TEXT: 1
  digital game book
  version 1.5
  
  2
  
  3
  Welcome, friend.
  This is a special place:
  a retreat from your worries 
  and obligations.
  Now, 
  close your eyes,
  take a deep breath,
  and open your mind.
  Ready?
  Let's begin.
  art 
  Grim Wilkins
  Marianna Learmonth 
  Kevin Sottek
  copy editing 
  Kara Verlaney
  contributing witch 
  Rebecca Askin
  editor 
  Chris Plante
  created by 
  T.C. Sottek
  special thanks 
  Dieter Bohn 
  Creighton DeSimone 
  Tom Moss 
  Ross Miller 
  Joel Burgess 
  Helen Havlak 
  Adi Robertson 
  Loren Grush 
  Tom Connors 
  Jordan Oplinger 
  Hilary Kissinger 
  Andrew Simone 
  Rob Dubbin 
  James Bareham
  origins 
  Quest was designed 
  in Brooklyn: part of 
  an island formed on 
  the coast of North 
  America some 21,000 
  years ago. 
  Thank you to the 
  one-thousand-six-
  hundred-and-fifteen 
  people who helped 
  make Quest real. 
  typography  
  The headings of 
  this book are set in 
  Alegreya Sans SC, 
  designed by Juan 
  Pablo del Peral. The 
  pullquotes are set 
  in Alegreya Black, 
  designed by Huerta 
  Tipografica. Finally, 
  the body text is set 
  in Ovo, designed by 
  Nicole Fally.
  Quest Game Book 
  © The Adventure Guild, 
  LLC, 2019. All rights 
  reserved.
  
  4
  what's inside
  6 
  About the game 
  8 
  How to play 
  9 
  Scenes 
  11 
  Action scenes 
  12 
  Distances 
  13 
  Rolling the die 
  14 
  Deadly scenes 
  15 
  Abilities 
  16 
  Buying things 
  17 
  Inventory 
  18 
  General rules
  21 
  Character profile 
  22 
  Choose a role 
  23 
  First impressions 
  24 
  Style 
  25 
  Community 
  26 
  Ideal 
  27 
  Flaw 
  28 
  Dream 
  29 
  Weapons and gear
  31 
  How to use abilities 
  33 
  The Omniverse 
  34 
  The Fighter 
  41 
  The Invoker 
  50 
  The Ranger 
  57 
  The Naturalist 
  66 
  The Doctor 
  74 
  The Spy 
  83 
  The Magician 
  92 
  The Wizard
  102 
  The Guide 
  104 
  Player safety 
  105 
  Build a world 
  112 
  Run the game 
  113 
  Set scenes 
  114 
  Clues 
  116 
  When to roll the die 
  117 
  Challenges 
  118 
  Consequences 
  121 
  Non-player characters 
  126 
  Combat and turns 
  127 
  The first session 
  129 
  Advanced rules 
  131 
  The Treasure Catalog
  First, we’ll teach you 
  how to play the game.
  Third, you'll prepare 
  your character with 
  special abilities and 
  equipment.
  Second, you’ll create a 
  unique character with 
  a backstory, a dream, 
  and a role to play.
  Finally, if you’re the 
  Guide, we’ll teach you 
  how to run the game.
  toss a coin
  Games like Quest are meant 
  to be shared with friends, and 
  we're very glad you're here. 
  Please thank your friend if you 
  received this Game Book from 
  them.
  We don't mind if you got this 
  book for free, and we hope 
  you'll read through to see if it's 
  a game you'll enjoy. But if you 
  like what you see and want to 
  help our little team make Quest 
  even better in the future, please 
  consider buying your own copy. 
  You can buy our Game Book 
  and other products on our 
  website:
  www.adventure.game
  
  5
  
  6
  the game
  You are an 
  adventurer in a 
  world of magic 
  and danger
   
  Quest is a game that creates a fantastic 
  story. The rules of the game help you 
  imagine what happens.
  We'll help you create a unique 
  character. Then, you'll say what they 
  do. You can seek treasure, glory, 
  justice, revenge, or anything you want. 
  The possibilities are endless.
  You can play Quest to make a short 
  story in one session, or for an epic 
  adventure that lasts for months or 
  years. You can't lose the game, but 
  everyone wins if you tell a memorable 
  story and have a good time.
  chapter 1 (15-20 minutes)
  
  7
  the players
  Quest works best with 4-6 players. 
  First, choose one player to be the 
  guide. The Guide plays as the story's 
  narrator.
  Everyone else will create one of the 
  story's main characters, and then 
  play as the character they created. 
  These player characters are allies 
  in an adventuring group called the 
  party. 
  The Guide plays the part of the 
  world around the party, like the 
  director of a movie. They imagine 
  the people, places, and things the 
  party encounters. Then, they help 
  everyone imagine the world of the 
  game by describing it.
  The Guide also plays the part of all 
  of the characters in the story, like 
  townspeople and monsters. We call 
  them non-player characters, or npcs. 
  Finally, the Guide is responsible for 
  creating consequences for the party's 
  actions. That means imagining what 
  happens next when a player springs 
  a trap or makes an NPC angry.
  The Guide and the party have 
  different responsibilities, but they 
  are equals — partners in storytelling. 
  This chapter of the book is 
  addressed to players in the party, but 
  it also contains useful information 
  for the Guide.
  things you need
  Quest is best played in person. Try 
  to find a place that doesn't have 
  distractions. 
  If you play online, make sure you 
  have a good camera and microphone 
  so your friends can see and hear you 
  clearly.
  Each player needs:
   
  ■ This book.
   
  ■ A few hours of free time.
   
  ■ A place to meet.
   
  ■ A 20-sided die.
   
  ■ Something for taking notes.
   
  ■ A character profile (p. 21).
   
  ■ A character worksheet (p. 17).
   
  ■ An open mind.
  It's also nice to have:
   
  ■ A quiet room.
   
  ■ Snacks and drinks.
   
  ■ Some music in the background.
  basics
  
  8
  how to play
  Say what you 
  do, then find out 
  what happens
  You play the game by having a  
  conversation with your friends.
  It begins like this:
  First, the Guide describes your 
  scene to help you imagine the world 
  and what is happening nearby.
  Next, you say what your character 
  does. You can do anything you 
  want, like talk to other characters, 
  attack, or use one of your special 
  abilities.
  Then, the Guide imagines what 
  happens next and describes the  
  scene again.
  the guide
  "You hear the trees 
  rustle as the ground 
  rumbles. Birds jump 
  from the canopy 
  and flee the forest. 
  Suddenly, a mighty 
  bear bursts through the 
  trees and attacks you!
  What do you do?"
  the adventurer
  "I take out my magic 
  hammer and attack. 
  This furry menace 
  picked the wrong day  
  to mess with me."
  the guide
  "Okay, roll the die.
  Nice! That's a success. 
  What does it look like 
  when you strike the 
  bear?"
  
  9
  scenes
  Explore each 
  scene for clues 
   
  You might find yourself in a bustling 
  bazaar, a castle in the clouds, or a 
  dark dungeon. Use what you sense in 
  each scene to help you decide what 
  to do.
  If there’s grease on the ground, you 
  might slip on it. If a monster is three 
  times your size, it might be able 
  to pick you up. If the sky is dark, a 
  storm may be coming.
  Always think about the details the 
  Guide gives you, and ask for more if 
  you need it. You can start by asking 
  what you sense, like “What does it 
  smell like in here?” 
  Or you can ask something more 
  specific, like “Do I see anything I can 
  set on fire?”
  
  10
  scenes
  how to do things
  Doing things is simple: just 
  say what your character 
  does. If you want to open a 
  door, say that you open it. If 
  you want to talk to another 
  character, start talking to 
  them. 
  See a good dog? Say "I pet 
  the dog."
  You can play your role 
  by speaking as your 
  character's narrator and 
  actor.
  narrating. You can narrate 
  for your character by telling 
  everyone what they’re 
  doing. You might describe 
  how your character moves 
  across a room or what their 
  facial expressions look 
  like when they react to 
  something. Or you might 
  describe how something 
  makes them feel. 
  acting. When you speak 
  as your character, you are 
  the actor in a movie, saying 
  their lines. You can talk to 
  your companions this way, 
  or any other creature you 
  encounter in the game.
  Your character will seem 
  most interesting and 
  believable when you use a 
  mix of narrating and acting. 
  Staying in character helps 
  keep the other players 
  immersed in the world of 
  the game.
  We know: if you’re new 
  to this kind of game, 
  the acting part can feel 
  awkward. If you are 
  uncomfortable voicing your 
  character’s lines, that’s 
  okay — this isn’t Hollywood, 
  and you’re not auditioning 
  for a role. You don’t need to 
  come up with a fancy voice 
  or put on a costume. Of 
  course, you can if you want 
  to. 
  Everyone feels a little 
  awkward at first, but 
  eventually, you and your 
  character will form a bond 
  that feels natural.
  what to do
  This game is about 
  imagining scenes in a 
  fantasy world, then deciding 
  how your character 
  responds to them. 
  You can do anything in 
  Quest, but here are some 
  things you might do often:
   
  ■ Investigate the scene by 
  asking questions to the 
  Guide.
   
  ■ Describe how your 
  character feels, or say 
  what they're thinking.
   
  ■ Talk to your fellow party 
  members, or to any 
  NPCs you meet.
   
  ■ Make attacks on your 
  adversaries with your 
  weapons.
   
  ■ Use your special abilities.
  When you create a 
  character, you'll choose 
  personality traits like what 
  they believe in, what their 
  flaws are, and what they 
  want to achieve. Use these 
  traits when you think about 
  what your character would 
  do in each scene. 
  Think of your character like 
  a real person. Pay attention 
  to what's happening around 
  them, and think about how 
  the world affects them. 
  Take time to talk to your 
  companions. Express your 
  emotions. Question your 
  allies. Tell a joke or a story. 
  You will find the game's 
  heated moments will mean 
  more to you when you 
  take time to explore the 
  possibilities of each scene 
  and use your character's 
  voice.
  But don't feel pressure to 
  do the "right" thing in each 
  situation. The story will be 
  more fun and interesting if 
  you do what you think your 
  character would do, even if 
  it results in a setback.
  
  11
  action scenes
   
  Usually, the action in the game 
  will flow freely while players 
  speak, act, and think about what 
  to do next. 
  But in an action scene, the 
  players take turns. During a turn, 
  your character can move around 
  and do one thing. 
  Your one thing can be a special 
  ability you have or something 
  else you imagine, like helping 
  a friend to their feet, attacking 
  an enemy, or trying to break 
  through a door.
  The Guide decides whose turn 
  it is based on what's happening 
  in the story. They'll call on you 
  when it's your turn.
  When each member of the party 
  has taken a turn, the party has 
  completed a round. Then, the 
  Guide gets a round of turns for 
  all of the creatures they control.
  
  12
  distances
  Picture this: it’s your turn, and 
  you see a mischievous monster. 
  So you ask the Guide if it’s 
  possible for you to hit it.
  in reach
  If the monster is in reach, 
  you can touch or hit it from 
  where you stand. 
  nearby
  If the monster is nearby, you 
  can move to be within reach 
  of it during your turn.
  in range
  If the monster is in range, 
  you can hit it with a ranged 
  attack this turn.
  too far
  If the monster is too far, it's 
  beyond your range this turn. 
  You'll have to get closer.
  
  13
  triumph
  This is an exciting moment. You automatically 
  succeed at what you were trying to do, and you 
  may even find added fortune. If you’re dealing 
  damage, double it.
  rolling the die
   
  You roll the die in Quest to let 
  fate decide what happens next. 
  The Guide will ask you to roll 
  when you try to do something 
  risky, or when a bit of chance 
  makes things fun.
  You must roll every time you 
  make a basic attack. A basic 
  attack is when you say you 
  use your body or a weapon 
  to attack something without 
  using a special ability.
  After you roll, look at the 
  number on top of the die. 
  Then compare the result to the 
  table below. The Guide decides 
  what the consequences are. 
  You may find fortune! But if 
  things go badly, you will suffer 
  a setback. You might lose your 
  belongings, accidentally harm 
  a friend, or face a painful 
  choice. 
  success
  You accomplish what you were trying to do 
  without any compromises. If you're dealing 
  damage, you deal the standard amount.
  tough choice
  You succeed in your action, but there's a cost. 
  The Guide will give you a choice between two 
  setbacks.
  failure
  You fail your intended action and face a setback 
  of the Guide's choice. You might lose equipment, 
  take damage from an enemy counterattack, or 
  face some other misfortune.
  catastrophe
  Oh no. You automatically fail, and you may suffer 
  a severe setback.
  
