Best Left Buried - Hunter's Guide To Monsters
February 11, 2023 | Author: Anonymous | Category: N/A
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Published by SoulMuppet Publishing www.so ulmuppet.com www.soulmupp et.com www.soulmupp www.so ulmuppet-sto et-store.co. re.co.uk uk www.facebook www.fa cebook.com/So .com/SoulMupp ulMuppet et Writing Writ ing by: by: Zachary Zachary Cox (@JellyMuppet) and Nicholas Spence (@NickSpence1) Editing by: Vi by: Vi Huntsman (@ImmaWaeBunny) MRC, Fiona Maeve Giest (@coilingoracle) MRC and James M Hewitt (@needycatgames) Layout by: Dave by: Dave Cox (@dastardlydave) Art by: by: Ben Ben Brown (@IllustratorBB) Maps by: Patrick by: Patrick Eyler (@Mountain_Foot) Thanks to: Luke to: Luke Gearing, Ben Milton, Alex Hill, Ben Warren, James Lader, Harrison Swift, Sam Sleney, Abigail LaLonde, Josh Davenport, Perrtu Vedenoja, Luka Rejec, Michael Lombardi, Connagh Doohan, Huw Williams, Michael Bacon
The Hunter’s Guide Guid e to
Best Left Buried is often a game of survival horror—not just of surviving once, but continually. Over time, your Grip your Grip is is shredded, your body gathers Injuries gathers Injuries and and Afflictions Afflictions as as you repeatedly delve the Crypt. Confronting and mastering horror before descend descending ing into in to the t he dark dar k to discov discover er another. ano ther. In Best Left Buried, the most common horror is the monster, this is your Monster Manual.
Welcome to the Hunter’s Guide to Monsters.
Table of Contents
Creating and Running Monsters
6
Mainstayy Monsters Mainsta Mo nsters
14
Returni Ret urning ng Mons Monster terss Brigands
16
Cultists
20
Goblins
28
Great Beasts
32
Undead
36
Wizards
40
Monster Mons ter Myth Mytholo ology gy Beyonders
44
Celestials
48
Cinderbeasts
52
Fae
56
Mechanists
60
Void Hea Hearr ted
64
A Menagerie of Moods
68
Adaptation Library Beasts of the Crypt C rypt
78 88
Misshapen Magic
114 11 4
Monster Crafting
122 12 2
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Creating Crea ting and Running
Difficulty in Best Left Buried Survival horror games face two conicting goals: • Dicult challenges prevent success in the Crypt. • Solutions are possible, otherwise it’s not fun. The costs of survival are most interesting when overcoming horror is dicult but not excessively so. This balance is dierent for every group. As with all RPG matters, discuss it collectively determining the best solution.
The Purpose Monsters in Best Left Buried exist for a reason—either for the gameplay, a result of the Doomsayer's rationale, or for the narrative, a result of the game world's canon. The best monsters combine these two approaches organically. Monsters are worldbuilding, so when creating a monster ask why it i t exists exis ts and an d for what purpose p urpose?? Boring Bor ing monster m onsterss exist only to kill or be killed by Cryptdiggers. A monster you stumble across in a dark labyrinth is not as scary as one holding the local village in a choking grip of fear.
Imagining Ima gining Monsters M onsters
Imagining Monsters One of the most eort-ecient methods of Crypt stocking is modifying monsters you know. vFind unexplored angles, by asking yourself how can you make it fresh and unexpected. If you know everything about a monster, it is not as threatening. When subverti su bverting ng expectat exp ectations, ions, foreshad foreshadow ow it, it , presenting pre senting a scenario scen ario seeded s eeded with w ith clues. Your players may draw erroneous conclusions so when the rug is pulled out beneath beneat h them revealin revealing g the situat situation’s ion’s horren horrendous dous truth, t ruth, it feels fee ls earned. ear ned. “Gotcha” situations are rarely a win for players. Guessing part of the mystery is skilled play, and should be rewarded! So while the Doomsayer can create these moments at will, an antagonistic gameplay experience is not encouraged.
Consider From a gameplay perspective:
From a narrative perspective:
• What fear or horror do you want this
• What is the Crypt’ Crypt’s s apex pred predator? ator?
monster to explore? • What kind of challenge does it present? • Have you imagined a cool visual? • Is there some new way to ravage the Cryptdiggers? • Is there a scenario you want to see played out?
How does it maintain dominance? • What new arrivals infest the Crypt? How have they altered its balance? • Which physical attributes are necessary to dwelling here? • Who might use this place as a base, or exploit its resources? • What learned behaviours are adaptive here?
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Imagining Ima gining Monsters Mon sters The Visuals Find ways to cosmetically demonstrate a monster's theme. Visual s are a reection Visuals ree ction of characte ch aracterr and capabi capabilities lities,, not simply set dressing. These clues reward intelligent play. If a monster drips acid players might realise it can damage equipment ( Acid ( Acidic ic Adaptation). Adaptation). A monster wearing a necklace of severed heads, clearly doesn’t value mercy. Also conside considerr what traces this monster leaves behind, whether tracks, pieces of itself, or discarded victims. Use the Omens by Mood table (pg 68) for inspiration.
The Actions Consider which actions will narratively and mechanically reinforce the monster's theme. In addition to routine dungeon behavior, consider its narrative or situational locale. A monster’s presence should aect the wider environ environment. ment. A monster mons ter who w ho hunts hun ts in darknes darknesss carefully extinguishes and blocks lights. A monster ruling a Crypt will cause local creatures to run screeching when approa a pproaching. ching.
Designing monsters Selecting Adapt Adapta ation tions s Reskinning and Choose adaptations for your monsters which: 1. Provide an interesting play experience. 2. Reflect the monster's narrative or image. Keep them succinct and reasonable. If they can’t t in your head all in one go, consider if every ability is. An unused ability is identical to not having one.
Creating Adaptations Craft, adaptations to provide maximum impact using: • Abilities that change or even recontextualise the battle’s ow.
Tweaking Tweakin g Adapt A dapta ations If creating new adaptations is daunting or one doesn’t quite meet your needs, bend an a n existing exist ing adaptat ad aptation. ion. The rules ru les are not written in stone. The text is yours to do with as you see t. If you think the Undead the Undead adaptation adaptation ts your Plant your Plant monster monster needs use it noting altered wording.
For an example of a monster utilizing slightly altered and reavoured Adaptations, see the Vermin Collect Collector or (pg (p g 110). 11 0).
• Stat Checks only Checks only where necessary. If it never gets to do its cool thing because it got go t unlucky, unl ucky, it may ma y as well have never had it. • Adaptations Adaptations that that are impactful and likely triggered. Remember most combats only last 2-3 rounds. • Combat abilities that prompt tactical decisions. Cryptdiggers are fragile and monsters generally do not need help killing them. Complicate the situation instead of relying on damage amplication or repeated invalidation of the players’ main tools.
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Using Monsters Why use a Monster Monst er at all a ll? ?
In Best Left Buried, the Monster embodies the Crypt’s danger, the places into which none are meant to trespass. Monsters show that this is not for people. Monsters are also animal and human Crypt inhabitants, reacting dierently to Cryptdigger intrusion whether with suspicion, fear, or outright anger— above all, their needs and desires determine their actions and reactions.
Alterna tively stated Alternatively stated,, Monsters Mons ters are the t he Cryptdiggers’ opposite. While Crypts are a foreign and uncanny place, it is normal for monsters. Their response may be analogous to ours if a monster busts down our o ur door. do or.
Monster Psychology
10
Using Monsters Tools for for Running Runn ing the Monster Consistently Omens
These are signs and traces the monster leaves around and within the Crypt—i Cr ypt—its ts lasting la sting environ environmental mental impact granti granting ng it a sense of place. To be used and interpreted by clever parties to gain insight into the monster’s nature and capabilities.
Moods These are a generalised expression of what the monster is feeling or doing. Also demonst d emonstrating rating not all a ll monster mo nster encount encounters ers begin b egin or o r end with violenc violence. e. Indeed, Ind eed, multipl mu ltiplee encounters enco unters withou withoutt violence vio lence may heighten the tension when violence breaks out.
Adaptations These mechanically express a monster’s narrative capabilities—not simply combat abilities but tools used to survive and thrive. A monster mons ter with w ith Spider Spider Climb traverses Climb traverses the Crypt dierently than an Ethereal an Ethereal monster, monster, as one with a with Petrifying with Petrifying Gaze defends itself dierently than one with Fire-Breathing with Fire-Breathing.. Consider how adaptations aect a monster's behaviour, how it might engage with prey, what obstacles it bypasses, and those it lacks tools to deal with.
Monsters onsters Spicing Up M The Monster... 1/1. has an additional (and (and deadly) deadly) hidden limb
3/1. cannot die without meeting a specic and esoteric requirement
1/2. has symbiotic creatures living on it that aids it in battle
3/2. must observe some curious and ineable ritual
1/3. has a non-obvious method method of locomotion (e.g. ying or burrowing) burro wing)
3/3. is forbidden from entering a specic kind of area
1/4. sheds its esh esh into a second more deadly form when heavily damaged 1/5. is actually a highly coordinated swarm of tiny creatures 1/6. misrepresents its intelligence level 2/1. causes a lot of collateral damage in battle
3/4. knows when and where someone says its true name 3/5. inicts wounds that shine like torches 3/6. causes divination within a league to go appallingly wrong 4/1. deforms or feasts feasts on its victims 4/2. performs the same routine daily 4/3. prioritises a certain type of prey
2/2. has a prominent facial feature made of an unusual substance
4/4. always initiates battle in the same manner
2/3. apparent blend of two distinct creatures
4/5. deliberately leaves signs of its passage
2/4. produces its voice in a very unusual way (such as bodily vents)
4/6. announces its presence well in advance
2/5. moves as if suspended suspended in water rather than air 2/6. makes the air feel feel extremely thick and heavy
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5/1. was once a person, twisted by magic into their current form 5/2. was born from some awful sin locals perpetrated 5/3. is from beyond the stars and the world as we underst understand and it
M onsters Spicing Up Monsters The Monster Cont Co nt... ... 5/4. is the creation of an alchemist who meddled me ddled with energies beyond their contro controll 5/5. is the creation of a Holy power, a punishment set upon the world 5/6. was once a Cryptdigger that the Crypt warped beyond recognition 6/1. despises a particular element or object and won’t approach it 6/2. almost always falls for decoys, disguises and dummy people 6/3. has no concept of its own size or weight,, often weight ofte n trapping tra pping itself on terrain 6/4. overcondent and willingly dives headrst into traps 6/5. is well documented in lore 6/6. has a deadly rivalry with another local monster
Mainstay
Monsters In the Crypt, there are some types of foe that appear again and again. If poorly managed, these classic enemies can become tiring, risking becoming a horde of expendable enemies or cookie cutter stereotypes. The tools in this chapter provide some random tables and fresh stat blocks to present interesting and varied versions of these timeless adversaries.
Brigands, Fighters, and Thieves
Throughout the lands, there are always those willing to use violence to achieve their aims. Driven by any number of principles (or lack thereof) they may be found lurking in the woods, skulking the hills or just o the well-beaten path. While they typically rely on their numbers to discourage resistance, there may be one among them who always holds out some hope for a sudden outbreak of violence...
1D6 Brigand Moods 1. Pilferer 4. Nimble 4. Nimble 2. Knife 2. 5. Ambusher Knife from the 5. Ambusher 6. Morale 6. Shadows Morale Issues 3. Shadowclad
1D6 Suggested Adaptations 1. Pilferer 2. Knife from the Shadows 3. Shadowclad 4. Nimble 5. Ambusher 6. Morale Issues
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1D6 Omens 1. Scattered bodies, caught by surprise or mercilessly killed 2. Well trodden wilderness paths, none on the roads 3. Empty bottles of alcohol, spatters of blood, battle detritus
4. Yells, laughter, hob-nailed boots in scattered rhythm 5. Sweat, booze, blood. Horse-stink and leather pushed to the brink 6. Tree-houses, bivouacs, the towers of Robber-barons, wooden palisades
Brigands
1D12 Brigand Band Names 1. Scourge of Elkenwode 1. Scourge 2. Keene 2. Keene Reavers 3. The 3. The Gelde’n Bastards 4. Calmyn 4. Calmyn Knaves 5. Abbey 5. Abbey of the Heathen 6. The 6. The Flagellators 7. Mistweaver’s 7. Mistweaver’s Phantoms 8. Skyclaimer’s 8. Skyclaimer’s Spooks 9. The 9. The Knife Disciples 10. The 10. The Pauper’s Pickers 11. The 11. The Taker’s Men 12. The 12. The Butcher’s Band
1D6 Brigand Band Goals 1. Get 1. Get rich and kill trying 2. Take the easy pickings 2. Take 3. Bring 3. Bring down the local tyrant 4. Finance 4. Finance the leader’s project 5. Disrupt 5. Disrupt an enemy lord 6. Fill 6. Fill the lord’s coers
Brigands 1D6 Mainstays 1. Grunts
2. Lurkers
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 6 | Grip 2
Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigor or 6 | Grip 2
B R AW N 1 | W I T 0 | W I L L 0
B R AW N 0 | W I T 1 | W I L L 0
Hand Weapon | Basic Armour
Ranged Weapon | Light Weapon
Mo ra l e I s s ue s
Ni mb l e
3. Foecleaver
4. Duelist
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 9 | Grip 3
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 30 | Grip 3
BRAWN BRA WN 1 | WIT 1 | WILL 0
BRAWN BRA WN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
Heavy Weapon | Plate Armour
Light Weapon | Basic Armour
Leaping Slash | Barrelling Charge | Cleaving Blows
Redirect | Escape Tactics | Focused Defence
5. Phalanx
6. Grandmaster
Armour Armo ur 10 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Gri Grip p3
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 15 | Grip 6
B R AW N 2 | W I T 0 | W I L L 0
B R AW N 2 | W I T 1 | W I L L 1
Hand Weapon | Shield | Heavy Armour
Hand Weapon | Shield | Basic Armour
Ph al a n x | De fen d er
W eap o n ma st er | C o mma n der
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Brigands 1D6 Specialist Troops 1. Cutpurse
2. Assa Assassin ssin
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 6 | Gri Grip p2
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 9 | Grip 2
BRAWN BRA WN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 0
BRAWN BRA WN 0 | WIT 2 | WILL 1
Light Weapon | Thrown Weapon | Basic Armour
Light Weapon | Thrown Weapon | Basic Armour
Pilf Pi lfer erer er | Kn Knif ifee fr from om th thee Sh Shad adow owss
Knifee fr Knif from om th thee Sh Shad adow owss | Toxic Blade | Umbral Dash
3. Berserker
4. Alchemist
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Grip 3
Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 8 | Grip 5
BRAWN 2 | WIT 0 | WILL 1
BRAWN -1 | WIT 1 | WILL 0
Heavy Weapon
Light Weapon | Basic Armour
Battle Frenzy | Unstoppable
Concoctionist | Toxic Blade
5. Sharpshooter
6. Mons Monster ter Ea Eater ter
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 8 | Gri Grip p3
Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Gri Grip p3
B R AW N 0 | W I T 2 | W I L L 0
B R AW N 1 | W I T 0 | W I L L 1
Light Weapon | Ranged Weapon | Basic Armour
Hand Weapon (vicious Weapon (vicious claws)
Set-Up Shot | Wind-Up Strike
Bloodthirsty | Flesh-gorging | Wound-K Woun d-Knitt nitting ing
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Cultists Wizards, Priests, Pries ts, Acolytes Acolytes
C ultist 1D6 Cul tist Moods 1. Enraptured 1. Enraptured 2. Suspicious 2. Suspicious 3. Paranoid 3. Paranoid
4. Deceptive 4. Deceptive 5. Ensorcelled 5. Ensorcelled 6. Violent 6. Violent
1D6 Adapt Adapta ation tions s
1. Disorganised 2. Knife from the Shadows 3. Toxic Blade 4. Censure 5. I See Truth in the Stars 6. Fire and Lightning Strange
1D6 Omens 1. Bodies marked with esoteric sigils cut into the skin, ritual disgurement 2. A careful mob, moving with singular purpose 3. Occult sigils, splashes of unearthly liquids, dropped iconography 4. Low chanting, rebrand preaching, arcane incantations 5. Unusual spices and perfumes, blood, ancient tomes 6. Surprisingly extensive cellars, forgotten forgo tten templ temples, es, among a mong the citize citizenry nry
1D6 Cultists 1. Acolyte
2. Zealot
Armour Arm our 7 | Vig Vigour our 6 | Gri Grip p2
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 9 | Gri Grip p4
BRAWN 0 | WIT 0 | WILL 1
BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 1
Hand Weapon OR Weapon OR Basic Basic Armour
Basic Armour | Light Weapon
Disorganised
Knife from the Shadows | Battle Frenzy
The rank and le congregation: chanters, hooded masses, knife-wavers, blood-letters and witnesses—the saved and the damned.
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These few proved their worth to the cult and continue to. The Cult is all that they live for, allowing a desperate cunning to worm its way into their psyches, bearing foul fruit.
SPECIAL ADAPTATION
Cultists
Revelation: When reduced to 0 Grip, the monster receives a revelation: immediately regaining D6 Vigour, D3 Grip and a Power from their Cult List.
3. Corpsemonger
4. Dreadblade
Armour Arm our 8 | Vig Vigour our 9 | Gri Grip p4
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Gri Grip p2
BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
BRAWN 2 | WIT 0 | WILL 1
Basic Armour | Light Weapon
Radiant Blade | 1 | 1 from Cult List
Spirits of the Beyond | 1 from Cult List
Heavy Weapon | Heavy Armour
The one thing that almost all cults leave behind is a bitter legacy of corpses. Thus it’s sensible some learn the comparatively mundane art of animating cadavers for routine and brute-force requirements.
5 . H ig h S p ea ke r
For the most part Cults prefer to stay in the shadows and act in secret, which is a problem for when violence is the most expedient solution. The Dreadblades are the chosen few who execute these destructive goals.
6. Transcended
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Gri Grip p9
Armour Armo ur 6+D 6+D3 3 | Vig Vigour our 6D6 | Grip 0
BRAWN 0 | WIT 2 | WILL 2
BRAWN D3 | WIT D3 | WILL D3
B a si c Ar m o ur | Li g h t We a p o n
Hand Weapon (Claws/ hands/appendages)
Fire and Lightning Strange | 2 from Cult List The cult leaders inducted into the most esoteric mysteries. The most secretive of the lot, they are content delving deeper into the unknown, subtly advancing their cause. That said, their power is formidable formid able..
Spirits of the Beyond | 1 from Cult List There are truths and mysteries beyond our quivering forms and thoughts—webs and strands coruscating with unfathomable sublimity. Bearing witness changes you: lesser than what you witnessed, but far greater than before.
Cultists 1D6 Cul Cu lts and a nd their the ir Powers 1. Disciples of the Great Hunger Hunger exists in many forms; the Disciples embrace them all, and none more than cannibalism. They can be brutal and animalistic, tearing giblets with their teeth and guzzling from burst arteries like new-born pups. They can be genteel, rened, demurely slicing away tender morsels with surgical precision. This hunger burns behind their eyes, an endless requirement, bare as a void. It clawing from within, desperate to be slaked. They adore and fear it in equal measure; it grants desperate, adrenal strength yet demands ceaseless feeding, feed ing, an a n innite inni te desire. d esire. Even as a s they the y throw th row themselves ecstatically into its yawning embrace, they dread hitting bottom, and are consumed themselves in turn.
Powers 1. Hunger Pangs 2. Ferocious Charge 3. Chase them Down 4. Flesh-Gorging 5. Soul Feast 6. Devour
The Hook: Sometimes, Hook: Sometimes, when hope ickers and dies, there is no escape save eating forbidden things. The Mysteries: The Mysteries: The hunger begins as a strength, an adrenaline rush, a gateway to new, exotic delicacies. The Sting: The Sting: The relentless hunger is omnipresent, gnawing and clawing at your belly. The Trap: The Trap: The Cult can nd things that assuage the hunger. They are the only ones capable of helping or understanding The Hope: You Hope: You keep the hunger in check, resisting your animal urges.
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Cultists
2. Ardents of the Brimstone Circles Beyond our simple reality, there are wicked, humanity devouring creatures hailing from the abominable nightmare-world of Letha, where the seas are ame, clouds of ash ll the skies and the very ground is sown with bones and crystalised misery. And yet…th y et…this is wicked wi cked place place's 's denize d enizens ns come com e to us, palms pa lms outstretched, bearing gifts and promises. Their appearance is nothing to worry about, they say, they bring gifts—perhaps to exchange for some tokens, some tries. The over-zealous clergy’s stories demonise what they don’t understand or can’t control. Come, let us show you what the Cinderbeasts have to oer...
Powers 1. Weakn Weakness ess (Holy) (Holy) 2. Final Revenge 3. The Evil Evil Eye 4. Cursling Blades 5. Flame-Wreathed 6. Fire-Breathing
The Hook: Look, Hook: Look, maybe they are wicked things from beyond our world, wo rld, but they t hey grant gr ant true t rue power. po wer. The Mysteries: The Mysteries: The rst few favours are cheap but quite addictive, however... The Sting: As Sting: As you crave more the favours become more potent, the high yet higher, the costs yet dearer. The Trap: Should Trap: Should you fail to keep up with increasing demands, Cinderbeasts possess your body directly exacting their will upon the world. The Hope: The Hope: The favours continue and you eternally outrun the consequences.
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Cultists
3. Cultivators of Decay There are all manner of things which are not strictly ‘alive’ which thrive when symbiotically linked to a living (often a human). Cultivators of Decay nurture such relationships with a grand plethora of ‘Guests’,which share their bodies and infest their minds. The Guests are not despots—in all things a Cultivator and Guests form a hive-mind. Their symbiotic bond provides, the Guests provide health, vitality and exceedingl long life. In exchange, the host submits to the Consensus, greatly outnumbered as they are, and seeks out further hosts, willing or not, to harbor their own Guests.
The Hook: All Hook: All life can be nurtured to grow together, competition need not underlie survival. The Mysteries: Early Mysteries: Early Symbiosis has benets: potency, relative health, a hive-mind’s comfort. A small discomfort is a small price, is it not? The Sting: The Sting: The more Guests you bring in, the less and less your will matters in Consensus. The more alive you remain, the less agency you retain. The Trap: Without Trap: Without Symbiosis, your esh would slough from your bones. If you disobey the Consensus, your future existence will be certainly unpleasant. The Hope: Taking Hope: Taking on further Guests can allay discomforts, perhaps buying enough time to escape dependency.
