Old Gus' Daggerheart System Reference Document

What is Daggerheart?

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Daggerheart is a tabletop roleplaying game for one Game Master (GM) and 2–5 players, each in control of one Player Character (PC). The game can be played in a single session (a "one-shot"), or a multiple sessions (a "campaign"). A game session usually takes 2–4 hours. Combat is an important part of the game.

How to Play Daggerheart

• The GM describes the situation, narrates events, and controls NPCs, adversaries, and obstacles the PCs encounter.
• You roleplay your PC's reaction to the scenario, declaring their action and dialogue.
• If your action depends on fate or fortune, the GM calls for an action roll. To make an action roll, you roll your Duality Dice—two distinct twelve-sided dice (d12s)—representing Hope and Fear. The dice are rolled, summed, and relevant bonuses called modifiers are added to the result.
• The total is compared to a Difficulty set by the GM. If the total meets or beats the Difficulty, you succeed. If it's lower, you fail.
• The situation also changes based on which Duality Die rolls higher, giving the player helpful Hope, or giving adversary Fear to the GM.

Experiences

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An Experience is a word or phrase that evokes a personality traits or aptitudes you've acquired. Experiences can relate to your backstory, characteristics, specialties, or skills.

Creating Experiences

You start with two Experiences from character creation. You create new Experiences each time you reach a new tier. Experiences start with a +2 modifier.

Utilize an Experience

When you make an action roll or reaction roll, you can spend a Hope to add a relevant experience's modifier to the result. Describe how the Experience applies. The GM might require you further justify the Experience's relevance, but you decide whether the Experience applies (within reason). You can apply more than one Experience to a roll.

Increasing Experience Modifiers

When you gain a level, you can purchase an advancement to increase an Experience's modifier.

Flow of the Game

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Daggerheart is a conversation. The goal is to build on everyone's ideas to tell a satisfying story. The core gameplay loop provides structure to the conversation, and mechanics for resolving fate or fortune's impact on the outcome.

Hope and Fear represent the cosmic forces that shape the events of the story. Hope powers PC abilities and features, while Fear powers GM moves, including actions taken by adversaries and environments.

The results of action rolls determine what happens next, and how the outcome is resolved. On a success with Hope, a PC usually gains the spotlight. On a failure or a roll with Fear, a GM Turn begins.

Core Gameplay Loop

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The core gameplay loop is the procedure that drives every scene, both in and out of combat.

Step 1: Set the Scene

The GM describes a scenario, establishing the surroundings, and any dangers, NPCs, or other important details the PCs would notice.

Step 2: Ask and Answer Questions

The players ask questions to explore the scene more deeply, gathering information that informs their action. The GM responds to these questions by giving the players information the PCs would already know or could easily obtain, or by asking questions of the players.

Step 3: Build on the Fiction

As the scene develops, the PCs take action—solving problems, overcoming obstacles, and uncovering mysteries. If an action has no chance of failure (or if failure would be boring), they succeed automatically. If the outcome of an action is unknown, the GM calls for an action roll. Either way, the outcome becomes part of the story. The GM resolves the outcome, narrating how the PC's action changes things.

Step 4: Go Back to Step 1

The process repeats, until the end of the scene is triggered by a mechanic or arrives organically.

The Golden Rule

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The most important rule of Daggerheart is to make the game your own. The rules are designed to help you enjoy the experience, but everyone has a different approach to interpreting rules and telling stories. The rules shouldn't get in the way of the story you want to tell, the character you want to play, or the adventure you want to have. If the players and GM agree to a change, anything in the rules can be ignored or adjusted.

Rulings Over Rules

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The rules offer answers for many questions, but it won't answer all of them. When in doubt, the GM makes a ruling that aligns with the narrative.

The GM has the authority—and responsibility—to ensure rules are applied in an interesting, logical, and story-based manner.

Rounding Up

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Round up to the nearest whole number. Resolve any ambiguity in favor of the PCs.

Rerolling Dice

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If a feature allows you to reroll a die, you take the new result.

