the Ark
guard. When you sober up, the Ark is sabotaged, and
you’re the prime suspect. Seems
the saboteur was a beautifully
shaped bronze statue that your
Flight found in a war-
lock’s hoard and
gave as a gift
346
3. Sent in to scout out a newly discovered watering hole, you find
a powerful sorceress who offers to sell you a secret. “The Arks
weren’t built to keep us safe from the Wild Zones,” she says.
“They created the Zones. They’re poisoning the land.”
5. You are assigned to help secure a Zone that a rival Clan can no
longer hold. You find two strange camps—one where sapients
are bred like cattle, removing any from the herd who show signs
of innate magic. The other is for breeding mages.
347
THE PRICE OF POWER
by Gregory Israel of Blue Oxrat
Overview
Set in the Realm of the Half Moon, “The Price of Power” is a micro-set-
ting in which all magic is fueled by the Lifeforce (Hit Points) of the one
wielding the magic. Lifeforce can be transferred between sentient beings
with a simple touch, but the Healer Trait is not available. Heritages with
more Lifeforce have an advantage and have used it to rise to power, while
Heritages with less Lifeforce seek to find a way to even the playing field
and right past wrongs. Discovering magical healing could change the
Realm of the Half-Moon forever.
349
The overriding philosophy in the Realm of the
Half Moon is that “magical might makes right.”
Magic users are highly respected in the Realm,
and rulers and leaders earn their positions of power
through their skilled use of magic in a Wizards’ Duel
(see below). While all members of the Realm are en-
couraged to learn the ways of magic, society has split
into three broad groups.
The Formidable
The dominant group in society consists of Treefolk, Dwarves, and Karhu.
These three Heritages benefit greatly from their naturally robust levels of
Lifeforce. The Formidable have worked together for generations to rule
the Realm of the Half Moon. All attempts at loosening the Formidable’s
grip on power have been squelched, with one brief exception.
The Feeble
Salimar and Goblins make another significant group in society. Most
people refer to them as the Feeble. These two Heritages have lower levels
of Lifeforce and are therefore less able to Duel their way into positions of
power. The Feeble are frequently picked on by the Formidable and end
up doing the work that no one else is willing to do. They frequently have
their possessions taken from them by the Formidable through Wiz-
ards’ Duels.
The Fair
Setting: The Price of Power
Between these two extremes are Humans, Fey, and Lizardfolk, who are
known as the Fair. Some members of the Fair have aligned themselves
with the Formidable and have Dueled their way into positions of power
in society. Others in this middle group find themselves commiserating
with the Feeble as they, too, long to see one of their own rule the Realm
of the Half Moon.
The ruler of the Realm of the Half Moon must earn the position in a
Wizards’ Duel and serves as the monarch until defeated or they choose to
abdicate. With the exception of one Lizardfolk who reigned for a month,
one of the Formidable has always sat upon the throne. The current ruler
350
is Drasil, a Treefolk Wild Mage whose bark is etched with symbols of
power (perhaps similar to those from “Inkslingers”). With his clawed
branch hands, root-like feet, eyes which appear perpetually shut, and a
jagged jack-o’-lantern smile, he is easy to pick out in a crowd. His power
has been tested numerous times, but no one has come close to defeating
him. Although his magical abilities and menacing looks make him in-
timidating, he has tended to rule with an even hand and has made some
effort to make things better for the Feeble.
The natural barrier and protection of the surrounding mountains, com-
bined with the tradition of the Wizards’ Duel, has encouraged the people
of the Realm to focus on improving their skills in magic at the detriment
of the development of their martial abilities. It is very common for the
people of the Realm to have mastered a signature magical attack instead
of mastering the use of a specific traditional weapon.
351
♦ New Mastery: Magic Attack Mastery: Any character with the
Spell-Touched Trait may exchange their Mastery in a weapon
for a Mastery in one specific Spell-Touched attack. This attack
should be clearly described and help distinguish the character
from other spell casters. The rules regarding Themes for Spell-
Touched characters in the Spell-Touched chapter of this book
are a great place to look for ideas.
♦ New Trait: Emit Lifeforce: Sharing is caring, but touching
is gross. You can Test to transfer Lifeforce to anyone you
can see without needing to make physical contact with
them.
♦ New Trait: Lifeforce Surge: You’ ll have enough Lifeforce
to take on a small army. When you Share Lifeforce or
Emit Lifeforce, the person receiving your Lifeforce
can temporarily exceed their normal maximum
number of Hit Points.
Wizards’ Duels
As described above, Wizards’ Duels are an integral part of life in the
Realm of the Half Moon. The rules of a Wizards’ Duel are as follows:
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◊ To earn a job or government position that someone else wants
or has.
◊ To become the ruler of the Realm.
◊ To claim ownership of an item, possession, home, proper-
ty, etc. Some specific items are repeatedly Dueled for month
after month with long-running feuds going back generations.
♦ Wizards’ Duels cannot be used to gain ownership of any sentient
being.
♦ There are several important rules regarding how one fights a
Wizards’ Duel:
◊ Wizards’ Duels must always be one person versus one person.
Teams are not allowed.
◊ Wizards’ Duels are won when one combatant surrenders or
is killed.
◊ If both combatants have no Lifeforce left to use for their
wizardry (both reach 1 HP), the Duel is considered a draw.
In this case, no change of possession or position occurs.
◊ Wizardry is the only “weapon” allowed in a Wizards’ Duel.
Resorting to the use of physical weapons or fisticuffs is
unheard of and leads to expulsion from the Realm (and
sometimes execution).
◊ Before a Duel begins, combatants are searched for any objects
beyond simple clothing, particularly weapons and magic
Setting: The Price of Power
353
the Healer Trait or through the use of healing potions and the Alchemist
Trait. The ability to Steal Lifeforce is another possible wrinkle that can
be introduced in an adventure or campaign (see below).
Here are a few ideas to get you started. These ideas can be mixed and
matched as you see fit:
♦ There are legends that tell the tale of how healing magic was taken
from the Realm long ago:
♦ There are rumors that the Formidable already know how to use
healing magic and use it to keep their grip on power.
354
◊ Knows healing magic?
◊ Is a wizard, but is somehow not affected by magical at-
tacks?
♦ A newcomer to the Realm seeks out the Adventurers. Known as
the “Sneaker,” this Fey martial artist claims to know how to use
healing magic (or Steal Lifeforce or Man’s Best Friend) and will
teach the Adventurers how to do it, for a price. It could be for a
large pile of coins, or maybe the Adventurers need to help find
someone or something first.
♦ There are stories of a new creature or Heritage that is immune to
magic, perhaps a Psycog (see “Psionics”).
♦ Betting on Wizards’ Duels has become very popular and there are
rumors of match-fixing.
“Discovery ” Traits
These new Traits are intended to be “discovered” as the players adventure.
Game Masters, however, may allow these Traits to be available during
Adventurer Creation if they don’t want to use them as part of a campaign
storyline.
356
Plays Well With
By removing the setting fluff and keeping the new rules and Traits of The
Price of Power, Game Masters can make the use of the Spell-Touched or
Archmage Traits more challenging in any setting they choose and make
Hit Points even more valuable, too.
By limiting the need to fuel magic with Lifeforce to the geographic area
of Realm of the Half Moon or to the people of the Realm, Game Mas-
ters can drop the Realm of the Half Moon into a larger setting.
357
Rule of Three
by John D. Payne
Introduction
The mysterious Islands of the Moon are home to eighty-eight Yōkai peo-
ples, each one strange and magical. But the Emperor has decreed that all
magics are evil—except those sanctioned by his Order of Heaven.
You belong to a noble house that has been using illegal magic, and is
now being blackmailed. If you don’t help the blackmailers root out other
families’ secrets, your own will be exposed. Aiding your tormentors is
loathsome, but the family has no choice, no leverage. Yet. So you dig for
dirt. And find secrets more terrifying than you could have possibly imag-
ined.
Beneath the surface of this fantasy micro-setting lurks a war of the occult,
an endless struggle between three kinds of black magic: Necromancy,
Demon Summoning, and Eldritch Sorcery. Whether they know it or not,
all other mages are catspaws for one of these three powers. Fight for your
359
family, for one of the Three, or for yourself in this micro-setting flavored
by Japanese folklore, eldritch horror, and conspiracy thrillers.
360
caught using illegal magic. You may wish to designate one of the player
characters as the guilty party, and have the player help you concoct the
story of how it all went down.
The blackmailers have not revealed themselves, but they have made clear
what they want: money. A ruinous sum every month to buy their silence.
But the House can buy their way out by spying on other nobles and
digging up dirt. Once they have uncovered illegal magic use (or other
offenses) in three other Houses, they will be free . . . or so the black-
mailers say.
Character Creation
In Rule of Three, the starting party is composed of mem-
bers and retainers of a single noble House. Player char-
acters may be major or minor members of the House,
retainers, or allies, but everyone is connected. This also means
that everyone shares a past with at least one other character.
One way to sketch out some of this history is to have players declare
something about their relationship with one of the others when they’re
introducing their characters. Wherever possible, reward them for using
their imaginations. But be aware that some players may need some mind-
ing. These declarations might take one of the following forms:
Magical Traits are not mandatory for player characters, but are strongly
encouraged. However, no character should start with more than one mag-
361
ical Trait. As always, as the GM, it’s your call if you want to do more.