  14
  Your character's mortality is 
  measured by a number called  
  hit points, or hp. 
  It's simple: you lose hit points 
  when you are harmed, like if 
  you get stuck by a sword. We 
  also call this damage. 
  Bad things happen if you run 
  out of HP. 
  If you are damaged while at 
  0 hit points, there's a chance 
  you'll die.
  Fortunately, you're also deadly. 
  Your basic unarmed attacks 
  (like punches and kicks) deal 
  1 damage. Most common 
  weapons, like swords and 
  bows, deal 2 damage.
  harm and recovery
  You lose hit points when you are 
  damaged by weapons, spells, and 
  other things that can cause harm. For 
  example, you can lose 2 HP from being 
  hit by a sword, while standing in a 
  dragon's fiery breath might damage you 
  for 6 HP. You begin with 10 HP. This is 
  the maximum amount of HP you can 
  have.
  regroup. When you rest for a short time 
  with no enemies nearby, you regain up 
  to the halfway point of your maximum 
  hit points. For example, if you regroup 
  while at 3 HP, you would recover 2 HP. 
  If you regroup while at 0 HP, you would 
  recover 5 HP.
  rest. When you complete a full night's 
  rest while in a safe place, you recover 
  all of your hit points.
  injury and death
  You can't be seriously hurt until you 
  run out of hit points. But when you 
  drop to 0 HP, you are at death’s door. 
  You can't go below 0 HP, but you will 
  remain there until you regroup, rest, or 
  heal.
  If you are hit while you are already at  
  0 HP, roll the die. If the result is equal 
  to or less than the hit, your character 
  dies. For example, if a sword hits you 
  for 2 HP while at death's door, you 
  are killed if you roll a 1 or 2. If you 
  survive a death roll, you might still 
  fall unconscious or even receive a 
  permanent injury. 
  Losing a character doesn't have to 
  mean you are out of the game. If the 
  story isn't finished, you may start a new 
  character and rejoin the game when 
  it makes sense for the party to meet 
  someone new.
  deadly scenes
  Don't run out of hit points
  
  15
  In the next chapter, you will 
  choose from one of eight roles. 
  Each role has a unique set of 
  abilities that let you do special 
  things. If you were a superhero, 
  these would be your signature 
  powers. 
  You can do anything in Quest, 
  so don't feel limited to only 
  using your abilities. Think of 
  your abilities as ways to take 
  control of a scene. Some are 
  exceptionally powerful and can 
  dramatically affect your story.
  You'll spend adventure points 
  (ap) to activate your most 
  powerful abilities. 
  You can learn what each ability 
  does in the Ability Catalog,  
  starting on p. 30.
  adventure points
  Some of your abilities are so powerful 
  and taxing that you can only use them 
  occasionally. To use these abilities, 
  you will spend AP. If an ability has an 
  adventure point cost, you must spend 
  AP every time you use it.
  You begin the game with 10 AP.
  You earn 5 AP at the end of each game 
  session as a reward for spending time 
  with your friends. The Guide may also 
  award players with AP for roleplaying 
  well, solving puzzles, defeating villains, 
  reaching goals, or encouraging fun.
  Adventure points don't recharge. Once 
  you spend them, they're gone until you 
  earn some more. 
  growth
  You and your companions will begin  
  on the verge of a great adventure. You 
  begin the game with six abilities from 
  the Ability Catalog.
  Each ability is part of a learning path, 
  and you must learn new abilities in 
  order. Abilities become more powerful 
  as you travel further down each path. 
  You can choose abilities from any 
  path, and you don't have to complete a 
  learning path before choosing abilities 
  from a different path.
  Each time you end a session of Quest, 
  you may choose a new ability that you 
  can use the next time you play. If you 
  play long enough, you can learn all of 
  the abilities for your role.
  abilities
  You begin with 6 special abilities
  
  16
  basic goods
  You can meet your basic needs in most 
  places without having to pay for them. 
  This includes things of average quality 
  that your character needs as a matter of 
  routine, like food and drink, a modest 
  dwelling, and inexpensive items, like 
  the things that stock the shelves of a 
  convenience store.
  Here are some examples of basic items 
  that you can get most places without 
  paying for them: 
   
  ■ A modest meal at a restaurant.
   
  ■ An average dwelling, like an 
  apartment.
   
  ■ Room and board at an inn.
   
  ■ Riding fare for public transit.
   
  ■ Common clothes.
   
  ■ Mundane items, like string, ink, 
  postage, candles, firewood, groceries, 
  and small tools.
  There's no exhaustive list of what 
  counts as a basic good, and what 
  qualifies depends on the context of 
  your scene. For example, if you're in 
  a hostile town where the locals really 
  don't like you, they may try to charge 
  you for things that you can get for free 
  elsewhere. The Guide is responsible for 
  deciding whether something you want 
  qualifies as a basic good.
  trading
  If you want something valuable, like 
  a shiny sword from a merchant or a 
  room in a fancy hotel, you might have 
  to trade one of your own valuable 
  possessions for it. There is no money in 
  Quest, only the items of value that you 
  carry.
  To get something from an NPC, you can 
  offer something in exchange. It can be 
  one of your own items or something 
  intangible, like a favor, a promise, or 
   
  your labor. The NPC may accept or 
  reject your offer, or try to negotiate with 
  you.
  If you get stuck in a negotiation, you 
  can ask the Guide to let you roll the die 
  to see if your offer succeeds.
  Trading is based on communication, 
  perception, and feelings. There's no 
  definitive guide to the value of items —  
  only what people want and how much  
  they want it.
  buying things
  Receive what you need,  
  trade for things you want
  
  17
  Use your character worksheet to track 
  your hit points, adventure points, and the 
  items in your inventory.
  You're free to stash things anywhere, 
  like on a horse or in your home, but your 
  character can only personally carry a 
  total of 12 things. Each of your 12 things 
  should be reasonably able to fit in a 
  backpack or on your person. You can 
  choose any configuration of packs, but 
  altogether, they can only hold 12 things.
  If something is a kit, like a sewing or first 
  aid kit, it only counts as one thing. The 
  outfit you're wearing and miscellaneous 
  items that are mundane and near-
  weightless, like a personal letter, a pen, 
  or a decorative pin, don't count against 
  your limit. 
  The Guide is responsible for deciding 
  what counts against your inventory limit.
  inventory
  12 items or fewer
  You can find a full-page version of the Character 
  Worksheet to print in the Digital Edition package,  
  or on our website at: www.adventure.game/downloads
  
  18
  general rules
  Be good to each other
  be respectful
  Quest works best when 
  people treat each other 
  and the conversation with 
  mutual respect. Which is 
  to say: be nice at the table, 
  even if your character is 
  mean sometimes.
  The game doesn’t work 
  when people are angry, 
  rude, or uninterested in 
  what’s going on. In the 
  real world outside of the 
  game, everyone deserves 
  to be treated with respect. 
  When you decide to spend 
  your time sharing a story 
  together, you should do 
  your best to make sure 
  everyone has a good time. 
  respect boundaries.  
  Don’t say things to people 
  either out of character or in 
  roleplaying that make them 
  uncomfortable in the real 
  world. 
  Don’t introduce extreme 
  concepts into the game, like 
  torture or sexual violence, 
  unless everyone agrees 
  beforehand that they are 
  acceptable to use in your 
  story.
  let your friends talk. 
  Everyone should get a 
  chance to speak without 
  being interrupted. Make 
  sure you are not dominating 
  all of the conversation or 
  action. Share the story.
  only play your character. 
  Don't tell other people what 
  to do, even if you think you 
  have the best idea. You 
  can't win or lose a game 
  of Quest in the traditional 
  sense. People are often 
  supposed to fail or do silly 
  things, especially if they are 
  roleplaying.
  be nice to your guide.  
  It takes a lot of work to 
  prepare for the game and 
  keep it running over time. 
  Show respect for your 
  Guide by paying attention 
  when they are helping tell 
  the story. It can feel hurtful 
  when people are distracted.
  Since the Guide is bringing 
  lots of work to the table, 
  it’s a nice gesture for 
  the players to take turns 
  providing things like snacks 
  and drinks for the group. 
  silence your phone.  
  Please.
  ask for consent
  It is against the rules for 
  player characters to attack 
  other party members, 
  steal from them, restrain 
  them, or force them to 
  do anything against their 
  wishes. If you want to 
  roleplay an adversarial 
  situation, go out of 
  character to ask the other 
  player if it's okay.
  don't be evil, 
  unless...
  The players' objectives 
  should be compatible 
  because they are allies. The 
  game can quickly break if 
  one player is overtly evil 
  and wants to go around 
  murdering everyone they 
  meet. That doesn’t mean 
  you can’t break the law 
  or do bad things, and 
  oftentimes, doing the 
  wrong thing can be good 
  for the story. But don't be 
  evil unless the entire group 
  agrees ahead of time. The 
  story belongs to the entire 
  group.
  
  19
  general rules
  be mindful of 
  secrets
  Sometimes you will need 
  to keep secrets from your 
  character. For example, 
  let's say the party splits up, 
  and the Guide describes 
  a scene your character is 
  not in. You will hear what 
  happens, but your character 
  is not supposed to know.
  Try not to use information 
  your character doesn't 
  have to roleplay or make 
  decisions. Wait for another 
  player to share it, if they 
  want to.
  speak clearly
  You will use two voices: 
  your out-of-character voice 
  (you in the real world) and 
  your in-character voice 
  (roleplaying). Make sure it 
  is always clear which voice 
  you are using to prevent 
  confusion at the table.
  flip a coin
  If your party can't agree 
  on a course of action 
  and everyone feels stuck, 
  consider going out of 
  character to flip a coin 
  between two alternatives. 
  Then, respect the result, 
  and move on. 
  be a fair guide
  The Guide’s job is to 
  narrate the story, play 
  characters and monsters 
  in the world, and create 
  consequences for all of the 
  players' actions.
  All of that power comes 
  with a lot of responsibility. 
  Because the Guide’s 
  judgment is so critical 
  to the enjoyment of the 
  game, they have a duty to 
  act wisely and fairly.It’s 
  no fun to have a Guide 
  who constantly punishes 
  the players in cruel ways, 
  singles out one player all 
  the time, plays favorites, or 
  uses rules inconsistently. 
  Even though the Guide’s 
  word is final, they 
  are expected to make 
  consistent and fair 
  decisions about the game.
  help everyone 
  have fun
  The stakes in your story 
  will often be high, but 
  sometimes they will also 
  feel high in the real world. 
  You might feel upset about 
  what another player says 
  or does. Maybe you feel 
  that the rules were used 
  unfairly, or maybe you're 
  just having a bad day. 
  That's okay, but remember 
  that this experience is 
  about having fun. If you're 
  not having fun, tell your 
  friends why. And be sure 
  to listen to your friends if 
  they're upset. If tensions 
  are too high, everyone 
  should take a break and 
  come back to the game 
  later.
  Always remember: Quest is 
  not about winning or losing; 
  it's about spending quality 
  time with your friends.
  
