Godsfall RPG Starter Set 0507 First Half PDF

Introduction to
Role-Playing Game
Lewis Theobald
Patrick Ervin
C.S. Ferguson
Introduction |1
Every culture had its doomsday prophecies. Rain of hellfire and brimstone. Polar caps
melting. Ravenous dead rising up like a blood-starved plague.
None of them predicted this.
It changed the world. Nobody knows exactly how long ago. Like a raging comet, it fell
from the heavens. Nobody knew what it was. It plowed through the earth, carving a
hundred-league path of destruction: the Godscar. Mountains tore asunder, crumbling
thunderously down. Their remains stand like distant ghosts of former majesty, jagged
slopes streaming with bubbling magma.
Then the impact. That titanic blast was felt around the world. Whole nations
disappeared, swallowed up by earths gaping maw.
The hours lengthened. The Long Winter. For months, the sun never shone. It nearly ended
all life. It took the world to the edge.
An expedition to the Godscar laid eyes upon the elder god Malekleos, whose smoldering
remains rested in the crater. Yet, he was not extinguished completely. His slumbering body
yet held a warm spark of life. The sleeping god spoke to them in incomprehensible visions,
and their minds shriveled. They spiraled into black depths of insanity and disappeared.
It was the gods fall that caused this cataclysm.
The Godsfall.
Now, winter wanes. From the ashes, a shadow of civilization has begun anew. And as we
rebuild, I find the questions most often asked in the Tower are:
What great power can wrest a mighty god from his lofty throne?
Why was he ripped from heaven and cast down?
Can we wake the Sleeping God?
Should we?
To that last question, either option terrifies me.
Haralda, 3rd Grand Sage of the Ivory Tower
Editor: Norman Bean

Director: Steve Costigan
Designer: Edward Softly
Producer: Patrick Howard
Production Assistant: Sam Walser
Developer: Ward Phillips
Art Director: C. S. Ferguson
Layout: Patrick Mac Conaire

Graphic Design: Humphrey Littlewit
Writers: Lewis Theobald, Patrick
Ervin, C.S. Ferguson
Cover Art: Greg Fromenteau
Interior Art: Arthur Asa, Shawn Langley,
Michael Vilardi
2|Game
Mechanics
WHAT IS THE GODSFALL?

The Godsfall RPG is a role-playing game set in a medieval fantasy world that
has just been devastated by the apocalyptic fall and impact of an elder god.
You and your friends each control a character that either survived the Godsfall
or was born in the world after. Cities are in ruin, civilizations have collapsed,
and nature has reasserted dominance. This new landscape, the Wildlands, is
yours to survive, to explore, and to battle. And, ultimately, the fate of the
Sleeping God may be your choice to make. Would you wake the Sleeping God?
THE UNIVERSAL MECHANIC

Roll Many, Use One: Every attribute, health, edge, and skill has a number
associated with it. This is the number of dice you may roll when using that trait.
Sometimes will match dice on a one-by-one basis. Sometimes you may roll the
dice one at a time. But each time you roll, there will be a difficulty number, and
your goal is to roll equal to or higher than that number at least once.
THE THREE CORE RULES

1) Its Just a Game, Fanboy: The G in RPG stands for Game. The point is to
have fun. So if a rule doesnt work for you, discard it. Change it. Come up
with your own version. This isnt The Rule-Following RPG its The Godsfall
RPG. Normally, wed say this is a bit preachy, but there are players dont
like house rules, or hacking, or fudging. This rule is for the players who need
to see it in writing.
2) Do or Do Not. There is No Try: You get one roll when attempting anything.
We feel that rolling again and again until you succeed is a waste of time.
Instead, when you fail any skill roll in The Godsfall RPG, your character is
unable to complete that task in the manner that he would have liked to.
Instead, he fails forward. In other words, he his failure means that he may
have still succeeded, but with some added complications.
3) The Gods Favor Men of Action: The acting character always wins ties over
the reacting character. That means that in combat ties always go to the
attacker. When sneaking, ties always go to the sneaker.
TO BEGIN PLAYING
RPGs involve players telling epic stories about their action and adventures in a
wild world. This story-telling is cooperative, interactive, and sometimes random.
Choose one of the characters provided and familiarize yourself with his or her
traits. This is who you will pretend to be during the game.
Game Mechanics |3
CHARACTERS
All traits are organized into three aspects: physical, mental, and spiritual. Agility
(AGL) and Vitality (VIT) are physical attributes; Intelligence (INT) and Discipline
(DIS) are mental; Perception (PER) and Eminence (EMI) are spiritual.
Agility (AGL): Characters get two actions per turn. At the start of each turn, a
player rolls his characters AGL. If he scores a 6, he gets a third action that
turn. There is no additional benefit for multiple 6s except under unusual
circumstances dictated by your GM.
Gronk has AGL 4. At the start of his turn, he rolls four dice and gets 6, 6, 3,
and 1. Because he rolled at least one 6, Gronk gets three actions this turn.
Coordinated Action Option: Players preferring cooperative gameplay rather
than competitive may find the following option preferable. Rather than
rolling individually for third actions, at the beginning of each round every
player rolls one die and places it in the middle of the table. On each players
turn, he must choose any one die from the pool to use. If the sum of his
AGL + the die is 6 or greater, he may perform three actions that turn. This
represents setting up attacks, maneuvers, flanking, misdirection, etc.
Gronk has an AGL score of 4. At the beginning of each combat

round, the four players in his group all roll one die. The results are
6, 6, 3, and 1. On his turn, he must choose to use one of those dice.
Either of the 6s or the 3 will result in a third action (because his
AGL of 4 plus a roll of either 3 or 6 will be greater than 6. However,
if he chooses to use the 1, he will not gain a third action, instead
saving those higher rolls for other members of his party to use.
Vitality (VIT): Every character may carry bulk, measured in stones (st), equal to
or less than his VIT as one level of encumbrance. VIT is also the number of
pocketable items (also called 0-stone items) that a character may carry as one
stone. Characters suffer -1 AGL for each full level of encumbrance.
Gronk has a VIT score of 6. That means that every 6 stones (6 st.) of
encumbrance will cause his AGL to be temporarily reduced by 1. He also
counts six 0-stone items as 1 stone.
Intellect (INT): Intellect is a characters curiosity and ability to learn quickly. Its
effects have already been figured into the pre-generated characters.
Discipline (DIS): Discipline represents formal schooling, apprenticeships, and
life experience. It is used during character generation and leveling, and the
effects have already been figured into the pre-generated characters.
4|Game
Mechanics
Perception (PER): This is used to detect things and to determine initiative.
Gronk has PER 1. When attempting to notice something or detect another

creature sneaking, he rolls one die and scores a 4. The GM compares this
to the sneakers stealth skill roll of 4, 3, 1. Because the sneaker is the
actor, he wins the tie and Gronk does not detect him. He would also roll
one die to determine combat initiative.
Eminence (EMI): This attribute is rolled when invoking a magical items power.
It also determines starting Fate and a characters chance of surviving his bodys
death, escaping the afterlife, and returning as undead.
Gronk has EMI 1. He begins play with Fate 1. When attempting to activate
a flaming sword, he rolls a 4. The difficulty was 4, so the spirit haunting the
item has been convinced to manifest itself and ensorcell the blade. Finally,
when he is slain, he rolls his EMI and scores a 6. That is less than the 7+
required or his spirit to survive death, so he is permanently dead.
Characters only survive physical death in supernatural circumstances.
Toughness, Knowledge, Sanity: Each aspect has a health: Toughness for body;
Knowledge for mind; and Sanity for spirit. Characters roll dice equal to their
health when defending against attacks and take damage to health when they
fail. Characters recover one health in each aspect per encounter.
Gronk has a Toughness score of 6. When he defends against a physical