But you’ll want to carefully check the chart below to ensure that any
character’s magical Traits come from one and only one of the three sources
of magic.
HP Traits
HP Traits
4 Lucky
(Medium) Nimble Fingers
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The Order of Heaven
The Emperor speaks often of the virtues of the Order of Heaven, a
divinely inspired arcane hierarchy that encompasses and balances the
four sanctioned magical Traits (Artificer, Healer, Spell-Touched, and
Archmage). But in truth, this is the Order of the Grave, led in secret by
a wizardly cabal of powerful Necromancers who worship the Goddess
of Death and seek to help her usher in the end of all life (see Peeling the
Onion, below).
Since all the magical Traits in the “Order of Heaven” get their power
from the Goddess of Death, every spell, every artifact touched by this
power is somehow tainted by death in a fashion that may come out in
unpredictable ways (you may also wish to have the paranormal powers
of the Shinobi and Dōshin flow from the same ghastly source). A Healer
may learn that the person she raised from the dead has become a rav-
enous ghoul, feasting on the flesh of the living. An Artificer may find
that the Spirit Talisman he crafted summons vengeful spirits, rather
than helpful ones. A Spell-Touched mage might find that the hand
she uses to throw fireballs is growing necrotic—blistering, blackening,
rotting, and finally becoming skeletal.
Mages who find these evil things happening to them should do every-
thing they can to hide it, since such a bad omen will be taken as a sign
by the Dōshin (and everyone else) that the mage is indulging in forbid-
den magics. Families close ranks instead of opening up, secrecy breeds
paranoia, and the web of intrigue grows
tighter and tighter.
364
Heavenly Factions
Blessed Conclave of Temples and Shrines is an ecumenical organiza-
tion of healers, priests, nuns, and other servants of the divine. They back
the Emperor’s niece, a gifted Healer, and have plenty of room in
their cemeteries and catacombs for those who disagree.
Since every magical Trait in the “Order of Reason” gets its actual power
from the demons of Hell, any PC with one of these Traits may find their
365
magic twisted to serve infernal purposes, and they themselves will cer-
tainly be tempted with the seductive lure of power (at a price). Alchemists
might notice that the more someone imbibes their restorative potions,
the more drawn that person is to vice and depravity. A Bard might find
it increasingly easy to manipulate others’ emotions for their own selfish
gains. A mage with a shadowy Familiar might become more and more
comfortable in the shadow herself, until she finally plucks out her own
eyes to keep out the unwanted intrusion of light. A Shaman might dis-
cover that there are some Boons the Spirits cannot grant as a gift, but
which might be purchased for the low, low cost of one soul.
Reasonable Factions
Unlike the factions of mages within the Order of Heaven, who can be
almost open about their organization, the Order of Reason and its fac-
tions must work in shadow.
Apothecaries’ Guild provides mundane healing medicines under the
supervision of Blessed Conclave. It also hides Alchemists, secretly ply-
ing their trade. They buy off the Healers by giving them a cut, but plot
to overthrow and replace them, seeing their own magic as superior.
Brotherhood of Players brings music and theater to venues from the
Emperor’s court to roadside puppet shows. Noble houses know there
are Bards lurking in the Brotherhood, but support them anyway, because
sometimes it’s useful to have someone to subtly manipulate the feelings
of a crowd. And surely the Bards would not be
manipulating their powerful patrons.
Civil Service bureaucrats keep the state
running and also keep tabs on the popula-
tion. Many of them also keep company
Setting: Rule of Three
366
about their abilities, especially those who speak to the Spirits of the
Dead. Their almost respectable status makes this Faction both very use-
ful and somewhat suspect to their Order.
Because every Trait pertaining to the “Order of Wonders” gets its mag-
ical power from these nightmarish outsiders, they all carry the contagion
of insanity and purposeless destruction. PCs might find that speaking to
animals leaves their minds damaged and fragmented, struggling to keep
their own consciousness in control of their bodies. They might wonder
what sorts of magical meals they could cook up with truly exotic ingre-
dients, like the hearts of brave adventurers. The study of an unknown
text might bend their thoughts to demented hallucinations, or break
them altogether. And those who step into holes in reality could find
themselves stepping into outside realms even the gods would fear to
Setting: Rule of Three
tread.
Wondrous Factions
Courier Dispatch secretly employs quite a few Teleportation Mages to
deliver letters, packages, money, and government documents. The Dis-
patch is also the most successful investing institution in the Empire,
since the time they save porting allows them the leisure to read (and
367
act on) everyone else’s “secure” communica-
tions.
Psionics
One of the few things agreed upon by every Faction of every Order is
that psionic powers are anathema. Unlike black magic, the use of Psion-
ics is not illegal—because neither the Emperor nor his servants acknowl-
edge that psionic powers exist. They do, however, hunt down any known
to possess psionic capabilities. And the noble houses cooperate in full.
368
However, as players delve deeper into the secrets and lies of the Order
of Heaven (and the other Orders), you may wish to open this possibility
up to them.
To gain Psionic powers, PCs will need to reject magic (and the powers
behind the magic). Depending on how cruel or kind you want to be,
this rejection may take different forms:
♦ It is possible to have both Psionic and magical Traits, but the use
of any Psionic Gift or Talent makes the use of magic impossible
for 24 hours, and imposes Disadvantage for 24 hours after that.
Using magic has the same effect on psionic abilities.
369
You, the GM, may find it useful to compartmentalize these secrets into
specific layers, revealing them one after another. Perhaps like this:
ON THE SURFACE (you can tell them this as they’re creating their
characters).
♦ The forbidden magics are common. A majority of people have a
forbidden Trait.
♦ Nobody who has one of the forbidden Traits has one of the
sanctioned magical Traits.
♦ The Order of Heaven may not be the good guys in this secret war.
♦ Right now, I am working for one of the parties in this secret war.
♦ All sanctioned magical Traits get their power from the same
source. Forbidden magics get their power from a different source.
370
SECOND LAYER OF SECRETS
♦ There are three secret organizations: The Order of Heaven, the
Order of Reason, and the Order of Wonders.
♦ All magical Traits get their power from one of three sources,
corresponding to one of the three orders.
♦ Nobody with a Trait from one of these sources has Traits from either
of the other Two.
♦ The Order of Heaven is the Order of the Grave, controlled by
Necromancers.
♦ The source of power for all sanctioned magics in the “Order of
Heaven” is the Goddess of Death.
♦ The Orders sometimes cooperate with each other, such as when
two of them ally against a third.
♦ Psionics does not pertain to any of these three Orders.
371
SEARCH FOR
THE SILVER HAVEN
by John D. Payne
Overview
The Fey have all departed this world, gone over the sea in their mourn-
ful, mighty ships. For centuries, explorers sought after them, but to no
372
avail; the way is lost. Unless you find it, or discover a new path of your
own. In this maritime micro-setting, you will search strange seas for
the Fey and their hidden paradise, discovering mysteries, lost magics,
and other treasures as you go.
Character creation
Players should specify what exactly their characters inherited from their
Fey forebears. It could be part of their physical description (cat eyes;
long, graceful limbs and fingers; musical voice; pointed ears; silver hair;
unearthly beauty). They might choose to Master weapons traditionally
Setting: The Silver Haven
associated with the Fey, such as the bow. With GM approval, it might
be a physical artifact of Fey magic. There could be something Fey about
their outlook on life, their perspective, or Belief (“I never lie, techni-
cally.”). They might even have a Family Trade with a Fey or elfin flavor
(cobbler, cookie baker, gardener, housekeeper, seamstress/tailor, toy
maker).
This campaign is about finding the Fey and restoring magic to the world.
So characters do not begin with a magical Trait—although they may se-
lect mundane equivalents (medic for Healer, chemist for Alchemist, singer
or poet for Bard, etc.). But players should be encouraged to think about
373
what kind of magic they would like their characters to develop as the ad-
venture goes on. There will be plentiful opportunities!
First, as the source of all magic in the world, Fey characters will start with Spell
Reader as their Heritage Trait, instead of Bow Mastery. And perhaps all Scrolls
are written in the ancient Fey script.
Second, the other characters in the game (PCs and NPCs alike) should react
the way any of us would react if we met an elf. These are creatures of legend,
and having one actually show up should be disruptive.
Third, your Fey characters will not know the secret of why the Fey disappeared
or where they have all gone (although nothing stops them from claiming to!).
And why don’t they know? Well, maybe they were foundlings, raised by hu-
mans. Maybe the knowledge was magically taken from their minds, either as
a punishment or as a test. Maybe they woke up from a coma and found them-
selves alone. It’s just another tantalizing mystery for your players to unravel,
so be sure to give them some hints—maybe true, maybe not—as you begin
the game.
Depending on how your adventure starts, you may also wish to have
your players help choose the ship type. You can keep it simple with the
original three minimalist types (TD2e, pp. 82-3), plus a couple of new
ones (Thule). Or if you want a little more detail, there is a much richer
list in Tiny Pirates (pp. 32-34). Note that ships in Tiny Pirates have 50%
more Hull Points than the same ships in TD2e.
Unless your ship is truly tiny, it will have NPC crewmembers. For the
sake of simplicity, you should probably follow the Star Trek model and
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375
let most of them stay in the background, with only the key officers (e.g.,
those with shipboard Roles) getting names. Likewise, you can skip over
the selection of the crew and outfitting of the ship and just start the game
at sea.