  20
  
  21
  character creation
  Say your name
  This page is called your character profile. 
  This chapter will give you ideas to help 
  you fill in the blanks and create a unique 
  and interesting character.
  You can start right now by choosing a 
  name. It can be anything! Choose what 
  your pronouns are to let others know 
  how to refer to you. Some examples are: 
  they/them, she/her, and/or he/him. 
  Next, choose your age (with a maximum 
  lifespan of 300 years) and your height 
  (between 3 and 8 feet tall). 
  Then, follow the steps in this chapter 
  from 1 to 8 to finish creating your 
  character. Feel free to use your own 
  creativity to fill in the blanks. You're not 
  obligated to use the examples in this 
  book. Create a character that seems fun 
  and interesting to you.
  chapter 2 (15-20 minutes)
  
  22
  The Fighter takes charge 
  to meet challenges up 
  close. They are weapon 
  masters and martial 
  artists, relying on their 
  physical might to 
  overcome foes. 
  The Invoker is a battle 
  mage, relying on the 
  force of their ideals. They 
  conjure protective wards, 
  invigorate allies in a 
  pinch, and smite enemies 
  with radiance.
  The Ranger is an 
  outlander, hunter, 
  and skilled navigator, 
  thriving on the fringes 
  of civilization. They keep 
  faithful pets and have a 
  special bond with beasts.
  fighter
  1
   
  Choose a role
   
  Your role gives you a unique set of 
  abilities and is a big part of your 
  character’s identity. This is just 
  a brief overview of Quest's eight 
  roles; you can see their skills in  
  the Ability Catalog.
  invoker
  ranger
  naturalist
  The Naturalist channels 
  their connection with 
  nature to manipulate 
  the elements, commune 
  with animals, and even 
  transform themselves into 
  wild beasts. 
  The Doctor is a magic 
  scientist who tinkers 
  with the forces of life 
  and death. They reverse 
  (or advance) the effects 
  of damage, disease, and 
  decay. 
  The Spy is a crafty agent 
  of stealth and subterfuge. 
  They are master 
  assassins and experts 
  in the use of magical 
  gadgets, chemicals, traps, 
  disguises, and forgeries. 
  The Magician specializes 
  in conjuration and 
  psychic manipulation. 
  From parlor tricks to 
  elaborate deceptions, they 
  are master illusionists, 
  capable of twisting the 
  mind.
  The Wizard is a powerful 
  spellcaster with a diverse 
  set of magical abilities. At 
  the height of their power, 
  they can travel to other 
  worlds and transcend 
  their mortal selves.
  doctor
  spy
  magician
  wizard
  
  23
  When people see me, they first notice my
  ,   
  , and  
  .
  body
  scales
  worn scars
  iridescent skin
  rack of muscles
  towering physique
  speckled complexion
  barrel-sized belly
  head of tentacles
  generous curves
  elongated limbs
  bumpy exterior
  willowy frame
  sculpted hair
  stout stature
  lived-in body
  vestigial tail
  webbed fins
  rough hide
  face
  gaunt face
  sharp teeth
  fulsome cheeks
  large, pointy ears
  vestigial antennae
  knee-length beard
  devastating smile
  windswept face
  manicured fuzz
  ridged forehead
  triangular head
  timeworn face
  romantic eyes
  severe jawline
  skeptical eyes
  radiant smile
  burning eyes
  heavy brows
  vibe
  long shadow
  sleepy mood
  sparkling gaze
  eternal grimace
  bursting energy
  an air of mystery
  gentle disposition
  androgynous vibes
  thousand-yard stare
  tightly wound energy
  brooding presence
  friendly demeanor
  meandering gaze
  graceful posture
  captivating grin
  raucous laugh
  flawless poise
  fiery temper
  2
  Enter the scene  
   
  You can give your character as 
  much detail as you want, but it 
  helps to start with a few distinctive 
  features. Imagine what people 
  would notice when you first enter a 
  room. As a starting point, imagine 
  the world is filled with humanlike 
  peoples who need the same things 
  we do: food, safety, love, and fun. 
  The features you choose may 
  suggest a unique ancestry, but they 
  don't separate you from others. 
  Assume that peoples of the world 
  are compatible in matters of family, 
  labor, and society.
  You can choose any of the things 
  from this list or create your own. 
  The only rule is that features you 
  choose to describe your character 
  can't give them special powers.
  
  24
  3
  Choose how you present yourself to 
  the world. Pick your usual outfit, and 
  imagine what your character looks 
  like when they move. It only takes 
  a couple of features to help people 
  imagine you, but you can be even 
  more detailed if you like. 
  Show your style
  I wear 
  , 
  , 
  etched leather armor
  a billowing jumpsuit
  a tightly fitted tunic
  religious vestments
  nicked chainmail
  runes in my hair
  a fluttering cape
  weathered rags
  a layered dress
  a warm cloak
  an owl pin
  a charmed necklace
  a ragged headcover
  antique eyeglasses
  a patterned hijab
  a silken eyepatch
  fingerless gloves
  a quilted jacket
  encrusted cuffs
  a feathered cap
  a boned bodice
  a fancy hat
  a bronze breastplate
  oversized spectacles
  a homemade charm
  hammered earrings
  an ornamented belt
  a shining hauberk
  an animal brooch
  obsidian bracers
  a symbol of god
  a tarnished ring
  a humble tunic
  and move with 
  .
  no sense of urgency
  an effortless glide
  frenzied footwork
  a confident step
  great difficulty
  a reliable pace
  wide-swinging arms
  a spring in my step
  a singular purpose
  no sense of space
  music in my feet
  an uneven gait
  a joyful whistle
  relentless focus
  casual swagger
  apprehension
  a heavy step
  fearlessness
  
  25
  I'm from 
  , 
  a great metropolis
  a remote village
  a frontier town
  a lonely island
  a capital city
  a seastead
  a remote stronghold
  a traveling caravan
  a hidden warren
  a working farm
  a roadside inn
  a ship at sea
  a place I can't name
  a subterranean city
  a forgotten nation
  a mountain town
  a city in the mist
  a homestead
  where my people are known for 
  .
  their steady pursuit of pleasure
  their easygoing temperament
  their unhurried sense of time
  treating strangers with love
  restoring justice to the land
  once ruling a vast empire
  creating a world wonder
  enduring a great tragedy
  their neutral rationality
  their warm hospitality
  a culture of secrecy
  non-hierarchical relationships
  plainly stating their intentions
  their sense of duty to each other 
  resisting a brutal ruling order
  creating historic works of art
  strict adherence to the law
  their commercial success
  setting cultural trends
  their traditional ways
  inventing the future
  losing a great war
  4
  Like the real world, the peoples 
  of Quest are endlessly diverse. 
  Use where you're from and 
  what your people are known for 
  as a starting point for how you 
  relate to others in the world.
  Call home
  
  26
  5
  “Stop right 
  there, criminal 
  scum.”
  “I must ensure 
  equitable and 
  just outcomes for 
  everyone.”
  “Courage is 
  everything. 
  Always take 
  charge.” 
  “I know it will 
  delay us, but we 
  should help this 
  stranger first.”
  “Life gives 
  abundantly,  
  so I will too.”
  order
  You have no 
  patience for 
  lawbreakers 
  or people who 
  don’t conform to 
  "normal" behavior. 
  justice
  It is your duty 
  to deliver 
  righteousness and 
  fairness in the 
  world. 
  heroism
  You don’t stand 
  idly by when 
  someone is in 
  danger. 
  compassion
  You believe people 
  deserve mercy and 
  safety. 
  generosity
  You cherish the 
  opportunity to give 
  to those in need.
  Believe in something
  “What’s 
  the point of 
  living if we’re 
  not enjoying 
  ourselves?”
  “It would be 
  irrational to 
  fight. We should 
  negotiate.”
  “I made a 
  promise, and I 
  must fulfill it at 
  all costs.” 
  “The only law 
  that matters is 
  the law of force.”
  “Have you 
  considered your 
  immortal soul 
  today?”
  “Sure, a lot of 
  people got eaten, 
  but it was  
  worth it!”
  pleasure
  You seek comfort 
  and joy, and 
  believe people 
  should enjoy being 
  alive. 
  pragmatism
  You value logic 
  and efficiency 
  above other 
  concerns.
  honor
  You believe in a 
  code, and it's your 
  duty to uphold it.
  power
  You think those 
  who are strong 
  deserve to make 
  the rules.
  salvation
  Making yourself 
  and others 
  righteous in the 
  eyes of the true 
  god(s) is the 
  highest calling. 
  the ends
  You don’t care 
  what it takes, as 
  long as you get 
  where you're 
  going.
  Choose an ideal that guides your behavior. This is your 
  moral core: the belief that will help you know what your 
  character might do in lots of situations. You can choose 
  one of these or create your own.
  
  27
  6
  “There's no way 
  I'm going in 
  first. Someone 
  else should do 
  it.”
  “I won't rest 
  until I rule every 
  inch of this 
  world.”
  “Ooh... what 
  does this big red 
  button do?”
  “Hey — want to 
  smell a funny 
  joke?”
  “...”
  fearful
  You shy away from 
  danger and are 
  often the last to act 
  in a confrontation.
  megalomaniac
  You have 
  delusional 
  fantasies of wealth 
  or power. 
  foolish
  Everyone thinks 
  it’s a silly idea. 
  That's exactly why 
  you do it.  
  impish
  You often crack 
  jokes, make rude 
  gestures, or behave 
  crudely in front of 
  others. 
  oblivious
  You often don’t 
  see what’s right in 
  front of you, even 
  if it has fangs.
  Be vulnerable
  “If it's not bolted 
  down, they 
  didn't really 
  want to keep it.”
  “That dark alley 
  looks fun. I'll be 
  back in a bit.”
  “Yes, it's true. 
  I'm very famous 
  where I'm from.”
  “Wow. That's 
  a lot of tigers. 
  Time to go pet 
  the big kitties!”
  “Nobody has 
  stepped on my 
  shoe and lived to 
  tell about it.”
  “Magic mirror 
  on the wall, 
  who's the best 
  one of them all?”
  thief
  You steal. 
  Everything. 
  hedonist
  Your pursuit of 
  pleasure causes 
  you to ignore more 
  pressing matters.
  liar
  You tell tall tales 
  and love to deceive 
  people. 
  reckless
  You charge into 
  situations without 
  regard for safety or 
  reason. 
  wrathful
  You are 
  unrestrained 
  in your use of 
  violence and react 
  disproportionately 
  to threats. 
  vain
  You care too 
  deeply about how 
  you are perceived 
  by others and 
  change your 
  behavior to suit 
  them.
  Nobody's perfect. Choose a flaw to make your character 
  complicated and believable. Like your ideal, you're free to 
  choose one of these suggestions or create your own. 
  
  28
  I dream of  
  .
  Finally, give your character a dream to work toward — 
  a reason that fuels their desire for adventure. 
  returning to my hometown as a renowned hero 
  freeing myself from a gang that wants me dead
  getting revenge on someone who wronged me
  finding a corner of the world to make my own
  publishing a book that's found in every home
  sparking an idea that transforms the world
  becoming the greatest scholar in my field
  recovering a stolen artifact for my people
  stealing from the rich to give to the poor
  having my name spoken by my leader
  meeting my parents for the first time
  spreading my ideal across the land
  overturning a corrupt government
  producing a timeless work of art
  becoming tremendously wealthy
  finding the source of eternal life
  becoming a leader of my nation
  becoming a notorious gambler
  making every stranger smile
  becoming a master artisan
  dying an honorable death
  mapping the entire world
  meeting the grim reaper
  pulling off the big score
  traveling to the stars
  becoming a celebrity
  meeting my god(s)
  killing my past
  7
  Dream big
  
  29
  8
  1
  unarmed
  You're not obligated to carry 
  a weapon, but in desperate 
  times, you can always use your 
  body as one. Remember: your 
  unarmed attacks (like punches 
  and kicks) deal 1 damage.
  You can also make unarmed 
  attacks with extra style. For 
  instance, if you want to throw 
  a book at someone really 
  hard, you can count it as an 
  unarmed attack that deals 1 
  damage. 
  2
  common weapons
  All common weapons, 
  like swords, bows, spears, 
  hammers, knives, and more, 
  deal 2 damage each. You can 
  choose any three common 
  weapons to start the game 
  with.
  If you choose a ranged 
  weapon, like a bow or 
  crossbow, you must also use 
  one of your item slots for 
  ammunition. You don't need 
  to keep track of how much 
  ammunition you have, but 
  you might run out if you lose 
  equipment.
  useful items
  lockpicks. A set of 5 lockpicks 
  that can be used to try to 
  bypass doors and other things 
  with simple locks.
  magic rope. A 50-foot rope that 
  can automatically coil itself. It 
  can also shrink to the size of a 
  spool of yarn for easy carrying, 
  and expand back to its normal 
  size on its owner's command.
  magic flask. A magic flask that 
  automatically replenishes 
  itself with a spirit of your 
  choice. (Choose once.)
  magic candle. A powerful 
  candle that can light itself and 
  snuff itself out on its owner's 
  command. It drips wax but 
  never seems to lose any.
  kiln gauze. A container of 
  magic gauze that can be 
  used to repair broken metal 
  weapons like swords. When 
  the gauze is wrapped around 
  a severed weapon, it welds the 
  weapon back together in a 
  flash. There is enough gauze 
  in each container to repair one 
  weapon.
  friend flute. This is a small 
  magic whistle that knows who 
  your friends are. When you 
  blow in the whistle, only your 
  friends nearby can hear its 
  sound. 
  skycaller amulets. A pair of 
  magic amulets that allow their 
  owners to communicate with 
  each other at any distance 
  within the same world. 
  When held in the hand, the 
  amulets allow the bearers to 
  communicate with each other 
  telepathically by wishing for 
  the link to be created. Each 
  pair of amulets can only 
  communicate with each other 
  and can only be activated up 
  to three times a day. Each 
  time the link is activated, the 
  wearers may communicate for 
  up to 5 minutes.
  brell's tent in a tin. A colorful 
  tin canister that's magically 
  pressurized. When you unlock 
  the canister and set it on the 
  ground, the lid blows off a few 
  moments later, deploying a 
  large magic tent that can fit 30 
  people. Sound cannot escape 
  the inside of the tent. A switch 
  on the side of the tin teleports 
  the tent back inside and closes 
  the lid.
  Gear up
  Your character profile is finished. Now, grab your Character Worksheet 
  (p. 17). You may choose any three common weapons. Additionally, you 
  may choose one useful item from this list. You begin the game with these 
  items, so be sure to mark them in your inventory.
  
