A Fantasy Adventure Game
The world is broken but that’s not the problem. A magical mishap collided the world with its own past, future, and a few parallel realities. A wizard’s tower sits atop a nuclear reactor drawing on that power the same way it had drawn on the ley lines. Giant eagles take to pirating from their new floating roost aboard an aircraft carrier. Dinosaurs fight for food with owlbears.
Those aren’t really problems, though. People returned to life easily enough, adapting as people always do. Turns out being a car mechanic isn’t all that different from repairing magical automatons. The problem is that people have taken advantage of the upheaval to revel in their greed, power, and gluttony. It’s the same problem we’ve always had, but now powered by a world in flux.
You set out into this world to do what is right, to protect those who cannot protect themselves, to test your mettle and better yourself facing those who would live off the work of others.
Beyond is a fantasy adventure game drawing on a long lineage of similar games. It aims to embrace the parts of the genre that work while also moving it forward. You’ll need a GM and 3-5 players.
You can view this playtest version as a web page, PDF, or the raw source. You can send feedback to me on twitter or by filing an issue on GitHub.
Oh, and the name Beyond is probably a placeholder. Or maybe not. Who knows.
Each release of Beyond has a version number of the form xx.yy.zzzzzzzz. The xx part is the major version. A new major version indicates a milestone in development. We’re currently on major version 0. Major version 1 will probably be about the point the game is ready for public playtesting. Major version 2 would probably be some kind of funded release.
The yy portion is the minor version. Minor versions differ from each other in ways that are significant enough that you may have to update characters, choose different moves, etc. You don’t necessarily have to migrate between each minor version, you can jump ahead several at a time, but you’ll need to take some time to review the character classes in particular. Each minor version gets release notes mentioning significant changes.
The zzzzzzzz portion is the build. Each build differs in mostly editing: rewordings, clarifications, typo corrections. A build may also add new moves or classes but it won’t alter existing moves, classes, or mechanics in an incompatible way. You should be able to move between builds for the same minor version on the fly.
This is a world of collisions. Magic, technology, and myth all live side by side.
The dominant mode of the world is fantasy. The general shape of the world is that of a fantasy realm with dragons and dungeons, ruins and rust monsters, otyughs and owlbears.
Bits, pieces, and people of modern Earth are common. A knight might ride a motorcycle instead of a charger, a wizard might keep their spells on a cell phone, an accountant might now be a cleric, &etc. It turns out adding modern technology to a fantasy realm doesn’t change all that much: electric lights are just as convenient as a rock with light cast on it.
Larger transplants from modern Earth, like a few city blocks, a movie theater, or an entire town, are frequent. Most everyone knows of at least one such intrusion within their local area. In these areas the scenery flips somewhat: instead of bits and pieces and modernity in a fantasy realm it’s small elements of fantasy on a modern city street.
In all cases modern technology continues to work, but it works as magic instead of as technology. Sure, there’s no reliable electricity, but somehow the winds of magic drive enough electrons around to keep things functioning (most of the time). There may not be gasoline for that pickup truck, but it turns out troll spit is just as flammable. In general any modern technology works as the same concept, but against a different world: a cell phone app might actually collect stray thoughts instead of posts, while a movie screen becomes an actual portal to another realm. Honor the metaphor of what technology does over the details of how you get AA batteries in a dragon’s lair.
Technology is not so uniform as it was in modernity, though. Since it acts according to the idea of what it is each cell phone might be a little different: a spellbook for a wizard, a direct line to the gods for a cleric. A few special items have come through as artifacts, behaving far beyond what normal items can.
Less commonly other ages of Earth have collided. There’s a known bit of the Western Front still fighting at the edge of a pastoral county. Some far future technology is said to have manifested deep in a mountain range.
Rarest of all, elements of other fictions are known to have crossed over. Telamonian Ajax is a noted adventurer, most recently having quested into the Castle of the Flaming Skull to find a portal said to reside there.
Despite all of this, life continues. The actual intrusions are rather settled and normal. They are more like going to another country than going to another world. People live their lives as they always have. Some transplants yearn for home, but in the same way you might yearn for old friends after moving to a new place. This is a world that is garish and colorful with odd congruences everywhere.
The problems are what they always are when things change: the greedy, powerful, and hateful have used this opportunity to further their own agendas. Nature has been tampered with and harmed. People and places have been exploited by those who do not care.
The player characters are those who would set to solve problems, to help the helpless, to build stength from discord. They set out with spell, prayer, blade, and song to test themselves against the powerful and unjust. Some adventure because it is right, some adventure because it is hard, but all will find a world that is not short on dangerous places and powerful enemies.
Beyond is based on Dungeon World, but it isn’t a new edition of that game. It considerably shifts the mechanics, procedures, and setting. Since this is a playtest and is incomplete this section helps fill in the game: you can just assume this is Dungeon World except that…
Other than that, some bits of Dungeon World (or in some cases Apocalypse World) remain the same:
Each player chooses a class. The currently available classes are:
The GM provides a starting Goal for the party, then opens the adventure at a key moment in pursuing that goal.
This is an abbreviated overview of the rules that attempts to just hit on the high points to setup playtesting. If something is not covered here, make a best guess and ask when you get a chance, I’ll be happy to expand.
The rules of Beyond are broken up into moves. Each move says when it happens and what it does. If a move has you roll the dice, the move will say what to add to the dice. It might add a modifier specific to that move, or it might add a bonus based on some condition, or it might ask you a series of questions to determine what to add.