Maritime Trades
Instead of having the usual Family Trades, you may wish to have your player
characters take shipboard Roles, such as Boatswain, Captain, Master at Arms,
Master Carpenter, Master Gunner, Pilot, or Ship’s Doctor (Tiny Pirates, p. 22).
If you prefer your party to start as landlubbers, you may wish to have these
available for them to gain as Traits once they have earned their sea legs.
376
Optional Rule: Amnesiac Characters
The Search for the Silver Haven is also a journey of self-discovery for your
Adventurers. One way to facilitate this is to have one or more player charac-
ters start with no memory of who they are or how they got there. If this
sounds like fun, here are some ways you can do it:
♦ I remember you. As above, except players can help each other by sug-
gesting possible Traits, etc. To do so, characters simply state what they
think they remember about another. (“You were the educated one,
right?”) This allows the other character to Test as if he or she possessed
that Trait. On a successful Test, the Trait is acquired.
♦ Wait, no, that was me. Players choose Heritages and descriptions for
their characters, and then write Traits, Family Trades, and Proficien-
cies/Masteries on slips of paper. The GM also writes a set of Traits,
etc. Then all the slips are collected and read aloud. These constitute
the pool of potential character attributes, for which players compete.
To get one, simply try to use it. If you succeed, it’s yours. If everyone
fails, nobody in the party gets it.
For each week the ship is at sea, one player Tests for the whole party to
avoid the perils of the sea. If your ship is close to port (within 1-3 days’
sail, depending on the size of the port), Test with Advantage. Anywhere
else in known waters (within 1-3 weeks’ sail of port), make a Standard
Test. Once in uncharted seas, Test with Disadvantage.
377
below, and then roll 1d6. If your party is not in uncharted seas yet, they
will test with 2 or 3 dice, which also means they may have multiple fail-
ure results. In such cases, let them choose from among their results.
R andom Sea Perils
Roll 1. Weather 2. Crew
Driven back by storms. No land Test Lookout fails to spot reef, hull dam-
1
this week. aged.
Becalmed. Sails useless. Do you have Accident in the rigging damages sail
2
oars? or injures 1d3 crew. Or both.
Astral Flares. Magical Traits and ar- Officer dies after eating novel sea
6
tifacts are nonfunctional this week. beast caught by the crew.
Monster HP Description
Monster HP Description
380
Oceans of Fun
GMs wanting a little more detail on adventuring at sea are encouraged to use
the optional ship rules found in TD2e (pp. 82-83). GMs wanting a lot more detail
are encouraged to pick up Tiny Pirates (especially pp. 20-39). And although Des-
tiny of Tides is focused on under sea adventures, it has lots of wonderful watery
Enemies (pp. 121-124 and 152-161), undersea equipment, magical trinkets, etc.
Deep ocean beasts appear bizarre and terrifying but are well suited
to life on the bottom (armored plates, bioluminescence, dangly lures,
huge eyes and/or long feelers, oversized mouth/teeth, resistance to ex-
treme cold/heat).
Electric ocean beasts use special organs to find prey, or to stun or kill
prey (or predators).
381
Finding land
Assuming the party survives the perils of the sea, the next challenge is
to discover land. Ships don’t leave footprints, and waves don’tpreserve
trails of breadcrumbs very well, so the clues that point you toward the
Fey and their secret Haven will mostly be found on a series of mysteri-
ous islands.
Once the ship is in uncharted waters (1d3 weeks sail from port), the
party gets one Test per week to find land. Every game session should
include at least one land Test, and ideally one success. So if the party
fails the first land Test, go back and roll again for sea perils during the
next week. Then, Test again to find land. Repeat until you get a success.
1 2 3 4 5 6
New Trait
Dry Dowser: A brand new island everywhere we roam. Using a divin-
ing rod (or other magical instrument) you are able to locate dry land
while at sea. In uncharted waters, you Test with Advantage to find new
islands or coasts. In known seas or close to port, you can point un-
erringly to the closest land and know approximately how far
away it is.
Setting: The Silver Haven
382
Settlement (Roll 1d6)
1 2 3
Shipwrecked or
Tiny fishing village(s) Pirate bay
marooned sailor(s)
4 5 6
Roll 1 2 3
Roll 4 5 6*
* Unless it’s too early for Faerie folk, in which case roll again twice for a hybrid
culture.
383
Minimalist as they are, TinyD6
games lend themselves well to im-
provisation, but GMs running this
campaign are strongly advised to
create their islands in advance. Plan
far enough ahead that when your ad-
venturers spot land on the horizon,
you know what it is. Most important-
ly, be sure you know if there is a clue
for them to discover, what that clue
is, and how it points the way to the
next island.
adventurers will find sages that can unlock a magical Trait for
them. Once the ship has seven people of different Heritages,
each of whom has a different magical Trait, the lost straight sea-
road of the Fey will open.
♦ In their travels, the party will come across a number of extraor-
dinary magical artifacts, each attuned to a different kind of
magic. When all are found, and are in the hands of mages with
the appropriate Traits, they combine into one ingenious device
that points the way unerringly to the Haven.
384
♦ Representatives of the greatest Houses of the Fey left behind
spirit guardians to protect the way. Each player character is se-
cretly descended from one of those noble Houses, and once they
remember who they are, they can command their guardian to
divulge the location of the next step on the path.
♦ The route is encoded into a series of objets d’art, each one com-
posed of unique materials found on only one island. For example,
an idol carved from pure green obsidian, or a crown made from
the jagged horns of a bone basilisk.
385
This setting is about the thrill of discovery, and the delicious anticipa-
tion of mysteries yet to be revealed. So feel free to drop contradictory
hints and keep your players guessing. Just don’t start the campaign
until you have an answer in mind, even if it turns out that you end up
stealing an idea the players float that sounds better than what you had
originally planned.
♦ Hidden by powerful charms and illusions, the Fey lurk in their Silver
Haven, preparing their war fleets to return and avenge their ancient
defeat. This time, they will not fail.
♦ Many have claimed to find this island, but none were ever able to
show the way back. Why? Because it moves. Some say it lies on the
back of an enormous whale. Others say it is a ship, bigger than any
city. Yet others say it sails through the skies.
♦ No sailor can find it because our ships are bound to the curve of
the earth, while the Fey took the straight sea-road past the end of
the world. In this celestial plane of pure magic, there is neither day
nor night, but only a perpetual twilight reigned over by an argent
moon that nearly fills the sky. Only their sorcery can open the way
there, which is why they took it all with them.
♦ Oh, it’s real all right. But it is no peaceful Eden. The ancestral home of
the Fey is a blood-soaked wasteland, a living hell where they hunt,
torture, and slay any who dare to set foot on their accursed shore.
♦ The Fey are a fairy tale, a charming children’s fantasy. But their leg-
endary haven is no myth. It’s a continent, overflowing with riches
and ripe for the taking. And to get to its mountains of silver, you
must overcome very real dangers: ship-killing reefs and rocks, per-
verse currents, strange storms, and monstrous sea-beasts.
386
Lower Deck Upper Deck Quarterdeck
Setting: The Silver Haven
Kurofone (The Black Ship): A stout and sturdy vessel built for deep
oceans and bad weather.
HP Traits
387
Songs of Oversea
by Justin Finley
Overview
Inspired by Filipino and Polynesian mythology, this setting pits the
Demigod heroes of Oversea against the world-shaking Unleashed mon-
sters of Undersea. Armed with godly might and Divine Songs, players
can defeat these abyssal horrors, take control of them, or even quiet their
fury to transform them into mystical Guardians protecting the islands of
Oversea.
389
devoured the Moon Child, cursed the Gods, and rose as a monstrous
serpent, to attack and eat all the Moon Children who still lingered in
the night sky.
Even as war raged in heaven, Bakunawa’s noxious hate continued to pol-
lute the seas, sinking down to the darkest depths, where the Gods had
abandoned their most dangerous mistakes. Their chains corroded, these
Unleashed monsters broke free and emerged from the spume to ravage
the lands of Oversea.
When Bakunawa the Scorned was finally defeated, the Father of Gods
cast her down to the depths of darkness, using every remaining bond
and chain to hold her there under the waves. And there she lies still,
writhing in her restraints, vile flesh flaking off and drifting through the
dark realm of Undersea.
390
♦ Redeem the Un-
leashed, spreading love
and restoring peace to
realms above and below
the waves?
♦ Chain the Unleashed, and
abandon them and Undersea
to Bakunawa’s corruption?
♦ Or perhaps become one of the
Unleashed, reveling in the raw
power to rule or sow destruction
as you will?
Creating Demigods
In Songs of Oversea, player characters are Demigods, generated as per
the rules in Tiny Gods (p. 31-32), except that Spell-Touched, Spell Read-
er, and Familiar Traits are not available. Instead, Adventurers in Oversea
use Bard, Master Performer, Shamanic Adept, and Shamanic Warrior.
All characters should also choose a single bardic Charm that they can
perform through song (from Chapter 4: Bard). Characters with the
Master Performer Trait Test with Advantage when performing their cho-
sen Charm.
Finally, as Demigods, player characters have access to Conviction. In ad-
dition to the typical uses, they can spend 1 point of Conviction to halve
the Magic Number of a shamanic Incantation (or Divine Song), or to
successfully perform a Charm with a single Action. Demigods can also
use Conviction to create a Place of Power that resonates with their divine
Setting: Songs of Oversea
parentage.
