important moves Defy Danger When you act in spite spite of the the dangers or suffer a calamity, say how you deal with it and roll. If you do it... ...by powering powering through through or with brute force, roll +STR. ...by getting getting out of the way or or acting acting quickly, roll +DEX. ...by enduring or ignoring it, roll +CON. ...with quick thinking or by following the plan, plan, roll +INT. ...by relying relying on your senses or your your sanity, roll +WIS. ...using charm, social grace, grace, or the help of your your friends, roll +CHA. On a 10+, you do what you set out to, and the threat doesn't hinder you. On a 7-9, you stumble, hesitate, or flinch - you still succeed, but the GM will name a cost, offer a hard bargain, or have you make an ugly choice.
Level Up When you have need of more strength , you may subtract your current level + 7 XP from your XP total, increase your level by 1, and choose a new Advanced Move from your class list. If your level is now 6 or higher, you can choose an Expert Move instead. When you become level 3, 6, or or 9, you increase one of your stats by +1. You cannot increase a stat above +3. Increasing your Constitution increases your current and maximum HP. You may only Level Up between sessions or during a truly dire moment of need. When you Level Up during a truly dire moment of need, you also heal HP equal to 1d6+your new level.
Last Breath When you are dying, you catch a glimpse of what lies beyond the veil of death (the GM will describe it). Then roll +Fellowship, where Fellowship is the number of Fellowship bonuses you have obtained. On a 10+, you've held on - your destiny is too great for you to die just yet. On a 7-9, Death knows of your importance, and will offer you a deal. It you take it, you stabilize and live to see another day. If you do not, you pass on, gone from this world. On a 6-, your fate is sealed. You are marked as Death's own and will cross the threshold soon, the GM will tell you when. However, if you die in the presence presence of the Overlord, Overlord, roll +Bonds with them instead of +Fellowship. On a 10+, they will let you live, but you have been left scarred by the encounter - tell us how. On a 9-, the Overlord will try to make it a deal. If you take it, you live to see another day. If you deny it, you die, but you make sure to spite the Overlord first - tell us how you have scarred them. On a 6-, you cannot deny the Overlord's deal, no matter how much you may want to, although you wll only do it on one condition - name it. On a 6-, the Overlord may demand your death as their deal, if they really want you gone. You still get to make a final request/name your
combat moves
learning moves
Hack & Slash (str)
Discern Realities (wis)
When you attack an enemy in melee, roll +STR. On a 10+, you deal your damage to the enemy and avoid their attack. At your option, you may choose to deal +1d6 damage but expose yourself to enemy attack. On a 7-9, you deal your damage and the enemy makes a move against you.
When you you closely study a situation or a person, person, roll +WIS. On a 10+, ask the GM three questions from the appropriate list. On a 7-9, ask one. Take +1 forward when acting on the answers.
Volley (dex) When you you take aim and shoot an enemy at at range, roll +DEX. On a 7+, you hit your target and deal your damage. On a 7-9, also choose one: • You have to move to take the shot, placing you you in danger • You take several shots, reducing your ammo ammo by one • You have to take what you can get, get, dealing half damage (rounded up)
Defend (con) When you stand in defense of a person, location, or item under attack, roll +CON. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. So long as you continue to stand in defense, you can spend 1-hold to do one of the following: • Redirect an attack to yourself • Halve the attack's effects or damage • Deal damage to the attacker equal to your level • When leading an army: Your army gains the Fortified tag • When defending an ally: You give that ally an opening, and they take +1 forward to use it.
Aid or Interfere When you you help or hinder someone you have have a Bond with, roll +Bonds with them. On a 7+, they take +1 or -2, your choice. On a 7-9, you expose yourself to danger, retribution, or cost, for your trouble.
Miss When you roll a 6- on any roll, the GM gains a golden opportunity, and you mark 1-XP. The GM can use this opportunity to make any move they like from the options available to them.
Other Rules Army rules are found in the Heir Advanced Playbook. Hireling rules are found in the Elf Advanced Playbook. Hero rules are found in the Harbinger Advanced Playbook. Mount rules are found in the Halfling Advanced Playbook. Traveling rules are found in the Squire Advanced Playbook.
When you are discerning someone's motivations, ask from this list: • What do they want from me or my friends? • What are they trying to hide? • How are they useful useful or valuable to me? • What should I be wary of when dealing with them? them? • What are they going to do next? When you are discerning a chaotic or charged situation, ask from this list: • What happened happened here recently? • What is about to happen happen here? • What should I be on the lookout for? • What here is useful useful or valuable to me? • What here is not as it appears to be?
Spout Lore (int) When you consult your accumulated knowledge, tell the GM what you (the player) want to know about and roll +INT. On a 10+, the GM will tell you something interesting and useful about it. On a 7-9, the GM will tell you something interesting - it's up to you to make it useful. The GM may ask you "How do you know that?" Tell them the truth, now. If a player Spouts Spouts Lore about your your character's people, you tell us about it instead of the GM. When you Spout Lore about your own people, do not roll - instead, just tell us.
Parley (cha) When you have leverage over an NPC and manipulate them, tell us what you want from them and roll +CHA. Leverage is something they want or need. On a 7+, you must make them a promise - they'll tell you what - and then they'll do as you ask. On a 7-9, the promise alone is not enough - they need concrete assurance of your promise, right now.
Terminology Forward: +1 forward is shorthand for "add +1 to the next roll you make." If it's specific ("+1 forward to Spout Lore"), you get the bonus the next time you make the specific move. Hold: Hold is a special resource you can spend to take specific actions, similar to magic points in many video games. What you can do with Hold is listed in the move that gave you hold to spend. Ongoing: You gain the bonus until it expires. For example, "+1 ongoing until you Make Camp" means +1 to all rolls until you next Make Camp. Roll: Roll two six-sided dice and add the appropriate stat. Use the total
important moves Defy Danger When you act in spite spite of the the dangers or suffer a calamity, say how you deal with it and roll. If you do it... ...by powering powering through through or with brute force, roll +STR. ...by getting getting out of the way or or acting acting quickly, roll +DEX. ...by enduring or ignoring it, roll +CON. ...with quick thinking or by following the plan, plan, roll +INT. ...by relying relying on your senses or your your sanity, roll +WIS. ...using charm, social grace, grace, or the help of your your friends, roll +CHA. On a 10+, you do what you set out to, and the threat doesn't hinder you. On a 7-9, you stumble, hesitate, or flinch - you still succeed, but the GM will name a cost, offer a hard bargain, or have you make an ugly choice.
Level Up When you have need of more strength , you may subtract your current level + 7 XP from your XP total, increase your level by 1, and choose a new Advanced Move from your class list. If your level is now 6 or higher, you can choose an Expert Move instead. When you become level 3, 6, or or 9, you increase one of your stats by +1. You cannot increase a stat above +3. Increasing your Constitution increases your current and maximum HP. You may only Level Up between sessions or during a truly dire moment of need. When you Level Up during a truly dire moment of need, you also heal HP equal to 1d6+your new level.
Last Breath When you are dying, you catch a glimpse of what lies beyond the veil of death (the GM will describe it). Then roll +Fellowship, where Fellowship is the number of Fellowship bonuses you have obtained. On a 10+, you've held on - your destiny is too great for you to die just yet. On a 7-9, Death knows of your importance, and will offer you a deal. It you take it, you stabilize and live to see another day. If you do not, you pass on, gone from this world. On a 6-, your fate is sealed. You are marked as Death's own and will cross the threshold soon, the GM will tell you when. However, if you die in the presence presence of the Overlord, Overlord, roll +Bonds with them instead of +Fellowship. On a 10+, they will let you live, but you have been left scarred by the encounter - tell us how. On a 9-, the Overlord will try to make it a deal. If you take it, you live to see another day. If you deny it, you die, but you make sure to spite the Overlord first - tell us how you have scarred them. On a 6-, you cannot deny the Overlord's deal, no matter how much you may want to, although you wll only do it on one condition - name it. On a 6-, the Overlord may demand your death as their deal, if they really want you gone. You still get to make a final request/name your
combat moves
learning moves
Hack & Slash (str)
Discern Realities (wis)
When you attack an enemy in melee, roll +STR. On a 10+, you deal your damage to the enemy and avoid their attack. At your option, you may choose to deal +1d6 damage but expose yourself to enemy attack. On a 7-9, you deal your damage and the enemy makes a move against you.
When you you closely study a situation or a person, person, roll +WIS. On a 10+, ask the GM three questions from the appropriate list. On a 7-9, ask one. Take +1 forward when acting on the answers.
Volley (dex) When you you take aim and shoot an enemy at at range, roll +DEX. On a 7+, you hit your target and deal your damage. On a 7-9, also choose one: • You have to move to take the shot, placing you you in danger • You take several shots, reducing your ammo ammo by one • You have to take what you can get, get, dealing half damage (rounded up)
Defend (con) When you stand in defense of a person, location, or item under attack, roll +CON. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. So long as you continue to stand in defense, you can spend 1-hold to do one of the following: • Redirect an attack to yourself • Halve the attack's effects or damage • Deal damage to the attacker equal to your level • When leading an army: Your army gains the Fortified tag • When defending an ally: You give that ally an opening, and they take +1 forward to use it.
Aid or Interfere When you you help or hinder someone you have have a Bond with, roll +Bonds with them. On a 7+, they take +1 or -2, your choice. On a 7-9, you expose yourself to danger, retribution, or cost, for your trouble.
Miss When you roll a 6- on any roll, the GM gains a golden opportunity, and you mark 1-XP. The GM can use this opportunity to make any move they like from the options available to them.
Other Rules Army rules are found in the Heir Advanced Playbook. Hireling rules are found in the Elf Advanced Playbook. Hero rules are found in the Harbinger Advanced Playbook. Mount rules are found in the Halfling Advanced Playbook. Traveling rules are found in the Squire Advanced Playbook.
When you are discerning someone's motivations, ask from this list: • What do they want from me or my friends? • What are they trying to hide? • How are they useful useful or valuable to me? • What should I be wary of when dealing with them? them? • What are they going to do next? When you are discerning a chaotic or charged situation, ask from this list: • What happened happened here recently? • What is about to happen happen here? • What should I be on the lookout for? • What here is useful useful or valuable to me? • What here is not as it appears to be?
Spout Lore (int) When you consult your accumulated knowledge, tell the GM what you (the player) want to know about and roll +INT. On a 10+, the GM will tell you something interesting and useful about it. On a 7-9, the GM will tell you something interesting - it's up to you to make it useful. The GM may ask you "How do you know that?" Tell them the truth, now. If a player Spouts Spouts Lore about your your character's people, you tell us about it instead of the GM. When you Spout Lore about your own people, do not roll - instead, just tell us.
Parley (cha) When you have leverage over an NPC and manipulate them, tell us what you want from them and roll +CHA. Leverage is something they want or need. On a 7+, you must make them a promise - they'll tell you what - and then they'll do as you ask. On a 7-9, the promise alone is not enough - they need concrete assurance of your promise, right now.
Terminology Forward: +1 forward is shorthand for "add +1 to the next roll you make." If it's specific ("+1 forward to Spout Lore"), you get the bonus the next time you make the specific move. Hold: Hold is a special resource you can spend to take specific actions, similar to magic points in many video games. What you can do with Hold is listed in the move that gave you hold to spend. Ongoing: You gain the bonus until it expires. For example, "+1 ongoing until you Make Camp" means +1 to all rolls until you next Make Camp. Roll: Roll two six-sided dice and add the appropriate stat. Use the total
They have formed a fellowship. fellowship. They believe it will be enough to stop me. I cannot wait to see them try. It will be delicious, seeing the best this world has to offer fall before my feet. This world is mine, to do with as I please. I am the Overlord, and all things will bow down to me.
The GM Playbook The Overlord is not like like the other playbooks. When When you are the GM, you do not roll dice (except damage dice). You do not use the basic player moves. When you say something happens, it just does. You do not fail, except when the Fellowship intervenes. When you use your Moves, they can be Soft or Hard. Soft Moves let Moves let the players react to them - describe your move, then ask what they do about it. Hard Moves just Moves just happen - the players do not get to respond. Use Soft Moves frequently - start every scene with them, and use them between your Hard Moves. Use Hard Moves when you need to ramp up the tension, add danger, or in response to a failed roll.
Your Agenda Your Agendas are guidelines for good play. When you don't know what to do, look do, look to these Agendas for ideas. • Create Opportunities To Do Good: The world is filled with people who need the help of the Fellowship. Give them people to save. • Play To Find Out What Happens: The world is constantly changing and you can never truly know what comes next. Let the game evolve naturally, don't prepare too much in advance. • Follow the Plan: The Overlord has a grand plan for what's in store for this world. This plan gives you an additional Agenda.
Your Principles
theGAME overlord MASTER'S PLAYBOOK
Your Principles are the rules you play by while running the game. Do not break them. • Create problems, not solutions. solutions. Leave Leave it to the Fellowship to figure out an answer. • Address the characters, not the players. Don't call them "Jesse" or "Sam," call them "Belgarath" and "Aurora." • Embrace the fantastic. If something would be cooler if some weird thing were true, let it be true. • Make a move move that follows. You can only make a move that makes sense in response to what triggered it. • Never speak the name of your move. Don't tell the players you are "revealing an unwelcome truth," just reveal it. • Ask questions, use the answers. Take notes on what they say, and bring it back when it'd be interesting. • Be a fan of their characters. characters. Let them be cool, let them have their moment, give them a chance to shine. • Think dangerous. dangerous. Make things risky and dangerous. Always up the ante. Make hard situations harder whenever you can. • Begin and end end with the fiction. Start a move with what triggered it, end the move with what it accomplished, and then move to the next move from there. • Think off-screen, too. The world keeps moving, no matter what the Fellowship is doing. Show them the rest of the world changing. Don't shut them down. If down. If a player wants to try something, let
Your Moves Your Moves are your options - they're what you actually do to play the game. When the players look to you to see what happens next, make a Move. • Reveal an unwelcome unwelcome truth. Tell truth. Tell them something they don't want to hear. • Show signs of an approaching threat. Reveal a new problem they'll need to deal with in some way. • Deal damage. damage. Cause harm to someone or something. • Use up or take away away their resources. They have gear for a reason. Make them use it, lose it, or damage it. • Turn their move back on them. Not everything goes according to plan - show them how their action made things worse or more difficult. • Separate them. The Fellowship is strongest together - force them to take the world on their own every now and then. • Put someone on the spot. Put someone in trouble while they're already busy with something else, then ask a different player what they do about it. • Present an opportunity. You don't always need to be mean - give them a chance, an opportunity, an opening. • Show a downside. Nothing is perfect. Let them know just what's wrong right when it would be really bad for them to know that. • Tell them the consequences consequences or requirements. When a player wants to do something, let them know what they need to have or do first.
game plan You have a mission, choose one. You also have a reason why you must accomplish it, but that comes later - tell the players Why when the time is right. Each plan also grants you another Agenda and a Move.
watch the the world burn You cause calamities just for kicks. Agenda: Fill Fill the world with with strange and painful painful events. events. Show them unexplainable things, painful things, terrible things, wonderful things. Move: Leave chaos in the Overlord's wake. Where you go, pain follows. Cause collateral damage, conjure terrible curses, commit cruel crimes.
world is mine You will unite these lands under your rule. Agenda: Portray Portray a world on on the edge of defeat. The world hangs in the balance, and your side is winning. Show a world under the Overlord's power. Move: Expand the Overlord's grasp. Show them just how far your power stretches. Tell them about conquered lands, lost battles, defeated allies.
ultimate power You need power, by any means necessary. Agenda: Place wonderful things in jeopardy. jeopardy. Find Find the great things in this world and threaten to destroy or change them forever.
