MICRONOMICON

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

Author: John D. Payne

Art: Nicolás Giacondino, Anthony Cournoyer, Reed Hill, Michael Har-
mon, Mario Cordova, Grayson “fishyslap” Lyon, and Publisher’s
Choice Quality Stock Art ©Rick Hershey | Fat Goblin Games
Editor: Gregory Israel | Blue Oxrat Games
Copyediting and Proofreading: Jarrod Stanek and Jeffrey L. Scifert
Layout and Design: Jason Aydelotte | Reef’s Edge Creative
Title Logo and Cover Design: Robert Denton III

Published by Exploding Seed Press.

Based on Tiny Dungeon first edition by Brandon McFadden.

Micronomicon: A Compendium of Magic for Tiny Dungeon 2e

and Other Games is copyright ©2021 Exploding Seed Press.

All settings copyright ©2021 their respective authors.

©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.

Speaking of art, I am deeply indebted to Nic, Anthony, Reed, and the

rest of the art team for filling this book with incredible illustrations. I
also am much obliged to superstar Jason of Reef’s Edge Creative for lay-
ing out every single page with tender loving care. Thank you, gang, for
making this book look good.

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

Magic. It’s a loaded word that has a thousand meanings to a thousand

people. It can be a mystical energy field that’s invisible and powerful
beyond imagination. It can be infernal empowerment over life and
death given in exchange for one’s immortal soul. It can be a system as
complex and nuanced as real-world science and as capable of achieving
things just as amazing. Magic can be anything. Magic is infinite.

Roleplaying games, especially those created in the minimalist style, are

designed to get out of the way of a good story and let everyone involved
just have a good time. Sure, there are a few loose agreements provided a
collectively agreed upon framework. But otherwise, the imaginary world
in which the characters (and vicariously, their players) are adventuring is
rife with infinite possibility. Any story can be told at the table. Worlds,
even entire galaxies, rise or perish with the roll of a die. Harrowing drama
is acted out for the scant few who have gathered to create that very con-
flict. It is a tiny universe created by a handful of friends and its possibili-
ties are endless.

Magic, in the context of roleplaying games, is a vehicle to tell richer, more

vibrant stories. It can be whatever the players want it to be or need it to be
to tell the stories and play the games they want. Magic, like the gathered
players at the table, has no limits except those imposed upon it by the
participants. Magic, when distilled to its essence, is nothing less than in­
finite, untapped potential.

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).

What’s in This Book?

The Micronomicon is divided into two parts. In Part 1, there are thirteen
chapters, each organized around options for a single magical Trait. This
includes the basics (Alchemist, Beastspeaker, Familiar, Healer, Spell
Reader, Spell-Touched), some optional ones found only in specific set-
tings (Shaman, Psionic, Artificer) or in TinyZine articles (Bard, Telepor-
tation Mage), plus a Prestige Trait, Archmage. Each chapter expands on
the material found in the original source material book, to give you a
deeper, richer, more enjoyable roleplaying experience.

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.

M aximizing Your Minimalism

Tiny Dungeon 2e “is a minimalistic table-top roleplaying game.” Mini-
malist is good. It’s a big part of the reason for the game’s success, and
that of other TinyD6 games. The simplicity of the base rules leave a lot
of room for individual GMs and players to build their own worlds, and
to create their own rules.

In addition to being minimalist, the system is also highly modular. Since

everything beyond the basic game mechanics is optional, its inclusion is
entirely up to individual GMs and players, your experience is highly cus-
tomizable. Want levels? Here you go. Don’t want levels? Leave them out.
No problem.

The Micronomicon is designed to fit neatly into that same paradigm.

It’s a supplement. Everything in it is optional. If it enriches your expe-
rience, great. If it’s not for you, no big whoop. But if you want to go a
little deeper, as a player or as a GM, this book is here to give you some
options.

♦ 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?

♦ Would your Bard like to wail on a legendary lute? Hey, here’s a

bunch of magical instruments (p. 67) that will rock your fantasy
world.

♦ Is your Beastspeaker looking for dangerous critters to chat with?

Here are random beast tables (p. 74-77) for dungeons, forests, and
urban environments-- with cool new magical fauna!

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.

♦ Want to bring Shamans into your campaign? Here’s how to adapt

that Trait for any setting (p. 128-130) -- plus rules for generating
powerful new spirits of nature and of the dead (p. 137).

♦ 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.

Being open-ended is one of the key features of the TinyD6 system. So

this book isn’t intended to close off any doors, but rather to demonstrate
some potential avenues for exploration. If reading something in this book
gives you an idea about how to do it better, that’s an optimal outcome.

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.)

Alchemical Draughts come in four types (TinyZine 7, pp. 19-24). Potions

offer a benefit. Poisons harm, either when ingested or when delivered on
the point of a weapon. Bombs also harm, but are thrown and usually have
area effects. The fourth type of alchemical Draughts are Elixirs, which
are rare and powerful. GMs are therefore advised not to hand them out
too freely or frequently. (See Alchemical Elixirs, below, for examples.)

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.)

If you don’t have a recipe, you can always try reverse

engineering one from a Draught in your posses-
sion. Study it carefully and Test with Disadvantage
to devise an experimental recipe. (Failure means
you have wasted a dose and learned nothing.)
Then gather reagents for your experimental
recipe and Test with Disadvantage again.
Success means you have produced both
a dose and a working recipe. Nice work,
you!

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.

Schools of A lchemy and A ssociated Draughts

Potions of Eldritch Power
Roll Name Effect
1 Shield potion As the Shield (Onyx) spell.
2 Communication potion As the Communicate (Crystal) spell.
3 Timeview potion As the Timeview (Crystal) spell.
As the Heal (Emerald) spell, first option. No
4 Healing potion
Test required.
As the Heal (Emerald) spell, second option.
5 Greater Healing potion
No Test required.
As the Surge (Sapphire) spell. No Test
6 Surge potion
required.

Potions of Mystic Energy

Roll Name Effect
As the Stone Stance (Earth) martial arts tech-
1 Stony Earth potion
nique.
2 Blood Iron potion As the Iron Stance (Metal) technique.
3 Flowing Water potion As the Flowing Stance (Water) technique.
As the Graceful Dodge (Soaring Heron)
4 Graceful Heron potion
technique.
Cures one disease. At GM’s discretion, a Test
5 Cure Disease potion
(Standard or otherwise) may be required.
As the Bridge Troll Regeneration Trait. After
6 Troll Heart potion each healing, roll a d6. On a 1, the effect is
exhausted.

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.

4 Glacial Mind poison As the Glacial Mind (Diamond) spell.

As the Fiery Claw Strike (Fire) martial arts

5 Fiery Claw poison
technique.
Like the Dim Mak (Crimson Death) technique,
the first attack with this poison does no
6 Dim Mak poison
additional damage. But a second successful
attack in the same round does 3 damage.

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.

4. Overriding Emotion poison: As the Emotional Override spell

(p. 33).

5. Aura Blighting poison: As the Aura Blight spell (p. 34).

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.

Contact: Alchemists may Test with Advantage to apply poison to a weapon.

Failure means the dose is wasted. During the next combat, any time the weap-
on does damage to a living target, Test with Disadvantage. Success means that
poison takes effect, 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

2. Gorgon’s Gaze bomb

3. Fevered Mind bomb

4. Submersion bomb

5. Pan-Catalytic bomb: Delicately balanced suspension of four al-

chemical metals. Has no effect on its own, but initiates a “tactical
burst” when combined with any of the above alchemical primers.
Note: Unlike alchemical ammunition, exceptional success is
not required for a pan-catalytic 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.)

Even more Schools

You can, of course, create additional Schools of Alchemy, either from
scratch or by adapting Draughts from spells or magic items such as those
found in this book. For example, you might look at the 6 Magic Cloaks
(from Chapter 5: Beastspeaker) and be inspired to create 6 Potions of
Beastly Nature. Or you might take the 6 Dungeon Crawl Cantrips (from
Chapter 12: Spell-Touched) and make 6 new Potions of Hidden Darkness.

There is no school, however, that specializes in the study of Elixirs. These

are simply too rare and powerful, and each one must be researched indi-
vidually.

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.

Above all, it is imperative that Elixirs should be carefully fitted to the

campaign, since their introduction can literally be a game­changer. Here
are some examples:

Elixir of Awakening: Permanently grants to inanimate objects one or

more properties of living things, such as speech, knowledge, sense, or
movement. For each use, grant one prop­erty. Then roll 1d6. On a roll of
1, the elixir is used up (in other words, it has 1 Depletion Point).

Elixir of Inspiration: Allows the user to summon and communicate

with angels or other helpful and wise messengers from the celestial
spheres.

Elixir of Panacea: Cures all diseases and poisons, whether natural or

magical in origin, for a single person. Or, cures a single disease or poi-
son affecting a large number of people.

Elixir of Restoration: Restores one dead sapient to life

(works much more reliably and effectively on the recent-
ly dead).

Elixir of Royal Solution: Dissolves anything to its

component elements, even magical items.

Elixir of Transmutation: Changes the metal in

ordinary items (such as weapons and armor) into
one of four alchemical metals, each of which grants
unique and marvelous benefits to those who hold
them (see below).
Optional Rule: When your alchemical item is cre-
ated, choose one of the four elements (Air, Water,
Earth, Fire) to Test with Advantage against, and
one to Test with Disadvantage against.

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.

When does your alchemical metal glow?

1. At night 2. At will 3. Continually

4. In the presence 5. After being 6. Whenever in

of Enemies exposed to sun/ contact with the
moon/star light wielder’s skin

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.

R andom Demonic Traits

Roll Trait

1 Horns of Undying (as Bridge Troll Regeneration Trait, TD2e, p. 47)

2 Fangs of Venom (as Giant Spider Poisoned Bite Trait, TD2e, p. 51)

Tail of Swiping (as Gallimimus Tail Swipe Trait, TD2e, p. 62).

3
Your tail is also prehensile.

Wings of Flying (as Hatchling Dragon Flight Heritage Trait,

4
TDHE, p. 26)

5 Scales of Flame (as Fire Giant Fire-wreathed Trait, TD2e, p. 49)

6 Tongue of Decay (as Draco-lich Necrotic Breath Trait, TD2e, p. 48)

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.

R andom Demonic Curses

Roll Curse Roll Curse

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.

Gluttony: Something about your eating habits is deeply disturbing. Test

with Disadvantage on all attempts to charm, influence, persuade, lead.
Overrides but does not replace the Charismatic Trait.

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).

Sloth: Complete disinterest in everything, especially doing things. Any-

one attempting to bribe, threaten, or inspire you to act must Test with
Disadvantage. And no matter your Initiative Test result, you go last.

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.

M agic Items for A lchemists

Astral Ampoule: Ornate crystal phial. Free Test with Disadvantage
when targeted by Psionic Gift or Talent to capture the psychic energy.
Can consume later as a draught.

Birch Brain: Wooden canteen. Grants access to 2-6 stored alchemical

recipes. Placing it to the lips may cause your mind to swap places with
the one currently trapped inside.

Key Pot: Tightly lidded porcelain jar. Alchemist pouring in a draught

speaks a key word. Lid only opens when the key word is spoken again.

Roc Flute: Long hollow tube, made of

wing bone of a giant bird. Test with Ad-
vantage when mixing draughts inside it
for all recipes related to birds, death, or
flight.

Torrid Spout: Flagon made from a drag-

on’s horn. As an action, sublimate one
draught stored inside and release a cloud
of alchemical vapor with area effect.

Unfailing Cruse: Apparently ordinary

earthenware jug, but if you look inside
you see no bottom. Draughts stored in-
side it have depletion points instead of
doses.

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.

But I Don’t Use Prestige Traits!

Prestige Traits are an optional rule in Tiny Dungeon 2e, and
you might be one of the GMs who opt not to use them in
their campaigns. You might also be playing a different
TinyD6 game that doesn’t even talk about Prestige Traits
as an option. So what can you do with all these Magical
Disciplines in this chapter? To start with, try giving out
the spells as Scrolls to Spell Reader adventurers . . . or
their Enemies. Many of them would also work as traps,
or artifacts. You might even repurpose them as Traits.
Do whatever works for your game world!

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.

Nature-based M agical Disciplines

Different biomes have different arcane resonances, and accordingly evolve
different methods for manipulating the local natural and supernatural en-
ergies. Each of the following Magical Disciplines grows out of a distinct
natural environment (as does Rime Magic, from Thule: Adventures in
the Arctic).
Your GM might declare that these are available to anyone with the pre-
requisite Traits, or rule that they can only be taken by mages with some
connection to an appropriate location. They could even be tied more nar-
rowly to one specific place or people (in which case, maybe change the
name). Talk to your GM—the two of you might end up doing some fun
world-building.

Optional Rule: Deep Knowledge

Once (and only once) you may take a Magical Discipline you have already taken
before. You Test one step better (either 2d6 instead of 1d6, or 3d6 instead of
2d6) with every spell in that Discipline.

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

ster from the chthonic depths. Creature arrives in 1d3 rounds to

the zone of your choice, and may be hostile to you as well as your
Enemies.

♦ Hungry Fungus: Test to give a target a ravenous fungal infesta-

tion that devours all non-living organic matter, such as clothing,
backpacks, leather boots and armor, wooden implements, etc.
On the target’s every turn, one random item will be destroyed;
target may (as an Action) make a Save Test to prevent the infes-
tation from spreading further.

♦ Luminous Beings: Test to cause one or more living creatures

to glow with an inner light for 1d6 hours.

Dune Magic
Allows you to tap into the shimmering, sun-drenched power of the piti-
less, empty desert.

♦ Carpet Ride: Test to cause a carpet to carry you in flight, or to

perform aerial feats.

♦ Locust Swarm: Test with Disadvantage to summon a sorcer-

ous swarm of starving locusts to bite your target. Target
takes 1 Hit Point of damage and loses an Action.

♦ Occult Oasis: Test to create an oasis with suf-

ficient water for 2d6 humanoids which will
persist for 2d6 hours. The first drink re-
stores 3 HP. Spell can be cast once per
day.

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.

♦ Dryadic Sanctuary: Test to take refuge inside a nearby sturdy

tree. While inside, you heal one additional damage per hour.

♦ Fervid Rite: Test to cause a single target to dance ecstatically

through the flora for 1d3 turns, forgoing all other actions. Tar-
get may attempt a Save Test when the spell is cast, and at the start
of each turn. Further, during each turn that the target dances, a
secondary target in the same zone (or adjacent zone) will likewise
be affected.

♦ Green Mind: Test to use the col-

lective intelligence of the forest to
gain an insight into the location of a
person, place, or thing within the wood.
On a critical failure, you can not cast this
spell in this wood again for 1d6+1 days.

♦ Pollen Blast: Test with Disadvantage to

surround a target’s head in a fog of sneeze-
inducing allergens, reducing them to a sin-
gle Action for 1d3 turns.

31
 Plains Magic
Trait: Archmage

Harnesses the thunderous, untamed power of vast,

sweeping grasslands.

♦ Cleansing Cyclone: Test to create a magical tor-

nado that will strip one target of all temporary enchant-
ments, or Test with Disadvantage to remove the temporary
enchantments from all Enemies in a Zone.

♦ Prairie Lightning: Test to cause a lightning bolt to lance down

upon your target. Must be under sky to cast. Does as much
damage as your lowest die rolled (unless you are compelled to
Test with Disadvantage, in which case it does 1 damage).

♦ Sea of Grass: Test to summon a magical canoe that will trans-

port you and 1d6+1 other friendly humanoids across grasslands
as if they were water.

♦ Spirit Stampede: Test with Disadvantage to summon an invis-

ible herd of spectral beasts to trample your enemies. Pick a zone,
and at the end of the round all creatures still there are knocked
prone and take 1 damage from the stampede.

Heritage M agical Disciplines

Just as with different places, different peoples tend to develop different
ways of wizarding. The following Magical Disciplines are built on the
thaumaturgical practices and traditions of particular Heritages.

By default, each of these Schools is open only to those of the specified

Heritage. However, it is also possible to imagine worlds in which these
can be taught to those of other cultures—or even in which these Magi-
cal Disciplines have either lost the connection to their original Heritage
or perhaps were never really connected in the first place (see: french
fries, french dressing, french bread). So check with your GM.

Stahlbaerd School of Magic

A powerful occult discipline developed by mages of Karhu and Dwarf
Heritage.

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.

♦ Shattering Embrace: Test to seize a target in melee range in a

brawny arcane hug, breaking all enchantments (ongoing mag-
ical effects) and doing 1 damage if desired.

Lagartine School of Magic

A slippery-minded discipline of preternatural power used by Lizardfolk
and Salimar mages.

♦ Fascinating Distraction: Your tail falls off. Test to cloud the

minds of your Enemies, causing them to attack your wriggling
tail instead of you until your next turn. One use per day, while
your tail grows back.

♦ Fluid dynamism: Test to magically mimic the abil-

ities of your ancient marine ances-
tors, letting you breathe, see,
and move normally underwa-
ter for 1d6 hours.
♦ Emotional Override: Test with
Disadvantage to unleash an over-
whelming flood of stress hormones
in the brain of a warm-­blooded target,
causing either senseless flight or unrea-
soning rage.

33
 ♦ Regeneration Trigger: Test to activate a living creature’s un-
Trait: Archmage

tapped capacity for rapid self- repair, allowing them to heal 1

damage per turn for 1d6 turns. May be attempted on any tar-
get only once per day.

Golamora School of Magic

A sly and tricksome discipline of eerie magic mastered by mages of Fey
and Goblin Heritage.

♦ Aura Blight: Test to perform a spectral attack on a mortal tar-

get’s soul, causing them to lose access to one random Trait until
1d6 sunrises. Test with Disadvantage to choose the Trait. Only
one target at a time may be blighted.

♦ Elfin Fade: Test to disappear completely from sight. Test with

Disadvantage to either hide from all natural senses or to hide
yourself and one or two companions you are touching.

♦ Faerie Favor: Test to charm a sapient creature into performing

a single simple task for you. Task may not directly harm the
target. A successful Save Test by the target restores free will,
but the target will still suffer Disadvantage on any Test against
you until next moonrise.

♦ Ley Line: Test to identify a nearby (within

bowshot) current of arcane power. For the next
1d6+1 turns, you gain automatic Focus on all
magical attacks if you are standing on
the current.

Arborynth School Magic

A verdant and vital discipline
of thaumaturgy cultivated by
Treefolk mages.

♦ Night Breath: Test with Dis-

advantage to puff out a magi-
cally concentrated blast of car-

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.

♦ Red Sap: Test to temporarily modify your physiology, allowing

you to be healed by a Healer (and similar magics) for 5 minutes
or until the end of combat.

♦ Root and Branch: Test to wrap an inanimate object up to twice

your size in spectral roots that will destroy it over 1d6 turns. Test
with Disadvantage to hold an undead or magically animated
target and do 1 damage per turn for 1d6 turns.

Utilis School of Magic

A flexible sorcerous discipline engineered by mages of Human Heritage.
Unlike other Magical Disciplines, the Utilis School grants only three
spells. However, they may be chosen from any other discipline, includ-
ing Heritage disciplines.

Necromantic M agical Disciplines

The following expand on the Magical Discipline of Necromancy (TZ 23,
pp. 4-5), although Necromancy is not a prerequisite for any of them.
Many people are horrified by necromancy and consider it evil, so be
sure to ask your GM before you take a necromantic Magical Discipline.

Bone Magic
A necromantic discipline that concentrates
on skeletons and bones.

♦ Ivory Tickles: Test to separate one

of your bony appendages (finger,
foot, etc.) and command it as an
undead servant. Each command
requires a Test.

35
 ♦ Boney Buddy: Test to summon a skeletal beast (as the Animal
Trait: Archmage

Companions on TD2e p. 72-3, but with half HP and no Traits

from the player character list).

♦ Stone Marrow: Test to give 3 HP of temporary bone armor to

yourself or one undead target. Or, give 1 HP to as many as six
undead targets.

♦ Skull Bomb: Test to detonate the cranium of one skeleton (Close,

Near, or Far). Every creature within 10 feet, hostile or not, must
make a successful Save Test or take 1 damage from bone shrap-
nel.

Carrion Magic
A discipline of necromancy centered around flesh and undeath.

♦ Doom of the Risen: Test with Disadvantage to curse a living

sapient to rise as your silent servant after death. Target may
attempt a Save Test if desired. Targets who die in presence of
the caster rise with half HP in 1d6 turns;
otherwise they rise with full HP at the
next midnight. Only one target may
be Doomed at a time.

♦ Ghoulish Hunger: Test to bite

a humanoid target and consume
some of their flesh. This does 1
damage to your target, and either
heals you 1 damage or lets you do 1 additional damage on your
next bite attack.

♦ Necrotize Flesh: Test to turn a target’s body part necrotic,

doing 1 damage. When you have necrotized 3 or more body
parts, you may attempt to command the target as an undead
servant.

♦ Summon Zombie: Test to summon a walking corpse to do your

bidding. This zombie has 1 HP (TD2e, p.57) and 1 Undead Trait
(TZ 7, p. 10) and will follow simple commands until destroyed or
dismissed.

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).

♦ Shade Throw: Test with Disadvantage to have Shades hurl your

target into a patch of dark shadow anywhere in the Near or Far
Zones. Target takes 1 damage and becomes Umbral for a turn.

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.

♦ Dark Kinship: Test to

have a single Undead
Enemy recognize you and
your magic as kin, and to
refrain from attacking you.
Effect lasts for 1d6 hours, or
until you attack.

37
 ♦ Mummy’s Curse: Test to lay a curse on your target. Only one
Trait: Archmage

of your curses can be in force at a time. Curse endures until one

of you dies. Every night, the cursed one must make a successful
Save Test or be haunted by you in dreams, getting no rest. During
this torment, you know the cursed one’s location unerringly.
♦ Night Wolf: Test to transform yourself or another target into
a Werewolf (only silver and magic attacks affect you; you attack
mindlessly with your natural weapons). Sunrise or sunlight in-
stantly dispels.
♦ Reverse Life: Test with Disadvantage to reverse the body’s heal-
ing processes for yourself or another target. Target is healed by
damage, and damaged by healing, until the end of combat, or for
1d6 minutes outside of combat.

For the GM: More Disciplines

If you want more Magical Disciplines than the ones presented here, good
news! You have options! First, there are micro-settings (The Forge, Thule)
with Magical Disciplines which may work just as well in your campaign world
as in their intended settings.

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.

Ghost Lizard: Lingering spirit of deceased Lizardfolk, drawn to warmth

and passion.

HP Traits

Incorporeal: Ghosts have no bodies and can only be dam-

aged by magic.
1
(Fodder) Energy drain: Once per turn, Test 1d6 to attack a living sa-
pient feeling strong emotions. Target loses 1 Hit Point and
must make a Save Test or lose 1 Action.

Ghoulimar: Like the corpse of a Salimar, but with enormous gaping

jaws, too full of teeth.

HP Traits

Hideous hunger: Test to bite for 1 damage. Test with

Disadvantage to bite for 1 damage and swallow a
2 gob of flesh, giving you 1 additional Hit Point.
(Low) Pyrophage (or Cryophage): Feeding on burned (or
frozen) flesh gives you the benefits of the Berserker
Trait for 6 rounds.

39
 Grizz Lich: Undead Karhu mage fueled by unholy magics. Often found
Trait: Archmage

leading other undead.

HP Traits

Archmage: 1d3 Magical Disciplines

Diehard

Educated

Immortal: Can only be permanently killed if the phylactery

storing its soul is destroyed.

Insightful

Jewel Claws: Claws and teeth replaced by jagged, beautiful

gem shards. Test 3d6 to do 2 damage.
15
(Solo) Nose for Magic: When facing spellcasters, sniff them out
automatically. Make a Save Test to catch the scent of spell-
casters that are invisible or otherwise hidden nearby.

Spell-Touched and/or Spell Reader

Strong

Undead Minions: Test to summon 1d3

ghosts, skeletons, zombies, etc.

Well Prepared: Has 1d3 magical items,

potions, or weapons.

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.

Locust Swarm: As the Dune Magic spell, but Test 2d6.

Mummy’s Curse: As the Scourge Magic spell, but Test with

Advantage.

Rise Again: Unless spells chiseled into tomb walls preserv-

ing ka and ba are ruined.

Sickle sword: Test to attack with razor sharp khopesh,

9 doing 2 damage.
(Heroic)
Spell Catcher: Test 1d6 immediately any time a spell is cast
in your presence. On a successful Test, you have caught the
spell and may inscribe it into the walls of your tomb either
as a trap or as a scroll for your own use.

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

Heart of Darkness: When in shadow, Test to recover 2

HP. No healing in sunlight.

Inky Incorporeal: Can only be harmed by magic, or by

Umbral beings.
3
(Medium) Pitch Black: Test to project supernatural darkness as a
Ranged Weapon, either extinguishing a light source or
dropping a target into occult shadows for 1 turn.

Shadow Stabbing: Attack a target in shadow for 1 damage

(2 for Umbral targets).

Vampire Dwarf: Cursed creatures risen from the dead to seek the blood
of the living.

HP Traits

Blood Drinker: Test to do 1 bite damage to target, restore

1 Hit Point to yourself.

Deathless: When reduced to 0 HP, collapse into a heap of

naked mole rats and flee.

Eyeless Sight: Blind, but perceive surroundings. Some-

times have stone eyes.
7
(High) Immunities: Unharmed by ordinary weapons. Test 1d6 to
shrug off magical attacks.

Opportunist

Vulnerabilities: Test with Disadvantage when in contact

with garlic.. Hurt by holy water. Double damage from fire.
Stake through heart immobilizes. Only permanently de-
stroyed by sunlight.

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.

♦ Emerald Shillelagh. Knotty blackthorn stick, brilliant green in

color. When held, grants a Grove Magic practitioner automatic
Focus on spells cast under living boughs.

♦ 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.

♦ People’s Umbrella. Black umbrella with handle carved in the

shape of a sapient. When you hold it open, you can cast spells
from the appropriate Heritage Discipline.

♦ Rod of Discipline. One of several enchanted hickory switches.

Anyone beat with one gains permanent access to a single magical
Discipline. Can be used only once.

♦ Spiny Sceptre. The backbone of a sapient with a straight steel

rod running through it. While holding it, every skeleton you
summon starts with the Tough Trait.

For the GM: Stronger Undead

More powerful undead Enemies will often have ad-
ditional Traits, including magical Traits. They may
also have special Undead Traits (TZ 7, p. 10; TZ 11, p.
19) or, in the case of Shades or Ghosts, Traits for
Familiars (from Chapter 7: Familiars).

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

is work for you to do.”

Anda’s eyebrows pushed halfway up her forehead. Forbidden City? Dan-
gerous. Her magic was bone-white, but her human ancestry was a black mark
against her. She’ d be killed if they sussed her out.
“Best if they don’t, then.” Anda smiled and opened the bottom drawer on
her toolbox, retrieving three other artifacts: a folded white kimono, and two
earrings set with small fire opals. As she donned the kimono, her appearance
instantly changed to that of a pale, translucent ghost with no legs or feet. And
when she put on the earrings, cold spirit flames appeared on either side of her,
flickering through a silent dance.
She opened the top of the toolbox to examine herself in the polished steel
interior of the lid. “I do look a right yurei, bloody oath.” With one last glance
around the workroom, she nodded to herself and then patted her toolbox
fondly on the side.
“Come on, then, mate. She’ ll be all right.”
The toolbox snapped its lid shut and pulled in its open drawer. For a
moment, it bumped and rattled around atop the workbench, until four
long, stork-like brass legs sprouted from the bottom corners, and it stepped
off the bench.
With a smile, Anda turned to address the Coglet, now waiting on the
floor by the door.
“Ready. Let’s have a crack.”
The scorpion scuttled out underneath the door, and Anda strode out
after it.

Putting M agic in Items

Fantasy roleplaying is full of magic items—weapons, armor, rings that
turn you invisible, brooms that let you fly. Did you ever wonder who
made them all? Or, more importantly, how you can make your own?
With its minimalist approach, Tiny Dungeon 2e lets you find your own
answer to these questions. And if that works for you, great! But if you
really like crafting, and want some ideas about how to bring that into
your game, read on.
Artificers craft artifacts. In other words, they put the magic in the magic
items. And then they can use them, sell them, or share them with friends
and allies. These veritable factories of magic work well as PCs or NPCs,
depending on what kind of game you want to play.

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.

More magic items

If you’re looking for inspiration for your own magical inventions, try perusing
the following:

♦ The Tiny Dungeon 2e Treasure Deck

♦ The Southern Cross Trading Company Catalog, Vol. 1

♦ “Magic Gear” (TZ 3, p. 6)

♦ “Roll-and-Play: Tiny Magic Items” (TZ 6, pp. 3-6)

♦ “New Magical Relics” (TZ 13, pp. 13-15

♦ “Tiny Arcana” (TZ 16, pp. 7-9)

♦ “Tiny Trinkets Part 1” (TZ 26, pp. 26-29)

♦ “Tiny Trinkets Part 2” (TZ 27, pp. 11-15)

♦ “Artful Artefacts,” (TZ 29, pp. 14-19)

Why M ake A rtifacts?

Artifacts reproduce known spells or magical effects—known in this case
usually meaning known to the Artificer. So why even make artifacts?
Why not just cast the spell?

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.”

Another reason to make artifacts is to sell them. Some players like to

handwave economics away. Nothing wrong with that. This is fantasy,

47
Trait: Artificer

For the GM: How much does it cost?

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but what about a free Spell Trinket? Every
campaign handles money differently, with some meticulously accounting for
every copper coin and others treating wealth as an abstract Trait. So this is
going to vary a lot, but making a new magic item should probably cost some-
thing.

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.

New Traits and Prestige Trait

Artificer: Time to make the glow rods. With time and materials, you can
make artifacts—magic items that reproduce known spells and magical
effects. A successful Test consumes the materials and produces an ex-
pendable artifact usable by any caster.

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.

Playing Well with Other Traits

Artificers typically create items that reproduce
magical effects of Traits they already possess.
This works well with Song Traits, Bard
Charms, Spell-Touched Cantrips, the Spells of
an Archmage, and Psionic Gifts and Talents.
However, not all magical Traits can be repro-
duced by artifacts, even if the Artificer
possesses the Trait. A Spell-Reader’s Scrolls
are already a kind of artifact, in that they are

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!

Common A rtifact Types

Spell Trinket: Reproduces the effects of a single Spell-Touched Cantrip.
Requires the Spell-Touched Trait to craft.
Charm Trinket: Reproduces the effects of a single bardic Charm. Re-
quires Master Performer or Spellsinger to craft.
Psi Trinket: Reproduces the effects of a single Psionic Gift. Requires the
Psionic Adept Trait to craft.
Spirit Talisman: Summons an animal
to aid you. Often carved in the shape of
an animal (Destiny of Tides, p. 69). Re-
quires the Beastspeaker or Shaman Trait
to craft.
Healing Talisman: There are three types
of these Talismans: those that cure dis-
ease, those that cure poison, and those
that heal 3 damage. Only a single effect
can be imbued into any given individu-
al artifact. Requires the Healer Trait to
craft.

51
 Trait Talisman: Reproduces the effect of a single non-magical Trait. Re-
Trait: Artificer

quires the appropriate Trait to craft.

Spell Artifact: Reproduces the effect of a single Archmage Spell. Re-

quires the appropriate Magical Discipline to craft.

Spellsong Artifact: Reproduces the effect of a single bardic Spellsong

or Song Trait. Requires the appropriate Trait to craft.

Psi Artifact: Reproduces the effect of a single Psionic Talent. Requires

the appropriate Talent to craft.

Chi Artifact: Reproduces the effect of a single Martial Arts Technique.

Requires the Grandmaster Trait.

A djusting the Roll

Not all artifacts are created equal, and so not all artifacts are created with
equal ease. If you want to craft something particularly powerful, it will
be harder to create. And there are also ways to make your job easier. The
table below offers guidelines on choices that make your Artificer’s job
easier or harder.

Guidelines on Crafting Difficulty

Easier Typical Harder

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.

Your GM might have you Test with Advantage or Disadvantage on your

roll. You might also get the benefit of Focus (success on 4-6), or be asked
to make a Legendary roll (success only on a 6). Or you might be required
to make multiple rolls for success (“Okay, you’ve got the enchantment in
the sword. But if you want it to be permanent, you’re going to need to
roll again.”). Your GM might even rule that you can’t do this on your
own, but it might be possible with Teamwork (TinyZine 10, p. 15).

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.

Using Focus Out of Combat

Focus was designed to be used in com-
bat for attack rolls (TD2e, p. 10). But an expanded use of Focus may be
appropriate for other situations in which (1) additional time to prepare be-
fore a Test could help, and (2) time is strictly limited, so the sacrifice of an
Action is meaningful. When in doubt, ask your GM if using Focus would be ap-
propriate.