Places of Power
When Demigods create Places of Power, they tie them to their own di-
vine Binding. Tests related to that Binding should receive a bonus of the
GM’s choosing (Advantage, Focus, more powerful effects, Shamanic
Boon, Conviction, cleansing from Corruption, etc.).
Corruption can also be used to twist a Place of Power into a Place of
Corruption (they may also be corrupted by the Unleashed, which are
391
attracted to unguarded Places of Power). The Binding of the place re-
mains, but anyone receiving a bonus also receives Corruption. Further,
Shamans untouched by Bakunawa’s Corruption Test with Disadvantage
when using their abilities there.
Shamans free of Corruption may treat any Place of Power as one of their
own. Uncorrupted Bards in Places of Power may use their Charms with
a single Action (Shamans and Bards tainted by Corruption may do the
same in Places of Corruption).
Corruption
The tainted flesh of Bakunawa drifts through Undersea, and can also be
found in Oversea. Those who consume it gain Corruption, an evil power
that does everything Conviction can—but each use is also accompanied
by foul unforeseen consequences (GMs, have fun with this!). Demigods
who are in Undersea when they recover their daily 1d3 Conviction must
Test with Disadvantage or convert 1 point of Conviction to Corruption.
Demigods who accumulate 6 points of Corruption (or mortals who
accumulate 3) must immediately make a Save Test or transform into a
hideous Unleashed, their monstrous nature shaped by their Binding.
While one of the Unleashed, characters will work to weaken the chains
restraining the mother of monsters, and to stir the other
great beasts into a frenzy, as chaos weakens her bonds.
Success on a Save Test staves off this transformation for
only one day, except in a Place of Power. No transforma-
tion can occur there, even on a failure, and a successful
Save Test will purge the Demigod of 1 point of Corrup-
tion (or 2 points, if the Place of Power was created with 2
Setting: Songs of Oversea
New Traits
Beast Breaker
By this talisman, I tap into the primordial magic! You
draw on the primal power of awesome creatures like
Guardians (see below) and the Unleashed, bleeding
them of their life essence.
392
Beast Breakers may Test to craft a Talisman from a piece of a living (and
active) Guardian or Unleashed (this also takes some time). Success creates
a Talisman and also permanently reduces the mighty beast’s HP by 6.
Failure does not necessarily mean the destruction of the monstrous body
part, but it does result in the Beast Breaker acquiring 1 Corruption.
To use the Talisman, Test again. Success grants you 1 point of Convic-
tion, which you may spend immediately as a free action. It also destroys
the Talisman and gives you 1 point of Corruption.
Haka
Dance and shout the cries of war! Spend 2 Actions and
Test to perform a ceremonial dance accompanied by a
terrifying chant. Enemies viewing your dance must
make a Save Test. Those who fail retreat a full move
and spend 1 Action cowering. Those who succeed are provoked
to attack you with their next Action.
Wayfarer
Like the ancestors, I travel by song and sail. By consulting the stars and
the ancient songs, you Test with Advantage to find your way at sea.
While at sea, you can also locate true north without Testing. If you
also have the Bard or Shaman Trait, you can Test to call the winds
and water to your aid. This could allow you to travel through a storm,
speed away from a threat, or even find dry land.
The Unleashed are raw, primal forces given monstrous shape. Created by
the Gods even before the dawn of time, they were abandoned as mistakes
because of their unreasoning, destructive natures. Although not inher-
ently evil, these ancient and mighty creatures are capable of immense
violence even when not in the thrall of Bakunawa’s corrupting poison.
However, under the influence of a divine (or semidivine) will, they can
also be turned to a noble purpose and become Guardians. On many of
the islands of Oversea, such former monsters can be found defending
temples, shrines, and other Places of Power that serve as bulwarks
against Corruption.
393
These Guardians are often venerated as heavenly protectors, but in truth
they are never far from their origins as destroyers.
For this reason, worshipers are happiest when
they are peacefully asleep.
Even dormant, though, Guardians (and the
Unleashed) are elemental powers whose very
presence shapes and warps the surrounding
land—and sometimes even the plant and an-
imal life. As your players approach the dwell-
ing place of one of these primal entities,
make sure they know it.
Divine Songs
Guardians and the Unleashed were all sung into existence by the Gods,
and these Divine Songs still reverberate within them. A Bard or Shaman
who learns and performs a creature’s Divine Song gains a measure of con-
trol over it.
Divine Songs work like Incantations, complete with Magic Numbers.
Older and more powerful entities tend to have longer and more com-
plex Divine Songs, and therefore higher Magic Numbers. A good rule
Setting: Songs of Oversea
394
After learning a Divine Song, a Bard or Shaman can perform it as an
Incantation to awaken the creature and direct it against a threat, stop
a rampage and lull it to sleep, or cleanse it from Corruption and trans-
form it into a noble Guardian.
Enemies of Oversea
The ocean is dark and full of terrors, and so are the countless islands that
dot its surface. In addition to the monsters detailed below, Adventurers
in Oversea should also expect strange beasts (including megafauna) and
intelligent creatures such as dryads, giants, goblins, fey, ogres, and orcs—
although they may be known by different names). For more Enemies
inspired by Philippine mythology, see “Beasts Beyond Bounds,” (TZ 31,
p. 12-17).
HP Traits
Bards hearing the Siren’s Song (and retaining their wits) may Test with Dis-
advantage to learn it. If they hear it again after learning it, they may Test with
Disadvantage to devise a heavenly melody that counteracts its effects.
Aswang: Any of the shape-shifting ghoulish creatures (mangallals,
pengallian, tiktiks, wakwaks, etc.) that feed on mortals’ vital fluids and
organs. In the darker corners of Oversea, these opportunistic predators
may control entire villages or even islands.
HP Traits
HP Traits
Siren’s Song
396
HP Traits
Cleave
HP Traits
Cleave
HP Traits
Aquatic
398
A dventure Hooks
♦ A star has fallen from the heavens, and is hunted by a dim-witted
but dangerous Unleashed named Minokawa the Hungry, who
dwells outside the sky. Minokawa usually chases the Sun and
Moon, but now pursues this wounded, desperate celestial spirit.
♦ New folk from the south speak the Tongue of the People and ask
your help cleansing Corruption from an island so they can build
a new settlement. But people on neighboring islands fear this is
just the first step in the newcomers’ plan for conquest and dom-
ination.
399
THULE: ADVENTURES
IN THE ARCTIC
by Carolyn Ivy Stein and Stephen Stein
Introduction
Since ancient times when Pytheas the Greek returned from Thule, stories
about the far-off northern land have only grown. It is a land of wonder and
danger. Waters so rough they swamp all but the stoutest ships and so cold you’re
dead in minutes should you fall overboard. Sudden fogs confuse even the best
navigators and hide treacherous icebergs that rip ships in two. The ice moves,
advancing and retreating with the seasons, breaking into islands, but sudden-
ly converging, trapping ships.
The land is hardly safer. Storms spring up suddenly, lashing your face
with ice and snow. Volcanoes spew poisonous fumes and hurl huge rocks.
Earthquakes, large and small, split the ice, which swallows up and entombs
the unwary.
Yet, tales of lost cities, mysterious ancient ruins, and vast riches call to the
adventurous. Somewhere west are vast, fertile lands ripe for settlement—if
only one can chart a course through hundreds of miles of ice-clogged seas.
401
Many expeditions discover only large ice-covered islands. Explorers continue
to probe west, but the more practical trade with indigenous Aleuts and Karhu
for furs and magical sunstones.
As farms spread and land filled up, people moved onto marginal lands,
such as those of the far north. As they did, they found others living there:
the Aleuts, who for centuries have lived in the North, eking a livelihood
from hunting and fishing, and the Karhu, who’ve been there even longer.
The fierce Norse warriors proved the most aggressive. They established
settlements on the fringes of Aleut and Karhu territory where soil and
climate allow fast-growing crops and grasses to feed reindeer herds.
They are not the only inhabitants of the frozen north. Others came before
them and built vast cities. Although long-abandoned and covered in ice,
travelers report movement within them. Eerie sounds echo from them at
night.
including dog sleds, kayaks, and larger umiaks. Some live in igloos made
of ice and snow, but others build mobile houses on skis. Pulled by rein-
deer, they relocate with the seasons. Generally peaceful, they periodically
clash with cultures to their north, and more often with Norse warriors
and farmers intruding on their territory from the south.
402
Norse (or Vikings)
Some come to settle, others to conquer, and
some simply to raid and steal. Most
are Human, but members of other Her
itages have also taken to the water in
longships seeking adventure, loot, or new
lands.
Ice Witches
Masters of Diamond Magic, Rime Magic, and
other icy sorceries, Ice Witches live in isolated
settlements hidden by ice and jagged peaks.
Most are Fey, but they have brought mem-
bers of other Heritages into their culture.
Their settlements are rumored to move across
the ice, never staying in one place long.
K arhu
Karhu society has developed differently in Thule’s
unforgiving climate. Unlike many other places in the multiverse where
they appear, Karhu are a dominant culture in Thule, thanks to their
inborn ability to withstand bitter temperatures and their majestic
power. Polar Karhu, in particular, can withstand even the coldest Arc-
tic temperatures and—if needed—hibernate in snow caves when
food is scarce.