End of Session Move When you reach the end of a session, choose one of your bonds with another player that you feel is resolved (completely explored, no longer relevant, or otherwise). Ask the player you have the bond with if they agree. If they do , mark XP and write a new bond with whomever you wish. If you cleared a bond with the Overlord, the new bond must also be with the Overlord. Once bonds have been updated, look at your Drive. If you fulfilled your Drive at least once this session, mark XP. Then answer these three questions as a group:
• Did we learn something new and important about the world? • Did we forever change a community, for better or for worse? • Did we make headway against the Overlord and their minions? For each "yes" answer, everyone in the Fellowship marks XP. Be sure to explain/reminisce upon your "yes" answers. Then, the Overlord gains 1-XP. If the Overlord is Threat Level 2 or 3, they lower their Threat Level by 1 and gain 1-XP. If they suffered a major setback this session, they gain 1-XP. The Overlord can gain a maximum of 3 XP per session from this move.
Level Up
When you have need of more strength, you may subtract your current level + 7 XP from your XP total, increase your level by 1, and choose a new Advanced Move from your class list. If your level is now 6 or higher, you can choose an Expert Move instead. When you become level 3, 6, or 9, you increase one of your stats by +1. You cannot increase a stat above +3. Increasing your Constitution increases your current and maximum HP. You may only Level Up between sessions or during a truly dire moment of need. When you Level Up during a truly dire moment of need, you also heal HP equal to 1d6+your new level.
Last Breath
When you are dying, you catch a glimpse of what lies beyond the veil of death (the GM will describe it). Then roll +Fellowship, where Fellowship is the number of Fellowship bonuses you have obtained. On a 10+, you've held on - your destiny is too great for you to die just yet. On a 7-9, Death knows of your importance, and will offer you a deal. It you take it, you stabilize and live to see another day. If you do not, you pass on, gone from this world. On a 6-, your fate is sealed. You are marked as Death's own and will cross the threshold soon, the GM will tell you when. However, if you die in the presence of the Overlord, roll +Bonds with them instead of +Fellowship. On a 10+, they will let you live, but you have been left scarred by the encounter - tell us how. On a 9-, the Overlord will try to make it a deal. If you take it, you live to see another day. If you deny it, you die, but you make sure to spite the Overlord first - tell us how you have scarred them. On a 6-, you cannot deny the Overlord's deal, no matter how much you may want to, although you wll only do it on one condition name it. On a 6-, the Overlord may demand your death as their deal, if they really
Secret Notes Let's be honest. GMs need their secret notes, and it makes it all the better if you can hide them inside of a fold-up page. Keep your notes safe. Keep them here.
Experience poin ts
threat
Level
Name:
Overlord's Wrath
Look
You are difficult to fight, and that's putting it lightly. You have the Hand, Close, Reach, and Near tags, and can fight at any range without issue. You have a themed power set, such as Shadows, Fire, Ghosts, or something equally dangerous.
Circle one from each list: • Glowing Eyes, Cold Eyes, or Otherworldly Eyes • Imposing Armor, Expensive Clothing, or Monstrous Body • Impossibly Pretty, Impossibly Buff, or Impossibly Deformed • Menacing Aura, Commanding Attitude, or Insane Laughter
Divided We Fall You cannot be defeated in one on one combat. Unless the Fellowship works together, you will always remain, and you will always succeed. You do not have HP and can never be killed, except by having your Source of Power destroyed. When players deal damage to you, they still cause harm - they can push you back, leave injuries, keep you busy. But you will never die from mere damage, and you recover from your wounds rapidly. Heroes and Armies are a nuisance to you, at best. At Level 1, they can hold you off, potentially even forcing you to retreat. At Level 2, they cannot defeat you - they will buy time, and keep your attention for a while, but you will win in the end. At Level 3, they are simply a joke - you can walk through an Army or right past a Hero without any fear of harm.
Fear Me You have power over those who are connected to you. When you taunt, mock, or speak condescendingly to a player from a position of power, choose one for each Bond you have with that player: • They are filled with fear and cannot approach you without Defying Danger or an ally's bravery. • They are filled with anger and cannot retreat from you without Defying Danger or an ally's wisdom. • They are filled with hopelessness and cannot harm you with their attacks until another ally does so. All of these effects end when they are no longer in your presence.
Threat Level Rising
the OVERLORD'S overlord PLAYBOOK
When the Fellowship gives the Overlord proper reason to do so, you may spend 1-XP to increase your Threat Level by 1. Your Threat Level can never go above 3 or below 1. At Threat Level 2, when you deal damage, roll twice and take the best result. When a Hireling tries to harm y ou, they get taken out. At Threat Level 3, your secret weakness applies. When you deal damage, roll twice and add the results together. When a Hero tries to harm
Themed Power: ______________________________________ Choose your fighting style:
cautious You fight in a way that makes you impossible to approach, such as with swarms of minions, great wind magic, or an impossibly complicated array of traps. Level 1: Your damage die is d6 and your attacks are Forceful. Level 2: Nothing can approach you without Defying Danger against your inherent defenses. Level 3: Your attacks send foes flying away. Whenever you deal damage, tell us where they're going. dangerous You fight using something volatile and chaotic, like burning fire, barely controlled explosives, or dancing lightning. Level 1: Your damage die is d8 and your attacks are Piercing 2. Level 2: Your attacks are Dangerous - they cause collateral damage constantly, setting fires or collapsing walls or hitting more than you meant to with every attack. Level 3: Your attacks hit an Area - they can wipe out entire Armies in one go, and each attack can hit as many targets as you like, so long as they are reasonably close to each other. horrifying You fight by draining the strength of your enemies and preying upon their fears and weaknesses, such as with malevolent shadows, life-draining ghosts, or a withering touch. Level 1: Your damage die is d4 and your attacks are Necrotic, causing a debility with every strike. Level 2: You are Terrifying - Armies will not approach you, Hirelings will run on sight, and even the hardiest Hero's knees will buckle at the sight of you. Level 3: When you deal damage to a PC with all 6 debilities or simply touch an NPC, they die instantly. violent You fight in a way that cannot be defended against, such as with claws that rend steel, piercing lasers, or ridiculous brute force. Level 1: Your damage die is d10+1. Level 2: Your attacks Ignore Armor. Level 3: Your attacks are Messy. They cause extreme wounds, such as shattered bones, destroyed armor, removed limbs, that sort of
My Only Weakness You are not unbeatable. You have some Weaknesses. Choose two, then the players choose a third. The GM secretly marks one of those Weaknesses. That Weakness only applies while the Overlord is at Threat Level 3. • • • • •
Your attacks cannot pierce _______________ . Your are weakened by _______________ . You are Honorbound and will keep your word in all things. Your are Very Busy and will always bailt out of a fight early. You are Blinded By Hubris and can be easily tricked or distracted.
Source of Power You have a source for your great and terrible power, such as the One Thing, or a crystal heart with your soul inside, or the mainframe to the digital simulation everyone is trapped in. Regardless of what it actually is, so long as it remains, you cannot be killed, but you will die if your source of power is ever destroyed. You have taken great steps to ensure your source of power is never destroyed. Choose one protection for your source of power, and the players choose another: • It can only be destroyed using a very specific method. • It is in several pieces, and each piece must be destroyed in order to kill you. • You keep it with you, and possibly bound to you physically - your source of power cannot be destroyed unless it is first taken from you. • Anyone who spends too long around your source of power becomes fanatically obsessed with it, willing to kill you to protect it. • It drains the life of those who come too close to it, giving you their energy.
Bonds Each player must pick one or two of the following Bonds and puts their name in the blank. Each Bond can only be filled by one player. Bonds with the Overlord connect the player to the Overlord in an unbreakable manner. The more Bonds you have with the Overlord, the more you Fear Them. I destroyed _______________ 's hometown. I have caused great harm to _______________ 's people. I killed someone important to _______________ . _______________ killed someone important to me. _______________ knows the details of my last defeat.
advanced moves These moves cost XP or Levels to use, they will tell you what.
Only _______________ knows my Weaknesses. I have fought with _______________ before, and left a wound upon them.
Continued.
A Touch of Darkness
Show of Force
When you deal damage to a player while at Threat Level 3, you may spend 1-XP to leave your mark upon them. After leaving your mark, you must gloat at the players and then leave the scene, and you may only have one such mark in existence at a time. You gain this bond with that player:
While you are at Threat Level 3, you may lower your Threat Level to 1 to make a horrifying show of force. Just about anything is on the table here - you can wipe out a city's defenses, demolish a building, sunder the earth, call fire from the heavens, things like that. You gain the Terrifying tag for the rest of the scene. You cannot use this show of force to eliminate the Fellowship.
_______________ has been given my mark. Tell us what this mark looks like. So long as this mark is uncovered, you can see and hear everything they do, and you can speak dire ctly to that player from any distance. Only they will hear you. While this mark is uncovered, you may spend 1-XP to give them a result of 12 on any roll they just made.
Dealing In Absolutes When you make a player Fear You, you may lower your Threat Level by 1 to choose this option instead of one of the other options: • They are filled with traitorous thoughts and are compelled to listen to you. You implant a seed of darkness in their heart, and gain 1hold over them. When that player has an opportunity to betray the Fellowship later, you may spend that hold to make them do so. They can resist by Defying Danger or if an ally is there to stop them, but they will at least make the attempt.
Death Do Us Part When the players have killed you but the campaign isn't over yet, spend all of your XP to make a new Overlord. You may only do this if the players agree that the Overlord they faced was not the final villain after all.
Lingering Fear When you make a player Fear You, spend 1-XP to make the fear last eternally. That character will always Fear you, suffering the chosen options each and every time you meet. If their ally helps them through a Fear (as listed in t he move), it is only temporary - they ignore that Fear for the remainder of the scene, but it will return.
_______________ 's people serve me now. Only _______________ knows the secrets to my Source of Power, and they must be eliminated
advanced moves
Now Who Told You That? When a player brings one of your Weaknesses to bare against you, spend 1-XP to cross off that weakness and choose a different one. Be sure to gloat to the players about how they thought wrong, and let them know how they were fed false information. You may only use
This Ends Here When you have backed the Fellowship into a corner or they back you into a corner, you may lower your Threat Level by 1 to bargain with them. If you have the upper hand, make a demand of them. If they deny you, make an example of one of them - scar them, take something from them, or destroy something they hold dear. If they have the upper hand, they make a demand of you. If you refuse, they may scar you, take something from you, or ruin your current plan. In any case, after this move has resolved, you flee the scene - tell them how.
Threat Level Rising When the Fellowship gives the Overlord proper reason to do so, you may spend 1-XP to increase your Threat Level by 1. Your Threat Level can never go above 3 or below 1. At Threat Level 2, when you deal damage, roll twice and take the best result. When a Hireling tries to harm you, they get taken out. At Threat Level 3, your secret weakness applies. When you deal damage, roll twice and add the results together. When a Hero tries to harm you, they get taken out.
Warmonger You may spend 1-XP to immediately gain an army. It has 2 tags of your choice and a cost of your choice. Immediately deploy it wherever you need it. You have access to all the same Army Moves that the players do.
You Call That A Hero? When a Hero uses a move against you while you were at Threat Level 2+, you may spend 1-XP to negate that move. Tell us how you cut them off, stop their attack, or otherwise completely trivialize their
I have seen the bones of this world. The winds, howling against the mountains. Like the mountains, the Dwarves will never fall. We have endured. We will endure. But we know that nothin' lasts forever. This threat you called us all here for, we feel it. We know it's comin'. Tha's why I came, why I was chosen to represent my people. Like a crop farmer takes winter, like an anvil takes blows, like a mountain takes an avalanche, so too shall I take this comin' darkness. The Dwarves will never fall, never yield, and never surrender. I am the Dwarf. I can take it. Just you try me.
Name: Choose one or two, or make up your own: Given Names: Austri, Aurvang, Bombur, Dain, Dvalin, Elda, Gloin, Hannar, Lofar, Nar, Onar, Regina, Thoerin, Thror, Vestri, Vigg Clan Names: Alebringer, Blackrock, Boathater, Broadbeam, Darkminer, Drakeslayer, Firewheel, Grimtrigger, Petty-kin, Ploughswain, Skyforger, Stonefoot, Undermountain, Vulcan
Look Circle one from each list: • Weary Eyes, Hard Eyes, or Beady Eyes • Braided Beard, Flowing Locks, or Immaculate Sideburns • Calloused Skin, Bronzed Skin, or Freckled Skin • Broad Shoulders, Wide Girth, or Muscular Body
Dexterity Intelligence Wisdom
Charisma
the dwarf STARTING PLAYBOOK
Hit Points
clear the path (con) When you charge through something standing between you and where you're going, roll +CON. On a 7-9, you break through, but choose two from the list. On a 10+, choose one instead. • You pushed too far and got yourself in trouble • You damage yourself or leave yourself open to attack • The noise attracts attention or further dangers
When you see a treasure or particularly valuable item which you desire, you may declare it to be the object of your greed. When you act directly to secure the object of your greed for yourself and roll a 6-, take the 7-9 result instead (you do not mark XP). You cannot choose a new object of your greed until you have acquired your current one or it becomes unattainable.
Your maximum HP is 20 + twice your Constitution. When you deal damage, roll a ten-sided die. Assign these scores to your stats: +2, +1, +1, +0, +0, -1
Constitution
You start the game with all of these moves:
greed is good
Stats
Strength
starting moves
people of stone You ignore the Clumsy tag on armor you wear. Also, the weight of Dwarf-Made armor you wear does not count towards your Load.
D D e e b b i l i l i t i t i e i e s : s M g a r r a k n t t - h 1 e o s n e g b o o x i n e g s t w o h r e o n l y l o s u w h i t a h v t e h a a D t e s b t i a l t i . t y .
armor
let me see that When you take a few moments to handle or examine an interesting item, vehicle, or architecture, ask the GM two of the following questions. They must answer truthfully. • Who made this and why should I care about them? • What was this made to do? • What's wrong with this, and how might I fix it?
drive What drives you to pursue your legacy?
insatiable greed Take for yourself that which was meant for others.
the dwarven craft Create something of lasting value.
the honored word
the dwarves
bonds
Choose the option that best represents your people:
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one:
deepdelve Your people dig deeper than any others, and the secrets of the earth are yours. Your large, bright white eyes can see in total darkness without a problem. When you Spout Lore about the treasures or horrors of the deep, do not roll, just tell us. When another player Spouts Lore about the treasures or horrors of the deep, they ask you instead of the GM.
firebeard Your people lead a war-like life, with a long history of bloodshed and tragedy, which is why your people's hair is eternally stained red. You can declare a person's life to be the object of your greed.
goldblood Your people are connoisseurs of the finest material the earth has to offer. Your clothing is expensive, your armor is jeweled, everything you own is fancy. When you Let Me See That, ask three questions instead of two, and add this question to the list: • How much is this worth, and who would pay the most to have it?
I owe ____________ a life debt. ____________ knows of my secret shame. I would shear my beard for ____________ . ____________ 's forefathers and mine knew one another.
overlord bonds Record the Overlord's bonds with you here.
stoneborn Your kin have more in common with the earth and stone than they do with flesh and blood. Your skin is like gravel and your bones, iron. When you stand on solid ground, you cannot be knocked off your feet, and you ignore the Forceful tags on all attacks against you.
your people Use this space to take notes on you and your people.
Dwarf-Made Dwarf-Made items, weapons, and armor are nearly indestructible. They do not suffer the ravages of time, and may only be unmade by secrets known only to the dwarves. Not everything made by a dwarf is Dwarf-Made: only items crafted or repaired using the ancient dwarven secrets.
Sturdy Sturdy weapons have a serious kick to them, and holding them still when you fire them is even more important than aiming. When you Volley with a Sturdy weapon, roll +CON instead of +DEX.