There are four main categories of moves:
Some moves change over time through abilities or conditions. Abilities are ways a move can improve through use. Each ability has a set of advancement boxes ahead of it. Whenever a character fails a roll, they can check an advancement box under that move. Once all the advancement boxes for an ability are checked the character gains that ability. Most abilities modify the move they are under, but a few give one-time effects when gained and can be gained again. Abilities are the only way to change a character’s bonus to a move.
Abilities are cumulative. For example, a thief has roll+1 to defy danger as well as abilities that give +1 and +1 against magical effects. A thief with both of these abilities would roll at +3 against magical effects.
Conditions are hindrances to moves that may occur due to failed rolls or poor choices. Each condition says how it modifies the move it is part of. Conditions are only removed as part of making camp or through certain magical means.
Many moves say roll, which means roll 2 six-sided dice. The move may say to add or subtract something to the roll (either a fixed bonus or something depending on the situation). Sum the values on both dice plus any modifiers to get a total. Each move may be different, but in general:
Most moves will have specific results for 10+ and 7-9 but none for a 6-. If a move doesn’t specify what happens on a 6- that just means the GM will say what happens.
Each player character also has reserve dice. Reserve dice are the character’s pool of stamina and will that can push them further. After any 2d6 roll a player may decide to spend a reserve die to roll it and add it to the total. When a character makes camp they use any unspent reserve dice to recover HP and remove conditions, then refill their reserve dice to maximum. Each class says how many reserve dice it gets and how to gain more. Certain moves also give additional ways to gain or spend reserve dice.
Each class has a damage die. When the character does damage with a weapon they roll their damage die and deal that much damage. If they are using an especially poor and ill-suited weapon to the attack they are making they roll twice and take the lower result. If they are using a weapon that is especially well-crafted or well-suited for the attack they are making they roll twice and take the higher result.
Some rules refer to a die size. The die size is the number of sides on the die. For example, a d6 has a die size of 6.
Living things in Beyond have HP which indicates how much damage they can take before facing Death. Something with its maximum HP is unharmed, something at 0 HP is drawing a last breath. For player characters this means making the last breath move. For NPCs the GM will describe how they meet Death.
Physical harm is measured in damage. When something takes damage it subtracts that amount from its current HP. For living things the amount of damage it causes is described by the class (for player characters) or GM rules (for NPCs). Damage from sources other than living things (like a rock slide or trap) is based on these options:
Armor is damage mitigation from a shirt of chain, a shield, or scaly flesh. When a creature with armor takes damage it subtracts its armor from the damage taken. If the damage is reduced to 0 no HP is lost.
Some damage ignores armor entirely, or ignores a specific amount of armor. This might be because the harm is too broad for armor to be useful (a falling boulder) or because the attack bypasses the armor.
Characters grow and change through abilities and levels. Abilities are gained through advancement on a specific move—each time a 6- is rolled on that move an advancement box is filled and once all advancements for an ability are filled the ability is gained.
Levels are gained through XP. Player characters start at 1st level. At the end of each session each player reviews the XP conditions for their class and checks each one that they did that session. Each checked XP condition box is one XP.
When a player character has time, safety, and XP equal to their current level +3 they gain a level. When gaining a level they:
HP, reserve dice, damage dice, and move bonuses do not change when leveling up unless the move the player chose during leveling up says so.
Bonds tie the characters to each other directly. Each bond is a statement about a positive relationship between the characters which drives action. When creating characters bonds are rolled randomly. For each rolled bond the player chooses another player character as the target of that bond and asks the player of that character if they’re okay with that bond. If not the player can choose another target for the bond or the GM can provide an NPC for that bond.
Bonds drive player characters to push themselves, but can also be a distraction. Each bond has three uses and can be used for each once:
Once a bond has been used for all three of is uses it is resolved. When a bond is resolved the player can choose one:
If the player chooses a bond move the blank in the bond move (if there is one) must be filled with the same character who the resolved bond was with.
After a bond is resolved the player chooses a new bond to replace it. They can either write a new bond of their own, roll for one, or choose one from the list. The new bond can be with anyone: the same character, a different player character, or a different NPC.
While bonds tie the characters to each other, goals tie them together as a group. The player characters are a party that shares a goal. That goal may be short term and self-serving (delivering a package across the fire swamp to earn a living) or long term and selfless (removing the demon incursion from The Reach) or anything in between. The important aspects of a goal are that:
For the first session the GM will provide a starting goal. As long as everyone is interested in that goal it stands and drives the first session. If anyone isn’t interested in the goal for any reason revise it as a group until everyone is interested. If possible it’s a good idea for the GM to share the starting goal ahead of the first session so everyone can review it ahead of sitting down to play.
Accomplishing goals earns XP for the player characters. When a goal has been accomplished everyone marks the appropriate XP and then writes a new goal together.
Goals also help the GM plan adventures and adversaries. More on that later.
Characters (player characters and NPCs) have an allegiance that indicates an entity or concept that the character is invested in. Allegiances can be to ideals (like freedom), groups (like The Black Order), or individuals (like The Queen of Tears).
A character’s allegiance guides their actions. Player characters get XP for serving their allegiance. NPCs use their allegiance as a guide in their actions.
A player character can change their allegiance through the swear allegiance core move.
Some moves or magic may reveal a characters’ allegiance. The player must truthfully state their characters’ allegiance.
Characters may have affiliations with many organizations and dedications to many ideals, but their allegiance is their guiding principle and a part of their identity.