New Trait
Sure-footed: Feet don’t fail me now! You Test with Advantage to main-
tain your footing and avoid being knocked down or tossed overboard
(and damaged thereby), whether by a heaving ship at sea, treacherous
Setting: Thule
403
Cold weather
Thule requires warm clothing. Every two hours, unprotected Humans,
Dwarves, and most other Heritages must pass a Save Test or suffer 1
damage. In severe weather, such as an ice storm, they Test with Disad-
vantage due to wind chill. Unprotected characters who find themselves
in Arctic water, perhaps from falling overboard, will need to pass a Save
Test every two minutes or suffer 1 damage.
404
Salimar with Cryothermic Healing are immune to Arctic cold and suffer
no damage from it. Similarly, thickly furred and heavily insulated Polar
Karhu are at home in the Arctic chill. Other Karhu, though, may need
some warm clothing.
Specialized Equipment
Northern tribes use a host of specialized equipment. Warm clothing is
essential, as are snowshoes or skis if you expect to move far by land.
Snow goggles, if you can find an artisan who makes them, are handy,
as are dog sleds or other ski-mounted conveyances, should you wish to
transport goods over snow and ice. In normal Arctic conditions, a lightly
loaded dog sled pulled by six to eight dogs can manage about 10 miles
per hour for 8 hours. Arctic Goblins generally prefer to ride wolves.
Navigating
Severe weather in the far north in autumn and winter includes blizzards
and ice storms which limit visibility. Ice constantly shifts. Navigation
405
is difficult. Compasses offer little help, given the magnetic pole’s prox-
imity, which also hinders magical scrying and navigation. Characters
traveling through the Arctic need to pass a Test to stay on course every
eight hours. Severe weather requires a Test with Disadvantage. A failed
Test means the PCs traveled in the wrong direction for 1d6 hours. Two
failed Tests in a row produce a catastrophe of the GM’s choice: ava-
lanche, collapsing ice or snow, snow blindness, random animal/monster
attack, or whatever seems appropriate (Save Test to avoid).
When sailing Arctic waters, a failed Test results in impact with the ice,
causing 1 damage to the ship. Two consecutive failed Tests result in ice
trapping the ship (Save Test to avoid). Once trapped, pressure on the ship
builds steadily in autumn and winter. Test every two weeks. Failed Tests
result in 1 damage to the ship. Usually, the spring thaw will free ships
that survive the winter. For ships crushed in the ice, see the “Cast-
aways” adventure hook.
Sufficiently powerful magic can prevent ice from trapping one’s ship, and
open passages through it, but only the Ice Witches are known to wield
such power.
406
Ice Witches are rumored to have mas-
tered sunstone’s power and possess it
in large quantities.
R ime M agic
The Ice Witches have developed their
own magical discipline for archmag-
es, Rime Magic, which consists of the
following four spells.
Shatter Ice: Make a Test. If success-
ful, ice in a 60-degree, 10-foot long
cone centered on the caster shatters
(to a depth of one foot). Anyone in
the area of effect must make a Save
Test or lose their footing. Keep in mind that on cold days ice can re-
freeze very quickly.
Piercing Cold: Make an Attack Test. If successful, the target takes 2
damage.
Blinding Blizzard: Make a Test. If successful, a small blizzard erupts
in front of the caster. Enemies that fail a Save Test are blinded for one
turn.
Seal Song: Make a Test. If successful, a flotilla of seals gathers in the
water below the ice. These seals can carry messages or can be used to
attract predators that feed on seals. A pod of killer whales pursuing the
seals can disrupt an enemy’s progress across the ice.
New Ships
There are two new ship variations to use in the Thule micro-setting.
Longship: A ruggedly built, square-sailed ship that can also be propelled
Setting: Thule
by oars. Norse longships are easily beached and launched from shore, fa-
cilitating rapid raids by crews of fierce warriors.
Umiak: An open boat constructed by Aleuts from whalebone and hide.
Propelled by oars, they carry about two dozen people and resist being
trapped by ice.
407
Ship HP Traits
Creatures of Thule
Numerous animals have adapted to the harsh environment of the North,
including bears, foxes, musk oxen, reindeer, sabertooth tigers (TD2e, 55),
voles, weasels, and winter wolves (TD2e, 57). It is also home to the unique
inhabitants noted below.
HP Traits
Tough
8
(High) Trample (Melee Attack): Test 2d6. If successful, one ene-
my is knocked to the ground and suffers 1 damage.
Opportunist
Setting: Thule
2
(Low) Resolute
408
Yeti: Large, intelligent humanoid creatures rumored to live among fro-
zen peaks and in the Arctic tundra. Few have seen them, and none have
returned with proof of their existence.
HP Traits
A dventure Hooks
Castaways: Advancing ice caught and crushed your ship. Now, you
must survive and journey south, on foot across a frozen wilderness, to
reach the nearest settlement. Hope you packed lunch.
Exploration: Far to the west, across treacherous icy seas, lie new lands
ripe for conquest, settlement, or trade. Fame and riches await its dis-
coverers. In the event of failure, see Castaways.
Lost City: Somewhere, buried in ice, is a
once-wealthy city. Some say it was cursed;
others that its own wizards overreached
themselves and unleashed a storm that
froze the north solid. Now it thaws and
strange creatures stir within its ruined
buildings.
Trade Diplomacy: The Norse blame the
Aleuts; the Aleuts blame the Norse; the Karhu are annoyed with both.
Whatever the cause, violence is spreading, disrupting trade. War seems
likely and you must stop it and reopen trade in sunstones.
Ice Witch Intrigue: Growing rumors speak of an Ice Witch scheme of
Setting: Thule
409
The Woken
by Josh Vogt
Inspired by: The Dresden Files, Grimm, Inception, The Librarians, The
Matrix, Neverwhere, Supernatural, Warehouse 13.
Overview
Blessed (or cursed) with permanent insomnia, the Woken have stood as
humanity’s secret guard against the horrors of the Dreaming Realm for
ages untold.
Gifted with the ability to manipulate the sleeping and waking energies
that rule reality, the Woken fight creatures made of pure nightmare, and
swim through the currents of sleeping psyches to physically enter dream-
scapes where they fight for a dreamer’s sanity in surreal pocket universes
born of each person’s subconscious. The Woken are the only ones who
can see—and hunt—the phantasmagoria that haunt the world . . . all
the specters of fear and pain that are the truth behind modern myths of
vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and worse.
Known as dreamwalkers, dreamstalkers, Oneironauts,
and lucidites, the Woken hold to a never
ending vigil, standing on the shore of
the waking world and keeping back
the tide of dream beasts and hungry
psyche parasites that threaten every in-
411
nocent who slumbers every night. “Now I lay me down to sleep . . . if I
die before I wake . . .”
Your A llies . . .
The Woken are few, but powerful. Primarily, you travel as
lone agents, under the guise of an international secu-
rity firm, privately owned and funded. This semi-
legal authority gives you access to plenty of plac-
es and info, and you work much like the law
enforcement you pretend to be, with field han-
dlers feeding you data from remote observation branches
while you prowl the towns and cities for magori incursions. Woken
come from all walks of life, with many gaining specialized training
for surveillance, espionage, personal combat, and infiltration.
Your Enemies . . .
The Woken hunt magori (short for phantasmagoria), a catch-all term
for any entity that originates from the Everywhen and has the ability
to enter people’s dreamscapes. These creatures are the reason humans
believe in things like ghosts, demons, witches, ghouls, vampires, were-
wolves, and any other bump-in-the-night spook that has haunted our
world since ancient times. Most times, they manifest with a menagerie
413
of bestial, insectile, and demonic features and
traits, with few looking exactly the same.
Magori originate from the Everywhen, and it
is their natural habitat. They can’t survive long
in the waking world without a human host to
feed off of. Magori take great pleasure in leech-
ing off people’s mental and emotional energies,
as well as sapping their physical reserves as
well. Human suffering, fear, anger, and other
negative energies also provide sustenance for
these beings.
Their predations are responsible for a wide range
of psychoses and parasomnias, such as sleep pa-
ralysis, chronic insomnia, sleep apnea, and
much more. A long-term magori infestation can drive
person insane or kill them as their essence is slowly
night after night, and their psyche shredded.
Magori are made up of dreammatter, the essence of the Everywhen, a
silvery, mutable substance that can be fashioned into anything one imag-
ines. It is manipulated by somnus and can be destroyed or dispersed by
enerva. Magori forms are dreammatter, as is everything found within a
dreamscape, save for the dreamer’s simulacra and the physical presence
of a Woken agent. Magori can also influence the influx of somnus on
vulnerable people, causing them to slip more easily into sleep and create
dreamscapes the creatures can infest.
Your A bilities . . .
Aside from their permanent wakefulness, Woken gain the ability to
physically transition into dreamscapes, where they can track down and
Setting: The Woken
414
ing, the mind is submerged almost fully in somnus, whereas an awake
and alert person has a mind brimming with enerva. Substances such as
caffeine can enhance one’s receptivity to enerva and ward off somnus,
as can meditative approaches, adrenaline, etc.
The Woken tend to see enerva as a golden-white energy, while somnus is
a deep blue-purple. Woken agents also can manipulate these flows, caus-
ing somnus to put someone to sleep or infusing them with enerva to wake
them up rapidly.