Powers 1. Weak Weakness ness (Fire) 2. Toxic Blade 3. Your Limbs Like Lead 4. Marsh-Borne 5. Falling to Bits 6. Violent End
Cultists
4. Apostles of the New Flesh For the hedonists of old, a time came without new extravagences, breakable boundaries or tresspassable taboos. This grew their ennui and deepened their despondency. When revelation came, their joy overowed: the Ineable Flesh promised deliverance beyond the most vivid dreamer’s wildest acid-nightmares. Their senses were wider than the sky. Their experiences deepened, beyond what even they could plumb. Their esh twist twisted, ed, into shapes undrea undreamt mt by b y nature. nat ure. Perhaps, in their heart of hearts, they fear what they are becoming, the extremity they witnessed, but how can they cope without their New Flesh?
Powers 1. Delicious Suffering 2. Blood Bloodscent scent 3. Wound-Knitting 4. Gelat Gelatinou inouss Grip 5. Blood Bloodthirs thirsty ty 6.Amorphous
The Hook: The Hook: The cult is privy to all manner of greater and deeper extravagances. The Mysteries: The Mysteries: The reality is so much more wonderful than promised! Or maybe your comprehension grew... The Sting: The Sting: The more intense sensations you experience, the less human you become and the duller reality seems. The Trap: Eventually, Trap: Eventually, only the Cult’s sensations and experiences provide any satisfaction. The Hope: Eventually, Hope: Eventually, we may permanently shed our humanity for something greater.
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Cultists
5. Seekers of Life-Eternal In the end, all withers and dies, such is the cruel law of Entropy. The Seekers recoil from esh’s inevitable failings failin gs and a nd strive st rive to t o transcend tra nscend their frail forms subverting death’s cosmic laws. Smaller and more academic than most cults, including many magical scholars. Some reckon their dour laboratories bore witness to the rst Liches. All manner of travesty is blamed on the Seekers and their depraved experiments. Villages slaughtered, corpses deled with occult sigils, tombs desecrated and befouled. For the Seekers, no cost is too great, no method is too abhorrent and their devotion is limitless.
The Hook: Death Hook: Death is a cruel tyrant, together we can conquer it. The Mysteries: Some Mysteries: Some methods can extend life, the Cult helps achieve them. The Sting: While Sting: While short-term methods are benign, living soon requires becoming more distasteful and, eventually, monstrous. The Trap: There Trap: There can only be awful, awful things awaiting those subverting life and death’s natural order. The Hope: The Hope: The discovery of undying life.
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Powers 1. Undead 2. Will it Never Die? 3. Resurrectionist 4. Sworn Foe (Holy) 5. Wound-Knitting 6. Beetle-Flesh
Cultists
6. Scholars Schol ars of the Demon-Sultan Some believe that the earth we stand on, sustaining us, is somehow the centre of everything. Fools. Others believe short-lived man—or perhaps the ckle Elves or dour Dwarves—is the great chain of being’s pinnacle! Pathetic! The unilluminated believe history has some nal purpose or grand plan. They know nothing! The universe’s veins beat to a single drum, dancing to an orderless cacophony of utings around eternity's fulminating fulmi nating heart the Throne of the t he Demon-Sul De mon-Sultan! tan!
The Hook: Modern Hook: Modern magic and scholarship are limited, they can’t see the truth. The cult has insight into the universe’s deepest secrets.
Powers 1. Untrue Visions 2. Violent End 3. Call of the Faithful 4. Arcane Volley 5. Otherworldly Gaze 6. Petrifying Gaze
The Mysteries: To Mysteries: To begin, the cult’s methods reveal many wondrous things... The Sting: ...but Sting: ...but eventually, the Demon-Sultan’s truth is uncovered, clarifying reality’s purpose. The Trap: The Trap: The knowledge is unforgettable—too primal and true to unlearn. The Hope: Perhaps Hope: Perhaps delving further reveals some last hope. No means are too taboo, no end unjustied.
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Goblins Mood: Hunter-Gatherer The world is unkind to Goblins. Born when a haling succumbs to base instincts to endlessly feed after being left after an uncaring world left them only the merest scraps. Wretched as they are, they make the most of it, which is quite a lot with a Goblin’s ingenuity...
1D6 Hybrids 1. Spider Eaters: Petrifying Gaze (entangles the target in webs) | Spiderclimbing.. Spiderclimbing 2. Beetle-Skinned: Acidic | Acidic | +2 Armour +2 Armour.. 3. Eel-Faced: Bloodthirsty | Aquatic | Aquatic.. 4. Muck-Fleshed: Wound-Knitting Wound-Knitting | | Gelatinous Grip. Grip. 5. Bat-Speakers: Echolocation | Echolocation | Flying.. Flying 6. Rat-Chewers: Septic Strikes | Strikes | Compressible.. Compressible
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1D6 Gadgets 1. Glass Wire: Applied Wire: Applied to a Restrained a Restrained target as an action. When moving a Zone or Zone or taking an action, the target loses 1 Vigour 1 Vigour.. Removing the wire takes an action and costs 1 Vigour. 2. Muck Pockets: As Pockets: As an action, can dip their weapon in the muck granting their Attacks their Attacks the the Venomous Venomous Adaptati Adap tation on.. 3. Bug-Infested Armour: As Armour: As Infested Infested.. 4. Man Prods: A Prods: A Light Light Weapon. Instead of damage, targets must make a Brawn a Brawn or or Will Will Check (their (their choice) or be Incapacitated be Incapacitated until until woken by an actio action. n. 5. Grinding Engine: Can Engine: Can be ground as an action, producing a noise grating Characters’ bones and inner ear, forcing a Grip a Grip Check . 6. Majick Destabliser: As Destabliser: As Sworn Sworn Foe (Arcane), works 3 times.
Goblins
1D6 Majick Majic ks The spells bestow the adaptation in parenthesis or, if cast in a month-long ritual, inict the listed localized eect. 1. Fungal Growth ( Growth (Shape Shape the Land) Land): Plant life is replaced with fungal growths, sickening the land and its inhabitants. 2. Vomit Smoke ( Smoke (Brume Brume Blast) Blast): The air thickens and clouds, sunlight is scarce. 3. Mischief (Iron Whisperer): Small ( Iron Whisperer) mechanisms operate themselves, leading to small disasters. 4. Sweat Oil ( Oil (Slicken Slicken)): Everything is covered in thin, oily gunk. Fires blaze out of control. 5. Goblin Blessing ( Blessing (Hex-Spewer Hex-Spewer)): Everything always goes wrong in small but aggrava a ggravating ting ways. 6. Sneek (Pass ( Pass Unnoticed) Unnoticed): Slowly things begin disappearing, then people. They're still there, you just can't see them.
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Goblins 1D6 Goblins 1. Anklebiter
2. Roach-Knight
Armour Arm our 7 | Vig Vigour our 4 | Gri Grip p2
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 9 | Gri Grip p4
BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL -1
BRAWN 1 | WIT 1 | WILL -1
Hand Weapon OR Weapon OR Ranged Ranged Weapon
Basic Armour | Hand Weapon
Disorganised | Pilferer | 1-in-6 | 1-in-6 chance of a Goblin a Goblin Gadget
Fighting Retreat | Sprinter (while mounted)
The bog-standard goblin. Their strength is being numerous and, practicing unfairness in an unfair world.
3. Majishuns
There aren’t many choices of steed in the Goblin’s bleak pits. While most would sco, the Dire-Roach is, in a word, invincible. Not very dangerous mind you—that’s what the rider is for.
4. Junk-Miser
Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 9 | Gri Grip p6
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Gri Grip p2
BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
BRAWN 0 | WIT 2 | WILL -1
Basic Armour | Light Weapon
Light Weapon | Heavy Armour
2 from the Goblin the Goblin Majiks Table
2 from the Goblin the Goblin Gadgets Table
Their spelling may not be ideal, nor their sigils expertly crafted, nor their book binding even approaching acceptable—but their power is undeniable. Even more so than other wizards, their magic seeps into the land, and spreading..
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Ingenious among their fellows, these goblins cobble together mechanisms and machines unfettered by the unreasonable claims of physics, logic and common decency.
Goblins
5. Fight-King!
6. Hybrid
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 15 | Gri Grip p5
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Gri Grip p3
BRAWN 0 | WIT 2 | WILL -1
BRAWN 0 | WIT 2 | WILL -1
Basic Armour | Light Weapon
1 set from the Goblin the Goblin Hybrids Table
Commander | Inspiring Presence | Fighting Retreat Everyone knows Goblins are weak, cowardly and chaotic. Everyone is also wrong, as survivors who engaged a Goblin unit led by a Fight-King would attest.
Goblins are born survivors and extremely adaptable. So much so that some, pushed to the brink and beyond, develop traits of what they devour, becoming strange and uncanny hybrids.
Great Beasts Mood: Great Beast Legendary monsters are not unlikely encounters in a Crypt’s depths. While Great Beasts are presumably innumerable with unlimited shape, these are the most infamous.
1D6 Adapt Adapta ation tions s
1D6 Omens
1. Flying 2. Terrifying Roar. Roar. 3. Hideous Strength. Strength. 4. Sweeping Attacks 5. Barrelling Charge. Charge. 6. Hulking
1. Bodies eortlessly torn apart and scattered to the wind 2. Huge footprints smashed into any and every surface 3. Floor and walls incidentally gouged from the beast’ b east’ss passing pass ing 4. Deep predatory rumbles, deafening roars, shuddering thunderous steps 5. Blood and meat, leather and bone 6. Towering caverns, craters, coiled in the roots of titanic trees, in fallen castle's hollow shells
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Great Beasts
1D12 Rumours It is up to the Doomsayer the Doomsayer whether whether any rolled rumours are actually true. 1. A child with with a curious birthmark is born, destin destined ed to ght the Beast. B east.
7. The Beast attacks people with a particular appearance.
2. Ruined farmsteads, blackened and
8. The Beast Beast has attacked at the same
burned,, torn burned tor n to pieces.
time of day for a couple of weeks.
3. Three caravans of wagons went missing in the forest recently.
9. The Beast’s lair is in a place nigh inaccessible to mortals.
4. An earthquake announced the Beast’s arrival.
10. The Beast’s teeth are gold and its nails are silver!
5. A half-dozen soldiers sent to dispatch the Beast were made into a grisly display.
11. The Beast ate a demon, who now dwells in its stomach causing its wrath!
6. A local temple declares the Beast to be a punish punishment ment for f or mankind’s ma nkind’s sins!
12. The Beast was kept in secret by a village child while growing to its current size.
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Grea eatt Beasts B easts Gr 1D6 Beasts 2. Troll
1. Basilisk Armour Arm our 8 | Vig Vigour our 24 | Grip 4
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 20 | Grip 4
BRAWN 2 | WIT 0 | WILL -1
BRAWN 2 | WIT 0 | WILL 0
Petrifying Gaze | 1 | 1 from Monstrous from Monstrous Aspect Aspe ct Tabl Tablee
Woun d-Knitti Wound-Kn itting ng (re (re or acid disables) | 1 from Monstrous from Monstrous Aspect Table
3. Giant
4. Chimera
Armour Arm our 7 | Vig Vigour our 36 | Grip 3
Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Grip 4
BRAWN 4 | WIT 0 | WILL 0
BRAWN 2 | WIT 0 | WILL 0
Hulking | Hideous Strength | Inevitable | 1 | 1 from Monstrous from Monstrous Aspect Aspe ct Tabl Tablee
3 from Monstrous from Monstrous Aspect Table
5. Phoenix
6. Dra Drake ke
Armour Arm our 8 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Grip 6
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 36 | Gri Grip p 12
BRAWN 0 | WIT 2 | WILL 0
BRAWN 3 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
Flamewreathed | Flying | Beetleflesh (as a pile of Ashes) | Ashes) | 1 1 from Monstrous from Monstrous Aspect Asp ect Tabl Tablee
Fire-Breathing | Flying | Rampage | 1 from Monstrous from Monstrous Aspect Table
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Grea eatt Beasts B easts Gr 1D66 Aspects Reroll any Adaptations the Beast already has. 1\1. Acidic 1\2. Aquatic 1\3. Barrelling Charge 1\4. Bloodscent 1\5. Chase them Down 1\6. Compressible 2\1. Devour 2\2. Echosense 2\3. Falling to Bits 2\4. Final Revenge 2\5. Fire-Breathing 2\6. Flurry of Claws 3\1. Flying 3\2. Gelatinous Grip 3\3. Hideous Strength 3\4. Hulking 3\5. Hunger Pangs 3\6. Impaler
4\1. Myopic 4\2. Nimble 4\3. Sensitive Hearing 4\4. Sensitive Vision 4\5. Spew Flame 4\6. Spider Climb 5\1. Sundering 5\2. Sweeping Attacks 5\3. Terrifying Roar 5\4. Thunderous Blows 5\5. Tide of Teeth 5\6. Toxic Blood 6\1. Unstoppable 6\2. Venomous 6\3. Vulnerable Point 6\4. Weakness (damage Weakness (damage type) 6\5. Wind-Up Smash 6\6. You Can’t Run
Undead Mood: Void-Hearted or as controller A horrifying hor rifying prete pretense nse of o f life lif e with wit h an invaria invariably bly cold disreg disregard, ard, even outright hatred, of the living. Most commonly created by a Necromancer, sometimes some powerful force tethers a soul. They congregate in Crypts in great numbers, far from the sun’s burning gaze, waiting to snu out another life.
1D6 Adapt Adapta ation tions s 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Cacophono Cacoph onous us Clumsyy Movem Clums Movements ents Ironcl Iro nclad ad Inevitable Unstoppabl Unsto ppablee Unreadable Unrea dable Power
1D6 Spirit Power Table 1. Otherworldly Gaze 2. Corpsemover 3. The Evil Eye 4. A Dark Mirror 5. Breath-Stealer 6. Disguise (as Disguise (as a living person)
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2D6 The Species of the Dead 2. 3-4. 34. 5. 6. 7-8. 78. 9. 10 . 11-12.
Di v in e C or p s e Dwar Dw arf f Mo n st e r Elf Huma Hu man n Ha l fl i n g Hybrid (natural) Hybrid (unnatural) Hybrid (unnatural)
Undead
1D12 Ancient Riches Clinging to the Dead 1. Tarnished War Medals 2. Rune-Stitched Funeral Shroud 3. Jewelled Protection Amulet 4. Ceremonial Blade 5. A Coin beneath the Tongue Tongue 6. A Replacement, Ruby Heart 7. Golden Teeth and Glass Eyes Eyes 8. A Gilded Gilded Stake through the Chest 9. Silver, Amber-Studded Bangles 10. Ivory Scrimshaw Sewn into Gloves 11. Copper Chain Body Bindings 12. A Tattered, Once-Luxurious Cloak
1D6/1D3Reasons to Return from the Dead 1. To Ta Take ke Re Reve veng nge e on on:: 1. A Treacherous Lover/Friend 1. A 2. Their 2. Their Country 3. Their 3. Their Slayer
2. To Et Eter erna nall lly y Gu Guar ard: d: 1. Their Ruler 1. Their 2. Sacred 2. Sacred Grounds 3. The 3. The Site of an Atrocity
3. To Fu Fulf lfil ill: l: 1. Their Dying Wish 1. Their 2. A 2. A Criminal Sentence 3. An 3. An Impossible Quest
4. Cu Curs rsed ed By By::
1. Trespassing upon a Holy Site 1. Trespassing 2. A 2. A Powerful Wizard 3. A 3. A Cruel Twist of Fate
5. Po Poss sses essed sed By By:: 1. A Lich’s Scattered Mind 1. A 2. A 2. A Desperate Cinderbeast 3. A 3. A Trickster Spirit
6. Un Unwi will lling ingly ly An Anima imate ted d by: 1. An Ambitious Necromancer 1. An 2. A 2. A Scheming Cryptdigger 3. A 3. A Cursed Location
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Undead 1D6 Undead 1. Zombie
2. Skeleton
Armour Arm our 7 | Vig Vigour our 9
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 6
BRAWN 1 | WIT -1 | WILL -1
BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL -1
Hand Weapon
Basic Armour | Light Weapon
Clumsy Movements | Disorganised | Will it Neve N everr Die? Di e?
Resistance (Piercing) | Resistance (Piercing) | Weaknes Weak nesss (Bludgeoning)
The most basic risen dead, a corpse with magic's merest mote driving its un-life. They respond to only the clearest, simplest instructions and created by any fool with a spellbo spe llbook. ok.
3. Spirit
Much like l ike the t he Zombie, Zo mbie, a menial me nial labourer and passable combatant whose lack of esh makes them somewhat more nimble— and unnerving.
4. Death Knight
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 9 | Gri Grip p4
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 18 | Gri Grip p4
BRAWN -1 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
BRAWN 2 | WIT 1 | WILL 1
Basic Armour | Light Weapon
Heavy Weapon | Heavy Armour
Ethereal | 1 | 1 from the Spirit the Spirit Power Table Weapon Weap on Mast Master er | Radia R adiant nt Blad Bladee | My Shining Armour Gleams | Sworn Skilled Necromancers can even bind Enemy (Martial) (Martial) souls. These incorporeal undead struggle to aect the material world Killing has a power all its own, the directly but their spirit energies wreck worst kind of magic. The most lethal havoc on mortals. warriors discover this as they cut short innumerable lives, accumulating this energy like lth, staining their souls.
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When they nally succumb to death’s cold touch, their body goes on, this baleful power forming a pseudo-soul of its own: the Death Knight!
Undead 5. Lich Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 15 | Gri Grip p9 BRAWN 0 | WIT 2 | WILL 2
Basic Armour | Light Weapon Fire and Lightning Strange | Beetleflesh | Spirits of the Beyond | 2 other Arcane other Arcane Advancements OR Advancements OR rolls on the Spirit the Spirit Power Table All fear f ear death’ d eath’ss touch, to uch, few f ew can c an sunder sun der its shackles. Using esoteric rites, mages bind their soul to a vessel, tethering them to the living world. Functionally immortal, all a Lich fears are eternity's burdens.
6. Unmartyred Unm artyred Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 15 | Gri Grip p9 BRAWN 0 | WIT 3 | WILL 3
Censure | Sworn Enemy (Holy) | (Holy) | Resurrectionist | Falling to Bits | 2 Other Holy Other Holy Advancements Not all fear death, some deities promise eternal rest, or rebirth in a new world. Unmartyred are these servants, caged in rotting bodies, denied their promised reward. Their old powers and authority subverted to some dreadful end, they are left only able to hate
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Wizards Mood: Arcane While many wizards start as Cryptdiggers, few professional wizards stay for long. They replace the long, cold journeys into the dark with decades of experimentation and study. Few fail to capitalize on their power for personal gain: selling their services or utilizing their magical might.
1D3 Wizards 1. Apprentice
2. Wizard
Armour Arm our 7 | Vig Vigour our 6 | Gri Grip p6
Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 15 | Gri Grip p 12
BRAWN 0 | WIT 0 | WILL 1
BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
One of their type’s Advancements. type’s Advancements.
Two of their type’s Advancements type’s Advancements,, and another Journeyman another Journeyman Advancement. Advancement.
3. Archmage Armour Arm our 8 | Vig Vigour our 24 | Grip 18 BRAWN -1 | WIT 1 | WILL 3
Advancements,, and All of their type’ type’ss Advancements two more Journeyman more Journeyman Advancements.
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Wizards
1D6 Types 1. Necromancer
2. Locomancer
Anim ativee Execu Animativ E xecution tion | Shado S hadow w Glamours | Spirits of the Beyond
Mangle Space | Dreadful Word | Petrifying Gaze
The arcane community’s boogie-men, many mothers cautions their children to avoid cemeteries lest the ‘dead-comeliving’ drag them to an unspeakable fate.. Almost fate Al most every everyone one wants w ants their services for one last chance to speak to the departed.
Locomancers are, as a rule, extremely pompous and egotistical since, as they love to explain, "We hold the strings of reality and causality at our ngertips!". Their magics permit them to willfully bend space and time—to a degree. Their numbers are few, however, as their gallivanting with nature’s laws often attracts undue extra-planar attention...
3. Hex-Tongued
4. Catastrophist
Hex Spewer | Evil Eye | Luck Eater
Charging Blast | Spew Flame | Fire and Lightning Strange
There are many reasons people seek curses: spite, revenge, justice—in the end the Hex-Tongued rarely care so long as their terms are agreed to. All manner of hexes, from the tiniest un-luck to bloodline fouling curses can be made with the right rings of words, the perfect piece of the target, just a tiny touch of magic...
The arcane arts are useful for all manner of things: creating beautiful objects or eects, defending the persecuted and discovering untold knowledge. Catastrophists are quite procient at using magic to destroy. People, buildings, villages, monsters, Cryptdiggers, animals, landmarks; it's all very much the same to their bolts of arcane re.
Wizards 1D6 Types 5. S poo k
6. Elementalist
Face-Taker | Iron Whisperer | Umbral Dash
Flame-Wreathed | Shunt | Shape the Earth
More urbane wizar wizards ds utilize ut ilize their talents to act as spies and agents, treading the thin line between arcanist and shadowjack. Replacing their morals with magic, they walk unseen through
These wizards study the natural world and its composite separable and inseparable parts. They can throw ame, shift the earth and call c all upon the t he winds to obey. While some mistake
crowds, charm locks open and coat targets in supernatural gloom.
them are not boundfor to druids, respect Elementalists the natural world as Druids are...
1D6 Wizard Treasures 1. Spellbook: Contains Spellbook: Contains their spells, written writt en in idiosyn idiosyncrati craticc ciphers ciph ers and an d short-hand. Mages can learn the contained Adaptations contained Adaptations as Advancements.. as Advancements 2. 1D3 Witch-Stones: Each Witch-Stones: Each can be consumed in place of 1 Grip 1 Grip for for Arcane Arca ne Adva Advance ncemen ments ts.. 3. A Potion: As Potion: As per the Concoctionist Advancement.
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4. A Poison: As Poison: As per the Toxic Blade Advancement. Advancement. 5. Forgotten Idol: The Idol: The owner only needs 6 Experience 6 Experience to to take the Eldritch Pact Advancement. Advancement . 6. Lich-Token: The Lich-Token: The next time the owner dies, they lose 2D3 Grip 2D3 Grip and and survive with 1 Vigour 1 Vigour instead. instead.