attack, he rolls six dice and scores 6, 5, 3, 3, 2, and 1. The attacker scored
6, 4, 4, resulting in two successes and one failure. The attack does two
damage, and the next time Gronk defends against a physical attack in this
encounter he will only roll his four remaining Toughness dice. At the end of
this encounter, he recovers one Toughness, bringing it back up to 5.
Grit, Foresight, Willpower: These are a characters edges. Grit lets a character
roll one extra die on any physical test, Foresight on mental, and Willpower on
spiritual. Characters may roll any number of additional dice by spending that
many points of an edge. This may be done after seeing the result of the roll,
and does not take an action. Edges recover fully at the end of each encounter.
Gronk has Grit 4. In the above example, he decides that he doesnt want
to lose those two points of Toughness, so he decides to spend a point of
Grit and roll an extra die. He scores a 6. His Toughness roll is now 6, 6, 5,
3, 3, 2, and 1. He will now only take one point of damage. At the end of the
encounter, his Grit recovers fully.
Fate: Fate is a universal edge. It may be spent as Grit, Foresight, or Willpower.
Furthermore, Fate is never rolled. Instead, the player chooses the result of the
roll and adds it to his pool of results. Finally, Fate is never recovered. Once
spent, its gone. Fate is earned at a rate of one per adventure, upon completion.
Gronk has Fate 1. In an especially deadly battle, he finds himself about to
Game Mechanics |5
lose his last point of Sanity to a spiritual attack. So he spends his one point
of Fate and places an additional die on the table, choosing for it to be a 6.
Immortal Fate Option: Some groups prefer cinematic heroism. Fate is
meant to represent the favor of the gods, the fickle hand of destiny, or just
plain uncanny luck, the kind of thing that goes hand in hand with cinematic
heroism. With this option, every character has an amount of Immortal Fate
equal to his EMI. If he is beginning an adventure with Fate less than his
EMI, he may immediately increase it to an equal amount. Any Fate earned
above his EMI is Mortal Fate, and is still lost when spent.
Skills: Any time a character attempts a skill, the player rolls dice equal to that
skill level as shown on his character sheet. Unskilled characters may spend
appropriate edges on skill attempts: Grit for the physical skill groups Athletics,
Militancy, and Subtlety; Foresight for the mental skill groups Experience and
Training; and Willpower for the spiritual skill group Mysticism.
Athletics skills are Grace, Stamina, and Might. Grace is used when a character
wants to perform a difficult act requiring balance, coordination, or delicate
control. Walking a tightrope, balancing on one hand, complex dance moves,
and tumbling through flaming hoops would all require a Grace skill attempt.
Stamina is used when a character is doing something that requires a long
period of exertion. Running, climbing, and swimming all require a Stamina skill
check. Might is used when a character performs a brief feat of intense physical
strength, such as lifting a boulder, bending bars, or shoving an opponent.
Militancy includes Weaponry and Warding. Weaponry is used whenever
attacking with an instrument of war. It also acts as a passive limitation on which
weapons a character is proficient with. When using a weapon with a Strength
higher than the characters Weaponry skill, all attacks using that weapon suffer
-1 to each die result. Warding is a passive skill that determines what level of
armor the character is proficient with. When wearing protective gear with a
greater Armor value than his Warding skill, a character suffers -1 to all physical
aspect rolls per stone of the armor worn.
Subtlety includes Legerdemain, Sabotage, and Stealth. Legerdemain involves
any attempt to pick pockets, sleight of hand, perform tricks of illusion, and stage
magic. Sabotage includes any attempt to manipulate a mechanical device, such
as picking a padlock, disabling a device, boobytrapping a container, setting a
snare, and escaping from a cell. Stealth is any attempt to move unseen and
unheard, and can also include an attempt to leave no trace.
Experience includes Streewise, Trade Skills, Wildlands. Streetwise involves
any attempt to obtain information or find reputable contacts within the criminal
underworld. Trade Skills can be any number of skills that involve learning a
6|Game
Mechanics
marketable trade by apprenticeship, such as Blacksmithing, or by trial-anderror, such as Gardening. Wildlands covers all knowledge about the natural
world, including geography, plants, animals, minerals, foraging, and navigation.
Training includes Arcane, Academic skills, and Technology. Arcane represents
a characters having studied an elemental school and learned to manipulate the
natural world. Academic skills are any number of skills that involve learning a
sagacious subject by spending weeks, months, or sometimes years, mastering
an erudite body of knowledge that cannot be obtained except by direct tutelage.
Power includes Mysticism, Necromancy, and Nethermancy. Mysticism includes
any number of quasi-natural abilities that are developed through meditative
practices that strengthen the soul and charge the body with extra amounts of
vital spiritual energy. Necromancy is the perceiving and interaction with the
spirits of the dead. Nethermancy is the manipulation of ones own spirit.
Gronk has Grace 4. When attempting to walk a thick tightrope, a daring act
with difficulty 5, he rolls four dice. He scores 5, 4, 3, and 2. Because at
least one of his dice is a 5 or greater, he succeeds. If he had rolled all dice
lower than a 5, he would have failed. Note, however, that a failure does not
always result in his falling off. It simply means there has been a
complication. Perhaps the twisted strands of the rope parted and his foot is
now caught. Perhaps the rope was actually animated, and he is now
wrestling with it. Or perhaps he slipped and had to continue dangling from
it, and lost one of his swords in the near-fall.
Advanced Skills: Note that Necromancy is an advanced skill, as noted by (A)
following the skill entry. Advanced skills are always linked to a basic version of
the same skill, and is always recorded on the character sheet immediately after
its basic skill. In the case of Necromancy , the basic skill is Nethermancy.
Advanced skills may never be learned above half the level of the basic version
of the skill, rounded down. They may also never be learned except by direction
instruction of someone who already possesses the level of advanced skill
desired. Finally, advanced skills are always rolled along with the basic skill
whenever making a basic skill attempt.
Abilities, Adeptness, Spells, and Masteries: These are additional traits other
than skills that allow a character to accomplish something. Unlike skills, none of
these may be attempted unless they are already known, and edges may never
be used to attempt them unless they are already known or possessed.
Abilities are natural traits that a character has by virtue of his race.
Adeptness is a synergistic trait that comes from expertise in a given field of
knowledge. Any character with a skill of 6 may include that skill in related skill
checks, but those additional dice only succeed on 6+.
Spells are magical traits from an arcane understanding of elemental properties.
Game Mechanics |7
Masteries are supernatural traits that a character learns through mystical
training and decades of disciplined life.
HOW TO PLAY
Rolling the Dice: The Godsfall RPG uses 6-sided dice. When you must roll, the
GM will identify a trait. Roll a number of dice equal to that traits value. Some
traits have multiple values, such as AGL 4 (1) and Toughness 6+3. A number in
parentheses is a traits modified value due to temporary effects, such as being
encumbered. A number after a plus indicates that you may roll additional dice in
a separate pool. These additional dice cannot normally be removed from your
pool. Circumstantial bonuses or penalties normally result in dice added to or
subtracted from the pool, but occasionally die rolls will be modified. In both
cases, bonuses and penalties are cumulative.
Gronk has Knowledge 4. Whenever his player is asked to roll Knowledge,

he rolls four 6-sided dice.
Difficulty: The GM will give you a difficulty most times, though occasionally he
will keep it a secret. Your goal is to roll one (or more) of your dice equal to or
over the difficulty. More successes sometimes cause a greater effect.
Gronks player has rolled four 6-sided dice for Knowledge. The difficulty
was 4+. The player rolled 5, 4, 2, and 1. Because at least one die was
equal to or higher than the difficulty, Gronk succeeds.
MOVING
Move: The Godsfall RPG does not concern itself with strict measurements of
distance. Characters swim at 1/5th speed; full speed if amphibious. Characters
jump their height horizontally, half that vertically, and climb at 1/10th speed.
Delicate moves such as tightrope walking require Grace skill checks; tiring
moves such as climbing a cliff face require Stamina skill checks.
Sneaking: Characters sneak using the Stealth skill. An opponent trying to
detect a sneaking character rolls his PER. Match dice just as if they were in
combat. The character remains hidden if he has more successes than failures.
COMBAT
Initiative: To determine turn sequence, players roll PER when combat begins.
Match dice. The highest success goes first. If tied, match the second die, and
so on. If every die is a tie, the character who declared the attack goes first.
Actions: An action is anything that requires a pause in activity or some amount
of concentration to perform. Attacking is an action. Drawing a sword is not.
Drinking a potion is an action. Picking a flower is not. Go ahead and argue
about it. Your GM gets the final say. Dont like his decision? Find a new GM.
8|Game
Mechanics
On his turn, Gronk has rolled his AGL and determined that he gets three
actions. It is the first round of combat, so his throwing swords are still
sheathed. He is also far out of throwing range from his enemy. For his first
move, he closes the distance, leaping over a rock on the way. Now that he
is close enough, he draws a sword and throws it as his second action.
Then he does the same again for his third action.
Attacking: In combat, opponents roll dice against each other. Attackers roll
Weaponry skill level, or the attack Strength if a creature, while defenders roll
health. Starting with the highest die, match attacker and defender dice one-forone. Any additional dice are discarded. If the attackers die is equal to or higher
than the defenders, that is a success. Repeat with each paired die.
Gronk rolls 4, 3, 2, 1 against a defenders 5, 3, 1. They line up their dice

from highest to lowest and match them. Gronks highest die is 4. It is a
failure because it is less than the defenders 5. His next highest is 3. It is
a success because it is equal to the defenders 3. Remember Core Rule
#3. His next highest roll is 2. This is a success because it is greater than
the defenders 1. His fourth die is a 1, but the defender has run out of
dice, so this die is ignored. Gronk has dealt two damage with this attack.
Damage: When hit, a character immediately subtracts one die from the relevant
health for each defense failure. The player thereafter rolls that many fewer dice
when he defends. Health recovers at a rate of one per encounter.
Gronks Toughness is 6. He normally rolls six dice when defending against

physical attacks. But he took one point of damage, so he now rolls five
dice. After the encounter, he recovers one Toughness, returning him to 6.
Strength: This is the maximum damage that can be dealt by a weapon in an
attack. A player may roll his characters full Weaponry skill, but he must then
discard dice beginning with the lowest until he reaches the limit imposed by the
weapons strength. Creatures with no skill always roll an attacks strength to hit.
Gronk has the skill Weaponry 3, but is fighting with a dagger. He rolls his
three skill dice when attacking and gets a 4, 2, and 1. Because the dagger
has Strength 1, he must discard the 1 and 2, and so the defender must
only defeat the 4 to succeed at avoiding the damage.
Armor/Focus/Auspice: Armor is added to Toughness when rolling for physical
defense, Focus to Knowledge for mental, and Auspice to Sanity for spiritual.
These cannot normally be damaged except under very unusual circumstances.
Gronk wears Imperial Breaker armor, which has the property [armor 3]. His
Toughness becomes 6+3 while wearing it. These three additional dice are
rolled alongside Toughness whenever defending against a physical attack,
but they cannot be reduced by failures.
Sneak Attack: Sneak attacks may be attempted if a character is hidden. Melee
Game Mechanics |9
sneak attack rolls suffer -1 to the result per stone of the weapon used; ranged
sneak attacks suffer no penalty. Sneak attacks allow the attacker to choose
which defender dice to apply each die to, even matching multiple dice by
adding their values together. Each roll must still be equal or greater than the
defending dice. Defenders roll VIT in place of Toughness vs. sneak attacks.
Gronk attempts to sneak attack using a greatsword, a Str 3 weapon that

weighs 3 stone. He rolls 1, 3, 5. His weapon encumbers by 3, so each roll
suffers -3, giving him a final result of 0, 0, 2. He should stick to daggers.
An assassin sneaks up to plunge a dagger deep into a target's back. He
is using a dagger, a 0-stone weapon, so his attack roll is unmodified. His
weaponry skill is 4, so he rolls four dice to attack and gets 5, 4, 3, and 1.
A dagger is a strength 1 weapon, so he only uses the highest die (5) and
discards the rest. The defender has Toughness 4 and wears a chainmail
shirt with Armor 2. But he relies on AGL for Toughness. When defending
against sneak attacks, he may not use AGL, instead using the highest of
his VIT or PER. The target rolls four dice to defend. He gets 6 and 6 for
his armor, and 3, 1, 1 for his VIT. Because the attacker is hidden, he
chooses how to match the dice. He ignores the 6s and matches his 5
with the targets 3, 1, 1. His sneak attack deals three damage, reducing
the targets Toughness to 0, killing him with that one blow.
Charging & Mounted Combat: Attacks involving a charge towards an opponent
make use of the Might skill. A charging character must be within one move of
his opponent, and must charge as his first action on a turn. His move and attack
are considered one action, and he gets a +1 bonus to the Might die results. He
must them make a second move action as a follow through. The charge may be
dodged using AGL, or may be countered with Might. In the case of a counter,
any of the attackers dice that are unmatched are counted as successes.
SOCIAL INTERACTION
Social Combat: Social combat works similarly to physical combat, except that
instead of Weaponry, the attacker uses the Civics skill, and the target defends
with his Sanity. Unlike physical combat, any unmatched social attack dice are
considered successes. Also unlike physical combat, after social combat has
been resolved and the encounter has ended, depleted health (Sanity) recovers
fully. The shame of losing face still lasts forever, though.
Charismatic Character Option: Some characters are unschooled, but can
still work a crowd and effectively shame another person. To reflect this, you
may wish to use this social combat option. The character who initiates the
social attack rolls his Civics skill as normal, but his die results are limited to
a minimum of his EMI. For example, a character with Civics 2 and EMI 4
would roll two dice for his skill, and any roll of 1, 2, or 3 would be raised to 4.
10 | G a m e
Mechanics
Morale: Most combat against unintelligent creatures will not result in their total
death. Predators prefer easy kills, and will retreat quickly if their prey presents a
decent threat. To reflect this, unintelligent creatures will always attack until their
Grit has been fully expended. Then they will flee by the most expeditious
means. A creature that is denied a chance to escape will fight to the death.
TRUE MAGIC ITEMS

