Downtime Turns

Downtime Turn Actions

During a Downtime Turn, Errants specify what action they are taking in the period of time between adventures, in addition to regular activities.

Most activities that require progress to be tracked in some way during Downtime Turns use the following procedure.

First, set a tracker for the number of successes an activity requires.

An Errant may use their action during Downtime Turns to attempt to make progress on this activity. Note that they must describe an adequate method of accomplishing this activity. If the Errant does not have the necessary resources required to engage in such an activity, whether it be money or some other such resource (for example, if attempting to set up a drug trade, they would need prior access to a reliable source of drugs), they cannot attempt the action.

When an Errant attempts to make progress on an activity during Downtime Turns, they roll 2D6, plus any appropriate situational modifiers, whether they be positive (expenditure of extra resources, clever method or approach, character skill) or negative (unreliable resources or otherwise poor fictional positioning). Situational modifiers should not exceed in total +/-3.

  • A roll of 10+ means that the Errant is successful in their activity, and may mark one success on the tracker.
  • A roll of 7-9 indicates that either a complication or setback has occurred, which must be dealt with before further progress can be made, or that partial progress has been made; in the case of partial progress, a success is not marked on the tracker, but the next time the Errant attempts this activity, it will automatically succeed.
  • A roll of 6 or lower indicates that the Errant was unsuccessful in their endeavour, and no progress is made.

Graphic: A strange bipedal creature, both of its legs muscular and similar to a human’s, with a tail protruding from its back. Its abdomen suggests a melancholic face, but perhaps that’s just the creature’s peculiar bone structure. It has no visible mouth or arms. From the top of its abdomen sprout a waving cluster of stalks, each containing a single eye at the tip.

An Errant may choose to forgo their Downtime Turn action to assist another Errant in their endeavours; this allows the Errant being aided to add +1 to their roll.

Many procedures for specific actions follow, but you can use this basic framework to accommodate anything an Errant may wish to do during Downtime Turns, be it learning a new language, being sworn into a secret order, changing Alignment score, engaging in spiritual struggle with a cursed blade, etc.

Use the following as a rubric for the number of successes required on a tracker for an activity to be successful:

  • 1 – Minor Advantage
  • 3 – Significant Advantage
  • 5 – Campaign Defining Goal
  • 7 – Major Campaign Defining Goal

An Errant may forgo their action to assist another Errant with their Downtime Turn action. If they do, they give the Errant they are assisting +1 to their roll, though as usual this cannot cause the bonus to exceed +3.

Passing Time

Many downtime activities presuppose an Errant having access to some resources, whether they be money, an opportunity to capitalise upon, or both. Wretched louts that they are, they will often have neither of these, or simply lack the inclination towards applying themselves towards decent, fruitful business.

In such cases, they may simply narrate as their Downtime Turn action how they are passing time.

The Guide is encouraged to give a small bonus to the Errant, perhaps pending a Check, based on the activity they describe.

For example, an Errant who spends a Downtime Turn engaging in foot races may gain the ability to roll an extra movement die once in between Downtime Turns; an Errant who spends their Downtime Turn studying the signs of local wildlife may choose to treat a roll of encounter on the Event Die as an encounter sign instead once in-between Downtime Turns, and so on.

Setbacks

A setback indicates that some complication has arisen which is stymieing an Errant’s progress on their goal or renders an Errant’s asset unusable. For example, if an Errant’s Estate is suffering a setback, some problem is rendering it uninhabitable till dealt with.

When an Errant’s Estate, Institution, infrastructure project, or Domain suffers a setback, they gain XP equal to its current base investment cost (e.g. if an Errant is attempting to advance their tier 3 Institution to tier 4 and they suffer a setback, they gain XP equal to the base investment cost of a tier 3 Institution: 2,500); if multiple Errants are invested, they divide the XP equally amongst themselves.

A setback can be cleared by dealing with it directly in play. If a setback is rolled at the beginning of a Downtime Turn, the Company may choose to suspend taking their Downtime Turn actions to deal with said setback; when they return, the Event Die should not be rolled again.

A setback may also be dealt with by spending a Downtime Turn action. It is up to the Guide’s discretion depending on the specific nature of the setback whether simply taking the action will suffice to deal with it, if a Check is required, or whether expenditures of resources are necessary; a Guide may also rule that due to the nature of the setback, it cannot be dealt with abstractly through a Downtime Turn action and must be handled by the Errant directly.

As a general procedure, if an Institution, infrastructure project, or Domain suffers a setback, it can be cleared with a Downtime Turn action and paying half the current base investment cost.

Recovery

When a Downtime Turn begins, before the Event Die is rolled, all Company members restore HP up to their maximum, any Archetype based resources such as Jettons or Favour are fully restored, as well as any charges of True Strikes and Deflects.

Rumours

Gathering specific information involves concerted effort, listening in the right places, and asking the right people. However, in the course of spending time in any Settlement, the natural dross that drips from wagging tongues will be overheard. Though such knowledge is likely nonsense and best disregarded, it may contain a kernel of truth; regardless, such rumours provide excitable Errants with leads to follow for questing and adventure.

At the start of a Downtime Turn, the Company hears a rumour.

Shopping & Socialising

During a Downtime Turn, an Errant is free to make any purchases of generally available items, as well as make any minor social calls that they wish without spending their action.

Purchases more involved, such as hunting down a specialty item, or interactions more intensive, such as attempting to advance one’s relationship or gather information, will generally take an action.

Graphic: An elderly woman displays a variety of wares on a table and a hand cart. She wears patched but tidy clothing, a head scarf, and a kind smile. Her goods include a sword, stoppered potion bottles, jewelry hanging across the top of the hand cart’s canopy, a dagger, a small chest, rings laid out, and a mirror. There is a cat sitting on the counter. A note on the cart reads “cat not for sale”.

Hiring Retainers

The number of Retainers available each Downtime Turn is determined by Settlement Type.

  • A hamlet has D4 hirelings and D4 specialists available each Downtime Turn.
  • A village has D6 hirelings and D6 specialists available.
  • A town has D8 hirelings, D8 specialists, and D8 × 10 mercenaries available, of whom 10% will be lieutenants and 5% will be captains.
  • A city has D10 hirelings, D10 specialists, and D10 × 10 mercenaries available, of whom 10% will be lieutenants and 5% will be captains.
  • A metropolis will have D12 hirelings, D12 specialists, and D12 × 10 mercenaries available, of whom 10% will be lieutenants and 5% will be captains.

An Errant can choose to spend money advertising for available positions during a Downtime Turn. For each 100p spent, add +1 to a roll for a given Retainer type, or attract one interested henchman, up to the maximum for the Settlement’s die size used to determine Retainer availability (e.g. in a village an Errant could spend up to 600p advertising for a bonus of +6). Advertising for Retainers does not use up an Errant’s action for their Downtime Turn. The types of Retainers available are determined by their Rarity.

The Renown of interested henchmen is determined by Settlement Type.

  • Henchmen in hamlets are always Renown 1.
  • Henchmen in villages are Renown D2
  • Henchmen in towns are Renown D3
  • Henchmen in cities are Renown D4
  • Henchmen in metropolises are Renown D5

Unlike other Retainers, henchmen do not automatically accept an offer of employment. Instead, the Errants must engage in a Negotiation with the henchmen, offering them a share of the treasure (a half share is considered the standard amount). A botched Negotiation may lead to that henchman bad-mouthing the Errants to other potential recruits.

To determine the Archetype of a henchman, roll below.

   
1-5 Warrior
6-8 Professional
9-10 Magic user

Retainer Morale is determined by the pres of the employer, as well as a variable modifier determined by rolling 2D6. For each 25% increase in salary offered or equivalent bonus or benefit, add +1 to the 2D6 roll, up to max of +3.

       
Pres Morale 2D6 Modifier
3-4 5 2 -2
5-8 6 3-5 -1
9-13 7 6-8 0
14-16 8 9-11 1
17-18 9 12 2
19-20 10 - -

Graphic: The scene of a bustling tavern lit by paper lanterns. A shirtless man wearing a helmet flexes his arms impressively. A woman wearing a patterned dress with her hair in a long braid smiles and squeezes one of the man’s biceps. Elsewhere in the tavern patrons sit and drink, one man drowning his sorrows in his cup while his companion reassures him with a hand on his shoulder. A thief moves through the crowd, her head completely shaved, and she nimbly plucks the sorrowful man’s purse from his belt.

Graphic: A funeral occurs in the rain. Four Errants have just finished burying their friend. One holds a long stiletto blade in one hand, a full pack of supplies in the other. They look back towards the gloomy woods in the distance. One of of the company is a spellcaster, looking over the grave and casting a bright spell with her hands. One of them is a smaller figure, holding their cloak above their head to block the rain, a hand crossbow held loosely in their other hand. The last figure leans against a shovel stuck in the ground, one foot propped up on it. Their features are hidden by a long ragged cloak.

Funerals

Death is inevitable, and therefore provides the perfect excuse for the throwing of parties.

During a Downtime Turn, Errants are able to throw a funeral for their fallen comrades, provided that a body is available to bury. This does not take an action.

For every 1p an Errant spends commemorating a fallen comrade’s life, whether that be through funding their funeral service, erecting statues of the deceased, commissioning poems or artworks in their honour, or otherwise, they can ‘purchase’ 1 XP from the dearly departed.

Conspicuous Consumption

Errants as a rule are not known for their keen financial acumen, else they would not be Errants. As such, whenever they come into possession of any sum of money, they are just as quickly rid of it.

After they have taken their action for a Downtime Turn, an Errant can choose to engage in Conspicuous Consumption.

There are four types of Conspicuous Consumption that an Errant may partake in:

  • Carousing (phys) - partying, substance abuse, orgies, and rodomontade
  • Frippery (skill) - haute adornments and fashions, sumptuous epicureanism and gourmandizing, fads and trends
  • Obscurantism (mind) - sophistry, obsessive and trivial research, supreme pretension
  • Do-goodery (pres) - needless philanthropy, moral pomposity and outrage, doomed, futile, or otherwise ineffectual causes

An Errant describes how they are engaging in Conspicuous Consumption, and then rolls a die, which is multiplied by a set amount, to see how much money they waste in that endeavour (and consequently, how much XP they gain).

An Errant can invoke a relevant Institution to increase their roll amount by the Institution’s tier (e.g. if an Errant is gambling, and they or a Company member own a tier 3 gambling house, they may elect to gain a +3 bonus to their Conspicuous Consumption roll).