Enerva can be channeled through a Woken, used to reshape or destroy
dreammatter and to hurt magori, who find it deadly to their inhuman
forms. On the flipside, Woken can’t be directly hurt by somnus, but it
can sap their strength and leave them fatigued, though they are unable
to sleep. Woken can also “see” into the spectrums of enerva and somnus,
detecting minds and dreamscapes in a sort of long-distance surveillance.
Your Weapon . . .
See that bronze bracelet on your wrist? The one you can’t tug off, no mat-
ter how hard you try? That’s your arma. Arma are magical devices bonded
to each Woken agent on their successful induction into the society (not all
survive the testing and initiation). Empowered by their patron goddess,
Hemera, the arma provides the energy that keeps Woken permanently
awake and healthy. It helps them manipulate enerva and somnus on an
instinctive level, and can also reform itself into a variety of physical
weapons, mostly designed for close or hand-to-hand combat (it can-
not provide projectiles, for instance).
Most Woken keep their arma in a dormant state, appearing as bronze
jewelry, bracelets, or other accessories until activating it for confronta-
tions or to focus their willpower for magical effects. It can be as ornate
or plain as the wearer wishes, and manifest as one or multiple bronze
Setting: The Woken
pieces. It flows like liquid when it reshapes, and can be made to glow as
a light source that tends to hurt magori eyes . . . if they have them.
Your Battlefield . . .
While you scout and move about in the physical world, tracking down
potential victims and watching the news for signs of a magori outbreak,
your deadliest work occurs in dreamscapes.
415
Dreamscapes are temporary realities human psyches construct around
themselves when we go to sleep. These are, essentially, pocket universes
built from raw dreammatter by the dreamer’s subconsciousness—or
consciousness if it’s a lucid dreamer. Within a dreamscape, practically
anything is possible, logic is fluid, physics breaks without consequence,
and people can experience different versions of reality.
Dreamscapes act as mental thresholds that let humans experience ele-
ments of the Everywhen without being damaged by the exposure, as
too much raw dreammatter can be toxic to their actual physical forms.
Most people only ever enter dreamscapes with their psyches, though
Woken are able to fully transport themselves there physically. When
they do so, the dreamscape is anchored to a degree, becoming less tran-
sient and more stable unless disrupted by the agent’s activities there.
Magori can also influence how dreamscapes manifest, changing the
environment and populating it with items and creatures to “set the stage”
for their human hosts. This can be to create enormous fear from night-
marish encounters, or to even give them beautiful visions that cause them
delicious depressive moods when they wake.
New Trait
Woken: I fight the nightmares. You are
no longer bound by sleep or the weakness-
es it imposes on others. You can operate 24/7, so
long as you eat and drink (you still have a body,
after all), but resting is no longer a burden.
You can also Test to use Woken abilities such as per-
ceiving and manipulating the flows of enerva and som-
nus, entering dreamscapes, and reshaping your arma.
The Woken opens up the entire world and all its mythology to play with
in this setting. Here are a few story starters that can set your players on
adventurous paths.
♦ A town has been plagued by odd reports of sleepwalking, with
almost every one of its residents experiencing or witnessing the
phenomenon for the past week.
416
♦ A series of disconnected crimes are being linked in the news by
the strange claim all the perpetrators make when caught in the
act—“I just thought I was dreaming. I don’t remember how I got
here.”
♦ You’re a fresh recruit for the Woken, just given their first assign-
ment, which involves a military vet suffering from particularly
nasty PTSD. He’s terrified of sleeping, saying his old army bud-
dies keep haunting him in his nightmares.
♦ Everyone in the city has been having the exact same nightmare
for the past couple of days. Everyone.
Do people and characters within your setting ever sleep? What happens
when they dream? While originally conceived of as an urban fantasy
setting, if you want to expand any world where dreamers exist (human
or otherwise), the Woken can be effective. Dreamscapes are practically
universal, and where there are dreamers, there are threats that exist be-
yond the known, waking world—and, of course, those who would battle
those foes.
417
APPENDIX:
NANOSETTINGS
by John D. Payne
Kaijou Hoan-chou
When horrific monsters began walking out of the magically-contam-
inated Violet Sea, every kingdom on the mainland retreated from their
beaches. But the Empress of the Islands of the Moon had no such lux-
ury. And so she created the Guardians of the Coast with the mission to
protect the Empire and rescue its subjects from every danger that comes
up from the sea, whether monstrous or mundane. Kaijou Hoan-chou is
an apocalyptic second-world fantasy nanosetting for Beach Patrol with
Asian influences from history, wuxia, monster movies, and even anime
Appendix: Nanosettings
Logos Arcane
One rainy eternity, the Gods decided to play a game. Whose magic is
strongest? Let’s see . . . Logos Arcane is a nanosetting for Tiny Gods
where everything Deities create or inspire, from creatures to continents
to monuments, is part of a competition to dominate the world through
magic. After creating this magical world as Deities, players may then
419
take the role of mortals or Demigods and play in the setting they’ve just
created. Logos Arcane gives rules for creating and inspiring magic, and
also Zero Epoch—a time before time to take cosmic actions that shape
the rest of the game.
Towers of Fortune
The Tower had been there forever, or maybe just since this morning. No-
body else noticed. Nobody else approached it, saw the gold letters that
read FORTUNE above the open door, and walked in. Nobody else was
transported across unknown dimensions to meet Fortunates from a half-
dozen other worlds, unravel cosmic mysteries, gain fantastic powers, and
fight an ancient evil spreading through the multiverse like a cancer. No-
body else had to wonder if they would ever find their way home. Towers
of Fortune is an inter-dimensional fantasy nanosetting that links charac-
ters from diverse worlds and genres in an epic adventure arc.
It’s not your fault Rasputin was your grandpa. You didn’t choose to have
powers. But he was, and you do. And now everyone wants you. The state,
the mob, the church, the party—even the academics. It’s an arms race,
pure and simple. Every oligarch (or wannabe) has his own stable. You
just discovered who you are, and you’re already being recruited. They’re
minor players, Tsarists, who want your help putting Romanovs back on
the throne. Delusional, obviously. But they’ve got money. Do you take it?
In this post-Soviet urban fantasy nanosetting, players (Rasputin’s Prog-
eny) begin with a Prestige Trait.
420
INDEX
Beast Templates
Astral Faerie Spirit
The Silver Haven.......381 Beast Speaker...............76 Beast Speaker...............76
Deep Giant Tame
The Silver Haven.......381 Beast Speaker...............75 Beast Speaker.............. 77
Dire Hive Transformed
Beast Speaker...............76 Beast Speaker...............75 Beast Speaker.............. 77
eldritch Hybrid Umbral
Beast Speaker.............. 77 Beast Speaker...............75 Beast Speaker.............. 77
Electric Infernal Undead
The Silver Haven.......381 Beast Speaker...............75 Beast Speaker...............76
Extramarine Poisonous
The Silver Haven.......381 Beast Speaker...............75
Draughts, Alchemical
aura blighting poison bone chilling poison burning flame bomb
Alchemist.....................18 Alchemist.....................17 Alchemist.....................17
Index
420
Draughts, Alchemical (cont)
Enemies
Animated Object Brain Beetle Chitinoid Monarch
Artificer.......................54 Spell Reader...............150 Spell Reader............... 151
Animus Brainier Beetle Coglet
Artificer.......................54 Spell Reader...............150 Artificer.......................55
Aswang Brimstone Jelly (Lesser) Cosmic Horror
Songs of Oversea.........396 Familiar......................99 Defending the Keep....238
Bakunawa the Scorned Chevalier Craw-Lurk
Songs of Oversea.........398 Gods of Diazorr.........302 The Silver Haven.......378
Index
421
Enemies (cont)
Creeper Makataw of the Obsidian Shadow Hound
Artificer.......................55 Teeth Familiar....................103
Dandelion Imp Songs of Oversea. . .......396 Shellonian
Familiar....................101 Mammoth Artificer.......................56
Deepling Thule........................ 408 Shork
The Silver Haven.......378 Mermaid The Silver Haven.......379
Desolation Wyrm The Silver Haven.......378 Sijada Mage
Familiar....................101 Mincemeat Mauler Fellbright...................257
Dinosaur Skeleton Clash of the Pastrium. 2 00 Siren
Defending the Keep....238 Monitore Songs of Oversea.........395
Djinn Gods of Diazorr.........302 Skeleton Archer
Fellbright...................256 Mumblin Defending the Keep....238
Dragons Archmage.....................41 Skeleton Cavalry
Mage Hunters........... 344 Naga Defending the Keep....238
Dropkick Donuts Songs of Oversea.........396 Succubus/Incubus
Clash of the Pastrium.198 Nalama Doan (NPC) Fellbright...................258
Elder Kraken Gods of Diazorr.........301 Super Duper Pseudoblob
The Silver Haven.......378 Octopuppy Spell Reader............... 153
Evocatore The Silver Haven...... 380 Super Pseudoblob
Gods of Diazorr.........302 Oni Enforcer Spell Reader............... 152
Foul Fiend Familiar....................102 Thaumaturge
Familiar....................102 pegapony/ponicorn Gods of Diazorr.........303
Ghost Lizard Beast Speaker...............76 Troglodyno
Archmage.....................39 Pseudipede Beast Speaker...............75
Ghoulimar Artificer.......................55 Under-Thane
Archmage.....................39 Pseudoblob Familiar....................103
Gier-Te (NPC) Spell Reader............... 152 Ungol the Tremor
Gods of Diazorr........ 300 Psycog Songs of Oversea.........397
Gingersnap Juggernaut Psionics......................124 Vampire Dwarf
Clash of the Pastrium.199 Rookie the Cookie Archmage.................... 42
Grizz Lich Clash of the Pastrium.198 Waark
Archmage.................... 40 Sand Golem The Silver Haven.......379
Hydra Fellbright...................257 Water Dragon
The Silver Haven.......378 Sea Giant The Silver Haven.......379
Jelly Baby The Silver Haven.......379 Wolverine
The Silver Haven.......378 Sea Serpent Thule........................ 408
Jellypod The Silver Haven.......379 Wyrmling
Spell Reader............... 151 Sea Troll Beast Speaker.............. 77
Kraed Nadom (NPC) The Silver Haven.......379 Yeti
Index
422
Heritages
Aberrante Defender Keeper Mini Keeper
Gods of Diazorr.........292 Avalant.....................187 Avalant.....................187
Admin Keeper Demi-Oni Ratfolk
Avalant.....................187 Defending the Keep... 234 Fellbright...................259
Autonomous Keeper Demonkin Reactor Keeper
Avalant.....................187 Fellbright...................259 Avalant.....................187
Bake-Danuki Dominante Revenant
Rule of Three..............363 Gods of Diazorr.........292 Inkslingers................. 309
Belligerante Dragonbood Servitore
Gods of Diazorr.........292 Mage Hunters............341 Gods of Diazorr.........292
Bone Troll Half-Elf Silvestre
Defending the Keep....233 Forge.........................267 Gods of Diazorr.........292
Built Man Kitsune Simulacrum
Cost of Sunsteel..........205 Rule of Three..............362 Artificer.......................56
Custodian Keeper Laborer Keeper Specialist Keeper
Avalant.....................187 Avalant.....................187 Avalant.....................187
Magic Items
Anti-Toxin Elixir Blink Buckles Charm Trinkets (art.