Some items contain within them a delayed effect spell. While this is, indeed,
magic, it is not a true magic item, but rather a single use object. True magic
items are rare in the post-apocalyptic world of the Godsfall. These items have
been crafted by necromancers as a vessel in which they can trap a tiny sliver of
a departed spirit. This fragment still possesses a small amount of sentience and
will, and it is this fragment that powers the magic item. Because it is still
prescient, the spirit must be cooperative for the user to manifest its power.
Invoking the Spirit: To invoke the effect of a magical item, a user must assuage
its spirit. Each magical item has a motivation as part of its stats. If the user
aggressively pursues goals that are closely aligned with the spirits, the magical
item will be cooperative. The goals may be specific acts, omission of acts, a
manner of talking, a state of being, a favorite color, the targeting of an individual
person, or any number of other things. If the spirits goals have not been met,
the user may not attempt to manifest the items power.
Item Personality Option: Some play groups get more into the personal
interaction of the characters than others. For these groups, consider the
following option. In addition to true magic items being obstinate spirits that
require convincing in order to activate, they could also have personalities.
Assign each true magic item an EMI score and Civics skill, with which they
may engage the owner or even other characters in social combat. Even
greater than the loss of face to another character is the loss of face to an
inanimate object.
Uncooperative Magical Items: The fragmented spirits of the dead are fickle. If a
user fails to act according to the true magic items wishes, that item will quickly
become uncooperative. The item is not indifferent; that is represented by a
failure to invoke a magical effect. Rather, the item will act contrary to the user.
The item will cause a -1 penalty to all die results involving the uncooperative
item. It will also manifest its power at the most inconvenient times. Flaming
swords will immolate while sheathed, fog-weavers will suck precipitation
towards the user when in a torrential downpour, and auras of comfort will warm
the character on hot days under a desert sun. In the worst cases, when the user
has acted in direct contradiction of the items desires, it will begin forming
alliances with any nearby true magic items and cooperating to undermine him.
G a m e M e c h a n i c s | 11
ENRICHMENTS
The core text of the Starter Set adventures is
meant to be as tightly written and streamlined in
play as possible. They were meant to be palette
cleansers and quick one-off sessions. However,
some play groups prefer deeper and more
immersive settings, even for these introductory
type adventures. For those players, we have
included text boxes with additional information.
Information may be revealed to players with proper
skill checks. We suggest a difficulty of 6 for
information that would be remote to a characters
background (e.g., an ogre warriors understanding
of dragon burial rituals), down to 2+ for information
that would likely be known (for example an Imperial
Breakers knowledge of other Imperial military
units).
Blue boxes contain additional information that will
enrich player understanding of their environment.
The information isnt necessary for the adventures,
but the clearer mental image of the world may help
players become more invested. This information
could be revealed to characters with appropriate
history or similar skill checks, with a difficulty
dependant on their background.
Yellow boxes contain additional information
regarding that specific encounter. You can ignore
this, or rewrite it entirely, and the encounter will still
be a viable one. But if you choose to keep the
encounter exactly as it is, the yellow box will
contain additional information that characters may
reveal with successful Wildlands or similar skill
checks.
Green text boxes provide additional information
and suggestions for running the encounter with the
unaltered rule set. If you are using your own house
rules, some of these may no longer apply to the
situation.
ENVIRONMENT
These text boxes
add information
that can enrich
your
perception
of environments
your character is
in, typically with
additional back
story about places
or organizations.
ENCOUNTER
These text boxes
add information
that can enrich
your
perception
of an encounter
characters face,
often including
information and
description of a
species.
RULES
These text boxes
add information
that can ease the
burden of play by
offering pointers,
quick tips, and
advice about a
situation
that
the group has just
found itself in.
SKRYT (her real name is unpronounceable)

Machandrian Pariah (Fate: 3)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 5
VIT 1
INT 3
DIS 2
PER 7
EMI 3
SKILLS
Toughness 7+2
Grit 1
Knowledge 7
Foresight 2
Sanity 7
Willpower 3
Athletics: Grace 5, Stamina 1

Militancy: Weaponry 2
Subtlety: Experience: Wildlands 3
Training: Power: -
ABILITIES
Exoskeleton: [Armor 1]
Arachnoid: +2 Grace results involving balance, Stamina results involving
climbing, and Might results to maintain footing and position
Poison: [Str 1] Str 2 vs. physical for 3 turns, costs 1 Grit to use
ACCOUTREMENTS
Carapace Armor: [Armor 1, 0 st.]
Touch of Winter: [0 st., EMI 5+, hates fires] thin silken glove animated by
a fragment of an ancient elementalists spirit, adds +1 to each result of any
roll that would benefit from the presence of ice
Guardian Staff: [Str 1, 1 st., EMI 6+, loves melee] crooked shepherd staff
animated by a fragment of a famous duelist, may parry on any turn during
which the staff was not, and will not be, used to attack, granting Armor 1
SUMMARY
Skryt is a hideous spidery thing who walks openly in the Wildlands.
DESCRIPTION
Skryt rejects the traditional cobweb robes her kind normally wears.
Instead, she embraces her horrific visage and allows every creature to see
what she is. Her exoskeleton is a darker red-purple than others of her kind.
BACKGROUND
The machandrian mastery of the elements is unmatched by any other
race since the Godsfall. But druidic magic always evaded Skryt. She grew up
an utterly detested pariah in the Gloomwood and eventually left her kind.
MOTIVATION
More than anything, Skryt toils daily to demonstrate that to be good
or evil is the personal choice of every individual, rather than a racial trait.
ARASMAS
Elfish Monk of the Temple of Heaven (Fate: 1)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 5
VIT 2
INT 3
DIS 4
PER 6
EMI 1
Toughness 6
Grit 2
Knowledge 6
Foresight 3
Sanity 6
Willpower 1
SKILLS
Subtlety: Experience: Gardening 1
Training: History 2
Power: Mysticism 3
MYSTIC MASTERIES
Endless Cloud Walk: [Mysticism 3+, 1 action] run across water surface, up
a wall, or leap full move distance, half if straight up
Iron Mantis Hurricane: [Mysticism 4+, full turn action] make three attacks
using one roll against a targets aspect of your choice
Perfect Emptiness: [Mysticism 5+, 1 action] heal yourself for one point of
any health by taking one point of damage to any other health
ACCOUTREMENTS
Elfish Staff: [Str 1, 1 st] +1 AGL to attack with this as 3rd action
Backpack: [1 st] mostly carefully packed sprouts
SUMMARY
Arasmas is a small, wandering tree-elf with a simple pack overflowing
with sprouting herbs and flowering plants.
DESCRIPTION
Somewhat smaller and lighter built than even other tree-elves,
Arasmas remains keen of sight and fleet of foot. His distant feline ancestry
is especially pronounced in his face and long tail. He is calm and aloof and
loves long and frequent naps, but can be a furious hellion at need.
BACKGROUND
He spent his entire life as a monk tending the gardens in the hidden
Temple of Heaven. Recently, the Cloister sent him into the Wildlands to
search for new plants with which to diversify their dwindling gardens.
MOTIVATION
His goal is to obtain edible or medicinal plants without revealing the
existence of the Temple. He takes obsessive care of his sprouts and gets
excited upon finding a new species that he may be able to transplant.
KHIRI
Valkyrie Bounty Hunter (Fate: 7)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 2
VIT 2
INT 3
DIS 5
PER 2
EMI 7
Toughness 2
Grit 2
Knowledge 5
Foresight 3
Sanity 7
Willpower 2
SKILLS
Athletics: Grace 2, Stamina 1, Might 1
Militancy: Weaponry 2, Warding 1
Subtlety: Stealth 1
Experience: Training: Power: Nethermancy 2, Necromancy (A) 1
NETHERMANTIC MASTERIES
Animate Elements: [Nethermancy 6+; 3 actions] animate elements, may
be sustained while awake and aware, nethermancy suffers -1 penalty per
elemental sustained. Earth elementals have VIT 6, water PER 6, air AGL 6,
and fire EMI 6 and unarmed strikes are flaming. All other traits are 1.
Astral Projection: [Nethermancy 6+, channeled action] leave body and
travel in incorporeal form; her body is capable of and vulnerable to
physical and mental effects, her incorporeal form to spiritual effects
NECROMANTIC MASTERIES
Wraithsight: [Necromancy (A) 3+] gain bonus to PER results to detect a
target equal to the targets EMI. This is a passive mastery.
ACCOUTREMENTS
Short Spear: [Str 3, 1 st,]
Mithril Dueling Armor: [Armor 2, 1 st]
SUMMARY
Khiri is an angelic woman who tracks and captures escaped shades.
DESCRIPTION
Vaguely human but radiant in poise and presence, Khiri is obviously
not native. Like all Valkyries, she wears an iconic pearlescent feather cloak.
BACKGROUND
Khiri was sucked into the Rift as a child and has no memory of her
home. She grew up in the Wildlands under the tutelage of other Valkyries.
MOTIVATION
Khiri wants to earn her place as a hunter of escaped shades.
Ultimately, she wants to return to her native home in the heavens..
TYK (her real name is unpronounceable)

Machandrian Druid of the Society of the Leaf (Fate: 2)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 7
VIT 1
INT 3
DIS 3
PER 5
EMI 2
SKILLS
Toughness 7+1
Grit 1
Knowledge 5
Foresight 3
Sanity 5
Willpower 2

Militancy: Subtlety: Experience: Streetwise 1, Wildlands 2
Training: Arcane 3
Power: -
ABILITIES
Exoskeleton: [Armor 1]
Arachnoid: +2 Grace results involving balance, Stamina results involving
climbing, and Might results to maintain footing and position
Poison: [Str 1] Str 2 vs. physical for 3 turns, costs 1 Grit to use
ARCANE SPELLS
Mosspad: [Arcane 4+, 1 action, patch of moss] +2 to Stealth skill
Blizzard: [Arcane 3+, 1 action, wolf eye] Strength 3 for 2 turns, ranged
Spiderweb: [Arcane 2+, 1 action, cobweb] ignores armor, deals no damage,
target suffers -1 action per success
ACCOUTREMENTS
Spiderweb Clothing
Staff: [Str 1, 1 st.]
Purse of Reagents: 8 patches of moss, 5 cobwebs, 3 wolf eyes
SUMMARY
Tyk is a robed spider-person that moves with unnatural quickness.
DESCRIPTION
She is as tall as any man, but quite spindly. Much of her height comes
from long, thin legs. Her creepy spider web robes hide most of her body.
She is talkative, serious, and assertive, but tries to hide her wicked temper.
BACKGROUND
She grew up in the sacred druid city, Nemeton, learning to live at one
with the world around her. The High Inquisitor recently sent her into the
Wildlands on a secret mission. She returns monthly to update her findings.
MOTIVATION
She is piously scouting strongholds of technology in the Wildlands.
THRYM
Dwarfish Scout for the Sky Mountain (Fate: 1)