The die size and multiplier is determined by the Settlement Type

  • Hamlet – D4 × 200
  • Village – D6 × 400
  • Town – D8 × 600
  • Cities – D10 × 800
  • Metropolis – D12 × 1,000

If the result of their roll indicates that an Errant spends more money than they currently possess, they are indebted to a creditor for the surplus, and must make a Saving Throw based on the type of Conspicuous Consumption engaged in, with a DV equal to the result of the die roll. If they fail the Saving Throw, roll on the table below to see what happens.

  1. Something gets burned down or destroyed; roll a D6 to see how bad it was: on a 1, confined to a single building; on a 6, a big part of town has gone up. Future Conspicuous Consumption rolls receive a penalty equal to the D6 roll till it’s repaired. Roll another D6 to see who knows: on a 4 or lower, just the Company knows; on a 5, a blackmailer knows; on a 6, EVERYBODY knows.
  2. Beaten and robbed: lose half HP and all items in inventory.
  3. Magical affliction: someone or something has put a curse on you, or transformed you into an animal.
  4. You’ve gotten into legal trouble. You’re due to appear in court. Roll a D6 to see how bad the charges are.
  5. You’ve contracted a disease or infection.
  6. You’ve made an enemy; a random NPC now hates you. Roll a D6 to see how bad it is: on a 1, they can’t stand your presence, on a 6, they’re after your head.
  7. You’ve insulted a local person or organisation of import. Lose D4 Faction reputation.
  8. You wake up in a random adjacent hex, stark naked, in someone or something’s house/lair. Your friends have all your stuff. Roll a Reaction Roll for your host.
  9. You get into a brawl. Lose D6 HP.
  10. You’ve got a hangover. All Checks for the next two Travel Turns have DV +2.
  11. You’ve made a pact with a god, devil, or some other supernatural power, and have to do some quest or task for them.
  12. You’re betrothed. Calling off the marriage will incur the wrath of the family or your scorned lover. If you’re already married, this could get messy.
  13. You’ve earned notoriety as a gadabout. Your next Conspicuous Consumption roll will be doubled.
  14. You’ve gotten a new tattoo or some other bodily alteration. Roll a D6 to see how bad it is: on a 1, it’s offensive to EVERYONE (-2 to all Reaction Rolls while it’s visible); on a 6, it’s actually pretty cool.
  15. You’ve made an ass of yourself in town. No one will take you seriously for the next D4 Downtime Turns.
  16. You’ve been initiated into a cult, secret society, or some other organisation.
  17. You’ve impressed someone, made an ally, or attracted a new Retainer.
  18. You get a windfall. Receive half money spent on Conspicuous Consumption back.
  19. You make a discovery or hear a rumour of some sort.
  20. You make an advancement. Increase rolled Attribute by 1.

Debts

Given that Errants have one of the shortest expected lifespans in the natural world, no creditor will guarantee a debt to any individual Errant. Instead, the debt of the entire Company is held cumulatively.

At the start of every Downtime Turn, the remaining amount owed by the Company doubles.

Creditors are nasty, unscrupulous sorts, and there are sure to be ramifications for failing to honour one’s debts. While the Company owes a debt, no Errants may engage in Conspicuous Consumption.

If there is no obvious figure in a Settlement who would loan money to the Company, the table below may be used as inspiration.

   
unctuous eunuch
sententious merchant
truculent clergyman
supercilious madam
fulsome officer
vainglorious intellectual

Graphic: A muscular man from the torso up, holding a large mallet you’d use to strike a gong behind his back, ready to swing it.

Lifestyle

Errants are a universally hedonistic lot, and will live as sumptuous a lifestyle as possible within their means, and often beyond it, without exception.

Rather than account for every expenditure and income an Errant accrues during downtime, a simplified method is used to avoid such tedious book-keeping.

When a Downtime Turn ends, whatever remaining money an Errant has is halved to pay for lifestyle expenses. If the Company is taking multiple Downtime Turns in a row, they only pay for lifestyle expenses on the last Downtime Turn they take.

This sum may seem large, but it represents Errants living at the very edge of their means, as well as all other expenditures such as taxes or managing any Institutions, Estates, or Domains that they may have.

If an Errant has an accountant employed, they only pay a quarter of their current liquid wealth for lifestyle expenditures.

Trades

On rare occasion, an Errant will act against their baser nature and apply themselves towards practical education for a vocation, such as smithing, fletching, or cooking.

An Errant begins as a layman in any given Trade.

To attempt to learn a Trade, an Errant pays the requisite fee and rolls 2D6 plus any applicable bonuses for extra expenditures (each extra 25% of the learning cost adds +1) or situational bonuses, to a maximum of +3. Each attempt takes a Downtime Turn.

   
10+ Training attempt is successful.
7-9 Treat the next training attempt as an automatic success.
2-6 No progress is made.

To become an apprentice in a given Trade, an Errant must find a trainer who is of apprentice level or higher in their chosen Trade. Acquiring certification as an apprentice in a Trade requires one successful training attempt. Training to become an apprentice costs 2,000p per training attempt. An Errant who is certified as an apprentice may make crafting rolls for items related to their Trade. Any items produced are of shoddy Quality.

To become a journeyman in a given Trade, they must find a trainer who is of journeyman level or higher in their chosen Trade. Acquiring certification as a journeyman in a Trade requires two successful training attempts. Training to become a journeyman costs 4,000p per training attempt. An Errant who is certified as a journeyman may make crafting rolls for items related to their Trade with +1 to their roll. Any items produced are of average Quality.

To become a master in a given Trade, they must find a trainer who is of master level or higher in their chosen Trade. Acquiring certification as a master in a Trade requires three successful training attempts. Training to become a master costs 8,000p per training attempt. An Errant who is certified as a master may make crafting rolls for items related to their Trade with +2 to their roll. Any items produced are of Quality.

To become a legendary artisan in a given Trade, they must find a legendary artisan who is willing to pass their mantle on. The Errant will be tasked with completing three significant quests, each to recover a specific item component, which they will craft into a Wondrous Item.

Once this has been done, the Errant receives the title of legendary artisan. They make crafting rolls at +3, and are capable of crafting further Wondrous Items.

Graphic: A woman works steadily in her forge. She wears an apron and headband, every muscle of her body bulging and huge. She grips a hammer in one hand, swinging down on the blade of a sword which she holds in place with tongs. Behind her is a bellows and oven, the light of it so bright that the fire cannot even be seen.

Improving Attributes

Directed training, under the supervised tutelage of a trainer, can confer permanent bonuses to an Errant’s capabilities. If there is a suitable trainer in the Settlement where the Errant is taking a Downtime Turn, and they have agreed to train the Errant, they may attempt to improve one of their Attributes.

To improve an Attribute, 5D4 are rolled and the lowest die result is dropped from the total. If the total is higher than the current Attribute being trained, it improves by 1.

An Attribute cannot be trained higher than the trainer’s Attribute (e.g. if the trainer had a skill of 15, an Errant training under them could only improve their skill up to 15).

The first attempt to improve an Attribute costs 1,000 pennies. Every additional training attempt doubles the cost; so 2,000, then 4,000, then 8,000, and so on. This amount is cumulative across all Attributes (e.g. if an Errant’s first attempt at training was to improve their skill, they would pay 1,000p; if during the next Downtime Turn they attempted to improve their phys, they would pay 2,000p).

Talents

Certain people in the world know special techniques and abilities, known as Talents, which can be taught. These people are rare, and often tied to particular Factions or special individuals, who will agree to teach them only to those who have the highest reputation or bond with them.

To attempt to learn a Talent, an Errant rolls 2D6 plus any applicable bonuses the Guide deems appropriate (if an Errant’s Archetype is relevant to the Talent being learned, they may add their Renown divided by three to the roll), to a maximum of +3. Each attempt takes a Downtime Turn.

   
10+ Training attempt is successful.
7-9 Treat the next training attempt as an automatic success.
2-6 No progress is made.

A Talent requires three successes to learn. An Errant who fails a total of three times while attempting to learn a Talent is refused further training by their trainer.

Example Talents

Wrath of the Boar - when you reach 0 HP the first time between Downtime Turns, instead go to 1 HP. You cannot be reduced below 1 HP for the rest of combat. When combat ends, you immediately take all the damage that would have been dealt to you after this Talent activated.

Always Prepared - if you are in a Settlement of some kind, you may set aside any number of Item Slots and money as your load out. These Item Slots count for Encumbrance as normal. At any point, you may retrieve any mundane item from your load out, so long as you have sufficient Item Slots set aside and money set aside to carry and pay for that item. That item then fills those Item Slots and its price is deducted from the money set aside. You may retrieve items until you have filled all your set aside Item Slots and/or money.

Blood Magic - before casting a Sorcery or Miracle, you may perform blood magic, lowering your phys or skill to empower your magic. For each Attribute point lowered, you may choose from among the following:

  • Increase your Miracle roll by 1.
  • Treat your Renown as 1 higher for the purpose of Sorcery effects.
  • Increase your Miracle or Sorcery Depletion by 1.
  • Lower your stabilise value by 1.

Graphic: An elder wizard rests a reassuring hand on an apprentice’s shoulder. Electric power arcs between the apprentice’s hands, and they look down at the effect they’re producing with a determined expression. Both wear conical hats, but the older wizard’s is much more impressive.

Animals

Animals can be sorted into three categories.

Graphic: The head of a ram, its eyes open wide, its long horns curving upwards.

  • Feral - wild members of domestic animal species. Training attempts cost 250p each.
  • Wild - non-domesticated animal species. Training attempts cost 500p each.
  • Exotic - monstrous or supernatural animal species. Training attempts cost 1,000p each.

Training an animal takes a Downtime Turn. To attempt to train an animal, the Errant rolls 2D6 plus any applicable bonuses the Guide applies depending on their method, to a maximum of +3. Expertise in survival adds +2 to the roll, while mastery adds +3. Improper training methods may penalise the roll, to a maximum of -3.

   
10+ Training attempt is successful.
7-9 Treat the next training attempt as an automatic success.
2-6 No progress is made.

An untamed animal must first be tamed before it can be taught any commands. Taming a feral animal takes one successful training attempt, a wild animal takes two, and an exotic animal takes three. If an Errant fails a total of three times while attempting to tame an animal, it cannot be tamed.

Once an animal has been tamed, determine an animal’s Morale as you would a Retainer’s; an Errant of The Deviant Archetype with Proficiency in survival may base Morale determination off of their skill rather than their pres.

Tamed animals will obey basic commands, and if they have any special actions according to their species, can perform those.

If an animal has attack options it can perform, treat it as a henchman for the purposes of Retainer limits.

An animal can be taught to obey specific commands or new actions and abilities. To do so the Errant describes what they wish to teach the animal, and the Guide will set an appropriate tracker for the number of successes. If an Errant fails a total of three times while attempting to teach an animal a new command, it cannot learn that command.