53
 Animated Object: An ordinary object temporarily brought to life by
Trait: Artificer

magic. Small objects (broom, torch, curtains, glove) may be treated as

Fodder. Larger objects (bed, door, throne, treasure chest) might be Low
or Medium threat.

HP Traits

As appropriate, such as Constrict (see Giant Snake, TD2e,

1-3
p. 50) for ropes commanded to hold all who come near. Or
(Variable)
Fleet of Foot for a four-legged table used as a steed.

Animus (created by Mark Parish): This

is a creature of energy that builds a physi-
cal body out of whatever inanimate mate-
rial is nearby in order to attack its prey. For
example, on a cobblestone city street the
cobblestones might coalesce into a rough-
ly humanoid creature, about 7 feet tall. Since
they build their bodies from inanimate mate-
rial, they are frequently mistaken for golems. But
unlike golems they serve no master and are mali-
cious and intelligent creatures.

HP Traits

Unkillable: While the constructed body of an Animus

may be “killed” by depleting it’s HP to zero, this merely
means the Animus no longer has the energy to hold the
body together and may not make another body for 24 hours.
But the Animus itself is unharmed.
5
(Medium) Two or three Traits of the GM’s choice that make sense
with the material the Animus used to construct its body.
For example, if the body is made of stone it may have the
Strong and Tough Traits. If the body is made of dirt and
dust, it may get a 1d6 Evade without taking an Evade
Action.

54
Coglet: Clockwork automatons that act as remote proxies for spellcasters.

Trait: Artificer
HP Traits

Remote Proxy: A Coglet’s sensory perceptions are linked to

someone else who may be far away. The Coglet may also be
able to speak with the principal’s voice.
2
(Low) Arcane Node: If the Coglet is linked to a spellcaster, the spell-
caster will be able to use one or more magical Traits (such as
Spell-Touched) or spells from one or more Magical Disci-
plines, as if the spellcaster were in the Coglet’s place.

Creeper: A small object in the shape of a living thing—such as a doll,

statuette, or stuffed animal—brought to life by magic.

HP Traits

Agility (as Goblin Agility, TD2e, p. 28)

Jump Scare: If the Construct is alone with another sapient be-
2
ing, it can Test with Advantage to force its target to cower or
(Low)
flee unless the target makes a successful Save Test.

Vigilant

Pseudipede: Magically animated figure of an animal large and sturdy

enough to ride. May be fashioned of clay, ivory, metal, plaster, stone,
wood, etc.

HP Traits

Fleet of Foot

Impervious to Pain: Test with Disadvantage whenever suc-

cessfully hit by an enemy. If the Test is successful, ignore 1
point of damage.
6
(High) Maul or Crushing Blow (TD2e, p. 73)

Tireless: Pseudipedes need no sleep and can run as long as

their riders can endure the saddle. A successful Test once per
day allows them to move double the normal maximum dis-
tance of a living mount.

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

Armored (as Ankylosaurus, TD2e p. 58).

Assault and Battering: Test 3d6 to do 1 structural damage to

castle gates or other obstacles.

Clay Soldiers: As an action, open mouth and scoop up earth

and other materials, including fallen soldiers, etc. On a subse-
25
quent turn, lift tail and Test 3d6 to deploy 1 Heroic construct,
(Epic)
2 High Threat constructs, or 3 Medium constructs.

Skedaddle: Once per day, Test to move 50 feet straight ahead,

making a Trample attack against any targets in your path.

Massive Trample: As an Action, Test 1d6 three times to hit

1-3 Close targets, doing 2 damage with each hit.

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

Simulacra start with the Construct and Impervious to Pain

Heritage Traits.

Construct: You don’t eat, sleep, or breathe. Conventional

Healing does not work on you, but a Standard Test by any-
one with the Spell-Touched Trait (or the Animancy Disci-
5
pline) will heal 2 damage. (Depending on the material from
which you are constructed, Blacksmith might also work.)

Impervious to Pain: Test with Disadvantage whenever suc-

cessfully hit by an enemy. If the Test is successful, ignore 1
point of damage.

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

persuade his hands to open up another half-inch.

“She needs you, Robert.”
Bob sighed. “I know.” And what Miyuki wants, Miyuki gets. He strummed
a final A7 chord and looked up at the devil. Red as a beet, but she sure was
cute.
“Time for movin’ on?” the devil asked, impishly.
Bob grunted a laugh, whistled the devil into his lute, stood up, and kicked
his shoes against the log to knock off the river mud.
“Time for movin’ on.”

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.

Although it is not a Prestige Trait, the Master Performer Trait is only

available to characters who also have the Bard Trait. This is because
Master Performers are Bards and use bardic magic.

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.

As with the magic of the Spell-Touched, the effects

produced by Charms tend to be subtle. Unlike those
spells, or a Bard’s Song Traits, performing a Charm re-
quires two or three min- utes of time, instead of a single
Action. However, its ef- fects can linger for quite a while—
usually several minutes, but sometimes (at
GM’s discretion) hours to days. Listen-
ers can only be affect- ed by one
Charm at a time, though,
so succeeding in applying
a new Charm will erase the
old one.

61
 Sample Charms
Trait: Bard

Master Performers can alter moods in myriad ways, so

no list of Charms can be exhaustive. But the
following should give players (and GMs) a
good idea of the sorts of effects that can be
produced by bardic magic.
♦ Alert. Warns listeners about a par-
ticular threat. Listeners gain the
benefit of either the Perceptive or
Vigilant Trait (Bard’s choice) when
confronted with this threat.
♦ Attune. Gives clarity and purpose
to listeners, who can make their
next Test with the benefit of Focus.
♦ Dispel. Helps listeners to see through illusion and break through
harmful enchantments. Listeners may make a Save Test.
♦ Distract. Listeners become engrossed in the Bard’s song, and
Test with Disadvantage to notice or perceive anything else.
♦ Enchant. The attitude of listeners toward the Bard improves. The
Bard’s next failed attempt to convince or influence them can be
re-rolled (as a Standard Test).
♦ Popularize. Listeners learn the song and will repeat it, making it
well known in the area. The song’s message may even be believed
(the simpler the message, the more likely).
Remember, since a Bard’s music can affect great numbers of people at
once, the effects on any one individual listener in a crowd tend to be
small or subtle (but GMs may allow these effects to be more powerful
when a Bard is performing for an audience of one).

Optional Rule: Combat Charms

Charms are written as subtle magic capable of affecting large audiences over
the course of a few minutes of musical performance. In combat you may not
have minutes. So if you want to use your bardic magic in seconds, you will
need to concentrate your powers much more narrowly. To do this, take a Focus
action and then Test with Disadvantage to Charm a single target.
 Fighting Bards

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.

However, Bards aren’t as flimsy and flailing

in Tiny Dungeon as they are in some other
game systems. Here, Bards aren’t hampered
by lower hit points, since those are deter-
mined by Heritage. Bards have the same
chance to hit as every other character (de-
termined by whether you are using a Profi-
cient or Mastered weapon) and are not restricted
in their choice of weapon. But even if your Bard
uses throwing knives instead of a maul or a (ha
ha!) bardiche, it doesn’t matter because virtually
every attack in the game does 1 damage.

Finally, in Tiny Dungeon, being a Bard doesn’t

preclude you being something else. It’s just one
of your four (or more) Traits. There is, of course, always an opportunity
cost. But if you want to be a singing combat monster, go right ahead.
Take Bard, Berserker, Cleave, and Diehard. Be a woad-painted High-
land barbarian with Claymore and bagpipes. Go nuts!

Optional Rule: Emotional Combat

Another way to think of the influence that bardic magic has on the moods of
listeners is to treat it as a kind of emotional combat. In this approach, Bards
attack moods.

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.”

Since bardic magic is at its core emotional, are

Lizardfolk characters able to take the Bard and
Master Performer Traits? This is up to the GM.
To some, a resistance to emotional influence
may seem no more a problem for a Bard than
resistance to heat and flame would be for a fire-
breathing dragon. Others may rule that Lizard-
folk are unable to use bardic magic, and may
even wish to compensate them by declaring
that they are not just resistant to its effects
but immune.

Another option is to declare that just as there are Py-

rothermic and Cryothermic Salimar, there are also Cold-
Blooded and Hot-Blooded Lizardfolk. Those with the
Hot-Blooded Heritage Trait are more apt to be influ-
enced by appeals to emotion (granting Advantage), but also have a greater
aptitude for emotion-based bardic magic (gaining automatic Focus).

Optional Rule: Instruments

Bards Test with Advantage when performing mundane music with any
instrument, but what about Master Performers and their magical ability
to influence or alter listeners’ moods?

One option is to let Master Performers choose a

specific instrument they have Mastered, and give
them Advantage on their charm Tests when using
that instrument. They are also Proficient with
instruments in that same category (e.g., Winds,
Strings, Percussion), allowing them to Test 2d6
on charms with those instruments. When attempt-

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.

Optional Rule: Battling with bands

Most parties of Adventurers will have, at most, one Bard. But Bards
sometimes adventure together in bands, for three reasons. First, mem-
bers of the band can use Teamwork rules (TZ 10, p. 15) to negate Dis-
advantage, grant Advantage on a roll, or grant a reroll. Second, a band
playing together can evoke Charm effects as soon at least four successful
Tests have been rolled. Third, and finally, band members can help sus-
tain Song Traits (or Spellsongs), even if they don’t know the song.

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.

Spellsinger: Musick has charms to soothe a savage breast . . . You are a

musician who uses bardic magic to subtly influence and even alter the
moods and attitudes of those who hear your songs. To take this Trait,
you must have a musical Family Trade (e.g., harper, troubadour, fiddler,
minstrel, drummer, etc.).

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.

♦ Like a Hurricane: The notes of your

song howl out like a devastating wind,
buffeting all enemies in the area for 1 damage
each. A successful Test each round sustains.

♦ My Hero: Stirred and inspired by your moving

music, all allies within the sound of your voice get one
bonus Action to use any time they choose before the
end of combat, even if they have been reduced to 0 HP.
♦ Nature’s Son: Mother Earth hears your plea,
bending tree limbs to seize your enemies, or
softening the stone so they sink into it like mud.
Test with Disadvantage on Save Tests to escape.

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.

♦ Axe of Shredding: Strange, flat guitar shaped like a battle axe.

Test to play an ear-splitting screech. All Enemies hearing the
sound are unable to Evade or use Traits such as Goblin Agility,
Defender, Drunken Master, etc. for one turn.

♦ Gong of Shattering: Night Iron tam-tam two paces wide. Once

a day, strike it as an Action to break any enchantment, magical
effect, or ongoing spell within hearing range.

♦ Horn of Plenteous Projectiles: Straight imperial tuba of fine

steel. Put your lips to the mouthpiece and blow to launch a
magical fruit or vegetable at your target, doing 1 damage. Can
use either a Ranged Weapon proficiency such as blowpipe or a
musical Trait such as Master Performer for the Test. Does not
run out of ammunition.

♦ Lyre of Lullabyes: Has seven strings and a turtle-shell soundbox.

Once per day, test to instantly Distract hearers with a fascinating
ballad. Targets remain charmed so long as the caster takes no
damage and succeeds on at least one Test per turn. If the player
succeeds on two Tests in a single turn, distracted hearers fall
asleep unless they make a Save Test.

♦ Organ of Grinding: Barrel organ anyone can play by turning

the crank (as an Action). Each organ is built to play a single
Archmage spell as a Song Trait or Spellsong.

♦ Pipes of Battle: Bag with blowstick, drone, and two chanters.

Test to give all friendly listeners the Resolute Trait for one turn.
A critical failure means all hearers, allies and Enemies alike,
make their next attack as if using the Berserker Trait.

Instrument Effects vs. Spellsongs

Most of these instruments’ effects could be converted to Spellsongs without
too much trouble, and vice-versa.
 5. Beastspeaker
BEASTSPEAKER
High above the pyramidal temple, Tuko Wallak flew in a slow circle
with three other eagles, watching the tiny figures of six Salimar priests as-
cending the massive stone steps. The first rays of the morning sun glinted off
their resplendent ceremonial regalia—elaborate feathered headdresses, as
well as a dazzling array of heavy gold jewelry set with garnets, carnelian,
jasper, and other red stones.
As always, the priests left their guards several levels below them, lest the
ritual be polluted by the inferior blood of the warrior caste. And after all,
Tuko grinned, who could possibly disturb them atop this pyramid without
passing through the guards first?
“Fluffers, Chomps, Pinchy!” Tuko cried, in the harsh, shrieking language
of eagles. “Prepare to dive!”
At this sound, the priests looked up. Although he was still high above
them, Tuko could count the frills on their gills, and hear the note of un-
certainty in the voice of one of them as she murmured, “Four eagles. What
does it mean?”
The wizened old high priest patted him on the shoulder paternally. Or
maybe grand-paternally. “They come to help us welcome the sun. It is a good
omen.”
Tuko cawed a laugh and shook his feathered head. If you want to know
what they mean, just listen to what they say!
And all around him, the eagles screamed out their fierce warning. “Run
and hide, squishy mud-crawlers! The lords of the sky are upon you!” With that,
the four of them swooped down, screaming, talons outstretched.

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.

Remember, communication is automatic, but cooperation is not. In

contrast to Archdruids, who are in complete control of their Animal
Companions, Beastspeakers can’t depend on animals leaping to obey
their every command. It’s possible, for example, to assemble your own
personal army of poisonous snakes, but it’s not a gimme. There are lim-
its.

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.

Remember: Beastspeakers’ communication

with animals is typically “very simplis-
tic.” Attempts to converse with very
small creatures with comparatively
primitive nervous systems (banana

71
 slugs, for example) are likely to be even more challenging. But as always,
Trait: Beastspeaker

the GM has the last word.

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.

New Prestige Traits

Bug-speaker
Float with the butterflies, sting with the bees. You are able to communi-
cate telepathically with insects, arachnids, and myriapods and command
them to perform simple tasks. To take this Prestige Trait, you must have
the Beastspeaker Trait.
Communicating with bugs is not automatic. So if you want to, say, use
a colony of ants to reconnoiter the next chamber of a dungeon, or com-
mand a swarm of beetles to cover you in a suit of ablative armor, you will
need to perform a successful Test. Its effectiveness is also attenuated by
distance—and by the presence of predators, etc. The GM has the final
say on whether or not what you are attempting to do is within the scope
of your abilities.
Each Bug-speaker also gets a unique attack powered by their special
connection to bugs. For example, one might have a swarm of bees that
will sting on command, until the target is dead. Another might throw a
ball of spiders trained to crawl inside the target’s mouth or nose. A third
might raise venomous centipedes that can stiffen enough to be used as
living daggers. Work with your GM to develop your attack. (And please
note that this may require your character to keep a supply of the appro-
priate bugs close at hand at all times.)

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.

72
 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.

The difficulty of such a Test is affected by at least four variables. First,

is this habitat teeming with life, or barren and desolate? Second, are you
looking for any living animal, or a particular species—or individual?
Third, does your character have any special Trait or Family Trade that
would help (Perceptive, Survival, Tracking, etc.)? Fourth, how much
time does the Beastspeaker have to look? (“Can I have Advantage if I
take the rest of the day?”) Weighing all these factors is up to the GM.

73
 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.

Note for Paladins

In Tiny Dungeon 2e, the Paladin Prestige Trait does not grant you a mount.
However, if your vision for your knight in shining armor includes a trusty
steed, you can talk to your GM about using the optional Mount rules (TD2e,
p. 83).

Your mount will not be as powerful as an Animal Companion (e.g., a horse

Mount has 3 HP and a horse Animal Companion has 8). Still, like a Hireling
(TinyZine 17, p. 14), your GM may allow your Mount to have (or develop) some
exceptional abilities.

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).

Beast found in a dungeon environment

Roll 1d6 for a column, then 1d6 for a row.
2 3 4 5 6
1 Creepy- Aquatic Cold- Warm- Exotic
Roll Insect crawly life blooded blooded Creatures
1 Termite Worm Crayfish Toad Mole-rat Giant (roll again)
Centi- Worm Poisonous (roll
2 Ant Shrimp Swiftlet
pede lizard again)
3 Cricket Snail Crab Salamander Possum Infernal (roll again)
4 Moth Spider Swamp eel Axlotol Badger Hive (roll again)
Waterfall-
Silver- Daddy Hybrid (roll again
5 climbing Gecko Hyena
fish long-legs twice)
cave fish
6 Beetle Scorpion Catfish Boa Lion Troglodyno

74
 ♦ 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.

♦ Poisonous beasts deliver toxins various ways (saliva, hollow

fangs, claws, tail stinger, vomit, via flesh when consumed). Use
the Poisoned Bite Trait (TD2e, p. 51), or simply paralyze targets
until they make a Save Test. For higher threat, try an alchemical
poison (TZ 7, p. 20).

♦ Infernal creatures typically manifest one or more of the follow-

ing: horns, sulphurous smell, forked tail, limited teleportation,
wings, 1-2 Cantrips (from Chapter 12: Spell-Touched).

♦ Hive creatures have the Hivemind Trait (TD2e, p. 92). In some

instances, they may as a group manifest intelligence or Psionic
abilities (usually Gifts; rarely a full Talent).

♦ Hybrid animals may be unique beasts or entire cryptid species.

They may be true chimerae created through magic, or merely
have characteristics reminiscent of the ‘parent’ species.

♦ Troglodynos are dwarf dinosaurs (TD2e pp. 58-69), adapted to

this food-poor environment.

Note for Archdruids

Bears and hawks and such make great Animal Companions, but there are
plenty of other beasts in the world-- and in these tables. And as long as
you’re stepping off the beaten path, why not ask your GM about using one
of the templates (perhaps as a Trait)? You might end up with something truly
unique, like a Giant Axlotl, Poisonous Capybara, or Dire Skunk.

75
 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

♦ Dire animals are mean, nasty prehistoric throwbacks. They tend

to have big fangs or claws and an extra Trait or two (Berserker,
Cleave, Diehard, Opportunist, Tough, Vigilant).
♦ Spirit animals may be ghostly or corporeal, and are actually na-
ture or ancestor Spirits in disguise. If treated with respect, they
may grant a Boon to the Beastspeaker or the party.
♦ Undead animals are usually typical Skeletons or Zombies (TD2e,
p. 56-57), but rarely (5-6 on 1d6) possess additional Hit Points
and one or more Undead Traits (TZ 7, p. 10).
♦ Faerie animals possess extraordinary beauty (or ugliness) and
one or more of the following: unearthly speed and grace, glim-
mering white appearance, spindly or feathery antennae, tiny (or
majestic) size, iridescent wings, simple bardic magic (sometimes
without audible music).
♦ Hybrid animals may be unique beasts or entire cryptid species.
They may be true chimerae created through magic, or merely
have characteristics reminiscent of the ‘parent’ species.
♦ A pegapony or ponicorn is a fat adorable mini peg-
asus or unicorn. Often emissaries of divine beings or
celestial patrons (see the Random Deity Gener-
ator in Chapter 8: Healer).

76
 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

♦ Tame animals are wild beasts (columns 1, 2, and 3) domesticat-

ed as pets, work animals, or farmed for meat, milk, wool, etc.
Feral animals are domestics (columns 4 and 5) gone wild.

♦ Transformed animals may be true lycanthropes, Beast Form

mages, Beastwalkers, sapients cursed or magicked into animal
shape, animal descendants of divine dalliances, or representa-
tives of sapient Heritages akin to Karhu, Lizardfolk, Salimar,
Lionkin, etc.

♦ Eldritch animals are warped by contact with extraplanar Out-

siders. They may have tentacles, extra or missing limbs, extra or
missing mouths/eyes/ears, gelatinous flesh, slime trails, and may
have a Madness Inducing aura or gaze (TD2e, p. 49).

♦ Umbral animals are intangible creatures of shadow, like Famil-

iars with no master.

♦ Hybrid animals may be unique beasts or entire cryptid species.

They may be true chimerae created through magic, or merely
have characteristics reminiscent of the ‘parent’ species.

♦ Wyrmlings are legless winged mini-dragons of bestial intel-

ligence. Use the random ranged attack table (from Chapter 12:
Spell-Touched) to generate a breath weapon.

77
 New Enemy
Trait: Beastspeaker

Beastwalker: Animals magically shifted into the form of sapient be-

ings. Used by evil Archmages as enforcers, guards, or assassins.

HP Traits

Shifter: As an Action, change back and forth between

a Beast Form and a sapient form.
4, 6, or 8
Raised by Wolves: Test with Disadvantage in situations
(Medium–
that require the reading of nuanced sapient social cues,
High)
such as lying or detecting lies.

Animal Traits based on Animal Type (TD2e p. 73).

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.

♦ Blanket of the Feral Beast: A crazy quilt of fur skins. Test

to transform into a Beast Form for 2d6 combat rounds. On
a Critical Fail, lose your mind and attack those for whom you
have the strongest feelings (Beastspeaker Trait allows a Save).

Note for GMs

How magical are your beasts? Every world, and every campaign, is different.
For a wild and crazy, high-magic setting, try giving every beast something
from the sixth (Special) column. For a grittier low magic or non-magical set-
ting, you might want to leave out the special stuff altogether.

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.

♦ Mantle of the Kindly Druid: Loose brown overcoat with large

bell sleeves. Test to get a beast to act as your Companion for a
night and a day (only affects one beast at a time). Requires the
Beastspeaker Trait.

♦ Smock of the Green Ally: Sewn of large, living leaves. Test to

speak to plants. Usable by Beastspeakers, Nature Shamans, or
Archmages with an Environmental Magical Discipline.

♦ Tabard of the Thinking Animal: Sleeveless coat emblazoned

with the images of various beasts, all with open mouths. Allows
you to understand and communicate with intelligent creatures
whose language you do not know. 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?”

81
 “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.

82
 ♦ 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.

♦ Like an Incantation led by a Shaman, the magic is not

just for one person. But it only takes one person to make,
and you don’t need to hit a magic number—just one
Test and a little time.

In other words, Cookpot magic, like a good meal, has

a little of everything in it. It’s also really fun, and quite
useful. So why do Halflings get to have all the fun?
Why not broaden it out for all Heritages?

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.

♦ Treefolk with the Survivalist Trait or an appropriate Family Trade

(Gardener, Dirt Farmer, Fermenter) may Test after a Cookpot meal
to identify food waste usable in composting or bokashi. Consuming
this compost will heal Treefolk 1 damage, even in darkness.

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

83
 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).

Further, Cookpot magic requires some equipment. At a minimum, a

Cookpot Adept must have a cookpot (kettle, skillet, wok, etc.), a heat
source, and a sharp blade. Without these, all Tests will be made with
Disadvantage.

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!

The following list of additional Cooking Traits should therefore be seen

as inspirational, rather than exhaustive.

For the GM: Pavlov’s Dice

You may wish to ask your players what their Cookpot Adepts are preparing for
their meal. If their answer has you salivating, feel free to award bonus points to
the pool if they succeed.

84
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.

Dragonbreath Stew: Extra spicy! Test to pre-

pare a meal that lets people breathe fire. The
dice pool is the maximum number of eat-
ers that will get fire breath. Fire breath
functions as a Spell-Touched Ranged
Magical Attack, and wears off 1 hour
after eating.
If you have the Spell-Touched Trait, fire
breath functions as the Red Dragon Fire
Breath Trait (TD2e, p. 55). After you use it,
Test 1d6. The effect wears off on a roll of 1
(or 1 hour after eating, whichever comes
first).

85
 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.

86
 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).

Medicinal Pies: They’re my grandmother’s secret recipe. Test

to prepare a healing meal in the form of meat pies, kolaches,
empanadas, or other hearty pastries. If eaten within a day, each pie will
restore 2 HP. Roll for a pool of HP as normal, then halve it to determine
how many pies are produced. If you have the Artificer Trait, a successful
Test yields 1 extra pie.

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.

Two-Trick Pony: The gods delight in wondrous variety. Instead of being

limited to one successful Cookpot Test per day, you are allowed one
successful Test of each kind of magical meal you know how to make.
For example, if your breakfast provides a pool of HP, you may attempt
a lunch that provides a pool of dice for Save Tests.

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.

New Prestige Traits

Cookpot Wizard: Get ready for some kitchen magic!
You have mastered the arts of kitchen and cookpot.
You have also, in the grand Halfling tradition of

87
 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.

Too Many Cooks

Optional rule: GMs may let Adventurers with the Halfling Cookpot Trait or the
Cookpot Adept Trait aid each other in the preparation of their meals. Have
both (or all) cooks make their Tests at the same time, with the assistant(s) test-
ing with Disadvantage.

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.

If an assistant fails, nothing happens—unless the assistant rolls a 1. This is a

critical failure, and the number of Hit Points in the pool is halved. Do this for
each critical failure. So if a cook has two assistants that have critical failures,
the HP pool is halved, then halved again. If the result is less than 0.5, no Hit
Points can be shared.

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.

♦ Crucible of Immortality: Nothing like a good soak. Any day on

which you have bathed in your Cauldron, you cannot be killed.
Even if you fail your final Save Test, you will rise with full HP
the next morning.

♦ Dark Cauldron: What do you mean it smells like something died

in here? Your Cauldron can be used to call forth undead warriors
as if you were an Archmage with the Necromancy Magical Dis-
cipline.

♦ 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.

♦ Gingerbread Oven: Talk about easy bake. Your cauldron can

produce magical sweetbreads big enough and strong enough
to build a house.

♦ 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.

♦ Portentous Boiler: Now that’s good hell-broth! Your Cauldron

can be used to summon ghosts and spirits to answer your ques-
tions as if you were a Diabolist.

Cauldrons as Magic Items

All of the above work well as magic items, even if you don’t use any of the
rest of this chapter!
 7. Familiar
FAMILIAR
“Cracking! Really splendid!” Tully felt the solid stone wall of the dead
end behind him with one hand as he used the other to moisten his forehead
with a monogrammed silk handkerchief. “Well done. You chaps are quicker
than I gave you credit for. Hats off, truly.”
At the other end of the alley, the four gray-faced goblins in Lord Malchi-
or’s black livery said nothing. Not their fault, he supposed. Zombies were never
really much for conversation-- unless some necromancer was playing puppeteer.
Which, fortunately, didn’t seem to be happening.
So their contribution to the repartee was merely to lower their leaf-blad-
ed yari and advance. Slowly. Inexorably. With that kind of singular focus of
which living beings are simply incapable. Although a bit of mortal peril has
been known to do wonders for one’s mental concentration.
“Well, you’ve nicked me.” Tully patted himself down for a flame bomb.
Nothing like a roaring fire to lift one’s spirits—and of course to give the
walking dead a respectful, if involuntary, postmortem cremation. Empty
pockets, though, blast the luck.
“And it’s a fair cop.” He looked up and down the alley for a good patch
of shadow, but the midday sun overhead was working against him. All he
had to work with was his own shadow, which was rather small. And cat-
shaped. “I was, as you surmised, spying on your master, and I can ruddy well
understand him being cross about it.”
The zombie goblins kept moving forward in that deceptively quick shuffle
of theirs. In fact, given the speed at which they were closing the distance, Tully

91
 was very disappointed to conclude that he might find out if their spears were
Trait: Familiar

as sharp as they looked.

“Maybe a small token of my esteem would smooth things over?” He in-
dicated the large red buttons adorning his doublet. “Genuine crushed ruby,
these. How they crush them, why they crush them, I couldn’t possibly say. I’m
not a jeweler. But I can tell you they cost a pretty, pretty penny. And they make
lovely gifts. What does your master think? Would this make amends?”
The gray-faced guards didn’t respond, didn’t react. They just kept coming.
Which wasn’t in itself proof that their lord wasn’t watching through their eyes,
but it was a good sign that his intrusion had been deemed routine. Not as good
as getting away clean, but he would take it. So, time to make an exit.
“For pity’s sake.” Tully held up his hands in feigned surrender. “I have
a cat. Think about what my death would mean to her, poor innocent crea-
ture. Blondie, her name is. Just the sweetest thing. We’re very close. You can’t
imagine, really. But believe me when I say that my demise would literally be
the death of her.”
The spears stabbed out, straight through his heart.
Completely through.
So absolutely, thoroughly through him, in fact, that the spearheads passed
harmlessly through him as if he were a ghost, or a shadow. Which he was—
thanks to his soul-merger with his familiar, Blondie, the umbral cat.
“Cheerio, chaps!” With an impish grin, Tully waved a goodbye to his
brainless adversaries and fell backward through the solid stone wall.

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.

One door leads to a growing army of familiars, with powerful Traits of

their own. Another door leads to the caster merging spirits with the fa-
miliar and becoming one of the Shadowsouled (see below). And perhaps
the most interesting door leads to communion with entities that are . . .
not so benevolent. Otherworldly demons offer great power, but at a price.
Tread lightly!

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:

♦ Dark Regeneration: When in profound shadow or darkness,

you may Test once per turn to heal 1 damage.

♦ In Sync: You can choose to physically interact with and attack

incorporeal beings, whether ethereal, astral, umbral, etc.

♦ 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.

♦ Shade Leech: Any time you damage a creature made of dark-

ness, such as a familiar or a Shade, you gain 1 Hit Point. This
may cause your Hit Points to temporarily exceed your normal
maximum; all excess Hit Points will fade at the end of combat.

♦ Shadow Step: When in shadow, Test to move instantly to any

other patch of shadow within 30 feet (Close or Near Zone).

♦ 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.

Demonic Trait Tree

The following Traits (and Prestige Traits) all require the Familiar Trait,
but if you take any of them you will no longer be able to summon a fa-
miliar. Mages with these Traits summon Demons and other infernal
spirits instead. Caveat Emptor.

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.

Demons follow the same rules as familiars, with

three exceptions. First, demons begin with one Fa-
miliar Trait of your choice. Second, demons may
acquire not just Familiar Traits, but also Demonic
Traits (from Chapter 1: Alchemist) and, with your GM’s approval, se-
lected Character Traits (like Perceptive or Sneaky). Third, infernal spirits
do not manifest voluntarily—they must be dominated and controlled.
Summoning a demon thus requires a Test.

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

(Roll 2d6 two or three times and combine stinks.)

1 2 3
Roll Humanoid odors Scents of Decay Animal smell

1 feces corpse skunk

2 urine spoiled fruit wet dog

3 vomit rotten meat old fish

4 B.O. bog/swamp stink bug

5 feet mildew cow manure

6 bad breath hot garbage pigsty

4 5 6
Roll Nasty Fluids Plant Funks Ugly You Can Taste

1 vinegar cabbage yogurty X

2 sour milk garlic burned X

3 alcohol durian yeasty X

4 gasoline onion sulfurous X

5 blood mushroom sweet X

6 rancid oil marigold spicy X

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.

Your mastery of the occult science of summoning is apparent in two

ways. First, you Test with Advantage on all Tests to summon a demon.
Second, once per day you may Test to summon a devil, one of the
greater spirits of the nether world, to seek hidden knowledge.

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:

1. You temporarily gain one of the following Traits: Berserker,

Cleave, Diehard, Opportunist, Strong, or Tough.

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

Other Familiar Traits

Liz Chaipraditkul’s article, “Familiars,” details five Familiar Traits you can give
to your umbral (and infernal) amigos. These are: Corporeal, Hit Point, Invisible,
Magical Recall, and Voice (TinyZine 8, p. 13). If your character has a familiar, you
are strongly encouraged to go read the full descriptions and give them a try.
utilize one Technique from any of the Martial Disciplines. Use the same

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

Burning Belch: Vomit a blob of flaming jelly. As Licking

Flames spell (TD2e, p. 76).

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.

Infernal Denizen: Immune to damage from fire.

99
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

Blue Dart: Test 2d6 to launch a magical dart of intense

blue flame, doing 1 damage.
1
(Fodder) Hard to Hit: As Goblin Agility (TD2e, p. 28)

Infernal Denizen

Desolation Wyrm: Armor-plated worm lizard the size of a dinosaur.

Bristling with spines and coated in mucus, it leaves a dripping trail of
foul-smelling slime that is easily mistaken for brimstone jelly.

HP Traits

Alchemical Spray: Test 2d6 to spray out a cone of alchem-

ical poison (or bomb).

Gnashing Teeth: Test 3d6 to do 2 biting damage.

Infernal Denizen

Multiple Attacks: Makes up to three attacks per round.

Reek of Hell: Any creature coming within 10 feet must

18 Save or suffer Disadvantage on all Tests until they back up.
(Solo)
Regeneration (as the Bridge Troll Trait, TD2e, p. 47)

Tail Swipe: Test 2d6. On a successful Test, all adjacent en-

emies are knocked back 25 feet.

Toxic Mucus: Any creature coming into physical contact

(including those who are bit or hit by a tail swipe) must
Save or take 1 poison damage. After combat, all weapons
and other implements that came into contact must make
a Depletion roll.

101
 Foul Fiend: Scaly-skinned demons with horns, bat-like wings, and a
Trait: Familiar

forked tail. Strange attractors in humanoid shape, they often spawn

with mortalkind (See Hellborn, TZ 15, p. 9).