ATTRIBUTES
AGL 2 (1)
VIT 4
INT 5
DIS 6
PER 3
EMI 1
Toughness 4+1
Grit 2 (1)
Knowledge 6
Foresight 5
Sanity 3
Willpower 1
SKILLS
Athletics: Grace 2 (1), Stamina 2, Might 2
Subtlety: Legerdemain 1
Experience: Streetwise 1, Wildlands 5
Training: Technology 1
Power: -
ABILITIES
Book of Memory: [weightless (1 st. per Knowledge to non-dwarves), +3 to
Knowledge results vs. mental attacks; physical attack results of 6 against a
dwarf cause both mental and physical damage] This huge book records all
thoughts and experiences as they happen, making dwarves nearly immune
to mental attacks. Their books are still susceptible to physical damage.
ACCOUTREMENTS
Armor [Armor 1, 1 st]
Axe: [Str 2, 2 st]
Throwing Hammer: [Str 2, 2 st., Might 1+ to throw, ignores Armor]
Thrym typically begins a fight by throwing this (range: 1 move)
SUMMARY
Thrym is one of the few dwarves left who still walks the earth.
DESCRIPTION
As gruff and melancholic as any dwarf, Thrym sometimes balances
that with vigor in his search for a suitable location for the dwarves to
settle. He is short and thick, weathered and world-weary, and possesses an
encyclopedic knowledge of the Wildlands.
BACKGROUND
Born during the cataclysmic Godsfall, Thrym has a proud heritage. His
own father helped design the Frame and install it over the Rift to seal it.
Thrym grew up on the Sky Mountain, but volunteered to return to the
ground and help search for a new home for the dying dwarves.
MOTIVATION
Thrym desires nothing more than to find a possible home for his kin.
He truly fears the ultimate death and extinction of his kind.
SHRIKE
Tengu Wildlands Courier and Storyteller (Fate: 3)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 4 (3)
VIT 2
INT 3
DIS 5
PER 4
EMI 3
SKILLS
Toughness 4+2
Grit 2
Knowledge 5
Foresight 3
Sanity 4
Willpower 2
Athletics: Grace 4 (3), Stamina 2

Subtlety: Experience: Storytelling 2, Wildlands 3
Training: Power: -
ABILITIES
Avian: may fly for VIT turns; may only fly if her AGL is not reduced by
encumbrance, must rest for number of turns flown before flying again
Songbird: [EMI 5+, full turn action] +1 to next Storytelling roll per success
ACCOUTREMENTS
Leather Armor: [Armor 1, 1 st.]
Longsword: [Str 2, 1 st.]
Longbow: [Str 2, 1 st., ranged]
Quiver: [1 st.] 20 arrows
Backpack: [3 st.] thick bedroll, calligraphy set, basic tool kit, tinderbox,
aged traveler gear, myriad trinkets, ornaments, and baubles from distant
isolated settlements (most of which actually do have some purpose)
SUMMARY
Shrike is a gentle tengu content to simply wander the WIldlands.
DESCRIPTION
She is perpetually cheerful, she accepting harsh events with a feathered
shrug. She wears aged, worn, filthy gear of modest quality, but takes
obsessive care of her wings, which she is somewhat vain about. Her pack is
filled with all manner of strange and foreign novelties from the Wildlands.
BACKGROUND
Shrike has been wandering the Wildlands her entire life. She has made
a decent living as a courier and occasional storyteller. She is on good terms
with the headman of every settlement she has visited.
MOTIVATION
She has never called any place home, mostly because she remains
uninterested in any regime. She prefers the freedom to wander at will.
TLUKE
Krrrylian Jester of the Carnival of Fools (Fate: 3)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 6
VIT 2
INT 6
DIS 3
PER 3
EMI 1
Toughness 6
Grit 2
Knowledge 6
Foresight 3
Sanity 3
Willpower 1
SKILLS
Militancy: Subtlety: Legerdemain 6, Stealth 1
Experience: Entertain 2
Training: Power: ADEPTNESS
Grace Adeptness: add Grace to skill attempts involving precise movement,

such as nimble melee attacks and entertainment with acrobatics and dance.
These additional dice succeed on 6+. This is not an additional action.
Legerdemain Adeptness: add Legerdemain to all other skill attempts that
would benefit from trickery and distraction, such as shows involving stage
magic and parlor tricks, and sneak attacks. These additional dice only
succeed on 6+. This is not an additional action.
ACCOUTREMENTS
Jester Costume: [weightless] motley outfit and cockscomb replete with
jingle bells and flowing sashes; +1 to results of all Entertain attempts
Maypole: [Str 1, 1 st. standoff] staff tipped with myriad colored streamers of
satin and woven leather, may be used as a staff, whip, or gymnastic ribbon
Bauble: [Str 1, 1 st.] mock scepter tipped with a puppet head of a jester
SUMMARY
TLuke is a nomadic jester who performs shows for food and lodging.
DESCRIPTION
Covered from head to toe in motley, multilayered clothing, his race is
not obvious. He often skips about rather than walking, and his giggly,
scatter-brained manner of speech helps obscure what is actually a geniuslevel intellect. He is never seen without his makeup and costume.
BACKGROUND
TLuke, like all krrryl in the Wildlands, never discusses his background.
MOTIVATION
He is primarily concerned with entertaining enough to earn a living.
Failing that, he can often steal what is not given to him. Entertaining is a
living, but not necessarily a very good one.
MUKOR MANY-FINGERS
Merman Necromancer of the Banshee Bog (Fate: 5)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 3
VIT 2
INT 5
DIS 5
PER 1
EMI 5
Toughness 3
Grit 2
Knowledge 5
Foresight 5
Sanity 5
Willpower 1
SKILLS
Militancy: Subtlety: Sabotage 1, Stealth 1
Experience: Streetwise 1, Wildlands 2
Training: Power: Nethermancy 5
ABILITIES
Teeth & Claws: [Str 1]
Amphibious: hold breath indefinitely, swim at full speed
MYSTIC MASTERIES
Animate Corpse: [Nethermancy 6+, 2 actions] animate a corpse with all
stats 1 by splitting off sliver of consciousness and inhabiting a dead body,
may maintain control of animated corpse freely on subsequent turns, but
his Nethermancy skill suffers -1 per corpse animated as he splits his spirit.
ACCOUTREMENTS
Haversack: [1 st] maps of burial sites, weird talismans, creepy relics
SUMMARY
Mukor is a thin, slimy merman who broods over his bone collection.
DESCRIPTION
Mukor seems more dead fish than living being: pale scaled, gaunt
faced, and speaking in guttural whispers. Long claws, razor teeth, and
twitching fins give him an unsettling visage. Moody and melancholic, he
gets morbidly excited when he finds a gravesite.
BACKGROUND
He grew up studying the mausoleums of ancient fallen kingdoms.
The Bishop sent him into the Wildlands to locate new barrows, burial
mounds, battlefields, and graveyards with fresh corpses to collect.
MOTIVATION
Knowing others are horrified by his ways, he keeps his necromancy a
secret. He has already discovered many sites, but is always interested in
finding more to add to his maps.
CHORSLAD
Elfish Black Dragon Pirate (Fate: 1)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 5
VIT 3
INT 2
DIS 6
PER 4
EMI 1
Toughness 5
Grit 3
Knowledge 6
Foresight 2
Sanity 4
Willpower 1
SKILLS
Subtlety: Experience: Civics 1, Sailing 2
Training: Power: Animism 1
ANIMISM MASTERIES
Wild Dominion: [Animism 3+, 1 action] may engage a mammal in social
combat to convince it to do his bidding for a number of turns equal to his
highest Civics result. Dominated animals cannot normally be convinced to
engage in self-destructive behavior, but are otherwise cooperative.
ACCOUTREMENTS
Sword [Str 3, 2 st]
Sea Serpent Scale Armor: [Armor 2, 1 st] rare and unusually effective, this
armor marks the wearer as a member of the Black Dragon Pirates
SUMMARY
Chorslad is an elf pirate trying to make his way back to his fleet.
DESCRIPTION
Years with the Black Dragon Pirates have shaped and molded Chorslad
into an aggressive, bronze-skinned warrior who combines experience,
quickness, and strength with an uncanny affinity for animals. Elfish by
ancestry, he relentlessly pursues anything that he decides is his prey.
BACKGROUND
Chorslad.spent many years with the Black Dragon Pirates, sailing the
Southern Seas in black frigates animated by the spirits of dragons. He was
captured in a failed raid and imprisoned in Emperors Stand. He has
recently finished serving his sentence for thievery and been released.
MOTIVATION
He desires nothing in the world more than to return to his fleet and his
piratical ways. There might be other jobs that he could do in the meantime,
but he doesnt feel as competent at anything as he does with sailing.
GRONK
Free-born Ogrish Imperial Breaker (Fate: 1)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 4 (1)
VIT 6
INT 3
DIS 6
PER 1
EMI 1
Toughness 6
Grit 4 (1)
Knowledge 6
Foresight 3
Sanity 1
Willpower1
SKILLS
Athletics: Grace 4 (1), Stamina 2, Might 4
Subtlety: Sabotage 1, Stealth 1
Experience: Wildlands 1
Training: Power: -
ACCOUTREMENTS
Potion of Health: [Arcane 2+, level 4, 0 st.] heals 1 point of health of
choice per success rolled
Ogrish Breaker Armor: [Armor 2 (3 to defend), 2 st.}
7x Ogrish Greatsword: [Str 3 (5 to hit), 4 st., Might 1+ to use] he is fond
of throwing these (range: 1 move, -1 to weaponry die results if thrown)
SUMMARY
Gronk is an aging ogre soldier with a bandolier of throwing swords.
DESCRIPTION
Gronk looks every bit an ogre: freakishly tall, thickly built. His freeborn origin is obvious. Slave-borns have long, shaggy manes, while freeborns are hairless, for reasons nobody has discovered yet. Like other ogres,
he has a boiling temper that is barely held in check, ready to explode into
violent action at any moment.
BACKGROUND
He is a member of the Plainswalkers, the only free-born ogre tribe in
the world. His tribe was freed from enslavement by the Empire. As
payment for Imperial blood spilled in freeing them, they swore an eternal
blood-debt. Most ogres became laborers; Gronk joined the elite Breakers,
an all-ogre commando famous for raging tempers and breaking defensive
fortifications.
MOTIVATION
Nearing the end of his 14-year term of service, he spends his free time
in the Wildlands, following rumors of slave-born ogre tribes to free. He
knows that revolutions make enemies, so he keeps his goals a secret.
MALAK
Sand-Elf Apothecary of the Everstorm (Fate: 3)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 2
VIT 1
INT 7
DIS 7
PER 1
EMI 3
Toughness 2
Grit 1
Knowledge 7
Foresight 7
Sanity 3
Willpower 1
SKILLS
Subtlety: Experience: Herbalism 3, Wildlands 1
Training: Alchemy 3, Leechcraft 6
Power: -
ADEPTNESS
Leechcraft Adeptness: add Leechcraft to all other skill attempts that would
benefit from medical knowledge, such as a precise melee attack. These
additional dice only succeed on 6+. This is not an additional action.
ACCOUTREMENTS
Javelin: [Str 1(3 to hit), 1 st., range 1 move when thrown]
Desert Robes: [weightless] +1 free Grit per turn to resist the adverse effects
of a desert environment
SUMMARY
Malak is an elfish apothecary who has fled the violent Everstorm..
DESCRIPTION
Like all sand-elves, Malak is tall (almost freakishly so), thin (freakishly
so), and languid (very freakishly so). Raised in a desert, he is accustomed
to preserving energy at all cost, for food is anything but abundant.
BACKGROUND
Beyond the Godsrest crater is the violent desert region known as the
Everstorm. The divine presence of the Sleeping God had crept into that
mountainous region and reduced it to a chaotic nightmare of deadly
storms. This is where Malak was born and raised, though it was simply a
desert for most of his life, until the Godsfall. Like most of his kin, he
recently abandoned the Everstorm in search of a safer place to call home.
The Wildlands certainly have more predictable and survivable weather
patterns. But he is certainly not accustomed to the abundance of life.
MOTIVATION
Malak is looking for a suitable place to live, but he feels crowded in
the Wildlands. The Everstorm is treacherous, but he is still considering
returning to the beautiful desolation of his desert homeland.
DORIAN
Orcish Knight of the Academy of Science (Fate: 1)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 2 (1)
VIT 3
INT 6
DIS 5
PER 4
EMI 1
Toughness 4
Grit 2(1)
Knowledge 6
Foresight 5
Sanity 4
Willpower 1
SKILLS
Athletics: Grace 2 (1), Stamina 3
Subtlety: Sabotage 1
Experience: Civics 3, Wildlands 1
Training: Technology 4
Power: -
ACCOUTREMENTS
Elfish Clothing
Orcish Axe: [Str 2, 1 st] defender Armor is -1 against this weapon
Archaeotech Shockrod: [Technology 6+, Str 3, 2 st.] target suffers -1
action on his next turn per success
Archaeotech Surveyor: [Technology 5+, 1 st.] draws a basic map of the
surroundings out to 1 mile in 3 turns
Backpack: [2 st.] dozens of maps of the Wildlands, several books on First
Ones ruins, unidentified First Ones artifact, mundane gear
SUMMARY
Dorian is a technologist who is secretly mapping the Wildlands.
DESCRIPTION
Thought tall and thickly furred, like all orcs, Dorian has led a cerebral
life. His eyes are bright and bespeak a cunning mind. Hell never be a circus
acrobat, and he knows it. He is uncomfortable in crowds, but talkative if
relaxed. He surprises most with his exquisite hygiene and refined speech.
BACKGROUND
Dorian was born into the Academy of Science. Like all his peers, he
served as a page, squire, and yeoman for years before earning the right to
lead expeditions. He has yet to find a suitable ruin for his first dig.
MOTIVATION
He secretly scouts the Wildlands for rumors or signs of First Ones
ruins. He dogmatically believes that only members of the Academy are
enlightened enough to be trusted with archaeotech and fully subscribes to
the belief that common folk should never be allowed to use archaeotech.
36 | T h e
THIEVES of EAGLE ROCK
I. HANDLER
- meet prospective employer & learn about the job
- decide how the group will attempt to solve the problem
EMPERORS STAND
In the aftermath of the
Godsfall, dozens of devilish
otherdimensional entities
flooded through the Rift
and rampaged across the
Wildlands.
One such demon marauder
ravaged the ruins of an old
city that had crumbled in
the Godsfall. That creature
hunted humans nearly to
extinction. The last living
knight rallied humankind
and took a stand in those
ruins. He defeated the
demonic thing in personal
combat.
The demons inert body was
placed on a tall stand to
commemorate the saving of
mankind, the brave knight
became the Emperor, and
the city of Emperors Stand
was founded
The characters have gathered