Targeting

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A target is anything a feature affects. Most of the time, you can choose the target, including who (a creature) or what (an object) is affected. Creatures are living beings—you, your fellow PCs, and adversaries and NPCs you encounter. Some features can only target creatures that are allies, and others only creatures that are adversaries. Some features affect multiple creatures in an area with a single attack roll—for example, the Rain of Blades domain card.

Resolution

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Multiple Effects

You can maintain the effects from more than one class feature or domain card at a time. If the resolution order of multiple effects is unclear, whoever is in control of the effects (player or GM) decides what order to resolve them in. The effects must be able to resolve in the order assigned—for example, if you take Major damage and use a feature that reduces damage taken by one threshold to Minor, and then second effect requires you to have taken Major damage, the two effects can't be resolved—at least not in that order. The GM arbitrates any uncertainty.

Stacking Effects

Effects stack, with three important exceptions:

• Advantage and disadvantage
• Resistance
• Conditions

Temporary and Ongoing Effects

If an effect doesn't define when it ends, it ends when you decide or the fiction demands it. If the GM or an adversary creates a temporary effect, you can try to end it with an action roll. The GM can spend a Fear to end a temporary effect created by your features or domain cards.

The Spotlight

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In the flow of the game—including combat—the spotlight is where the next decisive narrative moment in the scene takes place. There's no set number of moves you can make when you gain the spotlight. If there's no roll involved, the spotlight swings toward whoever or whatever the fiction would naturally turn it, or toward someone who hasn't had the spotlight in a while.

However, once you make an action roll, the cosmic forces of Hope and Fear determine the who gains the spotlight next. If you fail an action roll or roll with fear, a GM turn begins.

GM Turns

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During GM turns, spotlight, you can't make moves—including using features that require spending Hope, marking Stress, exchanging domain cards between your loadout and vault, or make rolls unless stated otherwise. Features that allow you to make moves during a GM turn usually have a mechanical trigger—For example, the Warrior class feature Attack of Opportunity requires an adversary within Melee range to attempt to leave that range.

Action Rolls

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A move where success would be trivial or failure would be boring automatically succeeds. A move that's difficult or risky triggers an action roll.

Duality Dice

Action rolls require two distinct d12s called Duality Dice. One represents Hope, and the other Fear. Roll the Duality Dice, sum the results, and apply relevant modifiers. Next, compare the result of the Hope Die and Fear Die, announcing which is higher. The GM compares the total to the Difficulty to determine the outcome.

Critical Success

If your Duality Dice results are equal, the result is Critical Success (Crit), a special kind of Success with Hope. In addition to gaining 1 Hope, the outcome exceeds your expectations, and you clear 1 Stress. If the roll is an attack roll, it deals critical damage.

The GM's Die

When an adversary opposes the PCs, the GM rolls the GM's Die—a d20—instead of Duality Dice, applying appropriate modifiers to the result.

Action Roll Procedure

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The following steps describe in more detail the procedure for making an action roll:

Step 1: Pick an Appropriate Trait

Some actions and effects specify in their description which trait applies to the roll. Otherwise, the GM assigns the trait (or traits) apply. If multiple traits are assigned, choose one.

Step 2: Determine the Difficulty

Some actions assign a Difficulty. Otherwise, the GM determines the Difficulty, and can choose to announce it. Either way, the GM should communicate the consequences of failure.

Step 3: Apply Bonus Dice and Modifiers

Apply appropriate bonus dice and modifiers, for example, if you Utilize an Experience, or have advantage.

Step 4: Roll the Dice

Roll your Duality Dice, add the modifiers, and announce the roll in the format of [total] with [Hope or Fear]—or Critical Success!.

For example, you make an action roll with a +1 in the relevant trait, and no other modifiers. You roll the Duality Dice and get a result of 12 on your Hope Die and 1 on your Fear Die. You then announce "I rolled a 14 with Hope!"

Step 5: Resolve the Outcome

Every time you make an action roll, the scene changes—there are no such rolls where "nothing happens". You and the GM work together—along with everyone else—to resolve the action and swing the spotlight accordingly.

Special Rolls

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There are a few special kinds of action rolls that modify the usual procedure: trait rolls, Spellcast Rolls, group action rolls, and tag team rolls. In the section on combat, two other types of rolls are defined: attack rolls and damage rolls.