  30
  the ability catalog 
  Choose your path 
  to greatness 
   
  Have you ever closed your eyes and 
  wished for something magical to  
  happen?
  Perhaps to talk to animals, grow 
  wings and fly, become invisible, or 
  travel through time and space? Quest 
  is a magical place where those things 
  are possible.
  In this section, you'll discover all of 
  the special abilities that make each 
  role unique. In the next few pages, 
  you'll learn important rules and 
  keywords that explain how abilities 
  work.
  chapter 3  (5-10 minutes per role)
  
  31
  choosing abilities
  Choose six abilities for your role from 
  this catalog before starting the game. 
  This is your starting set of abilities, and 
  you can use them in your first session.
  At the end of each game session, you 
  may choose one new ability to learn 
  from the catalog. 
  learning paths
  Abilities belong to learning paths, like 
  the Ranger's Friend path, shown below. 
  You must learn abilities in each path 
  in order from left to right, starting with 
  the first ability in each path.
  You can learn abilities from all of your 
  learning paths. (You don't need to learn 
  all of the abilities in one path before 
  learning abilities in another one.) 
  For example, you could choose the 
  first ability from each path to start the 
  game, or learn a bunch from one or two 
  paths.
  You can learn as many or as few 
  abilities in each path as you want, as 
  long as you learn new abilities in order. 
  In the example below, if you wanted 
  to learn Pair Bond, you'd have to first 
  learn Speak With Animal, then Animal 
  Partner, and then Courier.
  legendary abilities
  There are some abilities so powerful 
  and rare that you can only learn 
  them if your adventure provides the 
  opportunity. Your Guide will decide 
  when and how your role's legendary 
  abilities can be learned. 
  adventure points
  If you see an ability in the catalog with 
  an activation cost, you must spend AP 
  to use that ability.
  When you spend AP to activate an 
  ability, you must immediately deduct it 
  from your adventure point balance. 
  3
   Activation costs look like this. 
  (This ability would cost 3 AP to use.)
  Some abilities can be used in different 
  ways and have multiple activation 
  costs. Take the example below:
  2
   You create a small bolt of flame.
  4
   You create a huge fireball.
  In this example, you could spend 2 
  AP to create a small bolt of flame, or 
  instead spend 4 AP to create a huge 
  fireball. If an activation cost has an "X," 
  it means you may choose how much AP 
  to spend on the ability.
  0
   If one of an ability's features has 
  an activation cost of 0, you can use it 
  without spending any AP.
  friend
  speak with animal — animal partner — courier — pair bond —  whisper on the wind
  how abilities work
  The Ranger's "Friend" learning path.
  
  32
  the spy's toolkit
  The Spy is a master of practical means 
  and is the only role that can craft 
  bespoke magical items. These items are 
  listed in the catalog alongside abilities, 
  and the Spy can acquire them at the 
  end of a session like you can any other 
  ability. However, these items can be 
  lost or broken like any other object. The 
  Spy may spend 2 AP to rebuild a lost 
  or broken item. Items must be rebuilt 
  during downtime in the story.
  Other creatures may hold the Spy's 
  items, but only the Spy can activate 
  their magic capabilities.
  "at the table" 
  If an ability asks you to do something at 
  the table, that means doing it in the real 
  world. If you can't do it, that's okay; you 
  may ask another player to assist you, or 
  just ignore the requirement. 
  If you're uncomfortable performing 
  one of the game's abilities, like reading 
  poetry, you may describe how your 
  character performs the ability instead 
  of doing it yourself.
  "roll the die"
  If you see this badge in an ability, 
  it means you have to roll the die to 
  see what happens when you use it. 
  Any time you roll the die there is a 
  possibility of failure. 
   
  roll the die
  As usual, the Guide will decide what the 
  consequences of the die roll are. But 
  if an ability lists its own set of special 
  consequences, the Guide will use those 
  instead.
  important keywords
  Pay attention to these keywords when 
  you see them appear in this book.
  objects. Any inanimate thing in your 
  scene, like a door or a chair.
  creatures. Any sentient being, including 
  both NPCs and player characters. 
  People, humans, dogs, aliens, talking 
  trees — yes, anything.
  non-player characters (npcs). Any 
  creature played by the Guide.
  spirits. Ethereal creatures who do not 
  have physical bodies. Think of them 
  like ghosts who float through the world. 
  Many spirits are invisible.
  animals. Sentient creatures without 
  self-awareness or personhood, like cats, 
  dogs, giant eagles, and insects.
  bosses. Unique creatures of power, 
  intellect, or importance who are 
  resistant to some abilities. 
  minions. Creatures that are more 
  powerful than average, like a villain's 
  groupies or the town guard.
  commoners. Normal people, common 
  animals, or other average creatures. 
  Think of them like extras in the 
  background of a movie.
  plane. A location in the omniverse. You 
  can learn more about planes and the 
  omniverse on the next page.
  how abilities work
  
  33
  the omniverse
  Imagine an infinite cascade of universes, 
  like lily pads spread across an endless 
  lake. The universe of your story is one of 
  them. Each universe is made up of a series 
  of planes, and all universes are connected 
  through an astral plane called the rift.
  worldly plane
  The worldly plane is the 
  primary plane in each 
  universe. It is the realm of 
  your conscious existence 
  — the ordinary reality of 
  space, time, matter, and 
  energy. Most stories in 
  this game begin in the 
  Worldly Plane. Access to 
  other universes and planes 
  requires the use of powerful 
  magic.
  There are infinite 
  numbers of worldly planes 
  in alternate possible 
  universes.
  shadow plane
  Beneath the worldly plane, 
  there are shadow planes: 
  independent dimensions 
  of time and space. They 
  can only be created and 
  accessed by using magic.
  Think of them like ships in 
  a bottle. Each shadow plane 
  can be filled with anything 
  — from a single room 
  surrounded by darkness to 
  a convincing illusion of the 
  real world. 
  the rift
  The Rift is an astral 
  plane that exists between 
  universes. It is the nexus 
  — the planar transitway — 
  between an infinite number 
  of parallel realities. It is the 
  lake where the lily pads lie.
  Creatures perceive The Rift 
  like a series of vast islands, 
  some as large as continents 
  or planets, situated on 
  the inside surface of a 
  brilliant celestial sphere. 
  Each island in The Rift is a 
  door to a possible universe. 
  The Rift is home to entire 
  civilizations, godlike 
  creatures, and many other 
  beings who are spread 
  across its expanse.
  the beyond
  The Beyond is the outer 
  plane, the omniverse, 
  that encircles all possible 
  universes. It is the source 
  of the magical energy 
  that weaves through 
  all of the omniverse’s 
  endless realities. It is 
  an incomprehensible 
  space where all possible 
  existences simultaneously 
  occur and time stands still.
  Each time a group of 
  players sits down to tell a 
  story in Quest, they create a 
  new part of the omniverse. 
  That means every story told 
  in this game is connected. 
  Characters can even travel 
  between stories if given the 
  chance.
  
  34
  the fighter
   
  The Fighter charges into battle with 
  a fearsome cry, raising their sword to 
  cleave through enemies. They deftly 
  move between foes, countering their 
  attacks and enduring them when 
  necessary. They rally their comrades, 
  forming unshakable bonds with them.
  You can use the Fighter role to play all 
  kinds of martial experts. You can be a 
  stoic knight, a glory-seeking gladiator, 
  a wizened veteran, a meditative 
  pugilist, or a raging berserker.
  quick start
  Choose these abilities: Counterattack, Wild 
  Attack, Provoke, Intercept, Summon the Blood, 
  and Size Up.
  
  35
  counterattack
  0
   When an enemy within reach 
  rolls a tough choice or worse on a basic 
  attack against you, you parry their 
  attack and take no damage. If they 
  roll a failure or worse, you may also 
  immediately roll the die to make a basic 
  attack on them. This counterattack 
  does not count as a turn.
  wild attack
  roll the die
  0
   You attack with reckless power, 
  disregarding your safety. Describe a 
  signature style for this attack and what 
  it looks like when you make it. 
  20: You deal quadruple damage.
  11-19: You deal double damage.
  6-10: You deal double damage to the 
  enemy, but they counterattack you.
  2-5: You miss. All enemies within reach 
  may counterattack you immediately.
  1: Your weapon breaks.
  overpower
  1
   You use your strength to 
  overpower a commoner or minion 
  within reach. (You cannot use this 
  ability on bosses.) Describe how you 
  overpower them. You put the target in a 
  compromised position until they spend 
  a turn getting out of it. During this 
  time, basic attacks hit them for double 
  damage.
  disarm
  1
   You disarm an NPC within reach.  
  If you have a free hand, you may take 
  the weapon for yourself, or you may 
  toss the weapon aside. You may disarm 
  the NPC on your turn or immediately 
  after they roll a failure or worse on an 
  attack against you.
  duel
  1
   You compel a nearby creature 
  to fight you in single combat. (The 
  creature must already be hostile toward 
  you.)
  If you have the Quest Core Deck, 
  take your Basic Attack, Wild Attack, 
  Overpower, and Disarm cards. (If 
  you don't have this deck, assign these 
  abilities to a standard deck of cards.) 
  Choose three of these cards to use 
  and place them facedown on the table, 
  keeping it secret from the Guide. 
  The Guide must guess the identity of 
  each card. Reveal the card after each 
  guess. If the Guide guesses correctly, 
  you fail to use the ability on that card. 
  If they guess incorrectly, you use the 
  ability immediately at no AP cost, and it 
  is automatically successful.
  If the Guide guesses all three correctly, 
  your foe immediately makes a 
  successful counterattack against you. 
  But if they get all three guesses wrong, 
  you may extend the Duel for another 
  round of three guesses.
  dueling
  counterattack — wild attack — overpower — disarm — duel
  
  36
  provoke
  0
   Make a nearby creature angry at 
  you by saying something or making a 
  rude gesture. Your target must be able 
  to understand your intent. For the next 
  minute, the target focuses its attention 
  on you, ignoring all others. The effect 
  ends if the target is hit by another 
  creature or if hostilities subside.
  intercept
  1
   If a nearby NPC is about to attack 
  someone, you may rush to intercept the 
  attack. (You must say you're using this 
  ability as soon as the Guide declares the 
  attack.) The NPC makes their attack on 
  you instead.
  When you intercept the attack, the 
  attacker immediately becomes affected 
  by your Provoke ability. 
  charge
  2
   You lock your gaze on a nearby 
  destination, summoning all of your 
  strength to charge toward it. You 
  violently barrel through any foes in 
  your path, knocking them down and 
  dealing 1 damage to each of them. 
  Creatures you knock down are dazed 
  and cannot use special abilities during 
  their next turn.
  retreat
  2
   You Provoke all nearby enemies 
  to give your allies cover to retreat. If 
  you are in combat, one nearby enemy 
  immediately gets a chance to attack 
  you. 
  You and any willing allies can then 
  safely and expeditiously disengage from 
  a fight and leave the scene. Commoners 
  and minions will not pursue you, but 
  bosses may still choose to give chase.
  whirlwind
  roll the die
  2
   You become a tornado of martial 
  fury in an attack so swift that creatures 
  nearby can hear a whistling sound in 
  the air. You may use your body or a 
  weapon for this attack. 
  20: You strike all enemies within reach, 
  hitting them for double damage.
  11-19: You hit all enemies within reach.
  6-10: You hit all enemies within reach. 
  Choose one: you deal half damage 
  or your weapon breaks after dealing 
  damage.
  2-5: You hit one enemy within reach, 
  then your weapon goes flying in the 
  air.
  1: You spin wildly until you feel sick, 
  and an enemy disarms you.
  tactics
  provoke — intercept — charge — retreat — whirlwind
  
  37
  summon the blood
  1
   When you regroup (p. 14), you 
  bolster the spirits of your party by 
  reciting a poem. You must recite a 
  poem at the table for your friends. 
  You can write your own or read one 
  from another author, like from a book, 
  movie, or TV show.
  When completed, your party recovers 
  an additional 3 HP from regrouping.
  valiant soliloquy
  2
   You inspire your allies with a 
  rousing speech. You can write your own 
  or borrow one from a play or movie. It 
  can be short; reading a few powerful 
  lines is enough.
  You must give the speech at the table. 
  When you complete it, each member of 
  the party gains the option to redo their 
  next roll. This option expires at the end 
  of your scene if it has not been used.
  war story
  0
   Once per game session, you may 
  earn 2 AP by recounting a battle from 
  your past adventures. You can only 
  use this ability during downtime in 
  the story, like when you regroup or 
  undertake a journey. (You can't spout 
  history during combat.)
  You must recount a different conflict 
  each time you use this ability. If there is 
  no battle to recount, you can make one 
  up from your character's past. 
  marshal
  1
   When you face a serious test of 
  strength, you can organize the help of 
  your allies to overcome it. The whole 
  party must be nearby and able to 
  participate.
  Everyone in the party must roll the die. 
  If a majority of players scores a success 
  or better, you are able to overcome the 
  challenge.
  You can use this for feats that would be 
  improbable to accomplish alone, like 
  breaking through a reinforced door, 
  lifting a wooden beam off of someone, 
  or winning a tug-of-war contest against 
  a giant. The Guide will decide what is 
  outside of the limits of this ability.
  bond
  0
   Choose a member of your party 
  to form a special partnership with. 
  They must want to form the bond with 
  you. You may only bond with one party 
  member at a time, and the bond cannot 
  be broken until your partner dies or 
  abandons the party.
   