in a tent on the outskirts of Emperors
Stand, the fortress built on the ruins of a
pre-Godsfall city. They have been
summoned by a senior member of the
Mercenary Guild. When a Guild board
member needs the characters help, it is
sure to result in a decent wage.
A curious man flings the tent
flaps aside and strides purposefully to
the head of the table where they are
seated. He sweeps his magnificent cloak
aside and sits. The man is old in an
elfish sort of way, but his features are
sharper and his build lighter. He has an
almost avian look about him.
Thank you for coming. My
name is Handler. Ive a matter of some
urgency and can no longer rely on the
good graces of the Emperor to see it
tended to. The Guild has been testing a
secret new route to the Westmill farms
over the Eagle Rock pass, but our
caravans have come under attack.
T h e T H I E V E S o f E A G L E R O C K | 37
Handler goes on to explain
how, when a caravan was slaughtered
expertly, he informed the Emperor. The
Emperor immediately dispatched a
The GUILD
platoon of light cavalry from the City
The
Empire
lacks
the
Watch to patrol the Snake, the rough
wealth to maintain a
twisty road that leads up and over the
standing army. Only the
pass. That seemed to have taken care
Thunder
Rider
cavalry
of the problem. His caravans crossed
and Breaker infantry are
full-time soldiers. To fill
unharmed for many weeks after that.
the gap, the Mercenary
But the caravans have recently come
Guild has a monopoly on
under attack again, and he cannot
wilderness scouts, caravan
imagine why. Though certainly capable
guards and the city watch.
of investigating this matter on his own,
The Guild then contracts
these to the Imperial Army
Handler has much business to tend to,
in times of war if the
with other caravans to coordinate,
Emperor is in their favor
guards to hire and train, and the Guild
and the war to their liking
to help run. He would rather contract a
third party to take care of this
pedestrian matter for him so that he can
tend to matters that cannot be addressed by others.
The oddest part of the puzzle is Ive heard rumor the cavalry was
relieved by the Thunder Riders before the attacks began anew. So, for obvious
reasons, I am reluctant to take this to the Emperor. I will pay the sum of 90
silver loaves for the discreet finding and capturing or killing of these thieves.
Ninety loaves is a decent sum; a standard days wages is two.

Handlers mastery of that
winding road over the haunted Eagle
Rock pass, sometimes called the
Snake, is how he makes the trip to the
THUNDER RIDERS
Westmill farmlands faster than other
caravans. If unable to make the pass,
The elite Thunder Riders
are a fierce heavy cavalry
his caravans will be forced to take the
of crusading warriors who
Twilight Road south around the
have tamed and trained
Dragonleap Range like the other
rhinos as mounts. The
merchants.
Emperor himself was the
last of their company when
Handler is fabulously wealthy,
he founded the Empire in
but players shouldnt feel bad about
the ruins of the old city.
working for him. He remains humble,
Their devoted loyalty to the
industrious, and loved in the Empire for
Emperor and his ideals is a
consistently tithing 10% of profits to
forgone conclusion.
charity. He is also famous for securing
the Wildlands south of the Emperors
38 | T h e
Stand, building the Twilight Road to the

Westmill
farmlands,
and
funding
construction
on
a
chain
of
inns,
each
an
The SILVER LOAF
easy days march away from each other
along the road. He also sits on the board
The standard of currency
within the Empire and in
of directors for the Guild and can get the
nearby settlements is the
characters regular work if they impress
Imperial loaf. Minted after
him in this endeavor.
the Godsfall, this silver coin
TIME TABLE: Handler is keen
is secured by the Royal
to get thing started as soon as possible.
Granary. On the grain
standard, one coin can be
SUPPLIES: Handler provides a
turned in to the Treasury
crude map that gives little detail about
in exchange for grain from
the Snake; he is keen on maintaining his
the Royal Granary enough
trade secrets. The map indicates they
for one loaf of bread
will pass through the northern edge of a
Handlers securing of the
forest and enter the mountains on the
Twilight Road to Westmill
first day. On the second day they will
made having this currency
cross a river and climb above the tree
standard possible, which
line and into the snowy peaks of Eagle
likely saved the Empire.
Rock. They will arrive at the pass on the
third day, after which they will drop back
down into the tree line. By the end of the
fifth day they should be down in the foothills just above the Westmill prairie and
will be able to see the expansive farms before them, stretching to the distant
horizon.
NEGOTIATING: If the players
want to negotiate with Handler for a
WESTMILL FARMS
higher fee and you would like to play it
out as social combat, review the rules for
Before the Godsfall, the
social combat and find out which
Westmill farms supported a
huge portion of the nearby
character is going to do the talking.
human nations. Though
Handler will defend with his Sanity 6
the land is still fertile, it
against the characters Civics skill, and
hasnt been cared for, and
will attack with Civics 3 versus the
so much of it is overgrown.
characters Sanity. Handler will also
Still, there is more produce
to be had on these plains
make full use of his Willpower and
than in all of the other
Foresight in this encounter. He is, after
lands
in
the
Empire
all, a wise old merchant lord and not
combined.
inexperienced in negotiating fees. The
characters will have little leverage, but
you may choose to grant one bonus
Willpower for this encounter if the negotiating character can come up with a
compelling reason for Handler to hire this specific group, and/or one bonus
Foresight if the negotiator comes up with a reasonable cause for higher pay.
SOLO: If the players decide to
investigate the disappearances on their
own, play the adventure as it is written.
Most players will choose to do this.
The TWILIGHT ROAD
ACCOMPANIED: If the players
The Dragonleap Mountains
request to accompany the next caravan,
separate Emperors Stand
skip the spider encounter. Handler has
from the Westmill farms.
conditioned the spiders to ignore the
Handler led expedition
caravans by hanging wind chimes and
after expedition south from
the city, many days travel,
blue lanterns on the wagons and
past the haunted, leafless
slaughtering creatures that approach.
Bloodwood, past the naked
Such a pedestrian trick hasnt worked on
peak of Bald Mountain, to
thieves, though. Caravan crews are
the
very
edge
of
the
Dragonleap range. Then
uninteresting commoners with all stats 2.
he crossed through the
ATTACK: If the players are
goothills and turned north
dumb enough to engage Handler in battle
for an equal number of
(dont laugh, this happened in a playtest
days to reach the farms. He
and the GM asked for full stats for
made this trip dozens of
times, slaying bandits and
Handler), they find he is a deadly
predatory wildlife and all
opponent with no fear of combat. After
manner
of
marauding
all, this man tamed the Wildlands and
monsters before the route
built the Twilight Road. He will throw a
became safe enough for
smokeseed, and then sneak attack with
general travel. Though he
did not originally intend
his dazzleblade. He will short work of
to create a road, his
them, ignoring any pitiful cry for mercy.
constant travel stamped
They started it; hell finish it. Hes killed
out a trail. When other
so many enemies that another few wont
caravans began making
the same trip, Handler
matter to him.
funded the construction of
PREPARING: Handler wont be
a network of inns along
resistant to paying a portion of the fee up
the trail, in which the
front partly because he owns half the
caravans could rest and
shops in town. There is no chance they
restock their supplies. The
dailu caravans that now
will squander the money and ask for
follow
his
route
have
more. Though it is the capital of the
trampled
out
a
wellEmpire, Emperors Stand suffers from the
defined road.
draconian food rationing enacted by the
Emperor as part of his attempts to secure
trade. There is little available for
purchase anywhere in the city, besides
fundamental necessities.
OVERNIGHT: The group is invited to sleep on straw pallets on the
floor or in a loft. A small fire crackles through the night to keep them warm.
Upon waking, Handler will feed them a hearty breakfast of rye bread, ale, and
cheese, and offer them smoked fish to take with them for their midday meal.
HANDLER, HERO of the EMPIRE