Tinkering

Any Errant can use their action during a Downtime Turn to attempt to customise or personalise items. To do so, they pay half the cost of the item for materials, and roll 2D6. Specific customizations may require the Errant to have found specific materials during play. Bonuses for being trained in a relevant Trade or for extra expenditures may apply.

When Tinkering, the Errant chooses which category their stated modifications fall under.

  • Durable - the item is made stronger or more resistant to damage.
  • Sophisticated - the item is made more aesthetically pleasing, more complex, or gains additional functions.
  • Efficient - the item is made quicker to use, deploy, or recover.
  • Potent - the item is made stronger or more effective at its primary function.

However, customising an item this way causes the item to also receive an attendant drawback.

   
10+ Errant chooses the drawback.
7-9 Guide chooses the drawback.
2-6 Item receives a drawback but no modification.

The drawback cannot be the inverse of the modification (e.g. an item modified to be durable cannot be frail).

  • Frail - the item becomes more delicate, fragile, or high maintenance.
  • Crude - the item becomes less aesthetically pleasing, simpler, or worse at tasks that aren’t its primary function.
  • Unwieldy - the item becomes cumbersome, slow, or laborious to use.
  • Ineffective - the item becomes weaker or less effective at its primary function.

Crafting

Graphic: A bladder, like a whoopie cushion or a deflated balloon. An eye peers out from its body.

An Errant who is at least an apprentice in a given Trade can make items related to their Trade.

To do so, they initially pay half the price of the item they are attempting to craft, representing the cost of materials, hired help, and so on.

They then roll 2D6, plus any bonuses from their Trade. Each attempt takes a downtime action.

   
10+ Crafting attempt is successful.
7-9 Treat next crafting attempt as an automatic success.
2-6 No progress is made.

For each 2,000p of the base cost of the item, one success is needed when crafting (e.g. plate armour, costing 4,000p, would require two successes).

Alchemy

During a Downtime Turn, as an action, an Errant can attempt to turn an alchemist’s kit and all the alchemical components within it into an alchemical item.

Doing so requires an Alchemy Check which is a skill Check. Each alchemical component within the alchemist’s kit increases the DV of the Check by 1.

An alchemical item can be created in a variety of media, such as:

  • Incense - inhalable. DV+2 to create.
  • Oil - topical. Can be used to coat a weapon (lasts for 10 Attack Rolls) or a quiver of ammunition.
  • Pill - ingestible. Does not take up any Item Slots. DV+4 to create.
  • Potion - ingestible.
  • Powder - ingestible (water soluble) or inhalable (if blown; fills an area five feet square, dissipates in one Initiative Turn).
  • Wafer - ingestible. Consuming counts as eating a ration. DV+1 to create.

A created alchemical item takes up ¼ of an Item Slot per alchemical component used to create it. It has a Depletion of 1.

Each alchemical component used to create an alchemical item contributes its effect to that item. For example, the nails of a ghoul have a paralysing effect. The gills of an ambrosia mushroom have a healing effect. An alchemical item made with both alchemical components would have a paralysing and healing effect.

If an effect would deal damage, it deals D4 damage; if an effect would heal, it heals D4 HP; if the effect would require a Saving Throw to avoid, the DV for the Saving Throw is 2; if the effect is ongoing, the Depletion for its duration is 1.

For each additional alchemical component beyond the first in an alchemical item that contributes the same effect, increase the damage or healing by 1 die step, the DV of a Saving Throw by 2, and the Depletion by 1.

Philosophers can be hired to make alchemical items in lieu of an Errant. A philosopher has a skill of 14 for the purposes of Alchemy Checks. Additional philosophers hired to aid in the creation of alchemical items reduce the DV of Alchemy Checks by 2 per additional philosopher.

Graphic: The tools of many trades. A basket of sewing supplies, a bolt of patterned cloth, a bubbling round-bottom flask, a pair of pliers, a belt, an anvil, a sword, a quiver of arrows, boards with hinges and nails, a saw. Above it all is a craftperson’s crest depicting a crossed hammer and tongs above a horseshoe.

Wondrous Items

A Wondrous Item is a unique piece of craftsmanship, specifically commissioned for its bearer, forged from remarkable materials, and wrought by the hand of a legendary artisan. They count as masterwork Quality in addition to their other effects.

To commission a Wondrous Item, a legendary artisan must be found and convinced to accept a commission. Doing so is an adventure in and of itself.

Next, remarkable materials must be furnished. These are rare items with history behind them, whether it be the scales of a great wyrm, or the wood of an ancient tree struck by lightning. one to three remarkable materials can be given to a legendary artisan to construct a Wondrous Item.

The base cost of a Wondrous Item is four times that of a masterwork item of the same type (e.g. a suit of plate mail would cost 32,000p). The legendary artisan must be paid this amount as a commission fee.

After these steps have been taken, the Wondrous Item will be ready after one to three Downtime Turns, depending on how many remarkable materials were used in its creation.

Once the Wondrous Item has been received, its bearer must name and describe the item.

Wondrous Items confer benefits to the wielder, though not fully at the level of a true magical item. Treat it as though the item had received one to three Tinkering modifications (depending on the amount of remarkable materials furnished), but with no drawbacks.

If an Errant has reached the level of legendary artisan themselves, they may craft Wondrous Items of their own accord; they must still find remarkable materials to craft it with. Otherwise, it follows the same procedure for crafting regular items.

A Wondrous Item, though not magical, contains the spark of magic within it. It counts as magical for the purposes of damage resistances, and may in time become a magic item or Grimoire.

Magic Items

When a Wondrous Item is used in the enacting of some great deed, whether it be the slaying of a great beast, a daring heist, or a contest of skill & wit, its magic is kindled. The Guide has the final say on whether an event is worthy of kindling the magic of a Wondrous Item.

When such magic is kindled, the Errant and the Guide may both propose what the magic of such an item is. The magical effects are influenced by the remarkable materials used to craft the item, the personality and intentions of both the legendary artisan and the wielder of the item, as well as, most significantly, the deed that kindled its magic.

As a general Guideline:

  • If the item is a weapon or piece of armour, it receives True Strikes or Deflects equal to the number of remarkable materials used to craft it.
  • The magic item receives a number of powers equal to the number of remarkable materials used to craft it.
  • The magic item receives between one to three additional powers based on the greatness of the deed that kindled its magic.

Clearing Pacts

In lieu of completing a pact directly during normal play, an Errant can spend their Downtime Turn action attempting to resolve the pact.

Resolving a pact requires a pres Check, with a DV of 2 per doctrinal level of the Miracle that caused the pact to be formed (e.g. a pact resulting from a third doctrine Miracle would have a DV of 6).

The Guide may lower the DV for the Check depending on the resources or method of the Errant.

Graphic: A demonic figure kneeling close to the ground, its skin leathery and batlike, with wings extended behind it, sticking out a long forked tongue that comes down to its abdomen.

Solving Grimoires

If an adequate solution to a Grimoire’s learning condition cannot be found during normal play, an Errant can spend their Downtime Turn action attempting to solve the Grimoire.

To do so, they make a mind Check with a DV of 8 minus their Renown. If they are successful, they have solved the Grimoire and learned the Sorcery within; on a failure, the DV for attempting to solve the Grimoire increases by 1.

The Guide may lower the DV for the Check depending on the resources or method of the Errant.

Graphic: A woman stares in amazement at an obsidian pyramaid in her palm. A dozen tiny needles are erupting out of the hand from beneath her skin. She has a third eye, vertical-lidded with a cross shaped pupil, opening on her forehead. Her right eye is also strange. The socket has reformed into a large circle, and the surrounding skin puffy and veined.

Creating New Sorceries & Grimoires

As a Downtime Turn action, an Errant who has the ability to cast Sorceries can change the nature of the Sorceries stored within their Grimoires.

To do so, they select two Grimoires in their possession. They may then swap the essence and sphere between the selected Grimoires, and devise a new Sorcery to be contained within each Grimoire.

A Wondrous Item made with at least two remarkable materials can be turned into a Grimoire. In this case, the Errant may choose among any of the essences and spheres contained within Grimoires of their possession, and apply them to the newly created Grimoire; this does not affect the existing Grimoires in any way. Doing so still takes a Downtime Turn action.

Rituals

Graphic: Looming behind the text on this page is the shadow of a robed figure raising a knife to strike. Blood spatters the bottom of the page.

Rituals encompass everything from brewing homunculi in vats to setting a magical ward on one’s domicile to cursing a region with pestilence.

A Ritual must be performed by an Errant with the ability to either cast Sorceries or perform Miracles.

To begin a Ritual, Grimoires must be offered, which will be consumed and destroyed. Favour may also be offered, which will be removed permanently from the Errant who offered them.

The Errant defines the nature of the Ritual: its effects, location, and duration. The parameters of the Ritual are defined by the Grimoires and Favour offered. Its effect can incorporate any of the essences, spheres, or themes of any of the Grimoires offered to perform the Ritual. For each Favour offered, it can also incorporate one interpretation of an eminence of the Covenant to which the Errant who offered Favour belongs.

Based on the effect, location, and duration of the Ritual described, the Guide sets a tracker for how many successes will be required for the Ritual to be completed.

To attempt to enact the Ritual, an Errant spends their action during a Downtime Turn and rolls 2D6. They may add their Renown divided by three to the roll if they are of The Zealot or The Occult Archetypes.

   
10+ Ritual attempt is successful.
7-9 The Ritual requires some new offering, or the completion of a task, before it can be continued.
2-6 No progress is made.

If an Errant fails a total of three times while attempting to enact a Ritual, it fails.

Alignment

Alignment does not describe personality, psychology, or behaviour. It has nothing to do with morality as such.

Law and Chaos are metaphysical forces in the multiverse, endlessly in conflict. One’s Alignment represents which side of this conflict you have chosen. This is a metaphysical choice, and changes the very nature of your soul.

Law is order, structure, civilization, sacrifice, and the collective. Chaos is disorder, entropy, possibility, self-interest, and the individual. Neutrality is either to understand the Balance necessary between Law and Chaos, or to have no stake in the conflict.

Your Alignment is represented by a position along this continuum

L3 – L2 – L1 – N – C1 – C2 – C3

L3 being the extremity of Lawful and C3 being the extremity of Chaos. Errants start the game at Alignment N, except for Errants of The Zealot Archetype, who may start at Alignment L1 or C1, depending on the Alignment of their Covenant.

Your actions can shift your Alignment score, depending on the Guide’s ruling. Note that the closer a character gets to either extreme of the Alignment scale, the more significant an action must be to change their Alignment further towards Law or Chaos.