Trait Rolls

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Trait rolls define the trait modifier that applies to an action roll.

For example, Agility Roll (12) means the action roll adds your Agility, and has a Difficulty of 12. If no trait or Difficulty is specified, the GM assigns them.

Features and effects that affect trait rolls also affect any action roll that uses that trait, including attack rolls and Spellcast Rolls.

Spellcast Rolls

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Spellcast Rolls are trait rolls that require you to use your Spellcast trait. If you have a Spellcast trait, it is determined by your subclass. A successful Spellcast Roll activates the effect described by the feature.

For example, if you are a troubadour bard and must make a Spellcast Roll (15), that means you add your Presence to the action roll, which has a Difficulty of 15. If no Difficulty is specified, the GM decides it.

A Spellcast Roll that can damage a target is also an attack roll.

Reaction Rolls

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A reaction roll is made in response to a triggering event, regardless of who has the spotlight. Most reaction rolls are made in response to an attack or a hazard, representing a character's attempt to avoid or withstand an imminent effect.

For example, if you must make an Agility Reaction Roll (14), that means you add your Agility to the roll, which has a Difficulty of 14. If the trait or Difficulty aren't specified, the GM assigns them.

Reaction rolls don't generate Hope or Fear, don't trigger additional GM moves, and other characters can't aid you with Help an Ally.

If you critically succeed on a reaction roll, you don't clear a Stress or gain a Hope, but you do ignore any effects that would have impacted you—for example, taking damage or marking Stress.

When the GM rolls a natural 20 on the GM's die for an adversary's reaction roll, the adversary automatically succeeds.

Group Action Rolls

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When multiple PCs take action together, the party chooses someone to lead the action. The other players describe how their character cooperates on the task, and the leader makes an action roll. Then, the cooperating PCs each make reaction rolls. The leader's action roll is modified based on each contributing reaction roll result:

Tag Team Rolls

• DH Core 97

A PC can spend 3 Hope to initiate a Tag Team Roll involving another PC. The two players work together to describe how they coordinate their actions. Each player makes an action roll, and they choose one roll's results to apply to the Tag Team Roll.

On a roll with Hope, all PCs involved gain a Hope. On a roll with Fear, the GM gains a Fear for each PC.

If the Tag Team Roll is a successful attack, each PC make a damage roll and add their totals together to determine the damage dealt. If the attacks deal different damage type, the players choose which type is dealt.

A PC can initiate a Tag Team Roll once each session, but they can still participate in Tag Team Rolls initiated by others.

Difficulty

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When a player makes an action roll, it's compared to a Difficulty.

Many times, the game assigns a Difficulty, for example:

• Casting the Invisibility spell requires a successful Spellcast Roll with a Difficulty of 10.
• Successfully using the fungril's Fungril Network ancestry feature requires an Instinct Roll with a Difficulty of 12.
• The Difficulty of an attack roll made against an adversary is defined on their stat block.

The GM determines the Difficulty of other action rolls required by the narrative, and can modify it by spending Fear, or give the roll advantage and disadvantage based on circumstance.

Sometimes, an action sets the Difficulty for an adversary's reaction roll—for example, the Fireball spell in the Book of Norai grimoire sets a Difficulty of 13, and the Chain Lightning spell contests the adversary's reaction roll with your Spellcast Roll.

Advantage and Disadvantage

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Advantage and disadvantage on a roll can be the result of features, mechanical triggers, or the GM's discretion.

Advantage

Advantage is opportunity that you seize to increase your chances of success. When you roll with advantage, you roll a d6 advantage die with your dice pool and add its result to your total. When an adversary rolls with advantage, the GM rolls a second GM's die and uses the higher result.

Disadvantage

Disadvantage is additional difficulty, hardship, or challenge you face when attempting an action. When you roll with disadvantage, you roll a d6 disadvantage die with your dice pool and subtract its result from your total. When an adversary rolls with disadvantage, the GM rolls a second GM's die and uses the lower result.

Multiple Sources of Advantage and Disadvantage

Advantage and disadvantage dice don't stack. Each source of advantageous or disadvantage cancels the other out—for example, if you have two sources of disadvantage, you roll one disadvantage die.