Gear is the equipment the player characters carry. Some gear is significant in itself and is listed individually, the rest of the miscellaneous stuff the characters carry is called supplies. The amount of supplies each class starts with is the amount they can carry in one slot.
The gear section of each class lists starting gear as well as how many additional slots to carry gear the class has. Anything significant enough to be tracked as an individual item takes up a slot. Anything that’s insignificant but maybe still useful can be used as 1 supply.
Supplies include food, rope, grapples, spikes, blankets, flasks, water, or anything else that might be part of a typical camping kit.
When adventurers make camp they use up 1 supply (eating, drinking, making the camp site safe and hospitable). If they do not have enough supplies they do not recover as usual in camp and instead gain a condition.
Adventurers can also use their supplies as a store of useful items. At any time an adventurer can mark off one supply to grab a useful item from their pack that would reasonably be part of their kit.
Most items originated from the original fantasy world. Those that come from the various collided ages and worlds are called relics. Relics are not inherently magical or powerful. In fact most function as they would where they came from, even if they do not have things they would normally require like gasoline or electricity. But being from a different existence does mean that they can behave differently—some moves trigger when interacting with relics.
Money is tracked in coin. Coin is the various currencies that circulate between the various kingdoms, wildlands, and autonomous areas of Beyond.
Coin is not king in Beyond. While most folk will accept coin, they will do so grudgingly as coin’s only guaranteed use is paying it back to whomever claims to govern you in taxes. Useful materials or goods, food, art, or favors are all more directly fungible to most sentient beings.
There will eventually be a section of sample vendors listing what they accept and what they sell to make this easier for the GM, but it doesn’t exist yet. Sorry!
The GM is responsible for everything outside of the player characters. The players say what their characters say, think, and do. The GM says everything else.
The GM begins the game with a starting goal for the players. This is basically a pitch for what the first session will be. Sharing the starting goal ahead of sitting down to play gives everyone time to consider and buy in to the goal, but if need be you can just sit down to play and pitch a goal then. More on goals, adversaries, and how to make them comes later in this section but here are some ready-to-go starting goals:
Starting goals (or all goals for that matter) don’t have to be complex or creative. What seems direct and obvious to one person may be unexpected to others. And even the simplest goal may be complicated the moment the dice hit the table.
GM moves are ways for you to move the action forward. When someone looks at you to see what happens you make a GM move. When the players roll a 6- on a move or give you a golden opportunity by putting themselves in danger you make a hard GM move.
Each GM move describes some change that moves the world along and sets up more action. Hard GM moves are just GM moves made in a way that offers little or no chance for reaction or mitigation.
For now the set of GM moves is unchanged from DW, but I intend to revisit this:
Non-player characters do not use the classes or dice like player characters do. They do not have player moves that require rolling dice, but they do have HP, armor, and damage.
Each NPC is described by a die size, an allegiance, an instinct, and one or more GM moves. Some NPCs may also have special rules.
The die size indicates the combat ability of the NPC here and now. It can change moment to moment as a spell invigorates or a weapon is lost. HP, armor, and damage are derived from the die size:
If an NPC’s die size changes their HP changes with it. If they were at maximum HP before the change their HP becomes the maximum for the new die size. If they were below maximum and their die size decreased such that their HP is now over maximum it goes to their new maximum. Otherwise their current HP does not change.
An NPC’s allegiance indicates what or who it serves. When making long-term plans for an NPC, use its allegiance as guidance. When playing an NPC that is seeking help or support, look to their allegiance.
An NPC’s instinct indicates what goal it pursues in the moment. When looking for what an NPC will do right here and now use its instinct.
An NPC’s GM moves describe any specific ways that it will act out its instinct or serve its allegiance. Think of them as specific phrasings of GM moves. “Ensnare them in vines” is a more specific version of “put them in a spot”, for example. Having specific moves for an NPC gives you ways to describe that NPC and their particular skills and abilities.
Some NPCs also have special rules. NPCs don’t make player moves, but they may modify player moves or modify how damage, armor, or other rules work. For example, lantern goblins have this special rule: “When a lantern goblin is destroyed it’s flame immediately flies to another lantern goblin if one is present. That lantern goblin increases its die size.”
Non-player characters include any living thing that is not a player character. Beasts, humanoids, and stranger creatures all use these rules.
Forces are the entities and groups that act on the world around the player characters. They can be large scale, like a kingdom or religious order, or local, like a sheriff or communal farm. Forces act on the world to create problems and opportunities for the player characters.
There is no set list of forces. It is up to the GM to identify forces as they come up and add them to their tracking sheet. A good force:
Political organizations, trade guilds, military organizations, religious organizations, and community organizations tend to be good forces. At times certain powerful individuals, like an ancient dragon plotting beneath a mountain, can be forces of their own.
The player characters may suggest forces for the GM to add through their allegiances, bonds, or other aspects of their character. The initial goal provided by the GM may also suggest forces at play.
Each force is described by a name, area, goal, resources, plots, opportunities, and moves.
Forces stay on your tracking sheet until they either lose their purpose (no longer having a goal), are soundly defeated, or lose relevancy to the current action of the game.
Forces are used when planning adventure locations and reviewing the GM log to create more adventures for the player characters and keep the world in motion.
Adventure locations are dynamic places in the world that have problems for the player characters to become entangled in.
Adventures in Beyond are focused on locations. Any type of location can be an adventure location, no matter the type of terrain or size, so long as it is:
The first session of each game begins at an adventure location. After that adventure location is resolved the players will choose from other adventure locations presented by the GM.