Wizards
Beyonders Things from Beyond SPACE and TIME
SPECIAL SPECI AL ADAPT ADAPTA ATION Mindshatter: Once per Turn, the monster can spend EITHER 2 points of an Mindshatter: Once Grip to Adaptation OR enemy’s Grip enemy’s to power an Advancement an Advancement or or Adaptation OR 1 point of an enemy’s Grip enemy’s Grip to to fuel Exertion fuel Exertion..
Beyonders Incomprehensible beings from Distant Realms at the very edges of real space, Beyonders do not resemble any living creature, speak languages or obey masters and lack observable culture. Scholars debate if they are individuals aspects of larger beings or, even, a single greater organism’s quasi-cellular components. Their (plausible) sentience is rarely observed—the only constant is their corrupting nature, inhuman form and insatiable hunger. Any communica co mmunications tions with their foll followers owers are wordle w ordless, ss, found f ound in in vague symbolic visions and feasting dreams. Their cultists attempt to augur their message's intent, resulting in mixed interpretations and uncoordinated groups. Their followers speak of the Dreaming Ancients: impossible, reality shattering entities of impossible size that, if awakened, could corrupt, destroy and assimilate the entire Prime Material.
1D6 Moods 1. Argumentative 4. Unaware 2. Plundering 5. Curious 3. Resting 6. Violent
1D6 Suggested Adaptations 1. Mangle Space 2. Otherworldly Gaze 3. Hexaddled 4. Unreadable 5. Reality Betrays You 6. Terrifying Roar
1D6 Omens 1. Scraps of esh in impossible impossible shapes and materials, mangled beyond recognition 2. Strangled weeds that shift in oscillating patterns, scars of warped stone 3. Colours that hurt, slime reecting galaxies, mist the deep black of night
4. High pitched whining, curious uting, the titan-rumbling of the utter void 5. Ozone, sweet oral scents, the charnel house, spoiled wine 6. Otherworldly places unlike other lairs, splatters of alien weeds
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Beyonders 1D12 Dreaming Ancients
1D12 Creature Impossibilities
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
1. It seeps through cracked walls and runs through brickwork. Compressible
The Thousand Eyed Giant The Primordial Ooze That Which Sees The Vast One They That Lurk In Dreams The Fathomless Eternity The King of Horizons The Crowned with Eyes
9. Deeps 10. The The Deplorable Truth Riddled Riddle d with Thorns 11. The Ever-Slain 12. It Blossoms with Teeth
2. Its limbs seep poison, painful painful to the touch. Toxic touch. Toxic Blades 3. It ickers in and out of existence. Ethereal 4. Its mass is black as night and barelyy visible barel visi ble in shadow. Shadowclad 5. Its touch melts esh and bone, metal fares little better. Acidic better. Acidic 6. It incorporates the dead’s dead’s organic mass. Flesh-Gorging mass. Flesh-Gorging 7. It takes human form, barely a monster until too late. Disguise late. Disguise 8. It is incredibly fast, blink and you’ll miss it. Blistering it. Blistering Speed 9. Its skin runs slick, slippery to the touch. Slippery touch. Slippery 10. When destroyed, it explodes explodes in a blast of ichor. ich or. Violent Violent End 11. Its limbs are lined with tiny suction pods, granting a horric grip. Spiderclimb 12. Its very touch saps foes’ foes’ life. Lifedrinker
Beyonders 1D6 Beyonders 1. Glutton
2. Teethling
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 25
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 18
BRAWN 2 | WIT -1 | WILL 2
BRAWN 1 | WIT 2 | WILL 2
Ravenous Maw (Heavy (Heavy ) Bladed Tongue (Light (Light))
Endless Teeth (Light (Light))
Blind | Clumsy Movements | Inevitable | Mindshatter Rampage |
Ironshelled (Encased in Teeth) | Ironshelled (Encased Teeth) | Mindshatter | Nimble | Tide of Teeth
Woundkni Woun dknittin tting g
3. Lurker
4. Leech
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 15
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 30
BRAWN BRA WN 0 | WIT 2 | WILL 2
BRAWN BRA WN 1 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
Serrated Flesh (Light (Light))
Tentacles (Long (Long))
Ambushe Amb usherr | Mind Mindlee leech ch |
Feeds On Misfortune |
Mindshatter | Pass Unnoticed
5. Displacer
Gelatinous GripYou! | Mindshatter | Reality Betrays
6. Valley of Eyes
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 35
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 50
B R AW N 1 | W I T 2 | W I L L 2
B R AW N 3 | W I T 1 | W I L L 2
Slicken | Mangle Space | Mindshatter | Redirection
Gaping Maw (Heavy (Heavy )
Needle Darts (Throwing (Throwing)) Bladed Tongue (Light (Light))
A Dark Da rk Mirro M irrorr | Devo Devour ur | Hulkin Hu lking g| Mindshatter | Powers of the Magi | Toxic Blood | Untrue Visions | Woundkni Woun dknittin tting g
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Celestials Angels, Saints, Creatures of Supernatural Superna tural Good or Law Law
Celestials Envoys and soldiers of the Old Gods with direct lines to divinity. Altho ugh legion Although l egion in number, numb er, they t hey only visit the Prime P rime Materi M aterial al in small numbers, descending on comets or appearing in their followers' follo wers' visions visions.. The Old Gods rule from the Star Tree of Xytok, a distant nebulae, and care little for mortal aairs. Their servants, however, attend to deeds of Celestial importance: purging heretics, waging of grand religious wars and prophesying. Heralds are slender humanoid creatures with cold skin like worked stone. They are erce, beautiful and all powerful, holding the adoration of cults that inevitably surround them. Alongside Alongs ide them are the Godsen G odsent, t, lesser l esser Godl Godlings ings sent s ent to t o assist ass ist in in the Prime Material. While resembling true Heralds in appearance, their form is lesser and tasks more singular. Each has a specic mission—once completed its physical form decays and its spirit returns to the Star Tree. Despite their origins, Heralds are not incorruptible. Tales are lled with Heral Heralds ds falle f allen n from holy grace grace,, still sti ll powerfu po werfull but far less noble.
1D6 Moods 1. Judging 2. Forgiving 2. Forgiving 3. Questing
Godsent 4. Blessing 4. Blessing 5. Dooming 5. Dooming 6. Prophesying 6. Prophesying
Mood: Celes Celestial tial Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Gri Grip p8 BRAWN 2 | WIT 1 | WILL 1
Speciall Advance Specia Advancement: ment:
1D6 Adaptations 1. Otherworldly
4. Resurrectionist
Divine Gifts: Choose Gifts: Choose the Godsent’s God. They gain the rules in the entry on the table below.
Gaze 5. 2. Luminescent 6. Dreadful InspiringWord 3. Flamewreathed Presence
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Celestials Herald Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 32 | Gri Grip p8 BRAWN 2 | WIT 3 | WILL 3
Fearsome | Flying | Inspiring Presence | Lay on Hands Special Adaptation
Font of Belief: When Belief: When a worshipper of their God, the Herald has an additional 2 Grip Grip at at their disposal each Round each Round.. Divine Gifts: Choose Gifts: Choose the Herald’s God. They gain the rules in the entry on the table below. 1. Vaul The Maker, God of Craft and Wisdom Vaul is the Chief of the Old Gods. Their Heralds forge powerful magic items, wisely rule their demesnes, and cherish battling their enemies, particularly the Beyonders and Dreaming Ancients. Spear (Long) Spear (Long) | Artisan of Magic | Blind | Echosense | Censure | Titan Slayer
2. Barakiel, the Allfather, God of the Four Elements Barakiel is Earthshaper, Firemaker, Stormcaller and Tidebringer, and their Heralds are the most emotive. They crave human sacrice and protect their Maste r’s elemen Master’s e lementals tals by shifting s hifting their form betw between een the t he element el ements, s, to suit the t he tide of battle.
Cruel Halberd (Heavy), Halberd (Heavy), Consume Power, Flamewreathed (Chosen Flamewreathed (Chosen Element),, Resistance (Chosen Element) Resistance (Chosen Element),, Fire and Lightning Element) Strange (Chosen Strange (Chosen Element) Special Advancement
Chosen Element: Unlike Element: Unlike lesser elementals, each turn Barakiel’s Heralds can choose a new element for its Chosen Element Advancements: Advancem ents: Fire, Water, Earth or Lightning. 3. Ados the Drake, God of Purity and Riches Ados’ great greatest est enemie enemiess are witch witches es and an d the unfaithful. As master of Dragons, many of Ados’ faithful take on a draconic aspect such as scales, aming breath and love of gold. Their talonic Wrymspears dance with holy light.
Wyrmsp ear (Long), Wyrmspear (Long), Fire-Breathing, My Shining Armour Gleams, Radiant Blade, Sworn Foe (Arcane) Foe (Arcane)
Celestials
4. Freyal the Heartkeeper, God of Family and Honour Heralds of Freyal are perhaps the least likely to appear. They are called as arbiters of legal disputes or as wardens for Freyal F reyal’s ’s greates gr eatestt servants se rvants,, the Knightly Order of the Blessed Rose.
Longsword (Hand), Longsword (Hand), Shield, Blessing of the Ancients, Censure, Lead From The Front 5. Hannar, the Giver, God of Nature and Healing Hannar’s Heralds are less warlike, often presiding over sacred groves, mountaintops, or other sacred sites, but remain daunting combatants.
6. Keelathi, the Seer, God of Secrets and Magic Keelathi’s Heralds are shadowy gures and powerful seers—shrouded in mystery, only glimpsed by the holiest of Godsmen. They often travel in secret, concealing their Godhood during their divine missions.
Sta of Otherwordly Otherwordly Gaze (Long), Blood of the Magi, Disguise, Manawrath, I See Future In The Stars, Unreadable 7. Narak Y Karan, God of Duality Steeped in duplicity, Narak Y Karan’s Heralds act as roguish spymasters rather than Godly manifestations.
Longbow (Ranged), (Ranged), Cage of
Twin Daggers (Light), Daggers (Light), Ambusher,
Thorns, Flesh Made Anew, Gelatinous Grip (Vines) Grip (Vines)
Assa ssinate, Assassin ate, Shad Shadow ow Glam Glamours ours,, Master of Deceit 8. Vashni, the Slayer, God of War and Death Vashni’s Heralds are Xytok’s nest warriors, sent to oversee battleelds, preside over funerals and purge the world of Vashni’s greatest foes: the Undead.
Curved Sword (Heavy), Sword (Heavy), Sworn Foe (Martial),, Cleaving Blows, Censure (Martial) (Targets Undead Only)
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Cinderbeasts Demons, Devils, Creatures of Supernatural Evil or Chaos
Cinderbeasts Cinderbeasts are terrifying creatures from the Pit of Letha, a sulphurous demiplane of burning heat the Archend Akatesh Akate sh rules. rul es. Within the Cinderlands is a mighty city—the Spires of Akatesh— stinking of rust and screams, where tortured souls scratch against the boundaries of their cells. Time ows like treacle within the city’s walls; days on the Prime Material become years of suering. Their society consists of stratas, each more evil than the last. Cinderbeast Cultists blessed with bestial attributes, are freque ntly the quarry of Witch frequently Wit ch Hunters Hu nters who promptl pr omptlyy execute exe cute anyone with Cinderbeast Aspects. Radical academics claim that the Cinderbeasts predate the Prime Material’s Materi al’s animal animalss and our ecosyst ec osystem em is the Cinderl C inderlands’ ands’ pale imitation. This is of course heterodox, heretical nonsense.
1D6 Adapt Adapta ation tions s
1D6 Moods 1. Scheming 1. Scheming
4. Placating 4. Placating
2. Raging 2. Raging 3. Welcoming 3. Welcoming
5. Insulting 5. Insulting 6. Brooding 6. Brooding
1. Soulfeast 2. Fire-Breathing 3. Weakness (Holy) 4. Evil Eye 5. Breath Stealer 6. Sworn Foe (Holy)
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Cinderbeasts 1. All the demented signs of rampant, 1D6 Omens unapologetic torture
2. Black scorch marks, ice scars, puddles of toxic muck 3. Wicked runes writ in ame, despoiled icons, the holy upheaved 4. Chains, re, screams, pitiful cries for mercy, tearing, chewing, battle 5. Brimstone and meat, rust and excrement 6. Sulphurous crevices, depraved torture chambers, citadels of brass
1D66 Cinderbeast Aspects 1/1. Toad - Gelatinous Grip (Tongue) 1/2. Goat - You - You Can’t Run 1/3. Hawk - Eyes - Eyes of the Hawk
4/1. Spider - Spiderclimb - Spiderclimb 4/2. Beetle - Beetleflesh - Beetleflesh 4/3. Moth - Luminescent - Luminescent
1/4. Cat - Flurry - Flurry of Claws 1/5. Wolf - Bloodscent - Bloodscent 1/6. Crab - Ironshelled - Ironshelled 2/1. Weasel - Blistering - Blistering Speed 2/2. Eagle - Flying - Flying 2/3. Rat - Ambusher - Ambusher 2/4. Mouse - Compressible - Compressible 2/5. Porcupine - Spined/Retaliation - Spined/Retaliation 2/6. Lizard - Septic - Septic Strikes 3/1. Pig - Flesh-Gorging - Flesh-Gorging 3/2. Hound - Nose - Nose of the Dog
4/4. Horse - Chase - Chase Them Down 4/5. Bull - Rampage - Rampage 4/6. Ape - Hideous - Hideous Strength 5/1. Snake - Toxic - Toxic Blades 5/2. Shark - Bloodthirsty - Bloodthirsty 5/3. Racoon - Nimble - Nimble 5/4. Fox - Quick - Quick Reflexes 5/5. Bat - Echosense - Echosense 5/6. Dog - Nose - Nose of the Dog 6/1. Moose - Impaler - Impaler 6/2. Sloth - Hulking - Hulking
3/3. Chameleon - Disguise - Disguise 3/4. Stork - Devour - Devour 3/5. Owl - Ears - Ears of the Owl 3/6. Cow - Cacophonous - Cacophonous
6/3. Lion - Fearsome - Fearsome 6/4. Bear - Cleaving - Cleaving Blows 6/5. Panther - Razorclawed - Razorclawed 6/6. Shrew - Feeds - Feeds on Misfortune
Cinderbeasts 1D6 CinderBeasts 1 -3. Br ute
4- 5. P et t y N ob i l it y
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 27 | Grip 4
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 14 | Gri Grip p4
BRAWN 3 | WIT 0 | WILL 0
B R AW N 1 | W I T 3 | W I L L 2
Hand Weapon OR Weapon OR Heavy Weapon
Li g h t We a p o n
Rampage | Bloodthirsty | 1 Cinderbeast Aspect
Silver Tongue | Otherworldly Gaze | 2 Cinderbeast Aspects
Letha’s base creatures are the Brutes , colossal humanoids with Cinderbeast Aspect Asp ectss: bull horns, moth eyes or crab claws. Unintelligent and incredibly violent, they desire only to kill and consume. In the Prime Material, they usually carve a terrifying, destructive path until stopped by Knights, Wizards or Cryptdiggers.
While less violent, the Petty Nobility are far more insidious, possessing at least two Cinderbeast Aspects. Reaching into the Prime Material, they tempt mortals with oerings of sorcery, riches and power. They are cruel, manipulative and possess a sharp legal wit, capturing many a tempted mortal in contracts damning them to eternal imprisonment in Letha.
6. Peer Pee r Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 40 | Gri Grip p 10 BRAWN 3 | WIT 2 | WILL 3
Hand Weapon OR Weapon OR Heavy Heavy Weapon Otherworldly Gaze | Reality Betrays You | 3 Cinderbeast Aspects The most terrifying Cinderbeasts are Peers. These powerful and accursed
creatures each possess a personal entourage of Petty Nobility and Brutes.
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Fa e
Faeries, Spirits, Creatures of Supernatural Nature
Fa e Folk tell tales; those who linger too long amongst the trees learn the song of Wode and can hear Their screams. These ancient forestss are an ocean forest oce an of leave leavess and bough boughs, s, deep de ep and an d unexplore une xplored. d. Shrines litter the arbour, untouched by sunlight for centuries. Scholars debate what these creatures are — certainly of the Prime Material, deeply connected to nature’s wildest and most untamed places. Are they Gods? They are feared more than worshipped, without temples or priests to speak of. Are they some greater power's servants? Are they simply natural creatures grown powerful across many millenia? Normal folk hold a simpler view—the Fae are demons of the trees. The most powerful align themselves into Courts whose domain is a part or aspect of the forest. Courts and their capricious Fae Lords are obsessed with political squabbles, holding millenia long grudges against each other. Rarely, their power struggles are set aside for pressing worldly threats. A unied court is a fearsome fearso me force. fo rce.
1D6 Omens
1D6 Moods 1. Cavorting 1. Cavorting
4. Stalking 4. Stalking
2. Gamboling 2. Gamboling 3. Frolicking 3. Frolicking
5. Misbehaving 5. Misbehaving 6. Coveting 6. Coveting
1. People frozen as porcelain, embalmed in vines, cut into pieces and hung on thorns 2. Trails of grass and owers, a mushroom ring, dancelike steps
1D6 Adaptations
3. Improbable elements; frozen ames, gaseous mirrors, liquid stones
1. Blinking 1. Blinking 2. Hex-Proof 2. Hex-Proof 3. Ethereal 3. Ethereal
4. Ethereal piping, distant singing or whispers, shouts of joy, animal shrieks
4. Shape the Land 4. Shape 5. Cage 5. Cage of Thorns 6. Fascinating 6. Fascinating Gaze
5. Flowers, sweet nectar, the freshness of rain, the clod of the earth 6. Fairy rings, baroque castle, dark towers, gargantuan owers and trees
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Fa e 1D6 Courts of Lendal Many Courts gather in the wildlands of Lendal, and the greatest are the subject of grand tales and orid rumours. Fae are capricious. When rolling a Fae’s mood, roll once on the Fae Mood Table, Table, and once on the mood table indicated by their Courtly allegiance. Either choose from or combine the two results. Fae creatures also each gain one Suggested Advancement Advancem ent from fr om their th eir Court’s Co urt’s list. Courtl Courtlings ings and a nd Nobles Nob les gain two.
1. Antlered Court Court - Masters of the Linwode, allies of the Elves of the Marble City. They bicker ercely amongst themselves with no unied with no unied uni ed voice vo ice but bu t for their great hunger for esh and blood. Hungering Mood 2. Brazen Court Court - Fae of the old
4.Falen Court Court - In the Northlands past Lasthome, dwell the Falen Court's Fae. The lost Duchess of Lasthome holds court here among the snow and Glacial Mood pines. Glacial pines. 5. Fecundite Court Court - Deep beneath the earth in some titanic beast’s vast corpse, the fungal courts sit
Kharawode, the Iron Halls' Dwarves felled and burnt their trees. The remaining Fae are vengeful, holding grudges longer than even their Dwarven enemies. Igneous enemies. Igneous Mood
contentedly in quiet collective symbiosis. They desire only to grow and, when roused to defend themselves, rise and act as one. Earthen Moods
3. Darklin Court Court - Hold dominion over Islesmere’s forests, banished by the ancient Skail but returning to the world.. Otherworlder Mood world
6. Torran Court Court - The swamp Fae of Torre are built to mirror Torrian society. At their best they are amicable philosophers and builders, and at their worst they are bitter and petty creatures who resent Torrian society’s fall. Aquatic fall. Aquatic Moods
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Fa e 1D6 Fae 1 . Sa p l i n g S p r i t e
2. Ashen Knight
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 9
Armour Armo ur 10 | Vig Vigour our 17 | Gri Grip p3
BRAWN 0 | WIT 2 | WILL 1
BRAWN BRA WN 3 | WIT -1 | WILL 1
Shortbow (Ranged (Ranged)) | Dagger (Light ( Light))
Cold Iron Sword (Hard (Hard)) | Shield | Shield
Ambushe Amb usherr | Bli Blinkin nking g | Fly Flying ing
My Shining Armour Gleams (Mossy Gleams (Mossy Plate) | Plate) | Oath of Courage | Sworn Foe (Martial) Foe (Martial)
3. Questing Tree
4. Bloodcurdled Beast
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 35
Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 20
BRAWN 3 | WIT -1 | WILL 1
BRAWN 2 | WIT 1 | WILL 0
Branches (Heavy (Heavy )
Claws and Teeth (Hand (Hand))
Cleaving Blows | Hulking | Rampage | Weakness
Bloodscent | Bloodthirsty | Nose of the Dog
(Cutting Weapons and Fire)
5. Courtling
6. Nobl Noble e
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 24 | Grip 5
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 32 | Gri Grip p8
BRAWN BRA WN 1 | WIT 3 | WILL 2
BRAWN D3 | WIT D3 | WILL D3
Rapier (Light (Light))
Spear (Long) Spear (Long) | Longbow | Longbow (Ranged) (Ranged)
Disguise OR Ethereal Disguise OR Ethereal | Fascinating Gaze | Mangle Space |
Feeds on Misfortune | Fire and Lightning Strange |
Arcane Arca ne Ward Wardss OR OR Weapon Weapon Master
Petrifying Gaze (Turns Gaze (Turns target into a Tree) | Shape | Shape the Land
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Mechanists Intelligent machines, creatures of absolute La L aw or Logic
Mechanists On a bleak and bitter world of red dust, empty mines and desolate railways, sits the greatest city ever built—the City of Brass. It rises above the rusty dunes: streaming silver spires, sculpted brass halls and golden palaces, molten yet eternal. The Engine Minds claim to have transcended their once frail esh's needs needs.. Presentl Pre sentlyy living liv ing as a s patterns pat terns within meta metal,l, thought t houghtss propagated through endless mechanical processes. Each Engine-Mind is a vast construct of staggering craftsmanship, built of endless arrays and mechanisms of gears, cogs and harddata storage centers. Killing one requires utterly demolishing the palace of being. They are beings of the purest Law and Logic. They calculate and evaluate. To outsiders, they seem very generous indeed, said to grant mortals wishes of staggering power, but often misinterpret the true desire through a lens of hyperlogic.