Disadvantage and Bonus d6s

A source of disadvantage also cancels other d6 bonus dice—for example, d6 Rally Dice and Slayer Dice. Other types of bonus dice are not advantage dice, so you can roll them alongside an advantage die, applying both results to your action roll.

Help From Allies

If another PC uses the Help an Ally move to aid you, they roll their own advantage die, and if you have advantage, you roll yours. After all advantage dice are rolled, keep only the highest advantage die's result as the bonus to your roll.

Countdowns

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Countdowns represent a period of time or series of events that lead to a future event.

A Countdown begins with a starting value—for example, Countdown (3). Each time a counter ticks down, subtract 1 from its value. When the counter reaches 0, its effects are triggered.

Standard and Dynamic

Most countdowns tick down each time a player makes a relevant action roll. Standard countdowns tick down by 1. Dynamic Countdowns tick down by 1–3, depending on the results.

Consequence and Progress

Consequences leads to negative effects, and Progress leads to positive effects. These can be Linked—after one countdown reaches 0, the other ends without effect.

Loop

After triggering, the Countdown resets, possibly increasing or decreasing its starting or maximum value by 1.

Long-Term

Ticks down after long rests instead of action rolls.

Randomized

Randomized starting values.

Dynamic Countdowns

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The GM might also use the results of action rolls to determine changes to a countdown, as shown in the Cliffside Ascent environment. If a Progress Countdown and Consequence Countdown are linked, tick each down differently:

Ingredients

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You acquired from defeated creatures or the environment. You can carry a number of ingredients equal to your highest trait.

Each ingredient has a name and a flavor profile—for example, Mushroom caps: Savory (2), Bitter (1).

Flavors

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There are six flavors, each of which is represented by an associated die size. Each ingredient has flavors with a strength rating of 1–3.

Downtime Move: Make a Feast

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Each PC who chooses this downtime move can remove ingredients from their inventory and contribute them to the meal.

Preparation

The party designates a PC to be the chef. The chef reviews the ingredients and determines the total number of flavor dice.

Cooking Rolls

The chef makes a Cooking Roll by rolling the flavor pool's dice and setting aside pairs of matching values. If there are no matching values, the chef discards a die of their choice. The chef continues repeats the process until all dice are discarded or set aside, or there is only one unmatched die.

Meal Rating

The chef totals each pair of dice they set aside—for example, d6 and d8 that matched at a value of 6 contributes 6 points to the total Meal Rating.

Eating the Feast

Each PC who partakes in the meal can clear a number of Hit Points, clear a number of Stress, and gain a number of Hope so that the total of all three numbers is equal to or less than the Meal Rating—with a meal rating of 8, a PC can choose to clear 5 Hit Points and 2 Stress, and gain 2 Hope.

The Hex Crawl

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A hex crawl uses a map divided into 24-mile (38.6 km) hexagons to represent a large area. The PCs travel through wildernesses between sanctuaries, resolving encounters along the way.

Key Map and Player Map

The GM chooses the contents of each hex or procedurally generates them, ensuring enough for the PCs to explore in the next session. The PCs are capable wayfinders and trailblazers. As they explore, players fill out their own map and track their location. The GM provides information about the hex they're in, and anything they can learn about adjacent hexes—for example, a tall tower.

Downtime

A party can take three one-day short rests while traveling. Taking a long rest requires multiple days spent in a sanctuary.

Endurance Countdowns

The GM can complicate wilderness travel by assigning each PC an Endurance Countdown (6) at the end of a rest. When the party enters a hex, each player rolls their Hope Die, and if the result is equal to or less than the value of their Endurance Countdown, they mark a Stress. Otherwise, their Endurance Countdown ticks down. When a PC's Endurance Countdown triggers, they become Vulnerable until their next rest. At the start of a rest, Endurance Countdowns end.