A Keg of Dwarven Stout (5 uses, dwarf-made, ration, 5 weight, 150 coins) When you drink from a keg of dwarven stout, you and all who partake with you become extremely drunk. Take a debility to Wisdom, but you also become very warm and comfortable - take +1 ongoing against the harshness of the elements for the rest of the day. When you Make Camp, if you mark a use of Dwarven Stout as your Ration, you recover all HP and remove all Debilities, but you wake up with a Wisdom debility in the morning. When you Carouse, you may mark a use of Dwarven Stout instead
gear MAXIMUM
Weight CARRIED
Load 13+STR
You start with dwarven hardtack (ration, 7 uses, 1 weight), chainmail (1 armor, 1 weight), and a fistful of gems worth 50 coins. Choose your weapon; all are Close, Dwarf-Made, and 1-weight: • A fine axe, gilded and engraved • A heavy warhammer, stamped with the seal of a master smith • A simple mace, plain but functional Choose two: • Gunpowder rifle (near, +1 damage, reload, sturdy, 3 weight) with a pouch of bullets (3 ammo, 1 weight) • Heavy shield (+1 armor, 2 weight) and adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight) • A keg of dwarven stout (5 uses, 5 weight) • Adamantium armor (3 armor, dwarf-made, clumsy, 5 weight) What is the one possession you hold most dear? Choose one: • The first thing you ever crafted, badly-worn but still in one piece • A family heirloom, reminding you of what you have lost • A set of simple tools for wood- and stone-crafting
Record your stuff here:
Experience poin ts
Level
advanced moves You start with one of these moves. When you gain a level from 2-5, choose another one of these moves:
bullrush When you Clear the Path, you also deal damage equal to your level to anyone in your way.
dwarf-craft Your skill and craftsmanship do your kin proud. When you craft or repair weapons or armor, you may give them the Dwarf-Made tag.
dwarf fortress When you lead an army in defense of a city, castle, or other defensible position, it can never fall, no matter how outmatched you are. You cannot win the battle without some serious creativity and effort, but you will not lose either.
dwarven defender
expert moves When you gain a level from 6-10, choose one of these moves, or one of the Advanced Moves.
a friend in greed When you do battle to acquire the object of your greed, you deal +1d4 damage and take +1 armor until you've obtained it or the fight is over.
ancient alliances When you call upon an ancient ally bound by oath to aid you, tell the GM who (or what) they are. They will arrive to aid you within a couple days, bringing an army with them. Choose two consequences of calling upon them for aid: • Their oath to you is fulfilled, and they cannot be called upon again. • You and your kin will owe an equal favor in return. • They will want a share of whatever spoils are ahead. • They will exact a dark and terrible price, the GM will tell you what.
battledwarf Gain a Starting Move, Advanced Move, or Expert Move from the Heir or Orc playbooks. Record the move you gained here:
Any army you lead or train gains the Phalanx tag. If they already had it, they cannot be Distracted or Drawn Out while defending.
good for what ales you When you are drunk, you gain +1 armor. When you Carouse, roll at +CON. When you use a Keg of Dwarven Stout, you do not take a Wisdom debility.
half-dwarf You are not fully dwarven. Gain a Starting Move or Advanced Move from the Elf, Orc, or Heir playbooks. You may also replace your Drive with a Drive from the chosen playbook. Record the move you gained here:
let me axe you something Axes and other dwarven weapons you wield gain the tags Thrown, Near, and +1 Damage.
mountain stance When you spend hold from Defend to redirect an attack to yourself, you regain 1-hold for Defend immediately.
stoneborn stamina You never become tired from exertion alone, and can go without sleep for a number of days equal to your Constitution. You recover from mundane illnesses and poisons simply by Making Camp, without requiring bed rest or magic.
the dwarf ADVANCED PLAYBOOK
thunderer When you are hit by an enemy, your next attack against them is
foehammer When you Hack & Slash, on a 12+, you also destroy something your target holds - their armor, their weapon, their pride, their bones, or a valuable item they carry, your choice.
forgemaster Requires: Dwarf-Craft You are capable of c rafting magnificent magical items. It will be expensive and require exotic materials, but it can be done, at great personal cost. When you forge such an item, describe it to us, then choose two: • It will become extremely precious and dear to you, and you will not let it out of your sight or trust others to touch it or approach it. • You give too much of yourself in the crafting, permanently losing a part of yourself (a memory, a body part, a bond), never to be regained. • Its making will arouse envy and greed among other dwarves, humans, and terrible monsters, all of whom will seek to attain it. • Neither you nor anyone of your line will ever wield, wear, or use the item, lest terrible tragedy strike your people.
i must have it When you declare an object of your greed, either heal to full HP or remove one of your debilities, your choice.
living avalanche Requires: Thunderer When you Clear the Path through an army, on a 12+, they are Destroyed. When you deal damage with the Forceful tag, everyone around your target is also sent flying.
lord under the mountains Dwarven cities will always welcome you with open arms, granting you Fellowship if you do not already have it. You can always recruit dwarven heroes
dwarven fellowship When you gain Fellowship with a dwarven community, the GM chooses three Fellowship moves, from this list or another. Choose one of those moves and gain it. Be sure to write down the name of the community you have that Fellowship benefit with.
behold the wonders of dwarven craftsmanship Each time you leave this community, the GM will choose two vehicles. The Fellowship votes on which vehicle it leaves with, and command of the chosen vehicle goes to you. Community:
dwarven hospitality When you Carouse here, the cost is on the house, and you roll at +CON, because the drinks are also on the house. No matter the result of your roll, pick an extra option from the Carouse list. Community:
legendary generosity Weapons, armor, and alcohol you purchase here cost you nothing, no matter how many you need. They will only give away ordinary goods in this way - Dwarf-Made items must be paid for, although you can buy them at only twice the price you'd pay for normal goods of their kind. Community:
our forge is your forge The dwarves here will replace or reforge as many of your weapons and vehicles as you like, as well as any metal armor you may have. Everything they repair or replace gains the Dwarf-Made tag. Community:
you have my ax When you recruit an Army or a Hireling here, always take the 10+ result. Community:
you should not have come here This community is extremely important, and your Fellowship h ere has drawn the Overlord's ire. While you have Fellowship with this community, the Overlord will attempt to destroy it by any means possibly, even if it would cost t hem towards their greater goal. Community:
dwarven vehicles
vehicle rules
The dwarves are well known for their magnificent craftsmanship. It shouldn't be too hard for their champion to get their hands on a sweet ride. Here's a few you may come across on your journey.
Vehicles are a specialized kind of gear that carries you, instead of the other way around. For Mount rules, see the Halfling Advanced Playbook. When you pilot a vehicle, you can still use all of your moves like normal - it is simply an extension of yourself. For example, a dwarf piloting a Dwarven Tunneler can use it to Clear the Path, and an Elf piloting the Guzzler can safely drive it across snow and ice using Touch The World Lightly. In addition, pilots can use the vehicle's Pilot Moves, but not its Passenger Moves. When you are a passenger in a vehicle, you can use its Passenger moves, but you're just along for the ride. You can act normally, within the confines of the vehicle's space. A vehicle cannot have more passengers than its Passenger stat. A vehicle takes damage in the form of Stress. When a vehicle takes 10 or more damage from a single hit, it loses 1 point of Stress and triggers the Damage Report move. The Piercing tag reduces the amount of damage the attack needs to deal to cause stress by its Piercing value. Vehicles have all of the following moves:
Dwarven Tunneler
Stress
This massive drilling machine specializes in digging through e arth, stone, castles, mountains, giants, ogres, armies... anything in the way, really. Huge, Control -1, Burrowing, Armor +3, 6 Passengers, 4 Stress
sealed atmosphere
The interior of this machine is airtight, and has enough air for a full crew to go a single day sealed inside it. It has small portholes and a periscope with which to see, and no one can Volley from inside the tunneler. While inside the tunneler with all hatches and portholes bolted shut, the crew is immune to damage from everything outside the dwarven tunneler.
drilling machine (pilot move)
The tunneler digs through earth and stone at a fairly rapid pace. The tunnels it digs out will stand freely for a short time before collapsing behind the vehicle, if they are not properly reinforced. When you drive the massive drill into an enemy, your attack Ignores Armor and is Messy.
The Guzzler
Stress
An automobile with a loud, alcohol-powered engine that pops and bangs constantly. Large, Control +1, Armor +1, 5 Passengers, 3 Stress
drunk driving
The Guzzler runs on alcohol, but it also runs much faster than any horse. A keg of dwarven stout must be mounted on the back of the vehicle for it to run. For each 1-use remaining in the keg, the Guzzler can go an entire day's traveling distance in the span of an hour.
hunk a' junk
The Guzzler is designed for speed, not stability or lasting power. When the Guzzler gains a drawback from the Damage Report move, the GM chooses two drawbacks instead of one.
Minecart
Stress
A simple cart, designed to transport people or heavy items over rails. Small, Control +0, Armor +1, 0 Passengers, 2 Stress
let's all get in the minecart
A minecart is Small, but a full-grown person can still fit inside easily. Multiple minecarts can be linked together, giving it +1 Passenger per minecart behind the frontrunner. A minecart can only travel on the rails provided for it, although switches can be used to change your route, and it can be used to make big crazy jumps if the rail in front of it is destroyed.
control vehicle When your vehicle skids and shakes under difficult conditions or a powerful attack, or you attempt a daring stunt the vehicle wasn't made to do, the pilot rolls +Control. On a 10+, you maintain control of the vehicle. On a 7-9, choose one: • Everyone inside is briefly stunned as they slam into something • A sudden mechanical fault makes the situation more precarious • The vehicle spins out of control and doesn't go where you intended it to
damage report When a vehicle loses a point of Stress, the GM chooses one: • Choose a Pilot or Passenger move. The vehicle loses that move. • -1 ongoing to Control. • -1 ongoing to Armor. • -1 ongoing to Passengers - someone just lost their seat, tell us who • There's a problem - a fuel leak, a broken rudder, something bad that you'll need to deal with to keep the vehicle working properly
jury-rig When you attempt to repair your vehicle on the fly, roll +INT. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one. When a vehicle recovers a point of Stress, choose one: • The vehicle regains the use of a lost move • Remove an ongoing penalty the vehicle is suffering • You repair a piece of onboard equipment that required it • You give the vehicle a temporary performance boost, granting the pilot +1 forward to Control
I have witnessed many of this world's wonders. I have seen them come, and seen them go. My people have added to them, and taken them away. Our endless lives attain meaning in the pursuit of timeless perfection. Even among such wondrous people as these, I have earned respect, and that is why I have been chosen to defend our great works against this coming evil. We elves may sometimes forget the world, lost in our dreams of beauty and perfection, but the world does not forget us, and we s hall not let the world f all. Among all people, not just my elves, can be found those of some worth. If you will have me, them my arts, my grace, and my wisdom will serve our common cause. I am the Elf. We remember.
Name: Choose one or two, or make up your own: Given Names: Eltharion, Feanor, Avariel, Fingolfin, Haldir, Lorien, Manwe, Malenti, Melf, Pirinen, Andariel, Luthien, Tanis, Celebrian, Mithrandir, Arendhel, Elenwe, Nolda, Eyawen Titles: Greenleaf, Ereinion, Lady of Light, Star of Radiance, Orcrist, Half-Elven, Last of the Grey Elves, Battle-Friend, Strongbow, Kin-Traitor, Blightwood
Look Circle one from each list: • Wise Eyes, Piercing Eyes, or Sad Eyes • Braided Hair, Long Hair, or Green Hood • Pristine Robes, Woodsman's Garb, or Fancy Cloak • Androgynous Body, Tiny Body, or Willowy Body
Stats Your maximum HP is 14 + twice your Constitution. When you deal damage, roll an eight-sided die. Assign these scores to your stats: +2, +1, +1, +0, +0, -1
Strength
Constitution
Dexterity Intelligence Wisdom
Charisma
the elf STARTING PLAYBOOK
Hit Points
starting moves You start the game with all of these moves:
elder arts (wis)
When you draw upon the elven power that humans sometimes call magic, roll +WIS. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 2. On a 6-, hold 1 anyway, but you will have to pay a price later - the GM will tell you what. No matter the result, you cannot use this move again until after you Make Camp. Spend 1-hold to do one of the following: • Immediately know what here is magical and where it is. • Become invisible and undetectable, so long as you are in a natural environment. This lasts until you attack or make yourself known. • Contact a spirit of nature, which will respect your summons long enough to answer one question you ask to the best of its ability. • Form a telepathic bond with one creature you touch, skin to skin, allowing you both to speak without words over any distance. This lasts until you dismiss it, and you can only have one such bond active at a time.
elfsight D D e e b b i l i l i t i t i e i e s : s M g a r r a k n t t - h 1 e o s n e g b o o x i n e g s t w o h r e o n l y l o s u w h i t a h v t e h a a D t e s b t i a l t i . t y .
armor
When you Discern Realities, you may study any location you can see, no matter how distant, as if you were standing right there.
eternal witness
When you return to somewhere you've visited before (your call), tell us how long it's been since you were last here - years, decades, or centuries. Tell us what it was like way back when, and the GM will tell you one thing that hasn't changed.
touch the world lightly
You can walk on top of snow, across thin tree branches, along precarious ledges, or on top of held weaponry, all without Defying Danger.
drive What drives you to pursue perfection?
elven superiority Endanger yourself to protect a lesser creature.
eternal patience Get yourself in trouble by waiting to do something until later.
perfect purity
the elves
bonds
Choose the option that best represents your people:
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one:
faerie Your kin are faeries or nature spirits. Tiny and elusive, they have been forgotten by the other peoples of the world, remembered only as myths and legends. When you immediately dive for cover at the first sign of trouble, you can always stay hidden without Defying Danger, and are never revealed unless you take action or reveal yourself.
merfolk Your people are part fish, and the ocean is your homeland. You can breathe underwater, and you can grant this gift temporarily to anyone you share a kiss with. When you are underwater, you never need to Defy Danger to maneuver through dangerous conditions.
____________ distrusts me and all my people. ____________ once helped me hunt a foe, and they have my gratitude. ____________ knows why I truly left home, and why I stay away. ____________ 's name is well-known among my kin.
overlord bonds
wood elf
Use this space to take notes on you and your people.
Weight CARRIED
Load 7+STR
You start with elven bread (ration, 7 uses, 1 weight), elven armor (1 armor, elf-made, 0 weight), a hunter's bow (near, far, 2 weight), and a bundle of arrows (3 ammo, 1 weight). Circle your weapon: • A longsword (close, +1 damage, 2 weight) • A rapier (close, precise, 1 weight) • A light spear (reach, thrown, near, 1 weight) Choose two: • Adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight) and a healing potion (1 use, +10 HP, 0 weight) • An elven throne or an intelligent horse • A hunting companion, in the form of a wolf, bird, guide, or sniper (see the Advanced Elf playbook)
Your people came from beyond the skies, and your technology is highly advanced. ElfMade weapons gain the Precise tag, and Elf-Made items cannot be used without proper training - they will never be used against your people. These are in addition to the normal effects of the tag. All of your starting gear is also Elf-Made.
your people
MAXIMUM
Record the Overlord's bonds with you here.
star elf
Your people are one with the forests and trees, and they care for you as you care for them. While traveling in woodlands, you and your allies never consume rations, and you cannot be followed by your enemies.
gear
Elf-Made Elf-Made items, weapons, and armor are especially beautiful and graceful. They do not suffer the ravages of time, and they weigh 1 less than normal items would. Not everything made by an elf is Elf-Made: only items crafted or repaired using mysterious elven magic is.
Choose one memento of your homeland (all are 0 weight): • An elfstone brooch, to be worn only by elves and elf-friends • One half of a ring - a token of friendship between you and an outsider • The faces of your lover's killers, etched into your mind
The Elven Throne
Record your stuff here:
A magical or mechanical chair, capable of moving you while you sit. Small, Control +DEX, 0 Passengers, 2 Stress
handicap accessible
Elven thrones can travel along any surface, no matter how rough, due to their meticulous engineering. They cannot defy gravity, but they can safely transport you across any surface with ease, even snow, water, or stairs. They throne is small enough that you can ride it anywhere you yourself could normally go - even though it is Small, an adult human could ride one fine.