HP Traits

Charismatic

Wings of Night: As the Hatchling Dragon Flight Heri-

tage Trait (TDHE, p. 26)

8 Infernal Denizen
(High) Spite: Foul Fiends deal +1 damage against any injured
foe who has 3 or fewer Hit Points.

Tail Swipe: Test 2d6. On a success all adjacent enemies

are knocked back 5 feet.

Fiendish Charms: Test 2d6 to instantly use any Bardic

Charm.

Oni Enforcer: Very large, powerfully built humanoids with

red, orange, or blue skin. They often have one or more of the
following: wild hair, fangs, claws, cloven hooves, one or more
horns. In the netherworld, they guard and punish the spir-
its of the dead, especially the wicked.
HP Traits

Cleave

Diehard

Mighty Blows: Test 2d6 to do 2 damage with a heavy me-

lee weapon.

Nimbus of Terror: All sentient creatures facing an Oni in

combat must first make a Save Test or be terrified, granting
10 it Advantage on all its attacks against them.
(Heroic)
Resolute

Strong

Strike of Brutal Torment: You can choose to attack with

Disadvantage. If you succeed, you do normal damage and
incapacitate your target with agony and pain. Your tar-
get can take no Action except Save Tests until making a
successful Save Test.
Shadow Hound: Resembles a large dog formed of tangible darkness.

Trait: Familiar
Native to the Umbral Realm, these fierce canine spirits are prized in the
Netherworld as guardians and hunters.

HP Traits

Dark Vision

Ethereal: As the Ghostly Necromancer Trait (MMTG, p.7)

2 Occult Teleportation: Once per turn, vanish and reap-

(Low) pear in any other patch of shadow within 50 feet.

Perceptive

Tracker

Under-Thane: A lesser noble among the Lords of the Netherworld, this

devil might wear almost any shape—usually both grotesque and physi-
cally formidable. Extraordinarily dangerous to mortals, they still prefer
to act through flunkies and catspaws, preserving their own strength.

HP Traits

Necrotic Breath (as the Draco-lich Trait, TD2e, p. 48).

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

Unholy Aura: At the start of their turn, any enemy within

10 feet of you must make a Save Test. If the Test fails, they
lose one Action this turn.

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.

105
 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.”

The Power to Heal

As the rulebook explains, characters with the Healer
Trait are not necessarily using magic. Some
Healers could be doing nothing more than
practicing medicine. But many players in
fantasy campaigns will expect healing to be
the result of some kind of blessing from the
heavens, or a spell granted by the Healer’s deity.

So who is doling out divine power to your Heal-

er? None of the Tiny Dungeon 2e’s twenty micro-
settings describe a specific pantheon or deity, but

106
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.

Even if your Family Trade doesn’t tie in directly, you

might want to think about how your Healer’s family
was connected to their faith com-
munity. Did your character have a
preacher or priestess for a parent?
Did they grow up lighting the
candle in the family shrine? Were
they given to the church as a baby?

Pushing things even further, you

might want to think not just about
the place of your character within
their faith, but the place of that
faith within the wider society.
Is their religion a persecuted
minority sect? The church
that legitimizes the monarch’s

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!

Whom Will Ye Serve?

If your GM has already developed a pantheon for your character’s Her-
itage, look for one that fits your character’s Belief, family background,
etc. If not, you might wish to create a deity for your character to vener-
ate (and if you’re thinking even bigger, Tiny Gods allows you to create a
world from scratch with multiple competing pantheons–a complete cos-
mology).

In Tiny Dungeon 2e, gods are defined fundamentally by their Domains,

those parts of existence over which they have power and influence. Lesser
deities have only one domain, deities of moderate power have two, and
greater deities have three (TZ 12, p. 11). You can choose domains delib-
erately, or with a random generator like the table on the following page.

Depending on your character’s heritage, you may wish to remove some

of the domains from the table and replace them with others that are more
appropriate. For example, cold-blooded Lizardfolk would have little use
for a god of love, but might very well have a god of molting or shed-
ding skin (or of change, if you want
to be more abstract). Instead of a
single earthy deity, Treefolk might
worship a whole pantheon of earth
gods, each having domain over a
specific type of soil.

Once you have a portfolio of Domains

for your deity, try thinking about
how each relates to your charac-
ter’s Belief and faith community.
Which of the god’s Domains is
most important to your charac-
ter? Why?

You might also contemplate how

these Domains fit together (and
how they don’t). Is there some
R andom Deity Generator (Roll for 1d3 Domains)

Trait: Healer
1 2 3

Sun/Light Prophecy Life/Healing

Moon Nature Animals

Star(s) Seasons Female

Darkness Chaos Home

Storms Time Love

Fate/ Destiny Harvest/ Crops Growth/ Fertility

4 5 6

Death Learning Earth

War Wealth Air

Male Luck Fire

Heritage* Art/Music Water

Vengeance Magic Balance

Blacksmith/Crafts Speech/ Writing Law/ Judgement

* Typically, this will be the same as your character’s Heritage, but it is possible to imag-
ine a pantheon for one Heritage which includes a Diety with a Domain for a different
Heritage.

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.

The Devi is in the Details

Deities typically (though not always) have a certain way their appear-
ance is depicted in sacred art and stories. There are often holy symbols
associated with gods, often carried around as talismans by believers.
You may want to think about your god’s imagery.

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).

As a final step, you may find it useful to come up with a

Commandment or Taboo. Commandments are positive or
negative injunctions—things that believers should or shouldn’t
do. Taboos are basically Domains the deity abhors, or where
the deity is weak. Real world religions tend to have big books of
commandments and plenty of taboos, but for a minimalist game
like this one, one really imaginative one will probably be all you
need for a godly character that’s fresh, fascinating, and fun to play.

Instruments of Divine Will

More than mere constraints, Commandments and Taboos are tools for
crafting a dramatic narrative. The thing that made Achilles interesting was
not his gods-given invulnerability, but his weakness!

Sample Pantheon
Brine Mother Mistress of the Deep, Mother of Monsters

Domains: Darkness, Chaos, Water.

Slimy and primeval, vast and terrifying, the monstrous

Depicted as:
mother.

Taboo: Love (she’s all about survival of the fittest).

Crydwain: Father of Heroes, Hand of Progress

Domains: Learning, Sun, War.

Tall, strong youth in soldier’s armor carrying a

Depicted as:
book.

Commandment: “Improve all things—most of all, yourself.”

 Trait: Healer
Enâne: Lioness of Love, Tree of Stars

Domains: Fertility, Stars, Fey

Beautiful, wild-haired woman with tawny gold

Depicted as:
skin and starry eyes.

“Revel in abundance. Embrace your desires. Seize

Commandment:
what you will.”

Noracht: Lord of Stasis, Inexorable Iceberg

Domains: Law, Moon, Salimar.

Blue-skinned ancient with a long white beard, locked

Depicted as:
in ice.

Fire (the ultimate catalyst for change. Horrible, hor-

Taboo:
rible change).

* Brine Mother, Crydwain, and Noracht created by Justin Finley, David Guzmán,
and Will Munn, respectively.

New Prestige Traits

Paragon
I’m a bucket-filler, each and every day. Your connection
to the divine power of life and creation gives you un-
paralleled powers to heal and bless your allies. To
take this Trait, you must have the Healer Trait.

Paragons can heal multiple people with a single ac-

tion. To perform a mass healing, Test with Advan-
tage. A successful Test heals one ally for every 5
rolled and two allies for every 6 rolled. Each heal-
ing typically restores 2 HP, as with the Healing
Trait. Alternatively, a healing can be used to cure
one non-magical poison, disease, or physical ailment.

Once per game session, Paragons can also Test to

provide a blessing to their allies. All characters who
receive this blessing may choose to reroll one die,

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.

Fill Those Green Bars

Paragons with the Master Healer Trait (TZ 11, p. 18) can heal 3 damage for
each successful Test.

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

112
 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.

By channeling the positive power of life against the negative energy of

necromantic magic, Purifiers can smite the undead. As an Action, Test
with Advantage. On a successful Test, you smite an undead creature for
1 damage for every 5 rolled and 2 damage for every 6 rolled. You may
spread out the damage or concentrate it as you choose. To smite, undead
must be Close or Near to you.

Also, any undead that roll a 1 on an attack against

you suffer 1 damage as a result of contact with your
aura of positive life energy.

Turn and Smite

This Prestige Trait works very well in concert with
the Turn Undead and Improved Turn Undead Traits
(TZ 11, p. 18).

113
M agic Items for Healers

Trait: Healer
All items require that the character have the Healer Trait.

♦ Crown of Sacrifice: Gold circlet with thorns on the inside. The

bearer can spend an Action and lose 1 HP to immediately give
an ally a free Action and heal 1 damage.

♦ Jawbone of Might and Smiting: From a donkey the size of a

draft horse. The bearer gains the Strong Trait and can smite the
undead as with the Purifier Trait. Bearers with the Purifier Trait
do 1 additional damage to each undead they smite.

♦ Mask of the Prioress: Finely worked gold mask in the likeness of

a legendary nun. The bearer can use the Healer Trait on them-
selves. All successful healing Tests when the bearer is at maximum
HP heal an additional 1 damage.

♦ Rod of the Cracked Skull: Flanged mace made of some bril-

liant, almost golden metal. The bearer can Test to do 2 damage
to a Near or Close undead target.

♦ Staff of the Entwined Serpent: Four-foot length of hemlock,

inlaid with bronze snakes. The bearer can heal targets without
physically touching them. Effective range the same as a javelin
(Near and Far zones).

♦ Stone of True Seeing: Translucent white stone the size of a large

fig. When you look through it, you can read and use any spell
scroll related to one of your Deity’s Domains (as a Spell Reader).

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

were the cosmos.

“No,” he said. “I will not do either.”
The Psycog screamed, its segmented body unfolding as it unleashed at-
tacks in both the physical and astral planes.
Calm in the citadel of his own thoughts, Changchub opened one hand,
making room for a sword of living fire to appear—a manifestation of his mind
and will. Or perhaps, it was his own conscious mind that was a manifestation
of the sword. Perhaps he would meditate on this later.
But first, he would find out what lay at the end of this path.

Psionics and M agic

Are psionic powers magic? Or are they an alternative to magic? Ques-
tions such as these may be some of the reasons why psionic powers are
not included as part of the basic rule set in Tiny Dungeon 2e. However,
different versions of psionics can be found in The Crystal Mines micro­
setting (TD2e, pp. 155-160) and Swords Against Deviltry (TZ 10, p.
28-30). If your GM permits, psionics might fit in your campaign as
well.

This chapter describes an approach to psionics that follows the model

provided by the Spell-Touched Trait and Archmage Prestige Trait. Ac-
cordingly, most psionic characters can perform a wide variety of small
psychic feats (called Gifts), while more advanced practitioners have
been trained in specific disciplines giving them a limited number of
more powerful psionic abilities (called Talents).

Targets and limitations

Many psionic abilities are limited in that they
can only affect specific kinds of targets. Some
can only be used on sapients, meaning beings
that are capable of conscious thought. All play­
able Heritages are sapient, as are many Enemies.
When in doubt, talk to your GM—who will
sometimes tell you and sometimes invite you
to try the ability and see what happens.

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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.

♦ Mind Mapping: Locate nearby consciousnesses.

♦ Push/Pull: Perform minor acts of telekinesis.

♦ Read Aura: Recognize Psionic effects, objects, and

beings. Sense their Fields.

♦ Self-healing: Heal 1 damage to self.

♦ Surface Thoughts: Skim the conscious

thoughts of a nearby sapient.

You can also manifest a single powerful psychic

Talent. Choose one of the first three Talents from
any of the six Psionic Fields listed below.

119
 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.

THE THIRD EYE

Allows you to perceive things beyond our ordinary senses.

♦ Expanded Consciousness: Test to open your mind’s eye and

perceive the physical layout of your immediate environment.
This might reveal secret doors, hidden pits, nearby rooms, etc.

♦ Harmony of the Senses: Test to create a sensory link between

yourself and another sapient, allowing you temporary access to
their perceptions.

♦ Second Sight: Test to gain one powerful insight about future or

past events involving a specific person, object, or location known
to you.

♦ 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.

120
 Trait: Psionics
THE CONNECTED MIND

Allows you to reach out and influence other minds.

♦ Mental Projection: Test to project words into your target’s con-
scious mind. Or Test with Disadvantage to plant a new desire or
belief.

♦ Mind Reading: Test to discern a hidden thought, emotion, or

secret in your target’s mind.
♦ Psychic Lash: Test to deliver a psychic attack dealing 1 damage
to a single target in the Close, Near, or Far Zone. Only affects
living, aware beings. Test with Disadvantage to do 2 damage.
♦ Sympathetic Control: Test to paralyze the nervous system of
a living, aware being, preventing it from acting until it makes
a successful Save Test. Test again to control a successfully par-
alyzed target’s next Action (although your GM may rule some
acts literally unthinkable).

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.

♦ Hole in Reality: Test to open small gateways into and out of

the astral plane, permitting you to teleport small objects short
distances.

♦ Ethereal Form: Once per day, Test to phase your physical

body partially into the astral plane for 2d6 turns or
until rolling a Critical Fail. While the effect endures,
Test with Disadvantage on all physical interactions (such
as mundane attacks). Also, while it endures, you may
Test to teleport from one physical location to anoth-
er anywhere within the Close, Near, and Far Zones.

THE DISEMBODIED HAND

Allows you to manipulate the physical world without touching it.

♦ Kinetic Shield: Test to create an unseen dome around

you, protecting you from Ranged Weapon attacks until your
next turn (Test with Focus to avoid damage when hit). If you
have an Action remaining on your turn after manifesting the
shield, you may spend it to harden your shield against either
melee or magical attacks.

♦ Levitation: Test to hover above physical surfaces. Test to move

while hovering, at roughly the same speed that you could with

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 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.

THE PERFECTED INSTRUMENT

Allows you to alter your body, including its natural defenses and weap-
ons.
♦ Autohypnosis: Test to gain mastery over your body, allowing you
to ignore pain and injuries. While the effect endures, make a Save
Test with Disadvantage whenever you are hit to shrug it off and
take no damage. The effect ends in 2d6 turns or upon a roll of 1
on the Save Test.
♦ Body Alteration: Test to partially transform your body (or a
limb, etc.) to mimic a beast’s natural abilities. Gain an Animal
Companion Trait (TD2e, p. 73) for the duration of combat (or
1d6 minutes out of combat) or until you transform again.
♦ Living Weapon: Test to transform part of your body to func-
tion as a specific Light Melee Weapon (e.g., your hand cuts like
a knife, your fist hits like a hammer).
♦ Healing Trance: Test to slow your metabolism and other bodily
functions to enter a death-like state which heals you of injuries,
poisons, illnesses, etc. A successful Test places you in a trance for
24 hours while you completely recover from a single disease or
poison, or heal all damage. You must Test again to either come
out of the trance or heal further. If you are mortally wounded
and fail your Save Test, you may Test to use this ability without
spending an Action.

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 THE FORTIFIED TEMPLE
Trait: Psionics

Allows you to strengthen, enhance, and protect your own mind.

♦ Empty Mind: Test with Advantage to shed mental distractions

and concentrate your will. If successful, you may instantly reroll
your Test (with Disadvantage) any time you fail a Save Test. The
effect lasts until you get a 1 on a reroll Test, or 1d6 minutes.

♦ Null Hammer: Test to create a psychic bludgeon that will shatter

and negate an ongoing Psionic Talent affecting another target.

♦ Thought Shield: Test to create a sturdy, but temporary, mental

defense negating all Psionic Gifts and Talents used against you
until your next turn.

♦ Logic Bomb: Test to create a focused burst of pure reason that

can either dispel an ongoing magical effect, or prevent a target
from using any magic until making a successful Save Test.

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

Gifted and Talented: Test with Advantage for all Psionic

Gifts. Use 1d3 Psionic Talents.
6
(High) Immune to Magic: Only affected on a critical success.

Vigilant

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 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.

Note for the GM

These items are intended for you to drop into a game with psionic characters.
But even if you don’t end up allowing psionics in your campaign, you can still
adapt them to be fun magical artifacts to hand out to your players.

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

apart, like a transforming mask, revealing the face of Kinari’s grandmother

inside. “She is not your sister.”
“Half-sister, then. She needs me.”
Her grandmother’s face frowned. “It is a bad place. The people show no
reverence to us. They do not keep the old ways.”
You have your beans, Kinari thought. Why are we still talking? But
controlling her breaths, she also controlled her frustration. With Spirits as
with demons, Miyuki had taught her, patience is the strongest ally. “All the
more reason to come to the aid of those few friends we still have.”
“She is no friend!” Her grandmother’s shape stepped out of the raven’s
mouth, at once taller than the tallest of Kinari’s warriors. “Not to us, and not
to you. She will use you.”
“No,” Kinari said, with a vulpine smile. “I will use her.”
Her grandmother’s giant face wrinkled in a frown. “You said she needs
you. You said that is why you wished to go back.”
“I spoke the truth.” Kinari shrugged. “She does need me. They all do—to
put them back on the right path. And so I shall.”
Her grandmother’s face cackled with glee, and as she laughed her head
swelled larger, the wrinkled skin at first smoothing, then straining, then
finally peeling off like birch bark to release a giant skull that flew up into the
clouds, still laughing.
“So we shall, little mortal. So we shall.” And with that, the winds and
waves shifted, propelling Kinari’s flotilla of war canoes west. West, to the
Islands of the Moon. West, to her sister. West, to a reckoning.

A dding Shamans to Your World

Shamanic magic is explicitly included only in the Spirit
World micro-setting (TD2e, pp. 108-114), but seems
like a flavor that would make a great addition to many
other Tiny Dungeon campaigns. It’s not hard, for ex-
ample, to imagine a Lionkin Shaman or a Gnoll Sha-
manic Warrior. To fit it into your own game, consider
the following adaptations.

First, outside of Spirit World, only a few special in-

dividuals are able to communicate with the Spirits
and access the power they grant. These individuals
are called Shamans (including both Shaman Adepts

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.

Shamanic Traits & Prestige Trait

Shaman Adept: The world of Spirits is all around us. You can make Spirit
Offerings and lead Incantations (following the rules of Spirit Magic).
However, all your Shamanic abilities Test with Disadvantage if you are
outside your place of power without your totem.

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 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.

Family Trades for Shamans

Real-life roles and expectations for shamans have varied tremendously
through time and across cultures, so this Trait may not capture all of
what “shaman” means to you. Additional Traits can help you get closer
to your personal vision, but so can your choice of Family Trade. You
might try one of the following:

♦ Give your character a Family Trade associated with specific tra-

ditional shamanistic practices, such as Midewikwe, Houngan,
Sangoma, Mãe-de-santo, Dukun, or Pawang.

♦ Pick a Family Trade focused on a specific role of shamans in

your character’s community. For example: Herbalist, Exorcist,
Ceremonial Dancer, Diviner, Poet, Lore Keeper, Midwife,
Medium, Ritual Singer, Oracle, Hypnotist, Sacred Courtesan,
Storyteller, Tattoo Artist, Seer, Funeral Priest, Dreamer, Sweat
Lodge Master, etc.

♦ Combine two or more from the previous list to make something

new, like: Dream Singer, Herbal Exorcist, Funeral Dancer, Sweat
Lodge Oracle, etc. Or, combine a shamanistic role with a trade
appropriate to your character’s society, such as: Horse Poet, Crop
Midwife, Fish Artist, or Hunt Diviner.

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.

Offerings and Boons

Although anyone can make an offering to
a Spirit, only Shamans should expect to get
something in return. Offerings are typ-
ically made in the evening, before sleep.
Almost anything can be offered, and
different Spirits might be interested in

131
 different sorts of offerings. If you are not sure what your Spirits would
Trait: Shaman

accept as an offer, try the following table.

What Do the Spirits Want?

Roll Item Description

Meat, bread, butter/chocolate, honey, fruit/vegeta-

1 Food
ble, shared meal

2 Drink Wine, blood, water, milk, tea, fresh-squeezed juice

Incense, candle, tobacco, mesquite or other specif-

3 Smoke
ic wood, written prayer, burnt meat

Meditation, prayer, song, dance, act of violence, act

4 Ritual
of love

5 Valuables Coins, ore, spice, art, secrets, flowers, stones

6 Multiple Roll twice on this list, ignoring further results of 6.

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.

Optional Rule: Missed Offerings

If Shamans do not make a Spirit Offering at night, they must make a Save Test
to avoid a Backlash the next time they attempt to use their Shamanic powers.

Forcing and Backlash

When shamanic practitioners use magic, they typically do so by asking
the Spirits for assistance. However, they can always try forcing the Spirits
to do their bidding. When forcing the Spirits, Tests are successful on a
roll of 3, 4, 5, or 6.

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.

Performing an Incantation also requires more than a single successful

Test. Each Incantation has a magic number (specified in the text, or set
by the GM) of successful Tests that must be made to achieve the desired
effect. Failed Tests also add up, though, and if the Shaman (and other
participants under the Shaman’s direction) get to the magic number of
failures before reaching the magic number of successful Test, the Incan-
tation fails.

Also, remember that each additional caster helps by increasing the magic
number for failure by 1.

Example: a group of four Adventurers wants to teleport

to their favorite tavern. The GM sets the magic number
at 10, which means they need to roll 10 successful Tests
before they roll 13 failed Tests (10 + 1 for each addition-
al caster).” (TD2e, p. 111)

133
 Sample Incantations You Might Discover
Trait: Shaman

♦ Call of Memory (Magic Number: variable). Calls upon the

Spirits to open the memory of a willing participant and allow
others to enter the memory. The memory is dynamic and can
diverge from actual past events, but entrants can not actually
change past events. (Magic Number = 10 for one entrant, 11 for
two, 13 for three, 16 for four, etc.)

♦ Chant of Communion (Magic Number: variable). Calls upon

the Spirits to share a single Trait with a single sapient until the
next sunrise. Target may only receive one shared Trait at a time,
and Prestige Traits and magical Traits may not be shared. Partic-
ipants in the Incantation must possess either Shamanic magic
or the Trait in question. At least one participant must have the
Trait. Magic Number = 7 for most Traits, but the GM may wish
to adjust that number up or down for Heritage Traits.

GMs: Caveat Incantor

Because Incantations are powerful, characters will generally not begin play
with them. You may wish to have your players discover them via a quest (see:
Spirit World: Incredible Incantations), or receive them as a boon. You may also
wish to hold some of these back for exclusive NPC use.

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.

♦ Dance of Gifting (Magic Number: 8). Calls upon the Spirits of

Nature to permanently gift one ordinary animal with a single
Trait. The animal must have some capacity to receive the Trait.
Example: A dog can be Perceptive. A crocodile can be Vigilant.
A chicken can not be a Spell Reader. Right? Participants in the
Incantation must possess either Shamanic magic or the Trait in
question. At least one participant must have the Trait.

♦ Prayer of Peace (Magic Number: 11): Calls upon the Spirits of

the Dead to bring peace to the restless dead. When the Incanta-
tion is successful, all Undead within earshot return to resting in
peace and can not be roused to undeath again. But while the In-
cantation is being cast, all Undead within earshot will be drawn
to the casters.

♦ Song of Redoubt (Magic Number: variable): Calls upon the

Spirits of Nature to create a protective fortification using the
earth, water, and vegetation in the area. Magic Number = 3 + the
number of people that can shelter inside, multiplied by the num-
ber of days the redoubt will last. Can be renewed daily for half
the original magic number.

Optional Rule: New Places of Power

Shamanic magic is greatly hampered outside a Shaman’s place of power.
However, some innovative Shamans have found a way to create new plac-
es of power for themselves by establishing a familiar relationship with
the Spirits of the new place. Your GM might want to just handwave
this (“After seven moons, the Spirits of this place have learned to trust
you.”).

135
 Or you can roleplay it out, following these 3 steps.
Trait: Shaman

1. Summon a Spirit. Make an Offering of some kind (see above)

and Test with Disadvantage to see if it attracts the interest of one
of the Spirits of this new place. If the Test fails, no Spirits man-
ifest. You may try again another night. If successful, the GM
determines what kind of Spirit appears (perhaps by rolling on the
Spirit generation table provided here), and you proceed to step 2.

2. Placate the Spirit. Test with Disadvantage to see if the Spirit is

placated by your offering. If the Test fails, the Spirit rejects your
offering (and your GM may choose to generate a new Spirit for
future interactions). You may go back to step 1 and try again
another night, no longer with Disadvantage. If successful, the
Spirit accepts your offering and departs. You may proceed to
step 3.

3. Commune with the Spirit. Make another offering. When a

Spirit manifests to accept it, commune with it, making a Test
with Disadvantage to see if it will aid you in your shamanic
magic. If you fail, the Spirit will not aid you, and your GM
may choose to generate a new Spirit for future interactions. You
may go back to step 1 and try again another night (this time
with Advantage on steps 1 and 2). If you succeed, you can now
count on the aid of the Spirits of this place.

Having successfully completed the three steps, this is now a place of

power for you. You may craft a new totem representing your connec-
tion to the Spirits of this place. When you perform shamanic magic
with this totem, or in this place, these Spirits
will aid you, and the specific Spirits you have
communed with may actually manifest.

However, you may still perform only one of-

fering per night and may receive only one boon
per day. Your GM may also wish to limit you to
one place of power at a time.

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

Male Doesn’t speak/

1 1 Flesh 1
Sapient* Speaks.

Female Glows with a

2 2 Spirit 2
Sapient* vibrant inner light.

Terrestrial Has no shadow /

3 3 Water 3
Animal many shadows.

Flying Wears/Doesn’t wear

4 4 Fire 4
Animal clothes.

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

Trait: Spell Reader

out of that hole. It was about the size of a dog, but it had a leathery carapace
like a beetle and a clattering confusion of spindly legs, each ending in a single
glittering talon. It also had a face. That smiled. At me.
I threw open the door and bolted. And in what I was sure were the last,
precious, vanishing moments of my life, the skittering, staccato music of chi-
tinous talons on stone filled my ears, my mind, and university corridors dark
as midnight. Black as ink.

R eading M agic Scrolls

Alone among mortals, Spell Readers have the ability to un-
lock the arcane energies contained within magic Scrolls. De­
spite the name, these “Scrolls” may not be written on actual
rolls of parchment, paper, or papyrus—but on scraps of
cloth, clay tablets, metal plates, etc.
Because of the incredible power Scrolls represent, your GM is encour-
aged both to craft them carefully and give them out sparingly. Indeed,
unlike characters with other magical Traits, most characters with the
Spell Reader Trait will start out the game with no Scrolls and therefore
no way to use their power (see the optional rule on Starting Scrolls later
in this chapter).
So when your characters get Scrolls, make sure they are awesome in every
sense of the word. The following are some examples that may be useful
either as written, or as inspirations for your own unique creations.

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.

♦ Word of Domination: Commands all dead sapients within the

sound of the Spell Reader’s voice to arise (as zombies or skeletons)
and do as they are bid.

141
 ♦ Word of Joy: Instantly restores one dead ally to life, at full HP.
Trait: Spell Reader

♦ Word of Love: Simultaneously heals all living allies of any

damage.

♦ Word of Peace: Permanently transforms a single enemy into a

harmless woodland creature (e.g., chickadee, deer, mouse, rabbit,
squirrel, or woodpecker).

♦ Word of Smiting: Summons a relentless hail of meteors that

unerringly strike all foes within the Spell Reader’s sight, doing 1
damage to each one that is corporeal. This continues until either
the Spell Reader or all foes are dead.

♦ 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.

Scrolls of the Winds

Legend also tells of other scrolls of unearthly power, carried off by the
fickle winds to every corner of the earth to benefit whichever mortal
holds them. When any of them is read aloud, it is not destroyed, but
spirited away again by a divine wind. At least these six are known, but
there may be more.

♦ Scroll of the East Wind: Grants all allies an extra Action each
turn until the end of combat.

♦ Scroll of the Four Winds: Summons a tempest that scatters all

living creatures within the sound of the Spell Reader’s voice (ex-
cepting only the Spell Reader) to far-flung and unknown locations.
♦ Scroll of the North Wind: Summons a great white stallion with
a frost-blue mane to carry one sapient to any location the Spell
Reader names.

♦ Scroll of the South Wind: Summons a she-hound made of flame

who will relentlessly hunt and destroy one foe named by the Spell
Reader.

142
 ♦ Scroll of the West Wind: Causes a variety of flowering plants

Trait: Spell Reader

and fruit trees to spring up and grow to maturity in an instant,
everywhere within the sound of the Spell Reader’s voice.
♦ Scroll of the Windkin: Grants to the Spell Reader the power
of flight from that instant until the time the Spell Reader choos-
es to touch the earth again.

The Panoply of Firebrace

The legendary Marquis de Firebrace, both a
mighty warrior and an awesome mage, cre-
ated a set of plate armor with spells etched
into the very metal. Consequently, every
piece could be used as a spell scroll. Suc-
cessfully using the spell renders the ‘scroll’ an ordinary, if somewhat
scorched, piece of armor with no magical properties. The following
items from Firebrace’s Scroll Plate are rumored to still be in circula-
tion:

♦ Brawny Spaulders: Perform one feat with the strength of a

mythical giant.
♦ Commanding Gorget: Speak a single word (“Flee!” “Kneel!”
“Defend!”) that all who hear must obey (spell doesn’t work if
hearers don’t know how to obey–e.g., “Dissolve!”).
♦ Emerald Cuirass: Until the sun rises and sets (or sets and rises),
any time you reach 0 hit points, you replenish 1d3+1 hit points
without a save Test.
♦ Faithful Greave: Instantly summons a magical steed and gives
the caster the benefit of two Mounted Traits. Steed disappears
when the rider dismounts or is unseated.
♦ Fiery Vambrace: Wreathes your arm in elemental fire, which can
be thrown (2 damage) or used to empower missile or thrown
weapons (add 2 damage). Lasts for one battle.
♦ Righteous Rondel: Call down divine lightning to use as a lance
(2 electrical damage), or to empower an existing lance (add 2
electrical damage). Lasts for one battle.

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.

Optional Rule: Minor Scrolls

Scrolls are, by design, less common and more
powerful than the profligate magicks of the Spell-
Touched. But if your GM is willing to let you use
your Trait a little more frequently, you might get
access to Minor Scrolls.
Minor Scrolls are more common and less powerful
than the scrolls of power listed above. One simple

144
method for your GM to populate your dragon hoards and magic shops

Trait: Spell Reader

is to use the spells listed in the Magical Disciplines (TD2e, p. 74-76).
Roll 1d6 for Discipline (Onyx, Crystal, Emerald, Diamond, Ruby, Sap-
phire), then roll again for a spell within the discipline. Each scroll has 4
spells, so use a 1d4, or roll 1d6 and on a 1, the Scroll is damaged and un-
usable, and on a 6, roll again for double Scrolls.

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!

Optional Rule: Unknown Texts

Spell Scrolls are attempts to contain in writing the ineffable mysteries
of the arcane. To most people, they look like something else: a recipe,
a poem, a meditation, a story, a mathematical equation, the ravings of
a lunatic. Therefore, whenever a Spell Reader encounters a new text,
there is a chance that a spell (or some fragment thereof) is encoded in
those words.

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.

Spell Readers Test with Advantage when decoding an unknown text.

Most texts you identify (1-5 on a 1d6) will have no magical properties.
If the text is magical, your GM will tell you what you’ve found. Again,
since Scrolls of great power should be given out sparingly and carefully,

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.

Optional Rule: Starting Scrolls

According to the rulebook, adventurers acquire scrolls during their ad-
ventures in two basic ways: finding them on an adventure (as treasure,
for instance), or buying them from a shop. But your GM might also
give you a chance to begin the game with a scroll or two. GMs: This is
an especially good idea when playing a quick pick-up game that may
not develop into a longer campaign.
Starting Spell Readers with scrolls works best in concert with the option-
al rules for minor scrolls and unknown texts. If you are using these, your
newly created Spell Reader should Test twice (for less magical worlds,
Test once. For more magical worlds, Test three times). For each success-
ful Test, roll 1d6 and consult the following table.

Scrolls, Fragments, and Unknown Texts

Roll Scroll / Fragment / Text

1 Unknown text

2 Major scroll fragment

3 Minor scroll

4 Two unknown texts

5 Minor scroll and an unknown text

6 Two minor scrolls (or one major one)

146
 Limitations for Scrolls

Trait: Spell Reader

GMs, if you are not using the optional rules for unknown texts or minor scrolls,
then be very careful about giving your starting adventurers a scroll. Starting a
character out with a major scroll will make for a very high-powered game.

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:

Scroll works only . . .