Filling Hexes

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Start in any hex and fill out the key map:

1. Roll a d20 to determine habitat.
2. Roll a d12 to determine the number of contiguous hexes the region covers. The region can be any shape that doesn't encircle empty hexes.
3. Roll a d8 + d6 to determine an encounter the party might face.
4. Roll a d4 to determine the terrain of the region, which determines Travel Days required to enter the hex.
5. Optionally, include a point of interest a specific hex within it—for example, a settlment or sanctuary. Alternatively, include a rumour about the region. The GM decides how true a rumor is, and whether the PCs learn of it.

Habitat

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Encounters

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When the party enters a hex, the GM rolls a number of d6s equal to the hex's terrain rating. If any dice result in a 1, the PCs face an encounter. The GM can also spend Fear to create an encounter, or change dice rolled to reflect regional danger, or add habitat features to adversaries in dangerous areas.

Terrain and Travel Days

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Rivers

PCs can traverse rivers on an appropriate conveyance—for example, a boat or canoe. Moving downstream reduces the terrain rating 1. Traveling upstream increases it by 1.

Ocean

The party can travel through ocean hexes if on an appropriate conveyance—for example, a sailboat. When the PCs enter an ocean hex, roll a d4 to determine ocean conditions.

Iconic Weapons

• DH Core 301

Iconic weapons are are two-handed weapons that replace primary and secondary weapons in a campaign. Much of this optional rule implies a tech-based setting like Motherboard.

Iconic Weapon Features

• Bonded: Gain a bonus to your damage rolls equal to your level.

• Upgrade Slots: This weapon has a number of upgrade slots equal to your tier + 1. During downtime, you can break an upgrade into its components parts, craft new upgrades, and remove or install upgades.

Designing Your Iconinc Weapon

Identity

Choose a name and description for your iconic weapon.

Trait, Range and Damage

Assign it a trait, a range and corresponding damage roll according to the following table.

Damage Type

The GM might allow you to choose your iconic weapon's damage type, or assign something specific—for example, tech damage.

Tech Link

If this is a tech-based campaign, you gain a Tech Link at character creation—a data cable with a hook on one end. You must use it to connect to a worldwide data and energy network to use downtime moves.

Parts, Scrap, and Credits

You can recover parts as Scrap—usually from from defeated tech-based adversaries. Scrap is used to craft upgrades during downtime, and has has a barter value in Credits, which you can use to exchange for parts you don't have.

Scrap and Relics

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Most scrap has a value equal to its roll result. Some results advance to a higher level part.

Relics

Relics are usually earned by defeating specific—tech based—adversaries or other challenges. Relics are worth 20 Credits, and can be used to craft powerful upgrades.

If a part lists a value in parenthesis, the credit value of the result what is listed, and higher than the roll outcome.

Fear

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The GM starts the game with a number of Fear equal to the number of PCs. Like Hope, Fear carries over between sessions. The GM gains Fear (to a maximum of 12) when:

• A PC rolls with Fear
• The PCs take a short rest, long rest or extended downtime
• Whenever a trigger causes it, for example, a successful attack from a Bear

The GM should devise a way for the players to know how much Fear they have.

Spending Fear

Seize the Spotlight (1 Fear)

The spotlight swings to the GM for a GM move.

Make an Additional GM Move (1+ Fear)

Make another GM move before returning the spotlight to the PCs.

Utilize an Experience (1+ Fear)

Add an adversary's Experience as a bonus to their action roll or as a penalty to a PC's action roll against them.

Activate a Fear Feature (1+ Fear)

Many adversaries and environments have Adversary Features that require spending Fear.

End a Temporary Effect (1 Fear)

End a temporary class feature, spell, or other effect.

Dramatic Tension

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The dramatic tension of a scene correlates with the amount of Fear the GM spends during it. If the GM has a large amount of Fear, they can spend several on a GM move to create an even bigger impact.

Spend Fast

Spend Fear before the players have a chance to react

Spend Often

Spend Fear every time the spotlight swings to you

Spend Big

Spend Fear to make multiple GM moves in a row

This table recommends a number of Fear to spend in a scene:

Pacing

Story Beats

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A story beat is a moment that changes the trajectory of the narrative—a shift in the world, a significant action or reaction, an emotional revelation, or an important decision. Take turns with the players—narrating your beat, and then letting them react and carry the scene forward with their own.