Cost of Sunsteel......... 209 Teleportation Mage.... 174 type)
ArkenSteel Bolter Artificer.......................51
Knowledge Arkana.....323 Knowledge Arkana.....324 Chi Artifact (art. type)
ArkenSteel armor Book of Capture Artificer.......................52
Knowledge Arkana.....323 Spell Reader...............144 Cranium Cane
ArkenSteel melee weapon Book of Combinations Archmage.....................43
Knowledge Arkana.....324 Spell Reader...............144 Crown of Sacrifice
Arma Book of Protection Healer....................... 115
Woken....................... 415 Spell Reader...............144 Crucible of Immortality
Astral Ampoule Book of Safety Cookpot.......................89
Alchemist.....................25 Spell Reader...............144 Dark Cauldron
Automaton Repair Kit Book of Summoning Cookpot.......................89
Cost of Sunsteel......... 209 Spell Reader...............144 Demonbane Flute
Axe of Shredding Book of Teaching Psionics......................125
Bard............................67 Spell Reader...............144 Emerald Shillelagh
Birch Brain Brooch of Breaching Archmage.....................43
Alchemist.....................25 Teleportation Mage.... 174 Escape Locket
Blanket of the Feral Cape of Beings Teleportation Mage.... 174
Index
423
Magic Items (cont)
Friendship Bracelets Onus of Friendship Spiny Sceptre
Teleportation Mage....175 Psionics......................125 Archmage.....................43
Gingerbread Oven Organ of Grinding Spirit Talisman (art. type)
Cookpot.......................89 Bard............................67 Artificer.......................51
Gong of Shattering People’s Umbrella Staff of the Entwined
Bard............................67 Archmage.....................43 Serpent
Healing Talisman (art. Pipes of Battle Healer....................... 115
type) Bard............................67 Stone of True Seeing
Artificer.......................51 Poison Pot Healer....................... 115
Hellbronze Cookpot.......................89 Sun Steel
Alchemist.....................23 Portentous Boiler Alchemist.....................22
Horn of Plenteous Cookpot.......................89 Sunstone
Projectiles Psi Artifact (art. type) Thule........................ 406
Bard............................67 Artificer.......................52 Tabard of the Thinking
Jawbone of Might and Psi Trinkets (art. type) Animal
Smiting Artificer.......................51 Beast Speaker...............79
Healer....................... 115
Red Buttons Torrid Spout
Kambala Birthstone Teleportation Mage....175 Alchemist.....................25
Psionics......................125
Roc Flute Trait Talisman (art. type)
Key Pot Alchemist.....................25 Artificer.......................52
Alchemist.....................25
Rod of Discipline Unfailing Cruse
Lyre of Lullabyes Archmage.....................43 Alchemist.....................25
Bard............................67
Rod of the Cracked Skull Veil of the Quiet Mouse
Mantle of the Kindly Healer....................... 115 Beast Speaker...............79
Druid
Scroll of Machine Wand of Cupid’s Arrow
Beast Speaker...............79
Revival Spell-Touched.............165
Mask of the Prioress Cost of Sunsteel......... 209
Healer....................... 115 Shard of Telmaran Wand of Halfling’s Luck
Spell-Touched.............165
Mirror of Total Recall Crystal
Psionics......................125 Fall of Telmara..........247 Wand of Orc’s Fury
Spell-Touched.............165
Moon Silver Shawl of Liberation
Alchemist.....................22 Psionics......................125 Wand of Pixie’s Moxie
Spell-Touched.............165
Most Benevolent Kitten Smock of the Green Ally
Psionics......................125 Beast Speaker...............79 Wand of Snowball’s
Chance
Night Iron Spell Artifact (art. type)
Spell-Touched.............165
Alchemist.....................22 Artificer.......................52
No Quarter Staff Spell Trinkets (art. type) Wand of Vampire’s Kiss
Artificer.......................51 Spell-Touched.............165
Archmage.....................43
Index
424
Spells
Alert (charm) Cleansing Cyclone Emotional Override
Bard............................62 Archmage.....................32 Archmage.....................33
Astral Blade (Talent) Commanding Gorget Empty Mind (Talent)
Psionics......................122 (scroll) Psionics......................124
Astral Burro (Cantrip) Spell Reader...............143 enchant (charm)
Spell-Touched.............162 Cry of Blood Bard............................62
(Incantation) Etheral Form (Talent)
Astral Perception (Gift)
Shaman.....................135 Psionics......................122
Psionics...................... 119
Crystal Ally (Talent) Expanded Consciousness
attune (charm)
Psionics......................122 (Talent)
Bard............................62
Dance of Gifting Psionics......................120
Aura Blight
(Incantation) Expel Arms
Archmage.................... 34
Shaman.....................135 The Forge...................270
Autohypnosis (Talent)
Danger Magnet Explosive Burst (tactical
Psionics......................123
The Forge...................270 burst)
Banshee Wail Gate Crashers............283
Dark Kinship
Archmage.....................37
Archmage.....................37 Exterminate (Cantrip)
Blinding Blizzard
Dark Regeneration Spell-Touched.............162
Thule........................ 407 (Shadowsouled) Faerie Favor
Body Alteration (Talent) Familiar......................94 Archmage.................... 34
Psionics......................123 Death Watch
Faithful Greaves (scroll)
Boney Buddy The Forge...................276
Spell Reader...............143
Archmage.....................36 Deep drums
Fascinate (Cantrip)
Borrowed Mastery Archmage.....................30
Spell-Touched.............162
Archmage.....................37 Deep Freeze (tactical
Fascinating Distraction
Brawny Spaulders (scroll) burst)
Spell Reader...............143 Gate Crashers............282 Archmage.....................33
425
Spells (cont)
Ghoulish Hunger Logic Bomb (Talent) Prairie Lightning
Archmage.....................36 Psionics......................124 Archmage.....................32
Golden Nose Luminous Beings Prayer of Peace
Archmage.....................33 Archmage.....................30 (Incantation)
Shaman.....................135
Granite Pelt Mad Shadows
Archmage.....................33 The Forge...................276 Psychic Lash (Talent)
Psionics......................121
Grasping Garrote Mental Projection
The Forge...................276 (Talent) Psychokinesis (Talent)
Psionics. . ....................121 Psionics......................123
Green Mind
Archmage.....................31 Mind Mapping (Gift) Punch (Cantrip)
Psionics. . .................... 119 Spell-Touched.............162
Harmony of the Senses
(Talent) Mind Reading (Talent) Push / Pull (Gift)
Psionics......................120 Psionics......................121 Psionics...................... 119
Healing Trance (Talent) Mirror Assassin Quick Beams
Psionics......................123 The Forge...................276 Archmage. ....................35
Heaven’s Door (spellsong) Mummy’s Curse Read Aura (Gift)
Bard........................... 66 Archmage.....................38 Psionics...................... 119
Archmage.....................31
Locust Swarm Porcupine’s Revenge Scent Prison (Cantrip)
Archmage.....................30 The Forge...................270 Spell-Touched.............162
426
Spells (cont)
Scroll of the East Wind Shadow Step Tidal Crash
Spell Reader...............142 (Shadowsouled) Gate Crashers........... 284
Scroll of the Four Winds Familiar......................94 Tidy (Cantrip)
Spell Reader...............142 Shatter Ice Spell-Touched.............162
Scroll of the N. Wind Thule........................ 407 Treasure Compass
Spell Reader...............142 Shattering Embrace (Cantrip)
Scroll of the South Wind Archmage.....................33 Spell-Touched............. 161
Spell Reader...............142 Skull bomb Turn Key (Cantrip)
Scroll of the West Wind Archmage.....................36 Spell-Touched............. 161
Spell Reader...............143 Song of Redoubt Umbral Twin
Scroll of the Windkin (Incantation) (Shadowsouled)
Spell Reader...............143 Shaman.....................135 Familiar......................94
Sea of Grass Spirit Stampede Warded Circle (Cantrip)
Archmage.....................32 Archmage.....................32 Spell-Touched.............162
Seal Song Stone marrow Word of Domination
Thule........................ 407 Archmage.....................36 (scroll)
Spell Reader...............141
Second Sight (Talent) Stumble (Cantrip)
Psionics......................120 Spell-Touched.............162 Word of Joy (scroll)
Spell Reader...............142
Secret Door (Cantrip) Summon Zombie
Spell-Touched............. 161 Archmage.....................36 Word of Love (scroll)