If your Alignment is C1 or higher, your soul registers as Chaotic for the purposes of magical effects. You can speak the language of Chaos, and the Reaction Rolls of all Chaotic characters increase by 1 for each point of Chaotic Alignment; Reaction Rolls of all Lawful characters decrease by 1 for each point of Chaotic Alignment.

If your Alignment is L1 or higher, your soul registers as Lawful for the purposes of magical effects. You can speak the language of Law, and the Reaction Rolls of all Lawful characters increase by 1 for each point of Lawful Alignment; Reaction Rolls of all Chaotic characters decrease by 1 for each point of Lawful Alignment.

Only one Company member’s Alignment can affect a Reaction Roll; modify the Reaction Roll by the Alignment of the most extremely aligned character. In the case of ties, modify the Reaction Roll by the Alignment that would Impact the Reaction Roll most negatively.

Certain Factions will require you to be of a certain Alignment to ally with them or to increase your reputation with them past a certain point.

If a Zealot is no longer in Alignment with their Covenant, they cannot perform Miracles until they realign themselves with their Covenant.

Characters of extreme Alignment either way may be contacted by or truck with the forces of Law or Chaos. Characters of Alignment L3 or C3 may be appointed as champions of Law or Chaos.

Graphic: A crouching fellow who either has no arms, or is wearing a tube-like tunic from which only his legs and face protrude.

In the case that legal disputes are resolved via trial before a judge, jury, or similar, rather than some other method such as by combat or ordeal, the following procedure may be used.

When a case is brought before the Company, make a Reaction Roll (or, if the offended party is a Faction the Company has a reputation with, the reputation is used), modified based on available evidence, severity of the crime, bribes made to the court, jurists employed and so on. The sum total of these modifiers should not exceed +/-3.

From this point, run the legal trial as a Negotiation.

If an Errant wishes to bring a legal case to bear on someone else, they may do so as an action during a Downtime Turn. To do so, they roll 2D6 plus the number of jurists employed, and any other relevant modifiers, though not exceeding +/-3 in total.

   
10+ Case is successful.
7-9 Further evidence or action, or some other form of direct intervention by the Errant, is necessary before the case can proceed any further.
2-6 Case fails.

Investigations

The long-term gathering of information, whether that be researching esoteric tomes, gathering rumours from a whisper network, or spying on a duke, is handled via Investigations.

To start an Investigation, an Errant requires a trove of information, whether it be access to a vast library, a coalition of friendly street urchins, a sage, or a spy disguised at court.

The Errant then formulates a query, which an Investigation into the trove can answer.

The Guide sets a tracker for how many successful attempts will be required to answer the query completely. Each successful attempt reveals a portion of information that answers the query, with each success revealing deeper information, until the final success reveals the ultimate answer.

An Investigation attempt can be made as an action during a Downtime Turn. To do so, an Errant rolls 2D6. Having additional corroboratory troves of information, as well as sages and spies employed (beyond the ones acting as troves) if their expertise is applicable, will add +1 to the roll, to a maximum of +3. Poor troves of information can impose a penalty to the roll, to a maximum of -3.

   
10+ Investigation attempt is successful, and a piece of information is revealed.
7-9 An obstacle impedes further progress in the Investigation. A new trove of information is required, or a specific task or undertaking must be completed, to continue the Investigation.
2-6 Investigation attempt fails.

A scholar with relevant training in researching the subject of your query can be hired to conduct Investigations, making Investigation attempts on behalf of an Errant.

Proclamations

If an Errant wishes to spread information of some sort, whether it be disseminating false rumours or championing their glorious deeds, it can be handled by making a Proclamation.

Two components must be specified: the proposition of the Proclamation, and its intended audience.

Based on the difficulty of transmitting the Proclamation to the audience, the Guide sets a tracker for how long the Proclamation will take to reach them. Having a Proclamation reach almost everyone in a city (a tier 4 Settlement) would take four successes. Having a Proclamation reach the ear of the monarch of the nation may take six successes if the Errant is a lowly gutterborn thief, or one success if they are an exultant with the ear of the court. Each success means the Proclamation spreads closer to your audience, with intermediaries on the information chain being made aware of it.

A Proclamation attempt can be made as an action during a Downtime Turn. To do so, an Errant rolls 2D6. Each definite article of proof substantiating the Proclamation adds +1 to the roll, as does each bard employed, to a maximum of +3. Unsubstantiated, exaggerated, or false claims may impose penalties on the roll, to a maximum of -3.

Graphic: A shield showing two patterns: one blank, the other checkered. A living face protrudes from the center of the shield, waring a smug, side-eyed expression and sticking out its tongue.

   
10+ Proclamation attempt is successful.
7-9 Proclamation is met with scepticism, is distorted in some way, or reaches unintended targets. Directed efforts at setting the record straight or substantiating the claims must be made before the Proclamation can continue.
2-6 Proclamation attempt fails.

Bonds

An Errant’s relationship with an NPC is described by their bond. This score can be adjusted freely by the Guide at any time based on the interactions between the Errant and the NPC.

Once a bond value has been determined, the disposition of that NPC will be equal to the bond between them and the Errant in the Company with whom their bond is either highest or lowest, at the Guide’s discretion.

     
2 Bitter foes -
3-5 Enemies -
6-8 Strangers -
9 Acquaintances Will perform small and costless courtesies.
10 Associates Will perform minor favours, at a cost.
11 Friends Will perform major favours, at a cost; if the NPC belongs to a Faction, and they have enough pull, the Errant gains +1 reputation with that Faction.
12 Confidantes Will undertake great sacrifice, at a cost; if the NPC belongs to a Faction, and they have enough pull, the Errant gains +2 reputation with that Faction.

If using the bond for a favour comes at a cost, the NPC will perform that favour, but it will either lower their bond with that Errant by 1 or the Errant must provide some commensurate service to the NPC. An NPC will do any favours below the type which comes at a cost freely (e.g. an NPC whom an Errant is friends with will do minor favours freely, within reason).

An Errant can also attempt to change their bond with an NPC as an action during a Downtime Turn. To do so, they must specify whether they wish to move their score up or down, and how they are doing so. To progress to either extreme of a relationship will require progressively more significant actions.

They then roll 2D6, with the Guide applying any relevant modifiers based on the situation, though not exceeding +/-3 in total.

   
10+ Bond changes by 1 in the direction specified.
7-9 The Errant must complete a task for (or against) the NPC to change their bond.
2-6 Bond remains unchanged.

Graphic: A group of figures standing together facing forward. The figure on the right is a tall slender humanoid bird creature, its head towering over the rest with a long curved beak. Beside it is an older shaman, holding a dead snake in her hands, her eyes covered with a blindfold. In the center is a graceful woman, wearing a beautifully patterned gown, holding one hand out in gesture to the dead snake. To the right of her is a muscular man with flowing hair and beard, holding a long black cloth, using a piece of chalk to mark it with rows of irregular shapes. The last figure is a small reptilian creature, half the height of all the rest, with a long tail. She holds a small covered tray in her hands, a pattern drawn on the lid.

Reputation

The Company’s relationship with a Faction is described by their reputation. This score can be adjusted freely by the Guide at any time based on the interactions between the Errant and the Faction.

Once a reputation value has been determined, the disposition of an NPC within that Faction will be equal to the reputation between them and the Company.

     
2 Hated -
3-5 Disliked -
6-8 Neutral -
9 Accepted Will perform small and costless courtesies.
10 Liked Will perform minor favours, at a cost. The Company gains access to any Faction-specific items available for sale.
11 Respected Will perform major favours, at a cost. The Company gains access to any Faction-specific trainers.
12 Loved Will undertake great sacrifice, at a cost. The Company gains access to any Faction-specific Talents.

If utilising reputation for a favour comes at a cost, the Faction will perform that favour, but it will either lower the Company’s reputation by 1, or the Company must provide some commensurate service for the Faction. A Faction will do any favours below the type which comes at a cost freely (e.g. a Faction that respects the Company will do minor favours freely, within reason).

An Errant can also attempt to change their Company’s reputation with a Faction as a downtime action. To do so, they must specify whether they wish to move their score up or down, and how they are doing so. To progress to either extreme of a relationship will require progressively more significant actions.

They then roll 2D6, with the Guide applying any relevant modifiers based on the situation, though not exceeding +/-3 in total.

   
10+ Reputation changes by 1 in the direction specified.
7-9 The Errant must complete a task for (or against) the Faction to change their reputation.
2-6 Reputation remains unchanged.

Graphic: An elf swings open the door to a tavern, feathered hat in hand, a gleeful smile on his face, and a friendly finger gun pointing at a table of seated figures. The serving woman rolls her eyes in exhasperation. The figures at the table are a rough-and tumble pair, covered in thick muscles and spider tattoos. One grimaces as his hand is stabbed by his compatriot, and the stabber glares bulge-eyed and angry at the elf. In the background, the swinging door has struck another patron, sending their drink flying and blood spurting out of their face.

Expeditions

An Expedition is used to extract resources from or settle an area. Mounting an Expedition can be performed as an action during a Downtime Turn.

Before an Expedition can be mounted, the area must be cleared by the Company, whether this is emptying all of the monster lairs within a hex, Negotiating a treaty with the inhabitants of that area, or obtaining title from a ruler to settle lands.

Once the area has been cleared, an Expedition can be sent to secure it via patrols. Attempting to secure one area, whether that is a hex or a dungeon level, takes one Downtime Turn.

Mounting an Expedition to secure an area requires at least one mercenary squad to be deployed.

Once an Expedition has been deployed, roll 2D6. Each additional mercenary squad deployed adds +1 to the roll, up to a maximum of +3 for fielding a full platoon.

   
10+ The area is secured.
7-9 The Expedition runs into a complication that must be dealt with before the area can be secured, such as encountering a monster lair, dispute with the locals, or Supply route collapse.
2-6 The Expedition fails to secure the area.

When securing an area, mercenaries are paid battle wages. In addition, each squad needs 80 provisions a month, as well as a reliable Supply route to transport said provisions.

Provisions cost 10 pennies for a day’s worth of food, water, and other sundries, and when purchased reduces a Settlement’s available Supply by 4 for the purposes of determining inflation. 1 provision takes up an Item Slot.

Once an area is secured, mercenaries can set up and hold a base camp. While holding a base camp, mercenaries are paid regular wages, and only need 40 provisions per squad a month. A base camp can be held for six Downtime Turns, after which the mercenaries will begin making Morale rolls each Downtime Turn to determine if they continue to hold the area.

Once a base camp has been established, the area can be surveyed, which requires a surveyor. Surveying an area takes one Downtime Turn and will reveal all the resources in an area, as well as any hidden features.