An adventure location is made up of:
When the player characters are in an adventure location your job as the GM is to portray it honestly to them as a living environment. If they take action, show them the outcomes. If they do not take action, show them the consequences.
During each session you’ll keep a GM log. The goals of your GM log are to:
Your log is made up of entries. Your entries should be as brief as possible, just enough to remind you of important bits. A sentence or less most of the time, maybe 3 sentences at most.
There are three types of entries, each indicated by it’s own symbol:
During each session take notes as they happen. Don’t worry about capturing everything or writing in a way that will make sense to anyone else. These are your notes to help you plan for the future.
Between sessions review your log from the previous session. Look for:
Beyond the mortal realm live the inscrutable gods, greedy demons, uncaring fey, and malignant old ones. Scholars debate if the representatives and bits of these far realms that mortals have seen are all that there is. Maybe there are demons who do not prize magic and souls above all else. But from what the mortal realm has seen these extraplanar forces have singular aims for the material plane.
The distance between planes of existance is beyond imagining so each of these extraplanar forces is present but not overwhelming on the material plane. With time and left unchecked it is likely the material plane with balkanize into demon outposts and fey-run refuge camps while the gods bicker and the old ones gleefully promote the chaos and destruction. Mortals are the only thing standing against this grim future, but mortals are also the ones collaborating with these destructive forces in return for scraps.
Extraplanar forces are the lurking end to Beyond, the largest threats that create problems for the players to set goals against. They are exploitive and uncaring evils that will literally end the world if left unchecked. They provide the dying light to rage against.
Demons come to the mortal realms to pry wealth (as they see it) from the land and people. They will lay claim to sources of magic and living souls or trade for them on unequal terms. Their own planes of Hell have been plundered of all resources by their consuming greed (according to the few mortals to return) so now they take what they please from the material plane.
Demons are happy to take what they want through any means necessary. They do not mind taking souls and sources of magic through force, but are also happy to find collaborators among the mortals and enrich them from the scraps the demons do not need. There are entire nations propped up by demonic power and enriched from the gold and material goods the demons capture along with their magic power and souls.
The gods of Beyond are both present and obscure. Those favored by the gods receive their blessings, and miracles are not unheard of. But at the same time the gods seem capricious and uncaring, pursuing their own agendas which only occasionally overlap with those of the mortals that worship them. Even gods whose domains are ostensibly concerned with mortal life seem to care about those mortal lives more as an object to be manipulated than as people.
The angels that serve the gods are fearful creatures of light, eyes, and feathers. They come in numberless forms but all are strange and hallucinatory to mortal eyes. They exist only to serve the gods and seem to show no other thought or purpose leading many theologians to wonder if they are actually alive or if they are just extensions of the gods themselves.
The beautiful Courts of the Fey have little concern for the mortal realms. Compared to the eternal kingdoms of the Fair Folk the material plane is a backwater of poor and artless creatures. When the Fey do deign to think of the mortal realm it is typically to attempt to improve it and save the miserable souls who must live there, though occasionally a Fey clique will make a peregrination through the material plane to observe it’s pitiable state for themselves.
The Old Ones remember when the mortal realm had not yet been touched by sentience. They yearn to return the world to its verdant untouched state. The cacophony of mortal thought and the endless reshaping of the land grate on the sensory pustules of the great things that live beyond the shadow of the material plane.
When you’re dying you catch a glimpse of what lies beyond the Black Gates of Death’s Kingdom (the GM will describe it). Then roll (just roll, +nothing—yeah, Death doesn’t care how tough or cool you are). On a 10+, you’ve cheated Death—you’re in a bad spot but you’re still alive. On a 7–9, Death himself will offer you a bargain. Take it and stabilize or refuse and pass beyond the Black Gates into whatever fate awaits you. On 6-, your fate is sealed. You’re marked as Death’s own and you’ll cross the threshold soon. The GM will tell you when.
When you settle in to rest, if you have supplies mark off one supplies. then choose one for each reserve die you have, then refill your reserve dice to maximum:
If you don’t have supplies, take a condition instead.
When you make camp in dangerous territory assign watchers between first, second, and third watch. If any watcher takes more than one watch they take a condition for each watch beyond the first. If something approaches camp during a watch roll+number of watchers. On a 10+, you’re able to wake the camp and prepare a response, everyone in the camp takes +1 forward. On a 7–9, you react just a moment too late; your companions in camp are awake but haven’t had time to prepare. They have weapons and armor but little else. On a miss, whatever lurks outside the campfire’s light has the drop on you.
When you swear allegiance say how you renounce your old allegiance and make a formal pledge to your new allegiance. Remove your old allegiance and erase any XP you had for any XP conditions that relied on your allegiance. Write in your new allegiance.
You have all the Adventurer Moves and Deity.
Choose three class moves to start with from among your themes. Your themes are Caster, Protector, and Prophet. You must take the first move in each theme before taking any below it. Indicate your move by marking it (put an x: (x) to show you have the move).
When you roll a 6-, mark one of the advancement boxes [ ] below the move you rolled by adding an x (like this: [x]). When all the advancement boxes for an ability are filled in you gain that ability. You may fill advancement boxes in any order you like.
When you take a condition (when a move says to or when the GM says to) fill in any condition box < > for any move. That condition applies until a move or the GM tells you to remove a condition.
When you act despite an imminent threat or suffer a calamity, say how you deal with it and roll+0. On a 10+, you do what you set out to, the threat doesn’t come to bear. On a 7–9, you stumble, hesitate, or flinch: the GM will offer you a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.