  ■ You may now use Intercept (p. 
  36) for no AP to defend your 
  partner from an attack.
   
  ■ You can now sense when your 
  partner is in danger, even if you are 
  separated.
   
  ■ You are immune to fear when your 
  partner is at death's door.
   
  ■ You notice your heart beating 
  stronger when your partner is 
  nearby.
  camaraderie
  summon the blood — valiant soliloquy — war story — marshal — bond
  
  38
  size up
  0
   You evaluate the capabilities of a 
  nearby creature or group of creatures. 
  The Guide will give you useful insight 
  into their capabilities, strength, 
  vulnerabilities, and/or resistances. At a 
  minimum, you will receive an accurate 
  assessment from the Guide about 
  whether they would pose a fair fight.
  The Guide will deliver this information 
  to you narratively. For example, they 
  might say "you notice the giant spider 
  flinching at the sight of your torch," 
  rather than telling you it is vulnerable 
  to fire damage.
  plan
  3
   If you have time to prepare before 
  a conflict and you can choose when it 
  begins, you may ambush your enemies 
  and take the first round. Before action 
  begins, each party member must say 
  what they will do during their first 
  turn. The Guide will then resolve these 
  actions simultaneously. 
  recruit
  1
   You command a nearby 
  commoner or minion to assist you. 
  (They cannot currently be hostile 
  toward you.) You can have them join 
  a fight or perform other tasks, like 
  watching a door, defending an area, or 
  delivering a message. They will follow 
  your commands to the best of their 
  ability, but they won't follow absurd or 
  suicidal orders.
  The Guide plays the part of the NPC. 
  After one day or when they complete 
  the task you give them, the recruit will 
  leave you and return to their business.
  attendant
  7
   While in a populated area, 
  you may find and recruit an NPC 
  attendant. The Guide will tell you 
  how you find this person and who 
  they are. The attendant will stay with 
  you permanently until you dismiss 
  their service. You may only have one 
  attendant at a time.
  The attendant is a Fighter-based minion 
  who is played by the Guide. They have 
  10 hit points and can use the Counter 
  Attack, Wild Attack, and Provoke 
  abilities. The Guide will create the rest 
  of the attendant's characteristics.
  The attendant is your ally and a capable 
  apprentice. (The Guide plays as the 
  attendant like any other NPC, but you 
  may give them orders.) They'll run 
  errands for you, assist you in combat, 
  and follow other orders to the best 
  of their ability. But they may choose 
  not follow absurd, suicidal, or morally 
  ruinous orders.
  This arrangement is based on mutual 
  respect; your attendant follows you to 
  learn what you know. If you betray your 
  attendant, they may abandon you.
  leadership
  size up — plan — recruit — attendant
  
  39
  technique
  You are always deadly, even when not 
  holding a weapon. Attacks with your 
  body (like punches and kicks) now hit 
  for 2 HP.
  flow
  1
   When you roll a 20 on a basic 
  attack, you may briefly enter a state of 
  intense focus. After completing your 
  initial attack, you may immediately 
  make one basic attack on each enemy 
  within reach. These attacks are 
  automatically successful.
  yawp
  roll the die
  1
   Once per scene, you may make 
  a show of bravado to frighten nearby 
  creatures. Any common folk nearby will 
  seek shelter, run away, or attempt to 
  appear non-threatening.  
  20: Half of all minions flee the scene.
  11-19: One minion flees the scene.
  6-10: One minion flees the scene, 
  unless their boss is present.
  1-5: They laugh at you. 
  focus
  You pause briefly, closing your eyes 
  and clearing your mind of its reflexive 
  habits. Your restless self fades away as 
  your body becomes your task.
  3
   You immediately use your Flow 
  ability, even if you didn't roll a 20.
  4
   You become wind; until the end of 
  your current fight, minions cannot hit 
  you with basic attacks unless they roll 
  20. This effect ends if you are hit.
  5
   You purge a poison or illness from 
  your body.
  defy death
  4
   If you would die from an enemy's 
  attack, you may overcome fate to make 
  a last stand. Instead of dying, you stay 
  on your feet but remain at 0 HP. If you 
  also make an appeal to your dream 
  (p. 28), you recover 1 hit point. You 
  must say something that references 
  your dream — to declare why you now 
  live to die another day.
  You laugh at death, but death demands 
  a toll. Each time you use this ability, 
  you increase a supernatural bounty on 
  your head. In quiet moments, you begin 
  to feel as if the shadows are watching 
  you.
  body
  technique — flow — yawp — focus — defy death
  
  40
  limit break
  You achieve a transcendent unity of 
  mind and body that allows you to 
  passively channel the magic around you 
  and push yourself beyond your natural 
  limits.
  7
   You single-handedly rout all 
  nearby minions that you can see in a 
  stunning display of martial fury. You 
  may choose to kill or intimidate any 
  number of them. Describe how you 
  clear the scene of these foes.
  4
   You mark an enemy, beginning 
  a relentless assault on them. You 
  automatically make three successful 
  basic attacks on them. Then, you may 
  continue making basic attacks on them 
  until you roll lower than a success.
  3
   You briefly gain unbelievable 
  strength to perform one task. You 
  can do things that were previously 
  impossible, like single-handedly lifting 
  a giant boulder, running through a 
  brick wall, or knocking a giant to the 
  ground. You can now do things that 
  were just beyond your reach, but not 
  things that are absurd. (You can't move 
  a mountain or lasso the moon.) The 
  Guide will decide what's possible.
  champion
  Tales of your heroic deeds have spread 
  through the lands, elevating your 
  stature into the stratosphere.
  You are now a hero, especially to 
  those who value power. Authoritarian-
  minded people are especially vulnerable 
  to your reputation, and most will defer 
  to you in reverence. This includes town 
  guards, bandits, and others who enjoy 
  using force. 
  You gain the Recruit ability (p. 38) 
  if you do not already have it, and you 
  may use it for no AP cost on your fans 
  or those who are awestruck by your 
  prestige. 
  You also gain the Attendant ability  
  (p. 38). It now costs 4 AP to use.
  steel pact
  Choose a weapon you own. You form 
  an extraordinary bond with it that 
  cannot be broken unless the weapon 
  is destroyed. You now sense which 
  direction your weapon is in and feel a 
  vague sense of how far away it is. If it is 
  beyond your current plane of existence, 
  you sense nothing but a dull feeling of 
  sadness.
  0
   When you roll a failure when 
  using this weapon, you may reroll the 
  die once. You must take the result of 
  the reroll.
  0
   When you roll a 20 on an attack 
  against a minion while using this 
  weapon, you automatically kill it, 
  unless it has immunity against weapon 
  attacks.
  legendary
  
  41
  the invoker
   
  The Invoker closes their eyes and 
  utters a mantra, raising their sword 
  in the sky as it ignites in a glorious 
  flame. They peer into the souls of 
  others to divine their intentions and 
  true nature. They ward their friends 
  from harm, and smite those unworthy 
  of their ideals. 
  The Invoker is a good choice if you 
  want to play a character who channels 
  greater truths to achieve their goals. 
  They can be devout paladins serving a 
  righteous god, oath-keeping warriors, 
  quixotic vigilantes, or dark knights.
  quick start
  Choose these abilities: Declare, Petition, Soul 
  Gaze, Fiery Avenger, Thunderous Word, and 
  Shield.
  
  42
  declare
  0
   Once per scene, you may declare 
  a reason for intervening in a matter, 
  steeling your resolve. The reason should 
  be based on your ideal (p. 26) and 
  the scene's context. For example, if you 
  believe in order, you might tell highway 
  robbers they're breaking the law. Or 
  if you believe in honor, you might say 
  there's no honor among thieves. 
  Choose one result:
   
  ■ You immediately make a successful 
  basic attack on a nearby foe.
   
  ■ You compel an NPC to explain what 
  they are doing (they may lie to you).
   
  ■ You convince commoners to leave.
  petition
  2
   When you regroup (p. 14), 
  you may close your eyes and calm your 
  body. You recite a short petition and 
  receive a boon.
  You must recite a petition at the table 
  that contains all of these parts:
   
  ■ An address line, like "in the name of 
  the gods" or "for the love of wisdom."
   
  ■ A request, like "I ask for strength."
   
  ■ An adulation, like "for I am your 
  humble servant" or "for you are the 
  truth."
  When you are finished reciting the 
  petition, all of your hit points are 
  restored.
  invoke
  3
   You leave your worldly body 
  behind and create an astral projection 
  of yourself. You must be in a quiet 
  place with no other creatures around to 
  begin the ritual.
  While in this trance, you can only 
  vaguely sense if there is danger around 
  your mortal body. You may exit the 
  trance at any time.
  Your mind enters a liminal plane of 
  existence. You experience this place 
  like a dreamworld in the stars; it might 
  be a lush paradise in a nebula, an idyllic 
  homestead, or a temple in the fires of 
  creation.
  If you have an allegiance to a deity, you 
  meet with their avatar. If you hold no 
  allegiance to a deity or if your deity is 
  merely a figment of your character's 
  imagination, you meet with an avatar of 
  supernatural wisdom.
  Set a timer. You may speak to the 
  avatar for 1 minute about anything you 
  like. If you ask any of these questions, 
  the Guide will give you a truthful 
  answer:
   
  ■ Am I on the right path to ____________?
   
  ■ Is ___________ who they say they are?
   
  ■ Am I living up to my ideal?
   
  ■ Have my actions unknowingly 
  caused anyone harm?
   
  ■ How can I redeem myself?
  invocation
  declare — petition — invoke — vow
  
  43
  vow
  You create a vow that permanently binds 
  you in service of an ideal. You may only 
  do this once. There is no turning back.
  You can express this bond as devotion to 
  a deity, a people, a cause, or something 
  else that represents or is served by your 
  ideal. (You may use an ideal you chose 
  when creating a character, or choose 
  a new one.) You must be in a safe and 
  quiet place to make the vow, and it must 
  include: 
   
  ■ Something you promise to actively do 
  in service of your ideal, like helping 
  the sick.
   
  ■ A person, place, or group you promise 
  to protect when nearby.
   
  ■ A wrong from your past that you 
  pledge to make amends for someday.
  Once the vow is created, you receive 
  these ongoing benefits:
   
  ■ You can now use your Invoke ability 
  once per game session for no AP cost.
   
  ■ The healing effect of your Petition 
  ability now affects nearby party 
  members in addition to you.
   