Krrrylian Co-director of the Mercenary Guild (Fate: 15)
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 5
VIT 4
INT 6
DIS 7
PER 6
EMI 4
Toughness 6
Grit 4
Knowledge 7
Foresight 6
Sanity 6
Willpower 4
SKILLS
Subtlety: Sabotage 1, Stealth 1
Experience: Civics 3, Wildlands 3
Training: Leechcraft 1, Technology 2
Power: -
ACCOUTREMENTS
Archaeotech Dazzleblade: [Technology 3+, Str 2(5), 1 st.]
Archaeotech Elixir: [Technology 4+, 0 st., 1 action] heal 1 Toughness
Archaeotech Wheezer: [Technology 5+, 0 st.] hold breath indefinitely
Elfish Mithril Dueling Armor: [Armor 3, 0 st.]
Razorleaf 5x: [Arcane 3+, level 2, Str 1, weightless] short range
Skeleton Key: [Arcane 5+, level 1, 0 st.] open any lock
Smokeseed 2x: [Arcane 5+, level 2, 0 st.] creates cloud of smoke 3 moves
in diameter, +3 to Stealth skill for anyone inside the cloud, lasts 1 turn
Shatterstone 3x: [Arcane 3+, level 3, Str 2, 0 st.] short range, defender
suffers -1 to Toughness results
SUMMARY
Handler is the richest and most influential being in Emperors Stand.
DESCRIPTION
Handler is krrrylian, a rare race distantly related to the feline elves. His
ears are larger and more pointed like than elves, and his eyes are large and
glow in dim light. Unlike most of his kind, his tail was not docked at birth.
BACKGROUND
Handler famously tamed the wilderness around the Dragonleap range
and pioneered the Twilight Road from the Westmill farmlands to
Emperors Stand during the Long Winter. He has a reputation for firm but
patient negotiations and generous charity within the Empire, and for
being a deadly and utterly merciless combatant outside it.
MOTIVATION
Handler truly wants to see the races of men flourish once again. And
if he happens to get filthy rich along the way, well, that wouldnt hurt.
42 | T h e
II. The DRAGONLEAP SPIDERS

- follow the Snake out of Emperors Stand to the west
- traverse the spider-controlled Eagle Rock wilderness
The low trees of the foothills give way to taller, thicker trees as the
caravan winds through towards the pass. The taller peaks ahead are like a
forest of frosted spears stabbing straight into the heavens. The weather grows
noticeably colder and the trees darker. The narrow path provides certain
footing, and is even enough for the wagons to traverse one at a time. The
following encounters may occur on day 2 in any combination, and in any order.
SPIDERWEB. The party sees a huge spider web stretched between
two trees. There is no spider in the web,
but the truly massive web spans the
entire clearing and looks big enough to
trap a deer. In fact, there appears to be
SPIDERS
an eagle caught in it, still clutching a
rabbit in its talons. It doesnt appear to
There are many types of
spiders in the Wildlands.
have been poisoned, yet, and is
But since the Godsfall, new
struggling to free itself.
and sentient spiders have
SPIDERS. Anyone succeeding
evolved.
at PER 4+ hears a creature hungrily
slurping at a fresh kill. Any character
Machandrians are one new
type. They live in the
succeeding at PER 5+ notices the dark
dismal murky Gloomwood
outlines of giant spider webs dotted with
beneath the woven branchsilk-wrapped prey overhead and hears a
roads of the ancient elvish
skittering tap-tap-tap. If they investigate
Kingdom of Skies.
the woods, they find a spider the size of
Another type is the giant
a large dog eating a webbed deer. It is
Dragonleap spider. Unlike
clearly not scared of them, but doesnt
the machandrian spiderbother them.
people,
the
Dragonleap
If the group attacks, one spider
spiders are larger than
per character hears the ruckus and
other spiders but have the
same physiology. They are
arrives on the following turn in search of
exceedingly
fast
and
a potential meal. They attack by
twitchy, but their bodies
ambushing from the giant webs high in
are poorly equipped to
the trees. Characters who noticed those
handle
the
gigantism.
Once highly territorial,
webs are not surprised. With a sizzling
they have discarded their
hiss, the spiders leap down. Their trapsolitary nature and have
like mandibles twitch hungrily, and their
begun
establishing
a
breath comes in loud, labored wheezes.
society in the Dragonleap
They make a frantic rush for the juiciest
range.
target.
GIANT DRAGONLEAP SPIDERS

ATTRIBUTES
AGL 7
VIT 3
PER 4
Toughness 7
Grit 3
Sanity 4
ABILITIES
Venomous Bite: [Str 1] Strength 2 physical poison for 6 turns
Entangle: [Str 3] ignores armor, deals no damage, target suffers -1 action
per success, target may free himself by spending 1 action for each of his
failures to remove the sticky webbing
Any character succumbing to
poison is dragged into the canopy webs
SECONDARY EFFECT
and wrapped up for a later feast.
If the characters kill or escape
The skills in The Godsfall
from the spiders, they may take a quick
RPG are intended to be
very broad and inclusive.
break during which they can bind
To reflect this, sometimes a
wounds, wipe the thick gobs of spider
skill may be attempted for
gore from their weapons, recover
a secondary effects. In
arrows, and catch their breath. Malak
these cases, the difficulty is
may attempt one Leechcraft 3+ per
increased
accordingly,
typically +3, so that only
wounded character. He may heal one
secondary effects with a
Toughness per success. Arasmas may
difficulty of 1, 2, or 3 may
also treat the wounded, though for him
be attempted. For example,
this is a secondary effect. He may
Gardeners
may
have
knowledge of medicinal
attempt one Gardening 6+ skill check
herbs, so it is reasonable to
per wounded character. He is able to
allow a Gardening skill
heal one Toughness per success.
attempt
at
a
higher
CAIRNS. Hard bends are
difficulty
in
place
of
marked by tall cairns. These piles of
Leechcraft. Note that this is
different from Adeptness,
stones are obviously not natural. In the
in
which
a
character
evening gloom the characters notice
always has the opportunity
that they glow with a flickering blue
to use a skill in a broader
flame. The flame goes out if the pile is
manner,
including
knocked over, and rocks removed from
difficulties of 4, 5, and 6.
the cairn dont glow independently of it.
VIEW. From this high up, the
view of the entire valley is spectacular.
The Twilight Road is an unmistakable streak that disappears to the south. The
impossible spire of Bald Mountain rises up into the clouds if they follow the
Dragonleap ridgeline. Down in the valley below Bald Mountain, the haunted
Bloodwood spills out to the east, right up to the edge of the Twilight Road.
44 | T h e
DRAGONS
Dragons are the largest
and most feared predator
in the world. These massive
reptiles grow to be the size
of the largest draft horses,
with thick bodies and four
massive clawed legs. Their
necks are short and ripple
with thick muscles, and
their sinuous tails make up
over half of their total
length. Enormous bat-like
wings give them a limited
ability to fly. Legends say
that dragons breathe fire.
Dragons do little to correct
this belief, In truth, they
have extremely high body
temperatures, and so can
then breath out scalding
hot air that can blister
and split another animals
skin. Dragons are heavily
scaled, and the older a
dragon gets the longer the
scales grow, so that the
oldest dragons have skin
that more resembles a coat
of spikes. Their scales range
from deep red to copper to
dark rusty brown.
Dragons are very solitary
creatures, and each one
rules over an area of
nearly 100 leagues square.
Nobody has ever seen a
dragon nest or witnessed a
dragon born. Nor has
anybody
witnessed
the
natural
death
of
a
dragon.
They
seem
to
appear as fully grown
adults, live for hundreds of
.years, and then depart the
world as adults.dragons.
To the east, past Emperors

Stand, the group can just make out the
Imperial Army encamped at the edge of
the Raging River, and on the other side,
the Kingdom of Skies and Gloomwood.
To the north, the Dragonleap
range turns east and stretches to the
horizon. Somewhere in those mountains
is the Godsrest, where the Sleeping God
slid to a stop and waits to be awakened.
DRAGON. Climbing up the
Snake, anyone succeeding at PER 6+
notices the unmistakable silhouette of a
dragon far overhead. It is much farther
than any weapon can reach, just barely at
the edge of sight, appearing no larger
than a thumbnail. Few people have ever
seen a dragon. Many believe they have
passed into legend. So this may be taken
as a good omen or perhaps a bad one.
The dragon flies off to the west and
disappears into the distance. Khiri
automatically notices it as a brilliantly
glowing creature.
WINTERBERRIES. A character
succeeding at Gardening 4+ finds a
brilliantly colored mountain winterberry
bush, which grows only in these mountain
forests. It has exceptionally flavored
berries that are ripe to pick.
BRIDGE. They reach the crude
bridge arching over the Dragonleap River.
This river feeds the moat around
Emperors Stand. The water flowing under
the bridge seems to slow to a crawl. The
rapids feeding it are powerful enough to
crush an ogre, and downhill it careens
over a cliff and crashes thunderously far
below. Around the bridge the water is
gentle and calm. It may be calmed by any
number of things. There may be runes
carved into the bridge legs to preserve it.
There may be something living beneath
the bridge that calms the water. Perhaps
you have your own reason.
46 | T h e
III. MORT the TROLL KING