Intelligent Horse It's like a normal horse, except i t can talk and think and it i s your friend. Large or Small, Control +2, 1 Passenger, Sentient
joust
When you deal your damage with a lance or other polearm while riding a horse, it gains the Forceful tag.
ride like the wind
When you Defy Danger to reach a destination as quickly as possible while riding a horse, you can add the horse's Control stat to your roll. If you
Experience poin ts
Level
advanced moves
You start with one of these moves. When you gain a level from 2-5, choose another one of these moves:
discern true nature
When you Discern Realities, on a 7+, you also learn the true nature of the people you study. You know exactly what they desire most.
elf-smith
The secrets of the elves guide your hands. When you craft or repair weapons or armor, you may give them the Elf-Made tag.
elven dexterity
You are extremely agile, even for those of your kind. You can climb trees and walk ropes as easily as others walk on the ground. Also, you never lose your balance, and you always land on your feet when you fall.
enemy at the gates
When you Volley from a hidden position, on a 10+, you remain hidden from your enemies.
fey mysteries
When you use the Elder Arts, gain +1 hold. Add the following option to the Elder Arts list: • A spell or magical effect of your choice is greatly diminished, so long as it is in your presence. Lesser spells are ended, while more powerful ones are reduced or dampened for as long as your are nearby.
half-elf
You are not fully elven. Gain a Starting Move or Advanced Move from the Orc, Heir, or Harbinger playbooks. You may also replace your Drive with a Drive from the chosen playbook. Record the move you gained here:
otherworldly
Gain a Starting Move or an Advanced Move from a playbook none of the other players are currently using. Record the move you gained here:
expert moves When you gain a level from 6-10, choose one of these moves, or one of the Advanced Moves.
beautiful and terrible (cha)
When you reveal the full power of your elven soul to your foes, roll +CHA. On a 7+, they recoil from you and cannot look at you directly. On a 10+, the cowardly and wicked among them also flee in terror.
elf-lord
Elven cities will always welcome you with open arms, granting you Fellowship if you do not already have it. You can always recruit elven heroes without impressing them first, and elven heroes' Drives are changed to match your own while they follow you.
evil's bane
You take +1 against the Overlord and their attacks. You are immune to the effects of Fear Me so long as you are not alone.
fey mastery
Requires: Fey Mysteries Add the following option to the Elder Arts list: • Choose a single region (a single forest, one city, etc) not controlled by the forces of evil. The region is placed under a spell - any who try to navigate it without the help of the elves will become hopelessly lost and unable to find anything they are looking for before eventually walking back out the way they came in. You may only have one region under this spell at a time.
hand of silver
Requires: Elf-Smith You are create majestic magical it ems. It will be expensive and require exotic materials, but it can be done, at great personal cost. When you forge such an item, describe it to us, then choose two: • It will be the pinnacle of your craft, and you will never again have the heart to craft another item like it. • It will involve a great personal sacrifice, and your life will never be the same again. • It will remove something beautiful from this world, never to be seen again. • It will be doomed to never be used by mortal hands, lest great tragedy occur.
listen to the far winds
When you Discern Realities, you may study any location open to the skies, regardless of whether you can see it or not.
move like water
When you block or dodge a physical attack from an enemy, they land prone within Reach of you.
serenity
When you calmly walk through a dangerous situation, take +1 to Defy Danger.
the elf ADVANCED PLAYBOOK
special stardust
When you Volley, on a 10+, instead of dealing damage, you may have the target fall fast asleep. It is a fully natural sleep, and they can be
sniper king
Replaces: Enemy at the Gates When you Volley from a hidden position, you always remain hidden from your enemies after taking the shot. On a 9-, you may come out of hiding to make your roll into a 10+.
the element of surprise
When you attack an opponent who is surprised, defenseless, or
elven fellowship When you gain Fellowship with an elven community, the GM chooses three Fellowship moves, from this list or another. Choose one of those moves and gain it. Be sure to write down the name of the community you have that Fellowship benefit with.
bountiful harvest
hunting companions
companions
The elves have all variety of allies, both animal and elven. While these allies travel with you, they grant you additional options and moves.
Elven hunting companions come in two types - mounts and hirelings. However, these mounts are not ones you (normally) ride on, but ones that travel alongside you and help you in your travels with their own power. Mounts like these essentially work the same as hirelings whose Cost is being fed and taken care of. Hirelings have one Skill, a Loyalty score (determined when you recruit them - the ones an Elf starts with have +2 Loyalty), and a Cost you need to meet to keep them happy. When you fail to fulfill this Cost, their Loyalty is reduced by 1. If their Loyalty is reduced to -1, they leave you. You can restore lost Loyalty by paying their cost in excess. When a Hireling takes 3 or more damage from a single hit, they are taken out and cannot do anything until they receive medical treatment. For rules on Mounts, see the Halfling Advanced Playbook. These moves are related to having and controlling Hirelings, anyone can use them:
Hunting Bird These birds are popular hunting companions for both elves and humans. Small, Control +1, Flying
Whenever you come here, you are given as much Elven Bread (ration, 7 uses, 1 weight) and as many Poultices (slow, +8 HP, 2 uses, 1 weight) as you can carry.
know the way
Community:
You never get lost while riding or following a hunting bird. It will correct your route by instinct.
peck and claw elven hospitality The elves take care of your hunger, your wounds, and make sure your stay is comfortable and perfect. When you Make Camp here, heal all damage you suffer, remove all debilities you have, and you do not need to mark rations. Community:
finer goods you'll never see You may purchase Elf-Made weapons and armor from here. Such items are normally kept secret and can never be purchased, but for you, they cost only twice as much as normal goods of the same kind would. In addition, each member of the Fellowship receives an elven trinket - an item of such extreme value that many would give t heir lives just to look at one. Describe the gift you were given. Trinket (elf-made, valuable, 0 weight) Community:
ride swiftly and softly Each time you leave this community, the GM will choose two or three mounts. Each member of the Fellowship picks one t o take with them when t hey go. Community:
the forest shall be your ally The nature surrounding this community has been instructed to protect you, and it shall do so. When you are in the area surrounding this community, natural obstacles will let you pass and close off those who would attack or follow you, and natural predators will follow you through the area and attack anything that threatens you. Community:
you have my bow When you Recruit a Hireling here, always take the 10+ result. Hirelings you recruit here have 2 skills instead of 1.
When you command your hunting bird to go for the eyes, hands, or some other squishy weak point, roll +Control. On a 10+, the bird causes great pain and stuns the target, leaving them open to attack. On a 7-9, your bird leaves them open for a time, but the bird is also opened to attack.
Wolf of the Wilds A dog, but bigger, bitier, stronger, longer, smarter, and altogether more wild. Small, Control +1, 0 Passengers
pack assault When you bravely charge into melee while riding or running alongside your wold, add the wolf's Control stat to your Hack & Slash roll. For each wolf or ally charging alongside you, you deal +1 damage.
howl at the moon A wolf is capable of making mournful cries to the sky, which can be heard for miles. You can command your wolf to howl on command, allowing you to send basic messages and signals to any who hear it, so long as they know what to listen for.
Elven Guide An elven ally, trained to help you travel through the world without getting lost. Loyalty +2, Guide. Circle a Cost: Undying Friendship or Upholding Elven Traditions
guide your way You never get lost when you have a guide with you. When you Undertake a Perilous Journey, the guide takes the 10+ result to whichever role you have them fulfill.
Elven Sniper An elven ally, armed with a bow and ready to fill your enemies with arrows. Loyalty +2, Sniper. Circle a Cost: Undying Friendship or Upholding Elven Traditions
covering fire When this hireling Vollies alongside you, your attack deals +2 damage. You can command the sniper to pin an enemy down - if you do, that enemy cannot
recruit hireling When you go looking for help in a friendly place, roll +CHA. If you have a Fellowship, take +1. On a 10+, you get several skilled applicants, with your choice who to hire. They have +2 Loyalty and a skill of your choice. On a 7+, you'll have to settle for someone close to what you want, or else turn them away. They have +1 Loyalty and the GM chooses three skills - this hireling has one of those skills. On a 6-, someone influential or ill-suited declares they'd like to come along (such as a foolhardy youth, a loose cannon, or a veiled enemy). Bring them along and take the consequences, or turn them away. They have +0 Loyalty and a skill of the GM's choice. If you turn away applicants, you cannot Recruit in this place again until the situation there changes.
command hireling When you give an order that puts a hir eling in danger, real or perceived, roll +Loyalty. On a 10+, they act without question, following your order to the best of their ability. On a 7-9, they hesitate, stumble, or perform poorly - they follow your order, but it doesn't go well for them.
hireling skills Hireling skills are discussed in more depth in Fellowship, on page 111. These are the Hireling skills with a brief description of what they do: Bodyguard: Defends you from harm and danger. Healer: Heals your wounds. Giant: Smashes things for you. Guide: Makes sure you don't
Pilot: Drives vehicles for you. Smallfolk: Sneaks about in places you can't go. Sniper: Shoots things for you. Tamer: Keeps your mounts
I have kept the good things secret and safe. We're small, often we'll go unnoticed, but any bully will pick on the weakest folk they can find. That's where I come in. I lead danger away, sling rocks at it, taunt it, trick it, you name it! If they won't pick on someone their own size, then you can't expect me to play fair, can you? We like to duck our heads, enjoy our pleasures and live our lives peacefully inside of our comfortable little nooks. Comfort, safety, security - they're what's important, you know? So that's what I stand for, if you'll have me. I am the Halfling, and my people are bigger than you think.
Name: Choose one or two, or make up your own: Given Names: Aldrim, Adamanta, Bungo, Deagol, Donnamira, Drogo, Estella, Gilly, Hamfast, Lidda, Michael, Pounder, Robin, Robard, Rose, Reuel, Schuyler, Tanner Surnames: Bracegirdle, Brannigan, Bullroarer, Goldworthy, Hornblower, Muddyfoot, Neville, Nibs, Pip, Proudneck, Roper, Sylvester, Shea, Tackleford, Trotter
Look
Intelligence Wisdom
Charisma
the halfling STARTING PLAYBOOK
Hit Points
When you take advantage of the fact that no one is paying attention to you to do something discreetly, roll +DEX. On a 7+, no one will notice what you did until you're no longer around. On a 10+, they won't even think to blame you for it unless you personally tell them you did it.
size matters not As long as someone underestimates you because of your size, take +1 against them.
Your maximum HP is 14 + triple your Constitution. When you deal damage, roll a six-sided die. Assign these scores to your stats: +2, +1, +1, +0, +0, -1
Dexterity
the little folk (dex)
As long as you show a friendly face, anyone not already hostile towards you will treat you as a friend, until proven otherwise.
Stats
Constitution
You start the game with all of these moves:
friendly face
Circle one from each list: • Twinkling Eyes, Child-like Eyes, or Piercing Eyes • Bowl Cut, Luscious Curls, or Hooded Face • Sensible Clothes, Travel Clothes, or Sunday Best • Hairy Body, Rotund Body, or Wiry Body
Strength
starting moves
sting like a bee D D e e b b i l i l i t i t i e i e s : s M g a r r a k n t t - h 1 e o s n e g b o o x i n e g s t w o h r e o n l y l o s u w h i t a h v t e h a a D t e s b t i a l t i . t y .
armor
When you attack a surprised or defenseless creature in melee, choose one: • They stumble and are knocked flat on their face • You steal something small from them in the confusion • They don't immediately notice you
drive What drives you to leave your barrow under the hill?
doing right Stick by your friends or your word, even when it would put you in danger.
dominion Use your status and stature to make others do what you want.
recognition
the halflings
bonds
Choose the option that best represents your people:
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one:
clever storytellers Your people love to collect stories from afar, and are brilliant at making up stories on the spot. When you sit down for a night of games and storytelling, you may Carouse at +CHA without spending any coin. When you impress someone with your stories, you can use the promise of more stories as leverage to Parley with.
determined survivors Your people have suffered many setbacks and tragedies, and it has never stopped you yet. When you Defy Danger and get a 7-9, take +1 forward.
mischievous tricksters Your people love surprises, and are natural tricksters. The pranks they play are legendary. When you Sting Like A Bee, choose two options instead of one.
____________ really enjoys the finer things in life, like I do.
gear MAXIMUM
Weight CARRIED
I was caught trying to steal from ____________ . ____________ overlooks my stature and treats me as an equal. ____________ dragged me from my home and on the road to adventure!
overlord bonds Record the Overlord's bonds with you here.
weary nomads Your people are travelers, never sticking in one place for long. You can tame any mount by speaking to it calmly, and you know how to pilot any vehicle you come across. In addition, when a vehicle you pilot is damaged, you choose the result from the Damage Report move instead of th e GM.
your people Use this space to take notes on you and your people.
Halfling Pipeleaf (6 uses, 0 weight, 10 coins) Halfling pipeleaf is a particularly popular kind of tobacco, famous among humans and wizards alike. Those who partake of it feel particularly good about themselves. When you take a smoke break, you can spend 1-use of pipeleaf to clear your head, removing a debility from Intelligence or Wisdom. When you share your pipeleaf with another, spend 1-use of pipeleaf for each person sharing it, and Discern Realities about each of them as if you rolled a 7-9 for each.
Halfling Packed Lunch (ration, 1 use, 2 weight, 6 coins) A halfling packed lunch is full to bursting with food - more food than any person should ever eat in one sitting, although any halfling will do so in a heartbeat. You can buy a halfling packed lunch anywhere, but only if you are a halfling - you can use any food to make one, but only the halflings know the secrets of putting so much food into such a small container. When you mark this ration, everyone with you is also fed - no one traveling with you needs to mark a ration.
Load 9+STR
You start with a dagger (hand, 1 weight), padded leathers (1 armor, 1 weight), a slingshot (neat, 1 weight) with a pouch of bullets (3 ammo, 0 weight), and a halfling packed lunch (ration, 1 use, 2 weight) Choose two: • Two more halfling packed lunches (ration, 1 use, 2 weight) and two pouches of halfling pipeleaf (6 uses, 0 weight) • Poultices (2 uses, +8 HP, slow, 1 weight), bandages (3 uses, +5 HP, slow, 0 weight), and 2 antitoxins (1 use, 0 weight) • A nice carriage you can live inside of, drawn by a boar or pony • A spear (reach, 1 weight) and a riding boar, pony, or giant spider, pick one • Your entire family (army, choose two: Mounted, Honor-Bound, or Tricky, Cost: Always Hungry or Constantly Partying) (see the Heir Advanced Playbook) What else fell into your pocket on the way out the door? Choose one, all are 0 weight: • A handful of foreign coins, left to you by a close relative • An adventuring contract, with all terms and conditions in writing • An address book, containing the names and addresses of family friends in every major settlement Record your stuff here:
Experience poin ts
Level
advanced moves
You start with one of these moves. When you gain a level from 2-5, choose another one of these moves:
adventurous spirit
When you look around in a pinch, you may ask the GM to tell you one thing the big folk have overlooked which you can use to your advantage.
a little taste of home
When you Make Camp and cook dinner, everyone else heals 1d8 hit points and removes a debility of their choice.
half-a-halfling
You are not 100% halfling. Gain a Starting Move or Advanced Move from the Dwarf, Elf, or Squire playbooks. You may also replace your Drive with a Drive from the chosen playbook. Record the move you gained here:
half-pint bravery
When you let out your battle cry and charge into combat, you and everyone who joins in to help takes +1 forward and deals +1d4 damage forward.
expert moves When you gain a level from 6-10, choose one of these moves, or one of the Advanced Moves.
courteous host
When you Parley with someone who has experienced your hospitality, on a 7-9, they'll do what you ask without needing any concrete assurance.
i need a hero
Requires: Tiny Ambassador When you have Fellowship with a community, you can always recruit Heroes without impressing them first. Any Heroes you recruit have their Drive changed to match yours while they follow you.
luckwearer
When you roll a miss while in a dangerous situation and make an appropriately witty quip (at the other players' discretion), you may reroll one of the d6 involved in the roll. You must take the new roll, even if it is worse.