1D6 Omens
1D6 Moods 1. Calculating 1. Calculating 2. Evaluating 2. Evaluating 3. Constructing 3. Constructing
4. Deconstructing 4. Deconstructing 5. Experimenting 5. Experimenting 6. Cleansing 6. Cleansing
1D6 Adapt Adapta ations 1. Clums Clumsyy Movement Movementss 2. Hexproof 3. Iron-Whisperer 4. Guardian Winds 5. Elementally Conductive 6. Matter over Mind
1. Careful and precise punctures, regular rows of slashes 2. Scattered patterns of sand, mess organised into neat piles, metal scraps and lings 3. Elaborately penned and signed contracts and licenses, delicate metal ligree sculptures 4. Grinding metal, ticking clockwork, whirring engines 5. Rust, alcohol, thick oil, dried parchment, sand 6. Spires of woven metal, machine-shops, laboratories of winding glass pipes
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Mechanists Automata
Pa la nq uin s
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 8
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 32
BRAWN 1 | WIT 0 | WILL -1
BRAWN 2 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
Brass Hands (Hand Hands (Hand Weapon)
Brass Limbs (Heavy Limbs (Heavy Weapon)
Construct (as Construct (as Undead Undead))
Cacophonous, Construct (as Construct (as Undead Undead), ), Thunderous Blows
Special Adaptation
Auto mata Modu Automata Modules les:: Choose 1 option appropriate to the situation, changeable at the start of its Turn. 1. +1 1. +1 Armour Armour 2. +4 2. +4 Vigour Vigour 3. +1 3. +1 Brawn Brawn 4. +1 4. +1 Wit Wit 5. Spider Climb 6. Gelatinous Grip 7. Flame Wreathed 8. Disguise (as metal objects) 9. Hex-Proof 10. Violent End 11. Compressible 12. Iron Whisperer The most numerous occupants of the Brass City are the relatively simple Automat Aut omata a , menial me nial mindles m indlesss machines ma chines.. Simple creatures by construction, instructions are required from their Engine Mind.
Special Adaptation
Palanquin Modules: Choose Modules: Choose one option appropriate to the situation changeable at the start of its Turn. 1. +1 1. Armour +1 Armour 2. +8 2. +8 Vigour Vigour 3. +1 3. +1 Brawn Brawn 4. +1 4. +1 Wit Wit 5. Flying 6. Cage of Thorns (as Thorns (as metal chains) 7. Barrelling Charge 8. Fire and Lightning Strange (Scintillating Energy) 9. Hex-Proof 10. Resistance (metal Resistance (metal weapons) 11. Not Cacophonous 12. Spirits of the Beyond (fallen Beyond (fallen Automata Auto mata only) only) Mighty metal contra contraptions ptions that represent the Engine Minds in the physical world. They have many forms; scuttling crab-like tripods, humanoid metal titans or whirling clockwork clouds like swirls of sand.
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Mechanists the Engine Minds: Ostentatious, artful, and exacting in the extreme; the masters of the Brass City defy mortal convention in every way. Their names are best described in mathematical formulae, but they will deign to suer long, run-on descriptors.
Names of the Engine Minds To create a title in the mortal tongue betting an Engine Mind, roll once on each table, reading the results as; [Result 1] - [Result 2] in [Result 3] For example, a result of 1, 3, then 6 should read as “ParabolaIntersect in Automatic Quartz”
Readthenameas:[A]-[B]in[C]. 1D6 [a] 1. Parabola 1. Parabola 2. Tangential 2. Tangential 3. Integral 3. Integral
4. Procedural 4. Procedural 5. Negative 5. Negative 6. Azimuth 6. Azimuth
1D6 [B] 1. Cognition 1. Cognition 2. Pendulum 2. Pendulum 3. Intersect 3. Intersect
4. Conditional 4. Conditional 5. Imperative 5. Imperative 6. Operation 6. Operation
1D6 [C] 1. Dazzling Radiance 4. Vast 4. Vast Detail 2. Resplendent 2. 5. Spiral Resplendent Order 5. Spiral Torsion 3. Robust Arrays 6. Automatic 6. Automatic Quartz
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Void Hearted The Grimm, the Accursed, Creatures of Dark OR Death
Void-Hearted Behind this world's veil is another, colder one. Not quite a pale shadow, perhaps a hollow twin. The name of this dead otherworld died uncountable aeons ago, already forgotten on the lips of a god whose heart never started. This land is dying, always a hair’s breadth from the edge. The dying world's most numerous denizens are the Forsaken, humanoid creatures eking warmth from the branches of carbonised trees. Preying on the Forsaken are the Dread Captains, avatars of the Grimm—the ruling dread powers. Many take the shapes of inhuman monsters but some wear human faces. The masters of the Dying World are the Grimm drifting through an eternal existence, despondently trying to squeeze some measure of joy from their lessers’ suering. Their monuments decay and fall to ruin before completion, their cities run rancid with plague and sin. Powerful as they are, hateful as they are, they are still prisoners. The Dying World's magnetism always pulls them back. That said, on a lonely isle on the edge of nowhere, a tiny hole to Nothingness broke open. On the event horizon of this cosmic wound, a tiny sliver of the Dying World leaked into the Prime Material, Materi al, infect i nfecting ing the t he local l ocal humans and creati c reating ng a novel Grimm Power: the Hungers of the Pit.
1D6 Moods
1. Brooding 1. Brooding 4. Raging 4. Raging 2. Plotting 2. Plotting 5. Slumbering 5. Slumbering 3. Self-Consuming 3. Self-Consuming 6. 6. Wallowing Wallowing
1D6 Adapta Adaptatio tions ns 1. Shadowclad 2. Fear of the Light 3. Lifedrinker 4. Animative Execution 5. Falling to Bits 6. Hex Spewer
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Void-Hearted 1D6 Omensmutilated bodies, 1. Horrendously unfortunately still alive
2. Withered plants, cracked stones, corroded buildings
The Grimm Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 32 | Grip 8 BRAWN 2 | WIT 1 | WILL 23 Special Adaptation
3. Smears of blood, dire prophecies gouged into stone, wailing and weeping
Grand Aspect of Dread: Choose Dread: Choose a Dread Power and gain all the Adaptati Adap tations ons in in its entry on the table below.
4. Low thunder, creaking and rumbling,
1D6 Dread Powers
dirge chants 5. Dust, bones, bitter blood and far-o ash
1. The Thirst: Its Thirst: Its victims are drained and left painfully close to death, ragged punctures on their chests, necks, faces. Some say it has no body and is a parasitic wind which pulls the blood from your esh.
6. Deep caves, dour cemeteries, dead forests, forest s, the th e depths de pths of the t he ocean oc ean
Dread Captain Armo ur 8 | Vig Armour Vigour our 17 | Gri Grip p8 BRAWN 2 | WIT 1 | WILL 1 Special Adaptation
Aspe ct of Dread Aspect D read:: Choose a Dread Power and gain two of the Adaptations the Adaptations in its entry on the table below.
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2. The Huntsman: Fashions Huntsman: Fashions arrows from those he ensnares bones. He stalks the petried forests with a baying bayin g pack pac k of Dread Captai Captains ns at his heels, blazing eyes raking the shadows for signs of prey. His territory’s Forsaken never rest, the hounds are not the dark woods' only terror. Adaptati Adap tations: ons: Shad Shadowcl owclad, ad, Terrifying Roar, Ambusher, Cage of Thorns
Void-Hearted 3. The Shadow-Drowned: A Shadow-Drowned: A mile-long serpent with whorling stone scales and a dozen ragged pits for eyes. She dwells in a lake’s turgid, sludgy depths, occasionally rising to snap up a boatful of Forsaken eeing the shore’s stalking Dread stalking Dread Captains. Captains. Adaptati Adap tations: ons: Aqua Aquatic, tic, Dev Devour our ( whole ), Deeper Darkness, whole), Hideous Strength 4. The Grave-Titan: A Grave-Titan: A mountain of pallid meat attempting a human form, tending a vast eld of countless graves, each containing a doomed Forsaken. Dread Captains force escapees back into the dirt. Adaptati Adap tations: ons: Cor Corpse psemove mover, r, Fal Falling ling to Bits, Will it Never Die?, Shape the Earth 5. The Lord of Worms: At Worms: At the bottom of a vast gulch, the soil runs thick with roiling worms that const constantly antly threaten to consume its Forsaken denizens. The tful sleep of the Lord of Worms far beneath sends destructive tremors through the gulch’s worm-strata.. Adaptati Adap tations: ons: Fle Flesh-g sh-gorgi orging, ng, Compressible,, Infested (swarm Compressible ( swarm of maggots), Animative Execution ( worm-i worm-infested nfested esh! esh!))
6. The Crow King: A King: A cloak of sable feathers, a long and crooked beak, 6 cruelly curved claws. It holds dolorous court at the peak of a vast, mile-tall blackened stone tree over cawing and preening Dread preening Dread Captains,, occasionally casting Captains Forsaken from Forsaken from the branches. Adaptati Adap tations: ons: Fly Flying ing,, Leap L eaping ing Slam Slam,, Fighting Retreat, Breath Stealer
A Menagerie Moods
of Moods
Not every monsterattacks on sight--Best Left Buried is too lethal then. For ideas, assign a monster one of the following categories, and roll for its mood or activity when rst encountered. This idea borrows heavily from “Troika!”, which rocks. These, even more than other random tables, are guidelines not rules. If a roll doesn't make sense, re-roll or replace it. We have also included a D6 table of Adaptations and Adaptations and Advance Adva ncemen ments ts in in case you need to quickly add some mechanical abilities to creatures of that Moods that Moods.. Finally, we also added some Omens to use with these creatures, so you can impart even more personality on their surroundings.
General Moods 1. Helpful 2. Friendly 2. Friendly 3. Indierent
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4. Wary 4. Wary 5. Unfriendly 5. Unfriendly 6. Hostile 6. Hostile
Moods Abomination Abomina tion Moods Mo ods
Aethereal Moods
Horrors, Demons, or Elementals
Creatures of the Sky and Elemental Air
1. Skulking 2. Gibbering 2. Gibbering 3. Feeding
4. Sleeping 4. Sleeping 5. Hungry 5. Hungry 6. Aggressive 6. Aggressive
Suggested Adaptations: 1. Ac Acid idic ic 4. Mindspike 2. Compr Compressib essible le 5. Fearso Fearsome me 3. Mangl Manglee Space 6. Consume Power
1D6 Omens: 1. Horrically and bizarrely mangled bodies, wounds in curious shapes and patterns 2. Shifting bulk that moulds and squirms in unlikely patterns 3. The environment twisted and deformed, caustic slime scars, improbable insect hives 4. Distorted animal screeches, the twinging and grinding of arcane machinery
1. Billowing 2. Zephyrous 2. Zephyrous 3. Howling
4. Gliding 4. Gliding 5. Sweltering 5. Sweltering 6. Cutting 6. Cutting
Suggested Adaptations: Elemental (Air) Elemental (Air) 1. Fl Flyi ying ng 2. Nim Nimble ble
4. Guard Guardian ian Wind 5. Sprin Sprinter ter
3. Diso Disorgani rganised sed
6. Brume Blast
1D6 Omens: 1. Fallen as if from a great height, sliced to pieces, or asphyxiated 2. Very little apart from scattered objects and a gentle but constant breeze 3. Wind-ripped fabrics and all surfaces scoured of dust 4. The whistling of wind, gentle piping, the tinkling of glass
5. Pus, ichor, bruises, rot, oil, smoke, acidic stinging
5. The cold motion of a gale, the burgeoning tension of storm on the horizon
6. Spaces that have been melted out, arcane laboratories, extra-dimensional spaces
6. The air itself, palaces of cloud, chambers of great size and quality acoustics
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Moods Aqueous Moods
Creatures of the Sea and Elemental Water 1. Boiling 2. Condensing 2. Condensing 3. Evaporating
4. Whirling 4. Whirling 5. Pooling 5. Pooling 6. Putrefying 6. Putrefying
Suggested Adaptations: Elemental (Water) Elemental (Water) 1. Gelatinous Grip 4. Toxic Blood 2. Aquatic 5. Shunt 3. Amorp Amorphous hous 6. Slicken
1D6 Omens: 1. Drenched and drowned, frozen in place, or partially dissolved 2. Puddles, trails of slime, slightly softened oor and acid-scarred objects 3. Drenched objects, damp air, stagnant puddles gently drying 4. Sloshing, wave crashes, soft drip, drip, drip 5. The freshness of rain, the salty tang of the sea 6. Bodies of water of all sizes, containers, clouds
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Arcane Moods
Wizards, Sages, Monks 1. Ritualistic 2. Calculated 2. Calculated 3. Distracted
4. Focused 4. Focused 5. Overwhelmed 5. Overwhelmed 6. Exhausted 6. Exhausted
Suggested Adaptations: 1. Fire Fire and Lightning Strange 2. Arca Arcane ne Ward Wardss
3. 4. 5. 6.
Concoctionist Concoctio nist Magicc Reflect Magi Reflector or Charging Charg ing Blast Slicken
1D6 Omens: 1. Twisted, burned and encased in all manner of bizarre and impossible ways 2. Intermittent shuing, bursts of speed, a distracted tangent 3. Books perused, esoterica examined, the environment magic-scarred 4. Mumblings and utterings, the grating screech of magic, arcane intonations 5. Curious herbs, perfumes and potent inks, dried parchment
6. Geometry defying shelters, lonely towers, gates of arcane power
Moods Construct Moods
Skeletons, Fungonids, Golems 1. Oblivious 2. Confused 2. Confused 3. Indierent
4. Defensive 4. Defensive 5. Implacable 5. Implacable 6. Enraged 6. Enraged
Suggested Adaptations: 1. Cacoph Cacophono onous us 2. Clu Clumsy msy Movements 3. Iro Ironcl nclad ad
4. Inevitable Inevitable 5. Unsto Unstoppabl ppablee 6. Unreadable Power
1D6 Omens: 1. Bodies broken and bent, torn rather than sliced 2. Heavy, deep impressions, each step settled into before moving on 3. A trail of clumsy carnage, objects scattered 4. Grinding stones, thumping footsteps, the crashes of knocked over furniture 5. Coal-dust, baked clay, oil, the sting of alcohol polishes
6. Esoteric workshops, a sigil-laden dais, an uncanny doll-house imitation of a home
Critter Rats, Goblins,Moods or Birds 1. Distracted 2. Inquisitive 2. Inquisitive 3. Skittish
4. Opportunistic 4. Opportunistic 5. Hungry 5. Hungry 6. Playful 6. Playful
Suggested Adaptations: 1. 2. 3. 4.
Fragil Frag ilee 5. Spiderr Climb Spide Leaping Leapi ng Atta Attack ck Ambusher 6.
Disguise (as Disguise (as another animal or plant) Escape Cloud
1D6 Omens: 1. Viciously nibbled extremities, bones unbroken but stripped of esh 2. Winding columns of innumerable followers foll owers,, or the random r andom wande wanderings rings of an aimless loner 3. Small scratches, slime trails, teeth marks, droppings, shed scales 4. Grunts and chittering, chirps and song, buzzing and creaking scales 5. Animal musk, damp fur, dust and mud, sh-stench sh-st ench 6. Burrows in the dirt, webs, nooks in trees, abandoned buildings, skeletons
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Moods Devious Moods
Earthen Moods
Thieves, Dastards and Worse
Creatures of the Caverns and Elemental Earth
1. Observant 2. Paranoid 2. Paranoid 3. Distrustful
4. Predatory 4. Predatory 5. Vicious 5. Vicious 6. Restless 6. Restless
Suggested Adaptations:
1. Abiding 2. Grinding 2. Grinding 3. Melting
4. Avalanching 4. Avalanching 5. Eroding 5. Eroding 6. Condensing 6. Condensing
1. Knife Knife fro from m 4. Iron Whisperer the Shadows 5. Ambush Ambusher er 2. Toxi Toxicc Blade 6. Shadow-Coated 3. Nimbl Nimblee Dodg Dodgee
Suggested Adaptations:
1D6 Omens:
3. Compr Compressib essible le
1. A single, small puncture leaking incredible amounts of blood, bloated and sickly wounds.
1D6 Omens:
2. Almost none, careful and deliberate, broken and misleading
2. Holes bored in stone, objects ung or smashed out of the way
3. Almost none, the slightest shift of a carpet, an open lock, an extinguished torch
3. Stone scoured and misshapen at the monster’s passing, scattered soil
4. Very few, soft padded steps, the drawing of a whispering blade, the slightest creak of rope 5. Oiled leather, if anything at all, the merest hint of soot or chalk 6. Secret rooms, dingy basements, distasteful taverns
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Elemental (Earth) Elemental (Earth) 1. Iro Ironsh nshell elled ed 4. Sunde Sundering ring 2. Hul Hulkin king g 5. You Can’t Run 6. Shape the Land
1. Brutally bludgeoned, buried alive, or petried
4. Bass tones of tectonic grinding, an avalanche’s thunder, creaking of immense weight 5. The stench of sod, old and bitter dust, the cold freshness of caves 6. The earth itself, caverns of all shapes and sizes, huge crystals, sandbanks
Moods Glacial Moods
Holy Moods
Creatures of the Cold and Elemental Ice
Priests, Paladins, Zealots
1. Billowing 2. Biting 2. Biting 3. Flurrying
4. Seeping 4. Seeping 5. Calculating 5. Calculating 6. Gouging 6. Gouging
Suggested Adaptations:
1. Mournful 2. Zealous 2. Zealous 3. Respectful
4. Superiour 4. Superiour 5. Contemplative 5. Contemplative 6. Tempted 6. Tempted
Suggested Adaptations:
Elemental (Air) Elemental (Air) 1. Britt Brittleski leskinned nned 4. Sli Slicke cken n 2. Razor Razorclawe clawed d 5. Aura Aura of
1. Lay on Han Hands ds 4. Resur Resurrecti rectionist onist 2. Radia Radiant nt Blade 5. Censur Censuree 3. Holy Song of 6. Inspiring War Presence
3. Aqu Aquati aticc
1D6 Omens:
Exhaustion 6. Petrifying Petrifying Gaze
1D6 Omens: 1. Frozen in place, impaled with slowly melting icicles, or twitching and blue with frostbite 2. Frozen footsteps, chilled air, ice blocks in sealed bottles 3. Ice-scars on the wall, nooks speckled with frost, water hard as iron, hoarfrost
4. Deep glacier rumbles and creaking, distant shattering of ice 5. The cruel crispness of winter, withered plants
1. Brutally dispatched, but anointed and respected in death 2. Slow and deliberate march in impractical formation 3. Traces of blessed unguents, holy icons, hastily traced symbols 4. Deep rhythmic chanting, whispered prayers, belted hymns slightly o tune 5. Sacred smoke, perfumed vestments, spilled wine 6. Elaborate pavilions, shrines and temples, well-appointed manors
6. Castles of ice, unending blizzards, arctic climes
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Moods Guard Moods
Hungering Moods
Soldiers, Orcs, or Bandits
Werewolves, Ghouls, the Supernaturally Hungry
1. Skulking 2. Gibbering 2. Gibbering 3. Feeding
4. Sleeping 4. Sleeping 5. Sleeping 5. Sleeping 6. Aggressive 6. Aggressive
Suggested Adaptations: 1. Dis Distra tracte cted d 2. Tenac Tenacious ious 3. La Lazy zy
4. Corruptible 5. Arg Arguin uing g 6. Alert
1D6 Omens: violent mob 1. Clean ecient kills, or as a violent 2. Well structured marches in formation, many treads stamping down in the same footprints
1. Unfullled 2. Thirsty 2. Thirsty 3. Disquieted
4. Fixated 4. Fixated 5. Satiated 5. Satiated 6. Ravenous 6. Ravenous
Suggested Adaptations: 1. Fle Fleshg shgorg orging ing 2. Blood Bloodscent scent 3. Blood Bloodthirs thirsty ty
4. Chase them Down 5. Hunger Pangs 6. Wind-Up Smash
1D6 Omens: 1. Relentlessly chewed, torn, shredded and pulled to pieces
3. Kicked in doors, scoured buildings, summary justice
2. Lurking shuing, bursts of desperate sprinting
4. Barked orders, tramping boots, shouts and yells
3. Bite marks, chewed objects, spit stains, any scrap of food is utterly gone, spit stains
5. Damp leather, sweat, the leavings of violence 6. Town walls, grimey bunk-houses, wagon-camps
4. Chewing and tearing of food, otherwise gentle panting and hungry moans 5. The old copper scent of blood, dried leather, pungent spittle 6. Bone-strewn hollows, blooddrenched holes
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Moods Hunter-Gatherer Moods
Igneous Moods
Goblins, Bullywugs, and Ratfolk
Creatures of the Heat and Elemental Flame
1. Cautious 2. Unobservant 2. Unobservant 3. Friendly
1. Blazing 2. Smoldering 2. Smoldering 3. Crackling
4. Playful 4. Playful 5. Lurking 5. Lurking 6. Scheming 6. Scheming
4. Combusting 4. Combusting 5. Consumptive 5. Consumptive 6. Extinguishing 6. Extinguishing
Suggested Adaptations:
Suggested Adaptations:
1. Battle Battle Fre Frenzy nzy 4. Disgu Disguise ise (as (as 2. Knife from the natural feature) Shadows 5. Escap Escapee Tactics Tactics
Elemental (Fire) Elemental (Fire) 1. FireFire-Breat Breathing hing 4. Spew Flame 2. Flamew Flamewreath reathed ed 5. Sun Sunder der
3. Shado Shadowclad wclad
3. Viole Violent nt End
6. Titan-Slayer
6. Brume Blast
1D6 Omens:
1D6 Omens:
1. Struck suddenly and without warning, pin-prick darts in eshy necks
1. Charred and ruined, scalded, or twisted and melting
2. Broken plants, strips of disturbed dust, a careful single le to hide numbers
2. Burn marks, scorched scenery, smoke on the horizon or leaking from under a door
3. Totems and icons, warnings or welcomings, trampled paths 4. Animal calls, communal song, the chitter-chatter of daily life 5. Animal-musk, drying meats, roasting food, disti distilled lled fruits and aging a ging cheese c heese 6. Villages of all shapes, sizes, and decoration
3. Charred furniture, piles of ash, molten and deformed glass 4. The low crackle of gentle ames, an inferno’s roar, the crackle of lightning 5. The angry, acrid sting of smoke, the blunt and dull scent of ash 6. Furnaces, wildres, thunderstorms, Brass cities
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Moods Martial Moods
Nobility Moods
1. Aggressive 2. Vindictive 2. Vindictive 3. Smug
1. Diplomatic 2. Intrigued 2. Intrigued 3. Belligerent
Soldiers, Warriors, Knights 4. Relaxed 4. Relaxed 5. Sore 5. Sore 6. Wary 6. Wary
Lords, the Gentry, the Powerful 4. Devious 4. Devious 5. Self-Righteous 5. Self-Righteous 6. Spiteful 6. Spiteful
Suggested Adaptations:
Suggested Adaptations:
1. Weap Weapon on Master 2. My Shini Shining ng Armour Armo ur Gleams
1. Rallying Rallying Shout 4. Cringer 2. Weapo Weapon n Mast Master er 5. Sworn Sworn Foe 3. Knife from the (Devious) Shadows 6. Commander
3. 4. 5. 6.