Abilities
Conditions
When you consult your accumulated knowledge about something, roll+0. On a 10+, the GM will tell you something interesting and useful about the subject relevant to your situation. On a 7–9, the GM will only tell you something interesting—it’s on you to make it useful. The GM might ask you “How do you know this?” Tell them the truth, now.
Abilities
Conditions
When you closely study a situation or person, roll+2. On a 10+, ask the GM 3 questions from the list below. On a 7–9, ask 1. Either way, take +1 forward when acting on the answers.
Abilities
Conditions
When you have leverage on an NPC and push them to do what you want, roll+0. On a 10+, they do what you ask if you first promise what they ask of you. On a 7–9, they will do what you ask, but need some concrete assurance of your promise, right now.
Abilities
When you engage an enemy in melee, roll+0. On a 10+, you deal your damage to the enemy and avoid their attack. At your option, you may choose to do +1d6 damage but expose yourself to the enemy’s attack. On a 7–9, you deal your damage to the enemy and the enemy makes an attack against you.
Abilities
Conditions
When you take aim and shoot at an enemy at range, roll. On a 10+, you have a clear shot—deal your damage. On a 7–9, choose one (whichever you choose you deal your damage):
You serve and worship some deity or power which grants you spells. Give your god a name (maybe Helferth, Sucellus, Zorica or Krugon the Bleak) and choose your deity’s domain:
Choose one precept of your religion:
Gain Divine Patronage.
When you take damage and embrace the pain, you may take +1d4 damage (ignoring armor). If you do, take +1 forward to cast a spell.
Choose a Spellbook spell. It counts as a Divine Patronage spell for you.
When you hold your holy symbol aloft and call on your deity for protection, roll+2. On a 7+, so long as you continue to pray and brandish your holy symbol, no undead may come within reach of you. On a 10+, you also momentarily daze intelligent undead and cause mindless undead to flee. Aggression breaks the effects and they are able to act as normal. Intelligent undead may still find ways to harry you from afar. They’re clever like that.
Abilities
Conditions
When you petition your deity according to the precept of your religion you get 1 hold and lose any hold you already had. Spend that hold when you or an ally takes damage to call on your deity, they intervene with an appropriate manifestation (a sudden gust of wind, a lucky slip, a burst of light) and negate the damage.
When you tend to someone who would take their last breath, they do not take their last breath as long as you do nothing but care for them. They are incapacitated, but will not die so long as you tend to them.
When you have time and safety with a magic item you may ask the GM what it does, the GM will answer you truthfully.
+4 HP
When you wear no armor or shield you get 3 armor.
When you petition your deity according to the precept of your religion, your deity tells you what it would have you do. Take +1 when pursuing that action.
+1 reserve die.
The first time you spend time in prayer as appropriate to your god after taking this move, choose a feature associated with your deity (rending claws, wings of sapphire feathers, an all-seeing third eye, etc.). When you emerge from prayer, you permanently gain that physical feature.
When you have time to pray over a relic your deity will tell you where it came from, who made it, and how you could use it to further your deity’s cause.
You start with three bonds from the list. Roll 1d10+10 for each. When you resolve a bond you can mark XP or choose a bond move.
The gods will send you visions if ______ is in danger.
You may give your reserve dice to _______.
You may also take moves from ______’s class
At the end of each session mark those that you did that session. When you have time to train in safety, if you have marked your level + 3 XP, erase all XP and gain a level (each mark counts separately).
Choose an allegiance to start with: Common Folk, The Lowlands Church, The Royalty
The GM will give your party a starting goal. When you accomplish that, set a new goal in collaboration with the other players.
A blunt melee weapon: ___________
A holy symbol: ____________
A sign of faith: ____________
2 armor of protective gear: __________
Two healing potions (drink to recover a reserve dice)
Supplies (5)
The god have gifted you with magic. Gain the Commune and Cast a Spell moves.
When you spend uninterrupted time (an hour or so) in quiet communion with your deity, you:
When you unleash a spell granted to you by your deity, roll+2. On a 10+, the spell is successfully cast and your deity does not revoke the spell, so you may cast it again. On a 7–9, the spell is cast, but choose one:
An item you touch glows with divine light, about as bright as a torch. It gives off no heat or sound and requires no fuel but is otherwise like a mundane torch. You have complete control of the color of the flame. The spell lasts as long as it is in your presence.
Food or water you hold in your hands while you cast this spell is consecrated by your deity. In addition to now being holy or unholy, the affected substance is purified of any mundane spoilage.
The symbol of your deity appears before you and gestures towards the direction or course of action your deity would have you take then disappears. The message is through gesture only; your communication through this spell is severely limited.
Your deity smiles upon a combatant of your choice. They take +1 ongoing so long as battle continues and they stand and fight. While this spell is ongoing you take -1 to cast a spell.
At your touch wounds scab and bones cease to ache. Heal an ally you touch of 1d6 damage.
Choose a target you can see and a nearby object. The target is afraid of the object so long as you maintain the spell. Their reaction is up to them: flee, panic, beg, fight. While this spell is ongoing you take -1 to cast a spell. You cannot target entities with less than animal intelligence (magical constructs, undead, automatons, and the like).
The weapon you hold while casting does +1d4 damage until you dismiss this spell. While this spell is ongoing you take -1 to cast a spell.
As you cast this spell, you walk the perimeter of an area, consecrating it to your deity. As long as you stay within that area you are alerted whenever someone acts with malice within the sanctuary (including entering with harmful intent). Anyone who receives healing within a sanctuary heals +1d4 HP.