- meet with the Troll-King of the Eagle Rock Wilderness
- choose whether to befriend the troll, and how to treat him
Water cascades from high up
in the mountains. The trees are thinning
TROLLS
and snow is thicker on the mountains.
Trolls are a primitive and
The party passes a pool at the base of a
simple race of huge men
half-frozen falls. Gnawed corpses,
from mountainous regions
mostly just skeletal remains, lie strewn
far to the north. They are
about the shores. A troll has claimed a
known to possess amazing
healing, unusual physical
cave hidden by the waterfall. He is a
vigor, dangerous curiosity,
nearly (but not totally) mindless beast.
and even more dangerous
If they explore the cave, they
stupidity. Growing up in a
meet Mort, the self-styled Troll King of
society
where
wounds
Eagle Rock, sitting on a crude throne of
arent a concern, they tend
to be aggressive, swinging
piled rocks and bones. He holds a small
fists
first
and
asking
tree in his lap, its trunk smoothed of
questions later.
branches, but twisted roots still curl
from its head. He cradles it as if its an
object of great power and importance.
He wears a circlet of twisted branches, probably from the tree in his lap.
Ello ello ello. More subjects ta pay tri tribune tri-tribule trib
ta pay omage ta da king! Ave ya brought someing juicy ta eat? Larders a bit low,
wit winter comin. I do pologize for dat.
TREASURE.
Power-players
may attack or try to trick him out of his
kingly treasure. Thats fine. Let those
players discover for themselves that he
really isnt a king, and that the only
treasures to be had are filth-encrusted
skeletons.
TRIBUTE. Mort imagines itself
to be the king of this desolate cavern,
and the pile of rocks his lofty throne. If
they dont offer him tribute (for example,
freshly picked winterberries), Mort is
distressed. It is unheard of for vassals
to come to court empty handed. Hes
also embarrassed that he cant
entertain them in a manner expected of
SOCIAL COMBAT
Social combat can be as
simple as rolling the dice.
If your group wants a more
interactive
experience,
consider granting 1 bonus
die
to
a
negotiating
character who comes up
with a particularly witty or
embarrassing
turn
of
phrase. Even kings can be
shamed into submission.
a king.
MORT
Troll King of the Eagle Rock Wilderness
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 4
VIT 7
INT1
DIS 1
PER 5
EMI 2
Toughness 7+1
Grit 4
Knowledge 5
Foresight 1
Sanity 5
Willpower 2
SKILLS
Athletics: Grace 4, Stamina 3, Might 5
Subtlety: Experience: Training: Power: -
ABILITIES
Regeneration: heal 1 Toughness per round
Scaly Skin: [Armor 1]
ACCOUTREMENTS
Royal Crown: Simpler minded folks may mistake this for a crude wreath of
pine branches. For shame. Mort knows its a crown.
Royal Scepter: [Str 1 (6), 6 st.] A tree, a scepter. Whats in a name?
Royal Garb: [1 st.] These are actually curtains, but dont tell Mort that.
SUMMARY
Mort is a troll who fancies himself the King of Eagle Rock.
DESCRIPTION
Mort is small for a troll, but is still larger than the biggest ogre. He
has a thick scaly hide and the huge ears, eyes, and nose indicative of his
mountain heritage. His clothing is an eclectic mixture of silken finery that
looks suspiciously like curtains, and patchwork armor made of spider parts.
BACKGROUND
When a piece of the sky fell to the ground near Morts ancestral
home, it opened a gaping crack, releasing hordes of cackling things from
some nether realm. The howling creatures obliterated his tribe and the
survivors scattered. Many of his kin were hunted down by mobs with
torches and pitchforks. Mort, though, made a lucky choice for his home:
the haunted pass in the Eagle Rock wilderness. He doesnt know its
haunted, nor would he understand the significance if he were told. He
only knows that mobs leave him alone.
MOTIVATION
He imagines he is the king of this wilderness. That his vassals are
drooling stinky animals never occurs to his feeble mind.
50 | T h e
Mort then gets a grand idea. He cheerfully suggests that they go back
down The Snake to his forest and hunt for dinner.
Spose we could go ta da Kingswood an unt for dinner, eh? Nutn like
a fresh crunchy spider leg kabob ot off the fire ta warm da innards, I always say.
He has no fear of the spiders and hunts them regularly. They are his
primary source of food, but hed give
anything for a chunk of cheese and
some cream. Hes says so as he leads
POISON
along the goat trails in the thick forest
gloom.
Poisons work similarly to a

weak attack, but they have
unique effects. Rather than
simply inflicting physical
damage,
they
are
an
ongoing
effect
for
a
number of turns. Armor,
Concentration,
and
Auspice are useless against
poison, though not the
attack that delivers it. The
easiest way to keep track of
poison damage is to set a
uniquely colored die in
front
of
the
poisoned
character. We prefer green.
At the beginning of the
poisoner's turn following
the turn in which he
delivered the poison, the
poisoned character rolls a
number of dice for the
strength of the poison
along with the appropriate
health. He takes damage
accordingly
and
then
rotates the poison counter
die to indicate one less
turn of poison. Characters
who are poisoned multiple
times suffer the cumulative
effects of all of the poisons.
Been a while since I ad me a

decent quiche, light an fluffy. Miss dose.
Don spose ya got any cream or cheese?
If the characters fought the
spiders, Mort is thrilled at the huge feast
waiting for him. It is obvious to anyone
watching that Mort is quite experienced
in skinning, gutting, and harvesting
spider parts. He carefully ties the legs
into bundles with leather strings and
happily carries them back to his throne
room.
Dis ere makes da web. No good
ta eat, but Fleshcrafter Slissik pays good
gold for em. Legsre good eats, specially
wit a bit o venom ta spice em up.
REFUSAL. If the characters

dont attack and refuse his offer of
hunting together, Mort is confused. Who
visits a king and refuses the honor of
hunting with him in his own forest!
What a bunch of strange visitors. He will
quickly bid them good day and hurry
them out, not wishing to waste any more
time on a bunch of clearly unschooled
riff-raff with no understanding of royal
etiquette.
INFORMATION. Truly creative and forward-minded players will ask
about the goings on in the pass. Though the troll doesnt seem to know much
about what goes on further up The Snake, he does have a few morsels of
information to offer. He will offer these up freely if they have been friendly.
Da pass? I don go up dat way. Dose calva ca-carv crav dose
orsemen wot came from da city went dere. Avent eard anyting o dem since dey
passed trough my kingdom. But I ear roars an terrible owls comin from up dere.
Dont sound like da friendliest o places.
IV. The EAGLE ROCK PASS

- investigate the wreckage of the last caravan
- survive the encounter with the Thieves of Eagle Rock
The caravan climbs above the
tree line and into the rocky peaks of the
pass. Tall frosty mountains rise high to
NETHERMANCY
each side, The Snake is most
Remember that none of the
treacherous here; One stumble could
characters have the actual
send someone sliding down a slope and
ability to speak with the
off a cliff edge. The wind howls through
dead. Shadespeaking is a
the narrows and burns noses and ears.
difficult mastery to learn.
At the highest point, they find the remains
Those characters with the
ability to raise a corpse to
of a caravan. If they traveled with a
life via Nethermancy are
caravan, the drivers point it out. If they
only splitting their own
are alone, the character with the highest
spirit and using it to
PER notices it.
control
the
corpse,
The shattered remains of the
something like a puppet.
Nothing can be learned
wagons jut up from the icy ground like
from these corpses., as
giant ribs. Long shards of crystalline ice
anyone who questions them
dangle from the tips. Skeletal arms reach
is actually questioning the
up from beneath the snow, as if frozen in
animator.
mid resurrection. Upon investigation, they
find that the caravan has been picked
over, clearly the work of something
intelligent. There is no chance that Mort was involved. Deep in the snow under
a wagon is the caravan journal. Why the robbers left it behind is anybodys
guess. Reading it reveals that the trip was going well.
Besides the ghostly howls, which have long come from this haunted
pass, there is nothing untoward here. Some of the older guards began circulating
stories to the younger recruits about banshees, but I stopped this immediately. It
will do the caravan no good to be protected by overly jumpy guards. I have
assured them no other source of the roar has been found but the strength of the
wind echoing off the mountains, but Im not certain they believe me.
There are daily notes of who took which watch, and what their food
stores were at the end of each meal. The characters may be interested in a
note about the lanterns and chimes, if they didnt figure it out before.
52 | T h e
EAGLE ROCK PASS

Eagle Rock is named after
a huge, rocky, monolithic
outcropping that, at least
from down in the Westmill
farmlands below, looks like
the head of an eagle
against the pale blue sky.
In the recent months,
screeching
howls
have
begun echoing through the
pass,
and
the
more
superstitious folks say it is
the call of the eagle spirit
that jealously guards the
frozen pass. Farmchildren
circulate
stories
about
giant ice spiders that can
paralyze you with their
scream. In reality, most
people just think it's the
whistling
of
the
high
moutain winds screeching
through
the
jagged
mountains
that
were
reshaped by the Godsfall.
The lanterns and wind chimes

have worked splendidly. There have been
no attacks, which is unusual while
passing the spiders. I can only conclude
that those horrid spiders have begun to
associate the blue lanterns and whistling
chimes with danger. Our wagons are now
afforded plenty of space. One more trip
like this, and I believe that unguarded
caravans will become possible, resulting in
impressive profit margins. The horses are
still spooked by the spiders scent, but
with enough encouragement they were
convinced to continue.
Other than that, nothing can be

discerned from the corpses. However,
Mukor notices, as well as any other
character that specifically examines the
bones for weapon marks or makes a
PER 6+ check, that one of the skulls has
strange scratch marks in it. NOTE: these
are from the sawtooth edges of the
Shark Teeth blades.
If the group traveled with a
caravan, the caravaners want to stop
Whatever the truth is, the
and camp as the sky grows darker. They
twisting road that leads
look forward to reaching the Westmill
through the pass could
farms tomorrow. Its been a slower trip
potentially cut two days
than normal, with the side trips and
from the trip to and from
investigation, and they are eager to be
the Westmill farms from
Emperors Stand.
done with it. Shrike and TLuke could
take this opportunity to entertain the
caravan and raise their spirits.
If they set up a rotating watch, roll a die to determine on whose watch
the next event happens.
ATTACK. In the middle of the night, if he rolls a lower PER check than
the assassins roll for Stealth, the character hears noises surrounding the camp.
It is clearly not the wind, though it isnt a howling or roaring such as they have
heard before, either. He may investigate or rouse the other characters. If the
assassins successfully sneak up on the camp, then they attack without warning.
There is one assassin per character in the party.
The assassins will begun the
attack by attempting a sneak attack
against the sleeping characters. Because
the characters are immobilized (as well
ADVERSE WEATHER
as the normal rules for sneak attacks)
Weather can be a powerful
they may not use their AGL for
motivator. Cold weather,
Toughness against these attacks. They
especially, can convince
must use their VIT instead.
even
the
hardiest
If the character standing watch
characters to set their goals
aside for a time and seek
(assuming there was one) detects the
shelter.
assassins, combat begins immediately.
He has one turn during which he can act
Any character caught out
before the assassins enter the camp. He
in cold weather will begin
may quietly wake one other character per
to suffer ill effects. How fast
it begins to affect him
action, or he may wake all characters
depends on how cold it is,
with a single shout. If he wakes all
and how well insulated he
characters with a shout, and they
is. In the frigid Eagle Rock
traveled with another caravan, a
pass, all characters suffer caravaner will panic and become
1 to their AGL for the
duration of their time at
hysterical on any PER result of 1.
the pass unless they take
The assassins are aggressive.
special care to prepare for
They are, after all, nearly starving.
the cold weather. In colder
However, they arent reckless. When half
climates or if ill-prepared
of the assassins are incapacitated or
for the pass, characters
suffer -2 to their AGL. When
killed, the others break off the attack and
the temperature drops to
drag their companions away. They
deadly freezing lows at
quickly disappear into the night.
night, characters caught
Encourage the group to wait
outside suffer -3 to their
AGL. In all cases, the
until morning. Characters who want to
penalty is cumulative over
give chase find the trail difficult to follow.
each 12-hour period.
The weather is growing colder by the
minute and snow is coming down more
Characters
on
this
heavily than before. They stand a good
adventure
should
be
considered to have had
chance of getting lost in the darkness.
fair warning about the
Roll PER to continue following the fleeing
adverse weather, and so
assassins. The assassins will roll
they have brought clothing
Stamina to escape, and get +2 to their
appropriate to survive the
results as they are intimately familiar with
frigid mountain pass.
the area and have prepared and
rehearsed escape routes. You may even
add some insidious traps that the
assassins set before attacking, or have additional assassins lying in wait. At the
very least, the characters should be made aware that they are ill-prepared for
the frigid night temperatures at the mountain pass. They should wait for day.
SHARKS TEETH ASSASSINS