1. In a specific location (facing north, a mountain top, the beach at low
tide, on the king’s throne, inside a dragon’s mouth, anywhere with
nothing yellow in sight).
2. At a specific time (night, 4:20, Saturdays, full moon, equinox, planets
align).
3. On specific targets (friendlies, animals, children, females, Orcs, Count
Rugen).
4. For a specific duration (1 turn, 1 hour, 1 day, fortnight, a year and a
day, seven generations).
5. When used by specific casters (Spell-Touched, unmarried, carpenter’s
sons, strict vegans, devotees of the god of magic, anyone on fire).
6. Under specific circumstances (out of combat, after an hour of med-
itation, accompanied by music, while unconscious, in the presence
of the one who wrote the scroll, while the caster is dying).

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.
147
 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

Trait: Spell Reader

sorcery. But every time you touch this power, you risk psychic trauma
that will shred the delicate fabric of your mind. To take this Trait, you
must have the Spell Reader Trait.
Like Spell Readers, Eldritch Sorcerers cast spells written on magic scrolls
with a Standard Test. But unlike Spell Readers, a successful Test does
not result in the destruction of the scroll. Instead, the minds of the
casters are destroyed—slowly, if they are lucky. Whenever El­­dritch Sor-
cerers cast a spell from a scroll, they must make a Save Test (depending
on the text, they may Test with Disadvantage). Failure means a tem-
porary slide into madness. And a critical miss (all 1s) means permanent
depletion of the caster’s sanity. Track a caster’s sanity like any other item
that can be used up, starting with 6 Depletion Points.
Eldritch Sorcerers can also use the energy contained in magic scrolls to
try to tear rifts or holes in our reality, allowing unfathomable creatures
to pass into our world. Opening a rift requires a magic scroll, although
the spell itself is largely irrelevant. What matters is the power contained
in the text. The energies in Minor scrolls, for example, might be expected
to open rifts so metaphysically small that only Low Threat Enemies or
Fodder (e.g., Tentacled Hor-
rors from Mad Magicks of
the Turned God, p. 9) would
be able to come through.
More powerful scrolls may
permit the entry of Medi-
um or High Threat Ene-
mies (such as Eldritch Hor-
rors, TD2e, p. 49, or other
new eldritch Enemies list-
ed below). Attempting to
open a rift consumes the
scroll. It also requires both
a Standard Test and a Save
Test against Sanity Deple-
tion. A failure, in particu-
lar a critical miss, might go
wrong in an horrible, hor-
rible way (and so might a
success).

149
 New Eldritch Enemies
Trait: Spell Reader

Brain Beetle: Dog-sized creatures with a leathery,

beetle-like carapace and oddly humanoid face, walk-
ing on ten spindly legs. Beneath their armored wings lies a hideously
swollen humanoid brain.

HP Traits

Madness Inducing (Lesser): As the Eldritch Horror Trait

(TD2e, p. 49), except that Adventurers are not required to Test
2 with Disadvantage on their Save Test.
(Low)
Ovipositor: Piercing attack does 1 damage. On a critical suc-
cess, deposits eggs unless the target makes a Save Test.

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

4 Madness Inducing (TD2e, p. 49)

(Medium) Spell-Touched OR Psionic Adept

Chitinoid: Hairy, armored starfish the size of a hyena, with a serrated

beak at the end of each limb as well as on its underside.

HP Traits

Regeneration (TD2e, p. 47)

Lightly Armored: Test with Disadvantage when struck.

5
On a successful Test, take no damage.
(Medium)
Underbite: Test with Disadvantage (unless target is under-
neath) to do 2 damage.

150
Chitinoid Monarch: A giant chitinoid whose every limb is a smaller chi-

Trait: Spell Reader

tinoid. The smaller ones appear to be in great distress, and very angry.

HP Traits

Regeneration

Heavily Armored: Test when struck. On a successful Test,

25 take no damage.
(Solo) Multiple Limbs: Gets 3 attacks per round.

Greater Underbite: Test to do 2 damage. Test with Dis-

advantage (unless target is underneath) to do 3 damage.

Jellypod: Intensely cold crystalline jellyfish that drifts in and out of our
dimension.

HP Traits

Ethereal (MMTG, p.8)

2 Trailing Lash: Test with Disadvantage to do 1 damage.
(Low)
Crystalis Poison: Save to avoid a blood freeze that slows you
down to one action per turn.

151
 Pseudoblob: A gelatinous mass of translucent goo the size of an ox,
Trait: Spell Reader

it attacks by engulfing and dissolving its prey.

HP Traits

Trinary Fission: When struck at full HP, it divides into

three smaller blobs (1 HP each, no further division).
3 Engulf: Test against a target within 5 feet of you. On a
(Medium) successful Test, the target (or some part thereof) is en-
gulfed and takes 1 damage each round until making a
Save Test to escape.

Super Pseudoblob: A pseudoblob as big as an elephant.

HP Traits

Super Trinary Fission: When struck at full HP, it divides

into three full HP Psuedoblobs. When only one of these
three is left, it will subdivide when next struck. All subdi-
vided blobs retains all the following Traits.
9
(Heroic) Super Engulf: Test against a target within 15 feet of you.
On a success, that target is engulfed and takes 2 damage
per round until rolling a successful Save Test to break free.

Pseudopod Reach: Makes 2 attacks on its turn.

Super Duper Pseudoblob: A pseudoblob as big as a lordly manor house.

Trait: Spell Reader

HP Traits

Super Duper Trinary Fission: When struck at full HP, it

divides into three full HP Super Psuedoblobs. When only
one of these three is left, it will subdivide into three full HP
Psuedoblobs when next struck. All subdivided blobs retain
all of the following Traits.

Super Duper Psuedopod Reach: Make up to 3 attacks per

27 turn.
(Epic) Super Duper Engulf: Test against a target within 30
feet of you. On a success, that target is engulfed and
takes 3 damage per round until rolling a successful Save
Test to break free.

Insorbtion: Test against an engulfed target to copy 1 ran-

dom Trait. Blob can only retain 3 copied
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

“And what do you call this drink?”

“Cocido.” Bertrán waved his paw over his own gourd, bringing some of
the aromatic steam to his nostrils. “I cut the herb myself, from trees growing
wild out here. It’s like drinking warm sunshine.”
“Very . . . distinctive.” The necromancer coughed slightly and set the gourd
down. “And this jerky?”
“Tailtip. From my own herd.”
“Herd?” The necromancer blinked.
Bertrán nodded to his left, where just out of the circle of the fire’s warm
light, his herd slept, safe and sound on the starlit plain.
“A bit small to be calling it a herd, don’t you think?”
He found himself on his feet, a growl rumbling in his chest. “She’s not
small!” His magically enhanced voice echoed with such force across the plains
that his beloved sauropod blearily blinked her immense eyelids, opening an eye
half again as tall as he was.
“No, dear one,” Bertrán reached out with one sorcerous paw and gath-
ered the cool evening air itself to make plugs for the poor creature’s sensitive
ears. “Go to sleep, go to sleep. You needn’t let this little disagreement disturb
your rest.”
The necromancer cleared his throat. “I mean, it’s just one animal.” He
lifted his hands in a placating gesture. “But a very large one. I take your
point.”
Behind the smoky glass of his spectacles, Bertrán Fierro narrowed his eyes,
striving to contain his anger. “Why are you here, servant of death? The plains
are vast and empty. You did not find me by chance.”
“True.” Setting down his cocido and his jerky– which he had not so much
as tasted– the spindly necromancer folded his pale hands in his lap. “My name
is Malchior. You may have heard it before. I seek the disciple of Varanus.
Have I found him?”
Bertrán drained the last of his own cocido in one long, slow
pull, never taking his eyes off the gangly Fey. Wiping his fuzzy
muzzle with the back of his paw, Fierro tossed his own
gourd to the ground.
The necromancer did not move.
“Yes, he was my teacher.” Bertrán rose on
his hind legs, bending the light of the flickering
flames to make his considerable bulk appear
even more powerful and menacing. “He taught
me what to do with the power that sings in my
blood.”

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.”

Themes for Spell-Touched Characters

Characters with the Spell-Touched Trait can “subtly influence the world
around [them] by merely willing it to happen.” (TD2e, p. 36) Awesome!
But it’s so wide-open that some players (particularly those with less expe-
rience playing magic users) may find themselves paralyzed by indecision,
unsure where to even begin. One option is to help them develop a theme
or motif for their spells.

More evocative evocations

For an outstanding exploration of ways to make your mage feel unique, please
be sure to read Colin Chapman’s “Signature Sorceries” (TZ 28, pp. 8-11).

For example, Spell-Touched adventurers can “perform a simple Ranged

attack with magic, such as a magic bolt. This is treated just like any other
Ranged attack in Combat and requires an Action and a successful 2d6
Test” (TD2e, p. 18). Especially at the start, this ranged attack will be one
of your Spell-Touched adventurer’s most frequently used spells. So take
the opportunity to give it some style.
This is not just true for player characters, but for enemies
as well. Consider the different implications of the follow-
ing options: “As you confront the mage . . .
♦ . . . he spins impossibly fast and hurls a miniature torna-
do that tears at your clothes, hair, and possessions.”
♦ . . . she opens her mouth impossibly wide for a literally
ear-splitting shriek, a focused beam of pure sonic energy.”
♦ . . . he stretches out one hand in a choking gesture, and
you feel iron fingers close around your windpipe.”

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.

So as players are putting together their characters, the

GM should be sure to ask anyone with the Spell-Touched
Trait, what does your ranged attack look like? If players
don’t know, try rolling on the following table with them.

R andom R anged Attacks

Roll 3d6 Color Form Substance

1 Red Thrown ball Fire

2 Orange Bolts or arrows Acid

3 Yellow Lashing whip/tail Lightning

4 Green Cone or spray Poison

5 Blue Continuous ray Ice

6 Indigo / Violet Cloud or fog Shadow

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.

Building Spell Lists

Another way to spark ideas for your Spell-Touched characters is to build
lists appropriate for a specific quest or environment. Figure out what you
might need and put together a set of spells that would be useful in that
context. For example, if your party is searching for a mysterious gold
idol in the buried ruins of an ancient temple complex, you might want
to build a spell list like this one:

Dungeon Crawl Cantrips

♦ Bright Eyes: A beam of wan light shines from your eyes, letting
you see in the dark.
♦ Hush Footsteps: Target Tests with Advantage on Stealth rolls
until next combat.
♦ Secret Door: Detect a hidden door, or hide an ordinary door
from view.
♦ Sense Monster: Know whether there are hostile creatures in a
nearby space.
♦ Treasure Compass: Point to the nearest deposit of precious
metals, gems, etc.
♦ Turn Key: Lock or unlock an ordinary lock, as if you had the
key.
If, on the other hand, there is a wealthy
duchess you suspect of nefarious deeds—
perhaps because of what you discovered in
the dungeon—you might need to infiltrate
her household in the guise of a servant. For
that, you might build a spell list more such as
the one below.

161
 M anor House Intrigue Cantrips
Trait: Spell-Touched

♦ Divulge: Cause a nearby person to say

something s/he should not.
♦ Exterminate: Instantly kill common pests
and vermin (mice, bugs) within 10 feet.
♦ Punch: Transforms liquid into a potable (usually alcoholic) drink
for a small group.
♦ Repast: Transforms organic matter into a meal for a small group.
♦ Restore: Mend clothing, repair broken vases, or perform other
small fixes.
♦ Tidy: Clean surfaces and objects within 3 feet, or one living
being.
And finally, imagine that the duchess catches you spying on her and tele-
ports your adventuring party to terra incognita on the other side of the
continent, leaving you no choice but to find your way back home some-
how. In this case, you might need a spell list like this:

Wilderness Exploration Cantrips

♦ Astral Burro: An unseen, ethereal pack creature follows you and
carries your gear as long as you maintain the spell.
♦ Fascinate: Target is mesmerized by something in the sky, remains
oblivious for 1d6 rounds or until touched.
♦ Find Settlement: Point to the nearest city, or large group of
sapient creatures.
♦ Scent Prison: Draw in smells within a 10 ft. radius and lock them
in an inanimate object of your choosing until sunrise/sunset.
♦ Stumble: Target is knocked prone and goes last in initiative order.
♦ Warded Circle: Draw a protective circle on the ground. When
anything crosses it, you are alerted silently (or everyone is, noisily.
Choose when casting.)
As with the basic set of six Spell-Touched cantrips, any of the above spells
would require an Action and a successful Test.

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.

Spellborn: In an interstellar burst, I am born again. An intense (maybe

near-death) magical experience awoke the mystic power in your
blood. No longer merely touched by magic, you have been trans-
formed, reborn a new creature of incredible spell mastery. To
take this Prestige Trait, you must have the Spell-Touched
Trait.
Due to your superior skill and precision, you now
Test with Advantage when using any of your Spell-
Touched abilities. And thanks to your closer com-
munion with magic, you can now choose an area
of concentration (red, wind, stone, beasts,
touch, starlight) for your magic (this is typically
tied in some way to the event that changed
you. Whenever casting a spell pertaining to
this area, you gain automatic Focus.

Chaos-Touched: You want to get nuts?

Let’s get nuts! Unlike those pigeon-hearted,
pointy-headed wizards carefully channeling a
measly arcane trickle, you unleash the beast.
Magic is ineffable, impossible, unpredictable.

163
 Why not lean into it and just chase the strange? To take this Prestige
Trait: Spell-Touched

Trait, you must have the Spell-Touched Trait.

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.

5 Gets: maimed, healed, ignited, chilled, sped, slowed.

Teleports to a random: city [See TinyZine 9], dungeon [TZ15], gladiatorial

6
arena [TZ8], kingdom [TZ18], tavern [TZ5], town [TZ14].
Note: Effect lasts for: 1-a turn, 2-an hour, 3-a day and a night, 4-a year, 5-a century, 6-ever.
 Wacky Magic (TD2e, p. 160), or use a random magical effects generator

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

am sorry to say he will be disappointed.”

“Give me a minute,” Ellinor repeated, her grin growing sharper.
“Destroy her,” Malchior intoned, reaching a commanding finger out to-
wards her very own precious and wonderful self. And the shades rushed to obey.
Ellinor took out the two closest to her by touching her first buckle and
opening a vertical portal with an entrance in front of the one and an exit in
front of the other. Immaterial, they didn’t collide, as she had hoped, but they
flew through each other, their momentum carrying them several yards in the
wrong direction. Good enough.
She threw herself back away from the others, touching her second buckle
and opening a portal that dropped her through the floor and let her fall up
out of the lectern, book in hand. The shades tried to follow her, but she closed
the portal as they were passing through it and cut them in half, leaving them
to splash onto the stone floor as wine-dark puddles of thin, useless ectoplasm.
“I guess it didn’t take a whole minute,” she said. “Sorry.”
Snarling, Malchior threw both hands forward,
and ten more shades leapt from his fingertips,
howling through the air, grasping for her with
razor-sharp claws made of ice-cold darkness.
Ellinor had no interest in being torn apart–
much too messy–so she touched her third and final
buckle and tumbled left into a portal that put her twenty
yards away, among the oaks and maples of the garden. Hugging the
book to her chest, she scampered across the grass, drawing an elaborate circle
in her mind. She had to get this one right, or she’ d be getting goodnight kisses
from the rapidly multiplying army of shades.
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with!” Malchior thundered, chas-
ing after her in a manner most unsuited to the dignity of the Emperor’s Grand
Chamberlain.
“I never do!” Ellinor grinned. And then she jumped into the circle and
disappeared.

Go A head and Jump

First introduced as part of The King’s Daggers microsetting (TZ 4,
p. 3-9), Teleportation Magic is not part of the core Tiny Dungeon 2e
game book. But rending the fabric of reality to move instantaneously
through time and space is cool. It deserves more play. So this chapter
discusses both ways to introduce this to campaigns outside of Cassorra
and some fun ways to build on the base Trait.

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.

♦ A portal opens in the dark of the night where the

adventurers are sleeping. A Karhu courier steps
out, wearing an exotic uniform, a darkstone amu-
let, and poisoned arrows in her back. She reaches
out to offer a sealed scroll, and then falls down dead.

♦ 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.

♦ Emissaries from the Wizards’ Guild seek to hire the adventurers to

slay an artificer (believed to be a rogue Simulacra) selling teleporta-
tion amulets to anyone who can afford his price.

♦ 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.

♦ Locked in a trapped chest deep beneath a ruined Salimar temple,

your adventurers find a magical amulet which, trial and error reveals,
allows anyone (or any caster, or any Spell-Touched) to use the Tele-
portation Magic Trait as originally described.

♦ When darkstone amulets emerge simultaneously in rival kingdoms,

both suffer a string of high-profile murders. But where did the amu-
lets come from? And whose interests are served by the chaos? One
sage is said to know, but she also is said to be in hiding. Or maybe
dead already.

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

Every other kind of magical Trait in Tiny Dungeon 2e is an inherent su-

pernatural power, something intrinsic to the mage’s nature. You can gag
the Bard, or lock the Beastspeaker away from all animals, but you can’t
remove their abilities.
Teleportation Magic as originally described is essentially technology.
Anyone can teleport if they have one of the darkstone amulets, and
know how to use it. If that works for you and your game world, hooray!
Use the Teleportation Magic Trait as written.
But if you want a Trait that describes something hardwired into the
mage’s mind and soul, then use the Teleportation Mage Trait (and re-
lated Traits and Prestige Traits), detailed below.

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

Trait: Teleportation Mage

allow you to, for example, teleport a small item in a known place to your
person, or to teleport a small item you can see to a known place. Note
that if you do not yourself arrive at a new destination, the Guidelines
for Teleportation Mages do not require you to make a Save Test to avoid
disorientation. This is not a Prestige Trait, but it does require the Tele-
portation Mage Trait.

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.

Guidelines for Teleportation Mages

♦ You can teleport once per day.

♦ You can teleport to any place you have been

physically present.

♦ Teleporting requires at least two Actions: First, concentrate on

your destination. Second, Test. If you fail the Test, you may try again
with your next Action(s), but taking any other Action (Move, Attack,
etc.) before successfully teleporting breaks your concentration
and requires you to start the process again.

♦ 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.

◊ Disorientation, or teleportation sickness, can take various forms,

including: amnesia, being limited to one Action per turn, Disad-
vantage on all Tests, inability to use magical Traits, loss of one or
more senses, screaming incoherently, etc.
 Improved Concentration
Trait: Teleportation Mage

Picture a beach . . . When you concentrate on your destination before

teleporting, you get the benefit of Focus on your roll. This is not a Pres-
tige Trait, but it does require the Teleportation Mage Trait.

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.

New Prestige Traits

Blink Mage
Now you see me, now you get twin daggers in the kidneys! Through in-
tense practice, you have developed a knack for teleporting short dis-
tances quickly and easily. To take this Prestige Trait, you must have
the Teleportation Mage Trait.
So long as you are teleporting to somewhere you can see, you can trans-
gress the Guidelines for Teleportation Mages in the following ways.
♦ You can teleport as often as
you want.
♦ You do not need to con-
centrate before teleport-
ing.
♦ You make your teleporta-
tion Test with Advantage.
♦ You do not need to make a
Save Test after arriving.
Further, if you do spend an Action
to concentrate, you may use your tele-

172
portation magic to make melee (or ranged, or magical) attacks at a dis-

Trait: Teleportation Mage

tance, so long as you can see your target.
Finally, every time you use your Blink Mage powers there is a tell. It
could be a distinctive sound (“Bamf!”), a visual cue (a puff of dark
smoke), a smell (brimstone), etc. Be sure to consult with your GM as
you develop your tell.

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

lines for Teleportation Mages).

♦ Test to take a single willing
passenger with you when you
teleport. The passenger must be in direct con-
tact with your skin, and must make a
Save Test upon arrival to avoid being
disoriented for 1d6 Turns.
♦ Test with Disadvantage to take up to five willing passengers with
you when you teleport. Passengers must be in direct contact with
your skin, and must make Save Tests with Disadvantage upon
arrival to avoid being disoriented for 1d6 Turns.
♦ Test to teleport a single willing passenger, while remaining be-
hind yourself. The passenger must be in direct contact with your
skin, and must make a Save Test upon arrival to avoid being dis-
oriented for 1d6 Turns.
♦ Test with Disadvantage to teleport a single unwilling target, while
remaining behind yourself. Target must be in direct contact with
your skin, and must make a Save Test with Disadvantage upon
arrival to avoid being disoriented for 1d6 Turns.
You may take this Trait multiple times. Each time you do, you gain one
additional teleport per day, as well as one additional Transporter power.

M agic Items for Teleportation M ages

♦ Blink Buckles: Silver belt buckles of various sizes and shapes.
Each one lets you Teleport once per day as a Blink Mage. You
may Test as many times as you like, but you may only succeed
once per buckle per day.
♦ Brooch of Breaching: Emerald set in white gold. Gives the
wearer Advantage when Testing to teleport. On a Critical Fail-
ure, teleports wearer to a random location and then breaks.
♦ Escape Locket: Small gold heart-shaped locket on a gold chain.
Spend an action to concentrate on a destination and a picture of

174
 it appears in the locket. When wearing the locket, Teleportation

Trait: Teleportation Mage

Mages do not need to spend an Action concentrating on the
location before teleporting—only a single Test. Picture disap-
pears upon arrival.

♦ Friendship Bracelets: Fine gold chain decorated with small

gemstone charms. While the Teleportation Mage wears one
and holds hands with someone wearing the other, the Telepor-
tation Mage may Test to attune the bracelet. Once attuned, the
wearer will be carried along when the Teleportation Mage tele-
ports, as long as they are close enough to touch. Requires the
Teleportation Mage Trait to use.

♦ Nope Chest: Large jewelry box of rich, dark am-

aranth. When the lid is closed, no teleportation
either in or out is possible in the Close or Near
Zones, and is at a Disadvantage in the Far Zone.

♦ Red Buttons: Round, smooth, sparkly buttons made of crushed

rubies. A Teleportation Mage wearing them can go anywhere the
buttons have been, as if she had been there herself.

How Precious Are Your Stones?

In the spirit of the original darkstone amulets, these magic items are all jew-
elry. The expense of these items, and the attention they attract, are levers for
you as GM to adjust as you see fit to make this Trait more or less attractive to
your players. The newer teleportation magic is to your campaign world, the
more pricey and unique these items should be expected to be. But of course
if you want widespread use, by all means make your magic items of glass and
clay.

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

“Completely!” Ellinor chirped.

“Very nearly,” Kyros corrected in a rasping hiss.
I felt the low rumble of a growl working its way up from my chest. “The
portals must be open before midnight. Make haste.”
“You, too,” Ellinor said, eyebrows lifted. Then she inclined her head
toward the nearby great hall. “They’re about to eat each other in there.”
“Perhaps literally,” Kyros croaked in agreement.
The cacophony that greeted me when I pushed open the massive oak doors
to the university’s great hall told me that they had not been exaggerating. In
the center of the great hall a fire burned under a large copper cookpot, with
two groups of mages on either side shouting angrily at each other.
In between them, the diminutive figure of Babulya Zharóvnya stood by
the cookpot, her tail lashing with frustration as she waved an immense wooden
spoon and did her best to shout down the two groups of angry mages. “No more
fight! Or you no get soup!”
Unfortunately, it appeared that no one present realized what a crushing
tragedy that would be, and the uproar continued. On the right were Miyuki’s
proteges, or three of them at least. A Salimar in a nattily tailored doublet and
a willowy Treefolk held back a furious Human, cursing and struggling might-
ily to break free. “Monster!” he bellowed. “You took my Corinna!”
On the left were the disciples of Varanus, including the apparent object of
the Human’s ire, an imposing figure wrapped up in dark cloth. “Your Corinna
took her own life when she stole from the City of Bliss.” His voice was as cold
and deep as a forgotten tomb. “The Sijada were the instrument of her fate, but
not its authors.”
“My dear chap,” panted the dapper Salimar, still wrestling with the
Human, “a word of apology might go a long way to defusing the situation.
Do be a pet and help us out, any of you.”
“Never!” cried a smallish Karhu in spectacles and an outlandish hat,
standing beside the tall, impassive figure. “Not while I live will I apologize for
defending the honor of my comrade in arms! Death first!”
“Very well,” I growled, shutting the door behind me with a loud boom.
“Death first, apologies second, and then if there is time perhaps we can discuss
how we might save the world.”
They all turned to stare at me, falling silent as I stalked into the room,
glaring at each of them in turn.
“Varanus has often told me,” I continued, “what a delight it is to work
with the dead. What very attentive, and diligent, and quiet servants they
make.”

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.

The Avalant is the only vessel that remains, a starship of incredible

size—so vast that many among the Keepers say it was the Earth’s old
moon, hollowed out and converted into a vessel to save mankind—
the Makers—from the ruin of their ancient home.

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.

But there are those who believe, those who

whisper of the heir, of one who can reignite
the engine fires far below and steer the Ava-
lant home. One who can wake the sleeping
dead from their icy coffins, and bring new
life to the ship.

The Last Man.

Who are you then, clockwork knight? Will

you strike out into the Avalant’s ruined lab-
yrinths, bringing light where things are dark-
est? Will you find the Last Man alone in the
dark? Or will you kneel before the metal King
Kor, or—better yet—take his throne? Will you
join the cannibalists in the ruined service tun-
nels far below?

Will you save or doom us all?

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

♦ Keepers were created to care for humans, and so were fashioned

in the image of their creators. All Keepers follow the rules for the
Human Heritage.
♦ Keepers are fabricated in myriad forms by the Avalant itself, each
with specific capabilities related to their purpose. Keepers follow

186
K eeper Types and Fantasy A nalogs
Type Analog HP Heritage Trait

Specialized: Select 4 starting Traits

Specialist Human 6
instead of 3.

Laser Mastery: You have mastered

Defender Fey 6
laser weapons.

Infrared Sensors: You are able to

Custodian Dwarf 8
see in total darkness.

Small Target: Test 1d6 when hit to

Mini Goblin 4
avoid damage.

Thermal Power Capture: Healed

Reactor Salimar 5
by natural fire.

Tree Incompatible Systems: Healed only

Autonomous 9
Folk by sunlight and sleep.

Power Grips: Grips as Mastered

Laborer Karhu 7
Weapons. No Ranged.

Motivated Reasoning: Attempts to

Lizard- persuade or influence an Admin
Admin 6
folk through emotional appeals suffer
Disadvantage.

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

♦ There are a limited number of Keeper Types that correspond

roughly to supposed fantasy races. For instance, a powerful
Loader Bot with the Strong Trait might serve as an analog to
a Goliath (For more examples, see table above.) At GM’s dis-
cretion, the Keepers may believe that they are indeed members
of these fantasy races.

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.

It was designed to carry tens of millions of people to the stars, stored

along the central shaft. The various spires and floors of the vessel were
designed to break apart and become the towers and buildings of a city
when the Avalant at last arrived at its destination, with empty houses,
foundries, factories, and farming units neatly housed along the vessel’s
spine. There are massive gardens, hydroponic beds full of fish and over­
grown with plant-life, some still tended by Keeper drones, some aban­
doned.

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.

The bridge lies somewhere far above, be-

yond the palatial crew quarters where
Kor the Usurper dwells. Some say it
lies all the way up in the deflector
plate itself, the only place in the ship
Setting: Avalant

where one can look forward and see

just where the Avalant is headed. But
the way to get there is lost. Whatever
Cataclysm that halted the ship’s prog-
ress through space sealed many of the
old bulkheads. Some say a path remains

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 a shared delusion, and the robots are mad.

♦ Magic is real, and works perfectly well for robots. The Avalant itself is
powered by magic.

♦ Magic is technology so far advanced that the robots don’t understand

it. Quantum field manipulation, nanobot swarms, the strumming of
imperceptible one-dimensional strings, undiscovered (dark mat-
ter?) particles . . . who knows? It’s ineffable!

through the Sleeping Catacombs, where mankind died its final death
when the hypersleep pods failed. Some say only Kor himself knows the
way.

Almost anything you can imagine is stored somewhere on the Avalant:

forests and lakes, sea creatures and giant mega­fauna, weapons and art
and artifacts. No one—not even the First Keepers who still remain from
the old times when the ship was built—has seen all of it, for there are
many secret ways and doors locked to all but those who know the words
of power that open the ways . . .

All of humanity’s past saved for humanity’s future.

A future that may never come.

Setting: Avalant

False K ing Kor

Whether it’s true or a convenient fable, Kor claims to have been one of
the First Keepers, one of the few remaining machine knights built on
Earth itself by human hands. Once the loyal servant of the human cap-
tain’s family, after the Cataclysm Kor seized power on the ship and took

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.

There are those who whisper that Kor killed

the captain and took power for himself—that
he resented humanity and his oath, and would
rather reign in hell than serve in heaven. Still
others say the Cataclysm changed him, that he
never recovered from the shock of his failure and the deaths of the
millions in his care.

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.

This crippled the Avalant, leaving her

drifting through space and destroying
Setting: Avalant

the power system that kept the humans

safely in their icy sleep. King Kor believes
it possible to reroute power through the un-
affected engines and get the ship back on
course, but the cannibalists have made this
task difficult, and additional problems with

191
 the power grid and the fusion reactors
has complicated matters considerably.

But was it an asteroid?

Something drove the cannibalists

into a frenzy. Was it only that they
were driven mad by the new com-
ponents they grafted onto them-
selves? Or did they find some-
thing in the crash? Some alien
artifact from a power never be-
fore encountered by man or
machine? Who can say?

But the cannibalists are pro-

tecting something, even if it
is only themselves.

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

trix and chart a new course.

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.

Perhaps the Earth did not die in vain.

The future is in your hands.

Will you avenge mankind and usher in a new golden age?

Or will you choose to rule an empire of dust and rusting metal?

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

Gingersnap Juggernaut XXVI

Recipe by Chalmers Malloweed, hedge wizard and amateur pastry chef

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.

Origins of the Joust

Let’s start at the beginning. I’m sure you know the brief but poignant
history of the Gingerbread Man, that sassy snack who escaped all pur-
suers. Well, I’ll bet you didn’t know that he is considered one of the
most controversial magical objects ever to have been conjured. You see,
his baker, whose name is lost to time, somehow created life by accident!
Real sugar and spice vivification with just a simple recipe. And what a
creation! The Gingerbread Man was born with wants, intelligence, and
a feisty personality right out of the oven, and magic wielders of all kinds
since then have been trying to recreate that process for centuries. I mean,
Setting: Clash of the Pastrium

talk about the Pinocchio of Pastry!

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.):

♦ Pick a Pastry (EX: Snickerdoodle, Chocolate Pudding, Mochi Ice Cream):

♦ 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

♦ All gladiatorial and magical weapons are allowed. If your creation

is clever enough to use it, go for it!

♦ For all you necromancers out there: NO MEAT ALLOWED!

♦ To decrease the prevalence of poaching or kidnapping, all des-

serts must be baked with legal ingredients. Any use of black-mar-
ket goods, like unicorn horns or gorgon eggs, is strictly prohibited.

♦ Transmutation is not allowed! You may not transform any already

sentient being into a sentient dessert. This will lead to disqualifi-
cation and possible arrest.

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.

NPC Pastry Contenders

Rookie the Cookie
Sponsored by the Tangleheath Witch’s Coven
HP Attack Movement

3 (Medium) Melee 15

Description

This first-time contestant chocolate chip cookie recipe was submitted by

Olge Ebonywood at the request of her grandchildren. It’s not the most
aggressive gladiator, preferring most to hug its opponents, which suggests
that love was the main ingredient in this cookie’s formula. It does have a
pointy sword though, so watch out!

The Dropkick Doughnuts

Setting: Clash of the Pastrium

Sponsored by the Leprechaun League of Dulanty Sprigshollow

HP Attack Movement

7 (High) Melee and Ranged 25

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

The monstrous result of Chalmers Malloweed’s seven-time top three fin-

isher recipe for gingersnaps. This peppery puncher looks like the Gin-
gerbread Man and Bigfoot had a baby, and that baby ate a wasp’s nest!
Don’t get in his way or he’ll clock the frosting right off ya. Chalmers’ gin-
gersnaps don’t know when to stop.

Cream Puffian
Sponsored by Faerie Dust Baked Goods Corporation
HP Attack Movement

20 (Solo) Melee and Ranged 30

Description

Peasblossom La Blanc’s Cream Puffian is the epitome of finesse and

fighting spirit in the kitchen. Winner of last year’s Gingerbread Joust,
this proficient profiterole rolls around the arena armed with its never-
ending cannons and has been known for the occasional body slam. La
Blanc’s Faerie Dust Baked Goods Corporation ensured that this recipe
would get the funding it needed to be a champion.
Setting: Clash of the Pastrium

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

definitely doing the same to you, so watch out!

♦ Steal special formulas from the Pastrium’s secret recipe library!
They have compiled all the information of centuries of winners,
so I’ll bet there is some good stuff to help you win or blackmail
your competition.
♦ A baker is only as good as their pans. Track down the latest and
greatest magical cookware at your local goblin market!
♦ What happens to the gladiators after the clash is over? Do you
need to save your dessert from going to the dogs, literally, or will
you need to deal with its ego?

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.