A corpse converses with you briefly. It will answer any three questions you pose to it to the best of the knowledge it had in life and the knowledge it gained in death.
You have all the Adventurer Moves.
Choose three class moves to start with from among your themes. Your themes are Destroyer, Bearer, and Armorer. You must take the first move in each theme before taking any below it. Indicate your move by marking it (put an x: (x) to show you have the move).
When you roll a 6-, mark one of the advancement boxes [ ] below the move you rolled by adding an x (like this: [x]). When all the advancement boxes for an ability are filled in you gain that ability. You may fill advancement boxes in any order you like.
When you take a condition (when a move says to or when the GM says to) fill in any condition box < > for any move. That condition applies until a move or the GM tells you to remove a condition.
When you act despite an imminent threat or suffer a calamity, say how you deal with it and roll+1. On a 10+, you do what you set out to, the threat doesn’t come to bear. On a 7–9, you stumble, hesitate, or flinch: the GM will offer you a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.
Abilities
Conditions
When you consult your accumulated knowledge about something, roll+0. On a 10+, the GM will tell you something interesting and useful about the subject relevant to your situation. On a 7–9, the GM will only tell you something interesting—it’s on you to make it useful. The GM might ask you “How do you know this?” Tell them the truth, now.
Abilities
When you closely study a situation or person, roll+0. On a 10+, ask the GM 3 questions from the list below. On a 7–9, ask 1. Either way, take +1 forward when acting on the answers.
Abilities
Conditions
When you have leverage on a GM Character and push them to do what you want, roll+0. On a 10+, they do what you ask if you first promise what they ask of you. On a 7–9, they will do what you ask, but need some concrete assurance of your promise, right now.
Abilities
Conditions
When you engage an enemy in melee, roll+2. On a 10+, you deal your damage to the enemy and avoid their attack. At your option, you may choose to do +1d6 damage but expose yourself to the enemy’s attack. On a 7–9, you deal your damage to the enemy and the enemy makes an attack against you.
Abilities
Conditions
When you take aim and shoot at an enemy at range, roll+1. On a 10+, you have a clear shot—deal your damage. On a 7–9, choose one (whichever you choose you deal your damage):
Abilities
When you use pure strength to destroy an inanimate obstacle, roll+2. On a 10+, choose 3. On a 7-9 choose 2.
Abilities
+1 reserve die.
+1 reserve die.
When you spend a reserve die to hack and slash treat your damage dice as if they all rolled their maximum values.
You can use any object as a weapon. An object used as a weapon breaks after a single use unless it is a relic, in which case it can be used indefinitely.
Gain a signature weapon.
When you go into battle, roll+1. On a 10+, name someone who will live and someone who will die. On a 7-9, name someone who will live or someone who will die. Name NPCs, not player characters. The GM will make your vision come true, if it’s even remotely possible. On a 6- you see your own death and consequently take -1 ongoing throughout the battle.
Abilities
When you consult the spirits that reside within your signature weapon, they will give you an insight relating to the current situation, and might ask you some questions in return, roll+1. On a 10+, the GM will give you good detail. On a 7-9, the GM will give you an impression.
Abilities
When you make your armor take the brunt of damage dealt to you, the damage is negated but you must reduce the armor value of your armor or shield (your choice) by 1. The value is reduced each time you make this choice. If the reduction leaves the item with 0 armor it is destroyed.
+2 armor
+6 HP
You start with three bonds from the list. Roll 1d10 for each. When you resolve a bond you can mark XP or choose a bond move.
You may also take moves from ______’s class
Take +1 to last breath rolls.
You may give your reserve dice to __________.
At the end of each session mark those that you did that session. When you have time to train in safety, if you have marked your level + 3 XP, erase all XP and gain a level (each mark counts separately).
Choose an allegiance to start with: Strength, The Golden Company, Power
The GM will give your party a starting goal. When you accomplish that, set a new goal in collaboration with the other players.
A powerful melee weapon: ___________
A reserve melee weapon: ___________
A typical ranged weapon: ___________
A memento mori: ____________
Two healing potions (drink to recover a reserve dice)
Supplies (5)
Your signature weapon is one of a kind. It may be important in some universal way (an heirloom or enchanted weapon) or only important to you, but it is yours through and through. Nothing can separate you from it for long. Describe your weapon from the lists below.
You have all the Adventurer Moves.
Choose three class moves to start with from among your themes. Your themes are Poisoner, Ambusher, and Trap Expert. You must take the first move in each theme before taking any below it. Indicate your move by marking it (put an x: (x) to show you have the move).
When you roll a 6-, mark one of the advancement boxes [ ] below the move you rolled by adding an x (like this: [x]). When all the advancement boxes for an ability are filled in you gain that ability. You may fill advancement boxes in any order you like.
When you take a condition (when a move says to or when the GM says to) fill in any condition box < > for any move. That condition applies until a move or the GM tells you to remove a condition.
When you act despite an imminent threat or suffer a calamity, say how you deal with it and roll+1. On a 10+, you do what you set out to, the threat doesn’t come to bear. On a 7–9, you stumble, hesitate, or flinch: the GM will offer you a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.
Abilities
Conditions
When you consult your accumulated knowledge about something, roll+1. On a 10+, the GM will tell you something interesting and useful about the subject relevant to your situation. On a 7–9, the GM will only tell you something interesting—it’s on you to make it useful. The GM might ask you “How do you know this?” Tell them the truth, now.