pint-sized prowler
Gain a Starting, Advanced, or Expert move from the Elf, Heir, or Orc playbooks. Record the move you gained here:
halfling charm
. When you chat with the locals to gather information about someone, name a local NPC and ask the GM two questions about them: • What shady business are they involved in? • What do they covet the most? • Who is their greatest enemy? • What can I do to get them or their servants on my side?
homeground advantage (dex)
. When you join a fight in familiar terrain, roll +DEX. On a 10+, hold 3. On a 7-9, hold 1. Spend 1-hold to do one of the following: • An enemy is distracted by one of your surprises, letting you slip past safely • You use your surroundings to block or redirect an attack, taking no damage • You retrieve some ammo you had hidden, letting you or an ally gain 1-ammo
mean with a sling
. When you Volley, add the following option to the 7-9 list: • The missile deals no damage, but it distracts your target, drawing their attention away from whatever they were focused on
soldier on
. When you have less than full HP, take +1 armor. When you have a debility, take +1 armor. These bonuses stack.
tiny ambassador
the halfling ADVANCED PLAYBOOK
You can gain Fellowship with anyone, not just your own people. When another player earns Fellowship and you helped them do it, you also choose a Fellowship move from the three options available.
who's the tough guy now, tough guy? When you attack a surprised or defenseless enemy,
right in the face
Requires: Mean With A Sling When you Volley and get a 12+, the enemy is stunned or distracted for a few crucial moments.
sheriff material
Halflings you meet will always welcome you with open arms, granting you Fellowship if you do not already have it. Halflings will naturally come to you in times of need, as well as anyone you have proven your worth to. When you Recruit an army you have Fellowship with, on a 6-, take the 7-9 result instead (you do not mark XP).
slippery bugger
You can squeeze out of any chains, ropes, or handcuffs binding you, through any small windows, jammed doors, or tight spaces in your way, and away from any grabby hands, clumsy orcs, or monster's jaws trying to catch you, all without Defying Danger.
small target
When you Defy Danger by getting out of the way, on a 7+, you manage to get completely out of sight - your attacker loses track of you. On a 12+, everyone loses track of you - tell us where you went, and you're there.
wonder chef
Requires: A Little Taste of Home You can cook up a feast from even the most meager ingredients. When a move tells anyone to mark off a ration, they can ignore it if they don't
halfling fellowship When you gain Fellowship with a halfling community, the GM chooses three Fellowship moves, from this list or another. Choose one of those moves and gain it. Be sure to write down the name of the community you have that Fellowship benefit with.
halfling travels
vehicle rules
The halflings go wherever they may please, and have all sorts of means to do so. They mostly rely on mounts to carry them, although they also have mobile homes to live inside of.
Mounts are a specialized kind of gear that carries you, instead of the other way around. For Vehicle rules, see the Dwarf Advanced Playbook. A mount needs food to survive, just like players do. It needs 1-ration each day. If a mount is injured, it cannot take action until it has been healed, either with healing items or a few day's rest with attentive care. When you ride a mount, you can still use all of your moves like normal - it is simply an extension of yourself. For example, a halfling riding a carriage that suddenly appears out of nowhere and runs an enemy over can still Sting Like A Bee, and a Harbinger with the Dark And Terrible move can add the Necrotic tag to the weapons of an Orcish Siege Tank while they pilot it. Mounts are great at carrying things for you. They have a Load stat dependent on their size. Tiny mounts have a Load of 1. Small mounts have a Load of 5. Large mounts have a Load of 10. Huge mounts can carry as much as you can fit on them. A mount carrying more than its Load cannot carry a rider. Mounts have the Control Mount move.
Carriage a halfling at heart The Fellowship has been taught the s ecret techniques of the halflings. Each time they players leave this community, they each hold 1-Sting. They may spend this Sting when they attack a surprised or defenseless enemy to choose an option from the Halfling Starting Move, Sting Like A Bee. Community:
bring the whole family When you Recruit a Hireling here, always take the 10+ result. In addition, each time you gain a Hireling here, you gain a second, identical hireling with a different first name. Community:
elevensies Whenever you come here, the Fellowship is given as many Halfling Packed Lunches and as much Halfling Pipeleaf as they can carry. Community:
halfling hospitality The halflings have everything for sale you could ever want, and they'll go out of their way to find it for you. When you attempt to Supply yourselves with something special, beyond what's normally available, or non-mundane, always take the 10+ result. You'll still need to pay for it, though. Community:
in your honor When you Make Camp here, the locals will always throw a great party just for you. Do not mark any rations, and you automatically take the 10+ result of Carouse at no cost, without rolling. Community:
the pleasures of a nomadic life This community has decided to c ome with you, traveling behind you for as long as you keep their Fellowship. You gain all the benefits of having a community within an hour's walk of you at all times, and they can always supply you with new ponies, should you need them. Community:
Stress
A simple carriage driven by an animal or two. There's enough room for you to live inside the back of it. Large, Control +1, Armor +1, 4 Passengers, 3 Stress
runaway carriage
This vehicle can trigger both the Control Mount and Control Vehicle moves, depending on the situation. This vehicle requires rations, for the animals pulling it.
run them down (pilot move)
When you run someone over with this vehicle, add its Control to your damage roll.
Halfling War Wagon Stress A modified wagon, for the halfling home on the move that needs a rock ballista, loads of spikes, and guaranteed safety through dangerous places. Large, Control +1, Armor +1, 4 Passengers, 3 Stress The War Wagon has both of the Carriage moves, and these ones:
spiked and scary (pilot move)
When a foe attempts to jump onto the war wagon while it is in motion, they take 1d6 damage first. When you charge an enemy from atop the war wagon, add its Control to your Hack & Slash roll.
halfling rock ballista (passenger move) The war wagon is mounted with a ballista designed to shoot small boulders or halflings. It has the tags Near, Messy, and Forceful (while shooting rocks halflings are not an attack). When you fire large rocks at your foes, Volley as normal, but on a 7-9 choose from this list instead of the normal one: • The wagon buckles under the force of the shot, leaving it open to attack. • The shot causes collateral damage, the GM will tell you how. • You had to improvise the ammo. Give up 1-weight's worth of items.
Riding Boar Boars are a symbolg of strength and plenty. It is no wonder they are so popular among halflings, both their warriors and their chefs. Small, Control +2, Fearless, 0 Passengers
it eats anything
You never need to worry about feeding a boar unless you are in an absolute hell-blasted wasteland.
pigheaded charge
When you charge in to attack while on top of your boar, you may add its Control to your Hack & Slash roll. If you do and roll a 10+, you must always
control mount When your mount bucks due to fear, injury, or shock, roll +Control. On a 10+, you remain mounted. On a 9-, you become unhorsed, and your mount leaves the scene, but it doesn't go far. You'll be able to find it easily once the danger has passed. On a 6-, your mount also becomes too injured, tired, or frightened to carry you until it has received care and rest when you Make Camp.
Pony Like a horse, except smaller. Of course, of course. Small, Control +2, 1 Passenger
joust
When you deal your damage with a lance or other polearm while riding a pony, it gains the Forceful tag.
ride like the wind
When you Defy Danger to reach a destination as quickly as possible while riding a pony, you can add the pony's Control stat to your roll. If you do, the pony will die of exhaustion at the end of the ride.
Giant Spider Creepy, crawly, and all over the walls. Large, Control +1, 1 Passenger
arachnid
Spiders can walk on any surface with ease, no matter how smooth or opposed to gravity the surface may be.
spinning spider
Giant spiders can produce an infinite amount of silk, as long as they are wellfed. This silk can be used to create bridges, bind helpless creatures, or any other use you can think of for flexible, sticky, incredibly durable rope.
I have walked this land long, seen many things, known many others. Today, I speak of a great threat to this world. It must be opposed, but we cannot do so divided. Of my kind, I alone will stand against it, but we need true and hearty champions of all the world's peoples if we are to have hope. I know many of this evil's ways and secrets. Do not ask how; such knowledge was painfully earned. Many have chosen to ignore my warnings, but I beg that you are not among them. To those who have c ourage, to those who would see this world saved, to those who would be champions, I will guide you. I am the Harbinger, and Doom is coming.
starting moves
Name: Choose one or two, or make up your own: Given Names: Gandall, Weathersky, Belgarath, Risewind, Elric, Albus, Merlin, Mesmer, Vivi, Gwydion, Morgan, Jadis, Willow Titles: Lightbearer, the Grey, Cursender, of Camelor, Windreaver, Greenhanded, of Twisting Fire, Greyblossom, Blightbringer, the Forsaken, of Red Ashes, in Exile Eternal, the Lost Child
Look Circle one from each list: • Flowing Hair, Messy Hair, or Silvery Hair • Immaculate Robes, Plain Robes, or Very Old Robes • Cold Eyes, Kind Eyes, or Infinitely Sad Eyes • Long Scarf, Heavy Hood, or Simple Jewelry
Dexterity Intelligence Wisdom
Charisma the harbinger STARTING PLAYBOOK
Hit Points
You begin the game with 3-Whimsy held. When you Make Camp, set your Whimsy to 3. When a move tells you to spend Whimsy, you may gain a debility of your choice instead, on a 1-for-1 basis. If you have all 6 debilities, you can spend half your remaining HP, rounded down, instead of 1 point of Whimsy. You can spend 1-Whimsy to: • Create a mysterious distraction • Conjure a soft light, which floats around you • Deliver a message through mysterious means • Intimidate with a show of light and power
When you draw upon your soul to release a great blast of magical power, spend up to 3-Whimsy, and then roll at +Whimsy spent. For each Whimsy spent, choose one from the list. On a 7+, deal 1d10 damage to a target within Near range. On a 7-9, you also drain yourself - take a debility. • Messy and Piercing 2: your spell shreds their armor and skin • Forceful: your spell sends them flying away from you • Necrotic: your spell saps their strength and burns them • Area: your spell hits many of them, covering a large area
Your maximum HP is 12 + twice your Constitution. When you deal damage, roll a six-sided die. Assign these scores to your stats: +2, +1, +1, +0, +0, -1
Constitution
whimsical wizard
do not trifle with wizards
Stats
Strength
You start the game with all of these moves:
D D e e b b i l i l i t i t i e i e s : s M g a r r a k n t t - h 1 e o s n e g b o o x i n e g s t w o h r e o n l y l o s u w h i t a h v t e h a a D t e s b t i a l t i . t y .
strong in spirit When you Make Camp under the open sky, remove all of your debilities. If you had none, heal to full HP instead.
the evil eye above You are a harbinger of horrible things, and you can always tell when they approach. When the Overlord or their minions draw near, you always know, and can tell where they will be coming from. When you know what the Overlord is up to, you can always ask the GM "What must be done to stop their plan?" and the GM will tell you one possible way to do so.
Whimsy drive What drives you to bring light to this world?
fulfill the prophecy Take risks for the sake of the mysterious prophecy.
savior complex Take steps to remove a great evil from this world.
we'll get through this
the harbingers
bonds
Choose the option that best represents your people:
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one:
angelwrought Your people are what remains of the divine beings who created this world, and your powers are what lingers of their gifts. Add the following option to the Whimsical Wizard move: • Rekindle hope is the heart of another. Remove any effects of Fear Me they are currently suffering, and they heal 5 HP as well.
blind prophets Your fellow wizards see without sight, and you are no different. When you notice an ill omen (your call), you may spend 1-Whimsy to ask 2 questions from the Discern Realities list immediately.
____________ has much to learn of the ways of the world. ____________ will be of great importance in the events to come. ____________ is a bad omen. Nothing good can come of their actions.
overlord bonds Record the Overlord's bonds with you here.
principled academia Wizardry comes from a book. A whole lot of books, actually. Anyone can become a wizard with enough education, and you are among the scholastic elite. When you consult a bag of books, you may ask two questions from Discern Realities instead of one, or take a 10+ on Spout Lore instead of a 7-9.
servants of the dark The harbingers are so-called because they herald the coming of the Overlord, and they serve the Overlord in all ways. You are a renegade to your people, an outcast, but you command the same dark powers they do. When you show others why you Do Not Trifle With Wizards, you can always add the Necrotic option to your attack for free.
your people Use this space to take notes on you and your people.
Adventuring Gear (5 uses, 1 weight, 10 coins) Adventuring gear is a variety of useful supplies you can procure at a moment's notice. When you rummage through your adventuring gear, spend 1-use of gear and tell us what you produce. You can pull out anything remotely reasonable from a pack of adventuring gear - as an adventure, of course you were properly prepared.
Bandages (3 uses, +5 HP, slow, 0 weight, 10 coins) A simple set of bandages and medical ointments you can use to patch up wounds. It takes a few minutes to apply, and heals 5 HP when used.
Bag of Books (5 uses, slow, 2 weight, 12 coins) A bunch of books for paging through in times of need. When you take a few minutes to browse through your books, spend 1-use of the Bag of Books and ask a question from the Discern Realities list, or Spout Lore as if you rolled a 7-9 without rolling.
Poultices (2 uses, +8 HP, slow, 1 weight, 12 coins)
gear MAXIMUM
Weight CARRIED
Load 6+STR
You start with dungeon rations (ration, 5 uses, 1 weight), traveling robes (0 weight), a bag of books (5 uses, slow, 2 weight), and either adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight) or bandages (3 uses, +5 HP, slow, 0 weight) Choose two: • An ancient staff of old wood (reach, 2-handed, 1 weight) with a spell of safe travels written upon it • A carriage (see the Halfling Advanced Playbook) or jacksled (see the Squire Advanced Playbook) • A mount, chosen from any playbook, which you have learned the secrets of speaking to • A runed longsword (close, +1 damage, 2 weight) with a dark past What small mundane item holds special importance in the prophecy to come? Choose one, all are 0-weight: • A small golden ring, lined with ancient runes • A magic box or stoppered urn, never to be opened • A simple sigil on stone, purpose and meaning unknown
Record your stuff here:
Experience poin ts
Level
advanced moves You start with one of these moves. When you gain a level from 2-5, choose another one of these moves:
a wizard's word When you make a promise to someone and they promise something in return, you may leave a mark upon them. So long as you do not break your promise, they cannot break theirs.
chosen hero You know a hero when you see them, and you know just how to get them to do what needs doing. When you attempt to recruit a Hero, if you can sit down and explain their destiny to them for a while, you can change their Drive to a new Drive of your choice.
dark and terrible Weapons you hold gain the Necrotic tag while you wield them.
good company When you Carouse or Recruit, you may roll at +Whimsy spent. If you spent any Whimsy to Carouse, you do not need to spend any coins.
longwalker A wizard is never too early or too late - they arrive precisely when they mean to. You always arrive exactly on time, when you have an appointment. When you Undertake a Perilous Journey, take the 10+ result on whichever roll you fulfill.
master of the arcane When you gain a debility, you also gain 1-Whimsy.
mysterious fires You may spend 1-Whimsy to start a fire on something flammable within Near range. It starts small, but it will grow rapidly if left unchecked.
sword beams You can Volley with a melee weapon by firing magical energy when you swing it. If you would mark ammo while Volleying in this way, instead spend 1-Whimsy.
wildspeaker You speak the languages of beasts and monsters. When you try to speak to such a creature for the first time, they will always pause to listen and reply. You can tame any mount you come across without a problem.
wizard's chess When you play a game of chance or skill, you can spend 1Whimsy to win the contest automatically. When you make a bet with another player and win, you gain 1-Whimsy.
worldly
expert moves When you gain a level from 6-10, choose one of these moves, or one of the Advanced Moves.
angel's touch You can spend 1-Whimsy to remove a debility or disease from someone you can touch.
are we not the same, you and i? You can be just as cruel and scary as the Overlord, if need be. The Overlord gains the bond "____ is more like me than they'd like to admit" with you, and you gain the Overlord's fighting style from the Overlord's Wrath move. You are Threat Level 0, and can spend 1-Whimsy to increase your Threat Level by 1. When you Make Camp, set your Threat Level to 0, and gain 1 debility for each Threat Level lost. While you have a Threat Level, you gain the following benefits: Level 1: You have the damage dice and tags of the Overlord's Wrath move, including their Range tags. Level 2: You have the Level 2 bonus listed in the Overlord's Wrath move. When you deal damage, roll twice and take the higher result. Level 3: You have the Level 3 bonus listed in the Overlord's Wrath move. When you deal damage, roll twice and add the results together.
devil's toys You can create dark and terrible magical items. It will be expensive and require exotic materials, but it can be done, though you may wish it hadn't been. When you make such an item, describe it, and then choose two: • The item will bring great misfortune upon all who use it. • A part of your soul is lost in the crafting. You gain a permanent debility, never to be healed. • Its creation will cause a great calamity - a grim portent* will immediately come to pass. • The item will thirst for blood or chaos, and force those feelings upon those who carry it. * Grim portents are horrible things that WILL come to pass if nothing is done about them. The Overlord's plans are always a grim portent.
forbidden magic When you pay no attention to the safe ways of practicing magic, you become twisted with dark power. For every 2 debilites you have, take +1 to Do Not Trifle With Wizards and choose one tag from the list for free.
keep moving When you take a debility, take +1 forward to that stat. When you take damage, take +1 forward to overcome the cause of your pain.
mysterious means When no one is looking, you may move to another spot within Near range that also has no one looking at it.
otherworldly Gain a Starting Move or an Advanced Move from a playbook none of the other players are currently using. Record the move you gained here:
Gain a Starting Move or an Advanced Move from a playbook none of the other players are currently using. Record the move you gained here:
the harbinger ADVANCED PLAYBOOK
you shall not pass When you deal damage with a melee weapon or using the Defend
harbinger fellowship
weapon tags
heroes
When you gain Fellowship with a wizarding community, the GM chooses three Fellowship moves, from this list or another. Choose one of those moves and gain it. Be sure to write down the name of the community you have that Fellowship benefit with.