Plays well with:

♦ Fellbright: City of Bliss has a wonderful new tourist trap: the
kitchen arena!
Setting: Clash of the Pastrium

♦ Gatecrashers: A team of Delvers gets stranded in a strange realm,

and the only way out is to win a bake-off.

♦ The Price of Power: A whimsical new ruler decrees that Wizards

may fight only in Pastry Duels—but will they be any less danger-
ous?

♦ Rule of Three: The stakes for this cooking contest are much
higher than you might think.

♦ Thule: Adventures in the Arctic: An expedition of chef-mages

seeks ingredients for the ultimate frozen desserts.

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.

Plays Well With

Dark Alleys of the Soul, Gods of Diazorr, Inkslingers, Land of Broken
Roads, Mage Hunters, Rule of Three, Thule: Adventures in the Arctic.

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 Island of Dulorivan

Dulorivan is an island that has had all life scrubbed from it by the tox-
ins involved in the mining of Sunsteel ore. While lucrative, it’s an ugly
business that requires everyone to take a daily dose of alchemical medi-
cine to keep from sickening and dying. Nowhere in the world is alchemy
so woven into daily life, so vital for everyone’s survival.

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

living creature. Some are callous enough to ig-

nore this institutional servitude, but many can
only carry the shame of being part of such a
crime.

Any character Heritage might be found on Du-

lorivan, though ecologically sensitive groups, such
as Fey and Treefolk, would be unlikely to so
abandon their love of a healthy land as to
take part in the poisonous work on the is-
land.

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.

More a commodity than a person, they have no

freedom unless they have “earned out” their four years
of debt for their very creation. But that is an eter-
nity in the Dulorivan Pit, where cave-ins, mon- sters of
the deep earth, or simple disrepair doom all but one in ten
in their servitude.

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.

Fashioned as featureless and undefined, some Built Men choose to evince

one gender or another, and may have their bodies changed to more closely
fit their own image of themselves once they are free to do so. Others are
not interested in such things, and their modifications are altogether func-
tional.

Built Men start with the following Hit Points and Heritage Traits:

HP Traits

Poison-proof: Due to their automaton nature, Built Men

are immune to toxins, poisons, and venom of all kinds.
Likewise, they cannot suffocate or drown.

By the Hammer and Wand: Built Men cannot heal damage

they incur, nor are they able to take advantage of healing
magic. Instead, they must be repaired like the devices they
are, and new replacement parts must be infused with magic
9
to be operational (see below).
(Heroic)
Not Dead, But Broken: When a Built Man reaches zero
Hit Points, they are not killed, but simply damaged to the
point of being non-functional and inert. Provided that their
heads are not destroyed, they can be repaired by a skilled ar-
Setting: The Cost of Sunsteel

tisan and returned to consciousness. It is possible that, with

frequent repair, a Built Man could persist for hundreds of
years of existence.

Notes about Built Men

Damage and Healing for Built Men: Built Men cannot spontaneously
heal, as would a typical biological being. Instead, they must be repaired,
as a machine would be. The key trait for this repair is Blacksmith, and it’s
highly recommended that one of the party members for any group con-
taining Built Men choose this trait.

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.

Heavy Damage: If a Built Man is rendered inert by being dropped to 0

Hit Points, it will require a full 6 hours of repair to rectify the physical
damage. At this point, someone with the Spell-Touched trait will need
to make a Test with Disadvantage to restore the injured automaton to
consciousness (alternatively, someone with the Spell Reader trait can
read a scroll of Machine Revival.

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).

Mining Implements as Weapons: Mining picks, one-handed sledges,

and breaker bars can be considered as Light Weapons. Full sledgeham-
mers can be employed as Heavy Weapons. A Built Man’s primary mining
implement will dictate the weapon group with which he or she has Pro-
ficiency and Mastery.

Level Improvement: As Built Men accumulate more experience, they

can improve their skills and knowledge, just like any other character. In
addition to any of the typical character Traits that anyone has access to,
there are some Built Man specific Traits outlined below.

Outside of Dulorivan: It is possible to have these characters outside the

context of Dulorivan. They will have either escaped, earned out their
contract, or been built by someone who learned the secret to their cre-
ation while working for the Mining Consortium. In most settings, a
hand-built sentient creature would be a rarity and a wonder. That being
said, if a steampunk setting were to be afoot, perhaps Built Men
would be common, no more surprising than railways run from
lightning wells and dirigibles powered by genie magic.
Setting: The Cost of Sunsteel

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.

Weaponized: Through the process of adding metal weights,

spikes, or blades to their structure, a Built Man with this
Trait is always considered to have a Light Melee Weapon.

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 party is composed entirely of Built Men who have been

created to guard against the strange subterranean horrors plagu-
ing the mine. Will they follow the wishes of those who “own”
them, or rebel?

♦ The party is a ragtag bunch of desperate losers who all owe

crushing debts to bad people. At least a few are trained in al-
chemy or some kind of magic item enchantment. The big idea
is to create a permanent magic against the toxin, then sell it for
a king’s ransom. It’s a last-chance gamble, but the only way they’ll
ever clear their debts.

♦ 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.

♦ The ecological disaster of Du-

lorivan has gone on far too long.
Setting: The Cost of Sunsteel

Armed for war, Fey forces are

sailing to the island. Anyone
still present in three days’
time will be slain. They will
seal the mine forever and
purify the surface so that
green things will grow once
more.

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.

♦ Something happened to Built

Man 19-B64 down in the mine.
After being unearthed from an
old cave-in, he has changed. An
evil entity, perhaps a spectral
horror of the deep earth, took
control of him. Now, he has
escaped the mine, and he’s
murdering biologicals in
displays of shocking bar-
barity. The characters are
part of a task force try-
ing to apprehend him before he kills again.

♦ “We can’t get Sunsteel anymore,” the mage-smith says with a

shrug. “Haven’t for the better part of a year. If someone could
get me the ore, I’d make it worth their while.” This launches the
characters on a sea voyage to Dulorivan. What troubles will they
find there upon their arrival?

♦ A character’s close relative has died on Dulorivan, leaving as

inheritance a controlling interest in the Dulorivan Mining
Consortium. Arriving there, it is within the character’s pow-
Setting: The Cost of Sunsteel

ers to work for change on the island, or leave it as it is. Either

way, there are those who would seek to dissuade him or her
from that course. Whatever direction they go, there may be a
blade in the night with their name on it.

211
THE CROSSROADS
by John D. Payne

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Dead Six, Justified, Lost,

Inspired by: O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Planescape: Torment, The Pris-
oner, Robert Johnson, The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul

Plays well Dark Alleys of the Soul, Gate Crashers, Inkslingers,

with: Knowledge Arcana Inc., Rule of Three, The Woken

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?

Coming to the Crossroads

The Crossroads is a contemporary fantasy microsetting with Southern
Gothic and Magical Realist influences. It can work either as a secondary
location in a larger campaign or the primary focus of your play.

Every character needs a reason to come to the Crossroads, whether it is

a broken fan belt, an unsolved homicide, or a dead aunt who left a key to
a storage shed. If this is your primary setting, then these reasons will be
the focus of your play to start, along with other odd jobs and errands (see
Adventure Hooks, below).

But the Crossroads also works extremely well as a secondary setting,

slipped into other fantasy campaigns. Use it as a convenient travel hub,
launching point, or the place your characters spend their downtime. It
has places to sleep (Golden Heights), eat (the Smokehouse), sell or dump
loot (So-Well Storage), and acquire magical items (Bethabara) and heal-
ing (the Hackles).

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

Places and Faces

The Crossroads proper is the spot where Route 86 crosses Highway 61
(or whatever roads work for your game). The only two buildings there
are Bethabara Community Church (to the west) and the Smokehouse (to
the east). Just south of the Crossroads is an open field called the Hackles,
with Sender Creek running right through the middle. And up the road
to the north is So-Well Storage and the Golden Heights Trailer Park. You
may wish to add other buildings and NPCs as they are appropriate for
your campaign.

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.

♦ Mecha & Monsters: Mech Jockeys got to eat someplace, right?

♦ 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.

♦ Tiny Wastelands: Crossroads Enclave starts with a Barracks, Food Silo,

Place of Worship, Saloon, and Water Pump. Oh, and a giant mutant
catfish.

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.

“Tiny” Sam Donner

Huge and hairy, Tiny wears Coke-bottle glasses and a chain with a
chunky pendant shaped like a T, or maybe a cross. He likes to fish

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.

Golden Heights Trailer Park

A battered sign with a corner taken off by what looks like buckshot
proudly proclaims “Golden Heights Lux­ury Estates,” in faded gold
lettering. But most of the mobile homes here in the trailer park look
decidedly less than luxurious. Weeds grow high enough to half cover
the occasional rusting, doorless Trans-Am or El Camino propped up
on cinder blocks. Aside from the trucks and cars parked in driveways,
there is almost no sign of anyone actually living in the trailer park. Scat-
tered plastic toys hint that throngs of children played here once but their
bikes lie rusty and disused now. At the entrance to the park, a pair of
shiny new single-wides are joined in an L-shape framing a patch of ac-
tual mowed lawn. The covered front porch sports a bench glider
with Betsy Ross flag pillows, and the front door has a cheerful yellow
sign that says “James E. King, Manager: Our Doors Are
Always Open!” in Papyrus. The door is locked.

“Bae” Lila Day

Young Lila Day is a sweet-faced girl with white-
blonde hair that practically glows with sunlight and
Setting: The Crossroads

a voice as pure and strong as an angel. She spends

her days strumming her secondhand guitar on the
porch of her double­wide, which is the cutest, bright-
est, cleanest trailer in the whole
park, and maybe in the state. She
is the darling of everyone who
meets her, and fears nothing but
the woods on the far side of the
church. And the Crows.

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.

Jimmy Earl King

Professional picker, inveterate raconteur, and notary public Jimmy Earl
King manages both the storage units and the trailer park—although he
is almost never found at the latter (he hotly denies the tale that this is
because he is not allowed within 300 feet of Lila Day. “She’s 18! That’s
legal! And I ain’t on that registry, anyhow. Look it up.”). He spends his
days in the office at So-Well, sucking on lollipops and selling off the con-
tents of abandoned units. Nobody knows where he spends his nights.

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.

♦ Lila Day wants you to steal a CD from the jukebox. “It’s my

demo tape; it’s going to make me a star.” The Crows took it and
hid it in the jukebox “for no reason” and when Lila tried to get it
back she got banned from the Smokehouse. For life.

Walk the Long Road

For one-offs and short games, the above adventure seeds should work
fine. But a longer-term campaign will need to dig into the deeper secrets
of the Crossroads. The first of these secrets is that the folk described
above are a pantheon of incognito gods. This leads us to a few questions,
which you, the GM, will need to answer for your own campaign.

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.

Are they still omnipotent? One possibility

is that the world still revolves around them,
meaning that trivial acts at the Crossroads can
have enormous consequences (What if Lila Day
doesn’t come out of her trailer one morning? Will the
sun rise in the mortal world?). At the other end of the scale, maybe the
gods are dying, and their potency is nearly spent. They might be no
more powerful than, say, a run-of-the-mill Dark Lord. It could also
be that having a few new believers around (like the PCs, for example)
changes the equation. And then of course there is the possibility that
the answer is different for different gods—Old Matt is diminishing,
while Jimmy Earl King is waxing mighty. As always, it’s up to you.

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:

Bosch, Raymond Chandler, The Dresden Files, The Grimnoir

Inspired by:
Chronicles, Dashiell Hammett, Leverage, Luther, The Wire

Clash of the Pastrium: The Gingerbread Joust, Cost of

Plays Well
Sunsteel, Crossroads, Fellbright: City of Bliss, Price of
With:
Power, Rule of Three, The Woken

A ngel on the Streets

“Will you take the case?”
I poured myself another drink. It was that sort of day. In better financial
times, I wouldn’t have even given the lady the time of day . . . but I wasn’t in
better financial times. Just the thought of my lack of coins made me stop filling
my glass at two fingers.
I needed the money. The whole agency was suffering.
And it didn’t hurt that the potential client looked like high-class poured
into crystal. I could smell her perfume from across my desk. Roses and sea-foam.
Her name, gods and goddesses help me, was Angelica.
A glance to my left was enough to catch a subtle nod from Lila, my busi-
ness partner. I couldn’t keep myself from raising a surprised eyebrow. If she was
willing to accept this sort of job, we must be in worse shape than I thought.

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.

Some call you rejects. Unpromotable.

But together, maybe—just maybe—
you can put together a task force capable of
bringing a little relief to your city.

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.

You never know what hides in the shadows and alleys.

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.

But those are your streets, and Novus is your city.

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.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

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.

Make your own A-Team . . . but you know, with magic!

I. Cold Case
Setting: Dark Alleys of the Soul

It’s just a suicide. Everything points that way. No obvious struggle.

But . . . but your associate can smell the magic on the victim. Subtle, but
there.
And then there’s the one family member telling you to go where the inves-
tigation takes you, no matter how high up the political ladder it takes you. Of
course, there are those that would rather you confirm what most normal people
would say; it’s just a suicide, as it appears.
But a good private investigator may have trouble letting something like
this lay quiet.

Curiosity killed the cat, and it may just kill you.

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 you knew the victim.

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.

II. Task Force

It’s time for a bank robbery! No, not you. This isn’t one of those stories.
You’re investigating the robbery as part of the Novus Constabulary.
The odd thing? You’re pretty sure this isn’t just your run-of-the-mill
robbery. Coin was stolen, but not enough to make the risk worth it.

228
 Which means something else is gone.
In Novus, money is the least important thing held in a bank.
Dream a little bigger, darling.

This isn’t your first robbery. Not even this week.

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.

And by resources, they mean an unfurnished basement . . . and a group

of rejects from various departments.

What are the perpetrators up to? It could be anything. Stolen artifacts,

evidence of crimes committed by the top folks of the city, or maybe they
really are just after money . . . nah, not likely. It’s definitely way bigger
than that.

But you get the team you need, as long as they are the misfit toys of the
Constabulary.

This is The Wire, but fantasy.

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 know the drill. You can’t run or hide forever.

But you can prove your innocence.

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.

Think magical Mission: Impossible.

229
DEFENDING THE KEEP
by John D. Payne

300, Desktop Tower Defense, Fallout Shelter, Nausicaa,

Inspired by:
Princess Mononoke, Rio Bravo, Zulu.

The Cost of Sunsteel, Fellbright: City of Bliss, The Forge,

Plays Well
The Land of Broken Roads, Mage Hunters, Rule of Three,
With:
The Woken.

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?

Welcome to the Isle of Bones

As you cross the stormy strait, violet waves ever threatening but ever
failing to capsize the little fishing boat, you strain both to master your heav-

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

the Daughters of Virtue, a small

group of warrior nuns wearing mail
under their tunics. They invite you
all in (except for Gruggoriye) with
broad smiles, but their eyes never
stop scanning the horizon, and each
of them carries a weapon.
“At last! Our prayers are answered,
and our salvation is at hand,” says Sister
Gentleness, a very tall woman with orange
skin and a heavy iron club. “Come in,

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.”

Enter the A dventurers

Players may choose any Heritage for their characters (including the ones
listed below), any of the usual Traits, and any Family Trade. Whether
motivated by coin, devotion, or curiosity, the PCs have come to the Isle
of Bones to defend the Keep and aid its inhabitants, an or-
der of nuns called the Daughters of Virtue.

New Player Heritages

Bone Troll: We serve the dead, and they serve us. Compared
to their hulking cousins who lurk under bridges, Bone Trolls are social
and civilized. True, their religion and culture are based in necromancy
and cannibalism, but who’s perfect?
Bone Trolls are large and ugly (although much less so than their mon-
strous kin)—seven or eight feet tall, with protruding tusks. They tend
to wear little clothing, even in winter—perhaps due to their incredible
vitality.

Bone Troll Attributes

♦ 8 Hit Points

♦ Trolls start with the Heritage Traits Stupidity and Regeneration.

♦ Stupidity (Drawback Trait): A Bone Troll has to make any intelli-

gence-related Tests with Disadvantage.

♦ 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

♦ Terrifying Persona: Test with Advantage to intimidate or frighten.

Test with Disadvantage on virtually any other social Test (gaining
trust, persuasion, seduction, etc.).

♦ Strike of Torment: You can choose to attack with Disadvantage. If

you succeed, you incapacitate your target with agony and pain. Your
target can take no Action except Save Tests until making a successful
Save Test.

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

Close Light, Heavy, Magic

Near Heavy, Magic, Ranged

Far 1 Ranged, Magic, Siege

Far 2 Ranged, Magic, Siege

Distant Siege
Other than the Distant Zone, which can have any number of combatants, the terrain
limits attackers to four at any one time.

Defenders have the same space limitations as the attackers,

which means that only four PCs (or NPCs) can be placed
in the zone closest to the door to the Keep, for example.
The Keep has five stories, and each story has two narrow
windows (a little bigger than arrowslits) from which de-
fenders can employ ranged weapons or magical attacks
in relative safety. Siege weapons are too large to fire from
Setting: Defending the Keep

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.

Player Combat Roles

By default, Sister Gentleness will command the Keep’s defense, making
assignments for NPCs (and PCs, if they go along). However, a successful
Test to inspire or persuade the Daughters will allow one or more Players
Setting: Defending the Keep

to take the lead, making assignments before combat and/or assuming

one of the following temporary Combat Roles (these work like Traits ex-
cept the effects only last until the end of combat).

♦ Captain: Makes no Attacks. Leads up to four NPCs in battle,

issuing two orders per round. (NPCs must be somewhat near,
such as on an adjoining floor or in an adjoining combat zone.)
♦ Lieutenant: Can make one Attack (or take one Action) per
round. Also leads up to two NPCs in battle, issuing one order
per round. (NPCs must be in very close proximity, such as being
on the same floor in the Keep or in the same combat zone.)

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.

Roll Creeps Undead Eldritch

Zombies, skeletons Pseudoblobs (split into

1 Default
(respawn) small blobs)

Troll undead (higher Chitinoids (armor absorbs

2 Tough
HP, damage) damage)

Ghosts (only Psycogs (immune to magic,

3 Resistant
damaged by magic) see Ch. 9: Psionics)

Skeleton archers Brain Beetles (magical

4 Special
(ranged attacks) attacks)

Skeleton cavalry Jellypod (move through

5 Movers
(fast move) the air)

Dinosaur skeleton Cosmic Horror (as

Setting: Defending the Keep

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.

Likewise, the last High Priest of the Bone Trolls

turned his body into a necromantic artifact that
would survive death and dismemberment. Grug-
goriye the Troll has found one of the High
Priest’s hands and can use it to summon skel-
etons. Each of the other missing body parts
likewise grants Necromantic powers, and bring-
ing them together grants further power still.
But each time any of these dark powers are
employed, the spirit of the High Priest gains
Setting: Defending the Keep

more awareness and control over his body, until

at last, he arises in glorious return.

Defending the Keep is an almost impossible task—with

“almost” being the key word. There is a way to stop the attacks, to de-
feat the evil forces behind them, and to heal the cursed land. If they find
it in time, the PCs might end up kings and queens of a new island realm.

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

In a fit of boredom, Tayden went through

the old journals of his ancestors and discov-
ered a reference to Telphis the Wise detecting
what he suspected was a second, larger crystal
buried far beneath the first one. For reasons
not stated in the journal, Telphis and his guild,
the House of Secrets, determined that the second
crystal should remain undisturbed, and did not
delve deeply enough to find it despite being
clear on its location. Thrilled, Tayden immedi-

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.

The changes began almost immediately.

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.

Whenever a shard of its substance is charged by a practitioner of magic,

its own energy flows into that spellcaster as well. From this moment, the
spellcaster is doomed. The great crystal begins to exert greater and great-
er influence over the spellcaster until, in time, it is merely an extension of
the crystal’s will, a small part of a greater hive-mind of sorts.

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

to absorb the mind of all beings in this world.

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.

♦ One month ago, the House of Secrets discovered the second

crystal. Its leader, a geomancer named Sharissa, became affect-
ed by the crystal within an hour of its discovery, and slowly fell
to its control within a period of three days.

♦ 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

Inspired Casino, Gladiator, A Knight’s Tale, Maverick, Ocean’s Eleven,

by: Prince of Persia.

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.

Amazingly, the city suffered no damage from the otherworldly blast

that destroyed the magical barrier. The shockwave, however, coalesced
the black sand of the surrounding desert into a wall of curved blades
that now protects the city from invasion. This nearly indestructible
barricade is known as the Deathglaives.

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.

But visitors must be wary—amongst all the beauty and entertainment,

a dark presence still exists in Fellbright. Panderers of magical intoxicants,
underground fights, and carnal pleasures lurk in the shadows, waiting to
corrupt the pure of heart. Charlatans, thieves, and extortionists prey on
weak-minded fools who happen to cross their path. It is even said that
Lord Sahir himself may have nefarious intentions for those visiting Fell-
bright. If not careful, one may lose much more than gold in the City
Setting: Fellbright

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.

♦ Six Djinn Den of Chance is the finest casino in Fellbright and,

as its name implies, is operated by six vivacious Djinn. In fact,
they are the only employees of the casino because all of the
gaming tables are enchanted. Visitors can gamble on almost
every game of chance known throughout the realm as well as
Setting: Fellbright

games that originated in Fellbright such as Scarabs and Bones

in the Sand. If you’re feeling lucky and willing to
risk everything, you may even coax a
Djinn into betting one of his wishes.

♦ The Palace of the Dune Star is

by far the most beautiful build-

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.

♦ Wishfire Bazaar is an open-air market filled with a variety of

merchants, tradesmen, and street performers. It is said that one
can find anything the heart desires in the Wishfire Bazaar.
You may encounter artificers, alchemists, fortune tellers, snake
charmers, and even spirits and magical beasts. As with any
crowded thoroughfare, one must stay on guard for those who
seek to take advantage of distracted tourists.

♦ The Painted Sphinx is an entertainment parlor where visitors

can relax on comfy furnishings, drink exotic libations, watch
enticing dancers and acrobats, and enjoy the company of beau-
tiful escorts from all Heritages. However, total inebriation is not
recommended, for it makes you easy prey for the succubi and
incubi known to frequent the parlor. Unless, that is, you don’t
Setting: Fellbright

mind losing a little life for love.

♦ Black Sand Coliseum is the largest structure in the city. Its

robust architecture lacks the aesthetics of other buildings but
a pretty façade is not what draws thousands to enter. The coli-
seum is home to many different types of combatant sports,
competitions, and races. Multiple levels of seating surround the

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.

◊ Cavalier’s Cup is a mounted combat event where compet-

itors attempt to knock their opponent off his/her mount.
Armor and weapons are allowed. Riding experience is ad-
vantageous but not required since magic saddles may be ob-
tained.

Magic saddles grant the rider one Mounted Combat Trait of

their choosing (see below for new Mounted Combat Traits
and page 83 of the Tiny Dungeon 2e rulebook for more).

◊ Lock Horns League is a bare-knuckle fighting event. Armor

and weapons are strictly prohibited. However, certain en-
hancements via magic potions and/or charms are perfectly
legal and highly recommended. Depending on your fame,
a few underground pit-fights might be required before an
LHL bout. If you survive the pits and manage to compete
in the league, you will soon find out that fighters are treated
like royalty. One thing to remember in an LHL fight, when
someone yields the fight is over. Forget that and you’re
banned for life.

♦ 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

come a permanent resident of the City of Bliss.

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

Archmage (Select a Magical Discipline)

Grant Wishes: A Djinn can grant wishes if it so chooses (at
the discretion of the GM), but the results can be very un­
predictable. GMs may find it helpful to use the Random
9 Magical Effects generator (from Chapter 13: Spell-Touched).
(Heroic) Smoke Form: As a Move Action, Djinn can transform their
bodies into smoke. Only magical attacks can do damage
against a Djinn in smoke form. Also, Djinn can only make
magic attacks while in smoke form.
Spell-Touched

Sand Golem: Large humanoid construct conjured from sand. Damage

inflicted to their body reforms quickly making them difficult to defeat.

HP Traits

6 Impervious to Pain (see Construct, Major, Ch. 3: Artificer)

(High) Diehard Strong

Sijada Mage: Guardian in charge of keeping the peace in Fellbright.

Squads patrol the city on magic carpets. They wear a white and black
uniform trimmed with crimson and gold as well as an emerald shem-
agh and dark-tinted goggles. When needed, Sijada Mages will summon
Setting: Fellbright

a Sand Golem to aid them with unruly disturbances.

HP Traits

Archmage (See Dune Magic from Chapter 2: Archmage)

Magic Carpet Rider: Sijada Mages often have at least one
5
mounted combat Trait (below and TD2e, p. 83) to use on their
(Medium)
flying carpets. The carpets have the Evasive Trait (TD2e, p. 73).
Spell-Reader
Succubus/Incubus: Extremely attractive demons (female=Succubus,
male=Incubus) who use their beauty and charm to seduce other be-
ings. If they succeed in their seduction, they attempt to drain life from
their victim through intimate contact. Usually, their intention is not
to kill their victim but to drain just enough life to rejuvenate their
beauty. Succubi/Incubi lose 1 HP per day if they do not use Wanton
Kiss to heal themselves.

HP Traits

Charismatic

Wanton Kiss (Unarmed Attack): Test 2d6 against an ad-

4 jacent enemy. On a successful Test, the enemy is engaged in
(Medium) a kiss and suffers 1 damage and the Succubus/Incubus gains
1 HP (Max HP=4). On its turn, the target can make a Save
Test to escape. Damage/recover effect continues until the
kiss is broken.

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.

HP Starting Heritage Trait

Beguiling Tongue: These aren’t the dwarves you’re looking for.

Once per day you can automatically succeed on a Charisma
6
Test. The target must do what you ask it to do. If asked to
(High)
complete an Action that will inflict harm upon itself, the
target may make a Save Test to resist.
Setting: Fellbright

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.

HP Starting Heritage Trait

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?

♦ Thieves: As veteran members of a thieves’ guild known as the

Pale Rooks, you have been sent from a faraway kingdom to infil-
trate the Palace of the Dune Star and steal a specific magic item.
Since you’re already there, might as well steal a few more things
if the opportunity presents itself. Not known for being a stupid
lot, your group knows that the absence of visible guards in the
palace does not mean it is unprotected.

♦ Gamblers: Gamblers have come far and wide to compete in a

Scarabs tournament being held at the Six Djinn Den of Chance.
The prize pool is the largest the realm has ever witnessed. Will
you have time to raise enough gold to enter or be forced to borrow
Setting: Fellbright

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?

♦ Bodyguards: Baron Agyar Kodfing, an obese Lizardfolk with

extravagant taste, has come to enjoy all that Fellbright has to
offer. As his bodyguards, it will be your duty to keep the flam-
boyant and rather disgusting noble out of trouble—while not
interfering with his indulgence. This will be no easy task as
Baron Kodfing’s offensive nature tends to make enemies very
quickly. Good thing the cold-blooded sack of scales pays so well.

♦ Ambassadors: Hailing from different kingdoms, you were sent

to Fellbright to negotiate trade deals at the request of your king.
However, convincing Lord Sahir and his underlings to accept
your offer will be an exhausting undertaking. Thankfully, as
guests of Lord Sahir, you will be able to relax and enjoy the city
as well. Be mindful of too many distractions, for the local guild
masters are not pleased by your presence. They will do whatev-
er it takes to safeguard their foothold in the city.

♦ Performers: Lord Sahir is look-

ing for musicians (from Chapter
Setting: Fellbright

4: Bard) to entertain his guests

at Fellbright’s Crest of the Sal-
low Moon gala ball. Your troop
enters the competition in the
hopes that fame and fortune
follow those chosen to perform
at such a prestigious event. Try-

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?

Plays Well With

Since Fellbright is a city-based setting it can be easily inte­grat­ed into
the worlds of other micro-settings. However, if you think Fellbright
just needs a bit more excitement then try adding Inkslingers and their
arcane tattooing to the Wishfire Bizarre, or Gate Crash-
ing Delvers in search of the magic artifacts to which Djinn
are bound, or quite possibly a Wizards’ Duel in the
Black Sand Coliseum at the height of the Du-
eling Moon (see Inkslingers by Joe
McGee, Gate Crash­ers by David Paul
Guzmán, and The Price of Power by
Gregory Israel).

Other possibilities include: Clash of the

Pastrium: The Gingerbread Joust, Dark
Alleys of the Soul, Gods of Diazorr, Land
of Broken Roads, Search for the Silver
Haven, Mage Hunters, and Rule of Three.

263
THE FORGE
by Quincy J. Allen

Dune, Ender’s Game, Harry Potter, The Legend of

Drizzt, Miskatonic University, Percy Jackson and the
Inspired by:
Olympians, Umbrella Academy, The Uncanny X-Men,
The Wheel of Time.
Clash of the Pastrium, The Cost of Sunsteel, Defend-
Plays Well ing the Keep, The Fall of Telmara, Fellbright, Mage
With: Hunters, The Price of Power, Rule of Three, Search
for the Silver Haven.

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.

But two hundred years ago, a pair of Half-Elf

mages hatched a plot to put an end to this. As the
first step in their plan, Luriel Evenseer and Rilgore
Triskalion created an academy of combat and magic
to give their fellow half-breeds the power to protect
themselves from a world that despises them.

Now young half-elves have a place to run to when they

start to manifest their magical powers. If they can es-
cape the hunters and slavers and navigate the deadly G’Dann
Forest, the academy will welcome them, and teach them.

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.

Character Creation and A dvancement

Characters in this campaign begin play as frightened kids running off to
find refuge in the Arcology, not nearly as powerful and well-equipped as
typical TD2e Adventurers. Accordingly, all player characters are created
with the Half-Elf Heritage (but no Heritage Trait), a Family Trade, a
single non-magical Trait, a Belief, and proficiency with a single weapon
Setting: The Forge

(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.

Stage Known Learning

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

Heritage Trait Any 2 of the following:

Spell-Touched Trait • Trait of your choice
2 Traits of your choice • Magical Discipline
Begin year 3 of your choice
Archmage (1 Discipline)
• Weapon mastery or
1 Weapon group proficiency of your
proficiency choice
1 Weapon Mastered
 Customizing Your Casters
Since every student in the Forge learns the Spell-Touched Trait (from Chapter
12: Spell-Touched), it is crucial to find ways to distinguish each Adventurer’s
unique approach to magic. For example, players may wish to pick an element
(fire, water, earth, air, light, shadow) their character’s magic is based on, and
specify how this would affect their spells. What would their magical ranged
attack be? Would any of their six basic Cantrips look different or work dif-
ferently? What other custom Cantrips would be appropriate?

New Player Heritage

Half-Elf: Elves to the left of me, Humans to the right. Human/Elf hy-
brids are despised by both Humans and Elves, despite
having both in their family trees. They tend to live in
impoverished and threatened settlements in the
dangerous cracks between civilized lands.

Many Half-Elves manifest Spell-Touched pow-

ers in adolescence. These are especially prized by
Human slavers, and especially hated by Elven
hunters.

Half-Elf Attributes
Half-Elves have the following attributes, including one of the listed Heritage
Traits:

♦ 6 Hit Points

♦ Weaponized Cantrip: One of your Spell-Touched Cantrips does 1

damage in addition to its primary effect (e.g., you douse small flames
with a cold so bitter it causes frostbite).
Setting: The Forge

♦ Press Your Advantage: When fighting with a light melee weapon

and no shield, you get a free Action (with Disadvantage) when you
hit an Enemy.

♦ 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.

Desperate young Half-Elves may go

it alone, or they may have found oth-
ers of their kind to travel with. They
may even be guided by a Guardian
from the academy, if they are very
lucky. The road is full of dangers:
Human slavers, Elven hunters, Gob-
lin brigands, and perhaps even spies
trying to infiltrate the academy.

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.

At the Stones, the desperate young Adventurers will be met by a pair

of the Arcology’s Scouts (or, sometimes, upper-level students), ready
to escort them through the G’Dann. They will need the help. Even on
the safest pathways, the Forest is vast, dark, and full of hidden, hungry
things.

In the Heat of the Forge

Setting: The Forge

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.

Students with shared interests (alchemy, knife-fighting, snares and

traps, etc.) tend to gravitate together into clubs, often with elaborate

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.

Faculty and staff

Classes are taught by a motley crew of Instructors,
almost all of whom are graduates of the Forge. All
other duties (cooking, cleaning, etc.) are performed by students.
A number of recent graduates serve as Scouts, patrolling the Forest
which surrounds the school. Beyond the G’Dann, the Arcology has a
network of capable and committed Guardians fighting a twilight war
to protect Half-Elves wherever they are found.

Luriel Evenseer, Headmaster

As Headmaster, Luriel Evenseer is the final authority in all things in the
Arcology, with direct responsibility for Instructors and student staff. His
light-hearted demeanor masks a deadly-serious commitment to keeping
his people safe. Currently also serving as the school’s Arms Master, he
has centuries of experience fighting with a variety of weapons and com-
Setting: The Forge

bat spells, and is not to be trifled with.