Once an area has been surveyed, labour efforts such as extracting resources or building Estates can occur, so long as the base camp continues to hold.

One labourer can extract 250p value of resources per Downtime Turn. They can construct buildings at the normal rate.

Each surveyor, labourer, architect, and other Retainers in a base camp need 6 provisions a month.

Graphic: Three figures in heavy spike-and-skull style armor march forward in a line. Each surveys the terrain in a different way. One holds the leash of a demonic pig creature. Another lifts a stone with their spear to look under it. The third holds a strange device that strongly resembles a metal detector decorated with skulls. The helm of the metal-detector wielder has a peculiar device atop it: like a laval lamp projecting arcs of power across the horizon. In the background are many more groups like this one, scattered densely across the landscape.

Infrastructure

Errants can found Settlements or increase the size of existing Settlements by making investments into infrastructure.

To found a hamlet, the area it is to be built in must be secured and surveyed, and an Estate of at least 2,000p in value built, around which the hamlet can be organised.

Founding a hamlet requires it to be constructed using the same process as constructing an Estate. The cost of construction for a hamlet is 5,000p.

To change the Settlement Type of an existing Settlement, no labourers are required. However, the Settlement in question must have a route, either by land, water, or some other method, between it and a given number of other Settlements .

A tracker is set for the number of successes needed to advance a Settlement to the next tier. The number of successes is equal to the tier being advanced to (e.g. expanding a hamlet to a village requires three successes).

Attempting to improve infrastructure can be performed as an action during a Downtime Turn. To do so, an Errant pays the base investment cost for the Settlement Type they are attempting to advance to and rolls 2D6, with bonuses applying for extra expenditures and established Institutions within the Settlement. These bonuses cannot cumulatively exceed +3.

An Errant only needs to pay the base investment cost (plus any bonus expenditures) during the first attempt they make. Successive attempts do not require payment.

   
10+ Success is marked on the tracker.
7-9 A setback occurs, which prevents further infrastructure progress until it is dealt with. This may be that the Settlement may not have adequate resources, such as food or water, to expand, or the Settlement’s expansion infringes on settled territory, or the lair of a monster or a dungeon is uncovered.
2-6 No progress is made.

The base investment costs for each Settlement Type are listed below, as well as any prerequisites.

       
Tier 1 (hamlet) 5,000p No roll necessary. Area cleared and secured and an Estate worth at least 2,000p.
Tier 2 (village) 20,000p +1 for each additional 5,000p spent. +1 to the roll for each tier 1 Institution owned by the Company in the Settlement. Must be connected to 2 hamlets.
Tier 3 (town) 80,000p +1 for each additional 20,000p spent. +1 to the roll for each tier 2 Institution owned by the Company in the Settlement. Must be connected to 2 villages.
Tier 4 (city) 320,000p +1 for each additional 80,000p spent. +1 to the roll for each tier 4 Institution owned by the Company in the Settlement. Must be connected to 2 towns.
Tier 5 (metropolis) 1,280,000p +1 for each additional 320,000p spent. +1 to the roll for each tier 6 Institution owned by the Company in the Settlement. Must be connected to 2 cities.

Graphic: Vista of a sprawling, lopsided town. The buildings are mostly tall towers, each leaning leaning crookedly in different directions. Bridges and shafts connect the towers in a confusing mess that would be hard to navigate. Windows, doors, and arches are spread through the towers. In the distance are even more of the strange buildings silhouetted in black.

Institutions

An Institution is any kind of organisation or long term enterprise. Examples would include a bar, teahouse, shop, theatre troupe, garrison, mercenary outfit, gang, guild, orphanage, and so on.

Institutions offer specific benefits to the Errants who have invested in them. These are customised for each given Institution. For example, investing in a stagecoach network might allow for more Retainers to be available for hire, and for henchmen of higher levels to appear in that Settlement.

Institutions can be categorised into seven different tiers. To found a tier 1 Institution, an Errant must have some kind of resource available that would allow them to begin operations. For example, if they wish to found a cult, they should already have a few followers committed to the cause. As an action during a Downtime Turn, they can then spend 500p to establish that Institution in the Settlement they are in.

Errants can also invest, partner in, or assume ownership of pre-existing Institutions.

To advance an Institution up a tier, if the prerequisites for Settlement Type are met, an Errant must describe their method for growing the Institution. They then pay the base investment cost of the tier to which they are attempting to advance the Institution, and roll 2D6, with bonuses applying for extra expenditures, to a max of +3.

   
10+ Institution advances to next tier.
7-9 A setback occurs, which prevents further growth until it is dealt with; no benefits can be received until setback is dealt with.
2-6 No progress is made.

The base investment costs for each Institution tier are listed below, as well as any prerequisites.

       
Tier 1 (inconsequential) 500p No roll necessary. Must be located in a hamlet or larger.
Tier 2 (petty) 1,000p +1 for each additional 500p spent. Must be located in a village or larger.
Tier 3 (middling) 2,500p +1 for each additional 1,250p spent. Must be located in a village or larger.
Tier 4 (notable) 5,000p +1 for each additional 2,500p spent. Must be located in a town or larger.
Tier 5 (influential) 10,000p +1 for each additional 5,000p spent. Must be located in a town or larger.
Tier 6 ((in)famous) 20,000p +1 for each additional 10,000p spent. Must be located in a city or larger.
Tier 7 (iconic) 40,000p +1 for each additional 20,000p spent. Must be located in a metropolis or larger.

To relocate an Institution to another Settlement, treat it the same as attempting to advance the Institution a tier. If the roll is successful, the Institution is now headquartered in the new location. The Errant and Guide can determine if it has relocated entirely, or left some auxiliary or franchise branch behind in the old Settlement.

If an Institution suffers a setback, the Guide may choose to roll on the following table for inspiration:

   
1 Vicious rumours begin circulating about the Institution.
2 Rivals ramp up the competition, lowering prices or offering better services in an attempt to undercut the Institution.
3 The Institution is sabotaged by a rival.
4 The Institution’s methods, aesthetics, or products become widely imitated and emulated, to the point of oversaturation.
5 The Institution attracts unwanted legal attention or suspicion from the authorities.
6 The Institution attracts attention from a criminal outfit, who attempt to muscle in or shake it down.
7 The Institution faces a shortage of some resource it requires to operate.
8 The Institution has drawn the outrage or condemnation of the public, or at least a very vocal portion of it.

Example Institution - The Murderwheel

A rolling, spiked wheel that is a mobile vendor of weapons and armour. Converts into a discomfitingly small arena where customers can test their mettle.

   
1 D6 shoddy weapons or armour pieces of Rarity 3 or lower can be taken from The Murderwheel, once per Downtime Turn. They have no resale value, as no respectable vendor would ever purchase items from The Murderwheel.
2 Once per Downtime Turn, D4 survivors of The Murderwheel can be recruited as henchmen of Renown 2.
3 D8 average weapons or armour pieces of Rarity 3 or lower can be taken from The Murderwheel, once per Downtime Turn. They have no resale value.
4 Once per Downtime Turn, D6 survivors of The Murderwheel can be recruited as henchmen of Renown 3.
5 D10 masterwork weapons or armour pieces of Rarity 4 or lower can be taken from The Murderwheel, once per Downtime Turn. They have no resale value.
6 Once per Downtime Turn, D8 survivors of The Murderwheel can be recruited as henchmen of Renown 4.
7 Once every year, one weapon or armour piece taken from The Murderwheel will be a Wondrous Item.

Graphic: The Murderwheel. A circular arena surrounded by a low wall, topped by spikes that curve inward. A variety of weapons and armor hang along the inside edge of the wall, and two fighters face off against one another within it. On one side a small figure wearing a fearful expression. He is scarred, and holds a shield in front of himself as he advances with his short sword. On the other side is a much larger figure, powerfully built and wielding a longsword. He appears confident, pointing at his foe with a mocking expression on his face and complacently resting his weapon on his shoulder.

Estates

To build personal Estates, the Errant must acquire the land (via Expedition or some other means), hire labourers, and pay for the construction of any buildings.

Construction time is determined by the costs of construction. Each labourer can construct up to 250p of value per Downtime Turn. Having an architect attached to a construction project doubles the rate of construction.

One labourer, therefore, could build a hovel (120p) in less than one Downtime Turn (about half a month). Building a row house (1,200p) however, would take them five Downtime Turns. Two labourers could build a row house in about three Downtime Turns, and two labourers and an architect could build it in one.

Each building comes with furnishings of appropriate value relative to the structure. If the Errant wishes to improve the standard of construction and furnishings, they may pay double the cost of the building. They may do this as many times as they wish, each time doubling the cost further.

The basic level of furnishing for a hovel, for example, would barely be furnished apart from the bare essentials, and those would be of a poor standard. The basic level of furnishing for a merchant’s house would be quite comfortable, and for an imperial palace would be incredibly luxurious. An Errant could pay double the cost of the palace, 5,000,000 pennies, to improve it, or pay double that value, 10,000,000, to improve it even further.

If the Errant wants to add anything into the structure that requires special craftsmanship, such as traps, secret doors or passageways, ornate decorations, etc. it adds 1,000 pennies to the cost of the structure per specific object.

Building special rooms, such as a library, laboratory, or shrine, each costs 5% of the base cost of the building, and are of a standard of appropriate value relative to the structure (e.g. a library in a merchant’s house is rather basic, whereas one in an imperial palace would be a famed repository of knowledge).

Domains

Having accrued enough power, some rarefied few worthy Errants may find themselves rulers of a Domain.

This Domain functions as any other polity in the game world, except for the important detail that the Errants have direct control of it at the macro-level, being able to set the code of laws, appoint NPCs to positions of power, and more.

Domains can be categorised into 10 tiers. A tier 1 Domain is immediately founded once an Errant has founded a hamlet.

Once a Domain has been founded, it can be improved by investing money into it, so long as certain prerequisites are met.

A tracker is set for the number of successes needed to advance a Domain to the next tier. The number of successes is equal to the tier being advanced to (e.g. expanding a tier 2 Domain to a tier 3 Domain requires three successes).

An Errant can attempt to improve a Domain as an action during a Downtime Turn. To do so, an Errant pays the base investment cost for the Domain tier they are attempting to advance to and rolls 2D6, with bonuses applying for extra expenditures. These bonuses cannot cumulatively exceed +3.

An Errant only needs to pay the base investment cost (plus any bonus expenditures) during the first attempt they make. Successive attempts do not require payment.

   
10+ Success is marked on the tracker.
7-9 A setback occurs, which prevents further Domain progress until it is dealt with. This may be civil unrest, the looming threat of foreign invasion, or a powerful beast that has begun to terrorise the land.
2-6 No progress is made.