  ■ Your eyes now have a faint glow.
  You have a sacred obligation to fulfill 
  the promises you have made. Each time 
  you betray the promises of your vow in a 
  serious way, you feel a sharp pain in your 
  heart, and your maximum HP decreases 
  by 1. You cannot be reduced below 5 
  maximum HP from this effect. 
  invocation
  declare — petition — invoke — vow
  
  44
  soul gaze
  roll the die
  1
   Your eyes turn black, like 
  shimmering gateways to eternity, as you 
  peer into the eyes of a nearby creature. 
  They become momentarily transfixed 
  on your gaze.
  20: You learn the creature's ideal and 
  flaw. You also learn the worst and best 
  thing they have ever done.
  11-19: You learn their ideal and flaw.
  6-10: You learn their ideal and flaw, but 
  one is false.
  1-5: They resist your invasion and 
  briefly glimpse your recent thoughts.
  impression
  1
   You brush against a creature for 
  a fleeting moment, feeling its desires. 
  The Guide chooses and reveals to you 
  something specific that the creature 
  routinely craves. You become cursed 
  to also crave that thing and cannot use 
  Impression again until you fulfill the 
  desire. When you fulfill it once, the 
  curse is lifted.
  evil eye
  1
   You pause, closing your eyes and 
  quieting your mind. You sense the 
  worst thing that ever happened nearby. 
  The Guide will describe to you the type 
  of thing that happened and what the 
  people involved look like. 
  For example, you might learn that 
  someone was murdered, a curse was 
  created, or an evil vow was taken.
  shadowseek
  roll the die
  3
   You seek the location of a specific 
  creature or object by projecting your 
  consciousness into a shadow plane  
  (p. 33). You must know what your 
  target looks like.
  20: You glimpse the target in real time 
  and can see its nearby surroundings. If 
  it is a creature, you may speak to them 
  for 1 minute. They cannot see you, but 
  they hear you in their mind. If you 
  touch them, they feel a faint sensation, 
  as if a breeze passes through them.
  11-19: You glimpse the target in real 
  time, can see its surroundings, and 
  may watch it for the next minute.
  6-10: You briefly glimpse the target and 
  can see its surroundings, but you don't 
  know if you're seeing it in the present 
  moment.
  2-5: You walk the shadow plane for 1 
  minute, finding only darkness.
  1: You walk in darkness. If you were 
  searching for an enemy, they see you 
  instead, learning your exact location.
  inquiries
  soul gaze — impression — evil eye — shadowseek
  
  45
  inspire
  1
   You inspire a nearby NPC by 
  reciting a meaningful statement to 
  them. You may invent a famous quote 
  or proverb, or borrow one from the real 
  world. The creature must be able to 
  hear and understand you, and cannot 
  currently be hostile toward you. 
  Until the end of the day, the NPC 
  shapes their behavior around their 
  ideal, and cannot fall victim to their 
  flaw.
  compel truth
  roll the die
  1
   Your eyes glow like blue flames 
  as you look into the eyes of a nearby 
  creature and grip their mind. 
  20: The target is compelled to answer 
  all questions truthfully for the next 5 
  minutes. You may set a real timer.
  11-19: The target is compelled to answer 
  three questions truthfully. 
  6-10: The target is compelled to answer 
  one question truthfully.
  2-5: The target resists your invasion 
  and senses you tried to manipulate 
  them. 
  1: The spell backfires. The target may 
  compel you to answer a question 
  truthfully instead.
  forgive
  3
   While placing your hand on a 
  creature and telling them they are 
  forgiven, they immediately feel guilt 
  fade from their conscience. You must 
  know a specific act or circumstance 
  that the creature feels guilty for. Your 
  words of forgiveness must be in the 
  form of a Petition (p. 42).
  If you use this on a commoner or 
  minion, they will become awestruck as 
  if they have received a blessing from a 
  god. They may begin to follow you as 
  if you are a prophet, and they will not 
  willingly cause you harm.
  If you use this on a boss, you will 
  temporarily endear them to you. They 
  will not harm you until the next time 
  you meet, unless you or the party tries 
  to harm them. They cannot be affected 
  by this spell twice.
  liberate
  4
   You place your hand on an 
  NPC, channeling the weight of your 
  devotion and resolve. By speaking a 
  word of power, you alleviate them of 
  a character flaw. (You must already 
  know one of their flaws.) They are 
  effectively cured of the flaw and it no 
  longer affects their behavior.
  This also has the effect of your Forgive 
  ability and relieves the creature of any 
  guilt for succumbing to their flaw in 
  the past.
  verdicts
  inspire — compel truth — forgive — liberate
  
  46
  fiery avenger
  Choose a phrase to use for this spell. 
  1
   You speak the phrase of power, 
  igniting your weapon in a magical 
  flame of any color. While the weapon 
  is on fire, it acts as a torch that casts 
  light nearby. The flame increases the 
  weapon's damage by 1. The flame 
  persists until you roll a failure or worse 
  on an attack with the weapon. You may 
  dismiss the flame at any time.
  thunderous word
  Choose a word to use for this spell. 
  2
   You speak the word of power, 
  releasing a thunderous shockwave in 
  the direction you are facing. The wave 
  knocks up to three creatures backward 
  and hits them each for 2 damage. 
  Creatures affected by the spell are 
  briefly dazed and cannot use special 
  abilities during their next turn.
  lawbringer
  3
   You raise your hand to the sky and 
  summon a spectral warhammer into 
  your grip. The hammer is a one-handed 
  weapon that deals 3 damage. It appears 
  to crackle with blue-green light and 
  leaves a deep, reverberating sound in its 
  wake.
  If you roll a triumph when using the 
  hammer, it releases a crackling boom 
  and casts your Thunderous Word spell 
  on the target. The hammer vanishes 
  in smoke after one hour or when you 
  dismiss it.
  smite
  5
   Speak a word or phrase, 
  condemning a nearby creature that 
  you can see. You engulf the target 
  in radiant flame, hitting it for 10 HP. 
  If the damage dealt is enough to kill 
  the creature, it explodes into ash, and 
  its body and spirit are permanently 
  obliterated.
  If you destroy a creature with Smite, roll 
  the die. On a 2-20, nothing happens. 
  On a 1, the creature's spirit becomes a 
  dark passenger in your mind. You never 
  know when it may decide to speak to 
  you or observe your behavior.
  blazing avenger
  6
   You recite a magical statement 
  about your ideal while holding a 
  weapon, imbuing it with incredible 
  power. The weapon gains the following 
  benefits:
   
  ■ It now glows faintly at all times and 
  glows brighter when enemies are 
  nearby.
   
  ■ When holding the weapon, you may 
  cast Fiery Avenger on it at will for no 
  AP cost.
   
  ■ When you roll a 20 when making an 
  attack with the weapon, it casts the 
  Smite spell on your target. 
  You can only cast Blazing Avenger on 
  one weapon at a time; casting it again 
  cancels the previous enchantment.
  wrath
  fiery avenger — thunderous word — lawbringer — smite — blazing avenger
  
  47
  shield
  1
   You summon a magical shield that 
  appears as an aura of soft light around 
  your body. The shield blocks up to 3 hit 
  points of damage. (Any damage dealt 
  in excess of 3 HP passes through the 
  shield and hits you.) The shield lasts 
  until it takes 3 or more damage in a 
  single hit. 
  sigil
  2
   You draw a magic sigil on an 
  object. The spell lasts until you cancel 
  it or cast Sigil again. You can only cast 
  the spell if no enemies are currently 
  nearby.
  Choose a specific creature for the sigil 
  to affect, or a type of creature, like 
  spirits or werewolves. Then draw a 
  circle on a piece of paper at the table. 
  Draw the creature that will be affected 
  by the spell inside of the circle. Choose 
  one of four effects:
  lure. The sigil attracts creatures to 
  its location, where they linger for a 
  minute.
  repel. Creatures who come nearby 
  won't move closer to the sigil or may 
  turn back.
  alert. Receive a signal in your mind 
  when creatures pass by the sigil. 
   
  message. The sigil telepathically sends a 
  short message of up to 10 words in your 
  language to creatures passing nearby.
  You may keep your drawing and reuse 
  it later when casting this spell again, 
  and you can choose a new effect each 
  time.
  rebuke
  1
   You utter a righteous word or 
  phrase in the direction of a nearby 
  creature that is approaching you during 
  that creature's turn. (The creature 
  cannot already be within reach.) You 
  release a spectral clone of yourself that 
  rushes them, knocks them back several 
  meters, deals 1 damage, and ends their 
  turn. The clone then disappears.
  oblation
  3
   You place both hands on a 
  creature, uttering a loving word or 
  phrase. The creature instantly recovers 
  6 hit points and wakes up if they are 
  unconscious. Or you may choose 
  to cast this spell with no AP cost by 
  transferring your own hit points to the 
  creature. The creature recovers as many 
  hit points as you are willing to give up.
  befizzle
  4
   You curse a creature nearby, 
  restricting their use of magic for 
  the next hour. If they try to cast a 
  spell, they will find it impossible. For 
  example, if the spell is spoken, they 
  forget their lines; if the spell requires 
  hand-waving, they find their arms 
  frozen. If you are casting the spell on 
  a boss, you must concentrate on it to 
  maintain the effect; the spell ends if 
  you move or do something else.
  wards
  shield — sigil — rebuke — oblation — befizzle
  
  48
  wraith
  0
   You become a wraith: a creature 
  between two worlds. Now, whenever 
  you have 0 HP, you may instantly 
  become ethereal. You appear 
  translucent and ghostly while ethereal, 
  but you are still visible to others.
  Your ethereal form has a maximum 
  of 0 HP and cannot be healed. You are 
  immune to all physical (non-magical) 
  harm while in this form. However, 
  harmful magic hits you for double HP 
  while ethereal, and taking damage can 
  still kill you. 
  You may revert to your normal form 
  at any time during your turn. But you 
  cannot change forms to avoid taking 
  damage immediately after being hit.
  sacrifice
  0
   You lay your hands on a creature 
  who has died, bringing it back to life. 
  The creature must still have a corpse 
  that is mostly intact. If the creature died 
  of old age, they receive a new maximum 
  lifespan of the Guide's choice.
  The sacrifice withers your soul. Each 
  time you use this ability, you must 
  choose an additional character flaw. 
  Additionally, you permanently lose 2 
  HP from your maximum hit points. 
  If you reduce your max HP to 0 by using 
  this ability, you acquire the legendary 
  Wraith ability, and you permanently 
  enter an ethereal form. Using Sacrifice 
  while at 0 maximum HP permanently 
  kills you.
  prophecy
  You delve through time to glimpse 
  an NPC's fate. You may only use this 
  ability once during your entire story, so 
  use it wisely.
  The choice you make shapes the story 
  for everyone. The prophecy must come 
  true; the Guide is obligated to honor 
  the fate you have chosen at some point 
  in the story. When and how it emerges 
  is up to the Guide. You may keep your 
  choice a secret from the party.
  Choose one of the following things. 
  It will eventually become true, as you 
  have foreseen. 
  savior. The creature will sacrifice 
  their life to try to save someone or 
  something.
  betrayer. The creature will betray their 
  allies at a pivotal moment in pursuit of 
  a hidden agenda.
  leader. The creature will acquire a 
  meaningful amount of power and 
  authority over a people or place.
  disgraced. The creature will do 
  something so morally ruinous that 
  they become widely known for their 
  misdeed.
  paragon. The creature will do 
  something so morally good that 
  they become widely known for their 
  righteousness.
  legendary
  
  49
  eternity gate
  roll the die
  7
   You project yourself past all 
  realities and glimpse a place outside 
  time and space – into The Beyond.
  Here, you may seek and find a single 
  truth by posing a question to eternity 
  itself. The Guide will give you a fulsome 
  and accurate answer to your question. 
  If you explain why you are asking the 
  question, the Guide will do their best to 
  answer in a way that satisfies what you 
  were trying to discover.
  For example, if you asked “Is my friend 
  still alive in another dimension?” the 
  Guide will tell you whether they are 
  alive. If you explain that you asked 
  because you want to reunite with them, 
  the Guide might tell you exactly where 
  they are and how to get there.
  You must seek fact. You won't find 
  satisfying answers to questions like 
  "What is the meaning of life?"
  Casting Eternity Gate is a huge risk. 
  20: You receive your answer and may 
  ask a follow-up question.
  11-19: You receive your answer.
  6-10: You receive your information and 
  return to your body after one week. 
  Your mind ages by 1 year in the week. 
  2-5: You fail to receive the information 
  and return to your body after one 
  week. Your mind is wracked from 
  wrong turns in your search. You age 
  by 10 years. Choose an additional 
  character flaw. 
  1: Your mind is trapped in The 
  Beyond for 100,000 years, where 
  you experience an endless search 
  through a maze of other realities. 
  After enduring this ordeal in The 
  Beyond, your mortal consciousness 
  fundamentally changes when you 
  return to your body after one week. 
  The ideals and flaws of your previous 
  self have washed away during your 
  incomprehensible exile. Choose a 
  new ideal, a new flaw, and a new 
  dream to reflect deep changes in your 
  character's personality.
  legendary
  
  50
  the ranger
   
  The Ranger closes their eyes and 
  places their hand on a tree trunk, 
  learning the secrets of the forest. 
  They stop to chat with a local squirrel, 
  making a new friend. They speak 
  myth, earning the favor of strangers. 
  The Ranger is a great choice for 
  people who want to play a skilled 
  hunter and survivalist who thrives on 
  the fringes of civilization. 
  quick start
  Choose these abilities: Commune, Read the 
  Winds, Speak with Animal, Animal Partner, 
  Track, and Remedy.
  