Abilities
Conditions
When you closely study a situation or person, roll+0. On a 10+, ask the GM 3 questions from the list below. On a 7–9, ask 1. Either way, take +1 forward when acting on the answers.
Abilities
Conditions
When you have leverage on an NPC and push them to do what you want, roll+1. On a 10+, they do what you ask if you first promise what they ask of you. On a 7–9, they will do what you ask, but need some concrete assurance of your promise, right now.
Abilities
When you engage an enemy in melee, roll+0. On a 10+, you deal your damage to the enemy and avoid their attack. At your option, you may choose to do +1d6 damage but expose yourself to the enemy’s attack. On a 7–9, you deal your damage to the enemy and the enemy makes an attack against you.
Abilities
Conditions
When you take aim and shoot at an enemy at range, roll+1. On a 10+, you have a clear shot—deal your damage. On a 7–9, choose one (whichever you choose you deal your damage):
Abilities
You have a poison mastery.
When you have time and materials you can create a disguise that will fool anyone into thinking you’re another creature of about the same size and shape. Your actions can give you away but your appearance won’t.
When you are dealt damage in melee you may apply a dose of any applied poison to your attacker.
You are immune to all ingested poisons you have mastered.
When you attack a surprised or defenseless enemy with a melee weapon, you can choose to deal your damage or roll+2. On a 10+ choose two. On a 7–9 choose one.
Abilities
Conditions
You’re never caught by surprise. When an enemy would get the drop on you, you get to act first instead.
+1 reserve die.
When you’re in too deep and need a way out, name your escape route and roll+2. On a 10+ you’re gone. On a 7–9 you can stay or go, but if you go it costs you: leave something behind or take something with you, the GM will tell you what.
When you spend a moment to survey a dangerous area, roll+2. On a 10+ the GM will tell you the location and trigger of the nearest trap (or let you know if there are none in this area). On a 7-9 the GM will tell you the location or trigger of the nearest trap, your choice.
Abilities
When you pick locks or pockets or disable traps, roll+2. On a 10+, you do it, no problem. On a 7–9, you still do it, but the GM will offer you two options between suspicion, danger, or cost.
Abilities
When you put out word to the criminal underbelly about something you want or need, roll+1. On a 10+, someone has it, just for you. On a 7–9, you’ll have to settle for something close or it comes with strings attached, your call.
+3 maximum HP.
When you study a relic you can ask the GM where it’s from and what it is intended to do. They will answer truthfully.
You start with three bonds from the list. Roll 1d10+30 for each. When you resolve a bond you can mark XP or choose a bond move.
You may also take moves from ______’s class
At the end of any session where ________ did not take significant harm you may mark any XP box.
You may give your reserve dice to __________.
When an effect would reveal your allegiance you may answer however you like.
At the end of each session mark those that you did that session. When you have time to train in safety, if you have marked your level + 3 XP, erase all XP and gain a level (each mark counts separately).
Choose an allegiance to start with: Gold, The Red Cloaks, Comfort
The GM will give your party a starting goal. When you accomplish that, set a new goal in collaboration with the other players.
A subtle melee weapon: ___________
A reserve melee weapon: ___________
A thrown ranged weapon: ___________
A memento mori: ____________
Two healing potions (drink to recover a reserve dice)
Supplies (5)
You have mastered the use of a poison. Describe your first mastered poison below. You get 5 doses of it and the Brewer move.
For each poison choose:
When you have time to gather materials and a safe place to brew you can create more of a poison you have mastered. Roll+1. On a 7+ you create 3 doses. On a 10+ you may create 2 additional doses or mark advancement.
Abilities
You have all the Adventurer Moves.
Choose three class moves to start with from among your themes. Your themes are Towermage, Ritualist, and Warlock. You must take the first move in each theme before taking any below it. Indicate your move by marking it (put an x: (x) to show you have the move).
When you roll a 6-, mark one of the advancement boxes [ ] below the move you rolled by adding an x (like this: [x]). When all the advancement boxes for an ability are filled in you gain that ability. You may fill advancement boxes in any order you like.
When you take a condition (when a move says to or when the GM says to) fill in any condition box < > for any move. That condition applies until a move or the GM tells you to remove a condition.
When you act despite an imminent threat or suffer a calamity, say how you deal with it and roll+0. On a 10+, you do what you set out to, the threat doesn’t come to bear. On a 7–9, you stumble, hesitate, or flinch: the GM will offer you a worse outcome, hard bargain, or ugly choice.
Abilities
Conditions
When you consult your accumulated knowledge about something, roll+1. On a 10+, the GM will tell you something interesting and useful about the subject relevant to your situation. On a 7–9, the GM will only tell you something interesting—it’s on you to make it useful. The GM might ask you “How do you know this?” Tell them the truth, now.
Abilities
Conditions
When you closely study a situation or person, roll+1. On a 10+, ask the GM 3 questions from the list below. On a 7–9, ask 1. Either way, take +1 forward when acting on the answers.
Abilities
Conditions
When you have leverage on an NPC and push them to do what you want, roll+0. On a 10+, they do what you ask if you first promise what they ask of you. On a 7–9, they will do what you ask, but need some concrete assurance of your promise, right now.
Abilities
Conditions
When you engage an enemy in melee, roll-1. On a 10+, you deal your damage to the enemy and avoid their attack. At your option, you may choose to do +1d6 damage but expose yourself to the enemy’s attack. On a 7–9, you deal your damage to the enemy and the enemy makes an attack against you.