Spell Reader...............142
Self-healing (Gift) Surface Thoughts (Gift)
Psionics...................... 119 Psionics...................... 119 Word of Peace (scroll)
Spell Reader...............142
Sense Monsters (Cantrip) Swirling Blades
Spell-Touched............. 161 The Forge...................270 Word of Smiting (scroll)
Spell Reader...............142
Shade Leech Sympathetic Control
(Shadowsouled) (Talent) Word of Torment (scroll)
Familiar......................94 Psionics......................121 Spell Reader...............142
Shade Throw Thought Shield (Talent)
Archmage.....................37 Psionics......................124
Traits
Always Oriented Beast Breaker Born in the Saddle
Teleportation Mage....170 Songs of Oversea.........392 Fellbright...................259
Animal Magnetism Beastie Treats (cooking) Buffered
Beast Speaker...............72 Cookpot.......................85 Familiar......................93
427
Traits (cont)
Distant Action Kettle Black (cooking) Spellsinger
Teleportation Mage....170 Cookpot.......................86 Bard............................65
Dragonbreath Stew Lifeforce Surge Spirit Food (cooking)
(cooking) Price of Power............352 Cookpot.......................87
Cookpot.......................85
Man’s Best Friend Summoner
Dry Dowser Price of Power............356 Familiar......................95
The Silver Haven.......382
Medicinal Pies (cooking) Sure-Footed
Emit Lifeforce
Cookpot.......................87 Thule.........................403
Price of Power............352
Teleportation Mage
Empty Hand (cooking) Personalized
Cookpot.......................86 Cost of Sunsteel......... 209 Teleportation Mage....170
Fell Harvester Pot of Gold (cooking) Two-Trick Pony (cooking)
Artificer.......................49 Cookpot.......................87 Cookpot.......................87
Frosty Delights (cooking) Psionic Adept Unbalanced
Cookpot.......................86 Psionics...................... 119 Spell-Touched.............163
Haka Resonance Adaptation Wayfarer
Songs of Oversea.........393 Gate Crashers............278 Songs of Oversea.........393
Heavy Lifter Ripper Portal Weaponized
Teleportation Mage....171 Teleportation Mage....172 Cost of Sunsteel......... 208
Hold the Line Ruggedized Whistle While You Work
Fellbright...................259 Cost of Sunsteel......... 208 (cooking)
Cookpot.......................87
Improved Concentration Shaman Adept
Teleportation Mage....172 Shaman.....................129 Woken
Woken.......................416
Inked Spear Carrier
Inkslingers................. 307 Mage Hunters............339
Inkslinger Spell Hound
Inkslingers................. 307 Mage Hunters............339
428
Traits for Enemies (cont)
Deep Embrace Immortal Multiple Limbs
Songs of Oversea.........395 Archmage.................... 40 Spell Reader............... 151
Defiling Presence Immune to Magic Nimbus of Terror
Songs of Oversea.........397 Psionics......................124 Familiar....................102
Divine Protection Immunities Nose for Magic
Songs of Oversea.........398 Archmage.................... 42 Archmage.................... 40
Earth-shaking Charge Impervious to Pain Obscene Appetite
Songs of Oversea.........397 Artificer.......................55 Songs of Oversea.........398
Energy Drain Incorporeal Occult Teleportation
Archmage.....................39 Archmage.....................39 Familiar....................103
Engulf Infernal Denizen Ovipositor
Spell Reader...............152 Familiar......................99 Spell Reader...............150
Ethereal Inky Incorporeal Pitch Black
Familiar....................103 Archmage.................... 42 Archmage.................... 42
Eyeless Sight Insorbtion Pseudopod Reach
Archmage.....................42 Spell Reader............... 153 Spell Reader............... 152
Fiendish Charms Jewel Claw Pyrophage
Familiar....................102 Archmage.................... 40 Archmage.....................39
Flight Jump Scare Raised by Wolves
Songs of Oversea.........396 Artificer.......................55 Beast Speaker...............78
Furious Strikes Leviathan Armor Reek of Hell
Songs of Oversea.........397 Songs of Oversea.........398 Familiar....................101
Gelatinous Lightly Armored Remote Proxy
Familiar......................99 Spell Reader...............150 Artificer.......................55
Gifted and Talented Madness Inducing (lesser) Rise Again
Psionics......................124 Spell Reader...............150 Archmage.....................41
Gnashing Teeth Magic Carpet Rider Servant of Corruption
Familiar....................101 Fellbright...................257 Songs of Oversea.........396
Grant Wishes Massive Trample Shadow Puppeteer
Fellbright...................257 Artificer.......................56 Gods of Diazorr.........299
Greater Underbite Mighty Blows Shadow Stabbing
Spell Reader............... 151 Familiar....................102 Archmage.................... 42
Heart of Darkness Molt Shifter
Archmage.................... 42 Songs of Oversea.........397 Beast Speaker...............78
Heavily Armored Monstrous Maiden Sickle Sword
Spell Reader............... 151 Songs of Oversea.........396 Archmage.....................41
Hideous Hunger Mother of Monsters Siren’s Song
Index
429
Traits for Enemies (cont)
Skull Basher Tail Swipe Undead Minions
Songs of Oversea.........397 Familiar....................101 Archmage.................... 40
Smoke Form Thirsty Obsidian Underbite
Fellbright...................257 Songs of Oversea.........397 Spell Reader...............150
Spell Catcher Tireless Unholy Aura
Archmage.....................41 Artificer.......................55 Familiar....................103
Spite Toxic Breath Unkillable
Familiar....................102 Songs of Oversea.........398 Artificer.......................54
Strike of Brutal Torment Toxic Mucus Visceral Hunger
Familiar....................103 Familiar....................101 Songs of Oversea.........396
Super Duper Engulf Trailing Lash Vulnerabilities
Spell Reader............... 153 Spell Reader............... 151 Archmage.................... 42
S. Duper Pseudopod Reach Trample Wanton Kiss
Spell Reader............... 153 Thule........................ 409 Fellbright...................258
S. Duper Trinary Fission Treacherous Well Prepared
Spell Reader............... 153 Gods of Diazorr.........301 Archmage.................... 40
Super Engulf Trinary Fission
Spell Reader............... 152 Spell Reader............... 152
Super Trinary Fission Umbral Mist
Spell Reader............... 152 Gods of Diazorr.........301
Traits, Heritage
Artistic Dragon Breath Hide in Plain Sight
Silvestre.....................292 Dragonblood..............341 Half-Elf.....................267
Beguiling Tongue Dragon Claws Impervious to Pain
Demonkin.................259 Dragonblood..............341 Simulacrum.................56
By the Hammer and the Dragon Flight Iron Gut
Wand Dragonblood..............341 Ratfolk..................... 260
Built Man................ 206 Dragon Tail
Not Dead But Broken
Canine Nemesis Dragonblood..............341 Built Man................ 206
Index
Kitsune......................362
Foxy Shifter Poison-Proof
Construct Kitsune......................362
Simulacrum.................56 Built Man................ 206
430
Traits, Heritage (cont)
Press Your Advantage Stupidity Weaponized Cantrip
Half-Elf.....................267 Bone Troll..................233 Half-Elf.....................267
Regeneration Terrifying Persona
Bone Troll..................233 Demi-Oni................ 234
Strike of Torment Tethered
Demi-Oni................ 234 Revenant...................310
Traits, Prestige
Arcane Animator Eldritch Sorcerer Purifier
Artificer.......................49 Spell Reader...............148 Healer.......................113
Beast Form High Shaman Reclaimer
Beast Speaker...............72 Shaman.....................130 Inkslingers................. 307
Blink Mage Infernal Reaver Rift Jumper
Teleportation Mage....172 Familiar......................97 Teleportation Mage....173
Bug-Speaker Master of Shadows Shadowsouled
Beast Speaker...............72 Familiar......................93 Familiar......................93
Cauldron Witch Master Spellsinger Spell Writer
Cookpot.......................88 Bard........................... 66 Spell Reader...............148
Chaos-Touched Paragon Spellborn
Spell-Touched.............163 Healer....................... 111 Spell-Touched.............163
Cookpot Wizard Pioneer Steal Lifeforce
Cookpot.......................87 Healer.......................112 Price of Power............356
Diabolist Promised Transporter
Familiar......................96 Healer.......................112 Teleportation Mage....173
Doctor of Alchemy Psionic Master
Alchemist.....................20 Psionics......................120
Index
431