Thieves of Eagle Rock
ATTRIBUTES
AGL 5
VIT 3
INT2
DIS 2
PER 4
EMI 1
Toughness 5
Grit 3
Knowledge 4
Foresight 2
Sanity 4
Willpower 1
SKILLS
Subtlety: Stealth 2
Experience: Training: Power: -
ACCOUTERMENTS
Sharks Teeth Sword: [Str 2, 0 st.] each attack roll of 6+ causes a tooth to
lodge in the target. Lodged teeth cause an additional Strength 1 hit every
turn, ignoring armor, until pulled out with an action.
SUMMARY
These assassins are the descendents of an old guild that once called the
Emerald Islands home.
DESCRIPTION
The Sharks Teeth assassins dress in the skins of leopards and snowcats,
decorated with claws, feathers, and other talismans of wild strength. They
frequently paint their hands and faces, though their paint supplies have
been all but used up. They can still easily be identified by their eponymous
weapon, lined on each side with razor-sharp teeth.
BACKGROUND
The Sharks Teeth Assassins were some of the most feared cutthroats
and murderers-for-hire in the world. Then they made the mistake of
crossing the infamous Lord of the Bones, a Black Dragon pirate captain and
a gifted nethermancer. The Lords fury could not be stayed, and few of the
assassins escaped his reckless and vengeful crusade against their guild.
Those who survived traveled far to the north and disappeared into the
Eagle Rock wilderness. After the Godsfall, they discovered a previously
hidden fortress-city near the pass, and they made it their own. They have
only recently begun to launch raids again in an attempt to gather supplies
for a second move, this time hopefully to a more hospitable hideout.
MOTIVATION
The assassins are concerned mainly with gathering enough supplies to
survive another long trek in search of a more hospitable hideout.
56 | T h e
V. The SECRET PASSAGE

- follow the thieves trail to a dead end at a cliff face
- find a way into the secret passage that leads to the thieves city
After the sun is high enough in
the morning to see the trail of blood, the
assassins are much easier to follow. If
TRACKING
the players search the area for remnants
Tracking can be as simple
of the battle they find an assassins
or as complex a process as
dropped sword. Mukor and Chorslad can
your group prefers. For
both identify this as the iconic blade of
those who prefer to play out
the Sharks Teeth assassins, an ancient
the tracking process rather
order wiped out decades ago.
than rolling a simple
success
or
failure,
the
Following the trail of blood isnt
applicable skill should be
hard. Snow is white. Blood is red. They
Wildlands.
Like
all
can connect the dots, even with the
dynamic
processes,
the
freshly snowfall from the night before.
success or failure of the
The trail leads up the pass, then turns off
tracking doesn't not reflect
an absolute. Rather, it
the Snake and vanishes into a cliff side.
indicates how accurate
A PER 4+ success reveals that the blood
your attempt was to follow
doesnt disappear into the cliff as much
the tracks perfectly. The
as it disappears up the sheer cliff.
difficulty should be lower
Shrike or Arasmas can scout
for larger creatures (1+ for
an elephant, 3+ for a
the sheer face. There are bloody smears
monitor, 6+ for a raccoon,
all the way up. The thieves obviously
for example). The difficulty
went this way, but there is no sign of
should be increased where
climbing gear. Did they climb free-hand
tracks
would
be
less
apparent (+1 for a prairie,
while carrying their comrades?
+2 for heavy growth, +3 for
The players may decide that the
triple
canopy
jungle).
threat is over and return to Handler. He
Tracking birds through the
wont be impressed. Hell agree to a
air and fish through the
payment of five silver loaves each for
sea should be considered
impossible except under
services rendered, and wont expect
unusual circumstances.
much from them in the future. Hell also
spread word of their mediocre work.
If they want to scale the cliff, the
easiest way is to let Shrike or Arasmas
scout out the route and set pitons for them. If they do this, the climb is a
Stamina 3+ double move action for 3 turns.. Otherwise, the climb is a Stamina
5+ double move action for 3 turns. In each case, failure causes a Strength 1 hit
as the character loses his grip and smashes against the rocks
The bloody trail leads to a small
puddle of blood on a ledge, and a bloody
SHARKS TEETH
handprint on a huge boulder in front of
ASSASSINS
them. The boulder looks like it could
cover the entrance to a cave. It takes four
The Shark's Teeth Assassins
consecutive truly heroic Might actions to
lived in the Emerald Isles
move the boulder. The characters cannot
off the southern coast,
cooperate; there is only room for one at a
where magnificent cities
time to find purchase. It is unthinkable
once thrived. But no clue
as to their fate has come
that the thieves moved this rock
north since the Godsfall.
manually, but their methods cannot be
discovered by sight or magic. No roll is
Their end is a popular story
among mermen, for the
necessary, but only Gronk or Thrym
hero is the Lord of the
possess the combination of Might and
Bones, a merman whose
Grit to be able to move the stone. If
actual name has long been
neither are in the party, they could ask
forgotten. The greatest of
the five Black Dragon
Mort. Note that Dorian has a piece of
pirate captains who sail
archaeotech that would be particularly
the seas on great black
useful here, revealing the location of the
ships with magical dragon
secret entrance that the thieves use.
wing sails, and a powerful
MOVE THE STONE. The ogre /
nethermancer to boot, the
Lord fought and defeated
dwarf / troll braces himself, gives a grunt,
the assassin leader, a vile
and heaves at the boulder with trembling
and
bloodthirsty
beastmuscles. The boulder groans and rolls.
talker named Man Niho.
Behind, they can see that it was, indeed,
His ship then blasted the
hiding the entrance to a narrow cave.
fortress
walls,
reducing
them to smoking piles of
The cave is expansive and free
rubble. Finally, the Lord
of traps or treasure. Only secrecy, and
led his brigands into the
the massive boulder, protected the
fortress, killing every living
entrance. The party can easily find the
thing left: men, women,
children, pets, livestock,
way through. A sliver of light and the
even plants.
occasional gust of an icy wind is the only
hint that the cave is about to let out into
the surface again. And then they see it.
A beam of daylight guides them through the cavern and to an exit on
the other side of the mountain. What they see there confounds the senses. The
cave opens up high on the peak. Down below, in a hidden valley surrounded by
icy peaks, is a city. A thick wall rings the city, keeping the driving snow at bay,
and hundreds of glowing white icicles dangle from every building, bathing the
city in a dull eerie glow. Tall crystalline obelisks rise high and clusters of huts
like giant seeds are gathered around each tower. A deep chasm disappears
into the depths of the earth to one side, but on the other side an icy trail leads
down the mountainside, across the chasm, and up a ramp into the city
WEVE STARTED IT YOU GET TO FINISH IT!
A shadowy menace haunts the streets of Emperors

Stand. Something has been stalking about at night,
skulking through the ruins and ambushing those
unfortunate enough to be caught out at night.
The watchmen are overwhelmed. Most of their

garrison is away in the Imperial Reach, encamped
somewhere along the Raging River with the rest of the
Imperial Army, participating in the Emperors latest
crusade.
Join the Bloodwood Expedition to fight this menace.

Help the Guild prove its ability to secure the city and
surrounding lands. Discover the wretched truth behind the
kidnappings. Delve deeply into the dark caverns beneath
the haunted Bloodwood, where neither Thunder Riders nor
Imperial Breakers can go, and where the children of men
are livestock. For generations since the Godsfall, they have
been bred to be more docile, controllable, and fleshy.
Raid the ranch.
Rescue the prisoners.
Bring them home.
COMING JULY 2014

Godsfall RPG Starter Set 0507 First Half PDF

Caricato da

Informazioni sul documento

Descrizione originale:

Titolo originale

Copyright

Formati disponibili

Condividi questo documento

Condividi o incorpora il documento

Opzioni di condivisione

Hai trovato utile questo documento?

Questo contenuto è inappropriato?

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Godsfall RPG Starter Set 0507 First Half PDF

Caricato da

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Introduction to

Haralda, 3rd Grand Sage of the Ivory Tower

Editor: Norman Bean

Layout: Patrick Mac Conaire

WHAT IS THE GODSFALL?

THE UNIVERSAL MECHANIC

THE THREE CORE RULES

Gronk has an AGL score of 4. At the beginning of each combat

Perception (PER): This is used to detect things and to determine initiative.

Gronk has PER 1. When attempting to notice something or detect another

Gronk has a Toughness score of 6. When he defends against a physical

Gronk has Fate 1. In an especially deadly battle, he finds himself about to

Gronk has Knowledge 4. Whenever his player is asked to roll Knowledge,

Gronk rolls 4, 3, 2, 1 against a defenders 5, 3, 1. They line up their dice

Gronks Toughness is 6. He normally rolls six dice when defending against

Gronk attempts to sneak attack using a greatsword, a Str 3 weapon that

TRUE MAGIC ITEMS

SKRYT (her real name is unpronounceable)

Athletics: Grace 5, Stamina 1

TYK (her real name is unpronounceable)

Athletics: Grace 7, Stamina 1

Dwarfish Scout for the Sky Mountain (Fate: 1)

Athletics: Grace 4 (3), Stamina 2

Grace Adeptness: add Grace to skill attempts involving precise movement,

THIEVES of EAGLE ROCK

The characters have gathered

Ninety loaves is a decent sum; a standard days wages is two.

THIEVES of EAGLE ROCK

Stand, building the Twilight Road to the

HANDLER, HERO of the EMPIRE

THIEVES of EAGLE ROCK

II. The DRAGONLEAP SPIDERS

GIANT DRAGONLEAP SPIDERS

THIEVES of EAGLE ROCK

To the east, past Emperors

THIEVES of EAGLE ROCK

III. MORT the TROLL KING

THIEVES of EAGLE ROCK

Poisons work similarly to a

Been a while since I ad me a

REFUSAL. If the characters

IV. The EAGLE ROCK PASS

THIEVES of EAGLE ROCK

EAGLE ROCK PASS

The lanterns and wind chimes

Other than that, nothing can be

SHARKS TEETH ASSASSINS

THIEVES of EAGLE ROCK

V. The SECRET PASSAGE

A shadowy menace haunts the streets of Emperors

The watchmen are overwhelmed. Most of their

Join the Bloodwood Expedition to fight this menace.

COMING JULY 2014

Potrebbero piacerti anche