Battle Frenz Battle Frenzy y Phalanx Titan-Sla Tita n-Slayer yer Cleaving Blows
1D6 Omens: 1. Surgically butchered with careful strikes, or rampantly mutilated 2. Overlapping steps, scattered or single le 3. Blusterous searching, objects tossed aside, doors kicked in 4. Barked orders, low grunts, cheering mobs, screams of rage
1D6 Omens: 1. A ragged wound above the heart, decapitated or worse 2. Scattered rubbish of ne foods, parallel palanquin bearer steps 3. The coat of arms of the Lord or Lady, pilfered goods and art, careless eating 4. Respectful grovelling, barked orders, disdainful sneers
5. Sweat and steel, alcohol and dried food
5. The nest perfumes, gentle silks, a copious feast’s crumbs
6. Rough-stone barracks, regimented army camps
6. Castles, palaces, smart townhouses, palanquins
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Moods Otherworlder Moods Unthinking Moods Imps, Elementals, or Poltergeists
Mindless Creatures, Machines
1. Nattering 2. Ethereal 2. Ethereal 3. Destructive
1. Idling 2. Wandering 2. Wandering 3. Focusing
4. Deceitful 4. Deceitful 5. Furious 5. Furious 6. Dispassionate 6. Dispassionate
Suggested Adaptations:
4. Completing 4. Completing Routines 5. Complying 5. Complying 6. Refusing 6. Refusing
1. Otherworld Otherworldly ly 5. Fir Firee and Gaze Lightning 2. Blink Blinking ing Strange 3. Disg Disguise uise 6. Mangle Space 4. Reality Betrays You
Suggested Adaptations:
1D6 Omens:
1. Ragged and ruined in unpredictable places
1. Messily obliterated, strategically dissected, runes of tribute carved into victims
1. Hexadd Hexaddled led 2. Fear of the Light 3. Unsto Unstoppabl ppablee
4. Unreadabl Unreadablee 5. Will it Never Die? 6. Unobservant
1D6 Omens:
2. Slow and steady plods in straight lines formingg a muddl formin muddled ed path p ath
2. Gentle scorch marks, rows of strange growths, oor and walls ‘twisted’ out of the way
3. Accidental damages, toppled objects, busted doors
3. Disassembled and discarded objects
4. None, or heavy thuds of foot steps, the occasional crash of objects
4. Oscillating throbs, the squeaking of twisted wood, metal-stress 5. Ozone tang, sulphurous vapours, sweet nectar 6. Dimensional retreats, castles of poison glass, palaces of liquid colour, caves hollowed out of the night, star-spun ships, the dark hidden in the heart of a re
5. All kinds of scents picked up from aimless travel 6. Any old space that provides even a modicum of shelter from the elements, scattered all about with junk
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Adaptation Library Adaptations
In addition to the 44 Adaptations 44 Adaptations included included in the Cryptdigger’s Guide to Survival, here are 100 Adaptations 100 Adaptations to to bless your terrif terrifying ying monstr m onstrous ous creation cr eations. s. Remember, for some monsters, it may make sense to use Advance Adva ncemen ments ts as as well or instead of Adaptations. Adaptations.
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Adaptations 1.
Adaptive Adapti ve Def Defenc ence: e: The The monster adapts to opponent’s attacks. Each creature’s rst Attack rst Attack against against it has the Upper the Upper Hand but Hand but its following Attacks following Attacks are are Against Against the Odds. Odds.
2. A Dar Dark k Mir Mirror ror:: When a visible creature uses an Advancement an Advancement,, spend 1 Grip 1 Grip to to gain a one-use copy of the Advancement the Advancement.. When used, the usual costs of the Advance Adva ncemen mentt must be fullled. 3. Ambu Ambush sher er:: The monster’s Attacks monster’s Attacks on the rst combat Turn combat Turn have have the Upper Hand and, Hand and, if they hit, targets are also Restrained also Restrained until until their next Turn next Turn ends. ends. 4. Animat Animative ive Exe Execut cution ion:: When the monster successfully uses Finish uses Finish Him!,, it tears out the target’s Him! skeleton, and animates it as with Spirits of the Beyond. Beyond. 5. Appall Appalling ing Vio Violen lence: ce: The The monster’s Attacks monster’s Attacks that that deal 4+ damage trigger a Grip a Grip Check for viewers. 6. Aura of Exhau Exhaustio stion: n: Stat Checks and Attacks and Attacks made made in the monster’s Zone are Zone are Against Against the Odds. Odds .
7. Barrel Barrellin ling g Cha Charge rge:: As an action, the monster can move to another Zone.. Creatures in Zones Zone in Zones the the monster moves through or into must pass a Wit a Wit Check or or take D3 damage and cannot Attack cannot Attack the the monster because of this movement. 8. Bliste Blisterin ring g Spe Speed: ed: The The monster can take two dierent actions on its Turn its Turn.. 9. Breath Breath-St -Steal ealer: er: As As an action, the monster plucks the breath from a Restrained creature, Restrained creature, rendering them Incapacitated them Incapacitated.. With another action, the monster can devour the breath breat h of the the Incapacitated Incapacitated creature to regain D6+1 Vigour D6+1 Vigour or or Grip,, and the target regains D3+1 Grip D3+1 their breath. 10. BrumeBrume-Blast Blast:: As an action, the monster can unleash a gout of smoke or obscuring gas into its Zone or an adjacent one. Until dispersed, all creatures in the Zone the Zone are Blinded are Blinded.. 11. Cacoph Cacophono onous: us: The The monster lumbers around without the lightest pretension of stealth. Observation Checks to Checks to detect its presence are Trivial are Trivial and and all its Omens roughly indicate its current position.
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Adaptations 12. Cage of Thorn Thorns: s: As As an action, spend 2 Grip 2 Grip for for the monster to make a special Ranged special Ranged Weapon Attack Atta ck . If it hits, the target is also Restrained by Restrained by thorns, taking D3 damage for every action including removing the vines. Other creatures can remove the vines withoutt damaging withou dam aging the target. t arget. 13. Censur Censure: e: As As an an action, action, the monster can spend 3 Grip 3 Grip to to raise a holy symbol, unleash a secret signal or produce a psionic blast, repelling certain creatures. Creatures the monster chooses can’t enter the monster’s Zone monster’s Zone for for 10 minutes or until combat ends, whichever whichev er applies. app lies. 14. Charging Charging Blast Blast:: As an action, the monster can spend 2 Grip 2 Grip to to place a slowly growing orb of energy in a visible Zone visible Zone.. At the start of its next turn it detonates, dealing D6 + Will + Will damage to all creatures in the Zone.. Zone 15. Chase Them Down: Down: When When a creature successfully Escapes from the monster’s Zone monster’s Zone,, the monster can spend 2 Grip 2 Grip to to follow them one Zone one Zone..
16. Cleaving Cleaving Blows Blows:: When damaging an enemy with an Attack an Attack , other enemies with less Armour in the same Zone same Zone as as the target take damage equal to the monster’s Brawn monster’s Brawn.. 17. Clumsy Clumsy Movem Movements: ents: The The monster’s actions are lumbering and clumsy, requiring signicant wind up. At the start of each Round each Round before before anyone acts, the Doomsayer the Doomsayer declares declares what the monster will do each Turn each Turn.. Minor deviations are permitted if the original plan is impossible (e.g. the monster may Attack may Attack another another creature in range if the original target moved out of range). 18. Commander: Commander: As As an action, the monster can spend 3 Grip 3 Grip to to command an allied creature, who immediately takes an additional Turn.. Turn 19. Consume Consume Power: Power: As As an action, the monster can partially consume another monster’s corpse in its Zone,, absorbing D3 Vigour Zone D3 Vigour and and one of its Adaptations its Adaptations for for 24 hours. 20. Coordinated Take Down: When Down: When Ganging Up, Up, the monster can forgo the Upper the Upper Hand to Hand to inict Stunned inict Stunned on a successful hit.
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Adaptations 21. Cursling Cursling Blad Blades: es: The The monster’s Attacks Atta cks treat treat targets as unarmoured ( Arm ( Armour our 7), unless wearing magica magicall armour. arm our. 22. Deeper Dark Darkness: ness: The The monster projects an aura of shadow withering witheri ng all al l light lig ht sources so urces within 100’ of it, which are reduced to illuminating their Zone their Zone.. 23. Defender: On Defender: On the monster’s Turn monster’s Turn,, it may defend any number of creatures in its Zone its Zone so so Attacks Attacks against them are Against are Against The Odds until Odds until the monster’s next Turn unless it is slain.
28. Echosense: Echosense: The The monster has the Upper Hand on Hand on Observation Observation Checks involving Checks involving hearing and cannot be Blinded be Blinded as as long as it can hear. 29. Elemental Elemental Fear: Fear: To To Attack Attack a a creature that can use a chosen element, the monster must roll a Grip Check or or waste the Attack the Attack . 30. Elementally Conductive: Eects Conductive: Eects or Atta cks of Attacks of a chosen element(s) do not aect the monster and are redirected to a creature in the same Zone if Zone if available.
24. Desperate Strength: At Strength: At 0 Grip Grip,, the monster’s Attacks monster’s Attacks have have the Upper Hand. Hand.
31. Escape Escape Cloud Cloud:: If the monster successfully Escapes successfully Escapes,, creatures in its Zone must roll a Brawn a Brawn Check , taking D3 damage if they fail.
25. Dopple-Monster: Dopple-Monster: After After taking damage, the monster splits into two copies of itself.
32. Escape Escape Tactic Tactics: s: When When the monster is damaged, it may spend 1 Grip 1 Grip to to Escape to Escape to an adjacent Zone adjacent Zone..
26. Dreadful Word: As Word: As an action, the monster can spend 3 Grip 3 Grip to to utter a deplorable and abominable word, battering batte ring the t he minds mind s of morta mortals. ls. All A ll listening creatures with a Grip a Grip score must make a Brawn a Brawn Check or or be Stunned Stu nned until u ntil their next next Turn Turn ends.
33. Evil Eye: Eye: As As an action, the monster may force a target to roll a Will a Will Check . If they fail, the target gains a Growing Affliction, Affliction, or one worsens one step.
27. Easily Dismayed: When Dismayed: When an Attack an Attack , Adaptati Adap tation on or or Advancement Advancement deals deals 5+ damage to the monster, it loses
physically perfect copy of them. Any harm, even a pin-prick, breaks the transformation. The monster gains
34. Face-Taker: Face-Taker: The The monster can spend 2 Grip 2 Grip to to take a recently dead human’s face and transform into a
1 Grip Grip..
none of the target s knowledge or81 special abilities.
Adaptations 35. Fascinating Gaze: Gaze: As As an action, the monster can focus on a creature to force an Against an Against the Odds Will Check . If they fail, the target’s actions can only target the monster or its Zone its Zone..
41. Focused Focused Defenc Defence: e: The The monster’s defence is reactive, and quickly slows down. The rst Attack rst Attack against the monster each Turn is Against Agai nst the Odds Odds.. Following Attacks Atta cks have have the Upper the Upper Hand. Hand .
36. Falling to Bits: If Bits: If the monster takes 4+ damage, part of its body falls o and animates with the following Stats:
42. Fragile Defences: As Defences: As an action, players can roll a Brawn a Brawn Check against the monster to crack open its defences, reducing its Armour its Armour by 2. This also a lso occurs o ccurs when a bludgeoning bludge oning attac attackk deals deal s 4+ damage to it. Its Armour Its Armour can can only be reduced red uced this t his way wa y once. once .
Animated Extremity BRAWN 1 | WIT 0 | WILL -1 Armour Arm our 7 | Vigo Vigour ur 3 Hand Weapon Disorganised | Undead 37. Feeds on Misfortune: Misfortune: When When a visible creature makes any roll Against Aga inst the Odds Odds,, the monster gains the Upper the Upper Hand for Hand for any roll that day. 38. Fighting Retreat: When Retreat: When the monster Attacks monster Attacks a a creature, any Wit any Wit Checks it Checks it makes to Escape to Escape that that turn are Trivial are Trivial.. 39. Final Reveng Revenge: e: When When reduced to 0 Vigour Vigo ur the the monster may make an Attack Atta ck before before dying. 40. Flurry of Claws: If Claws: If the monster hits with its its Attack Attack , it can make an Against Aga inst The Odds Atta Attack ck against against a dierent target. The monster can’t
43. Frail: Frail: The The monster suers an Injury on on a damage roll of 5 or 6 Weapons, on a 4, 5, or, with Heavy with Heavy Weapons, or 6. 44. Guardian Winds: Winds: Ranged Attacks against the monster are Against are Against the Odds. Odds. 45. Hex-Spewer: As Hex-Spewer: As an action, the monster cries out in a foul tongue, cursing those around them. All listening creatures roll an Against an Against the Odds Will Check . Those that fail are cursed to lose 1 Vigour 1 Vigour when any a ny 1s are rolled ro lled for f or an Attack Atta ck or Stat or Stat Check . The curse ends when the monster dies.
82 Atta Attack ck the the same target twice a Turn a Turn..
Adaptations 46. Hideous Strength: Can Strength: Can use a Restrained creature Restrained creature as a Thrown Weapon. On a hit, both creatu creatures res take the Attack’s the Attack’s damage. damage. On a miss, the thrown creature takes damage equal to the monster’s Brawn monster’s Brawn.. 47. Hunger Hunger Pangs: Pangs: The The ever-clawing need to eat tears at this beast’s psyche. Each Turn Each Turn it it must Attack must Attack or lose 1 Grip 1 Grip.. At 0 Grip 0 Grip,, it must recklessly do anything it can to kill something. If it kills a creature, it spends the next action eating its corpse, regaining D3 Grip D3 Grip.. 48. Impaler: Creatures Impaler: Creatures damaged by the Attacks or Adaptations monster’s Attacks monster’s or Adaptations must roll a Wit a Wit Check . If they fail, they are Immobilised are Immobilised until until another creature takes an action to free them. When the monster’s Attacks monster’s Attacks cause an Injury an Injury , the Wit the Wit Check is Impossible is Impossible.. 49. Incendiary: Incendiary: Upon Upon taking re damage or being exposed to re, the monster gains the Flamethe Flame Wreathed Wrea thed and and Violent Violent End Adaptati Adap tations ons.. 50. Inevitable: Nothing Inevitable: Nothing can slow the monster’s movement. It cannot be Restrained, and can use its action Restrained, to bulldoze a path through Impassable Zones with Zones with a
51. Infested: Infested: Upon Upon death, a Swarm a Swarm emerges from the monster’s body. 52. Inspiring Inspiring Presenc Presence: e: When When rolling Initiative,, the monster’s allies gain Initiative 1 Grip Grip they they can only spend on Exertion.. If they see the monster Exertion die, they roll a Grip a Grip Check . 53. Invulnerab Invulnerability ility:: Choose a type of damage (e.g. re, acid, slashing, piercing). The monster always passes Stat Checks resisting passes Stat Checks resisting this damage and Attacks and Attacks of of this type are Impossible are Impossible.. 54. Iron Whisperer: As Whisperer: As an action, the monster can spend 1 Grip 1 Grip to to operate or disrupt small mechanisms it can see such as locks, traps, mechanisms or crossbows. 55. Leaping Leaping Slam: Slam: The The monster can spend 2 Grip 2 Grip to to leap forward and Attack Atta ck a a target up to 3 Zones 3 Zones away. away. 56. Magic Reflector: When Reflector: When a magical eect or Attack or Attack fails fails or misses, the monster rolls an identical Attack identical Attack against the attacker or reects the eect at its originator. 57. Mangle Space: Spend Space: Spend 2 Grip 2 Grip on on your Turn to Turn to swap two creature’s places. 58. Matter Over Mind: The Mind: The monster can force visible creatures to lose Vigour lose Vigour instead of Grip. Grip.
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successful Brawn successful Brawn Check .
Adaptations 59. Mind Leech Leech:: Gain 1 Grip 1 Grip when when a creature in the same Zone same Zone spends Grip spends Grip.. 60. Mind Over Matter: The Matter: The monster can force visible creatures to lose Grip instead Grip instead of Vigour. Vigour. 61. Mind Spike Spike:: The monster may Vigour damage replace Vigour replace damage it deals with ½ damage dama ge (rounded (ro unded down) to the target’s Grip target’s Grip.. 62. Morale Issues: At Issues: At 0 Grip Grip,, the Attacks are Against monster’s Attacks monster’s are Against the Odds. Odds. 63. Myopic: Myopic: The The monster is Blind is Blind to to anything outside of its Zone its Zone.. 64. Pass Unnoticed: Characters Unnoticed: Characters must roll and fail a Grip a Grip Check to to see the monster. Losing Grip Losing Grip from from any source or taking damage from the monster allows characters to make Check again. the Check the again. 65. Phalanx: Phalanx: The The monster gains +1 Armour Arm our when when sharing a Zone a Zone with with 2+ friendly creatures. 66. Pilferer: Pilferer: When When the monster’s Attacks Atta cks deal deal damage, you can forgo damage to steal an object the target is holding. 67. Power Through Pain: The Pain: The monster can spend 1 Vigour 1 Vigour in in place of 1 Grip Grip..
68. Powers of the Magi: The Magi: The monster can use an action and an Advance Adva ncemen mentt or or Adaptation Adaptation each each Turn.. Turn 69. Reality Betrays You!: Stat You!: Stat Checks Checks made in the same or an adjacent Zone require Zone require a D3 roll determining which Stat which Stat the the Check Check uses:, uses:, 1. Brawn 1. Brawn,, 2. Wit 2. Wit,, 3. Will 3. Will.. 70. Redirection: If Redirection: If an Attack an Attack misses misses the monster, spend 1 Grip 1 Grip to to redirect it, rerolling the Attack’s the Attack’s lowest die and resolving it against another target the monster chooses. 71. Resurrecti Resurrectionis onist: t: As As an action, spend D6 Vigour D6 Vigour and and D3 Grip D3 Grip to to resurrect a dead creature in the same Zone same Zone.. The target has Vigour Vigo ur and and Grip Grip equal equal to the amount spent. 72. Sapping Sapping Touch Touch:: Choose Choose Brawn Brawn,, Wit or Wit or Will Will.. Spend 2 Grip 2 Grip after after a successful Attack successful Attack to to force a Check a Check of that Stat that Stat.. If they fail, reduce the Stat by target’s Stat target’s by 1, and increase the monster’s Stat monster’s Stat by by 1 until the next sunrise or until the monster is slain. If the target is slain rst, the change is permanent.
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Adaptations 73. Sensitive Hearing: Hearing: When When the monster is exposed to loud noises, roll a Grip a Grip Check . If they fail, they are Stunned are Stunned until until their next Turn ends. Turn ends. 74. Sensitive Vision: When Vision: When the monster is exposed to bright light, roll a Grip a Grip Check . If they fail, they are Stunned are Stunned until until their next Turn ends. Turn ends. 75. Shadow-Coated: When Shadow-Coated: When moving from an unlit Zone unlit Zone into into a well-lit Zone,, their next Attack Zone next Attack this Turn this Turn has the Upper the Upper Hand and Hand and deals an additional D3 Grip D3 Grip damage. damage. 76. Shape the Land: As Land: As an action, spend 3 Grip 3 Grip to to change the nature of a visible Zone visible Zone making making it Impassable,, Inescapable Impassable Inescapable or or removing a terrain feature. Creatures in an Impassable an Impassable Zone must roll a Wit a Wit Check and and move a Zone.. On a failure, you choose Zone where they t hey move. mo ve. Inescapable: Creatures in an Inescapable: Creatures Inescapable Zone must Zone must pass an Against Agai nst the Odds Braw Brawn n or or Wits Wits Check to to move out of it. Failure wastes that movement movement..
77. Shunt: As Shunt: As an action, the monster can spend 2 Grip 2 Grip to to unleash a blast of water, air or arcane force in a Zone,, forcing creatures into an Zone adjacent Zone. If they pass a Wit a Wit Check they they choose the Zone the Zone,, if they fail the monster chooses. 78. Slicken: Slicken: As As an action, the monster can spend 2 Grip 2 Grip to to unleash a ood of oily liquid or freeze a Zone’s a Zone’s surface. Creatures traversing the Zone must Zone must pass a Wit a Wit Check or or Stunned in become Stunned become in that Zone that Zone for for that turn. 79. Spew Flame: As Flame: As an action, the monster can expel a great gout of burning burnin g oil, oil , coating coat ing a Zone a Zone.. Creatures within it roll a Wit a Wit Check or take D3 damage. Any creature that ends their Turn their Turn in in that Zone that Zone takes D3 damage. 80. Spined: Melee Attacks made Attacks made in the monster’s Zone monster’s Zone are are Against Against the Odds. Odds. 81. Sprinter: Sprinter: Can Can move 2 Zones 2 Zones and and take an action each Turn each Turn.. 82. Sundering: Upon Sundering: Upon causing an Injury , the monster may destroy the target’s weapon, shield or armour instead of rolling an Injury an Injury .
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Adaptations 83. Swarm: Swarm: A A group of tiny creatures large enough to pose a threat to a person. Successful non-magical Weapon Weap on Attac A ttacks ks only only deal 1 damage. Other sources or innovative plans may deal more. Conventional Grappling is Impossible.. At 50% Vigour Impossible 50% Vigour,, its Attacks Atta cks,, Brawn Brawn and Wit Checks and Wit are Against are Against the Odds. Odds. Otherwise treat it as a single monster.
89. Toxic Blood: Deal Blood: Deal D3 damage to Attacke Atta ckers rs making making slashing or piercing Weapon piercing Weapon Attacks in Attacks in short or melee range.
84. Sworn Foe: Choose Foe: Choose a type of Advancem Adva ncement ent (i.e. (i.e. Martial, Arcane, Devious or Holy). When any creature uses that type of Advancem Adva ncement ent,, double the Grip cost. Grip cost.
92. Untrue Visions: The Visions: The monster’s perception is partially misaligned with our reality re ality.. Each Turn roll a D6: On 6 it hallucinates badly, losing its Turn its Turn..