Tags describe the purpose and function of whatever they are attached to, and every item has them. This list covers tags common to weapons and armor, which every adventurer needs to succeed.
Heroes are similar to hirelings - they are those brave individuals willing to come with you on your crazy adventure to save the world. Unlike hirelings, heroes are a huge deal - they are the bravest and strongest the world has to offer, other than the Fellowship themselves. Getting a hero to tag along with you is hard work, though. They have their own loyalties, their own desires, and you can only get their help if you can align those loyalties and desires with what you need them to do. A hero is made up of three stats: their Loyalty, their Drive, and their Moves. When their Loyalty and Drive aligns with what you need them to do and they like you, you can ask them to use one of their Moves. Hero moves work the same as the GM Moves the Overlord has - they just work. A hero never fails. Once they take action, they simply succeed. Recruiting heroes is a major part of the harbinger's job. Here's some example heroes, one for each of the Fellowship playbooks:
and in the darkness, bind them The harbingers know much of t he Overlord's inherent strengths and weaknesses, and by performing taxing, difficult rituals, they may weaken the Overlord further. Choose another Weakness for the Overlord - so long as you have Fellowship with this community, the Overlord has that weakness in addition to their other weaknesses. Community:
a touch of magic You have all been given a trace amount of magical power, which you can manifest as you need it. Each time the Fellowship leaves this community, each player gains 1-Whimsy, which they can spend to use any of the Whimsical Wizard options currently available to the Harbinger. Community:
fell secrets While you are in this community, one player may have their weapon enchanted with dark and terrible magic. It gains the Necrotic tag, and it whispers dark secrets to any who hold it. By listening to th ese secrets, they can Spout Lore about grim portents as if they rolled a 7-9 any time they like, although the whispers weaken their mental state. The Harbingers will only grant thi s terrible curse once. Community:
free at last These people once served the Overlord, but no more. While you have Fellowship with this community, the Overlord cannot recruit Armies whenever they need them - they must dedicate time and resources to gathering armies personally. Community:
our doom approacheth This community's end is near, they h ave foreseen it! And so they must evacuate. You immediately gain an army as if you rolled a 10+. As long as you have this army, all of your other armies are Undying. Community:
something evil this way comes When you flee from an enemy by retreating into this community, the enemy always suffers a horrible fate if they do not retreat immediately. Community:
ammo This tag is used to mark ammunition for a ranged weapon. Ammo is abstract, not literal - you only mark ammo when a move tells you to, and as long as you have at least 1-ammo, you can fire your weapon. 3-ammo represents a full quiver or pouch of bullets, and 1-ammo means you're running low
area The Area tag is usually applied to special attacks, not weapons. Area attacks hit multiple targets at once, all of which must be relatively close together. When you hit an army with an Area attack, you can actually damage it remove one of their army tags until they can recover.
armor Armor provides damage reduction, straight up. Armor always comes with a value attached, such as Armor 2 or Armor +1. When you take damage while you have Armor, you take that much less damage. If the Armor value does not have a plus in front of it ("Armor 1" or "Armor 2"), it doesn't stack with any other armor you have - only the biggest value applies. If it does (Armor +1), it adds on top of all other Armor bonuses you may have.
forceful This attack has a lot of force behind it, and sends enemies flying when it strikes them. Enemies hit by a Forceful attack are pushed back, possibly even knocked prone. Lighter enemies will fly across the room, while even sturdier opponents will be pushed back under your onslaught.
messy This attack deals damage in a particularly destructive way, ripping people and things apart. Messy attacks cause serious damage and can potentially take an enemy out of the fight entirely, regardless of how many hit points they have left. It's real hard to press the fight when your leg bones are shattered.
necrotic Necrotic attacks drain your strength and sap your soul. When a player is damaged by a Necrotic attack, they must immediately take a debility of their choice. When an NPC is damaged by a Necrotic attack, their strength is sapped and they are greatly weakened, making them much easier to fight.
piercing This attack is good at getting through armor. The Piercing tag always comes with a value attached, such as Piercing 1 or Piercing 2, and they ignore that much Armor from their targets. Piercing attacks also deal additional damage to vehicles - a weapon with Piercing 2 deals +2 damage to vehicles, when determining whether or not they take a point of Stress.
precise Precise weapons require finesse, not strength. When you Hack & Slash with
Aegis the Golden, Harbinger Hero Loyalty: The Prophecies of Old Drive: Uphold The Old Ways Moves: Perform a powerful magical ritual; call on political favors
Bait McGibbins, Halfling Hero Loyalty: The Halflings of Endbarrow Drive: Suffer No Harm Moves: Lead them on a wild goose chase; create a golden distraction
Boreal Auroris, Elf Hero Loyalty: The Trees of the Bitterwood Drive: Perfection In All Things Moves: Let none enter the forest without an arrow in their heart; snipe a prime target from a mile off
Sledge Rockjaw, Dwarf Hero Loyalty: Me Own Hearth and Home Drive: Punish The Oathbreaker Moves: Defend a choke point and let none slip past; carve a bloody path through the enemy
Song Yew, National Hero Loyalty: The Heir's Continued Success Drive: Victory By Any Means Moves: Enact a grand master plan with only one small flaw; rig a fight or contest to your advantage in a big way
Thajra Boneshatter, Orc Hero Loyalty: Those Who Follow Me Drive: A Kingdom To Call My Own Moves: Slay any who threaten her; tear apart an establishment,
My kingdom has stood for centuries, and its legacy lives on in me. The weight of history rests on my shoulders, but we live in an age where that history may be coming to an end. It is for that reason that I stand here now. So that our legacy shall never be forgotten, I pledge to oppose this rising evil. It is nothing less than my duty. I see the path this evil has taken. In their wake, I see want, suffering, and fear. This I cannot allow. To any who would follow me, I promise, I shall lead you to victory. We shall not be lost this age. We shall prevail. Our history will go on. I am the Heir, and the burden of history is my blade.
Name: Choose one or two, or make up your own: Given Names: Argorn, Marth, Durindal, Caesar, MacBeth, Feanor, Arwi, Aurora, Calafia, Cercei, Delphyna, Marceline, Namora, Rose, Vera Royal Titles: Prince/Princess, Duke/Duchess, King/Queen, the Lost, of Felwar, the Brave, the Fourteenth, Child of _____, of Legends, Blessed by _____, Last of the _____, the Redeemed
Look
Intelligence Wisdom
Charisma
the heir STARTING PLAYBOOK
Hit Points
As the heir to a great kingdom, you have been taught in the ways of the noble arts: healing, horsemanship, poetry, rulership, and weaponry. Choose three of the Noble Arts you most examplify, and gain the associated moves: • Healing: You gain the Healing Arts move and +5 maximum HP. • Horses: You gain the Rough Rider move and take +1 to Control checks. • Poetry: You gain the Warrior Poet move, and you can use your lineage as leverage
healing arts (wis)
lord of lords
When you visit the lord of the town and introduce yourself, you and your friends are all given a room for the night and a hot meal, free of charge. When you explain your dire circumstances to a person in power, they will grant you aid - Recruit a hireling as if you rolled a 10+. If you have Fellowship, you may instead recruit an army as if you rolled a 10+.
Your maximum HP is 12 + twice your Constitution. When you deal damage, roll a six-sided die. Assign these scores to your stats: +2, +1, +1, +0, +0, -1
Dexterity
the noble arts
When you treat someone with a healing item, they heal an additional 1d4 HP. When you treat someone without any healing items on hand, roll +WIS. On a 7+, they heal 1d8 HP or remove a debility, your choice. On a 7-9, your healing methods are brutal or imprecise - they also gain a debility of the GM's choice.
Stats
Constitution
You start the game with The Noble Arts.
when you Parley with those who know of your line and respect it. • Rulership: You gain the Lord of Lords move and take +1 to Recruit rolls. • Weaponry: You gain the Strike True move, and your damage die becomes 1d8.
Circle one from each list: • Braided Hair, Hooded Head, or Scruffy Hair • Handsome Face, Scarred Face, or Serene Face • Weary Eyes, Hard Eyes, or Determined Eyes • Simple Clothing, Practical Uniform, or Royal Garb
Strength
starting moves
D D e e b b i l i l i t i t i e i e s : s M g a r r a k n t t - h 1 e o s n e g b o o x i n e g s t w o h r e o n l y l o s u w h i t a h v t e h a a D t e s b t i a l t i . t y .
rough rider
You never need to Control your Mount when you take damage, Hack & Slash, or Volley while atop your mount. When you fall or jump off of a mount, you never need to Defy Danger against injury or peril, and you hit the ground running.
strike true (dex)
When you attack a surprised or defenseless enemy, you may choose to either deal your damage, or choose from the list and roll +DEX. On a 7-9, the chosen result will happen. On a 10+, you also deal your damage. • Concussed: The target is stunned, unable to act for a short while. • Crippled: They're hobbled and become slow moving. • Disarmed: They drop anything they were holding.
warrior poet
You know many tales of times long past, and you know that history repeats itself. When you recite or sing a historical poem, tell the GM what enemy, location, or grim portent* the poem is about. The GM will tell you one truth the poem reveals to you about that enemy, location, or grim portent. *Grim portents are horrible things that WILL come to pass if nothing is done about them. The Overlord's plans are always a grim portent.
drive
What drives you to claim your birthright?
duty and honor
Take responsibility for the actions of another.
law and order Make them pay for their crimes.
armor
set forth and conquer
the royal line Choose the option that best represents your nation: the great builders Your people are renowned for their engineering prowess, and you know the ways of craftsmanship and architecture. When you inspect a building or a crafted good, ask the GM who made it, and what purpose does it serve? They will answer honestly.
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one: I shall take ____________ under my wing, and teach them all that I know. ____________ has served me well.
the lost line of kings Your kingdom has fallen and your family and fortunes are lost, but you still remain. Some say you are cursed, others say you are lucky to be alive at all. Once per scene, you may reroll one die, yours or another. Tell us how your curse changed the outcome, after seeing the new result.
the stalwart defenders Your kingdom has never fallen, and it never will. It is entirely impregnable, and its strength is also your strength. You start with a Fellowship move for free with your capital city. When the Overlord makes you Fear Them, they choose one less option.
____________ would do well to heed my words. ____________ thinks me an arrogant fool. Feh.
overlord bonds Record the Overlord's bonds with you here.
the strange arcanists Your kingdom is famous for its bizarre magical properties, and your people are stranger for it. Tell us about a physical change you have that is unique to you and your people, such as a pair of angelic wings, a third eye that sees illusions, or limbs that can stretch or bend in ways they shouldn't.
your people Use this space to take notes on you and your people.
gear
bonds
Valuable Valuable items are worth quite a lot. They can always be given to another as leverage to Parley, and they can be given in place of payment for any good or service you may need, so long as you're dealing with someone who values material goods.
Range Tags Weapons and some special attacks come with range tags, telling you how close you need to be to hit your target with them, and what engagement range works best for that weapon. Hand range requires you to get close enough to touch them. Close range is a little farther - hitting them with a sword range. Most melee weapons are Close range. Reach is long range for a melee weapon, such as a spear or whip, or a very short ranged weapon, such as a flamethrower. It lets you poke people from behind other people, or without letting them get too close. Near range is the typical for ranged weapons - if you see the whites of their eyes, they are within range. You can shoot most anything that isn't too far away. Far range is beyond that - if you can see them, you can shoot them. Far range is only for the strongest of longbows, the most accurate of rifles, and artillery.
MAXIMUM
Weight CARRIED
Load 9+STR
You start with trail rations (ration, 5 uses, 1 weight) and a weapon fit for royalty (any range, valuable, 1-weight), with 3-ammo, should it need it. Choose four: • Leather armor (1 armor, 1 weight) and a longsword (close, +1 damage, 2 weight) • A horse, pony, or donkey for everyone in the group (their choice) • A family heirloom or symbol of royalty (valuable, 0 weight) • Adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight) and bandages (3 uses, slow, +5 HP, 0 weight) • A shortbow (near, 1 weight) with quiver (3 ammo, 1 weight) • A castle or keep to call your own, complete with servants • Your personal contingent of bodyguards (army, escort, honor-bound, Cost: Overlord Protective or Rigid Moral Code) • The Overlord's Weakness, or a clue that will lead you to their Source of Power, choose one.
Record your stuff here:
Experience poin ts
Level
advanced moves
You start with one of these moves. When you gain a level from 2-5, choose another one of these moves:
all that glitters...