When preparing for a session, GMs should plan beats that could give shape to each scene or sequence, rather than pre-scripting specific details or outcomes.

Random Objectives

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Weeks of Day and Night

The day and night cycle occurs weekly, meaning the sun rises for an entire week before setting into a nighttime of the same length. This has an impact on everything from agriculture to trade, as many merchants refuse to travel through the night.

But this cycle doesn't just affect Wicklings, it's dictated how Fanewick's wondrous ecology has evolved. Days and nights are accompanied by entirely different natural soundscapes as Fanewick's nocturnal denizens sleep through the long days and stalk the woods in times of darkness while their diurnal counterparts sleep. The plants similarly live on this strange day-night loop, and many live out their entire life cycles in a week. Sun rose vines make a thorny ascent to the top of the tree canopy over the course of the week, only to wilt under the light of the moon. Conversely, night bloom, a bioluminescent flower that emits the smell of burnt sugar and decay, only blossoms when evening falls, illuminating patches of forest—a godsend to anyone forced to travel in the dark.

The Serpent's Sickness

The plague sweeping across Haven spares no one. Since the initial outbreak, Haven officials have worked tirelessly to quarantine those in the early stages of the disease, but this effort has done little to stop its spread. Due to the rarity of crimson lady's veil, many citizens began to carry or consume all manner of flowers and snake sheddings in an attempt to protect or cure themselves.

In the initial stages, victims are afflicted with a hacking cough laden with dust that resembles powdered bone. Then a scaled rash erupts across their skin, cracking their flesh in a unique and painful pattern that resembles a snake's skin. Not long after, the victims' bodies harden until their organs solidify and cease to function. The final stages of the Serpent's Sickness is so quick that many transform into statues where they stand, leaving all of Haven a cenotaph to a once-great power.

Lady's Veil

These small flowers grow in patches of sun throughout Fanewick. For every ten thousand blossoms of white-petaled flowers, one blooms a unique and vibrant red. These flowers have long been used in herbal teas across the region, with the crimson flowers holding a place in specific ceremonies. Even so, they were only foraged until the Havenites discovered crimson lady's veil—the only known cure for Serpent's Sickness.

Thus, the Haven Army invaded Fanewick and began cultivating the flowers on massive farms that have overtaken the region's bogs. Though the theft of the Reaping Eye has created an indefinite growing season, the red flowers remain just as rare, and Fanewick is permeated by a sickly sweet smell as the Haven Army races to mass-produce a cure for the Serpent's Sickness.

The Witherwild

This corruption, empowered by the endless spring, is spreading throughout Fanewick. Some believe the overgrowth began in the forest, while others claim it sprang from the bogs. But no matter its origins, this flourishing malignancy induces horrific changes and massive growth on anything it touches, transforming them into Withered beings. Plants spring to life with a desire to consume all around them. Animals grow to immense proportions, with onerous dispositions to match their exaggerated teeth, tusks, and claws. Even harmless creatures that were once hunted for food have become dangerous and formidable adversaries.

When a person is corrupted by the Witherwild, either from a purposeful attack or accidental harm, they are transformed. They become a nightmarish hybrid—their body warped and intertwined with plant or beast. The Witherwild slowly replaces the personality of its victims with the same drive to consume exhibited by the rest of the corrupted Fanewick. Though the Withered may retain a semblance of who they are for a time, they eventually face the final loss of their personhood. Some Wicklings believe the Withered are gifted this power by Nikta's wrath to drive the forces of Haven from Fanewick and return the Shepherd's Reaping Eye.

The Gods of Fanewick: Faint Divinities

Gods in this land aren't ethereal concepts that exist in another realm; instead, they wander the land as incarnate beings, residing in both the natural world as well as within homes and small villages. As such, they're generally present in Wicklings' lives. Many communities, and some larger families, even have their own small god or tutelary spirit who watches over them.

Belief and worship take on a different meaning in Fanewick— there is a constant push and pull between the goals of people and their deific neighbors. The gods must curry worship from mortals, often by performing small miracles, acts of service, or by testing their resolve with tricks and curses. Mortals rely on the small blessings from the gods to keep them safe when traveling and working in Fanewick. The most powerful and widely acknowledged Faint Divinity is the Shepherd of Seasons, Nikta, as the loss of her eye had the most recent and visible impact on everyone in Fanewick.