85. Terrifying Roar: As Roar: As an action, the monster can issue a bloodcurdling, gut-cramping cry. Creatures who hear the roar must make a Grip a Grip Check . 86. Thunderous Blows: The Blows: The monster’s Attacks Atta cks knock knock targets prone and Stun them Stun them until their next Turn next Turn ends. 87. Tide of Teeth: Teeth: Attacks Attacks against targets the monster damaged last Turn have Turn have the Upper the Upper Hand. Hand. 88. Titan-Slayer: Attacks against Attacks against creatures with more Vigour more Vigour have have the Upper the Upper Hand. Hand .
90. Unobservant: Unobservant: The The monster is Against Agai nst the Odds Odds on on all Observation Checks. Checks. 91. Unreadable Unreadable:: Creatures can’t use Exertion responding Exertion responding to the monster’s actions.
93. Venomous: Venomous: Choose Choose one: Blinded one: Blinded,, Stunned or Stunned or D3 Damage. When the monster’s Attacks monster’s Attacks deal deal damage, the target must roll a Brawn a Brawn Check or suer the chosen eect. Blinded eect. Blinded and Stunned and Stunned creatures creatures recover at the end of their next Turn. 94. Vulnerable Point: With Point: With exact knowledge of a Vulnerable Point, a successful Attack successful Attack against against the monster voluntarily made Against made Against the Odds hits Odds hits it with an automatic 6 on the damage die without causing an Injury an Injury . 95. Will it Never Die?: When Die?: When the monster’s Vigour monster’s Vigour is is reduced to 0 it becomes 1 instead, ins tead, and and Brawn Brawn is is
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reduced by 1, to a minimum of -1.
Adaptations 96. Wind-Up Smash: The Smash: The monster can voluntarily roll an Attack an Attack with with Against Agai nst The Odds Odds,, dealing double damage if it hits. 97. Wyrd Thirst: When Thirst: When the monster kills a creature, it recovers D3 Grip D3 Grip.. 98. You Can’t Run: The Run: The very earth softens and festers around the monster. Any Zone Any Zone it it is in becomes Inescapable to Inescapable to all but the monster. 99. Your Limbs Like Lead: Creatures Lead: Creatures must roll a Brawn a Brawn Check to to move into or out of the monster’s Zone. If they fail, they do not move, wasting wastin g their thei r movement. mov ement. 100. Your Weapons Fail You: When You: When an Attack Atta ck against against the monster returns 2+ results of 1, the weapon or ammunitio amm unition n breaks. bre aks. If I f unarmed, the attacker suers D3 damage.
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Beasts of the Crypt
Simple Foes, powerful enemies
Within are 18/24 1 8/24 new n ew monsters mons ters to use us e in your games. g ames. Some are a re simple foes, others powerful enemies worth building entire Crypts around.
Bestiary Bog Troll Mood: Common Commoner er Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 18 | Gri Grip p6 BRAWN 2 | WIT 1 | WILL 1
Grubby Claws (Heavy (Heavy ) OR Other Weapon Woundkni Woun dknittin tting g, Hexproof Special Adaptations
Arca ne Rag Arcane Rage: e: When When an Arcane an Arcane Advancem Adva ncement ent is is audible or visible to a Bog-Troll, roll a Will a Will Check . If it fails, the Bog-Troll is enraged, gaining Razorclawed and Razorclawed and Bloodscent Bloodscent.. It must Attackk creatures Attac crea tures with with Arcane Arcane Advancem Adva ncement entss, particularly ‘Witches’. Arcane Rage ends Rage ends when nothing The Arcane The visible is alive or when the Bog-Troll is reduced to 0 Vigour 0 Vigour.. The Flesh Undying: When Undying: When reduced to 0 Vigour Vigo ur,, the Bog-Troll is merely catatonic for D3 hours plus 1 hour for each additional damage while catatonic. When this ends, it awakens with 1 Vigour Vigour.. To permanently kill a Bog-Troll, burn its heart and return its body to the t he Bog. Bog .
Sometimes witches spawn. Occasionally, these unwanted children are tossed in the Bog. Sometimes growing up to become Bog-Trolls. Broad shouldered and pot-bellied, with long l ong lumpy lu mpy muscled m uscled limbs and lupine legs. They scamper about like 8’ tall apes covered in thick muck, their leather-scaled skin pulled taut around jutting bone spurs. They are usually quite reasonable. If solitary life suits them, they happily haunt marshes parents warn their children never to roam. Otherwise, they retreat deeper into the wetlands, forming small conclaves of their kind. The only thing they unconditionally despise, fairly and unsurprisingly, are witches.
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Bestiary Chaos-Enforcer
Corpse-Drake
Mood: Otherw Otherworlde orlderr
Mood: Great Beast
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 18 | Gri Grip p6
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 36 | Gri Grip p6
BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
BRAWN 3 | WI T 1 | WILL 0
Slim and Wicked Knife (Light ( Light))
Claws and Jaws (Heavy )
Deeper Darkness | Shape the Land
Corpsemover | Fearsome | Fleshgorging | Rampage
Special Adaptations
Unwanted Transposition: When Transposition: When the
Special Adaptations
Chaos-Enforcer’s Attacks hit, Chaos-Enforcer’s Attacks hit, they can forgo damage forcing the target to roll an Against an Against the Odds Wit Check . If they fail, they are teleported 1-2 Zones 1-2 Zones away, visible or not. The destination must have space for the target or this fails. It enjoys using this to teleport creatures into pit traps, cages or other monsters’ lairs.
Eyes of the Dead: The Dead: The Drake sees through corpses’ eyes and is Blind is Blind when target t argeting ing or target targeted ed by a creature in a Zone a Zone without without an intact skull.
In the dark of the Crypt, reality runs thin and pliable. The Chaos-Enforcers see themselves as the anti-auditors of the Crypt’s stygian chaos, delightedly undoing law and order. Their appearance is blurry and indistinct, voices like owing dialtone static. Their face constantly melts, ows, disso dissolves. lves. When striking, they can cut their target out of reality and place them elsewhere. The more panic it sows doing this, the greater its ringing, distorted laughter.
Vomi t Corps Vomit C orpse: e: As As an action it can vomit a corpse into its Zone its Zone.. Anim ativee Urge Animativ U rges: s: Each Each Turn Turn,, in addition to its move and action, the Corpse-Drake may prepare one of the following Windup Actions to occur at the start of the Drake’s next Turn next Turn.. • Putrefying Sludge Wind-Up: The Drake spasms, its throat bulging. Action: Actio n: It regurgitates a Putrefaction Ooze. Ooze. • Danse Macabre: Wind-Up: Green mist seeps from the Drake’s cracked skin, absorbing into nearby corpses. Action: Actio n: All corpses in its Zone its Zone and and
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adjacent ones are animated (as Spirits of the Beyond). Beyond).
Bestiary
• Voices of the Dead: Wind-Up: The Drake speaks in a cacophonous crescendo of long vanished voices. Action: Actio n: All creatures who can hear this must roll a Grip a Grip Check or or cover their ears (Stunned (Stunned)) until their next Turn next Turn ends. Take a Wyvern or similar draconic-beast, strip it of scale, skin and meat. Then, with a corpse pile’s rotten bodies, mould a new body over the skeleton-armature like clay. Squidge and squeeze the corpse esh all a ll over o ver until unt il the th e Drake Dr ake is i s Rebuilt. Reb uilt. It breathes putrefying fumes, speaks with the long-dead’s voices and hates itself— an abominable aront to the natural order. It sees through the surrounding dead’s hollow sockets, seeing itself for exactly what it is. And yet y et it cannot dest destroy roy itself it self:: dragondra gonpride forbids it. So it lurks, gorging on rotten meat in secret, skull and corpse strewn hideaways.
Putref Putre faction Ooze Mood: Earth Earthen en Armour Armo ur 6 | Vig Vigour our 12 BRAWN 1 | WIT -1 | WILL 0
Putrid Pseudopods (Hand (Hand))
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions Appalli App alling ng Sten Stench: ch: Creatures Creatures sharing a Zone with the Ooze (or adjacent with Zone with Nose of the Dog) Dog ) gain no benet from positive Brawn positive Brawn scores. scores. Rotten Slime: The Slime: The rst time the Ooze damages a creature, they roll a Grip Check . A pulsating pul sating mass of rotten ro tten esh and greasy, reeking sludge, oozing and slopping forwards to dissolve its prey with its acidic insides. Bones are visibly jutting jutti ng from fro m the surfac surfacee of its bulk. b ulk.
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Bestiary Druids of the Deep Mood: Earth Earthen en Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 8 | Grip 3 BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 0
Pick Pi ck on one e se set: t: Huntsman: Chase them Down | Huntsman: Chase Down | Cursling Blades | Blades | Hand Hand and Ranged and Ranged Weapon Weap on | | +1 Brawn +1 Brawn Stalker: Set-Up Shot | Stalker: Set-Up Shot | Disguise Disguise | | Light and Light and Ranged Ranged Weapon | Weapon | +1 Wit +1 Wit Shaper: Shape the Land | Shaper: Shape Land | Cage Cage of Thorns | Thorns | Light Light Weapon | Weapon | +1 Will +1 Will The Replete: Animative Replete: Animative Execution | Execution | Infested | Infested | Hand Hand Weapon Wendigo : Bloodthristy | Wendigo: | Fleshgorging | Fleshgorging | Hand Hand Weapon Voice of the th e Deeps: Deep s: Terrifying Terrifying Roar | Roar | Hex-Spewer | Unarmed Just as there t here are Druids D ruids of the t he surface, sur face, so too are there Druids of the dark spaces below. It is not nearly as cold and dead as most think. The life found in the Dark is unique and strange. Groves of obsidian trees, ravines brimming with fungal growths, elds of scree drinking from buried rivers. The Druids of the Deep tend to them and maintain nature’s balance in that frigid world.
They are not inherently hostile to interlopers from above. Such things happen so they contentedly stalk and watch, so long as balance is maintained. Respectful trespass is permitted. However, those breaking the Druid’s innumerable and unfathomable laws nd retribut re tribution ion sudden, sud den, swift and nal. nal.
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Bestiary Grandmaster of the Deeps Mood: Earth Earthen en Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 20 | Grip 9 BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptation: tion: Grandmaster of the Deeps: On Deeps: On its Turn,, in addition to its move and Turn action the Grandmaster of the Deep may prepare one of the following Windup Actions to occur oc cur at a t the start of the Grandmaster’s next Turn next Turn.. • Upheaval Wind-Up: The Grandmaster stamps as ripples spread through their Zone their Zone and adjacent Zones adjacent Zones,, which rumble and shake. Action: Actio n: The rumbling Zones rumbling Zones are are upturned in a sudden quake, becoming becomi ng Inescapable Inescapable.. All creatures within roll a Wit Check or or take D3 damage. • Thorn Surge Wind-Up: The Grandmaster points a wizened nger at a Zone a Zone,, where thick thorny brambles begin creeping from the ground. Action: Actio n: The brambles surge up, Restraining all Restraining all creatures in that Zone.. To escape, spend 1 Vigour Zone 1 Vigour and and your action to roll a Brawn a Brawn or or Wit Che Check ck .
• Vicious Fury Wind-Up: The eyes of a nearby animal blaze burnin burning g red as it thrash thrashes es and foams at the mouth. Action:: The thrashing ceases as it Action furiously leaps into the fray, undaunted as an Enraged an Enraged Beast, Beast , relentlessly attacking until everything is dead.
Enraged Beast Mood: Enrage Enraged d Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 6 | Grip 1 BRAWN 1 | WIT 1 | WILL -1
Hand)) Vicious Claws (Hand Hunger Pangs | Spider Climb
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Bestiary Firumhazal, She Of Charred Wing Mood: Special Armour Arm our 9 | Vig Vigour our 80 | Grip 9 BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 0
Cleaving Blows | Devour | Hideous Strength | Hulking | Inevitable | Ironshelled | Nose of the Dog | Violent End (3D6) End (3D6)
Speciall Advancem Specia Advancements: ents: Dragon-Gaze: Dragons have poor Dragon-Gaze: Dragons vision but clearly see worked metal and precious gems. To Attack or notice a creature, Firumhazal must make an Observation Check. The Check is Against The Odds Od ds for fo r any creatu creature re not wearing metal but Trivial T rivial for those t hose in in Plate Mail. Fickle-Minded: Dragons are all Fickle-Minded: Dragons ercely intelligent with vastly varying temperaments. Firumhazal has 1 Wit 1 Wit for physical agility and 3 Wit 3 Wit for for mental agility. In addition, upon meeting Firumhazal roll 1D6 to determine her mood: 1-2. Igneous 3-4. Great Beast 5-6. Devious
Wyrm of Lege Legend: nd: Each Turn,, in Each Turn addition to its move and action, Firumhazal may prepare one of the following Windup Actions to occur at the start of her next Turn next Turn.. • Gout of Flames Wind-Up: Firumzahal breathes in and smoke brims from her nostrils. Actio n: Her nostrils spurt re. Every Action: creature in a Zone a Zone within within short range must pass a Wit a Wit Check or or take 2D6 damage.
• Dragonflight Wind-Up: Firumzahal unfurls her wings and rises ri ses onto on to her hind limbs, l imbs, gaining Fragile gaining Fragile Defences as Defences as her soft belly is exposed. expo sed. Action: Actio n: Firumzahal beats her wings. All creatur c reatures es in her her Zone Zone must must pass a Brawn Check or or be knocked o their feet and Stunned and Stunned for for one turn. For the next three turns, Firumzahal gains Flying and Flying and Fragile Fragile Defences. Defences. • Cacophonous Roar Wind-Up Wind -Up:: Bright frills extend from Firumzahal’s open maw. Action Acti on:: Firumzahal’s roar shakes the very earth. All creatures who can hear must: - Pass a Grip a Grip Check or or lose D3 Grip D3 Grip.. - Pass a Brawn a Brawn Check or or be Deafened be Deafened..
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Bestiary
The Crypts of Lendal are lled with Drakes, lizardlike creatures of scale and claw that slay Cryptdiggers with elemental breath. These feral creatures are mere beasts compared to true Dragonkind. Dragons are singular, ancient creatures of almost godlike power. Torsos like galleons and wings like unfurled sails, they are found only in the uttermost reaches of the deepest Crypts. Their hoards contain Lendal’s nest treasures and their memories stretch further than recorded history. Their numbers slowly dwindled since ancient days and any adventurer powerful enough to slay one will surely pass into legend. Deep within the Warrens upon a bed of kingly coins, Firumhazal rests amidst inert hallucinogenic fumes. She claims to see the future within the haze, and none dare call her a liar. Surprisingly conversational, she loves philosophical and fashionable conversation, but despises law and history. She is quick to gossip, but if displeased or faced with thieves or dragonslayers is quick blasting them with dragonre.
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Bestiary Knight of Tumours Mood: Holy Armour Arm our 8 | Vig Vigour our 36 | Grip 2 BRAWN 3 | WIT -1 | WILL 1
Corroded Greatsword (Hand (Hand)) Weakness Weak ness (Fir (Fire) e)
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations: tions: Slow Mending: At Mending: At the start of the Knight’s Turns Knight’s Turns,, if it can, it loses 1 Grip 1 Grip and regains D3 Vigour D3 Vigour.. Glorious Pain: When Pain: When taking damage the Knight of Tumours gains 1 Grip 1 Grip.. Behold the Mighty Flesh!: If Flesh!: If the Knight of Tumours has 7+ Grip 7+ Grip at at the start of its Turn, it emits a great burst of meaty uid and transforms into a Titan of the Ineffable Flesh. Flesh.
Titan of the Ineffable Flesh Mood: Unthink Unthinking ing Armour Arm our 6 | Vig Vigour our 36 | Grip 8 BRAWN 1 | WIT - | WILL 2
No Weapons Hulking | Unstoppable | Wound-K Woun d-Knitt nitting ing
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations: tions: 1D3 The Unstoppable Tide: The Tide: The Titan knows only growth and consumption. its Turn,, roll a D3 to determine On its Turn
1. Zone Subduction: The Subduction: The Titan gains Vigour as 2D6 Vigour 2D6 as its esh bubbles and judders,, expanding judders expa nding to ll ll an adjace adjacent nt Zone. Any creatures in that Zone that Zone roll roll a Brawn Brawn or or Wit Wit Check or or become Restrained within Restrained within the Titan. Escape requires spending 1 minute hacking at the Titan’s esh, and rolling a Wit a Wit Check to to avoid accidentally dealing D3 damage to its captive. 2. Thrashing Capillaries: Coiled Capillaries: Coiled and ropey veins thrash and stab at anything nearby. The Titan rolls a Heavy Weapon Attack against against all creatures in an adjacent Zone adjacent Zone.. 3. Liquid Purge: The Purge: The Titan shudders and cringes inwards, before releasing a horrifying slurry that quickly spreads underfoot. All creatures in Will adjacent Zones roll a Brawn a Brawn or or Will Check or, or, they spend their next action Immobilised action Immobilised and and vomiting. Multi-Zone Monster: The Monster: The Titan is vast, and ever growing, lling (at least) an entire Zone entire Zone;; no creature can share its Zone its Zone.. Adjacent Zones Adjacent Zones count count as being in its Zone its Zone for for weapon ranges. If it lls additional Zones additional Zones,, it may move out of one Zone and one Zone and into another so long as all its Zones its Zones remain remain contiguous.
96 action: its
Bestiary
Long ago, disciples found what they thought to be an Angel or Herald, though wounded and dying. They tended to it and oered their prayers, mending its shattered body with careful faith.. In gratit faith gratitude, ude, the inhuman thing blessed their esh as they had blessed it and departed. However, the blessing was twisted and warped and the disciples transformed into the rst Knights of Tumours. The stench is appalling; pus drips from its armoured joints, its weapon is scabbed over, bulges of aching necrotic esh aching achingly ly bend b end and a nd burst bur st through t hrough armour plates. Their screams are prayers with spilled blood for communion. Pain brings rapture; the ecstasy of ascension.
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Bestiary The Lion Hydra Mood: Great Beast Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 60 | Gri Grip p4 BRAWN 3 | WIT 1 | WILL 1
Vicious Teeth (Heavy ) Fearsome | Hulking Menagerie of Heads: The Heads: The Lion Hydra begins with 2D6 heads. Attacks heads. Attacks dealing dealing 5+ damage sever a head. At the start of its next Turn, D3 replacements sprout — re damage prevents this. Ifreduced to 0 heads, it dies. It gaining heads grants Adaptations, Adapta tions, as below: be low: 1 - 5 Heads. None Heads. None 6 - 10 Heads. Rampage 11 - 15 Heads. Rampage | Flurry of Claws 16+ Heads. Rampage | Flurry of Claws | Razor Clawed Special Adaptations:
Fell-Beast of Legend: Each Legend: Each Turn, in addition to its move and action, the Lion Hydra may prepare one of the following Windup Actions to occur at the start of the Hydra’s next Turn. • Hurricane of Fangs
Wind-Up: The Hydra’s heads slobber, snapping their jaws, straining away to escape its body’s esh. Action: Actio n: In a storm of violence, the Hydra makes an Against an Against the Odds Attack Atta ck against against all creatures in its Zone and Zone and all adjacent Zones adjacent Zones..
• Gibbering Cacophony Wind-Up: The Hydra breathes in through its many, many mouths. Action: Actio n: All its heads roar, growl and gurgle at once. Listeners roll a Grip a Grip Check or or are Stunned are Stunned..
• AutoCannibalism Wind-Up: The Lion Hydra tears into itself, ripping o chunks of meat, heads swallowing their duplicates’ ragged remains. Actio n: The Hydra loses D6 heads, Action: regaining equal Vigour equal Vigour.. This can (fatally) reduce it to 0 heads. This does not regenerate any heads with Menagerie of Heads. Heads.
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A catastrophic and incompreh incomprehensible ensible
Never seen in the Duchies of Lendal,
nightmare cascade of lion-faces,
horried rumours propagate of its
subducted and fused together at every
rampage in uncharted Northern lands.
angle, erupting from a great mane on
Stories of Oracles who, asking of the
an elephant-s elephant-sized ized leonine creature.
Lion Hydra, begin choking out a dire
Every single eye burns with a vicious
warning of its inevitable arrival in the
fury, thoughtless and uncoordinated.
Duchies while collapsing and
Unstoppable—the more you hack at
convulsing, before their head erupts in a tide of blossoming heads.
its heads, the more devouring replacements erupt snapping at your
All rmly deny that the Lion Hydra
friends — even each other. Meat
could ever come to the Duchies. Some
invigorates the beast who surges on,
deludedly believe it.
inicting further cataclysms.
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Bestiary The Pale Piper of Harrenwold
Mood: Aberra Aberration tion Armour Arm our 2 | Vig Vigour our 18 | Gri Grip p8 BRAWN -1 | WIT 2 | WILL 2
Trembling Fists (Hand (Hand)) Nimble | Otherworldly Gaze
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations: tions: The Dance of Unknown Spaces: If Spaces: If an Attack Atta ck misses misses the Pale Piper, reality warps to redirect re direct it; reroll the lowest lo west die and resolve the Attack against a legal target the Piper chooses. The Demon Piping: Any Piping: Any creature who can hear the Piper’s music when their Turn starts makes a Grip a Grip Check . If this causes an Affliction an Affliction,, consider the Music of Creation Special Affliction Affliction..
Speciall Afflicat Specia Afflication: ion: The Music of Creation: The Creation: The character is always on the lookout for the hidden beats and tempo te mpo underly u nderlying ing creation cr eation,, the secret melodies and chords resounding in the quiet. When rolling a 12 on a Stat a Stat or or Observation Observation Check , spend 1 Grip 1 Grip or or do nothing, enthralled by the th e DemonDemo n- Sultan’s Sul tan’s Songs. The rst time this happens daily they gain 1 Experience Experience..
It has too many hands, insucient eyes (or other facial features for that matter), and innite ngers sensuously crossing its bizarrely branching pipe playing an impossible almost-tune. The Duke’s men came to Harrenwold trailing reports of wide-scale butchery, yet found no victims, vic tims, only eye-s eye-stingin tingingg runes drawn in peculiar tan clay. The Pale Piper is always followed by 3D3 Children of the Demon-Sultan , dancing graceful, geometrically deranged swirls and steps. They would die protecting the music, blossoming into esh-ravaging spectrums.