The base investment costs for each Domain tier are listed below, as well as any prerequisites.

         
Tier 1 0p No roll necessary. Automatically achieved when first hamlet is founded. Has a 1-in-6 chance of providing any mundane items & services.
Tier 2 10,000p +1 for each additional 2,500p spent. Domain must contain a ruler’s Estate worth at least 5,000p. Cleared hexes or areas up to 1 hex/6 miles adjacent can be made part of your Domain.
Tier 3 20,000p +1 for each additional 5,000p spent. Domain must contain at least 1 village. Has a 2-in-6 chance of providing any mundane items & services. Able to field an army of D4 × 50 men at arms.
Tier 4 40,000p +1 for each additional 10,00p spent. Domain must contain a ruler’s Estate worth at least 20,000p. Cleared hexes or areas up to 2 hexes/12 miles adjacent can be made part of your Domain.
Tier 5 80,000p +1 for each additional 20,000p spent. Domain must contain at least 1 town. Has a 3-in-6 chance of providing any mundane items & services. Able to field an army of 2D4 × 100 men at arms.
Tier 6 160,000p +1 for each additional 40,000p spent. Domain must contain a ruler’s Estate worth at least 80,000p. Cleared hexes or areas up to 3 hexes/18 miles adjacent can be made part of your Domain.
Tier 7 320,000p +1 for each additional 80,000p spent. Domain must contain at least 1 city. Has a 4-in-6 chance of providing any mundane items & services. Able to field an army of 2D4 × 500 men at arms.
Tier 8 640,000p +1 for each additional 160,000p spent. Domain must contain a ruler’s Estate worth at least 320,000p. Cleared hexes or areas up to 4 hexes/24 miles adjacent can be made part of your Domain.
Tier 9 1,280,000p +1 for each additional 320,000p spent. Domain must contain at least 1 metropolis. Has a 5-in-6 chance of providing any mundane items & services. Able to field an army of 2D4 × 2,000 men at arms.
Tier 10 2,560,000p +1 for each additional 640,000p spent. Domain must contain a ruler’s Estate worth at least 1,280,000p. Cleared hexes or areas up to 5 hexes/30 miles adjacent can be made part of your Domain.

Graphic: A wide landscape which moves from undeveloped wilderness on the left side, through gradually larger and more densely positioned structures, until it reaches a walled city of towering cyclopean structures on the right.

Mundane items & services refers to the chance that the Domain can furnish specific goods and services. Basic goods & services, like food or simple blacksmithing, can be assumed since these are necessities, but specialty items such as, say, siege weaponry or spices will require a roll.

If the roll is successful, the Domain will always be able to provide that item or service. If the roll is unsuccessful, then that item or service cannot be obtained until either the direct action is taken to make it available (e.g. by recruiting a skilled engineer, or establishing a trading route for spices), or until the Domain increases in tier, whereupon it may be tested for again.

Domain armies are made up of citizens who will take up arms to protect their home, not career soldiers. They can be kept out in the field for a number of months equal to the Domain’s tier plus two.

Being rulers of a Domain provides Errants with the status of dignitaries in lands where their Domain’s sovereignty is respected.

If an Errant has left the immediate territories where their Domain is known, test the Domain’s Renown as you would an Errant’s, treating its tier as its Renown.

Graphic: A hunched humanoid figure with a vulture’s head rides a horse with taloned bird’s feet instead of hooves. Large portions of anatomy are not depicted: the horse is only its head, mane, and legs. The figure riding it is only suggested by the position of arm and head. The two may be emerging ghost-like out of nowhere, obscured by the wild swirling of the vulture-headed figure’s robes. From those robes many wide-eyed bird’s heads protrude, looking every which way.

Faction Turns

The Guide can use this procedure to simulate the attempts of various Factions in the world to gain and maintain power.

Each Faction has a number of assets, such as “skilled artisans”, “spy network”, or “well-trained troops”.

A Faction may set any number of agendas, which are long-term goals. This may be something like “build a new road”, “recruit new troops from among the villages”, or “discover incriminating secrets about the ruler of an enemy nation”. For each agenda, create a tracker, which indicates how many successes will be needed to achieve that agenda.

Each Downtime Turn (though this is best done by the Guide between sessions), Factions can take actions to advance their agendas.

First, they allocate any relevant assets to the advancement of their agendas. Next, they may also allocate any relevant assets to oppose or aid the agendas of any other Factions.

A Faction rolls a D6 plus the number of relevant assets and minus the number of assets opposing them.

If they roll a 6 or higher, they mark a success on the agenda tracker. If they roll a 12 or higher, they mark two successes, and so on.

If they roll a 0, they lose an asset. If they roll -6, they lose two assets, and so on.

Lost assets are destroyed or captured by opposing Factions, depending on the circumstances.

A Faction that fulfils an agenda gains a new asset.

Factions can gain and lose assets through the actions of Errants during play.

Rivals

When a rival Company arrives in a Settlement, the Guide may make a Reaction Roll to determine what their overall opinion of the player Company is. So long as the rival Company is based in the Settlement, they will also adventure in the area, whether that means making forays into the local dungeon, or taking the jobs the player Company turns down.

If the Event Die calls for a rival Company to arrive in a Settlement, and there is already a rival Company there, the current rival Company leaves the Settlement for greener pastures, and the newly rolled one settles in.

An easy way to track the exploits of a rival Company is to put two entries in the local effects table for nearby wilderness and dungeon areas. One entry indicates that the rival Company has passed through and taken all or most of anything of value; the second entry indicates that the rival Company is currently in the area and the player Company encounters them.

A second, more involved way may be used between game sessions to track a rival Company’s progress through a dungeon or on a quest more closely.

Add the total Renown of each member of the rival Company together; increase this number by 1 for each significant magical item in their possession. This is their challenge level.

Plot their course through the dungeon or adventure area. Assign each room or area a challenge level equal to the combined Threat of all the NPCs and traps located there; assign traps a Threat value equal to their base DV.

For each room or area the rival Company arrives at, roll 2D6 plus the difference between their challenge level and the challenge level of the room or area.

   
10+ The rival Company overcomes the challenges of the area easily, and take everything of value
7-9 The rival Company overcomes the challenges of the area, but at a cost. Reduce their challenge level by 1. They take everything of value that is not hidden.
5-6 The rival Company overcomes the challenges of the area, but at a great cost. Reduce their challenge level by 2. They take 50% of the valuables in the area.
2-4 The rival Company overcomes the challenges of the area, but a Company member dies. Reduce their challenge level by the Renown of that Company member. They take 25% of the valuables in that area.

If a rival Company’s challenge level is reduced to 0, they flee. A rival Company can withdraw from the adventure area at any time before that.

Graphic: Two rival adventuring parties stand in opposition to one another, each member a mirrored version of their counterpart. At the top of the line are two knights, dressed in completely concealing plate mail, one holding a halberd and the other a sword. Below them a pair of pointy-eared folk glare at one another nose-to-nose: one with an eyepatch and steel skullcap, the other with stark white hair and jewelry. The next group down are pointy-hatted spellcasters glaring side-eyed at one another: one a witch smoking a pipe, the other bearded and holding a crystal staff. At the bottom are two rival thieves, each covering hoods and masks to cover their faces: in their hands they each grip one side of a piece of parchment that is tearing down the middle from the force of their struggle.

Scourges

While the Event Die creates threats and events in the world, these are of a fairly random and temporary nature. Scourges simulate an active long-term danger to a region. This could be the presence of a bandit lord, a dragon, a lich, or even the spread of an evil cult or devastating plague.

A newly active Scourge begins with peril 1. Each Downtime Turn, when you roll the Event Die, interpret it as normal, but in addition, if the roll is equal to or lower than the peril of an active Scourge in that region, roll on that Scourge’s malice table. If multiple Scourges are active, roll on the malice table of each Scourge that was triggered by the Event Die.

The malice table is a D6 table; each should be tailored to each Scourge, but in general, a result of 1-5 indicates that the Scourge does something to affect the region negatively, such as conducting a raid, eating the livestock, or raising those interred at the local cemetery as undead servants. A roll of 6 indicates that the Scourge’s peril increases by 1.

For each peril a Scourge has above 1, place a corresponding locus in the region that represents the power and influence of the Scourge spreading. This could be a bandit’s camp, a clutch of dragon eggs, or a phylactery. If that locus is dealt with, reduce the peril of that Scourge by 1.

If the source of a Scourge is dealt while it has active loci, roll a D4 and remove that many loci; this cannot reduce the number of loci below one. Then, the Scourge re-emerges at one of the remaining loci; a newcomer takes up the mantle of the bandit lord, an egg hatches and reaches maturity, and the lich reincarnates.

If a Scourge ever reaches peril 7, it ceases to be a Scourge and becomes a calamity, something that has totally altered the nature of the game world. That Scourge is no longer active and triggered by the Event Die, as the calamity is now the new status quo.

Graphic: A mushroom as tall as an oak tree with two arms raised in threatening posture, and two angry eyes looking down at an armored knight. The knight stands in a field of smaller mushrooms. They hold spear and shield to ready themselves against the threat of the giant mushroom.

Example Scourge - The Creeping Rot

An ancient fungal god. Its spores spread and blanket the land. Mycelium branches through the ground. Colonies expand endlessly. Nothing escapes them.

   
1 The ground loathes interlopers. Any fungi encountered in this area has a 75% chance of being poisonous, in addition to its other effects.
2 Putrefaction spreads in the air. Each night in the area, D4 rations spoil and become unusable.
3 Crops wither and die. Choose a local Settlement and increase its inflation by one level.
4 Malevolent fungal creatures roam. Each encounter rolled in this area has a 50% chance of including additional fungoid enemies.
5 Parasitic spores waft through the air. Choose a local Settlement; D10% of its population becomes infected with parasitic mind-controlling spores, and leaves to tend and protect nearby groves of The Creeping Rot.
6 Increase The Creeping Rot’s peril by 1. Add a new locus in the area: a grove of mushrooms tended to by brainwashed creatures and sentient fungus.

Downtime Complications

Roll 2D6.

  1. Natural disaster (e.g. a fire, a tornado, a meteor).
  2. Ongoing disaster (e.g. a famine, a plague, a drought).
  3. Major figure assassinated.
  4. Series of murders begins.
  5. A Scourge arises in the region.
  6. An Errant’s Estate, Institution, infrastructure project, Domain, or other goal suffers a setback.
  7. Legal claims are brought against the Company or they are publicly slandered.
  8. An ally of the Company loses trust in or cuts ties with them.
  9. An insurrection or a siege occurs. If not dealt with in D4 Downtime Turns it will be successful.
  10. Two or more Factions begin to oppose each other or actively go to war.
  11. An ally of the Company dies.