Ailaelie Glimmerswift, Captain of the Scouts

Also known as the Nightblade, Ailaelie leads the Scouts who patrol the
G’Dann forest and defend the Arcology from beasts, monsters, and out-
side intruders. One of the first graduates of the Forge, she is surpassed by
none but perhaps Luriel in skill with the sword.

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.

New M agical Disciplines

Students at the school can find Instructors
to teach them any of the Magical Disci-
plines found in the TD2e core rulebook,
or in the Micronomicon. But nearly everyone
on the faculty at the Arcology is prepared to teach
one of these two schools.

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.

♦ Expel Arms: Test to ensorcel an opponent’s limbs, causing them

to spasm and expel a weapon, scroll, or something else held in the
hands.

♦ Porcupine’s Revenge: Test to enchant your armor or clothing

into a bristling forest of eldritch spears, doing 1 damage to any
who hit you with a melee attack this turn.

♦ Swirling Blades: Test to surround yourself with a whirlwind of

Setting: The Forge

illusory blades. Your opponents must make a

Save Test before they can use Focus or Evade
against you.

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

♦ Escort quest. Students are needed to help Guardians secure a

caravan of much-needed supplies and bring it home. The territo-
ry is stable. What could go wrong?
♦ Field exercise. An Instructor (or Scout, or Guardian) takes a
class out to practice in the field, but winds up incapacitated.
Can the students get them all back to safety?

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.

♦ Grand Tourney. Once each year, groups of students (divided by

year) pit their skills against each other to win bragging rights and
epic gifts from the Headmaster.

♦ 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.

♦ Repel invaders. Elven Hunters searching for the Arcology have

infiltrated the Forest. Instructors are leading small teams of Scouts
and students to harass them.

♦ Rescue mission. Human slavers have set up a secret prison camp

for Spell-Touched Half-Elves. Guardians recruit student volun-
teers to bring the prisoners to the Arcology.

♦ Shadow Room. This immense room is enchanted with spells

of protection so students can test their skills against monsters
in a safe and controlled environment.
Mostly. Challenges between rival
clubs also can take place here, often
without supervision.

♦ Unmask the spy. The Head-

master asks for help discovering an
outsider who has gained entry to
the school using a shape-shifting spell
or artifact.

♦ Valedictory Trial. Graduates wishing

to serve as Scouts, Instructors, or Guard-
Setting: The Forge

ians may undertake a quest or peril chosen

by the Headmaster. Survivors are forbid-
den to speak of their trial to those who
have not undergone the same initiation.

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.

Setting: The Forge

 GATE CRASHERS
by David Paul Guzmán

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 . . .

A Brief History of the Gates

A Dimensional Resonance Gateway, or “Gate” for short, is a buildup in
energy that resonates between dimensions, temporarily bridging them.
The first widely publicized instance was the Tokyo Cascade five years
ago, when numerous Gates simultaneously opened, swallowed over a
hundred people, and then vanished almost instantly.
While awareness exploded after the Tokyo Cascade, scientists and gov-
ernment agencies had secretly known of the Gates’ existence for decades.
As it was impossible to cover up the events in Japan, authorities made a

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.

The Changing World

The Siskiyou Breach brought with it im-
mense opportunity for study of the Gate
itself and the exotic flora, fauna, and
geology found beyond. While the sci-
entific community had lobbied for
Setting: Gate Crashers

increased access to the Gates for

months, they had only been grant­ed
it in limited instances. The appearance
of hostile alien creatures at the Siskiyou Breach became a turning point
in that struggle.
For the first time, governments agreed that it wasn’t enough to observe
the Gates. In order to defend against future threats, humanity needed to
understand them. The duration of the Siskiyou Breach became a unique

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

onance sickness. Similarly, the research that can be conducted on living

samples taken from a Gate suffers the same time constraints. To combat
this limitation, mobile research facilities were originally deployed near
Gate locations, and study was limited to tests that could be completed
while the samples were still viable.
However, the extended duration of the Siskiyou Breach led to another
monumental discovery: a small percentage of those exposed to resonance
gain the ability to adapt to it. Moreover, this adaptation sometimes re-
sults in an adaptive mutation, whose nature was dependent on the type

277
 of dimensional resonance the subject absorbed. Humanity itself had
begun to change.

R ise of the Delvers

Stepping through a Gate is a dangerous endeavor. Monstrous predators,
techno-organic machines, and strange magic are just a few of the possi-
bilities lying in wait. Still, the temptation of exotic resources and advanced
technology is a powerful draw for both science and industry. That lure
has turned into lucrative employment opportunities for those willing to
risk life and limb by delving into the unknown.
Initially, these “Delvers” were little more than professional mercenaries
with enough courage to step through a Gate, and enough training and
experience to make it back alive. The danger was further exacerbated by

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.

Resonance Adaptation: You are not adversely affected by other-dimen-

sional resonance, and you can acquire adaptive mutations.

By default, Adaptive Mutations refer to any content contained within and

Setting: Gate Crashers

supported by the Micronomicon. However, because Gates can lead to liter-

ally anywhere—and adaptive mutations allow delvers to take on properties
of those destinations—the list of adaptive mutations could easily include any
TinyD6 content.

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.

After the Siskiyou Breach, both the military

and private sector began to seek out ind-
viduals who showed the potential for res-
onance adaptation. New recruits with
adaptive potential were offered exten-
sive benefits and long-term con­tracts,
while those who manifested a com-
bat-capable adaptive mutation be-
came eligible for higher salaries and paramilitary
training. Five years after the Tokyo Cascade, it is almost unheard of for
anyone without resonance adaptation to be granted access to the Gates.

Staring Into the A byss

A great deal of time and research has been spent studying the Gates, and
why they began appearing frequently after the Tokyo Cascade. Scientists
can now predict when Gates will open and their approximate duration.
Unfortunately, there is still no way to determine what lies beyond a Gate
other than stepping through.

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

from the gaming lexicon. Corporate-funded teams use such terms

not only because they are widely understood, but because their use
serves to entice prospective recruits.

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

these are, fortunately, the rarest Gate phenome-

non. Their diffused resonant energy results in
several tran­sient Gates that appear nearly si-
multaneously over a widespread area.
♦ Harvest Zones: On rare occasions, a Gate
opens to a destination that is rich in re-
sources, but contains minimal risk to
Del­vers. These are highly coveted,

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-

Through the Looking Glass

Because Gates might lead to an infinite number of dimensions, Game Mas-
ters can use them as a way to seamlessly introduce elements from other
settings. The easiest example is to use microsettings in the Micronomicon
and other TinyD6 books as destinations. Ultimately, however, what lies be-
yond a Gate is limited only by your imagination.

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

♦ Coldsnap bomb: see Chapter 1: Alchemist.

♦ Frostbite bomb: Flesh cracks and joints ache as the target is
chilled to the bone. Until your next turn, each time the target
takes damage, increase it by 1.
♦ Deep Freeze: All targets that were affected by the alchemical
primer take an additional 1 damage, and suffer Disadvantage
on their next Test.

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.

There are numerous primers and catalysts, and research is constantly

discovering new ways to chain them together. The following are some
examples that are available to delvers.

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

♦ Entangling Vine bomb: see Chapter 1: Alchemist.

♦ Gorgon’s Gaze bomb: This bomb causes tissue to calcify, as if

turning to stone. The target cannot use the Evade or Move Ac-
tions during their next turn.

♦ 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

♦ Burning Flame bomb: see Chapter 1: Alchemist.

♦ Fevered Mind bomb: The target enters a fevered state, unable

to use the Focus Action and Testing with Disadvantage on men-
tal tasks for the next 3 turns.

♦ Explosive Burst: The effects of the alchemical primer spread to

everyone within Close range of the target.

283
 Water-Based Chains
Alchemical Primer Elemental Catalyst Tactical Burst

Salted Wounds
Desiccation bomb
(Sapphire Magic) Tidal Crash
Submersion bomb Moon Silver ammunition

♦ Desiccation bomb: The target takes 1 damage and Tests with

Disadvantage on its next Attack as water rushes to escape its body.

♦ Submersion bomb: This bomb gathers fluid in the target’s lungs.

It deals 1 damage each round until they spend an Action to cough
up the fluid.

♦ Tidal Crash: Everyone in Close range of the target loses an

Action on their next Turn, as they struggle against the tide of
elemental water.

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

Transformation into a Xenograft is extremely painful even under the best

circumstances. To be eligible, both the recipient and the donor must pos-
sess reso­nance adaptability. Attempting the process on creatures without
adaptive potential suffers a one-hundred percent fatality rate. In practice,
transformation is reserved for Delvers who never exhibit an adaptive mu-
tation. Whether the process involves organ transplants, grafted limbs, or
modified DNA, most that undergo Xenograft transformation are physi-
cally altered in very obvious ways.

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.

♦ Amnesiac: Your memory has deteriorated. You may never take

the Eidetic Memory Trait. You Test with Disadvantage on any
attempts to recall information.
♦ Bloodthirsty: You can’t help but savagely lash out in battle.
When in combat, one of your Actions must always be used to
Attack. If you are unwilling or unable to Attack, you lose one of
your Actions as you struggle to keep your violent urges in check.
♦ Dependency: Your transformation has made you dependent
on a rare or exotic material. Select a substance with your Game
Master (suggestions include anti-rejection medication, alchem-
ical mixtures, or exotic nutrients required by your biology). You
require a daily dose to survive. Each day without it, your max-
imum Hit Points are reduced by 1. These lost Hit Points cannot
be regained by any means other than feeding your dependency,
at which point they are completely restored.
♦ Impetuous: You attack first, and ask questions later. You are
unable to take the Focus Action in combat.
♦ Malodorous: Your grafted biology emits an unmistakable odor.
You suffer Disadvantage on any Tests to conceal your scent. Any
attempt to detect you by scent is successful on a Test of 4, 5, or 6.
♦ Symbiote: You are host to a living symbiote, and are influenced
Setting: Gate Crashers

by its needs or desires. Select one of the Demonic Drawback Traits

from Chapter 1: Alchemist.

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:

♦ A stable breach permanently appears, leading to open hostilities

with the world beyond. Maintaining peace requires constant
vigilance on our side of the Gate, and continued incursions by
inhuman invaders force Delvers to establish a defensive beach-
head in another world.

♦ Delvers discover an Anachronism: a Gate that leads to the past

or future, or perhaps a recognizable alternate history. Tamper-
ing with the past might result in terrible consequences, while
exploring The future might yield incredible—but no less terri-
ble—discoveries.

♦ The rise of adaptive mutations across the world

threatens the collapse of conventional law en-
forcement and global politics, as living human
weapons begin to take center stage. In the re-
sulting breakdown of order, governments, cor-
porations, and religious orders all try to bring
powerful delvers under their control.

♦ New data, combined with historical records and

folklore, have given rise to the belief that recur-
ring Gates played a role in various legends. One
such example is the so-called “Emerald Gate”
which manifests around Seward County, Kan-
sas, and may have led to stories of a lost farmgirl
and a yellow brick road. Could these legends
Setting: Gate Crashers

have some grain of truth to them?

♦ An alien artifact, magical spell, or scientific discov-

ery has unlocked the secret of the Gates, granting
the ability to stabilize or close existing Gates, and
possibly open new ones. Such a discovery comes
with a terrible price: whoever possesses it instant-
ly becomes the most wanted person alive, as world
powers fight for control over the Gates themselves.

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

Settings that have achieved the technology to build powered armor or

giant mecha are particularly well-suited to combat hordes of inhuman
invaders or colossal kaiju that slip through massive Gates.

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.

Alternately, a world devastated and stripped bare by humanity’s own

hands now crumbles like a desiccated husk. When Gates appear, they
bring the possibility of renewal. Now, using bits of scavenged technol-
ogy, nomadic survivors continually search for each new Gate, and hope
that the promise of food and resources is fulfilled the next time they step
through.

Setting: Gate Crashers

289
 Gods of Diazorr
by Jeffrey L. Scifert

Avalant, Cost of Sunsteel, the Forge, Gate Crashers,

Plays well with: Land of Broken Roads, Mage Hunters, Rule of Three,
Songs of Oversea

Overview: Sparks in the Darkness

Gods of Diazorr pits heroic characters against the capricious and cruel
Chimeric Pantheon and their fanatical mortal minions. Here, evil has
triumphed, contaminating everything it touches—especially magic. Every
time characters Test to use their magical Traits, they risk falling into
Shadow and being changed, perhaps literally transforming into a hor-
rifying monster.
But there is hope. The Gods of Light are defeated, but not entirely gone.
Their divine essence is scattered throughout the world, hidden in chosen
mortal vessels—sparks that will light the cleansing fire. Unfortunately,
the only way to ignite this celestial power and reveal a character’s godly
heritage is to use magic.
So, to defeat the Pantheon and overthrow their evil Order, heroes must
walk the razor’s edge—at any moment capable of either falling into
Shadow and becoming inhuman monsters or blazing forth as brilliant
new demigods. Good luck!

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).

Available Player Heritages

♦ Homine: Human. The chosen vessels of the Chimeric Pantheon.

♦ Dominante: Former Human perfected by Thaumaturgy (as Gens,

TF:R, p. 24).

♦ Subterrane: Dwarf. Permitted by the Order to serve humanity through

craft and industry.

♦ Silvestre: Fey. Permitted by the Order to bring humanity pleasure

and delight. Instead of Bow Mastery, the Heritage Trait is Artistic:
Test with Advantage on fine arts or performing arts.

♦ Servitore: Summoned worker needing neither food nor sleep (as

Ahleghiri, TF:R, p. 34.)

♦ Belligerante: Brutal fighter born of Thaumaturgy (as Tyranax,

TF:R, p. 29).

♦ Aberrante: Bizarre sentient ooze, possibly created in failed alchem-

ical experiments. Somehow they thrive despite being relentlessly
hunted (as Splinter, TF:R. p. 32).

The Ecclesiasts of the Chimeric Order

declare that only Homines (and post­
Human Dominantes) are worthy of the
full blessings of the Chimeric Panthe-
on. Non-Humans are inferior, and the
Order suffers their presence only as long
as they serve their betters. Those who

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.

Conviction cannot be used, however, until the character’s godly heri-

tage emerges and is recognized. Awakening the scion within requires a
Test, either at that moment or during a later moment of reflection.

Once that divine nature has been revealed, Demigod

characters generate Conviction just as described in Tiny
Gods (p. 22, 32), with some coming automatically each
day and some only when they do awesome, demi-godly
Setting: Gods of Diazorr

stuff. This requires a second phase of character

creation, gaining extra
hit points and choosing
Demigod attributes such
as Divinity Type, Binding,
etc. (Tiny Gods, pp. 31-34). GMs
should aid players in this process
by reminding them about the
incident(s) that led to this glo-
rious revelation and helping

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.

Thaumaturgy and Shadow

Magic was a gift from the Gods of Light. When they fell, magic did not
entirely disappear, but it diminished and what remained was tainted by
the dark power of the Chimeric Pantheon. This contaminated, adulter-
ated form of magic is called Thaumaturgy.

Magical Traits are all replaced in this setting by Thaumaturgical Traits,

which function just as they did before, with the following insidious ex-
ception. Whenever you use Thaumaturgy, roll a six-sided Shadow die
(make sure it’s easily distinguished). The Shadow die can not help you
succeed in your Test, but if it shows a one, you
must immediately make a Save Test or fall into
Shadow. Characters with Homine or Domi-
nante Heritage suffer Disadvantage on these
Save Tests.

Characters can also fall into Shadow by

performing evil deeds, or even by com-
ing into contact with cursed objects or
Setting: Gods of Diazorr

locations. The GM may require a Save

Test upon first contact, for every day
of exposure, etc.

Track how deeply characters are fall-

ing into Shadow, by giving out one
Shadow point every time a character
fails a Save Test. Characters with even 1
Shadow point are more vulnerable to the in-

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

2 Roll twice on this table and take both transformations.

Develop: (1) a lion’s body or hindquarters; (2) cloven hooves and/

or goat legs; (3) ostrich legs; (4) slimy tentacles in place of existing
3
appendages; (5) snake body from the waist down; (6) scorpion body
from the waist down.

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.

Develop: (1) ram’s horns; (2) a crow-like beak; (3) a wolf-like

muzzle; (4) slitted nostrils, a lipless mouth, forked tongue, hinged
jaw, and large posterior fangs for grasping and swallowing food;
10
(5) a platypus-like soft beak with electro-reception capability a (de-
tect live vs. inanimate nature of objects or beings); (6) a leech-like
sucker mouth OR a butterfly-like proboscis for a tongue.

Sprout a tail which is: (1) donkey-like;

(2) cat-like (Advantage on balance checks);
(3) opossum-like (use as extra prehensile
limb); (4) like a whip or scourge, with
11 barbs along its length; (5) like an
ankylosaurus tail, with a large club-like
protrusion at distal tip; (6) scor-
pion-like, with venomous
stinger.

Grow wings like a: (1) hawk; (2) bat;

Setting: Gods of Diazorr

12 (3) dragonfly; (4) flying fish; (5) humming-

bird; (6) pterosaur.

Effects associated with these transformations are

left to the Game Master to adjudicate.

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.

The Chimeric Pantheon

Crenist, Battle’s Rage and Axe of Castigation

A towering warrior carrying an executioner’s axe.

Appearance: His elaborate armor cannot hide his membranous
wings and goat-like legs ending in cloven hooves.

Domains: Anger, War, Vengeance

Commandment(s): Castigate the unbelievers.

Felor, Mistress of Thaumaturgy and Font of Shadow

When in the mortal realm, Felor manifests as a

great serpent, veiled in black and purple smoke.
Appearance: Those who penetrate this fog see that she has a
woman’s head with ram’s horns, along with two
tentacles and two insectoid arms.

Domains: Darkness, Magic, Transformation

Commandment(s): Approach the Pantheon through Thaumaturgy.

Setting: Gods of Diazorr

Jey, Prince of Avarice and the Demon Sire

Massively corpulent and massively strong,

Appearance: he carries a serrated kukri and his crimson eyes
burn with insatiable hunger.

Domains: Appetite, Fertility, Wealth

Commandment(s): Seek your own.

298
Reff, Death’s Right Hand and Watcher Without Pity

Diseased (or dead) humanoid figure of indetermi-

Appearance: nate sex. Carries a bone staff topped by a human
skull whose eyes glow with purple flame.

Domains: Death, Judgement, Secrets

Commandment(s): Confess every transgression you witness.

The Exalted
Mortal leaders of the Chimeric Order, the Exalted are powerful Thau-
maturges who execute the Pantheon’s most vital commands.

Kraed Nadom, Ascendant Ecclesiast of Felor: Only recently Ascended

to semi-divine power, this young-looking man remains first among the
Exalted and the pinnacle of the Order’s mortal hierarchy.

HP Traits

Archmage (Onyx Magic and 1d3 others)

Charismatic

Demigod of Destruction: Divine Binding: Magic;

Conviction: 6.

Resolute

Shadow Puppeteer: You may give simple commands to

Setting: Gods of Diazorr

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.

Spell Reader (Carries 1d3 scrolls)

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

Alchemical Cuirass: Grants protection as the Kinetic

Shield Psionic Talent.

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

Archmage (Crystal & Diamond Magics)

Insightful
8
Spell Reader
(High)
Spell Touched

Summoner

Xeno-Hunter (see TF: R, p.42)

Nalama Doan, Exalted Director of Monitores: The woman of a thou-

sand faces, only her fellow Exalted know what the Order’s spymaster
really looks like. You may have met her already.

HP Traits

Acrobat

Connected: As an Action, establish a mental link with a

Monitore, sharing their sensory perceptions (as the Com-
municate spell, TD2e p. 74).

Dark-fighter
Setting: Gods of Diazorr

6 Grandmaster (Crimson Death & Water Disciplines)

(High) Martial Artist

Sneaky

Treacherous: Your first attack against an unaware target

does 1 extra damage.

Umbral Mist: When you are hidden, anyone attempting

to detect you must Test with Disadvantage.
 The Chimeric Order
Members of the Order serve the Chimeric Pantheon with a devotion that
passes well beyond fanaticism. For rank and file Ecclesiasts and devotees,
use Cult Leader and Cultist (TD2e, p. 47). For the wretches transformed
by Shadow into literal monsters, any number of Enemies may be appro-
priate, including: Bridge Troll, Eldritch Horror, Giant Snake, Kraken,
and Zombie.

Chevalier: In their shining black and purple armor, chevaliers look a

bit like horned beetles. These twisted imitations of true knights com-
prise the cavalry and officer corps of the Order’s armies (most of whom
are Belligerantes).

HP Traits

Armor Master

7 Cavalier or Outrider
(High) Cleave

Shield Bearer

Evocatore: Evocatores, often called witches, have—through Thauma-

turgy—gained power over umbral and infernal creatures. They hunt
any whom the Order has deemed a threat.

HP Traits

Alchemist

6 Familiar or Summoner
Setting: Gods of Diazorr

(High) Spell-Touched

Xeno-Hunter

Monitore: Ordinary looking people altered by Thaumaturgy to become

human scrying pools.

HP Traits

2 Connected (see Nalama Doan)

(High) Treacherous (see Nalama Doan)
Thaumaturge: Clad in sumptuous black and purple robes, these senior
Ecclesiasts have gained the uncanny ability to command those who have
fallen into Shadow.

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.

And then the Plague happened.

No one knows how it started, or where it start-

ed, only that it struck indiscriminately; poor or
wealthy, tattooed or not, it didn’t matter.

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!

New Prestige Trait

Reclaimer: Death is only a temporary stage. You have the ability to bring
the dead back to life in a new body. To take this Prestige Trait, you must
have the Inkslinger Trait.

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.

Choose Your Own Apocalypse

What does your Plague look like? What are the signs? What does it do? How is
it spread? What was the cause? This is a great chance to put your fingerprint on
the Inkslinger world. Even these backdrop occurrences offer great NPC ideas,
or even character backgrounds. Imagine playing a character whose job it was/
is to collect the dead and haul wagons of corpses off to crematoriums? Why do
they do it? What happens when it’s someone they know or love? What hap-
pens if they pocket a necklace found on a corpse, only to have the dead return
as a Revenant and come looking for what was taken? So. Many. Possibilities!

308
R evenants
The Inkslinger Guild quickly capitalized on
the sudden and devastating loss of life.

A senior guild member discovered the meth-

ods for returning the soul of the dead to a
physical body. Not only did it require the
already advanced skills of arcane tattooing
and inscribing a special sigil on the flesh
(called “the tether”), it also required a de-
tailed and accurate portrait of the person
who was to be brought back. At first, this
process was done by Inkslingers who in-
timately knew their targets and were able
to reproduce their images from memory.
Then it was done for those who had the fresh corpse and the Inkslinger
was able to set eyes upon the person as they tattooed the portrait on the
flesh. But eventually, time passed, corpses were cremated, people scrapped
and saved to be able to afford the process . . . and by then there was no
likeness to show the Inkslinger.

Ever resourceful, always opportunists, the Guild took to selling “Tether

Insurance” for an affordable fee. Customers could pay a small amount to
have a portrait of themselves, or a loved one, done by a Guild artist and
preserved in the Inkslinger Vaults. This way, when the loved one died,
the Inkslinger had a portrait to refer to.

However, a new problem emerged: body collections and cremations were

making it difficult to provide a physical form. It didn’t matter if the Ink-
slinger had a picture to go off of if they didn’t have a body to put the
person into.
Setting: Inkslingers

New Heritage
Revenant

Revenants are people brought back to life in a recently deceased body

(“vessel”). Most vessels used are free from serious injury and so appear
as rather “Normal” people with pallid, waxy skin, and blueish coloration
around their eyes and mouth. Their eyes are always a very pale, icy blue,

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

Tethered: Whoever had this body before you was good at

something you were not. Perhaps they were a skilled musician
8 or maybe an expert swordsman . . . whatever it was, that exper-
(High) tise lingers with you. Choose one skill, ability, or gift that you’ve
inherited with your new body. You Test with Advantage when-
ever you use this inherited ability.

Ghouls and Vessels

It wasn’t long before a new criminal enterprise sprung up to take ad-
vantage of the situation. In the beginning, Inkslingers were able to
bring the dead back into their own bodies. Then, in many cases, the
body of the target had already been cremated and the Inkslinger had to
use whatever body was available. Soon, even having a fresh body be-
came a challenge. They became known as “vessels” and vessels were a
Setting: Inkslingers

very valuable commodity.

Enter the Ghouls. These criminals specialize in collecting, buying, and
selling vessels to those in need. Want to bring back your sister but don’t
have a body? The Ghouls can provide a vessel that might look similar . . .
and for the right price, they’ll get you as close to your needs as possible.
Even if it means taking it from someone who might not want to give up
their body just yet.

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.

That is not dead which may eternal lie!

GMs, whether you play in the Inkslinger microsetting or not, consider using
the Revenant rules to handle player character death at the table. If a PC is
killed, why not have them brought back as a new Revenant? Perhaps even
seeking out a Reclaimer could be an adventure of its own, or doing a job to
get the money to pay the Reclaimer, or even doing a favor as payment. Maybe
you even want to run a whole party of Revenants! This Heritage gives a dy-
namic new approach to continuing characters who have perished.

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?

The Ministry of Mortality

These goon squads have the authority to act as judge, jury, and execu-
tioner. Not only do they see to the immediate and proper disposal of the
deceased, but they also hunt down Inkslingers and Reclaimers, keep a
close watch on Revenants, and police the use (and abuse) of Inked pow-
ers. It’s not illegal to have the tattoo . . . not yet. But there is serious talk
Setting: Inkslingers

of having to register your tattooed power.

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!

Take it a step further. Intricate or complex art might serve as dungeon

maps, complete with traps, treasures, Enemies, room details, etc. Your
group might spend weeks working their way up one player’s sleeve tat-
toos! (“We made it past the Queen of Roses, but we’ve got the Lionheart
coming up soon and that looks tough.”)

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.

♦ The Guild’s Witchrock supplies are running low. As apprentice

Inkslingers, you have been tasked with the job of acquiring more.
If the journey doesn’t kill you, the creatures that call the caves
their home just might.

♦ 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.

♦ As Ministry of Mortality patrolmen, you’ve been alerted to a

Reclaiming happening this evening. It’s up to you to get the
info, track down the location, and put a stop to it. But as you
know, the Inkslingers won’t go down without a fight and they
have the powers to back that up.

♦ 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

in the first place.

♦ 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.

314
 ♦ 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.

Plays Well With

♦ The Cost of Sunsteel – Replace Sunsteel with Witchrock and you
have a whole campaign that examines the use/misuse and side ef-
fects of this arcane element.

♦ The Crystal Mines (TD2e, pp. 155-160) – Replace the crystal

shards with Witchrock and the Inked Trait. Add in the unstable
“Wacky Magic” microsetting rule and the underground world
just got even more dangerous and chaotic.

♦ Fellbright: City of Bliss – The warren of The Lost Ways is a

perfect place for an origin story of how the Inkslinger Guild
begins in your campaign world.

♦ Gravehark (TZ 7, pp. 9-13) – With just a little tweaking, this

microsetting could be the walled off neighborhood dedicated
to the Revenants.

♦ The Price of Power – Perhaps there is a price to pay to use your

tattooed magic? Perhaps the use drains lifeforce and the addictive
power of using one’s new abilities leads to the desire to consume
the energy of others in order to feed that addiction?

♦ 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.

♦ Telas de Montas (TD2e, pp. 181-186) – Perhaps the only place

Witchrock can be found is deep below this city . . . imagine the
competition amongst groups of armed mining companies seek-
ing to cash in on this lucrative resource.

315
KNOWLEDGE
ARKANA, INC.
by Mario Cordova

Atomic Blonde, Big Trouble in Little China, Call

Inspired by: of Cthulhu, the Cold War, Indiana Jones, The Li-
brarians, the 80s and 90s.
Clash of the Pastrium, Crossroads, Dark Alleys
Plays Well With:
of the Soul, Rule of Three, The Woken.

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.

K nowledge A rkana Incorporated

“BREAKING NEWS! Last night Arkenstone City work-
ers discovered a previously unknown dungeon system dating
back possibly centuries. City officials have contracted well
known dungeoneering firm Knowledge Arkana Inc. to
survey and catalog the dungeon.”
—This Is Arkenstone News
Knowledge Arkana Incorporated (KNA) is a small but well-known and
respected dungeoneering firm operating out of Durinn’s Hearth.
KNA started out as a small-time unsanctioned adventuring group
that found the tomb of a long-dead Dwarven lord from the Thousand
Kingdoms era. Instead of looting the tomb, which was common, they
contacted the prestigious Arkenstone
Museum. KNA assisted with survey-
ing, cataloging the contents and his-
torical significance of the tomb. Soon
the museum was contracting KNA
as freelancers to investigate rumors
of new ruins, dungeons, and tombs.
Setting: Knowledge Arkana, Inc.

After several years, they leveraged

their reputation and savings to open
a fully independent and licensed dun-
geoneering firm.
They still maintain a lucrative part-
nership with the museum, and the
city council frequently seeks their as-
sistance in dungeoneering matters. As
the Cold War marches on, KNA also
has done contract work for both the
Ascendancy and UFH, and numerous
independent third 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:

Mountain K ing District

Located in the Mountain Enclave proper,
Mountain King District is home of the
Arkenstone Council Chambers, City De-
fense Forces Headquarters, various guild
halls, administrative bureaus, and embas-
sies for the UFH, Shir’Raqi Ascendancy,
and the Goburyn Technocracy. There are
various high-end apartment complexes in
the area for both the council leadership
and embassies. Mountain King district
also functions as the financial district
and is home to the regional headquar-
ters of the Salamari Bank.

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.

Durinn’s Hearth District

Much of Arkenstone’s working-class makes Durinn’s Hearth home.
Rent and housing is considered affordable and is of decent quality.
Many smaller guilds and businesses operate out of Durinn’s Hearth,
including KNA. Much of Arkenstone’s agricultural industry is locat-
ed here. This district has started to see a recent financial boon as Rand
Metals Headquarters has recently set up shop in the area. Durinn’s
Hearth also is home to several well-known vocational and dungeoneer-
ing colleges.

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.

Demographics and Government

Humans, Dwarves, and Fey make up the majority
of Arkenstone’s population at around 70%, with
Goblins, Salimar, and Lizardfolk taking up the
other 30. Treefolk rarely show up in Arkenstone
proper, but are known to occupy the large forests to
the north. Karhu are also a rarity, with the majority tending to be no-
madic wanderers—although some choose to live a life of study and
Setting: Knowledge Arkana, Inc.

meditation, producing several well-known mages and martial artists.

Arkenstone City Council: The City Council is the main governing

body in Arkenstone. Its main purpose is to establish and maintain laws
and infrastructure for the city and its outlying outposts. There are nine
seats: one for the governor, five for the district managers, and one each
for the chief of the city guard, the guild master, and a citizen-elected
Citizen Representative. The council also includes several non-voting ob-
server seats for ambassadors and technical advisers.

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.

A rkenstone’s Place in the World

Arkenstone borders several nations and also is strategically located near
the central hub of the Great River. Thus, it has become a center for po-
litical and cultural intrigue. Officially Arkenstone is neutral territory,
harboring several cultural enclaves and embassies.

Arkenstone City has established several dozen outposts in the outlying

territory surrounding the city. They range from basic way-stations to the
size of small cities, each with particular industries that help support the
rest of the region. Travel between outposts and the city is handled via
several methods, the most common being horse and wagon. The tram
system is the second most used and runs between the major outposts
and the city and is used to transport people, goods, and materials be-
tween them. In rare cases, VIP passengers or materials are transported
via airship when speed is a priority.

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.

Ark­en­stone’s borders. Their end goal is to

assume direct or indirect influence over
Ark­en­stone and to stop Shir’Raqi advance-
ment in the region. The UFH uses its em-
bassy as a cover for its Security and Intel-
ligence Services.

Shir’R aqi A scendancy

The Ascendancy is an authoritarian Fey
regime led by a council of archmages and

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.

New Weapons and Equipment

In terms of technology, the Knowledge Arkana Inc.
setting is a mix of the late 1980s early 90s and tra-
ditional heroic fantasy themes. There are limited
cars, computers, and phone networks. Firearms are
Setting: Knowledge Arkana, Inc.

also present in the setting but are expensive. Horses,

carriages, and wagons are also a common sight, especially on the road or
in the more rural outposts.

ArkenSteel: ArkenSteel (AS) is a unique form of alchemically enriched

steel that is lighter and more durable than normal steel. It is used heavily
in construction and occasionally in melee weapons and armor. Rand Met-
als is currently working on developing AS Enhanced Ammo.

ArkenSteel armor: AS Armor has a chance to negate incoming attacks.

When hit by an Attack, Test with Disadvantage to negate the damage.
An individual with the Armor Master trait may Test without Disadvan-
tage.

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.