Children of the Demon-Sultan
Mood: Aberra Aberration tion
Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 4 BRAWN -1 | WIT 2 | WILL -1
Delicate Nails (Light (Light)) Nimbl | Quick Reflexes | Violent End Special Adaptations:
Uncanny Dance: The Dance: The Children are extensions of the Piper. If the Piper is Stunned, Immobilised Stunned, Immobilised or or aicted by Mind-Aecting eects, the Children are too.
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Bestiary Phthartid Worm
The Raw Folk
Mood: Hunger Hungering ing
Mood: Great Beast
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 40 | Gri Grip p 30
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 19 | Gri Grip p3
BRAWN 3 | WIT 0 | WILL -1
BRAWN 2 | WIT 0 | WILL 1
A Thousand Thou sand Thousand T housand Mouths (Heavy )
Brutal Tools (Heavy (Heavy )
Devour | Hulking | Tide of Teeth | Appalli App alling ng Viol Violenc encee | Cha Chase se the them m Down D own Vulnerab Vuln erable le Poi Point nt (soft (soft mouth-tentacles)
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions
Pain Beyond Pain: The Pain: The Raw Folk loses
The Vast Worm: The Worm: The Worm lls an entire Zone entire Zone,, no other creature can share its Zone its Zone.. Creatures whose Zone whose Zone the the Worm moves m oves into i nto suer s uer D3 D 3 damage dama ge and move into an adjacent Zone. Adjacent Zones count Zones count as the Worm’s Zone Worm’s Zone for for weapon range purpo purposes. ses.
1 Grip Grip when when damaged.
At a least a 100’ 10 0’ long lo ng and an d thick th ick as a bull. bul l. The front end is covered in festering slits like stab wounds, which bulge open to release long tentacles of soft pink esh, tipped with tooth toothyy lamprey la mprey maws. They tunnel frantically through the underworld in a desperate frenzy for food, accom accompanied panied by earthq e arthquakes uakes and sink-holes. When the Worm nds food, it is unstoppable and insatiable. Even when its prey is utterly consumed, it may scream and gnaw at the earth to scour even the merest dreg of blood.
Fury Beyond Fury: When Fury: When the Raw Folk has 0 Grip 0 Grip,, it has the Razorclawed the Razorclawed and and Rampage Adaptations. Adaptations. Their bodies are ensed, bloody and raw with a wildre burning deep in their blackened sockets and knotted hair hanging greasily to their shoulders. Most drag heavy heavy,, crude crud e iron tool toolss (axes, (a xes, hammers, the odd plow blade) scraping the stone oors. Their origin has many explanations; ayed by avengin a vengingg angels ang els for an an ancient sin or cursed for failing a wicked deity. All that is certain is their miserable existence. In battle, they swing with careless disregard for their safety. As battle shreds their bodies, they become increasingly reckless and wrathful— they have nothing to lose.
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Bestiary Saint of the Demon Flame Mood: Holy Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 27 | Gri Grip p9 BRAWN 0 | WIT 2 | WILL 3
Sta of the Demon-Flame (Long (Long)) Sworn Enemy (Holy) | Hex-Proof | Censure
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations: tions: The Demon-Flame: Each Demon-Flame: Each Turn Turn,, in addition to its move and action, the Saint may prepare one of the following Windup Action Actionss which whic h occurs occu rs at the start of the Saint’s next Turn next Turn.. • Burst of Void-Flame Wind-Up: A vacuum opens within the censer, howling as it sucks in air. Action:: An eruption of mauve-ame Action engulfs all creatures in adjacent Zones for Zones for D3+1 damage and 1 Grip 1 Grip.. • Death of Light Wind-Up: Pure white smoke, matte, uncannily at, and painful to behold. Action:: The entire space the Saint Action occupies is lled with a great, opaque whiteness whitene ss and Blinding and Blinding every every creature except the Saint. • Imp-Cinders Wind-Up: D3 ickering, deep mauve imp-gures leap from the censer, skittering to adjacent Zones. They
begin swellin swelling g and can be b e attacked att acked Armour,, 1 Vigour (7 Armour (7 1 Vigour). ). Action: Actio n: Surviving shadows combust dramatically into Void-Imps. Wearing the armoured vestments of a holy man it clutches a censer-sta in its spindly hands. A sacred silver mask hides its face but it holds itself with the surety of faith. The censer burns mauve with DemonFlame, sucking the air into a void which coruscates and consumes. The Saint is not its master, their bond is deeper than that. The corpses of slain enemies are fed to the Demon-Flame. They kneel next to the corpse, perhaps in prayer, as the censer spills eager, devouring ame which leaves only a smear of purest white ash.
Void Imps Mood: Infernal Armour Armo ur 6 | Vig Vigour our 6 | Gri Grip p2 BRAWN -1 | WIT 1 | WILL 0
Mauve-Flame Claws (Light (Light)) Fear of the Light | Knife in the Dark | Nimble | Shadowclad
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Bestiary
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Bestiary Sodslime
Town-Gutter
Mood: Unthink Unthinking ing
Mood: Brigan Brigand d
Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 12
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 8 | Gri Grip p3
BRAWN 1 | WIT -1 | WILL 0
BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WI LL 0
Splattery Fists (Hand (Hand))
Splattery Fists (Hand Hand))
Gelatinous Grip
Pick Pi ck on one e se set: t:
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions Splatter: When Splatter: When the Sodslime’s Attack hits, it loses 1 Vigour and the target is encumbered with one Inventory Slot of Muck. Removing 1 Slot requires 10 mins cleaning. Character’s with more Slots than their Brawn Stat begin Suocating. A pile of cloddy c loddy brown muck, slopping from the walls and ceiling. Rearing up, drenching its target. Weighed by their new burden, even the strongest Cryptdiggers quickly nd themselves buried under the ever-growing burden of tenacious clinging mud.
The Heroic Sacrice, Returned: Rampage | Sworn Foe (Martial) | Wound-Kn Woun d-Knitti itting ng Victi m of the Hideous Victim Hi deous Machine: Falling to Bits | Feeds on Misfortune | Iron-Whisperer Once-Lost-In-The-Dark: Deeper Darkness | Shadow-Coated | Spiderclimb The Greed-Eaten: Pilferer Greed-Eaten: Pilferer | Shadowclad | Sworn Foe (Devious) Their Veins are Poison: Toxic Poison: Toxic Blood | Toxic Blades | Violent End The Visited By Dread Revelation: A Dark D ark Mirr Mirror or | Oth Otherw erworld orldly ly Gaze | Reality Betrays You! These twisted, hateful creatures crawl up from the Crypts. Some suspect they are born of Cryptdiggers who died far from the sun’s light, l ight, and many m any reect r eect their deaths: knights in rent mail, rogues chewed up by traps, wizards scorched with arcane re.
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Bestiary
Types of Vampires Young You ng Vamp Vampir ires es:: Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 18 | Gri Grip p6
Gelatinous Grip | One | One Power
Old Vampires: Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 24 | Grip 8
Gelatinous Grip | Two | Two Powers
Ancient Vampires:
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 30 | Gri Grip p 10
Gelatinous Grip | Three | Three Powers
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions Vamp iric:: The Vampire cannot be Vampiric targeted by mind-altering magics and does not need to sleep or breathe. Each also has a specic hunger which they must regularly indulge. Each day they do not, they lose D3 Vigour D3 Vigour and and 1 Grip 1 Grip,, which cannot be recovered rec overed until their hunger is satised.
The nature of Vampires is a matter of some contention. Many lazy l azy acade academics mics theor theorize ize Vampire V ampiress are merely an evolved Undead, grown fat on carrion. ca rrion. This is i s partly part ly true. t rue. Some radical scholars claim that Vampires are cannibalistic Elves, but that does not explain their varieties. A few despe desperate rate schol scholars ars eeing e eing agents a gents of more respectable universities, trade pamphlets alleging the rst Vampires were inuenced by the Dying World of the Grimm. The Dying World lets noone escape forever though, so what could it be? Uncontroversially, Vampires are predators, mercifully limited in number as all predators are, lest their hunger outgrow their prey.
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Bestiary Vampire, Choleric Mood: Hunger Hungering ing
Choleric Chole ric Vassals Vassals
BRAWN 3 | WIT 2 | WILL 1
Mood: Hunger Hungering ing
As Weapon Weap on Rampage | Devour | Wound-Knitting (disabled by re) | re) | Vampiric
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 8 | Gri Grip p3 BRAWN -1 | WIT 1 | WILL 0
Broken Nails (Hand (Hand)) Gelatinous Grip
1D6 Choleric Vampire Powers
Choleric thralls are loose skins, lled
(Roll Twice): 1. Berserk Frenzy 2. Ferocious Charge 3. Razorclawed 4. Sprinter 5. Flurry of Claws 6. Adaptive Defence
with their master’s rotten meaty vomit. Their pack loyalty means they may sacrice themselves for their Vampire.
Living suits of skin bonded onto ayed corpses, Choleric Vampires are strong and condent, depending on no-one. The corpse adopts a new form; limbs exaggerated and quadrupedal, teeth lengthened into fangs, nails viciously extended. They prefer to lead a pack of Vassals on hunts through wilds, villages and towns, never staying put. They hunger for muscles and esh to shore up their slowly softening innards. This cannot be held o indenitely, so Vampire must constantly seek new bodies to skin for it and its brood.
There is little dierence between Choleric Vampires and their Vassals; full Vampires simply wear a skinned corpse. For this reason, Choleric Vampires are very protective of their kills and struggle for dominanc d ominance. e.
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Bestiary Vampire, Melancholic Mood: Arcane BRAWN 1 | WIT 3 | WILL 2
As Weapon Weap on Devour | Mindspike (Proboscis) | Wound-Kn Woun d-Knitti itting ng (disabled (disabled by alcohol) | Shadow Glamours | Vampiric
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions 1D6 Melancholic Vampire Powers (Roll Twice): 1. Mind Sap The Sap The Vampire’s proboscis tastes the surface thoughts and histories of creatures losing Grip, in greater detail with further Grip damage. 2. Arcane Wards 3. Arcane Volley 4. Umbral Dash 5. The Evil Eye 6. Pass Unnoticed The Melancholic Vampire is intelligent in the extreme and untroubled by emotions or empathy. They often pursue the Arcane arts or esoteric Natural Philosophy using troubling (at best) methods—ends always justify the means. Their bodies are thin and gaunt, barely more than a bag of bones, and their eyes are multi-faceted jet black orbs.
They live alone with a few trusted Vassals as research assistants. When feeding, a lacquered chitinous proboscis emerges an arm’s length from their throat. Lucky victims have this pushed through their ears, the unlucky through the eye or nose, as the Vampire drinks their thoughts and minds.
Melancholic Melanc holic Vassals Vassals Mood: As Their Th eir Master Ma ster Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 8 BRAWN 1 | WIT 1 | WILL -1
Hand Weapon Clumsy Movements Thoughtless servants whose minds were irreversibly devoured. All but dead, their every act is deftly controlled by the Vampire’s subconscious. If granted a mind again (with a complex ritual), they mature into a Melancholic Vampire. Master Vampires don’t want to waste their time with such matters, so most Vassals remain as they are for the rest of their existence.
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Bestiary Vampire, Phlegmatic Mood: Holy
Phlegmatic Vassals
BRAWN 2 | WIT 1 | WILL 3
Mood: Holy
As Weapon Weap on Compressible | Devour | Wound-Kn Woun d-Knitti itting ng (disabled (disabled by toxins) | toxins) | Vampiric Vamp iric
Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Grip 3 BRAWN 0 | WIT -1 | WILL 1
Bludgeoning Fists (Hand (Hand)) Flesh-Gorging
Speciall Adaptat Specia Adaptations ions
The thralls of a Phlegmatic Vampire are
1D6 Phlegmatic Vampire Powers (Roll Twice): 1. Spirits of the Beyond 2. Beetle-Flesh 3. Mageshape 4. You Can’t Run 5. Falling to Bits 6. Shape the Land
hollowed out corpses implanted with a child-maggot. It grows, fed carrion by its parent-Vampire until it can control its necrotic vessel, becoming a full Phlegmatic Vampire. Of all vampires , Phlegmatic are the least concerned by their vassals outgrowing them, disconcerting for nearby settlements...
Almos t healthy Almost hea lthy lookin lookingg for fo r their the ir kind, kind , save for their clammy complexion. Caught unawares and you might see something squirm underneath their skin… The true Vampire is a Worm, long as a dog, pallid and fat. Its host’s stomach furtively furtive ly bulges bu lges from its burden. b urden. The most m ost sentimental vampires, their twisted love for their t heir Vassal Vassalss can drive them to do terrible things. They feed by inverting their semivestigial throat out of their mouth, which reaches down the victim’s throat to gobble up the soft, semi-digested food.
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Bestiary Vampire, Sanguine Mood: Noble BRAWN 2 | WILL 1 | WIT 3
As Weapon Weap on Woun d-Knitti Wound-Kn itting ng (disabled (disabled by silver) | silver) | Bloodscent | Vampiric
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions 1D6 Sanguine Vampire Powers (Roll Twice): 1. Swarm Form: As Form: As an action, the Vampiree can spend 3 Grip to Vampir transform into a swarm of Bats, Rats, Flies or a Misty Cloud. It cannot Attack,, but can y and takes Attack t akes half h alf damage from non-magical weapons. 2. Serpent’s Words: Any Words: Any creature who is not a character will generally believe anythi anything ng the th e Vampire Vamp ire says, sa ys, and mustto bedisbelieve. shown incontrovertible evidence 3. Knife from the Shadows 4. Otherworldly Gaze 5. Bloodthirsty 6. Echosense To those holding their favour or interest, the Sanguine Vampire is desirable and condent, charismatic yet brooding. They are also ruthless and calculating, with no qualms about manipulation and abuse to achieve their ends, even if they do like you. To
Dangerously beautiful, their skin but a shade above deathly, and their muscles thin yet taut. Their most fascinating feature featu re is their eyes, stunnin stunningly gly vibrant and almost hypnotising... They prefer hiding among nobility, concealed within lairs matching the station they believe they deserve. They feed through their teeth, draining blood in greedy, rapturous gulps.
Sanguine Vassals Mood: Noble Armour Arm our 8 | Gri Grip p 2 | Vig Vigor or 8 BRAWN 0 | WILL -1 | WIT 1
As Weapon Weap on Vampiric Vamp iric | Blood B loodsce scent nt Those with whom the Sanguine Vampire has shared their utterly addictive blood, Thralls act as hangers-on and sycophants boosting their standing. If a Sanguine Vassal totally drains a person’s blood, they mature into a Sanguine Vampire. For this reason, their masters closely control feedings.
them, you are cattle.
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Bestiary Vermin Collector Mood: Abomin Abomination ation Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 24 | Gri Grip p5 BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
Swarm Sw arm of o f Insects Ins ects Mood: Critte Critter r Armour Armo ur 6 | Vig Vigour our 12
Gnarled Sta (Hand (Hand))
BRAWN 0 | WIT -1 | WILL -1
Rampage (as Vermin Rampage (as Vermin Retaliation) Retaliation) | Flamewreathed (as Flamewreathed (as Cloud Cloud of Flies) Flies)
Thrashing Horde (Light (Light)) Swarm | Venomous
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions A Baske B asketful tful of Verm Vermin: in: On On the Vermin Collector’s Turn, roll a D3 for what slops out of the basket. 1. Swarm of Insects 2. Pack of Rats 3. A Huge Centipede Tall and gaunt, they look like people in ratty garments crawling with eas and lice until you approach and see their sunken eyes steadily dripping thick, oily sludge. They lean heavily on a gnarled sta, hunched and staring from beneath a great wicker basket. Their basket is the true horror—impossibly full of perpetually spilling over vermin, insects and small, lthy creatures. Some conjecture they are manifestations of lth and disease come to unleash pox and plague, others claim they are witches blessed by demonic powers or, even, simply people with a desperately unhealthy obsession.
Pack of Rats
Mood: Critte Critter r
Armour Armo ur 6 | Vig Vigour our 12 BRAWN 0 | WIT 0 | WILL -1
Thrashing Horde (Light (Light)) Swarm | Fleshgorging
Huge Centipede Mood: Critter Armour Armo ur 6 | Vig Vigour our 8 BRAWN 0 | WIT 1 | WILL 0
Gnashing Mandibles (Hand (Hand)) Spider Climb | Nimble
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Bestiary The Wise Old Woods-Walker Mood: Cultis Cultistt Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 36 | Grip 13 BRAWN 2 | WIT 3 | WILL 2
Crushing Hooves and Goring Horns (Heavy (Heavy ) Thunderous Blows | Arcane Volley | Shadow Glamours | Any | Any other Arcane Advancements. Advancem ents.
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions Crimson Sacrament: When Sacrament: When sharing a Zone with Zone with a corpse or willing creature, the Woods-Walker can magically consume it rather than pay any Grip any Grip to to Arcane Advancements. Advancements. use Arcane use The Red Goat of the Woods, who dispenses wisdom to witches and crushes villages beneath its hooves. It haunts forests like a demon-wind, marking its chosen with bloody rings, blessing crops with corpse-mushroom infestations and twisting people into gory idols of magical potency. The rst signs of its arrival in your forestt are subtl fores subtle. e. It I t is watc watching hing and a nd learning, perhaps as a bird or goat. It nds those on the th e periphery peri phery with littl littlee to lose, twisting them into willing tools.
The Woods-Walker can bestow the Eldritch Pact Advancement with an hour-long ritual. This Pact is earned with an exchange of favourss or foll favour following owing a lengthy le ngthy tutel tutelage. age. It manipulates deals to heavily favour itself. Pressured to ‘repay their debts,’ students help weave esoteric rites and abhorrent rituals, twisting the landscape and inhabitants to unspeakable ends. When the Woods-Walker is done with a village, it is long gone before anyone investigates.
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Bestiary Witch-Knight Mood: Void-H Void-Hearte earted d Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 20 | Gri Grip p3 BRAWN 3 | WIT 0 | WILL 1
Hex-Proof
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions Living Armour: While Armour: While the armour is worn the t he Witch-Knigh Witc h-Knightt lives, liv es, its it s Vigo Vigour ur representing representing its current body'sis integrity. At 0 Vigour 0 Vigour the the body inside destroyed, but if replaced, restores the Witch Knight Knight’s ’s Vigour Vigour.. Destroying the Armour itself is far harder, requiri requiring ng its creator’s consent or potent magic. Children of Violence: The Violence: The Witch Knight gains Adaptations gains Adaptations and and Advance Adva ncemen ments ts based based on its weapon: • Hand Weapon Swarm of Steel | Rampage [ex. Longsword] • Heavy Weapon Battle Frenzy | Lifedrinker [ex. Greatsword] • Long Weapon Umbral Dash | Nimble [ex. Glaive] • Throwing Weapon Viscous Visc ous Shad Shadow ow | Spide Sp iderr Climb C limb [ex. Wicked Knives]
Armour and weapon weaponss feed fe ed on blood blood,, iron calls out to its distant kin. Their dormant spirits can be awakened by sorcery, revealing their desire: To drench themselves in spilled blood. Imprison a warrior in their armour and awaken it constructing a Witch-Knight. They tales of armoured knightsby whosebegat rampages were only stopped complete butchery. No matter the wearer, they inevitably fall into unstoppable bloodlust and must be butchered themselves. No one ever suspects the armour or blade, which contentedly awaits another foolish fooli sh wielder. wie lder.
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Bestiary
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Misshapen Magic
Bea Beasts sts of o f the t he Cr Crypt ypt
The life of a Cryptdigger is not a happy one, and in the darkest and most hellish reaches of the Crypt, even the tools and abilities that the Cryptdiggers wield can turn against their masters. Do not use these tools often, and where possible foreshadow or imply the possibility of this happening ahead of time. Alternatively Alterna tively they could c ould be used use d as the results re sults of NPCs losing control of their abilities. Overall, these are another tool for you to use to help reinforce the idea that, down in the Crypt, characters are never totally safe...
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M agic Misshapen Ma Arcanoclastic Flow Mood: Aethe Aethereal real
B lo o d s h e d d e r
Armour Armo ur 7 | Vig Vigour our 18 | Gri Grip p9
Mood: Martia Martiall (roll twice and choose the most violent option)
BRAWN -1 | WIT 1 | WILL 2
Armour Armo ur 9 | Vig Vigour our 24 | Grip 8
No Weapons Ethereal | Fire and Lightning Strange | Spellwrath | Violent End
BRAWN 2 | WIT -1 | WILL -1
Bloodstained Blade (Hand (Hand)) Bloodscent | Hex Addled
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions
Living Magic: At Magic: At the start of Arcanoclasti Arcanoc lasticc Flow’s Flo w’s Turn, Tu rn, it loses 1 Grip, dying if it starts its Turn with 0 Grip.
Call of the Blood: When Blood: When the Bloodshedder uses Exertion uses Exertion on on a successful Attack successful Attack , choose one: • Regain the spent Grip. • Gain the Flurry the Flurry of Claws Adaptati Adap tation on this this Turn. • The Attack The Attack benets benets from the Impaler Adaptation. Adaptation.
Abso rb Pow Absorb Power: er: When When a creature spends Grip on Grip on a Holy or Arcane or Arcane Advancement in the Flow’s Zone Flow’s Zone or or an adjacent Zone adjacent Zone,, the Flow gains twice the Grip. Magic is a raw materi m aterial, al, and can c an run
Sometimes the toils of war and slaughter cease to be a burden and turn
amok like when unleashed by Fire and Lightning Strange or Manawrath Manawrath. The more destructive the attack, the more likely it self-replicates or, in the worst cases, awakens.
into something darkly nurturing. The Bloodshedder's Curse can warp Cryptdiggers with Advancements such as Battle Frenzy and Storm of Steel into this wretched state.
In a wildly coruscating tide of light it scorches the earth with arcing magical lightning bolts. Its puried magic “surface” is semi-physical, scabbing over with shards of mundane reality. Eventually it burns itself out but can do quite a bit of damage in the meantime.
They become animalistic , with hunched gait and grizzled esh, until approaching full of bloodlust.