Abilities
Conditions
When you take aim and shoot at an enemy at range, roll+0. On a 10+, you have a clear shot—deal your damage. On a 7–9, choose one (whichever you choose you deal your damage):
Abilities
Gain a spellbook.
When you see new magic performed or study a new magical power, mark an advancement for this move.
Abilities
You can use your spellbook as a shield (+1 armor).
Choose a spell. You prepare that spell as if it were one level lower.
When you draw on a place of power to create a magical effect, tell the GM what you’re trying to achieve. Ritual effects are always possible, but the GM will give you one to four of the following conditions:
+3 maximum HP.
When you have time and safety with a magic item you may ask the GM what it does, the GM will answer you truthfully.
When you have time, arcane materials, and a safe space, you can create your own place of power. Describe to the GM what kind of power it is and how you’re binding it to this place, the GM will tell you one organization or being that will have an interest in your workings.
When you pour magical energy into a relic, roll+1. On a 10+ the relic is supercharged, performing its intended use much more effectively than usual or doing something it normally couldn’t. On a 7-9 the relic is supercharged, but the power is too much: it will fail catastrophically in a few moments.
Gain a mystic patron.
+1 reserve die.
When you absorb a magical effect, roll+bonds with your patron. On a 10+ the effect ends and you gain a reserve die (even over your maximum). On a 7-9 the effect is temporarily suspended and you gain a reserve die up to your maximum.
Abilities
You start with two bonds from the list. Roll 1d10+20 for each. When you resolve a bond you can mark XP or choose a bond move.
You may also take moves from ______’s class
When you discern realities you may also ask “What will happen if ________ does _________?”
You can always tell the direction and distance to __________
Gain a new bond (three total).
At the end of each session mark those that you did that session. When you have time to train in safety, if you have marked your level + 3 XP, erase all XP and gain a level (each mark counts separately).
Choose an allegiance to start with: Change, The Blue Order, Power
The GM will give your party a starting goal. When you accomplish that, set a new goal in collaboration with the other players.
A handheld melee weapon: ___________
A magical trinket: ____________
A scrap of lore: ____________
Two healing potions (drink to recover a reserve dice)
Supplies (5)
When you gain a spellbook you get the Prepare Spells and Cast A Spell moves. Your spellbook starts with 3 1st level spells and all the cantrips.
When you spend uninterrupted time (an hour or so) in quiet contemplation of your spellbook, you:
When you release a spell you’ve prepared, roll+2. On a 10+, the spell is successfully cast and you do not forget the spell—you may cast it again later. On a 7-9, the spell is cast, but choose one:
Note that maintaining spells with ongoing effects will sometimes cause a penalty to your roll to cast a spell.
Abilities
Conditions
An item you touch glows with arcane light, about as bright as a torch. It gives off no heat or sound and requires no fuel, but it is otherwise like a mundane torch. You have complete control of the color of the flame. The spell lasts as long as it is in your presence.
You conjure a simple invisible construct that can do nothing but carry items. It can carry anything you could carry with one arm. It cannot pick up items on its own and can only carry those you give to it. Items carried by an unseen servant appear to float in the air a few paces behind you. An unseen servant that takes damage or leaves your presence is immediately dispelled, dropping any items it carried. Otherwise the unseen servant serves you until you end the spell.
You perform minor tricks of true magic. If you touch an item as part of the casting you can make cosmetic changes to it: clean it, soil it, cool it, warm it, flavor it, or change its color. If you cast the spell without touching an item you can instead create minor illusions no bigger than yourself. Prestidigitation illusions are crude and clearly illusions—they won’t fool anyone, but they might entertain them.
Name the spirit you wish to contact (or leave it to the GM). You pull that creature through the planes, just close enough to speak to you. It is bound to answer any one question you ask to the best of its ability.
One of your senses is briefly attuned to magic. The GM will tell you what here is magical.
You form a telepathic bond with a single person you touch, enabling you to converse with that person through your thoughts. You can only have one telepathic bond at a time.
Touch an ally: nobody can see them. They’re invisible! The spell persists until the target attacks or you dismiss the effect. While the spell is ongoing you can’t cast a spell.
Projectiles of pure magic spring from your fingers. Deal 2d4 damage to one target.
Walk a wide circle as you cast this spell. Until you prepare spells again your magic will alert you if a creature crosses that circle. Even if you are asleep, the spell will shake you from your slumber.
You have the patronage of a mystical entity. You gain the Patron, Dark Bargain, Desperate Plea, and Bane moves. You may also replace any of your current bonds with bonds to your patron.
You have a connection to an entity connected to one of the fundamental forces of magic. Note their name (as best you know it, maybe Palmon, The Queen of Tears, or Fists-of-Stars) and choose one for each:
When you tell your patron what you want and make it known you will pay the GM will name a cost for each that is true:
Potential costs include:
When you look to your arcane patron in a moment of need, roll+bonds with your patron. On a 10+ their agenda aligns with yours for the moment: some manifestation of their power will remove you from danger, at least for the moment. On a 7-9 you are still too useful to lose, but there is a cost: they will preserve you, but hold 1 over you. Expect them to claim something that is yours at the worst time. So long as they have hold over you, they will not answer another desperate plea.
When you channel your patron’s power into a blast roll+bonds with your patron. On a hit you deal 1d6 damage or hinder the target giving +1 forward to you or an ally acting against them. On a 7-9 you consume something of value to you (1 HP, 1 supply, 1 XP, 1 advancement).