Bolters: The cheaper and more commonly available alternative to fire-

arms, bolters are an advanced form of repeating crossbow and come in
several varieties. They are considered 2 handed weapons. They can use
several different bolt types such as non-lethal, standard, or elemental
rounds (ammo types and availability are up to the GM). They come in
either semi-automatic (single attack per Action) or full autofire (2 attacks
per action with Disadvantage).

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.

A Matter of Diplomacy: One day the players are approached by the

Shir’Raqi and UFH ambassadors with a favor to ask. A rogue group
of Ascendancy Police called the Dread Wolves, have stolen an ancient
arcane WMD called the Sword of Cor’rel and plans on using it on Ark­
enstone and its outlying outposts, destroying the cease-fire. The Shir’Raqi
Ascendancy Police and the UFH Security and Intelligence Services can-
not officially act on Arkenstone soil and thus hope that KNA can use
their knowledge and skill to find and stop the extremists before war is
declared.

324
325
LandofBrokenRoads
byline

THE LAND OF
BROKEN ROADS
by Ryan English

Inspired by: Portal fantasy (Wizard of Oz, Thomas Covenant, John

Carter of Mars), Isekai manga and light novels (The Rising of the Shield
Hero, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, The Wrong Way to Use
Healing Magic).

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

of weak and stagnant human kingdoms remain, containing but a few

meager farming villages they can scarcely protect.
But entire worlds die hard. Their gods don’t give up so easily. You have
been brought to this world to save it. Which isn’t really all that bad,
considering you were dead. Your soul has been given one more chance
at life, one more chance to be a hero. One moment you were bleeding
out, and the next you were being reborn here. But this isn’t a simple re-
incarnation—you remember all your old skills and knowledge and have
been granted new ones, and this time around, you’re going to make the
most of them.
You are the spark that becomes a wildfire. Yours will be an epic tale,
a grand adventure that resounds throughout the ages. Perhaps you will

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

Isekai: From A nother World

The Isekai character creation option
allows a dead character from anoth- er
world to live again in the Land of Broken
Roads. Characters who died in other
campaigns are reincarnated with all
their mem­ories, abilities, and (most)
Traits, but in the full grown body of a Human.
Even non-Human Adventurers are now

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?

A dventuring in the L and of Broken Roads

Setting: Land of Broken Roads

These are the main elements of this microsetting:

♦ Human civilizations on the edge of collapse and annihilation.

♦ Exploration of an incredible and wondrous long-forgotten world.

♦ Freedom to tell a character’s grand story.

♦ Being the smartest and most powerful people in a world that

needs them.

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.

Exploring the World

Make exploration awesome by using exaggeration and variety. This
microsetting doesn’t contain tables for rolling terrain. Instead, do
something like this:

1. Select an area type to place on the map. For example, a forest.

2. Select some adjectives or characteristics to apply. For example:

green, tall, humid, unpopulated.

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

more than ankle-deep. Beneath the water is a flat expanse of solid

granite, all of one piece with no tool-marks. Surely something
this huge was created naturally, despite its unusual nature? But
the ocean is far from safe, despite its pristine appearance. Storms
here are violent and frequent, and stormfronts might carry walls
of water a dozen meters tall that roll for hundreds of miles, leaving
bare stone behind. Large, winged creatures skim at incredible
speed across the glassy water on wingspans 50 feet across. And
right in the middle of the curious ocean, you find something
unusual . . . is that a trapdoor?
When mapping, feel free to use either a simple blank piece of paper or a
grid system, such as hexes. Throw in whatever terrain and biome types

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.

Don’t skimp on the danger. Remember, your players are bringing in

characters that have already been shown the ropes. This is not their first
rodeo. The Land of Broken Roads should be an epic campaign in every

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.

Ménage à Trois ou Quatre

Although “The Land of Broken Roads” draws inspiration from stories in
Setting: Land of Broken Roads

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:

A vision-dream gives the party the goal of

obtaining the Holy MacGuffin. Books in a
crumbling library reveal that the MacGuffin
is in a ruined castle in Urrgh and can only be
held by the King of Urrgh. A tribe of strange
beastmen live in Urrgh and aren’t interested
in letting you be King and rebuild the Castle.
The party must explore to find the library, then
Urrgh, and then the castle. The party must con-
quer the Beastmen. The party must rebuild the
Castle and anoint a King to rule it.

Explore, conquer, build. See how that works?

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

tattered rags, or perhaps you were born as a new infant. Either

way, you still remember the good ol’ days, but everything has
changed. The world is nearly unrecognizable. Hopefully your
memory won’t lead you right into a trap.

♦ Reincarnated: Your Adventurer died and was reborn as an infant

in a new world, but you remember everything from your previ-
ous life. You may have to retrain physical traits as you grow up,
but it’ll happen, for example, at a hilariously fast pace for a
five-year-old.

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?

♦ Revenge: Your Adventurer died, but instead of being reborn, you

woke up in the body of someone who was just murdered. Perhaps
it was a princess who was slowly poisoned by a jealous aunt. Perhaps
it was a nobleman’s son who was locked up to starve for offend-
ing the family name. Since no one realizes this body has a new
soul in it, it’s time to take all your old knowledge and skills, find
the murderer, and get some impressive and terrifying revenge.

♦ Summoned: Your Adventurer was summoned by a magic spell

and keeps the same body. You don’t get to keep your old stuff,
though. Hopefully the being(s) who summoned you aren’t plan-
ning anything nefarious, like consigning you to a life of servitude.

Plays Well With

Characters can come to The Land of Broken Roads from any other world,
which means any setting in any genre. Perhaps the more different, the
better. You might even want to have your players write themselves up as
characters and then surprise them by dropping them in to this campaign.
And then letting them discover, with their backs against the wall, that
they have new and powerful magical Traits.
There are other microsettings in this book (and elsewhere) that would fit
Setting: Land of Broken Roads

perfectly into a Lands of Broken Roads campaign. These other micro-

settings can be used to help fill in the map and give variety to the game.
Specific possibilities include: The Cost of Sunsteel, The Crossroads,
Defending the Keep, The Fall of Telmara, Fellbright: City of Bliss,
The Price of Power, Songs of Oversea, and Thule: Adventures in the
Arctic.

335
 Mage Hunters
by John D. Payne

The Black Company, Cowboy Bebop, Dark Sun, Laputa,

Inspirations: The Mandalorian, Mistborn, Mortal Engines, Para-
noia, Suicide Squad, World of Warcraft.
The Cost of Sunsteel, Defending the Keep, Fall of
Plays Well With: Telmara, Fellbright: City of Bliss, The Forge, Rule
of Three.

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.

Playing M age Hunters

Hunters operate in small groups called Flights. (Or packs, squads, crews,
etc.) Each Flight typically operates as an independent unit, rather than in
a hierarchical military-style organization, but many Dragon Clans rank
their various Flights, handing out rewards to high performers and pun-
ishments (including death) to low performers (punishments like carrying
out suspended death sentences.)
Setting: Mage Hunters

Flights are obliged to fulfill assignments from their respective Dragon

Clans, such as digging a Wild Mage out of his stronghold or chas-
ing down a rogue Hatchling. They may also take paying jobs from
one of the motley magical Arkologies, like obtaining the arcane com-
ponents needed to keep the Ark moving, or eliminating a monster
nesting in a vital oasis.
Although Hunters are technically bound only to obey Dragon Law, they
do have to be careful not to annoy Arkology authorities too much, since

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.

Since innate magic is a capital crime, and becoming a Hunter is one of

the few ways out of a death sentence, most Hunters have at least one
magical Trait. Becoming a Hunter is also one of the few ways out of an
Arkology, so there are a surprising number of Ark Bunnies who sign on
as a Spear Carrier for a Hunter for periods as short as a single Hunt.

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

Spear Carrier: By your command! You have a Spear Carrier, someone

who aids you in battle (out of admiration, fear, or love of coin). As an
Action, you can order your Spear Carrier to perform a simple task (“At-
tack them!” “Get the horses!” “Cut the rope!”). Spear Carriers have a
Family Trade, but no Traits (including Heritage Traits). Regardless of
Heritage, Spear Carriers have 3 HP and do 1 damage. If they die, they
can be replaced at an appropriate location (if you are using the optional
rules for experience, players can choose to gift Traits to their Spear Carri-
ers, but Spear Carriers do not acquire experience or Traits on their own.

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.

Secondary Heritage Trait

Dragonblood: So that’s what Great-Grandpa was into. Ewww. You count
a Dragon among your ancestors, and this manifests in your physiology.
You may choose one of the four following benefits:

♦ Dragon Breath: You have dragon breath as a Mastered Weapon

(Ranged).

♦ Dragon Claws: You have dragon claws as a Mastered Weapon

(Light Melee).
♦ Dragon Flight: Your wings have developed and you can move at
half the speed in the air that you can on land.
♦ Dragon Tail: You have a dragon tail as a Mastered Weapon
(Heavy Melee).
Setting: Mage Hunters

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.

M agic and M agic Items

Unsanctioned magic is forbidden. Any characters with magical Traits are
either the property of Dragons, or they are outlaws.

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.

R andom M agic Items (roll 1d6 for each column)

Item
1d6 Item Type Form Durability
Weapon (light melee,
heavy melee, ranged
1 Spell Trinket weapon, quiver or ammu- Single-use
nition, improvised
weapon, exotic.)
Armor (light armor,
medium armor, heavy
2 Charm Trinket 1 Depletion Point
armor, shield, helm/gaunt-
lets/boots, exotic)
3 Psi Trinket Rod / Wand 2 DP
4 Spirit Talisman Gem / Crystal / Stone 3 DP
Jewelry: ring, bracelet,
Healing or earring/nose ring, neck-
5 4 DP
Trait Talisman lace/torc, brooch/buckle,
hairpin/tiara.
Objet d’art (carving or
statuette; clock or clock-
Artifact (Spell,
Setting: Mage Hunters

work; painting, silk,

6 Spellsong, Psi, Unlimited uses
tapestry, or scarf; musical
Chi)
instrument; amulet, totem,
or icon; wondrous marvel.)
For more information on Trinkets, Talismans, and Artifacts, see Ch. 4: Artificer.

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

Climate Jungle Polar Flats

Natural Rain, Pests, Cold, Blizzards, Tornados, Wildfires,
Hazards Disease Avalanche Storms.

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

sent fatigue brought on by malaria.

Other hazards are more catastrophic, but will be encountered more
rarely. For example, a late summer lightning storm that sparks wild-
fires across the prairie. In these cases, the GM might wish to roll a d6
(or two or three) for each day, with critical failures meaning a large-scale
natural disaster.
Without sapient species to keep their numbers in check, monsters of
every kind can be found in Wild Zones. Of course, since they have no

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!

protection from the dangerously high levels of background magic every-

where outside the Arks, they often appear in altered or degraded forms
(yay broken world!). Therefore, when using monsters from the Tiny
Dungeon 2e catalog of Example Enemies, GMs are encouraged to add
Tem­plates like Poisonous, Giant, Dire, Hybrid, Eldritch, or Umbral (from
Beastspeakers).

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

Edition). For adolescent Dragons, use 10 or 15 HP (and use some, but

not all the Traits listed). For more mature dragons, add more HP and
perhaps additional Traits or even additional actions. Each Clan is led by
its oldest member, which even the other Dragons are afraid to wake.
These ancient creatures might have 40 HP or more, and be able to crack
an Arkology in two.
The second suggested modification is to distinguish between Dragon
Clans by using things like different colored scales, body types, breath

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

is divided into modular bubbles that

move through the forests in a long
chain like a centipede. Each of
the autonomous segments takes
its turn at the head of the chain,
when its leader is the ruling Hi-
erark.

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

to the Autark. Someone activated it,

and the Autark says it was you.
Setting: Mage Hunters

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.”

4. Your Clan sends a brash young Hatchling to announce that

they’re adding a little something to this month’s troll-slaying
contest. First prize is an enchanted flying ship. Second prize is
a set of throwing knives. Third prize is you’re eaten.

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.

6. You are tasked with either acquiring or eliminating a mysterious

asset, but when you get past the layers of security you find an
adorable creature that looks like a cuddly dragon the size of a
cat. Why does the Hierarky want this child—or want it dead?

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.

The R ealm of the Half Moon

The Price of Power is set in a small isolated monarchy known as the
Realm of the Half Moon. The region is surrounded by an almost per-
fectly circular ring of mountains. The area within the ring is split into
two halves, one part sea and the other lush forest. Legends say that the
moon itself was plucked from this very spot and placed in the sky by the
gods. The mountains prevent large ships from entering or leaving the
Realm, as well as providing a tight border on land. These mountains have
protected the Realm from invasion, but have also left it somewhat iso-
lated. The Realm of the Half Moon is home to all Heritages from Tiny
Dungeon 2e.

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.

New Rules & Traits

All of the standard rules for Tiny Dungeon 2e apply to “The Price of
Power,” with the following exceptions, changes, and additions:

♦ Hit Points = Lifeforce

♦ New Action: Share Lifeforce: Lifeforce may be transferred from
one sentient being to another with a simple touch and the use of
one Action. The person giving the Lifeforce is the one who initi-
ates the touch and uses the Action. The person giving the Lifeforce
can give up to their current number of Hit Points with a single
Action. These Hit Points are lost by the one giving them and
Setting: The Price of Power

gained by the one receiving them. Adventures usually cannot

exceed their maximum level of Lifeforce unless the Lifeforce
Surge Trait is being used (see below).
♦ Each Turn (not Action) a character attempts to use Spell-Touched
or Archmage, they lose 1 Hit Point as their Lifeforce fuels their
wizardry. Remember, Adventurers get 2 Actions each Turn.
♦ The Healer Trait is not available.
♦ The Alchemist Trait cannot be used to create anything which
restores Hit Points.

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:

♦ Wizards’ Duels must be fought at midnight on the night of the

first quarter half moon, commonly known as the Dueling Moon.
♦ All Wizards’ Duels must be fought in the Dueling Glade in the
presence of at least seven witnesses. The Dueling Glade is a large
clearing in the forest. Spectators line the edge of the clearing and
Setting: The Price of Power

climb the trees to catch a glimpse of a Duel.

♦ To challenge someone to a Wizards’ Duel, one must do so pub-
licly and clearly state what is at stake in the Duel. The challenged
person may accept the Duel, which will be conducted on the next
Dueling Moon, or refuse the Duel and forfeit whatever the Duel
was to be fought over.
♦ Wizards’ Duels may be used for a variety of purposes:

◊ To prove innocence or guilt (the accused vs. the accuser).

352
 ◊ 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

items. Just being caught with one of these items leads to

considerable loss of face. Using one is downright repulsive
and illegal (see above).
◊ Each participant gets to select two observers to watch for
illegal magical or physical assistance from the crowd.

A dventure & Campaign Hooks

Gaining access to magical healing can be the basis of a long-term cam-
paign in “The Price of Power.” This magical healing can take the form of

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:

◊ Was it stolen by a powerful wizard?

◊ Was it stolen by a god or demigod as punishment?

◊ Is it trapped in an artifact in the possession of one of the

Formidable?

◊ Is it lost or hidden outside the Realm?

◊ Is the lack of healing magic a curse that must be broken?

♦ There are rumors that the Formidable already know how to use
healing magic and use it to keep their grip on power.

◊ Perhaps a Goblin who tried to convince people to end the

tradition of the Wizards’ Duel found out about this secret
and was never seen again. Was he killed? Imprisoned? Did
he escape the Realm with the secret? Is it true he recently
returned? Perhaps the Goblin himself is the one who knows
healing magic?
Setting: The Price of Power

♦ An outsider to the Realm arrives and seeks to challenge Drasil

to a Wizards’ Duel for the crown of the Realm. Known as the
“Librarian,” this spectacled Karhu carries no weapons, but is
very knowledgeable about a wide variety of subjects. Multiple
rumors are circulating which claim that she has abilities never
before seen in the Realm. Perhaps this “Librarian”:

◊ Knows how to Steal Lifeforce?

◊ Is an Archdruid with Man’s Best Friend and multiple Animal

Companions?

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”).

♦ Someone or something is taking out the Realm’s most powerful

people—not in Wizards’ Duels, but through assassination.

♦ 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.

♦ New Trait: Man’s Best Friend: My Animal Companion is my

favorite person. Your Animal Companion may Share Lifeforce
with you (and you can share yours with your Animal Compan-
ion).

♦ New Prestige Trait: Steal Lifeforce: My enemies will fuel their

own demise. You have learned to steal Lifeforce from other sen-
tient beings. Doing so does not allow you to surpass your max-
imum number of Hit Points. To take this Prestige Trait, you
must have the Emit Lifeforce Trait.

As someone who knows how to Steal Lifeforce, you gain the

following abilities:
Setting: The Price of Power

◊ You may Test with Advantage to Steal Lifeforce from a sen-

tient being if they are Close.

◊ You may make a standard Test to Steal Lifeforce from a

sentient being if they are Near.

◊ You may make a Test with Disadvantage to Steal Lifeforce

from a sentient being if they are Far.

◊ NOTE: A failed Test results in the loss of 1 Hit Point for

the wizard attempting to use Steal Lifeforce.

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.

♦ Maybe Adventurers from the Realm of the Half Moon must

pay a visit to the Six Djinn Den of Chance in Fellbright: City
of Bliss in search of a way to recover or discover healing magic?
Maybe a previous ruler of the Realm gambled away the Realm’s
healing magic in a game of Scarabs?
♦ Perhaps the only way to Heal is through the magical tattoos
of Inkslingers? Or perhaps the magical tattoos of Inksling-
ers can be used to create symbols of power on the residents of
the Realm of the Half Moon?

♦ Maybe the secret to healing magic can be

found in the frozen lands of Thule: Adven-
tures in the Arctic? Or a rare alchemical
reagent need for Healing potions can only
be found there?
♦ Could the Telmaran Crystals from
The Fall of Telmara be used to store
Setting: The Price of Power

Lifeforce for later use?

357
 Rule of Three
by John D. Payne

Cost of Sunsteel, Dark Alleys of the Soul, De-

fending the Keep, Fall of Tellmara, Fellbright,
The Forge, Gate Crashers, Gods of Diazorr, Ink-
Plays Well With:
slingers, Knowledge Arkana Inc., Mage Hunters,
Search for the Silver Haven, Songs of Oversea,
Thule, The Woken.

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.

Islands of the Moon

East across the Violet Sea from the myriad Human realms lie the Islands
of the Moon. Here live the Yōkai nations, a motley collection of supernat-
ural creatures, including folk both Fair and foul (see Character Creation,
below). For the last thousand years, they have lived in splendid isolation,
but thirty years ago the Emperor opened up the port of New Moon
City—a controversial decision to this day.
Also controversial is his decree, more than two centuries old, giving
official court sanction to four white magic Traits (Artificer, Healer,
Spell-Touched, and Archmage) and strictly prohibiting every other
magical Trait as dangerous black magic. Among the Yōkai, magic is
almost universal, and the noble houses all are headed by powerful magic
users. But most of them (like most subjects of the Empire) are forbidden
to use their magic by the Emperor’s decree, leading to a simmering
resentment that only grows hotter as the years go by.
It has been decades since anyone seriously challenged the
reign of the Emperor, the most formidable mage in the
Islands. As he ages, however, speculation grows about
who will replace him. Every school of wizardry, healing
temple, and artificers’ guild is trying to tip the scales as
to who will be next on the throne—especially since the
next Emperor could revoke the decree and permit black
magic to be practiced openly.
In the meanwhile, those who transgress the Emper-
or’s decree may get a visit from the Dōshin (samurai
Setting: Rule of Three

tasked with law enforcement—use the Paladin Pres-

tige Trait) or the Shinobi (the Emperor’s shadowy
spies—use the Assassin Prestige Trait). Or if their
crimes are noticed by another family, they might
find themselves the targets of an extortion scheme.
This is where play starts in this micro-setting. The
noble House to which the player characters belong
is being blackmailed because someone has been

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:

♦ [Other character] and I both know only one of us can win at . . .

♦ Since I was a child, I have always looked up to [other character]

because . . .

♦ I owe [other character] a debt I can never repay because . . .

Setting: Rule of Three

♦ No one else knows, but [other character] and I are secretly . . .

♦ I first met [other character] during the [wildfire/ducklings/mo-

lasses/etc.] incident.

♦ [Other character] is the only one in our [family/guild/dojo] who

likes . . .

Magical Traits are not mandatory for player characters, but are strongly
encouraged. However, no character should start with more than one mag-

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 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.

M agical Traits, by Source of Power

Death Hell Chaos

Order of Heaven Order of Reason Order of Wonders

Alchemist, Bard, Beastspeaker, Cookpot
Archmage, Artificer,
Familiar, Shamanic Adept, Spell Reader,
Healer, Spell-Touched
Adept Teleportation Mage
The source of power for Psionic Adepts is unknown. Most people believe Psionics is a myth.

Characters may be created from any Heritage, but those of Mortalkind

(such as Humans) are confined by law to New Moon City. The eighty-
eight Yōkai nations include supernatural creatures from traditional
Japanese folklore (Bake-Danuki, Kappa, Kitsune, Oni, Tengu, Neko)
as well as Western-style faeries, or Yōsei (Dark Elves, Faeborn, Glitter-
bugs, Grey Elves, Tree Folk, Wood Elves). And feel free to sprinkle in
whatever else works for your group (Bone Trolls, Giantkin, Gnomes,
Goblins, Heavenborn, Hellborn), giving them a little Eastern fla-
vor where appropriate.

Examples of Yōkai Heritages

Kitsune: Sly (and sometimes sinister) tricksters, these
magical foxes are masters of disguise.
Setting: Rule of Three

HP Traits

Foxy Shifter: Test to shift into a humanoid form of your

choosing. Your humanoid form will retain your fox tail(s). As
an action you may shift back to your true fox shape.
6
(High) Canine Nemesis: You hate and fear dogs. In their presence,
you must make a Save Test or suffer Disadvantage on all Tests.
Likewise, you must make a Save Test to stay shifted in the pres-
ence of a dog.
Bake-Danuki: Fun-loving, absent-minded, and always getting into
mischief, these bearers of good fortune resemble bipedal
raccoon dogs with fat tummies.

HP Traits

4 Lucky
(Medium) Nimble Fingers

New Moon City

There is only one place where the Emperor permits contact with the
outside world, the port of New Moon City, on the southwest tip of
the islands. Within its towering walls, foreigners may come and go as
they please—but titled nobles may not, lest they become corrupted
and polluted. But many nobles come here anyway to do business incog-
nito, often facilitated by the “chivalrous organizations” of the Gokudō
(organized crime families).
The Emperor’s Dōshin patrol here infrequently, and only in large groups.
Mostly, they man the walls to make sure the denizens of this unsavory
place stay contained (PCs wishing to leave will need to make sure they
have their papers in order). The Shinobi, in contrast, operate here just as
easily as they do in the rest of the Islands. Indeed—their actions in New
Moon City are often less restrained, and less covert than they might be
elsewhere.
The PCs have been sent to New Moon City to fulfill the blackmailers’
demands to gather incriminating informa-
tion on rival Houses. But they also have
orders from their own House to search for
Setting: Rule of Three

(and extract) the clan leader’s wayward

youngest daughter, who disappeared here
some months past and may have fallen vic-
tim to (or joined in with) one of the city’s
disreputable elements. PCs might also be
hoping to clear their own names, to prove
that their magic has not been fouled by the
touch of the forbidden. Bad news about that,
though . . .

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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.

The PCs will find people in New

Moon City who will offer them an
alternative, a way out. These are
agents of the other two Orders
Setting: Rule of Three

who seek to overthrow the current

magical regime and install an
Emperor who will be friendly to (or
controlled by) their own cabal. The
two rival Orders are the Order of
Hell and the
Order of Nightmares—
more about those later.

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.

Boundless Family of the Dowager Empress is composed of

the Spell-Touched descendants of the First Empress (who is
still technically alive). They seek to restore the Dowager to
her rightful place as mother of the Yōkai and queen of all
witches.

Honorable Fabricators’ Union represents all

the Artificers in the Empire, as well as engineers,
smiths, jewelers, etc. They are the power behind a
group of Houses who advocate a move from monarchy to oligarchy. But
they are also building ingenious devices to control the minds of whoever
ends up on top.

Universal Scholars Alliance ostensibly represents all the arcane schools

and institutions of higher learning in the Empire, but in reality, is a frac-
tious hotbed of intrigue and treachery between followers of different
Magical Disciplines. The other factions do what they can to stoke these
internecine conflicts, because if the Archmages ever stopped fighting
each other, they could put whoever they wanted on the throne.

The Order of R eason

Agents of the Order of Hell will present it as the Order of Reason,
dedicated to scientific inquiry (Alchemists), the conscious control of
emotions (Bards), commerce and communication with beings unsul-
Setting: Rule of Three

lied by the material (Familiars), and understanding and utilizing the

true powers underlying natural law (Shamans). Some of them may even
believe this is true. But the Order is in fact led by an occult cabal of
mighty Demon Summoners who pay tribute to the Lords of Hell and
work tirelessly to bring their rule to the mortal realm, where they would
enslave and torment every living soul.

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

with Familiars who help gather incrimi-

nating information on rivals.
Keepers of the Ground maintain
public parks, cemeteries, and the pri-
vate gardens of the well-to-do. There
are more than a few Sha-
mans among them, some
of whom are almost open

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.

The Order of Wonders

Similarly, agents who represent the Order of Nightmares will (intention-
ally or unwittingly) conceal the true nature of their enterprise. Instead,
they will speak of the Order of Wonders, dedicated to bringing about a
shared consciousness with other forms of life (Beastspeakers), opening
up the senses to the endless combinations of culinary delights (Cookpot
Adept), unlocking the power and beauty in arcane texts (Spell Readers),
and unraveling the very secrets of the universe (Teleportation Mages).

Behind all their talk of spiritual enlightenment, however, is the Order of

Nightmares, a cabal of ruthless Eldritch Sorcerers who revere the Powers
Beyond, terrible and unknowable forces from outside our own reality. In
their madness, they would open the gates to ancient horrors older than
our own cosmos and watch in adoring ecstasy as they consume our entire
universe.

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.

Gourmet Club is rumored to be a highly exclu-

sive clique of chefs dedicated to exploring the dark-
est corners and bleeding edges of the culinary arts.
Definitely a good network for renegade Cookpot
Adepts. Probably not cannibals.

Imperial Agricultural Association organizes farming collectives,

enforces crop and livestock limits and quotas, and provides cover for
a large number of Beastspeakers. Rumors of a vast dog-and-monkey
cavalry force are too ridiculous to be dignified with a response.

League of Interpreters purports to be nothing more than a consortium

of translators of foreign texts, but it is an open secret that they function
as the Empire’s diplomatic corps and foreign intelligence service. It is a
much more closely guarded secret that their upper ranks are full of Spell
Readers, focused on monitoring and analyzing very different sorts of alien
powers.

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.

As a consequence of the Dōshin and Shinobi eliminating almost all of

the people who know anything about Psionics, it is not well understood.
Learned scholars disagree even on its essential nature, with some saying
Setting: Rule of Three

that it is merely another form of magic and others saying it is a manifes-

tation of will and intellect. But all agree that users of Psionics do not draw
their power from one of the three wells that all other magic users do.

PCs: Psionic Characters

Because of the (unwritten) imperial sanction against Psionics, it is not
recommended that Player Characters be allowed to start with Psionics.

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:

♦ Characters who have encountered Psionics may take Psionic

Traits, but first must cleanse their auras of all magical influ-
ence. To purify themselves, characters forgo the use of any
magic, including magical Heritage Traits, magical items, po-
tions, spells cast by others, etc. for one game session.

♦ 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.

♦ Before taking any Psionic Traits, you must first

find a Psionic Master and earn his or her trust.
Then the Master can facilitate an Intellect
Purge, eliminating all magical Traits and
replacing them with a single new Trait:
Psionic Adept.

♦ Psionics are available only to mortals.

There are tales, though, of Yōkai who
gave up their magic entirely and
became mortal . . .
Setting: Rule of Three

Peeling the Onion

The Rule of Three is well-
suited for a long campaign
in which PCs discover secrets
about the world as they adventure. Thrown into
the middle of all this intrigue, they might end
up catspaws, corpses, or worse!

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.

♦ The Order of Heaven is a real organization, not an abstraction.

♦ Although it seems that the priests (Healers), nobles (Spell-

Touched), artificers, and arcane scholars (Archmages) are in
competition for the throne, they work together more than
they work against each other . . .?

♦ Nobody who has one of the forbidden Traits has one of the
sanctioned magical Traits.

♦ Forbidden magical Traits have negative effects.

FIRST LAYER OF SECRETS

♦ There is a secret organization supporting or representing users of
forbidden magics.

♦ There is a secret war going on between the Order of Heaven and

the organization(s) representing forbidden magics.

♦ The Order of Heaven may not be the good guys in this secret war.

♦ At different times in my life, I have been part of this secret war

without even knowing it.
Setting: Rule of Three

♦ Right now, I am working for one of the parties in this secret war.

♦ Sanctioned magical Traits have negative effects.

♦ All sanctioned magical Traits get their power from the same
source. Forbidden magics get their power from a different source.

♦ Psionics exists, and is not just a fairy tale.

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.

THIRD LAYER OF SECRETS

♦ The Order of Reason is the Order of Hell, controlled by Demon
Summoners. Power for all magical Traits in this Order comes
from the Lords of Hell.
♦ The Order of Wonders is the Order of Nightmares, controlled
by Eldritch Sorcerers. Power for all magical Traits in this order
comes from ancient cosmic horrors.
♦ There is no “white magic.” Each of the three sources of magic is
fundamentally evil.
♦ If any of the three Orders achieves their ultimate objectives, all
Setting: Rule of Three

life in this mortal world is doomed.

♦ Mortals in this world did not get magic on their own; every kind
of magic is a contamination introduced by some outside force.
♦ Psionics is not a contamination introduced by some outside force;
it is native to mortals in this world.
♦ The three Orders have cooperated to eliminate Psionics because
they see it as a threat to their rule.

371
SEARCH FOR
THE SILVER HAVEN
by John D. Payne

Atlantis and Lemuria, Battlestar Galactica, Jason

and the Argonauts, The Odyssey, The Seven Voy-
Inspirations:
ages of Sinbad, The Silmarillion, Thomas More’s
Utopia, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Avalant, Fall of Telmara, Fellbright, Land of Bro-
Plays Well With: ken Roads, Price of Power, Rule of Three, Songs
of Oversea, Thule, The Woken.

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.

Legacy of the Fey

The Fey had been withdrawing for centuries, retreating ever further into
their island empire. They cut off contact with the outside world, restrict-
ing mortal visitors to a single port city, then to a single dock, and finally
to a solitary gray ship per year. One year there was no one to meet the
ship. No one in the port. No one on the island. Every single Fey was
gone—disappeared from the face of the earth.

However, they left behind a wondrous legacy—not just to the world in

general, but to each and every one of the player characters. Although
the Fey Heritage is not available in this setting, all Ad-
venturers in the party should have at least a hint of
Fey ancestry somewhere back in their family tree. It
sings in their blood, draws them to the sea, urges them
to find their people and their lost Silver Haven.

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!

Playing Fey characters

Because the Fey have mysteriously disappeared, the Fey Heritage will typically
not be available in this setting. But if you have players who really want to play
Fey characters, there may be ways to accommodate this.

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.

Ship and Crew

In seafaring adventures, the ship is not just your home but also some-
thing very like a character. (See: “Giving ‘Tiny Frontiers’ Starships Some
Personality,” TinyZine 23, pp. 11-14.) Your players should be involved in
giving the ship a name—even if their characters aren’t.
Setting: The Silver Haven

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

374
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.

Playing the Campaign

Adventurers in this setting are searching for the Silver Haven, but actual-
ly finding it will take time. Maybe a lot of time, depending on the story
you want to tell as GM and how much fun everyone is having. So it’s a
really good idea to give your players the sense that their adventures are
actually moving them forward, getting them closer to their goal.

To do this, try to ensure that each game session in-

cludes all of the following three challenges. First,
survive the perils of the sea. Second, find land.
Third, look for the clues showing the way for-
ward. If players don’t get a chance at each of these,
they may feel like they’re lost at sea instead of
steadily progressing toward an incredible rev-
elation.
Setting: The Silver Haven

Perils of the sea

In real life, a successful sea voyage is
as uneventful as possible—but that
doesn’t make for thrilling play. So for
game purposes, we skip all that nice,
smooth sailing and focus on the one re-
ally wild moment of absolute crisis.

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:

♦ My memories . . . Characters are created as usual, but they can’t access

their Traits, etc., until they remember them. For example, when stand-
ing in an armory, Test to recall which one is the character’s Mastered
weapon.

♦ Who am I? Players choose Heritages and write physical descriptions

of their characters, but do not select Traits, Family Trade, or Weapon
Proficiency/Mastery—these are discovered in play. So, try to do things.
If you succeed, maybe there’s a reason (continue until your sheet is
filled out).