Fanewick's various divinities each have their own opinion concerning the Witherwild corruption. While some enjoy nature's newfound dominance, many of the lesser deities are wary of how out of balance Fanewick has become. While their behavior and motives may be inscrutable, these deities are more accessible than gods who watch from on high.

Corruption From the Witherwild

Adversaries and environments in this campaign can gain an additional type called Withered. When an adversary is Withered, describe how the Witherwild changed or impacted how they would normally appear or operate, and add the following feature to their stat block:

You need about 20 Wither tokens (these can be the same as the tokens you use for Fear). At the end of each session, clear all Wither tokens from the PCs' sheets and gain an equal amount of Fear.

If a character dies with Wither tokens on their sheet, their body is permanently taken over by the Witherwild.

Adversaries

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Adversaries are creatures controlled by the GM that act in opposition to the PCs. Adversary stat blocks include:

Name

Some effects apply to all adversaries with the same stat block.

Tier

The recommended tier of PCs the creature should oppose.

Type

An adversary's type represents the role they play in a conflict.

Description, Motives, and Tactics

The adversary's look, mannerisms, and how they get what they want.

Difficulty

The Difficulty of most action rolls made against them.

Damage Thresholds, Hit Points, and Stress

Damage thresholds, Hit Points, and Stress work exactly the same as they do for PCs.

Standard Attack

Includes attack roll modifier, name, range, and damage roll.

Experience

The GM can spend a Fear to add a relevant Experience as a modifier to an adversary's action roll, reaction roll, or the Difficulty of a roll a PC makes against them.

Features

Additional adversary features.

Adversary Types

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Bruiser

Bruisers are tough, and make powerful attacks.

Colossus

Collosi are enormous foes made up of several statblocks.

Horde

Hordes are creature groups acting together.

Leader

Leaders command or summon other adversaries.

Minion

Minions are easily dispatched, but dangerous in numbers.

Ranged

Rangeds deal high damage, but are fragile up close.

Skulk

Skulks are highly mobile, maneuvering to ambush.

Social

Socials challenges PCs in conversation, not combat.

Solo

Solos present a formidable challenge for the party.

Standard

Standards are representative of their fictional group.

Support

Supports enhance allies or disrupt the PCs.

Adversary Actions

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When the GM gains spotlight, they can make a GM move to spotlight an adversary. They can spend additional Fear to spotlight additional adversaries, prompting each to take an adversary action, including:

• Move within Close range and make a standard attack
• Move within Close range and use an action adversary feature
• Clear a condition
• Sprint within Far or Very Far range
• Take another appropriate action the fiction demands

Once an adversary is spotlighted, they can't gain the spotlight again until the spotlight swings to the PCs, and back to the GM again, unless a feature allows it—for example, the Minor Fire Elemental has the Relentless feature, allowing them to gain the spotlight more than once.

Adversary Features

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Passive

Passive features remain in effect until an adversary marks their last Hit Point. A few Passive features enhance an adversary action based on conditions or a cost—for example, the Spectral Archer adversary's Ghost feature.

Action

Some adversaries have special Action features they can use when spotlighted instead of making a standard attack. Some actions require the adversary to mark Stress, or the GM to spend Fear.

Reaction

When triggered by a specific circumstance, the GM can choose to use an adversary's Reaction feature. Reactions don't swing the spotlight. In a phased battle, a Phase Change reaction alters an adversary's stat block or replaces it with a different one—for example, Fallen Warlord or Volcanic Dragon.

Fear Features

Fear features require the GM to spend Fear to activate.

Pool

A Pool is a collection of tokens shared by multiple adversaries the GM collects. Each Pool has a unique name—typically a shared name between adversaries it affects. Pools are empty when the scene begins, and cleared when the scene ends.

Evolution

Evolutions alter an adversary when trigger conditions are met—for example, clearing Hit Points or Stress, altering their standard attack, or activating new features. An adversary's evolution can only triggered once per scene.