Roll 2D4.

  1. Two or more Factions announce an alliance.
  2. A religious event occurs (e.g. an omen or apparition).
  3. A scandal is revealed.
  4. New NPC arrives in the area.
  5. A rival Company arrives in the area
  6. A discovery is made (e.g. new technology, new lands).
  7. A new Faction emerges.

Downtime Turn Procedure

  1. The Guide declares the start of a Downtime Turn; the timekeeper notes down which number Downtime Turn this is.
  2. Company members restore HP and Archetype resources, and any charges of True Strikes and Deflects. Remove any remaining Supply from inventory.
  3. The timekeeper rolls the Event Die.
    • If there are any active Scourges, the Guide Checks if any of them have been triggered by the Event Die.
    • If any setbacks are rolled, the Company decides if they wish to postpone taking a Downtime Turn to resolve that setback.
  1. The result of the Event Die is resolved.
  2. Company debt doubles.
  3. The Company hears a rumour.
  4. Free actions, such as shopping, socialising, hiring Retainers, and funerals are resolved.
  5. Each Errant declares what they are doing with their action this Downtime Turn, and their actions are resolved.
  6. Each Errant declares if they are engaging in Conspicuous Consumption, and of what sort, which is then resolved.
  7. Guide resolves any Faction turn actions.
  8. Guide advances the in-game calendar by one month (or appropriate amount).
  9. Repeat steps 1-11 until the Company no longer wishes to take Downtime Turns.
  10. Lifestyle expenses are paid.

Graphic: A bat-headed figure obscures its face behind a powerfully muscled wing-arm, ending in a clawed hand.

Glossary & Index

Alchemy (p. 192) – The creation of items such as potions, pills, and powders during Downtime Turns (p. 176). alchemical components (p. 143) harvested and stored in an alchemist’s kit can be turned into alchemical items with a successful Alchemy Check.

Alignment [AL] (p. 198) – A value which describes whether a character is aligned with the metaphysical forces of Law, Chaos, or whether they have taken the position of Neutrality; for Errants this is given as a value of L or C 1-3 for either Law or Chaos, or simply as N for Neutrality. For NPCs, this is listed as AL.

Ancestry (p. 54) – What type of creature an Errant is. Broken down into four templates, each of which provide a minor ability: tough, arcane, cunning, and adaptable.

Archetype (p. 55) – What category of adventurer an Errant is: The Violent, who excels in combat; The Deviant , who is skilled in a variety of disciplines; The Occult, who casts arcane magic; and The Zealot, who performs magic based in faith.

Attack Roll/ATT (p. 149) – When a creature attacks another creature, they roll their specified amount of damage dice and deal that much damage (p. 152) to their target. An Attack Roll may be enhanced (p. 150), increasing the size of the dice used as part of that Attack Roll in favourable situations, or impaired, decreasing them in unfavourable situations. Characters can attempt gambits, reducing the amount of damage dealt on an Attack Roll to force their target to make a Saving Throw (p. 6) to avoid a negative effect. The Deviant (p. 68) is capable of performing sneak attacks against unsuspecting foes, allowing them to roll an additional damage die as part of their Attack Roll.

Attribute (p. 6) – Values which represent an Errant’s capabilities; their physique, skill, mind, and presence.

Block (p. 29) – A value attached to pieces of armour. When an Errant is the target of an Attack Roll (p. 149) or is otherwise subject to a negative effect, they may use up any number of blocks from an armour piece to impair (p. 150) the Attack Roll by 1 step per Block or obviate the negative effect.

Breakage (p. 33) – A value between 1 and 6 assigned to non-weapon & armour items which measures their chance to Break when damaged.

Burn (p. 28) – A special type of Depletion (p. 27) used to measure the remaining duration, as well illumination level, of light sources. Each point of Burn represents enough illumination for one creature. If the total amount of Burn is equal to or greater than the number of Company members, the Company is considered to be in bright light (p. 138); if it is less than half the number of Company members, or if discreet light sources are being used, it is considered dim light.

Chase (p. 162) – A variant of the Initiative Turn (p. 146) procedure used to adjudicate long pursuits or those that take place in abstract locations. Each Initiative Turn, the character on each side with the lowest SPD (p. 148) or MV (p. 165) make a movement roll to determine whether they escape or catch their quarry; a character may choose to sprint, rolling double their normal amount of movement dice, but must make a phys Check (p. 6) to do so successfully. At the end of the Initiative Turn, the side that rolled the lowest result on their movement roll rolls for a Chase development (p. 163), which affects them.

Check (p. 6) – The core resolution mechanic of the game, which involves rolling a D20 above a given value (DV, p. 7) and equal to or below a second value (Attribute, p. 6). When two characters are competing at the same task, they make an opposed Check. A frequently made Check is a navigation Check (p. 121), which is generally a skill Check, made during Travel Turns (p. 120).

Company – The collective of Errants, as well as their Retainers (p. 50), animals, and other animals who adventure with them. Also used to describe analogous collectives of NPCs who are rivals (p. 220) to the Errants; rival companies have a challenge level used in a procedure to model their adventures.

Conspicuous Consumption (p. 183) - After an Errant has taken their action for a Downtime Turn (p. 176), they may choose to engage in Conspicuous Consumption in order to waste money for the purposes of gaining XP (p. 63). The four types of Conspicuous Consumption are carousing, frippery, obscurantism, and do-goodery.

Covenant (p. 108) – The religion, order, or ideology The Zealot (p. 74) has pledged themselves to. Each Covenant has three or four eminences, subjects or concepts with which they are associated. The Zealot may perform Miracles that are associated with the eminences of their Covenant. Their Covenant also grants them blessings, abilities that they may always use. These blessings and eminences, as well as the rules for casting Miracles, are presented in a testament of the Covenant that is given to The Zealot.

D(x) – refers to a die of a given shape, e.g. D6 is a six-sided die. If a number precedes the “D” it refers to the number of such dice that should be rolled, e.g. 4D4 is four four-sided dice.

Deflects (p. 31) - A value of magical armour pieces that have a plus value (e.g. +1). Each point represents a charge that can be expended to negate anything that would incur HP (p. 152) loss or other harmful effect.

Depletion (p. 27) – A value that measures the remaining quantity or duration of an item, Sorcery (p. 72), or Miracle (p. 108).

Die Of Fate (p. 10) – A D6 that is rolled when the Guide is uncertain of some aspect of the game world, unrelated to an Errant’s capabilities; higher rolls denote better outcomes.

Domain (p. 215) – Kingdoms and polities which are ruled by Errants. Based on their tier, they have a chance to provide the Errant with mundane items & services as well as deploy an army (p. 216).

Downtime Turn (p. 11) - One of the four types of tracked time, used during periods in between adventures. By default, assumed to take about a month. Actions are taken as individuals. Several activities that occur during Downtime Turns utilise a tracker (p. 176), which records the number of successful Downtime Turn actions that must be taken for the activity to be completed. If the Event Die (p. 13) rolls a setback (p. 178), the Company may choose to suspend taking their Downtime Turn to deal with it; if a setback affects an Errant’s Estate (p. 214), Institution (p. 210), infrastructure (p. 208) project, or Domain (p. 215) they gain XP (p. 63). During a Downtime Turn, Errants may hold funerals (p. 182) for deceased Errants, allowing surviving Company members to purchase their fallen comrade’s XP. When the Company chooses to stop taking Downtime Turns, they pay lifestyle (p. 186) expenses.

DV (p. 7) – Difficulty value. This is the value that must be rolled above on a D20 during a Check (p. 6); for any given Check, the DV is determined by the Guide.

Encumbrance (p. 27) – A value that increases the more Item Slots (p. 25) an Errant has filled. For every 25% of their available Item Slots that are filled, their Encumbrance value increases by 1, until all slots are filled. Any additional filled slots thereafter increases Encumbrance by 1.

Errant – The characters of the players who explore the game space. A player may make a secondary Errant, known as an adjutant (p. 64), at Renown 2 (p. 63).

Estate (p. 214) – The domiciles and demesnes of Errants.

Event Die (p. 13) – A die that is rolled every travel (p. 120), exploration (p. 135), and Downtime Turn (p. 176) which determines what events or complications occur during that turn; results during travel and Exploration Turns are encounter, Rest, Deplete/Burn, local effect, and free. During a Downtime Turn, and the results are encounter, complication, expiration, trend, intimation, and free. Certain conditions may result in multiple Event Dice, either positive or negative, to be rolled.

Exhaustion (p. 26) – A negative condition incurred when a character undergoes experiences which strain them physically. A point of Exhaustion fills an Item Slot (p. 25).

Expedition (p. 206) – Sorties conducted by hired mercenaries (p. 52) to secure an area for the purposes of occupation or extraction during Downtime Turns (p. 176). Once an area has been secured, a base camp can be established, allowing for the area to be surveyed and other efforts, such as construction of an Estate (p. 214) to begin.

Exploration Turn (p. 11) - One of the four types of tracked time, used when exploring dungeons or other sites of adventure. By default, assumed to take about ten minutes. Actions are taken as a Company. The Company decides on a marching order (p. 137), deciding who are in the van, main, and rear positions and if a scout is posted.

Faction (p. 219) – Organizations and groups that are able to leverage power to influence the campaign world. During Downtime Turns (p. 176), Factions can utilize their assets to advance their agendas as well as stymie or aid the agendas of other Factions. An Errant’s relationship with a Faction is measured by their reputation (p. 204) score.

Favour (p. 74) – A resource used by The Zealot to increase the result of their Miracle (p. 108) rolls, or to utilise their Relics.

Feat (p. 66) – Abilities usable in combat by The Violent, which are activated by using a resource known as combat dice. The Violent begins play knowing the smite, grit, and dash Feats and when they increase their Renown (p. 63) may choose to learn additional Feats among the options of avenge, cleave, command, exert, goad, intimidate, protect, resist, strategise, and surge.

Grimoire (p. 76) – Arcane objects which contain Sorceries (p. 72). The nature of the Sorcery is shaped by the Grimoire it resides in; the essence of a Grimoire determines the function of a Sorcery, while the sphere determines its subjects. Finally, the themes of the Grimoire influence the specific nature of the Sorcery.

Guide – The player who adjudicates the game.

HP (p. 152) – The measure of how much damage an Errant or NPC can take. When an Errant receives damage while they are at 0 HP, they receive a wound (p. 153) and must make a phys Saving Throw (p. 6) to avoid going out of action. Some wounds cause an Errant to be on death’s door, which means they will soon perish if not treated; more grievous wounds will cause them to become consigned to the reaper, meaning their demise is imminent and unavoidable.