  51
  commune
  1
   You use the language of outland 
  folks, gaining the trust of a nearby 
  commoner. You must invent a local 
  saying to exchange with the NPC; it can 
  be something like "It's raining cats and 
  dogs" or "Don't judge a book by its cover." 
  Explain what it means at the table.
  Then, if you ask any of these questions, 
  the NPC will answer to the best of their 
  ability.
   
  ■ Is anyone causing trouble?
   
  ■ Where can I find the leader?
   
  ■ What are folks talking about lately?
  folk song
  2
   You sing a song that kindles strong 
  feelings in NPCs nearby. (The song has 
  no effect on hostile creatures.)
  Read or sing the chorus of a song at the 
  table and describe your performance. 
  You may write your own or use one from 
  another songwriter. Choose a mood to set 
  for your audience:
  bright. Hearts swell with friendly 
  enthusiasm, sparking joyful 
  conversations.
  somber. The audience falls silent and 
  begins a sorrowful reflection on their 
  suffering.
  proud. Zealous feelings are ignited, 
  making the crowd noisy and excitable.
  speak myth
  3
   You appeal to a local myth to gain 
  the favor of a commoner. You create the 
  myth using four parts: an obligation, a 
  lesson, a subject, and a story.
  obligation. Decide how the myth affects 
  your target. Choose one:
   
  ■ They offer you and your allies food, 
  shelter, and secrecy in their home.
   
  ■ They offer you the best reasonable 
  trade on an item they are selling.
   
  ■ They go on a small mission, like 
  fetching an item or delivering a 
  message.
   
  ■ They admit to a recent wrongdoing.
   
  ■ They forgive you for a transgression.
   
  ■ They spread a rumor you create.
   
  ■ An obligation of your choice, as long 
  as it does not harm them.
  lesson. Using the obligation, say what the 
  lesson of the myth is, like "Give refuge to 
  strangers" or "Always be a fair dealer."
  subject. Name a central person or event.
  story. Describe a dramatic situation the 
  person or event is famous for. Perhaps 
  they were a missionary who fed the 
  hungry or it was a great flood that killed 
  many.
  Share the myth with your friends at the 
  table. You may reuse a myth you have 
  created without describing it in full.
  story and song
  commune — folk song — speak myth
  
  52
  remedy
  1
   You scavenge your area for a 
  short time to find a plant-based remedy 
  for an ailment. You find enough 
  for a single dose. The remedy cures 
  temporary illness and eliminates 
  poison.
  shroud
  3
   You entreat nearby flora to 
  provide the party with protection while 
  camping in wilderness. (There must be 
  plants nearby.) Shrubs and thorny vines 
  will emerge around the campsite to 
  provide concealment. The shroud lasts 
  until you leave the camp.
  The shroud conceals the light from 
  a small campfire. If hostile creatures 
  advance on the party’s campsite, the 
  trees will rustle and howl to provide 5 
  minutes of early warning. Creatures 
  can pass through the shroud, but they 
  are hit for 1 HP if they push through. 
  When you regroup (p. 14) inside of 
  the Shroud, your party gains the benefit 
  of a rest. 
  signal
  4
   While in wilderness, you create 
  a distress signal that can be seen by 
  other Rangers. Describe how you send 
  your signal: it can be a smoke signal, 
  a message you leave on a tree, or a 
  similar act. 
  Within the next day, you will meet an 
  NPC Ranger who comes to your aid. 
  Out of respect for you as a colleague, 
  they will stay with you until they 
  finish helping you with a request. Your 
  request cannot be unlimited, and they 
  will not stay with you forever.
  The NPC Ranger has 10 hit points, and 
  comes with equipment of the Guide's 
  choice. You can ask them to do things, 
  but they are an independent character 
  who will ultimately act according to 
  their own interests and ideals. 
  ritual
  4
   You scavenge your area for a short 
  time to find a single dose of a magic 
  edible. (There must be plants in the 
  area.) 
  When you ingest the edible, you 
  embark on an inner journey over the 
  next hour for supernatural insight. You 
  may learn the truth about one of the 
  following things:
   
  ■ The safest or fastest way to get 
  somewhere.
   
  ■ A place where your Nemesis (p. 
  54) visited within the past day.
   
  ■ Whether you are in a real place 
  or if your reality is some kind of 
  deception.
   
  ■ Whether an ally is keeping a secret 
  from you. (You learn who they are, 
  but not what the secret is.)
  If an Invoker invites you along when 
  using their Invoke ability (p. 42), 
  you may use Ritual to join them on 
  their journey to an astral plane. The 
  same rules of the Invoke ability apply 
  to you when joining the Invoker.
  survivalist
  remedy — shroud — signal — ritual
  
  53
  read the winds
  0
   You concentrate on the language 
  of wind, sensing weather patterns in 
  your region of the world. You are able 
  to glimpse a weather forecast for the 
  next few days in your region of the 
  world.
  2
   If you spend 2 AP on this ability, 
  you may choose the weather that you 
  foresee in your region over the next 
  few days, as long as it is seasonally 
  appropriate. You might choose light 
  rain, a thunderstorm, fog, a heat wave, 
  or any other weather pattern, except 
  for natural disasters like tornadoes or 
  hurricanes.
  navigate
  0
   You feel the land in your bones. 
  You cannot get lost in wilderness unless 
  magic is inhibiting you.
  1
   You navigate your party to one of 
  the following areas when traveling in 
  wilderness: 
  oasis. You find a reprieve that has a 
  small amount of nourishment.
  shelter. You find a natural cave that 
  offers shelter from harsh weather.
  ruins. You find minor ruins, like an 
  abandoned keep or a withered statue.
  nest. You find the home of an animal 
  or group of animals, like an otter's den. 
  delve
  2
   You make a sound that travels 
  throughout an underground structure, 
  like a natural cave system or dungeon. 
  (You can clap, make an animal noise, 
  or anything else that might echo.) You 
  sense the general layout of the next 
  three areas connected to yours, plus 
  the layout of any passageways between 
  these areas. The Guide will draw you 
  a rudimentary map, noting any major 
  features, like columns, bridges, or 
  crevasses.
  speak with trees
  You touch a tree trunk, connecting 
  yourself to the trees of a contiguous 
  forest. 
  2
   seek. You ask the tree to search 
  the forest. For example, you may ask 
  to locate a specific creature, an object 
  laying somewhere, or a location, 
  like a cave or building. The tree will 
  commune with its friends and then tell 
  you where it is, how to get there, and 
  how long it will take.
  2
   warn. You ask the tree to watch 
  over the party. Until you leave the 
  forest, trees will begin to sway and 
  rustle if you approach a trap or a 
  dangerous creature. The rustling 
  increases as you draw nearer to danger.
  pathfinder
  read the winds — navigate — delve — speak with trees
  
  54
  track
  0
   When you find tracks, you can 
  instantly identify the type of creature 
  that left them. If it is an animal, 
  the Guide will share a fact that you 
  know about them, like their habits or 
  personality traits.
  1
   You can pick up on the trail of an 
  animal of your choice even if there are 
  no tracks nearby, as long as it is native 
  to the environment you're currently in. 
  You must choose a type of animal to 
  find, like a boar or a squirrel. (You can't 
  use this to find a specific creature.) You 
  find the creature after a short search.
  farshot
  1
   You briefly sharpen your senses, 
  surpassing your normal limits. You 
  can make a ranged attack on a faraway 
  target that you can see, even if it is out 
  of range.
  deadeye
  0
   Whenever you roll a 20 with 
  a ranged weapon, you can name a 
  specific limb on a creature to hit with 
  your projectile. The limb becomes 
  disabled and cannot be used until it is 
  restored by a healer.
  3
   You take aim and focus your 
  senses, automatically scoring a triumph 
  with a ranged weapon on a nearby 
  creature or object that you target. The 
  hit disables the targeted limb.
  stalk
  0
   You and your party can carefully 
  stalk tracked prey without it noticing 
  you, as long as you try to be quiet. 
  Describe the formation of you and/or 
  your party as you go on the hunt. 
  2
   When you discover the creature 
  or creatures you were tracking, you 
  can ambush them, even if they were 
  preparing to ambush you. Your party 
  takes the first round, and you get an 
  extra turn.
  nemesis
  4
   Choose a specific creature you 
  have met before. You mark them as 
  your nemesis. You may only have one 
  nemesis at a time, and you may freely 
  remove the mark at any time.
  Your predatory senses allow you to 
  detect whenever your nemesis is 
  present in your scene, even if they are 
  hidden. You feel a tingle in the temples 
  of your forehead when your nemesis is 
  nearby. 
  You gain these additional benefits 
  when fighting your nemesis:
   
  ■ They cannot surprise you by 
  ambush. 
   
  ■ You may use your Farshot ability 
  against them at will for no AP cost.
   
  ■ When they are nearby, you can sense 
  their location well enough to strike 
  them with physical attacks, even if 
  they are concealed or invisible.
  hunter
  track — farshot — deadeye — stalk — nemesis
  
  55
  speak with animal
  1
   You touch an animal that is not 
  currently hostile toward you, forming 
  a telepathic bond with it for the next 
  minute. You are capable of interpreting 
  the animal's thoughts and feelings, 
  and you can have an exchange of 
  communication with it. It can give 
  basic information about things, like 
  how it feels, what it has seen, and what 
  it wants, but it does not understand 
  complex ideas.
  animal partner
  4
   You recruit a nearby animal 
  companion who will follow your orders 
  to the best of its ability. It can't be 
  smaller than a mouse or bigger than a 
  horse. You may only have one partner 
  at a time. 
  The animal is an NPC played by the 
  Guide that acts in addition to you 
  during your turn. It won't willingly 
  leave your area, and if you are 
  separated, it will try to find you. It 
  cannot speak to you, but it can vaguely 
  sense your mood and intentions.Your 
  animal partner has 6 HP and can make 
  basic attacks for 2 damage.
  courier
  1
   You find a friendly animal nearby 
  and whisper to it, giving it instructions 
  to deliver an item. The item must be 
  small and light enough for the animal 
  to reasonably carry. You can have the 
  animal deliver the item to a place or a 
  specific person. The destination must 
  be within a day's travel time.
  pair bond
  2
   You develop a unique telepathic 
  bond with your animal partner that 
  lasts until you recruit a new one. You 
  now passively experience your partner's 
  senses; you catch glimpses of what 
  they see, hear, and feel. You also feel 
  a shadow of pain whenever they are 
  harmed. 
  At any time, you may enter a trance to 
  leave your own body and take control of 
  your partner. You remain dimly aware 
  of what's happening around your own 
  body. While in the trance, you may 
  control your partner as if they were 
  yourself, though you cannot speak. You 
  may exit the trance at any time.
  whisper on the wind
  4
   You whisper a message carried 
  by the wind in all directions. You must 
  have a clear sight line to the sky for the 
  spell to work. The message summons a 
  flying animal to your location. You can 
  petition any kind of flying animal, like a 
  raven or a griffin.
  The animal arrives one hour later. 
  As long as you are friendly to it, the 
  animal will obey your commands for 
  the next day. For example, you can have 
  it deliver messages, give you a ride, or 
  cause distractions. The animal will not 
  attack enemies unless it is attacked 
  first.
  friend
  speak with animal — animal partner — courier — pair bond  — whisper on the wind
  