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Misshapen Ma Magic gic Bone Thief Mood: Aberra Aberration tion Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 12 | Grip 4 BRAWN 1 | WIT -1 | WILL 0
Viciouss Claws Viciou Claw s (Hand ( Hand)) Fleshgorging (the Bone-Thief scos Fleshgorging (the down the corpse’s bones) | bones) | Fear of the Light | Undead
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions
Bone Theft: The Theft: The Bone Bone Thief can can steal a bone from a Restrained a Restrained creature, creature, incorporating it and gaining D3 Vigour D3 Vigour.. Roll for the stolen bone and an additional eect: 1. Rib: Rib: Lose Lose D3 Vigour D3 Vigour,, which the Bone Thief gains. 2. Arm/Hand: Can’t Arm/Hand: Can’t use that limb (as Injury ), ), the Bone the Bone Thief’s Vicious Thief’s Vicious Claws become a Heavy a Heavy Weapon. Weapon. 3. Leg/Fo Leg/Foot: ot: Can’t Can’t use that limb (as Injury ), ), the Bone the Bone Thief gains gains +1 Initiative.. Initiative 4. Spine Fragment: Lose Fragment: Lose 1 Brawn 1 Brawn,, which the t he Bone Bone Thief gains. gains. 5. Set of Knuckles: Lose Knuckles: Lose 1 Wit 1 Wit,, which the Bone the Bone Thief gains. gains. 6. Skull: You Skull: You are dead. Bad luck. The Bone Thief gains gains 1 of their Advance Adva ncemen ments ts.. A truly tru ly skilled ski lled surgeon could repla replace ce the bones, reversing the eects
The Spirits of the Beyond Advanc Adv ancemen ement t creates creates undead servants from bodie bodiess and bones. If these th ese tiny animating sparks are severed from their master by death or other means, the spark of life may blaze forth, securing any means of survival. This is especially probable where many dead lie, like cemeteries or battleelds. The Thief’s main engine of survival, and its namesake, is its appalling power to reach through a victim’s doughy esh pulling out bones. It stashes these stolen bones in itself before scurrying into the night...
(except death).
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M agic Misshapen Ma Glamoured Shadow Mood: Aberra Aberration tion Armour Armo ur - | Vig Vigour our - | Gri Grip p7 BRAWN - | WIT 2 | WILL 1
No Weapons Fear of the Light
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions Shadow Creature: With Creature: With no physical form, it cannot aect or be aected by physical things. Bright light deals D6 Grip damage Grip damage — Magic or other nonphysical eects damage its Grip at the Doomspeaker’s discretion. The Shadow is destroyed when reduced to 0 Grip 0 Grip.. Dark Possession: The Possession: The Shadow can slip inside a creature in its Zone its Zone's 's body, nestling in their dark insides, Possessing them Possessing them (see right). The Shadow Glamours and Viscous Shadow Advancements magically impart control over darkness. With a measure too much magic, it could rebuke its new master—particularly in places never touched by natural light. Glamoured Shadows are immaterial things which perish in light, so they seek bleak, lightless places often lying unbothered for centuries. Sometimes Cryptdiggers disturb them, not realising the pristine darknesses Glamoured
Possession by the Shadow The Glamoured Shadow’s host shares Fear of the Light Adaptation. Adaptation. Each its Fear its kill made in the dark grants the Shadow 1 Grip 1 Grip.. It can spend 1 Grip 1 Grip to to grant its host a use of one the following Advance Adva ncemen ments ts and and Adaptations Adaptations:: 1. Other Otherworld worldly ly Gaze Gaze 2. Knife from the Shadows 3. Shadow Glamours Characters trained in Holy or Arcane arts can communicate with the shadow . If permitted to remain where it is, the Shadow is reasonable, and quite happy to symbiotically share its power. Exorcising the Shadow requires the skills of a Godsman or Wizard. A Godsman can exorcise and immediately destroy it, while Wizards can only transfer it to a new vessel like another creature or a prepared ritual container. In either case, exorcisms are mentally taxing and the host and exorcist lose D3 Grip D3 Grip..
Shadows love lurk within them.
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Misshapen Ma Magic gic Misshapen Mage 1D3 Moods: 1. Abomination | 2. Great Beast | 3. Critter Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 15 | Gri Grip p3 BRAWN 1 | WIT 1 | WILL -1
Mutating Claws (Hand (Hand)) Flesh-Gorging | Unstoppable
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions Roiling Flesh: At Flesh: At the start of each Turn, roll below to determine this turn’s benet: 1. +1 +1 Armour Armour 2. +2 2. +2 Brawn Brawn 3. Its Its Attacks Attacks have have Short Short Range 4. It 4. It can move an additional Zone additional Zone 5. It 5. It is Ironshelled is Ironshelled 6. It 6. It is Razorclawed is Razorclawed Sometimes, the Mageshape Advancement Advanc ement procee proceeds ds at an uncontrolled and exponential rate. Within minutes, the Mage is an unrecognisable mess of animal aspects, a raging, confused, desperate beast with no concept of its own abilities. This happens particularly in areas where nature’s spirits hold reign.
They act like normal animals except their animal form regularly changes, sometimes occupying many places in the local food-chain in a day. The tiny, muling wretch found cowering in the corner an hour ago and the screaming, roiling whirlwind-creature tearing into you now could be the same thing.
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M agic Misshapen Ma Venerat Flesh Mood: Holy Armour Armo ur 8 | Vig Vigour our 15 | Gri Grip p3 BRAWN 0 | WIT -1 | WILL 2
No Weapon
Speciall Adapta Specia Adaptations tions Divine Retribution: If Retribution: If the Venerat Flesh wishes, any creature cr eature who touches t ouches it must make a Grip a Grip Check . Creatures who dare attack it are cursed, and cannot use or benet from Holy from Holy Advancements until making Divine amends or atoning. The Saint’s Progress: The Progress: The Venerat Flesh demands gifts and oerings from its followers. Creatures can oer it the treasures, granting the Flesh any resulting Experience resulting Experience.. Oering 8 Experience 8 Experience of of treasure grants the Venerat the Venerat Flesh D6 Flesh D6 maximum Vigour Vigo ur,, D3 Grip D3 Grip,, and an Advancement an Advancement or Adaptation or Adaptation it it desires. After gaining 6 Advancements Advancements and and Adaptati Adap tations ons,, it transforms into a Nascent Deity . Sometimes, the Flesh Made Anew Advanc Adv ancemen ement t is is subverted, a curse unwittingly inicted by the itinerant priest for some sublime infraction. The restored esh bubbles beyond its intended shape before budding o into
a new person, their hands and knees fused in permanent perm anent prayer prayer.. This happens particularly in holy spaces. The resultant creature is serene and calm, politely but rmly requesting aid in achieving true transcendence. Cryptdiggers with Holy Advancements hear the Flesh's gentle chorus in their minds. Unattended, the Venerat Flesh attracts a cult, perhaps oering one of the Cult Philosophies (pg 20).
Nascent Deity This is the precipice of Godhood. To complete its divine ascension, it and its followers foll owers must compl complete ete a long lo ng and esoteric ritual requiring heavy sacrices and esoteric conditions. Once begun, the ritual can only end with the Nascent Diety’s ascension or death. If successful, the devastation of a deity incarnating into the world, even for only a brief moment, is wide-reaching and catastrophic.
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Beasts sts of o f the t he Cr Crypt ypt Bea
the Venerat Cult If you are running a Venerat Flesh not being supported by a group of Cryptdiggers, use the following procedure. At the end of each adventuring day, roll a D6. If the number rolled is greater than the Flesh’s current number of Advancements, Advancements, it gains a new Advancement and Advancement and the cult grows as per the table below. Once the Flesh has 6 Adaptations 6 Adaptations or or Advancements Advancements,, it becomes a Nascent Deity as normal. Use whatever time-scale best suits your purposes if daily checks
interfere with your campaign.
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Misshapen Ma M agic Level Lev el of Flesh Flesh 0 Adaptations/Advancements
Needed Trasure: 8 Trasure: 8 XP XP Knife-Wavers: D3 Knife-Wavers: D3 Zealots: Zealots: Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: High Priests: Priests: 2 Adaptations/Advancements
Needed Trasure: 20 Trasure: 20 XP Knife-Wavers: 2D6 Knife-Wavers: 2D6 Zealots: 1D3 Zealots: 1D3 Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: High Priests: Priests: 4 Adaptations/Advancements
1 Adaptations/Advancements
Needed Trasure: 16 Trasure: 16 XP Knife-Wavers: D6 Knife-Wavers: D6 Zealots: Zealots: Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: High Priests: Priests: 3 Adaptations/Advancements
Needed Trasure: 32 Trasure: 32 XP Knife-Wavers: 3D6 Knife-Wavers: 3D6 Zealots: 2D3 Zealots: 2D3 Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: High Priests: Priests: 5 Adaptations/Advancements
Needed Trasure: 40 Trasure: 40 XP Knife-Wavers: 4D6 Knife-Wavers: 4D6
Needed Trasure: 48 Trasure: 48 XP Knife-Wavers: 5D6 Knife-Wavers: 5D6
Zealots: 3D3 Zealots: 3D3 Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: 1D3 Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: 1D3 High Priests: 1 Priests: 1
Zealots: 4D3 Zealots: 4D3 Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: 1D6 Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: 1D6 High Priests: 1 Priests: 1
6 Adaptations/Advancements
Needed Trasure: Ritual Trasure: Ritual Only Knife-Wavers: 6D6 Knife-Wavers: 6D6 Zealots: 6D3 Zealots: 6D3 Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: 2D6 Dread-Blades/Corpse-Mongers: 2D6 High Priests: D3 Priests: D3
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Monster Crafting Crafting
Simple Foes, powerful enemies Cryptdiggers can carve choice pieces from beasts they slay for use in Potions in Potions,, Poisons Poisons and and even Monstrous even Monstrous Treasures. Treasures.
There are three stages: Materials . 1. Investigate the monster’s remains for Monster for Monster Materials. 2. Research and rene Monster rene Monster Materials into Materials into Adaptati Adap tation on Com Compone ponents nts.. 3. Craft Components Craft Components into into Items. 4. Determine if the Item was Cursed was Cursed during during creation.
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Crafting Step 1: Investigation
Examples Identifying a Dragon’s Fire-Breathing Dragon’s Fire-Breathing
First, remove a Monster a Monster Material with Material with an hour’s work and a Grip a Grip Check .
glands is Direct, as the Adaptation the Adaptation is is in its Stat block. However if the player wants an an Ironshelled Ironshelled Component (which the Dragon did not have), the Doomsayer might Doomsayer might grant it is Adjacent given the Dragon’s high Armour high Armour value. value. If a player also wished to remove a Razorclawed Component from Component from the same Dragon, the Doomsayer the Doomsayer might might
Successful or not, the Character extracts a Monster a Monster Material. Material . Most monstrous remains can only have Material removed but 1 Monster Material removed powerful monsters with many Adaptati Adap tations ons may may contain more at the Doomsayer’s discretion. Doomsayer’s discretion.
Step 2: Research Once removed, a Monstrous a Monstrous Material requires a Night’s Work and a Grip a Grip Check for for research and identication. The player suggests what kind of Adaptati Adap tation on their their character desires a Component for. Component for. Doomsayer then The Doomsayer The then decides if this is Direct (viable), or Adjacent (potentially viable). Typically, Direct Adaptations Direct Adaptations appear appear in the monster’s Stat block and Adjacent Adaptati Adap tations ons don’t, don’t, but are thematically linked.
rule that even though it didn’t have that specic Adaptation specic Adaptation,, its high Brawn score Brawn score means that it is at least Adjacent. Adjace nt. While the terrifyi te rrifying, ng, incorpor in corporeal eal Banshee can tear souls free from their bodies with their t heir scream, s cream, a player pl ayer wishes to identify id entify an an Otherworldly Otherworldly Gaze Component from Component from one. The Doomsayer rules Doomsayer rules that it is Adjacent becaus e while because whil e it isn’t in the monster monster’s ’s Stat block, it is thematically related to the Banshee’s powers. A Soldier Sold ier might mi ght have h ave My My Shining Armour Arm our Gle Gleams ams,, but it is the result of training, not biology or magic, so it is not feasible for identication at all.
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Crafting Step 3: Creation Turning a Component into a Monstrous Item requires a Night’s Work and a Grip Check . Decide the item you want to create and consult the list below to determine how many crafting resources are required:
Type of Item - Cost in Resources
Crafting Resources Each of the following constitutes 1 Resource for Monster Crafting purposes: • 3 Experience 3 Experience worth worth of Gold • 3 Grip 3 Grip • D3 Additional Days of Work • An Additional Monster Additional Monster Material
• Consumable: 2 • Weapon or Sta: D3+3 • Basic Armour or Shield: D3+1 • Plate Armour: D3+3 • Trinket: D3+3 Consumables (Potions, Scrolls, Consumables (Potions, Totems or Icons broken to use, Grenades, etc.) are destroyed upon use. Weap ons and Weapons and Armour Armour are are as dened in the Equipment the Equipment Chapter. Chapter. Trinkets are any other item that could be held hel d or worn when used, us ed, such su ch as amulets, rings, prayer beads, charms tied to the hilts of swords, etc.
Roll a Brawn a Brawn or or Wit Wit Check (Doomsayer’s Doomsayer’s discretion) discretion) to determine Checks to success. Checks success. to craft Consumables have the Upper the Upper Hand. Hand. Success means the crafting went well and the player expends the allotted resources. Failure means the crafting requires more materials than initially thought. The player must expend the allotted resources and an additional D3 resources.
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Crafting Step 4: Potency and Curses Apply the nal nal touches t ouches and awaken aw aken the t he Monstrou Mon strouss Item’s Item ’s power with a Night’s Work and a Grip a Grip Check .
Decide the item’s Potency: • Passive Trigger • Active Trigger • Passive Property Consumables cannot have a Passive Property.
Potencies If applicable, an Adaptation an Adaptation with with a Grip a Grip or or Vigour Vigour cost cost must be used use d to create an Item It em with wit h an Active an Active Trigger. Trigger. The cost to activate it is determined during creation if the Adaptation doesn’t have one. Items with a Passive a Passive Trigger are Trigger are the easiest to create, but only their specic trigger activates the Adaptation the Adaptation,, regardless of its wielder’s intent. An Item Ite m with wit h a Passive a Passive Property always always applies its Adaptation its Adaptation to its user. Roll a Will a Will Check to to determine if the item comes out as intended or with an unintended side-eect. • If the Item’s potency is a Passive a Passive Trigger, Trigger, the Check has the Upper the Upper Hand. Hand. • If the Item’s potency is an Active an Active Trigger, Trigger , the Check is made normally. • If the Item’s potency is a Passive a Passive Property , the Check is Against Agai nst the Odds Odds.. Success means the Item is not Cursed not Cursed..
Failure means the Item is Cursed is Cursed and and the Doomsayer the Doomsayer should should roll or choose a result from the Curse the Curse table. table.
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Monster Crafting 1D3/1D6 Curse Table 1
2
3
1. The Wielder has
1. The Wielder has
1. The Wielder has
an Affliction while an Affliction while using the item.
an Affliction while an Affliction while using the item.
an Affliction while an Affliction while using the item.
2. The Wielder has
2. The Wielder has
2. The Wielder has
the Hunger the Hunger Pangs
the Sensitive the Sensitive Vision
the Sensitive the Sensitive
Adap tation Adaptati on during during Combat.
Adaptati Adap tation on..
Hearing Adaptation. Adaptation.
3. The Wielder has
3. The Wielder has
3. The Wielder has
the Weakness the Weakness Adaptati Adap tation on to to an appropriate damage type if possible.
the Easily Dismayed the Easily Adaptati Adap tation on..
the Cacophonous the Cacophonous Adaptati Adap tation on..
4. Holy
4. The Wielder has
4. When the th e wielder wiel der
Advance Adva ncemen ments ts can’t can’t
the Hex-Addled the Hex-Addled
uses one of their
provide you any benet while using the item.
Adaptati Adap tation on..
Arch etype Archety pe features, features, they must roll a Grip a Grip Check .
5. When
5. Using the item
5. The Wielder can’t
encountering a creature, roll its Mood twice Mood twice and pick the worse result.
forces a Grip a Grip Check on witnesses, but not the user.
gain Experience gain Experience from passing Grip passing Grip Checks.. Checks
While holding h olding the 6. item, animals won’t
the 6. Each time Wielder uses the t he item, ite m,
and 6. Monsters beast beasts s of the Crypt Cr ypt
abide the Wielder s presence, and attack 126 if forced near them.
their appearance becomess more become mor e monstrous.
perceive the Wielder as unclean, and target them more.
Crafting Suggest ed Passive Suggested Passive Triggers
Suggested Ac Active tive Triggers
1. Triggers when its Wielder Wielder suers involuntary Vigour involuntary Vigour loss, loss, such as from Combat or Traps but not from self-inicted Vigour self-inicted Vigour loss. loss.
1. Vigour: D3 for most Adaptations most Adaptations,, D6 for particularly powerful ones.
2. Triggers 2. Triggers when its Wielder suers involuntary Grip involuntary Grip loss, loss, such as from Grip Checks or Checks or Adaptations Adaptations,, but not from spending Grip spending Grip on Advancements on Advancements.. 3. Triggers when whet with the lifeblood of a specic creature (i.e. undead, constructs, elves, etc). 4. Triggers 4. Triggers when exposed to a specic sp ecic element (i.e. bathed in re, submerged in water, in total darkness, etc). 5. Triggers 5. Triggers when Arcane when Arcane Advance Adva ncemen ments ts or Adaptations are or Adaptations are used in the same or an adjacent Zone adjacent Zone.. 6. Triggers 6. Triggers when Holy when Holy Advancements Adaptations are or Adaptations or are used in the same or an adjacent Zone adjacent Zone..
2. Grip: 2. Grip: 1 for most Adaptations most Adaptations,, D3 for particularly powerful ones. 3. Experience Debt: 1 for most Adaptati Adap tations ons,, D3 for particularly powerful ones. 4. A 4. A Binding Oath: An oath pertaining to the current circumstances is suitable for most Adaptations most Adaptations but but one pertaining to an entire dungeon, type of creature, or some aspect of life for the next month might be needed for more powerful Adaptati Adap tations ons.. 5. A Temporary 5. Temporary Affliction: Affliction : No longer than an hour-long Affliction hour-long Affliction for for Adaptations,, but could last for most Adaptations most a day or even up to a week for more powerful Adaptations powerful Adaptations.. Afflictions that pertain to Recovery (such as Feasting Dreams) aect one night’s rest per use. 6. Triggers 6. Triggers when Holy when Holy Advancements or Adaptations or Adaptations are are used in the same or an adjacent Zone adjacent Zone..
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Crafting Example Ex ample 1 Arigal defeate defeated d a vast v ast serpent se rpent with veins of anti-magic stone running through its scales. Arigal has been struggling with magic recently and wants to extract ex tract the anti-mag an ti-magic ic ore. ore . The Monster Material is The Monster Material is removed after an hour of work and a Grip a Grip Check , so it’s time to research it. Back in the Cryptdigger’s compound, Arigal researc researches hes the t he Monster Monster Material,, which takes a Night’s Work Material and another Grip another Grip Check . He wants the Hex-Proof Adaptation. Adaptation. The Serpent had that Adaptation, so the Doomsayer the Doomsayer tells him to roll a normal Wit normal Wit Check to to rene the component. He passes, and receives a Hex-Proof a Hex-Proof Component. Component. With his hi s new Component, Component, Arigal begins crafti crafting ng the th e item. item . To start start,, he spends another Night’s Work and makes his third Grip third Grip Check . Being a frontline ghter type, he wants a shield that deects magic. Shields require D3+1 crafting resources, so Arigal rolls and determines he needs 3 resources to create it. Being in relatively even shape and having some spare time, Arigal spends his resources as follows: 1. 3 Experience worth of Gold 2. 3 2. 3 points of Grip Grip
Two days later, Arigal must make a Check to determine how the initial crafting went. He’s using blacksmith’s tools to craft his shield , so the Doomsayer calls for a Brawn a Brawn Check . It’s not a Consumable item, so he makes the Check as normal, but fails! He must now spend D3 more resources and rolls a 3. Running a little low on gold, Arigal decides to bite the bullet and spend further resources as follows: 1. 3 more points of Grip Grip 2. D3 2. D3 more days of work (rolls a 1) 3. D3 further days of work (rolls a 2) Three days later, having completed the item, the nal rites turn his item into its Monstrous form. After one more Night’s Work and taking one last Grip last Grip Check , Arigal chooses a Potency a Potency . While having Hexproof having Hexproof as as a Passive a Passive Property would be excellent, exce llent, Arigal doesn’ doesn’tt want to risk getting a Curse a Curse,, and settles on an Active an Active Trigger. Trigger . He rolls a normal Will normal Will Check and and passes; the Shield is not cursed. He rolls a D6 to determine the trigger, and gets a 2 so he must spend D3 Grip D3 Grip activating it.
3. D3 days of work (rolls a 2)
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Crafting Example Ex ample 2 Herrowine is a brash young necromancer who, along with her party, slew a potent Beyonder. Taking an hour and a Grip a Grip Check to to retrieve a Monster Material, Material, she scurries home to rene it. She desires a sta of Reality Reality Betrays You! to You! to sow chaos among her enemies. The adaptation is not in the Beyonder’s Stat block, but is a good thematic t, so the Doomsayer the Doomsayer grants grants that it is Adjacent Adja cent and and Herrowine rolls her Wit Che Check ck . In a stroke of misfortune, she fails! A roll on the Beyonder Mood Beyonder Mood suggested suggested Adaptati Adap tation on table table determines the Adaptati Adap tation on Com Compone ponent nt is is for Mangle for Mangle Space.. Pleased with this unexpected Space result, Herrowine plots her next move. Planning takes a night and a Grip a Grip Check, which barely bothers her. She desires a Sta, so she rolls D3+3 to determine how many materials she requires, and gets a 5. Being care-free with her her Grip Grip and and low on money, she spends resources as follows: 1. 3 points of Grip Grip 2. 3 2. 3 points of Grip Grip 3. 3 points of Grip Grip 4. D3 4. D3 days of work, (rolls a 3)
Six days and a lot of Grip later, Grip later, Herrowine rolls a Wit a Wit Check to to determine if her arcane rites went well. Successful on the Check, she emerges with her h er sta. st a. Preparing the nal rituals over a Night’s Work and a Grip a Grip Check , Herrowine brashly declares she wishes to make her Mangle her Mangle Space Component a Passive Property , so she can use it at her leisure. Making her Will her Will Check Against Agai nst the Odds Odds for for a Passive a Passive Property , disaster strikes again! She fails, and the Item is Cursed is Cursed.. The Doomsayer resists The Doomsayer resists saying “I told you so!” and rolls on the Curse the Curse table, table, determining that nearby animals are hostile to the wielder. Herrowine shrugs, proudly displaying the fruits of her labour.
5. D3 5. D3 days of work (also a 3)
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