Impact (p. 8) - Describes the outcome of succeeding on a Check (p. 6). The default Impact is fair; strong describes a situation where the outcome of success is more beneficial, while weak is less so.

Initiative Turn (p. 11) - One of the four types of tracked time, used during moments of intense action. By default, assumed to take about 10 seconds. Actions are taken as individuals. If one group is surprised (p. 146), they are unable to take actions for the first Initiative Turn. During Initiative Turns, characters may either act quickly, taking one action, or act slowly, taking two actions, which, along with a dice roll to see which side acts first, will determine their place in the Initiative Turn order. Duels (p. 158) and mass combat (p. 160) are variations of the normal Initiative Turn procedure used for one-on-one and large-scale combats, respectively.

Institution (p. 210) – Organizations and businesses which an Errant owns or is invested in; categorized into seven tiers: inconsequential, petty, middling, notable, influential, (in)famous, and iconic (p. 211). Institutions provide different benefits to Errants at each tier.

Investigation (p. 200) – Knowledge gathering performed during Downtime Turns (p. 176). Conducting an Investigation requires a trove of information, to which a query can be posed.

Item Slot (p. 25) – An abstract representation of an Errant’s ability to carry items, with one significant item taking up one Item Slot (roughly either five pounds and/or the size of a human head). An Errant has Item Slots equal to their phys (p. 6). Three types of Item Slots are distinguished from the rest; those that represent items a character has in their hand, items they have handy, and items that are worn.

Jettons (p. 70) – A resource available to The Deviant (p. 68). which they can spend to reduce the DV (p. 7) of Checks (p. 6) relating to one of their proficiencies (p. 68). Jettons can also be spent to make wagers, narrative claims that are related to their proficiencies; when a wager is made, The Deviant may opt to make a devil’s bargain, allowing the Guide to also secretly roll a die for the wager, which the player may opt to choose instead of their own.

Lockpicking (p. 140) – The specific procedure used to open a lock with burglar’s tools. Each lock requires three actions to be selected in the correct order; these are twist, tap, and turn. Selecting the wrong action will cause the lock to become stiff; once a lock has become stiff, any further incorrect action will make the lock become jammed, rendering it unable to be unlocked.

Miracle (p. 108) – Magic performed by The Zealot (p. 74) powered by their faith. Based on the strength of the Miracle to be performed, it will be categorized into one of five doctrines, which determines the amount required to be rolled in order for the Miracle to be successful. The possible results for a Miracle roll are boon, pact, woe, and apotheosis (p. 112). A special type of Miracle roll, called a beneficence, can be used to restore HP (p. 152) and wounds (p. 153); the possible results for a beneficence are boon, mark (p. 114), woe, and apotheosis.

Morale [ML] roll (p. 164) – A value between 1 and 12 that measures an NPC’s willingness to fight or remain in dangerous situations.

Negotiation (p. 20) - A procedure used to adjudicate high stakes social encounters. The Company is allowed a number of exchanges based on the NPC’s disposition; the five types of exchanges are banal, giving, taking (p. 22), convincing, and bribe (p. 23).

NPC – All the characters who are not Errants, e.g. the characters of the Guide. An Errant’s relationship with an NPC is measured by their bond (p. 202) score.

Pace – The rate of movement of the Company during Travel (p. ) and Exploration Turns (p. 135), expressed as a fraction; the numerator indicates how many significant areas are traversed, while the denominator indicates how many Turns it takes to do so.

Player Role (p. 19) – Duties that the players of the game who are not the Guide assume to facilitate the game running smoothly. These are the caller, mapper, note taker, quartermaster, and timekeeper.

Position (p. 8) – Describes the outcome of failing a Check (p. 6). The default Position is risky; shaky describes a Position where the outcome of failure is less severe than default, while dire is more severe.

Proclamations (p. 201) – Dispensation and dissemination of information performed during Downtime Turns (p. 176). Conducting a Proclamation requires a proposition which specifies the message being spread, as well as its intended audience.

Proficiency (p. 68) – Domains of aptitudes for The Deviant. They may spend Proficiency points to gain expertise in a Proficiency (Anatomy, Awareness, Engineering, Fitness, Lore, Sleight-of-hand, Speechcraft, Stealth, Survival), reducing the DV (p. 7) of all Checks (p. 6) related to that Proficiency by 2. Spending a Proficiency point on a Proficiency they already have expertise in grants them the associated mastery (Chemist, Alert, Locksmith, Fleet-footed, Arcanist, Pack Rat, Socialite, Assassin, Beast Master) and its unique ability.

Quality (p. 33) – A value that measures a weapon or armour piece’s durability.

Rarity (p. 32) – A value between 1 and 5 which indexes the availability of an item to Settlement Type.

Reaction Roll (p. 20) - A roll that is made when the Company encounters an NPC that determines their disposition.

Relic (p. 74) – Sacred objects The Zealot may attune to, which determines how many dice they roll when they attempt to perform a Miracle. Relics are classed as being a blade, chalice, talisman, or wand, each type of which has an additional special ability that can be utilized by spending Favour.

Renown (p. 63) – An Errant’s fame, notoriety, and power.

Rest – Any Travel (p. 124) or Exploration Turn (p. 138) where the Company chooses to forgo their action. During a Rest, an Errant may use an armour repair kit to restore all their Blocks (p. 29). If an Errant spends two Travel Turns sleeping (p. 120) at a suitable campsite (p. 120), they gain the benefit of a night’s Rest, during which they remove a point of Exhaustion (p. 26) and may use a healer’s kit to restore HP (p. 152) equal to a roll of their damage die (p. 149). If no suitable campsite is found, the Guide may offer the choice of a few unsuitable campsites, such as one that is uncomfortable or open (p. 125).

Retainer (p. 50) – NPCs hired by Errants. These are broken down into four categories: hirelings (such as explorers, porters, and teamsters), who will adventure but not engage in combat; specialists (such as accountants, animal handlers, architects, armourers, bards, craftsmen, factors, jurists, labourers, philosopher, physicians, and sailors), who do not go on adventures but provide assistance in other ways; mercenaries (p. 52) who will go on Expeditions (p. 206) or form Warbands (p. 156); and henchmen (p. 53) (warriors, professionals, and magic users), who are adventurers that receive a share of treasure and XP (p. 63).

Ritual (p. 197) – Long term magic performed during Downtime Turns (p. 176). Requires the permanent sacrifice of Grimoires (p. 76) or Favour (p. 74)

Saving Throw (p. 6) – A Check that is made reactively to avoid a negative effect.

Scourge (p. 222) – Active threats and dangers which grow in power long-term. Scourges have a peril rating; if the result of the Event Die (p. 13) for a Downtime Turn (p. 176) is less than that of a Scourge’s peril, then a roll is triggered on that Scourge’s malice table. For each peril a Scourge has above 1, a corresponding locus is placed on the map; neutralizing a locus reduces the peril of a Scourge by 1. If a Scourge ever reaches peril 7, it becomes a calamity.

Settlement Type (p. 32) – The measure of the size of a Settlement, broken down into five tiers: hamlet, village, town, city, and metropolis. The Settlement Type determines how much Supply (p. 29) is available for purchase each Downtime Turn (p. 176), and the thresholds for how much Supply can be purchased before triggering inflation (p. 35). Settlements can have their tier increased by investing in infrastructure (p. 208) projects during Downtime Turns.

Sorcery (p. 72) - Magic performed by The Occult learned from Grimoires (p. 76). Sorceries can be prepared after a night’s Rest (p. 120); when a prepared Sorcery is cast, a mind Check (p. 6) is made with a DV (p. 7) equal to the sum of the Errant’s stabilise and Encumbrance (p. 27) values. If this Check is failed, that prepared Sorcery is now unstable, and casting it again risks miscasting. Prepared Sorceries can deliberately be made unstable in order to perform maleficence or retorts (p. 73).

SPD [MV] (p. 148, p. 165) – The measure of how fast an Errant can move in Initiative Turns (p. 146). This value defines how many movement dice an Errant rolls when making a movement roll or shifting; difficult terrain reduces the distance moved when making a movement roll or shifting. For NPCs, this value is given as MV, which indicates their amount of movement dice directly.

Status (p. 151) – Any condition afflicted on an a character, such as being poisoned, blinded, or frightened.

Supply (p. 29) – An abstract resource that is used to replenish an item’s Depletion (p. 27) value to its maximum after it has reached 0. For the purposes of voyages (p. 131) and Expeditions (p. 206), a special type of Supply called provisions are used.

Talent (p. 188) – A unique ability an Errant may learn from a trainer during a Downtime Turn (p. 176).

Threat (p. 165) – The measure of an NPC’s power.

Tinkering (p. 191) – The process of customizing items during Downtime Turns (p. 176). An item may be modified to be more durable, sophisticated, efficient, or potent but will also receive an attendant drawback in the process, such as becoming frail, crude, unwieldy, or ineffective.

Trade (p. 186) – A vocation or profession an Errant can learn, allowing them to craft items related to it. There are five stages of knowledge in a Trade, which can be progressed through during Downtime Turns (p. 176): layman, apprentice, journeyman, master, and legendary artisan.

Travel Turn (p. 11) – One of the four types of tracked time, used when exploring wilderness or other large distances. By default, assumed to take about four hours. Actions are taken as a Company; actions include peregrinate, explore, orient, forage, make camp, take watch, and sleep (p. 120). The Company decides on a marching order (p. 124), posting a pathfinder and perhaps a scout. Travel is impeded by inclement and severe weather (p. 128). Such weather when travelling on water vessels risks such vessels becoming water damaged, sinking, or shipwrecked (p. 133).

True Strikes (p. 31) – A value of magical weapons that have a plus value (e.g. +1). Each point represents a charge that can be expended to maximize the results of an Attack Roll (p. 149).

Warband (p. 156) – A group of mercenaries (p. 52) led by an Errant, who enhance their leader’s combat effectiveness; classified as either small, medium, or large based on the number of combatants (excluding the leader).

Wondrous Item (p. 194) – A bespoke artefact wrought by the hand of a legendary artisan (p. 187) and fashioned from remarkable materials (p. 194). Contains the seed of magic within, allowing it to become a Grimoire (p. 76) or a magic item when awakened by a remarkable deed.

XP (p. 63) – Experience points. 1 XP is gained for each penny wasted by an Errant, or for when an item or investment becomes unintentionally destroyed or unusable. At given thresholds of XP, an Errant increases their Renown (p. 63).

Graphic: A human skull laying on the floor. A glint of light sparkles from one of its empty eye sockets.