When you enter a place and something doesn't feel right, ask the GM if there is a trap or ambush here. They will answer honestly, yes or no.
a song for the king of kings
Requires: Lord of Lords When you visit a person in power and spend the night, they will host a party for you. Make the Carouse move at no cost, and roll at +CHA.
fell blow
Requires: Strike True When you Strike True and roll a 12+, the option you chose is improved. If they would have been Concussed, they are now Knocked Out. If they would have been Crippled, they are now Dismembered. If they would have been Disarmed, you steal what they were holding instead.
foraging (wis)
Requires: Healing Arts When you forage for herbs or food, roll +WIS. On a 10+, you gain Poultices (2 uses, 1 weight), or Trail Rations (ration, 5 uses, 1 weight), your choice. On a 7-9, choose one: • Supplies are scarce - gain either 1 use of Poultices or 2 uses of rations. • The supplies are a little poisonous - anyone using them gains a debility.
parry (dex)
When you parry an enemy's attack with your blade, roll +DEX. On a 10+, choose two. On a 7-9, choose one: • You take no damage. • You lock blades with them, keeping their full attention.
the lost arts
Gain another option from the list of The Noble Arts.
teach me your ways
Gain a move that another member of the Fellowship already knows, so long as they give you permission. Record the move you gained here:
expert moves When you gain a level from 6-10, choose one of these moves, or one of the Advanced Moves.
cavalry charge
Requires: Rough Rider When you charge into battle on top of a mount, you may add its Control stat to your first Hack & Slash, Volley, and damage rolls of the battle.
evasion
When you Defy Danger and get a 12+, you transcend the danger. The GM will offer you a better outcoome, true beauty, or a moment of grace.
long live the queen
When someone Defends you, the gain +1 hold, even on a 6-, and you take +1 forward to make sure they didn't protect you for nothing. Armies traveling with you gain the Escort tag.
on behalf of my people, Requires: Warrior Poet i beseech you
When you meet a Hero for the first time and they willingly listen to your tale, their Loyalty changes to you and your kingdom.
the one king to rule them all
Requires: The Lost Arts Gain the final option from the list of The Noble Arts.
the warrior's path
Requires: Strike True You move effortlessly through the battlefield, your enemies' movements as predictable as pawns on a chessboard. You never need to Defy Danger to approach or disengage from an enemy, and you can always walk through a battlefield without fear of harm.
to the gates of hell itself
Requires: Lord of Lords Your hirelings and armies have no Cost. Hirelings follow you entirely out of admiration, loyalty, or respect, and armies will set aside their differences while underneath your banner. When one of your armies id Destroyed while you are there to rally them , they gain the Undying tag.
yes, my liege (cha)
we ride at dawn
Requires: Rough Rider When you Undertake a Perilous Journey while everyone is mounted, you take the 10+ result to whichever role you fulfill. When you need to leave town, you can procure horses for everyone, free of charge.
the heir ADVANCED PLAYBOOK
we shall be as brother and sister
Requires: Warrior Poet When you share the culture of your people with another, gain the bond
When you give an order to a non-hostile NPC, roll +CHA. On a 10+, they obey you to the best of their ability before they can even think about it. On a 7-9, the GM chooses one: • They do it, but not very well or exactly how you wanted. • They offer you something they think you want instead. • The stop what they were doing and turn their attention to you.
you will not die this day
Requires: Healing Arts When an ally would take their Last Breath and you dramatically rush to their side, you may take their place. They automatically take a 10+ result on their Last Breath, but you must immediately make a deal with Death or
a leader's fellowship
army tags
When you gain Fellowship with a community belonging to your nation, the GM chooses three Fellowship moves, from this list or another. Choose one of those moves and gain it. Be sure to write down the name of the community you have that Fellowship benefit with.
• Archers: This army can attack from afar. This army has the advantage when they have cover to fire from. • Escort: This army is equipped to move fast and make sure something important gets through. This army has the advantage while on the move, defending someone or something important. • Fortified: An army gains this tag while they Stand in Defense. It grants them advantage so long as they have it. • Giant: This army's soldiers are very large and very strong. They have the advantage anywhere they have enough room to move around in. • Horde: This army is massive, greatly outnumbering any others they face, and their forces seem unending. This army has the advantage when they can use their numbers to outflank or outlast the enemy. • Honor-bound: This army follows a code of honor. So long as you also follow their code, this army has the advantage while they follow you. • Mindless: This army exists only to follow orders and cannot think for themselves. They cannot be Distracted or Drawn Out. • Mounted: This army is on horseback or weird-animalback. This army has the advantage when they can bring their mount's speed and size to bare, or bear, depending. • Nocturnal: This army can see in the dark, or functions better when the sun goes down. They have the advantage at night or in total dark. • Phalanx: This army's defenses are second to none. They have the advantage while they Stand in Defense. • Siege: This army's weapons are built to tear down defenses. This army has the advantage when attacking castles and fortifications, and armies they attack gain no benefit from the Fortified tag. • Strike Now!: An army gains this tag when they successfully Draw Them Out, and it grants them advantage. • Tricky: This army knows a thing or two about making problems. When this army Distracts The Enemy and they try to destroy you in response, they always get led on a wild goose chase and will never catch this army. • Undying: This army is really hard to destroy, for one reason or another. When this army is Destroyed, it isn't - they regroup, revive, or resurrect later, to return under your command. • Vicious: This army strikes viciously and quickly. This army has the advantage if the enemy didn't see them coming.
ancestral spirits Once you have proven your worth to them, your ancesters will rise from their grave to come to your aid. When you Recruit an Army here, take the 10+ result, and they come with the Undying tag in addition to their other tags. Community:
invincible stronghold With your Fellowship, this community can never fall. Unless the entire rest of the world is lost or you lose your Fellowship here, this community will always be a safe place for you to retreat and hang your hats - the Overlord can never take it. Community:
many died for this information Choose one of the protections for the Overlord's Source of Power. That protection is actually a lie - the Overlord has defended themselves using misinformation. Cross off that protection and choose a different one. The new choice is absolute truth, and many lives were lost to get you this information. Community:
please, help yourselves Mundane items and gear you purchase here cost nothing. Community:
royal hospitality Each time you leave this community, each player gains one hireling as if they rolled a 7-9 on the Recruit Hireling move. Community:
the lost histories This community holds great and ancient secrets, which they reveal to you now. When the Heir Spouts Lore about the history of the Overlord, they do not roll - just tell us. From this point onward, you have just as much control over the Overlord's past as you do over your own nation's lore. You cannot contradict anything the Overlord has already established. Community:
army costs All armies come with a Cost - some kind of problem they tend to cause for you. When you give any commands to an army, the GM should take note, and have their Cost come up sometime during this session or the next one. Costs are like weaknesses - they give you a way to deal with enemy armies creatively, while also making your own armies a pain to work with. Example costs: Always Hungry, Can't Stand Elves, Constantly Partying, Cowardly, Falls Apart All Over The Place, Follows Orders Literally, Much Too Bloodthirsty, Obtuse Code of Honor, Overly Protective, Questions Authority, Really Stupid,
army rules Armies aren't all that complicated. It's just a lot of people with a lot of weapons and a lot of anger all pointed in a single direction. Easy. Armies are a resource. You gain them from communities you have earned the Fellowship of. You use them to create distractions, defend locations, and give you cover when you need it, and you can spend them to attempt to destroy the armies of your enemies. Armies have all of the following moves:
recruit army
You cannot gather an army unless you have Fellowship with their people. When you attempt to gather an army, roll +CHA. On a 7+, you rally a suitable army to your cause - the GM will give it a tag and an appropriate Cost. On a 10+, they are more skilled than expected choose a second Tag for them. On a 6-, the army is rag-tag and untrained, and does not come with any tags. You may only recruit an army once from any given community, unless their Fellowship says otherwise.
stand in defense
When you command an army to defend a person or place, they will do so until they fall. So long as they remain at their stations, no harm can come to the person or place they protect. While any army Stands in Defense of a location, they gain the Fortified tag.
distract the enemy
When you command an army to distract another one, they will run interference or use guerilla tactics to make the enemy army's life a pain in the butt. A distracted army is easy to slip past and can be avoided easily, but they don't abandon their defenses or their duties.
draw them out
When you command an army to draw another out, tell us your plan for them. If your army can cut off the enemy's resources, burn down something important, or otherwise create a problem that must be answered, the enemy army is Drawn Out, and your army gains the Strike Now! tag. If they choose not to take the bait, they lose whatever resource your army attacked without a fight.
destroy them
When you command an army to destroy another one, count up your army's advantages and their army's advantages. Advantages are gained from the army's tags, when the right conditions are met. The army with a higher count will win the battle, although how long it takes depends on how large their margin of victory is. • If both armies have an equal number of tags, they will eventually Destroy each other, if neither side retreats. It will be a long battle. • If an army has one Tag more than the other, they will win, but it is a long and grueling battle. The losing side has plenty of time to retreat. • If an army has two or more Tags than the other, they will win a decisive victory fairly quickly. There is no retreat for them once the
I have earned my place in this world. It was earned with sweat of the brow and cunning of the hand. Progress, industry, and toughness are what my people are known for, and they are the qualities that made me their champion. The world will change in our wake, whether poets and scholars and cowards like it or not. Not for us is the shallow "beauty" of timeless stagnation. I will smash the edifices that hold us back and destroy those who would dominate us. Nothing will stand in my way and remain unbroken. You have my word on that, if you will have my blade. For I am the Orc, and my people will always move forward.
Name: Choose one or two, or make up your own: Given Names: Kurd, Gorblax, Kola, Grokt, Hrusk, Kaj, Dirg, Rord, Gork, Elna, Yurk, Raliin, Ket, Zerna, Glinza, Arbla, Kro, Mork Surnames: Eyegouge, Footbiter, Freeborn, Randalar, Breaktooth, Ricebelly, Drumbeater, Foescar, Wastewalker, Bloodeye, Sirorco, Thraka, Elfbane, Onehand, Bootstrap, Swordsheath, Legendeater
Look Circle one from each list: • Burning Eyes, Dark Eyes, or Scarred Eyes • Damaged Body, Hunched Body, or Muscled Body • Patchwork Armor, Scavenged Clothes, or Ugly Outfit • Intricate Scars, Warped Skin, or Green
Dexterity Intelligence Wisdom
Charisma
the orc STARTING PLAYBOOK
Hit Points
the fires of industry
As long as you have enough time and destroy something in the process, you can always craft an Orc-Made weapon of your own design. These weapons are always 1-weight. Give it an appropriate range tag: Hand, Close, Reach, or Near. If you give it a range of Near, it comes with the Thrown tag. When you destroy a well-made or beautiful item to make your weapon, your weapon also gains one of the following tags: +1 Damage, Precise, or Forceful. When you attack wielding a weapon you forged, you may immediately reroll your attack if you don't like the result. If you do, your weapon breaks. In addition, choose your combat style: Brutal: When you strike brutally, fiercely, or mercilessly,your attack gains the Messy tag - you cause severe damage, such as breaking bones or severing limbs or shattering armor.
Your maximum HP is 16 + twice your Constitution. When you deal damage, roll an eight-sided die. Assign these scores to your stats: +2, +1, +1, +0, +0, -1
Constitution
You start the game with all of these moves:
dishonor before death
Stats
Strength
starting moves
D D e e b b i l i l i t i t i e i e s : s M g a r r a k n t t - h 1 e o s n e g b o o x i n e g s t w o h r e o n l y l o s u w h i t a h v t e h a a D t e s b t i a l t i . t y .
Cunning: When you dishonorably, desperately, or deceitfully strike at your foe, you always catch your opponent off-guard, dealing your damage without needing to make a move. You may use this move against a given foe only once - after they've seen your true colors, they will not give you any more openings. Reckless: When you Defend with reckless abandon and no regard for personal safety, you may choose to take 2 damage, ignoring armor, instead of spending 1-hold. You may do this as often as you like, so long as you still have hold and continue to Defend.
made to suffer
When you would suffer from poison or disease, they disfigure you outwardly but otherwise cause no real harm. You can tolerate conditions others cannot, and you do not need to mark rations when you Make Camp unless you are in a hell-blasted wasteland.
foe tracker (wis)
When you use your nose to track a foe whose scent you know, as long as their trail isn't cold, roll +WIS. On a 10+, you find them quickly and they do not know they were followed. On a 7-9, choose one: either you find them quickly, or they did not know they were followed.
drive What drives you to be so cunningly brutal?
burn and pillage Profit from the destruction you've caused.
self-destruction Destroy something good or beautiful.
armor
violent and unruly
the orcs
bonds
Choose the option that best represents your people:
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one:
children of fire Your people are forged in flame, and have more in common with coal and ash than flesh and bone. You can create fires by holding your hand to something long enough, and you never take damage from fire and heat. Orc-made weapons you make glow with heat while you hold them.
daughters of chaos Your people are born free, determined to follow their hearts and choose their own destinies. When someone attempts to enslave, control, or command you, you can always act as you please. The Overlord can never make you Fear Them.
spawn of darkness Your people are fungal in nature, born in darkness and with a biology none of the other peoples can truly comprehend. You do not bleed as others do, and being wounded only riles you up further. When you take damage, take +1 forward against the cause of the damage.
____________ seeks power like mine, but is not yet ready.
gear MAXIMUM
Weight CARRIED
____________ and I are bound by blood, shared or otherwise. I have destroyed something that ____________ loved. ____________ thinks me a savage. I will show them just how savage I can be.
overlord bonds Record the Overlord's bonds with you here.
sons of war
Choose two: • A beautiful elf-made treasure (valuable, elf-made, 0 weight), describe it • Bandages (3 uses, +5 HP, slow, 0 weight) and adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight) • A varg or a wolf of the wilds (see the Elf Advanced Playbook) • A small warparty (army, choose two: Giant, Nocturnal, or Vicious, Cost: Violent Rampages or Questions Authority) (see the Heir Advanced Playbook)
Record your stuff here:
Use this space to take notes on you and your people.
Clumsy Clumsy weapons are hard to wield, Clumsy armor is hard to wear. While you use a Clumsy weapon, take -1 ongoing to use it in any way. While you wear Clumsy armor, take -1 ongoing to any rolls involving strenuous movement, including attacks.
Orc-Made Orc-Made weapons are looked down upon by the other people of this world, but any proper Orc knows that if you can kill with it, it's a good weapon. Orc-Made weapons are Clumsy in any hands but an Orc's, and
9+STR
You start with two Orc-Made weapons, as if created by destroying beautiful items for the Fires of Industry move, and hand-made armor (1 armor, orc-made, 1 weight).
You were born and raised for battle, possibly even created for it, and war is all your people know. Choose another option from the Dishonor Before Death move.
your people
Load
Experience poin ts
Level
advanced moves You start with one of these moves. When you gain a level from 2-5, choose another one of these moves:
bloodhound When you track a creature whose scent you know, you may ask the GM one question about your quarry from the Discern Realities list. While you have their scent, they can never hide from you.
feel no pain When you do nothing to prevent expected harm, take 1d4 less damage. If the damage was self-inflicted, take 1d6 less instead.
half-orc Some say the orcs are a created people, due to their similarity to another of the races of men. Gain a Starting Move or Advanced Move from the Dwarf, Elf, or Harbinger playbooks. You may also replace your Drive with a Drive from the chosen playbook. Record the move you gained here:
i can smell fear When you Discern Realities about a person, also ask their player "How does this person feel right now?" They must answer truthfully.
one good, two better When you wield two Orc-Made weapons, roll damage twice and take the better result. When you make an Orc-Made weapon using the Fires of Industry, you may make a second one with the same tags.
improvised weaponry As long as there is something within arm's reach that you can break, you can use Fires of Industry to instantly create a new weapon in the heat of battle.
shaman You have learned the orcish rites of divination. When you take the time to perform a bloody seance, ask the GM one question. The GM will give you two answers - at least one answer must be true, although you know not which.
slash and burn When you do battle amid a scene of chaos and destruction you helped create, take +1 ongoing.
the sweat of your brow
the orc ADVANCED PLAYBOOK
When you create a weapon yourself, also choose one of these enhancements, in addition to any others the weapon should have: • Foe-Smelling: This weapon burns to the touch when in the presence of those who mean you harm. To you, this heat is only a warning, but it will burn any others who try to hold your weapon. • Hardened: When this weapon is destroyed during an attack, it deals +2 damage.
expert moves When you gain a level from 6-10, choose one of these moves, or one of the Advanced Moves.
bad to the bone When you fight according to your combat style and roll a 12+, you are far more brutal, cunning, or reckless than anyone expected. Lesser foes are terrified of you and will run in fear, and your next damage roll ignores armor.
now we sound the drums of war An army you lead or train gains the Vicious tag. If they already had it, they also gain the Siege tag.
orc-actualized Gain a Starting Move, Advanced Move, or Expert Move from any playbook. If it is from a playbook another player is currently using, you must ask for their permission. Record the move you gained here:
orc smash! You automatically smash through furniture, wooden doors, simple walls, barricades, weaklings, cowards, and halflings who stand between you and where you wish to go, all without Defying Danger.
orcish nob Orcs you meet will always show you respect tinged with fear, granting you Fellowship if you do not already have it. When you need an army, you can take the 10+ result by defeating an Orc leader in a contest of strength or skill. When you defeat an Orc Hero in such a contest, they will join you, and their Drive will match yours for as long as they follow you.
strike the weak link When you damage a foe who you know fears or hates you, double the result of your damage roll.
the fruit of your labor Requires: The Sweat of Your Brow You may always choose a tag from the Beautiful list, regardless of the quality of your weapon's material. When you break a weapon you made, change its range to Hand instead, and you can keep using it. If its range was already Hand, it breaks as normal.
walk it off While you have damage, gain +1 armor. When you recover hit points, heal an additional 1d4 HP.
you smell somethin'? Requires: Bloodhound When you take a moment to sniff the air, you may ask the GM "Can I
orcish fellowship When you gain Fellowship with an orc community, the GM chooses three Fellowship moves, from this list or another. Choose one of those moves and gain it. Be sure to write down the name of the community you have that Fellowship benefit with.
battle-ready Each time you leave this community, the GM will choose two or three army tags. Each player votes for one of those tags. You gain an army with the tag that got the most votes. Community:
orcish hospitality While you are in this community, the orcs here will follow you wherever you go. They watch your back, shut doors behind you, and make sure you're never followed. If they spot anything fishy, they let you know immediately, and they'll take care of it for you, no sweat, just say the word boss. It is impossible for you to be attacked, ambushed, or caught off guard in this community. Community:
don't knock it 'til you try it The Fellowship has gained training with Or c-Made weapons, and can use them as though they were proper orcs. In your hands, Orc-Made weapons also deal +1 damage. The orcs here will give you as many Orc-Made weapons as you like, free of charge. Community:
shady dealings You've got an in with the most powerful orc(s) in town. They can get you anything you need, if the price is right . At any time, you may revoke your Fellowship here to cash in for anything you want - a major favor, a massive vehicle, serious funding, anything you like, they'll make it happen. If you somehow manage to pay them back, regain your Fellowship here. Community:
tusks of steels Each time you leave this community, you gain a fully out-fitted war elephant. Community:
you have my fire When you Recruit a Hireling here, always take the 10+ result. Hirelings you recruit here have the following skill, in addition to their normal one: Nob: When you act according to The Orc's combat style while this hireling backs you up, you gain the benefits of that combat style.
weapons of war The orcs are masters of weaponry in all its forms. These beasts and vehicles can often be found in the hands of orcish warmasters. Mount rules are found in the Halfling Advanced Playbook, and Vehicle rules are found in the Dwarf Advanced Playbook.