♦ 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.

On a success, the week passes without incident. For failures (results of

1-4), consult the appropriate column on the table of Random Sea Perils

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.

No clouds, burning sun. Water sup- Improperly secured cannon hit by

3
plies used at double normal rate. wave and washed overboard.

Simmering tensions between Officers

Fey Winds. Risk of magical effects
4 and crew lead to discipline problems
(from Chapter 12, Spell-Touched).
or mutiny.

Diligent crew discover new ship Dis-

Umbral Shroud. Legendary Success
advantage (Barnacles, Damaged Can-
5 (6 only) required on all Tests due to
non, Fouled Powder, Frayed Rigging,
supernatural darkness.
Leak, Rotting Sails).

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

Craw-Lurk 2 Shell, pincers, attack at night. As Highwayman.

Setting: The Silver Haven

Juvenile Deep One. As Eldritch Horror, minus

Deepling 6
Eidetic Memory.

Elder Krak- Older, bigger, meaner. As Kraken, but with 6-8

18
en attacks.

Many-headed serpent with poisonous breath

Hydra 15
and burning blood.

Blobby, tentacled, worship the Deep Ones. As

Jelly Baby 1
Cultist.

Mermaid 2 Beautiful, fishy tail. Charms with song.

Roll 3. Ships 4. Monsters

1 Chased by bigger ship, toss cargo to escape. Jelly Baby Skeleton

Crew spooked by ghost ship; will not work

2 Craw-Lurk Mermaid
until spirits are appeased.

Powerful naval vessel wants to press-gang

3 Shork Waark
1d6 crew into service.

Lose Supplies (Food, Water, Rum, Wood,

4 Deepling Sea Troll
Sailcloth, Rope) in worthless trade.

Unhappy crew (and maybe an Officer) des- Kraken Sea Giant

5 ert in the night, stealing the ship’s boat and
sailing off to join another ship. Megalodon Sea Serpent

Pirate attack! Even a victory may cost you Elder Kraken

6 Water Dragon
crew and damage to hull and sails. Hydra

Monster HP Description

Lurk in kelp forests, camouflaged by long weedy

Sea Giant 11
Setting: The Silver Haven

hair. As Ice Giant.

Crushes boats and eats drowning victims. As

Sea Serpent 12
Giant Snake.

Slimy, web-fingered, very hungry. As Bridge

Sea Troll 8
Troll.

Fierce, finned warriors. As Orcs. May ride

Shork 5
Waarks.

Some say they can bite through ship hulls. As

Waark 4
Saber-Tooth Tigers.

Water As Red Dragon, but breathes jet of super-heated

20
Dragon steam.
 Perilous sea beasts
The sea has a thousand other perils, including strange and wondrous
creatures. Beasts of the sea may offer your Adventurers food, sport,
companionship, materials for crafting, or a quick trip to a watery grave.
Feel free to make up your own ocean fauna, or make use of the ones in
the random generator below.

Beast Found in an Ocean Environment

Roll 1d6 for a column, then 1d6 for a row.

Roll 1. Invertebrate 2. Fish 3. Reptile

1 Clam Lamprey Marine iguana

2 Slug Eel Sea snake

3 Starfish Anglerfish Sea turtle

4 Lobster Tarpon Plesiosaur

5 Jellyfish Billfish Marine crocodile

6 Squid Oarfish Mosasaur

Roll 4. Mammal 5. Cartilaginous 6. Special

1 Seal Ray Deep (roll again)

2 Manatee Sawfish Extramarine (roll again)

Setting: The Silver Haven

3 Dolphin Frilled shark Electric (roll again)

4 Narwhal Hammerhead Astral

5 Sperm Whale Whale shark Hybrid (roll again twice)

6 Blue Whale Great white Octopuppy

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).

Extramarine creatures temporarily leave the sea using special adapta-

tions (clingy suckers, chitinous plates to hold in moisture, fleshy leg-like
lobed fins, lungs, membrane of dried mucus, wing-like fins for flying).

Electric ocean beasts use special organs to find prey, or to stun or kill
prey (or predators).

Astral creatures, also called celestial beasts, dwell partly in a higher

plane of existence. They may be Ethereal. They may drift like clouds.
Their presence may sup- press magic, enhance it, or cause
random ef- fects. Seeing or hearing one may dispel
curses and harmful magic.

Hybrid animals may be unique

beasts or entire cryptid species.
Setting: The Silver Haven

They may be true chimerae creat-

ed through magic, or merely have
characteristics reminiscent of the
‘parent’ species.

Octopuppies are friendly, playful,

eight-limbed water pooches. Immune
to the charms of Sirens and the mad ter-
ror of Deeplings, they adore people. They
also get distracted easily.

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.

Island type (Roll 1d6)

1 2 3 4 5 6

Sandy/ Coral Barrier/ Magical/

Rock Volcanic
Cay Atoll Tidal Living

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

Newly Discovered Islands

When you discover land, Test again to see if there
are inhabitants. On a failure, you have found a de-
serted isle. But you may still find Cargo or
Supplies (Test 1d6), hungry beasts or hos-
tile monsters. If your test succeeds, this island is
inhabited. You may find it useful to employ random generators (such
as the ones below) to populate it.

382
Settlement (Roll 1d6)
1 2 3
Shipwrecked or
Tiny fishing village(s) Pirate bay
marooned sailor(s)

4 5 6

Major town or capital Fortress or dungeon

Trading port
city complex

Dominant Heritage (Roll 2d6)

Roll 1 2 3

1 Dwarf Aves TZ 27 Fungoid TZ 9

2 Goblin Mau TZ 27 Gnome TZ 9

3 Human Reynard TZ 27 Halfling TZ 9

4 Karhu Topolino TZ 27 Minotaur TZ 3

5 Lizardfolk Beastkin TZ 21 Fly folk TZC 2018

6 Salimar Lionkin Spider Kin TZ 32

Roll 4 5 6*

1 Werewarg TZ 32 Giantkin TZ 15 Grey Elf TZ 14

Setting: The Silver Haven

2 Spirit TZ 6 Hellborn TZ 15 Wood Elf TZ 14

3 Skeleton TZ 6 Heavenborn TZ 15 Dark Elf TZ 14

4 Undead TZ 7 Dragonkin TZ 22 Faeborn TZ 22

5 Valionite TZ 27 Titan Spawn TZ 22 Tree Folk

6 Thulnian TZ 27 Nephilim TZ 22 Glitterbug TZ 3

* 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.

Looking for clues

Whether your newly discovered island is deserted or
inhabited, your party gets a single Test to determine
whether you find a clue here or not. But what do
these clues look like? And how do they help the party to find the Silver
Haven? There are many different possibilities.

Clues and how to use them

♦ The Fey planted fragments of a moonsilver map, scattered about
on different islands. Once the party has found 3 fragments, they
may Test with Disadvantage to see if they know the location of
the Silver Haven. Each new fragment gets them another test.
♦ While journeying, the Fey taught the secrets of their magic to
the peoples they encountered. Accordingly, on some islands,
Setting: The Silver Haven

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 location of the Silver Haven was encoded in a magical crystal

key, but it shattered into (some number of) shards, each of which
became the heartseed of an eldritch monster. The party must de-
feat the monsters, recover the heartseeds, and restore the crystal
key.

♦ 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.

The end of the search

At some point, your players will acquire enough clues (of whatever sort)
to unravel the secret and find the Silver Haven. So, then what? When they
enter this legendary domain, what will they find, and what will happen
to them? Well, that’s up to you.

Perhaps the party ascends into a celestial realm

of magic and wonder, and the game ends. Per-
haps they open a new trade route between the
old world and the new, bringing magic back
into the world and changing your campaign
Setting: The Silver Haven

forever. Perhaps they are trapped forever in

a new and strange
land (like one of
the other settings
in this book),
and an entirely
new campaign be-
gins. It’s your game.

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.

Make sure the destination is every bit as awesome as their journey!

What is the Silver Haven?

♦ Doesn’t exist. Never did. It’s pure fiction concocted to cover up the
genocide of the Fey by the Seven Monarchs (each a different Heri-
tage).

♦ 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

7 Storm Stable: Once per session, after rolling a failure on a Test

(High) related to high waves or heavy winds, you may Test again.

387
 Songs of Oversea
by Justin Finley

Defending the Keep, The Land of Broken Roads,

Plays Well With: The Price of Power, Rule of Three, Search for the
Silver Haven, Thule, The Woken.

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.

Introduction: Bakunawa the Scorned

In the ages after the dawn time, there was a magical island where the
goddess Bakunawa dwelt with her daughters, the Naga. Drawn by their
loveliness, the youngest Child of the Moon came down from the heav-
ens to sing and play with them. Bakunawa’s daughters adored him and
said his beauty and grace surpassed all others, even their mother.
Bakunawa was jealous, and her growing rage poisoned her daughters,
her island, even the sea itself, turning them all corrupt. In her anger, she

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.

Who will save Oversea?

Bakunawa is chained in Undersea, but her corrupting influence keeps
bringing new horrors up from the depths. Her daughters, the Naga, lead
cults of seduced and deluded mortals in bloody rites seeking to free their
monstrous mother. And Unleashed
monsters continue to run wild, dev-
astating the once-peaceful lands of
Oversea.
Meanwhile, the Gods, exhausted by
war, have retreated to the heavens,
leaving the world in the hands of
their progeny, the Demigods. You
are one of them, a divine hero stand-
ing between the terrors of Undersea
and the peoples of Oversea. Your
fate has not been written, and your
legend has not been sung. So what
will you choose?
♦ Slay the Unleashed and Ba­ku­
nawa herself, bringing light
and order to the chaos of the
darkest depths?

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

points of Conviction, etc.)

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.

Guardians andthe Unleashed

Setting: Songs of Oversea

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.

Bindings for Divine Beasts

As primeval creations of the Gods now turned to a divine purpose, you may
wish to give Bindings to your Guardians and allow them to recover Conviction
just as Demigods do. You may also wish to do the same with your Unleashed,
but with Corruption instead of Conviction.

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

of thumb is 2, plus 1 more for every 6 HP.

Bards or Shamans can Test once for each day spent in the creature’s pres-
ence, or in its Place of Power (or Corruption). If they get to the Magic
Number of successful Tests before they get to the Magic Number of fail-
ures, they have learned the creature’s Divine Song.
The learning must be done by one character, but others can help through
Teamwork (TZ 10, p. 15). Learning can be attempted during combat
with the creature, but Tests are made with Disadvantage and successful
Tests are limited to one per turn.

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.

Unleashing Your Krakens

You may wish to have your Guardians stay forever pure once they have been
cleansed. But if you want it to be possible to corrupt them again, the regres-
sion to Unleashed monster should require at least 1 point of Corruption plus
another for every 6 HP, rounded up.

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).

Siren: Bakunawa’s youngest daughters, they use glamours to hide their

monstrous appearance and transform their maddened shrieks into en-
chanting melodies.

HP Traits

Aquatic: Breathe and move underwater without penalty.

Deep Embrace: Test to grapple prey and dive into the

ocean. Victims must make a Save Test or take 1 biting
5
damage and begin drowning.
(Medium)
Siren’s Song: Test to enthrall victims into adoring obe-
dience. Hearers may attempt a Save Test once per turn to
break free.

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

Flight: Tiktiks and Wakwaks may resemble a warped fu-

sion of woman and bird, wings beating loudly when dis-
tant—but quietly when close. Mangallals and Pengallans
may sprout wings or fly through arcane means.
8
(High) Shamanic Warrior

Visceral Hunger: Regain 1d6 HP once per day by feeding

on their prey’s blood, breath, organs, or even unborn life.
They cannot heal otherwise.

Naga: Eldest daughters of Bakunawa, these serpentine beauties build

mortal cults to help them work their foul magics and weaken their
mother’s chains.

HP Traits

Aquatic and Deep Embrace (sometimes)

Monstrous Maidens: Test to bite (or claw) for 2 damage.

Servants of Corruption: Once per turn, Test to let out a

12
hideous shriek summoning 1d3 Cultists (or other creatures
(Heroic)
of Corruption) to come to your aid.
Setting: Songs of Oversea

Shaman Adept or High Shaman

Siren’s Song

Matakaw of the Obsidian Teeth (Unleashed): A fallen Demigod, this

Unleashed ogre is 20 feet tall and lean, his too-large mouth full of ob-
sidian teeth. His skin, once decorated with the tale of his ascent, is now
covered with puckered scars and sores. He haunts a volcano portal to the
world below.

396
 HP Traits

Defiling Presence: Corrupts Places of Power. Casters doing

magic in his presence must make a Save Test or gain a De-
monic Curse such as Gluttony, Engy, or Wrath.

Cleave

Hungry Maw: Test to bite for 2 damage. Test again to swal-

low. Targets must make a Save Test or find themselves in the
20
ogre’s stomach, taking 2 acid damage per turn.
(Solo)
Thirsty Obsidian: Test to attack with obsidian claws, doing
2 damage.

Skull Basher: Massive club with a beak. Test to attack,

bypassing armor and similar Traits to do 2 damage. Each
morning, generates 1 Corruption (or 1 Conviction if cleansed
and awakened).

Ungol the Tremor (Guardian): A giant cicada who slumbers in the

earth under her shrine. When awakened, Ungol leaves an egg buried
deep in the soil and wades into battle protected by chitinous armor.

HP Traits

Armored Carapace: On any successful hit, Test with Disad-

vantage to negate damage.

Cleave

Earth-shaking Charge: Move up to 25 feet and Test to attack

for 2 damage. Your target and all others in the zone must make
a Save Test or be knocked prone.
Setting: Songs of Oversea

Furious strikes: As one Action, make four Attacks with Dis-

30 advantage.
(Epic)
Molt: When Ungol reaches 0 HP, with a crack of thunder her
carapace breaks open and she takes to the skies as Ungol the
Thunderer. She regains half her HP, loses the Earth-Shaking
Charge and Armored Carapace Traits, and gains Flight. She
also gains a new attack:

Buzzing Wings: Test for a sonic attack that hits a 10 foot

circle, doing 1 damage and deafening all foes. Targets hit
by this attack must make a Save Test or be stunned, losing
1 Action.
 Bakunawa the Scorned: Mother of Monsters, this divine leviathan
remains chained, but her cults conduct rituals every winter solstice at-
tempting to release her.

HP Traits

Aquatic

Aura of Corruption: When Bakunawa rises from the depths

she bleeds a foul essence, and those exposed to it find them-
selves as thralls in her monstrous brood if they do not make
a Save Test (with Disadvantage for mortals) or spend a point
of Conviction.

Bard (with 2d3 Song Traits)

Divine Protection: Bakunawa cannot be killed, but when

reduced to 0 HP, magic can be used to bind her in the depths
again. She can be harmed by weapons made by the Gods or
made with power stolen from the Unleashed by Beast Break-
80 ers. Guardians may also harm Bakunawa.
(Beyond
Epic) Leviathan Armor: On any successful hit, Test with Dis-
advantage to disregard damage. For spell attacks, Test with
Disadvantage to redirect damage to the caster.

Mother of Monsters: Every other round, Test to give birth

to 4-6 Sirens, 2-3 Naga, or 1 (Solo Threat) Unleashed.

Obscene Appetite: Test 2d6 to swallow a Demigod. Swal-

lowed targets take 3 damage per turn, unless they spend 1
Conviction or 2 Corruption. Whenever they do, Bakunawa
gets a Save Test to recover the Conviction or Corruption for
herself.
Setting: Songs of Oversea

Toxic Breath: Test with Advantage to

Attack, doing 1d6 Damage.

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.

♦ Local myth says a nearby volcano is a portal to the original prison

of the Unleashed. While Bakunawa fought the Gods, a hero de-
scended to that lair and returned with legendary artifacts and
treasures. The volcano slumbers now. Do you dare to enter?

♦ 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.

♦ Villagers claim their chief is Corrupted, and point to the recent

loss of a trading ship as proof. The chief swore his enmity to Ba-
kunawa and says her servants took the ship in retribution. They
appeal to you as emissaries of the divine, to settle the dispute.

♦ Wayfarers tell of a new island, with monsters and treasures never

before seen in Oversea. They say a Demigod dredged it up from
Undersea, and plans to do so again when the moon is new.

♦ Your grandmother used to sing about finding the key to awaken

the Guardian within. Hearing another song about a magical key
in the belly of an Unleashed, you wonder if there
really is a key that transforms peo-
ple into powerful monsters. And
what it might do for you.

399
 THULE: ADVENTURES
IN THE ARCTIC
by Carolyn Ivy Stein and Stephen Stein

Trading, raiding, exploration, clash of cultures, lost

Themes:
civilizations, survival in an unforgiving environment.

The Cost of Sunsteel, The Land of Broken Roads,

Plays Well With: The Price of Power, Mage Hunters, The Search for
the Silver Haven, etc.

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.

The Far North

Thule works as a setting on its own or can be added to existing campaigns,
offering new lands to explore and people to meet. While this setting as-
sumes a northern setting, one could set Thule near the South Pole.

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.

Elsewhere, covens of Ice Witches established themselves. Chased from

civilized lands, they plot and scheme, planning who knows what.

Peoples and Heritages

A leuts
Aleuts encompass a number of different clans and tribes who have lived
in the North for centuries. Many are specific to particular Heritages, in-
cluding Dwarves, Goblins, and Humans.

Aleuts developed a host of technologies to cope with their environment,

Setting: Thule

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

ice and snow, avalanches, mud-slides, or whatever.

Unique Setting Rules

Arctic environments are demanding in the extreme, posing distinct chal-
lenges and new ways to die a glorious (or inglorious) death.

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.

Treefolk, Lizardfolk, and Pyrothermic Salimar are particularly suscep-

tible to cold and must Test twice as often. However, damage from cold
will not reduce them below one Hit Point. Instead, they enter a state of
hibernation. While still alive, they are incapable of action until placed in
a warm environment to thaw out, regaining one Hit Point per hour.

GMs may introduce an additional complication. Cold-blooded creatures

generate much less internal heat than warm-blooded creatures. So, in
addition to warm clothing, cold-blooded creatures may need a portable,
perhaps magical, heat source to fend off intense Arctic cold.

Further, Arctic cold impairs Pyrothermic Healing. Pyrothermic Salimar

only heal if they first make a successful Save Test. On the other hand,
Setting: Thule

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.

Darkness and Light

The far north has an altered day/night cycle, which reaches its extremes
at the summer and winter solstices and is more pronounced the farther
north one travels. During the summer solstice, the sun shines continu-
ously—the so-called midnight sun. During the winter solstice, though,
the sun never rises. The closer characters are to the North Pole, the
longer these periods last, extending from several weeks to six months
at the pole itself.

Prolonged darkness has a host of negative psychological effects, which

GMs may wish to invoke. People and animals become moody, depressed,
irritable, and angry. Local people commemorate the reappearance of
the sun after its long absence with great festivals. The midnight sun in-
vigorates Treefolk who gain the Fleet of Foot Trait from continuous
sunshine, but during the winter solstice, they become Slow of Foot and
their speed decreases to 20 feet.
Setting: Thule

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.

M agic in the Far North

In general, ice magic, such Diamond Magic (TD2e, 75), Tests with
Advantage in the far north, while fire magic,
such as Ruby Magic (TD2e, 76), Tests with
Disadvantage. Water magic, such as Sap-
phire Magic (TD2e, 76), Tests with Dis­
advantage during the Arctic winter and
in places that are perpetually frozen over,
such as the pole. The altered day/night cycle
further influences magic, granting Advantage or causing
Disadvantage to certain spells at the GM’s discretion.
Setting: Thule

Sunstone (feldspar), a semi-precious stone com-

monly found in the far north, enhances ice magic
and some other forms of magic. Mages are just be-
ginning to explore its properties, but a sufficiently
talented mage can use it as a portable heat source.

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

Fearsome Reputation: The ship’s renown allows

its crew to Test with Advantage when attempting
Longship 3 diplomacy or intimidation.
Quick Getaway: Test with Advantage when
launching from shore or escaping danger at sea.

Built for Ice: When encountering severe weather

Umiak 2 or other Arctic conditions, an Umiak’s resilient
construction provides its crew with Advantage.

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.

Mammoth: Huge, shaggy grazers generally encountered in herds on the

tundra. Enough meat to feed a village, if you can kill one.

HP Traits

Tough
8
(High) Trample (Melee Attack): Test 2d6. If successful, one ene-
my is knocked to the ground and suffers 1 damage.

Wolverine: A solitary carnivore and scavenger that favors northern forests

and tundra. Small but fierce. Rarely will it retreat from a fight even when
seriously overmatched.
HP Traits

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

Camouflage: Perhaps it’s magical. But however they do it,

Yetis blend with their environment so well that anyone at-
9 tempting to spot or track them must Test with Disadvan-
(Heroic) tage.

Spell-touched Strong Vigilant

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

extraordinary magnitude. Someone needs to investigate.

Missing Crew: A ship of explorers disappeared in the relentless ice years
ago. Recently other explorers found their perfectly preserved ship. On
the ship, preserved in the icy conditions are the dead, all of whom bear
strange lightning marks on their skin. Who or what killed them?

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 . . .”

You are Woken

Ever hear the phrase, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead?” How appropriate! Be-
cause that’s actually literal, in your instance.
The meaning behind the name of the secret society to which you now
belong is twofold. Foremost, you are eternally wakeful now, permanently
“woken” thanks to the power of Hemera, the goddess of daytime, which
sustains your mind and body. Sleeping and dreaming are no longer ex-
periences you engage in, nor do you suffer any of the negative side-effects
(insanity and death being the usual fare) from the lack thereof.
Also, you are now “woken” to the true nature of reality, one where par-
asitic beings slip into the minds of sleeping humans and feast on their
thoughts and emotions. It’s a world where the twin, opposing energies
of enerva and somnus ebb and flow, respectively keeping people awake
and aware or sinking them deep into their dreamscapes. And where you
now act as a soldier in an ages-long battle for humanity’s sanity and free-
dom from the monsters that would enslave us all in eternal night.

How Were You R ecruited?

Few join the Woken in the same way. Some
are born with inherent powers to see and
interact with dreamscapes that mark them
for recruitment. Others suffer trauma
that awakens their senses to the exis-
tence of magori, whether having suf-
fered intense nightmares for years or
seeing a friend or family member
Setting: The Woken

mentally decay due to those mon-

sters feeding off their sleeping
minds. Others yet have studied
mythology and discerned the
truth about what lurks be-
hind our waking world, and
then sought out the society
for induction.
Your Mission . . .
Since sleeping and dreaming has been stripped from you and rest is no
longer a concept you understand, it is your ever-wakeful duty to protect
all sleepers and dreamers from the monsters that prey on them from the
Everywhen (aka the dreamlands). Ignorance doesn’t shield innocents
from the vile beings that slip into almost everyone’s minds at night,
when our mental defenses are down and our brains brim with tasty en-
ergy . . . You are a warrior of light who stands against the darkness and
never stops fighting until the last threat is vanquished.

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.

You receive current missions through your society-distributed phone

and laptop, with a dedicated handler providing briefs before and after
a hunt. Occasionally, you might call in another Woken to assist with a
particularly nasty infestation, but you’re often on your own. To travel
long distances in short times, you are also able to access a system of
interconnected dreamscapes founded on minds that are locked in per-
manent comas or “high-functioning” vegetative states.
Setting: The Woken

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

eliminate magori on a primal level. When in a dreamscape, Woken can

be wounded or killed there just as much as in physical reality. Woken do
not exist in the waking world when they enter a dreamscape.
Woken also gain the ability to see enerva and somnus, the opposing
energies of wakefulness and sleep. They flow throughout all realities
like water, ever-present, but as diametric and unmingling as oil and
water. Their currents affect human sleep patterns. When one is sleep-

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.

Where Do You Start?

Setting: The Woken

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.”

♦ A sleep research center has gone on lockdown with a violent

hostage situation, and the police haven’t been able to figure out
a single thing about who is responsible, what their demands are,
or what’s actually going on inside.

♦ 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.

♦ After a youth group sleepover at a church, a few teens have started

causing trouble around their neighborhoods, with each claiming
to have done so under orders of “God” that they get in dreams.

♦ Several people have died in their sleep at a nearby hospital. Sure,

that happens often enough there . . . but these were perfectly
healthy doctors and nurses who passed away while on shift.

♦ Everyone in the city has been having the exact same nightmare
for the past couple of days. Everyone.

♦ You found a brochure for a group therapy session promoting “the

healing power of dreams and dream interpretation lessons.” It
has a class scheduled for meeting one’s spirit guide, a guise ma-
gori often taken to lure in victims.

Plays well with . . .

Setting: The Woken

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

M agical worlds in 100 words

Council of the Wise
Bears are clever. But are they ready to join the Council of the Wise? First,
their champions must pass the test—a series of one-on-one duels to the
death. Bear vs. Wizard. Winner eats the heart of the loser. (And gains
some of their power! Wizards might gain bear strength. Bears might
gain wizard spells.) If the bears get three wins first, the wizards will lift
them up to full and true sapience and teach them the secrets of magic.
If the wizards get three wins first, they suppress the bears’ intelligence
and leave them dumb beasts for another generation.

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

like Nausicaa and Princess Mononoke.

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.

Running the Gauntlet

Colossal monsters rule the world; perhaps they always will. Titanite
priests say that Titans kept the monsters in check once, and that some-
day they will return. Foolishness, or so you thought. Until you found
The Gauntlet—each finger longer than a man, and with space inside the
wrist to fit a pilot. If you can figure out how to repair it, animate it, make
it fight, you might be able to save your village. If you can find an arm, a
torso, a whole Titan . . . You might be able to save the world (Zelda + Vol-
tron + Clash of the Titans = Running the Gauntlet).

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.

White Russian, Black Magic

Appendix: Nanosettings

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

Curses, Drawbacks, and Demonic Traits

Amnesiac Curse of Sloth Scales of Flame
Gate Crashers........... 286 Alchemist.....................25 Alchemist.....................23
Bloodthirsty Curse of Wrath Symbiote
Gate Crashers........... 286 Alchemist.....................25 Gate Crashers........... 286
Curse of Envy Dependency Tail of Swiping
Alchemist.....................24 Gate Crashers........... 286 Alchemist.....................23
Curse of Gluttony Fangs of Venom Tongue of Decay
Alchemist.....................24 Alchemist.....................23 Alchemist.....................23
Curse of Greed Horns of Undying Wings of Flying
Alchemist.....................24 Alchemist.....................23 Alchemist.....................23
Curse of Lust Impetuous
Alchemist.....................24 Gate Crashers........... 286
Curse of Pride Malodorous
Alchemist.....................25 Gate Crashers........... 286

Draughts, Alchemical
aura blighting poison bone chilling poison burning flame bomb
Alchemist.....................18 Alchemist.....................17 Alchemist.....................17
Index

blood iron potion breath of night poison coldsnap bomb

Alchemist.....................16 Alchemist.....................18 Alchemist.....................17

420
 Draughts, Alchemical (cont)

communication potion fiery claw poison pan-catalytic bomb

Alchemist.....................16 Alchemist.....................17 Alchemist.....................19
cure disease potion flash bomb pollen blasted poison
Alchemist.....................16 Alchemist.....................17 Alchemist.....................18
dessication bomb flowing water potion Shield potion
Gate Crashers........... 284 Alchemist.....................16 Alchemist.....................16
dim mak poison frostbite bomb smoke bomb
Alchemist.....................17 Gate Crashers............282 Alchemist.....................17
elixir of awakening glacial mind poison stony earth potion
Alchemist.....................21 Alchemist.....................17 Alchemist.....................16
elixir of inspiration Goblin’s Fire bomb submersion bomb
Alchemist.....................21 Defending the Keep....237 Gate Crashers........... 284
elixir of panacea gorgon’s gaze bomb surge potion
Alchemist.....................21 Gate Crashers............283 Alchemist.....................16
elixir of restoration graceful heron potion tentacle bomb
Alchemist.....................21 Alchemist.....................16 Alchemist.....................17
Elixir of royal solution greater healing potion timeview potion
Alchemist.....................21 Alchemist.....................16 Alchemist.....................16
elixir of transmutation healing potion troll heart potion
Alchemist.....................21 Alchemist.....................16 Alchemist.....................16
entangling vine bomb hungry fungal poison unsettling poison
Alchemist.....................17 Alchemist.....................18 Alchemist.....................17
fervid ritual poison overriding emotion poison
Alchemist.....................18 Alchemist.....................18
fevered mind bomb pacifying poison
Gate Crashers............283 Alchemist.....................17

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

Beastwalker Chitinoid Cream Puffian

Beast Speaker...............78 Spell Reader...............150 Clash of the Pastrium.199

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

Gods of Diazorr.........299 Shade Tree Thule........................ 409

Maerri Dane (NPC) Archmage. . .................. 42
Gods of Diazorr.........301

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

Beast Animalculous Flying Pan

Beast Speaker...............78 Beast Speaker...............79 Cookpot.......................89

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

Nope Chest Spellsong Artifact (art.

Teleportation Mage....175 type)
Artificer.......................52

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

Bright Eyes (Cantrip) Dispel (charm) Fervid Rite

Spell-Touched............. 161 Bard............................62 Archmage.....................31

Burning Ring (spellsong) Distract (charm) Fiery Vambrace (scroll)

Bard........................... 66 Bard............................62 Spell Reader...............143
Call of Memory Divulge (Cantrip) Find Settlement (Cantrip)
(Incantation) Spell-Touched.............162 Spell-Touched.............162
Shaman.....................134 Doom of the Risen Fluid Dynamism
Carpet Ride Archmage.....................36 Archmage.....................33
Archmage.....................30 Dryadic Sanctuary Fools Rush (spellsong)
Chant of Communion Archmage.....................31 Bard........................... 66
(Incantation) Elfin Fade Force Storm (Talent)
Shaman.....................134 Archmage.................... 34 Psionics......................123
Index

Choke damp Emerald Cuirass (scroll) Forking Paths (Talent)

Archmage.....................29 Spell Reader...............143 Psionics......................120

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

Hole in Reality (Talent) My Hero (spellsong) Red Sap

Archmage.....................35
Psionics......................122 Bard........................... 66
Regeneration Trigger
Hungry Fungus Nature’s son (spellsong)
Archmage.................... 34
Archmage.....................30 Bard........................... 66
Repast (Cantrip)
Hush Footsteps (Cantrip) Necrotize Flesh
Spell-Touched.............162
Spell-Touched............. 161 Archmage.....................36
Restore (Cantrip)
In Sync (Shadowsouled) Night breath Spell-Touched.............162
Familiar......................94 Archmage.................... 34
Reverse Life
Instant Seance Night Wolf Archmage.....................38
Archmage.....................37 Archmage.....................38
Righteous Rondell (scroll)
Ivory Tickles Null Hammer (Talent) Spell Reader...............143
Archmage.....................35 Psionics......................124
Rite of Spring (tactical
Kinetic Shield (Talent) Occult Oasis burst)
Psionics......................122 Archmage.....................30 Gate Crashers............283
Levitation (Talent) Phase Out (Shadowsouled) Root and Branch
Psionics......................122 Familiar......................94 Archmage.....................35
Ley Line Piercing Cold Rune Claw
Archmage.................... 34 Thule........................ 407 Archmage.....................33
Like a Hurricane (spellsong) Pollen Blast Sacred Hymn (charm)
Bard........................... 66 Archmage.....................31 Defending the Keep....237
Living Weapon (Talent) popularize (charm) Sand Golem
Psionics......................123 Bard............................62
Index

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

Artificer Binder Cookie’s Revenge

(cooking)
Artificer.......................48 Familiar......................93 Cookpot.......................85
Index

Banisher Bone Broth (cooking) Cookpot Adept

Familiar......................93 Cookpot.......................85 Cookpot.......................83

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

Traits for Enemies

Agility Assault and Battering Camouflage
Artificer.......................55 Artificer.......................56 Thule.........................409
Alchemical Cuirass Aura of Corruption Clay Soldiers
Gods of Diazorr..........300 Songs of Oversea.........398 Artificer.......................56
Alchemical Spray Blood Drinker Connected
Familiar....................101 Archmage.....................42 Gods of Diazorr..........301
Aquatic Blue Dart Cryophage
Songs of Oversea.........395 Familiar....................101 Archmage.....................39
Arcane Node Burning Belch Crystalis Poison
Index

Artificer.......................55 Familiar......................99 Spell Reader...............151

Armored Carapace Buzzing Wings Deathless
Songs of Oversea.........397 Songs of Oversea.........397 Archmage.....................42

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

Archmage.....................39 Songs of Oversea.........398 Songs of Oversea.........395

Hungry Maw Multiple Attacks Skedaddle
Songs of Oversea.........397 Familiar....................101 Artificer.......................56

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 for Familiars

Autonomous Borrower Shade Form
Familar.......................98 Familar.......................98 Familar.......................99
Black Saddle Fury Spawn Terrifying Presence
Familar.......................98 Familar.......................98 Familar.......................99

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