Varg These massive, vicious wolves are difficult to control, but extremely strong. They take strongly after their masters, and many orcs claim their varg is a mirror into their soul. Large, Control +0, 1 Passenger
cruel beast
When you direct your varg to attack, roll +Control. On a 7+, its claws rake into the enemy, dealing your damage but leaving your varg open to attack. On a 10+, it also pounces on them, pinning them down if possible, or hindering them if they are too large or strong to pin down.
pain-driven
Pain only drives a varg into a frenzy. You never need to Control your Mount when it takes pain or injury, although it will collapse at the end of any battle where it was seriously harmed. When you torment your varg into obedience, it deals 1d4 damage to you, ignoring armor, but also takes +2 forward to Control.
War Elephant War elephants are outfitted with a riding platform, armor, bladed tusks, and pots of liquid fire for throwing at your enemies. Huge, Control +1, 10 Passengers, +2 Armor, Fearless
strongest in the animal kingdom Elephants can lift large objects and people using their trunks, as well as manipulate levers and gates. Their obscene strength lets them trample through any walls or barricades in their path.
tusks and screaming (pilot move)
When you Hack & Slash using the war elephant's bladed tusks, your attack gains Piercing 3 and Terrifying. If an enemy cannot reach you with their attacks, they will attack the war elephant instead.
firing position (passenger move)
war, cont. darkbeast This dragon-like creature is formed of living shadows, and can only be tamed by the strongest and darkest of warriors. Huge, Control +2, Fearless, Flying, 3 Passengers
living shadow
These beasts never need to eat, drink, or sleep, and they can fly tirelessly for days. They are often used as the eyes and ears of the Overlord, but they will obey any who can best them in battle. When a Darkbeast is killed at night, it revives at Dusk on the next day.
fangs of dark
While riding a Darkbeast, your attacks are Necrotic.
Orcish Siege Tank
Stress
This massive brick of metal drives forward on fat, heavy treads, rolling over everything in its path. Get out of the way, you fool! Huge, Control +1, 3 Passengers, +3 Armor, 4 Stress
anti-infantry vehicle
This heavily armored vehicle can take on entire armies safely. When you pilot this vehicle, this vehicle counts as an army with the tags Giant, Siege, and Phalanx, and while it is piloted it can be used as an army. When this vehicle would be Destroyed by an army, it takes 1 point of Stress instead.
sealed tank
This vehicle's armor is ridiculously heavy. No one inside the tank can take damage from something outside of the tank. It has small openings and a periscope with which to see, but no one can Volley from inside the siege tank there just isn't enough room.
outta' the way! (pilot move)
The top of the tank is a massive battering ram, allowing it to smash through walls in its path, and i ts heavy weight and thick treads allow it to trample almost anything. When you make the Siege Tank go forward, it goes forward, no matter what it put into its path.
pointy bits (passenger move)
When you Volley from on top of the war elephant's covered platform, add its Control stat to your damage roll.
The Siege Tank is covered in spikes and spears, which can be extended by those operating the vehicle. When a passenger is controlling these spikes, no one can get Close to the tank without taking 1d6 damage.
small onboard catapult (passenger)
burn it all down (passenger move)
When you launch firepots from the war elephant's onboard catapult, Volley with the tags Near, Reload, and Area. Anything hit by this weapon catches fire. On a 7-9, choose from this list instead of the normal Volley list: • Snappe d Rope: The catapult must be repaired before it can fire again. • Misfire: The firepot spilled, and the platform is on fire now. • Out of Firepots: Future shots lose the Area tag and do not set enemies on
The Siege Tank has a secret weapon: a built-in flamethrower. When you unleash the flames, everything in a large open swath in front of the tank immediately catches fire (2d10 damage, ignores armor, area). After firing, you need to refill the oil tanks to use it again, which takes a lot of time and oil.
I'm not much concerned with all these grand sorts of things. I mean, they concern themselves with me often enough - that's what I get for stickin' my neck out - but I'm not gonna go out of my way for any glory or fame or nothin'. I'm here because, well, it sounds like you need all the help you can get. Even if that help's just me. I'm pretty handy, I suppose, and I know a lot of little tricks to make things easier. I'll keep us on track, no problem. We'll make it to the end of that road, and the return trip, to boot. I'll make sure of it, cross my heart. Oh, do you need a hand with that? I'm the Squire, let me take care of it for ya'.
Name: Choose one or two, or make up your own: Given Names: Mari, Pippi, Koala, Anya, Robin, Cassie, Elda, Orowin, Elysia, Rodgar, Samwise, Arthur, Sancho, Baldrick, Estav, Sebastian, Mortimer, Cucumber, Nodwick Family Names: Darkminer, Undermountain, Petty-kin, Strongbow, Greenleaf, Evenstar, Hornblower, Trotter, Pip, Gamgee, Cursender, Greenhanded, Bloodeye, Thraka, Swordsheath
Look
Intelligence Wisdom
Charisma
the squire STARTING PLAYBOOK
Hit Points
The Squire is not the champion of anyone, like the other members of the Fellowship are. Instead, choose another player. You are a member of their people. You have just as much fictional control over their people as they do, but from the other side of things - they tell your people's tale from the top, the powerful, the successful, and you tell it from the bottom, the downtrodden, the underclass. Tell your tale, Squire.
keeper of ponies
You keep everyone's mounts in good condition - well fed, well groomed, and happy. When another player fails to Control their Mount and it bolts, it runs to you instead of getting lost. When you ride a mount you have fed and taken care of, you may roll +CHA instead of +Control for its moves.
Your maximum HP is 18 + twice your Constitution. When you deal damage, roll a six-sided die. Assign these scores to your stats: +2, +1, +1, +0, +0, -1
Dexterity
your people
You alone are the voice of reason in this insane world. When you offer advice to another player and they ignore it, you take +1 forward to bailing them out of whatever mess they got themselves into.
Stats
Constitution
You start the game with all of these moves:
voice of reason
Circle one from each list: • Short Hair, Messy Hair, or Nice Hat • Peasant's Clothes or Apprentice's Uniform • Determined Eyes, Jolly Eyes, or Naive Eyes • Pudgy Body, Thin Body, or Completely Generic Body
Strength
starting moves
the light of hope D D e e b b i l i l i t i t i e i e s : s M g a r r a k n t t - h 1 e o s n e g b o o x i n e g s t w o h r e o n l y l o s u w h i t a h v t e h a a D t e s b t i a l t i . t y .
Your words bring inspiration and courage to those who would listen to you. You can always Aid an ally by shouting words of encouragement, allowing you to Aid anyone who can hear you. Whenever the players gain Fellowship with a community that isn't directly related to someone else's people, you pick the Fellowship bonus.
i won't lose you
When you Defend a player you have a Bond with, gain +X hold, regardless of your roll, where X is the number of bonds you have with that player. Reminder: you can never have more than 3 bonds with a single player.
it's dangerous to go alone (con)
When you follow someone you have a Bond with into grave danger, roll +CON. On a 10+, gain 2 hold. On a 7-9, you gain 1 hold. You can spend 1-hold to protect them from harm - shove them out of the way, warn them just in time, block an attack, that sort of thing. On a 6-, you gain 1-hold anyway, but when you spend it, you take the harm they avoided. You lose all hold for this move as soon as you get through the danger or they stop moving forward.
drive What drives you to stay by their side, even when you're in over your head?
duty and responsibility Take responsibility for the actions of another.
the hard road Keep someone from taking the easy way out.
armor
they need me
your burden You do not represent anybody. You are not someone special, some champion, some mystical warrior. You are of the common folk, and you have a burden that only you can carry. Choose your purpose:
Fill in the name of one of your companions in at least one: I have ____________ 's back, no matter what. I am of ____________ 's people, and they watch out for me. I can't trust anything ____________ says.
forgotten by history Nothing you do will be remembered at the end of the day. There will be no songs sung about you. You have no Bonds with the Overlord, and you never roll the Outstanding Warrants move - you are completely forgettable. The Overlord has no special power over you, and can never form Bonds with you or make you Fear Them.
henchman Your burden is very physical and very real. Your maximum Load is increased by 6, and anything in your pack cannot be damaged or taken away from you.
____________ helps me with the chores. ____________ thinks me their minion, but I've no mind to play along. I've bailed ____________ out of trouble countless times.
overlord bonds Record the Overlord's bonds with you here.
keep them safe You are here to make sure they come back home after this is all over, no matter what. Choose another player, and gain this bond with them: I will keep ____________ safe, no matter what. When you Defend a player you have any bonds with, they get +X armor, where X is how many Bonds you have with them.
your people Use this space to take notes on your people.
MAXIMUM
Weight CARRIED
exhaustion This journey takes a toll on you, even more than the others, but you cannot let them down. When you get a 7-9 result on Defy Danger, you may take a debility in the stat you were rolling to take the 10+ result instead.
gear
bonds
Slow items require a lot of time and care to use, usually a few minutes, and cannot be reasonably used during dire situations or while under pressure.
A Keg of Dwarven Stout (5 uses, dwarf-made, ration, 5 weight, 150 coins) When you drink from a keg of dwarven stout, you and all who partake with you become extremely drunk. Take a debility to Wisdom, but you also become very warm and comfortable - take +1 ongoing against the harshness of the elements for the rest of the day. When you Make Camp, if you mark a use of Dwarven Stout as your Ration, you recover all HP and remove all Debilities, but you wake up with a Wisdom debility in the morning. When you Carouse, you may mark a use of Dwarven Stout instead of spending 100-coin.
9+STR
You start with enough rations for everyone (12 uses, ration, 2 weight) and a simple sword (close, 1 weight). Choose two: • Underarmor (1 armor, 1 weight) and a dagger (hand, 1 weight) • A sturdy spear (reach, thrown, near, 1 weight) and some adventuring gear (5 uses, 1 weight) • A crossbow (near, +1 damage, reload, 3 weight) with bolts (3 ammo, 1 weight) • Some bandages (3 uses, +5 HP, slow, 0 weight) and poultices (2 uses, slow, +8 HP, 1 weight)
You were more prepared than anyone else in this adventure, and brought some extra stuff for everyone. Whether you carry it or they do is up to you. Each other player chooses one of these: • A horse or pony (see the Halfling Advanced Playbook) • Some extra food (4 uses, ration, 1 weight) • A spare weapon (chosen from the options in their own Gear) with ammo, should it need it
Record your stuff here:
Slow
Load
Experience poin ts
Level
advanced moves
You start with one of these moves. When you gain a level from 2-5, choose another one of these moves:
a light in the darkness
When you stand firm against an approaching threat and do not back down, you and each ally who backs you up takes +2 armor forward.
defy opposition
When you Defy Danger against something trying to harm you or a player you have a bond with, on a 12+, you gain an advantage over them knock them down, get out of their reach, get on top of them, disarm them, or any other advantage you can think of.
even if you hate me
When you Aid another player, you may destroy a bond you have with that player to automatically get a result of 10+.
friend of beasts
When you take care of a mount and spend some time with it, it takes +1 ongoing to Control for as long as you continue to care for it.
i'd like to see you do better
When you roll a miss, you may taunt another player. If you do, they take +1 forward to trying to do the same thing you just did.
pick on someone yer own size (cha)
When you insult and threaten someone to rile them up, roll +CHA. On a 7+, they become angry with you and all their focus is on you. On a 10+, you also take +1 ongoing against them until they calm down.
quick, hide!
When you Defy Danger to avoid being detected or noticed, you may always hide another player as well, regardless of the result of your roll. So long as they stay still and keep quiet, they will avoid being detected, even if you get caught.
take this!
When a player you have a bond with goes alone into danger, you may hand them something of value to you. If you do, they gain 1-hold. When they are about to suffer harm, they may spend 1-hold to avoid taking that harm. If they do, they must tell us how your gift protected them.
teach me your ways
Gain a move that another member of the Fellowship already knows, so long as they give you permission. Record the move you gained here:
expert moves When you gain a level from 6-10, choose one of these moves, or one of the Advanced Moves.
connoisseur
When you determine that something recently found is particularly valuable (your call), describe what about it makes it valuable. You can add or remove any one tag from it, or you can describe some specific function it has that other things like it do not have.
defy fate
Replaces: Defy Opposition When you Defy Danger, on a 12+, you excel beyond all expectations. Instead of merely defying the danger, you circumvent, route, or negate the danger as a threat at all. If you defied an enemy's move, that enemy will no longer use that move, realizing it is useless against you.
easily forgotten
You can sneak past any distracted guards, sleeping monsters, or patrolling soldiers, slip away from any annoying conversations, boring ceremonies, or villainous monologues, and hide from evil Overlords, scary monsters, or major commitments, all without Defying Danger.
i'll distract them
Requires: Quick, Hide! When you use yourself as a distraction, you always create an opening for everyone else to get through, hide, or take action undetected, without Defying Danger.
i've got a bad feeling about this
When you're certain something's wrong here, ask the GM two of the following questions. They must answer truthfully. • What's my best way in, our, or through? • Is there a trap or ambush here, and if so, where? • What here is the biggest threat to me? • What can I see that no one else has noticed yet?
i won't let you down!
When you Defend and get a 12+, instead of gaining hold, the attacker is simply held off, no matter the odds. In addition, you hold their attention entirely - your allies take +1 forward against them.
please, i need your help
When you ask for help with all your soul, people find it hard to refuse you. When you attempt to recruit a Hero, if you can get them to stop and listen for even a moment, you can change their Loyalty to "Doing the Right Thing." What the right thins is is something only you can show them.
show some compassion! (cha)
the squire ADVANCED PLAYBOOK
they're good people, honest
You tend to leave a good impression, even if no one you are traveling with does. When another player triggers the Outstanding Warrants move, they may roll at +Bonds you have with them. When
When you spare the life of a vanquished enemy, roll +CHA. On a 10+, hold 2 over them. On a 7-9, hold 1. At any time, you can spend 1-hold to call on them for a favor. They will do it to the best of their ability.
you must keep going!
When you spend hold for It's Dangerous To Go Alone, you