  56
  wild celebrity
  Your presence is now respected by 
  wild creatures everywhere. Wild 
  animals, except bosses, will no longer 
  attack you unless you harm them. 
  (Trained animals and pets can still be 
  commanded to harm you.) You may 
  now use the Speak With Animal (p. 
  55) and Speak with Trees (p. 53) 
  abilities for no AP cost if you have 
  already learned them.
  Your Animal Partner ability (p. 55) 
  now recruits a more powerful animal. 
  Your partner has 10 HP, can hit for 2 
  HP, and attack twice per turn. If you 
  have an existing animal partner, it is 
  upgraded to these stats.
  6
   You send a call while in wilderness 
  to recruit a small army of animals. 
  They stay with you for the next day. 
  You can choose any combination of 
  wild animals as long as they are native 
  to the area. You may command them, 
  and they all act together during your 
  turn. The group is treated like a single 
  creature with 20 hit points, and they 
  collectively hit for 6 HP, distributed 
  among up to 6 targets.
  slayer
  4
   Your experience as a Ranger has 
  taught you to deal with overwhelming 
  odds. Once per scene, you may 
  devastate a group of minions in an 
  impressive acrobatic fashion. You 
  instantly kill half of all nearby minions, 
  rounding up.
  friend of the land
  You become the friend of a wilderness 
  region that has meaning to you, like a 
  forest or a valley. The region cannot 
  already be under the control of a boss.
  You are known to all living things in 
  this area as its ally. You may now use 
  the Shroud (p. 52), Speak with Trees 
  (p. 53), Navigate (p. 53), Track 
  (p. 54), and Speak With Animal 
  (p. 55) abilities within your chosen 
  land for no AP cost, if you have already 
  learned them.
  When you become the Friend of the 
  Land, a group of volunteer creatures 
  living in your chosen land will create 
  a natural fort for you in a location of 
  your choice. It takes one week to create. 
  It should resemble in spirit something 
  animals might create, like a giant ant 
  hill, a meerkat manor, a nest in the 
  trees, or a beaver's dam. It has up to 20 
  rooms, including a kitchen, a great hall, 
  and an armory. The keep is watched 
  over full-time by allied animal sentries 
  who will notify you of intruders or 
  guests.
  Additionally, a small staff of volunteer 
  animals will routinely forage for you, 
  making sure the keep is stocked with 
  vegetables, fruits, and other natural 
  foods from the area that they can 
  collect. They will occasionally invite 
  you to play with them.
  legendary
  
  57
  the naturalist
   
  The Naturalist whispers to a field 
  of flowers, inspiring them to bloom. 
  They take a wolf’s form, streaking 
  across the steppe. With their hands 
  to the sky, they summon a storm, 
  bringing forth nature’s wrath. 
  Play The Naturalist if you want to 
  explore an intimate bond with the 
  wild creatures and raw elemental 
  forces of your world. 
  quick start
  Choose these abilities: Animal Form, Thorn, 
  Freeze, Cloudcall, Wild Aspect, and Command 
  Nature.
  
  58
  animal form
  2
   You take the form of a wild 
  animal, adopting its shape, senses, 
  and range of motion. You may choose 
  any creature that is no smaller than 
  a mouse and no larger than a horse. 
  Everything you carry becomes part of 
  your animal form.
  While in animal form, you have 6 HP. 
  You may make basic attacks that hit for 
  2 HP. You can't cast spells, use items, or 
  speak languages while transformed. 
  You can return to your normal form at 
  any time. When transforming back, you 
  regain the hit points you had before 
  you transformed. Falling to 0 hit points 
  while transformed instantly returns you 
  to your normal form.
  gills
  1
   You enchant a small amount 
  of water in a container that you are 
  holding. When you spritz the water 
  on a creature, they grow small but 
  visible gills, allowing them to breathe 
  underwater for up to 1 hour. This spell 
  enchants enough water to use 6 times.
  steelsprout
  2
   You extend your hand and close 
  your eyes, permanently turning a 
  nearby metal object into a weave of 
  delicate plants. (The object cannot have 
  magical properties or be larger than 
  a door.) Describe the plants that the 
  object turns into. 
  petrify
  2
   You turn the surface of a nearby 
  commoner or minion to stone for the 
  next minute. The target cannot move, 
  see, hear, or speak during this time. 
  The creature has 50 hit points while 
  petrified. If its hit points are reduced to 
  0 during the spell, it shatters to pieces 
  and dies.
  2
   You encase your armor or 
  clothing with a chitinous shell. The 
  shell absorbs up to 10 hit points of 
  damage. If you were hit by a non-
  magical weapon, the weapon shatters 
  to pieces. The carapace crumbles away 
  immediately after it takes damage. 
  You may cast this spell as a reaction 
  to an incoming attack during another 
  creature's turn.
  shapeshift
  3
   This is a master version of your 
  Animal Form spell (p. 58). The 
  rules are the same, except for these 
  differences:
   
  ■ You can choose a creature no 
  smaller than a housefly and no 
  larger than an elephant.
   
  ■ You have 10 HP in animal form.
   
  ■ Your animal form attacks hit for 3 
  HP.
   
  ■ You can send messages 
  telepathically to members of the 
  party.
  shapeshifter
  animal form — gills — steelsprout — petrify — shapeshift
  
  59
  thorn
  roll the die
  0
   You open your palm, conjuring 
  a poisonous thorn that you shoot in 
  a straight line toward a nearby target 
  creature or object. The thorn hits for 2 
  HP.
  20: The thorn's poison is amplified. If 
  you hit an organic creature, its skin 
  becomes swollen, it cannot see beyond 
  its reach, and it can't speak or cast 
  spells until the end of its next turn.
  wild font
  1
   You touch a container holding 
  food, water, or oil. For the next minute, 
  the container summons a surplus 
  of its contents, spilling the excess 
  material out generously. For example, 
  if you touch a pitcher of water, it will 
  overflow and cover the floor. Or if you 
  touch a sack of grain, it will burst open, 
  creating a large pile.
  evening star
  2
   You summon a wisp of light high 
  in the sky directly above you. (You must 
  be outdoors to cast this spell.) For the 
  next hour, the wisp sheds light on a 
  huge area, allowing you to see far in the 
  distance. It matches your movement 
  such that it is always located above you. 
  The area the light touches looks as if it 
  were lit by daylight. 
  aurora
  5
   Your eyes glitter like dancing 
  wisps as you conjure a dazzling 
  prismatic aurora above you in the sky. 
  The aurora is visible to creatures up to 
  a kilometer away and lasts for the next 
  10 minutes.
  commoners. Any common folk who can 
  see the aurora are dazzled and stop 
  what they are doing to stare at it.
  minions. Minions are also dazzled by 
  the spell and stop what they are doing 
  to stare at it. Hitting a minion frees 
  them from the spell's effects.
  bosses. The Guide must roll the die. 
  On a 2-10, bosses are dazzled and must 
  choose between moving and acting 
  during their turn. On a 1, they are 
  stunned in place until the spell ends or 
  if they are hit.
  echoes of creation
  6
   You hum a reverberating melody, 
  summoning a coterie of magical wisps 
  from the ages of creation. The wisps 
  were powerful beings of light who 
  once roamed the omniverse. Now, like 
  dying stars, these ethereal remnants 
  are burning the last of their energy. 
  They are no longer sentient, but seem 
  to sense the world around them. For 
  the next minute, the wisps float about 
  the area, restoring the hit points of all 
  creatures and animating new plant 
  life. Every creature in the scene stops 
  what they are doing while the wisps are 
  present and remain still with awe until 
  they fade to the beyond.
  summoner
  thorn — wild font  — evening star — aurora — echoes of creation
  
  60
  freeze
  0
   You blow cool air, creating 
  freezing winds that swirl around a 
  nearby creature or object. Affected 
  creatures feel a deep chill in their bones 
  and are hit for 1 HP. You can use the 
  spell to snuff out small fires. 
   
  2
   You freeze a nearby commoner, 
  minion, or object, encasing it in ice 
  until you leave the scene. If you freeze a 
  creature, it cannot move or act. The ice 
  shatters, and the creature is freed if it 
  takes any additional damage.
  burn
  0
   You blow hot air, creating 
  scorching winds that swirl around a 
  nearby creature or object. The heat 
  is enough to make the creatures very 
  uncomfortable but not enough to harm 
  them.
  1
   You overcharge the spell and 
  ignite the target in flame instead, 
  hitting it for 2 damage and setting it 
  ablaze.
  shock
  4
   Choose a target creature or 
  object you can see. A bolt of lightning 
  strikes it from the sky or from your 
  hands, dealing 8 damage and creating 
  a deafening blast of thunder. If the 
  creature has metal connected to their 
  body, it becomes molten, hitting them 
  for an extra 2 HP.
  fireball
  roll the die
  5
   You shape an orb of fire 
  suspended in the air in front of you 
  and send it streaking in a straight line 
  toward a target you can see. The fireball 
  explodes on contact, dealing 6 damage 
  to any creatures and objects it hits. You 
  can shape the spell to avoid allies or 
  creatures you do not want to harm.
  20: The explosion hits all creatures 
  near the point of impact for double 
  damage.
  11-19: The explosion hits up to 4 
  creatures near the point of impact.
  6-10: Choose one: the explosion hits 
  you and up to 4 creatures near impact, 
  or the fireball fizzles into a cloud of 
  smoke.
  2-5: The fireball misses and hits 
  random targets of the Guide's choice.
  1: It explodes in your face, hitting you 
  and up to 3 nearby creatures.
  elementalist
  freeze — burn  — shock — fireball
  
  61
  cloudcall
  1
   You swirl your hands in the air, 
  producing a thick fog centered on 
  you. The fog rolls out rapidly, spilling 
  around corners and down slopes. 
  Within a few seconds, you blanket 
  everything nearby in fog. Creatures 
  inside the fog cannot see beyond their 
  reach, preventing them from making 
  ranged attacks. The fog disperses after 
  you leave the area, or if the area is hit 
  by strong winds.
  vortex
  2
   You create a howling vortex within 
  a body of liquid that you can see. The 
  vortex lasts until you leave the area. 
  Any creatures touching the vortex are 
  violently sucked in, submerged, and 
  then spit out, each taking 2 damage.
  gale
  3
   You close your eyes and stir the 
  air, shaping the winds around you. A 
  gale forms that you can spread across 
  an area of any size and shape in your 
  scene, as long as you can see its area 
  of effect. Inside the area of effect, wind 
  blows at ferocious speeds, kicking up 
  dust and sending small objects flying. 
  Creatures inside can't see far away, 
  only what's nearby.
  When you begin the spell, the gust 
  knocks creatures to the ground and 
  sends them tumbling backward until 
  they leave the area of effect. Creatures 
  outside of the gust cannot enter it 
  unless they are larger than the area of 
  effect.
  riverfury
  4
   You whisper a magical incantation 
  to a flowing river within range. The 
  river gathers a surge of strength 
  upstream. A torrent of water arrives at 
  your location in the path of the river 15 
  seconds later. All creatures caught in 
  the torrent are swept downstream and 
  deposited on shore far away, beyond 
  where you can see. 
  stormcall
  2
   You produce a circle of dark, 
  electrically charged clouds somewhere 
  you can see in the sky. The storm lasts 
  until you leave the scene. While the 
  storm is active, you may call upon it to 
  produce these effects:
  1
   You cause a downpour.
  1
   A deafening crack of thunder 
  shakes the ground. All creatures under 
  the storm cannot hear anything beyond 
  their reach until the end of the scene.
  3
   If you have learned the Shock 
  ability, you may use it for 3 AP.
  x
   A bolt of chain lightning rips 
  through NPCs you can see, hitting them 
  each for 4 HP. Spend 1 AP per target.
  stormcaller
  cloudcall — vortex — gale — riverfury — stormcall
  
  62
  wild aspect
  1
   eagle. You gain eagle-eye vision 
  for the next minute. You can see 
  anything in your line of sight clearly, 
  even if it is far away, and you can detect 
  faraway movement that would be 
  imperceptible to a normal person.
  2
   cat. You purr softly under your 
  breath, imbuing up to 6 nearby 
  creatures with the spirit of the cat. 
  For the next hour, affected creatures 
  gain the ability to see things nearby 
  in complete darkness as if they were 
  in a dimly lit room. The effect cannot 
  pierce magical darkness. Affected 
  creatures may occasionally feel the urge 
  to stop what they are doing and clean 
  themselves.
  2
   wolf. You howl, imbuing up to 6 
  nearby creatures with haste. (Howl at 
  the table.) For the next hour, creatures 
  affected by the spell can outrun any 
  other creatures while traveling by foot.
  prey sense
  1
   You sharpen your sense of danger 
  for the next hour. You feel a subtle 
  signal in your body whenever you will 
  imminently be threatened by another 
  creature. (The hair on your skin might 
  raise, or you might feel a tingling in 
  your bones.) This includes creatures 
  that you can't see.
  If you detect a creature this way, 
  your party cannot be ambushed. (If 
  you detect a creature trying to attack 
  you, your party gets the first round in 
  combat.)
  nature's watch
  3
   You extend your senses for the 
  next hour. Choose two effects each 
  time you use this ability:
  aurasight. Detect a faint outline around 
  anything that is currently affected by a 
  spell.
  infrasight. Detect objects nearby whose 
  relative heat makes them stand out, like 
  creatures with warm bodies. This works 
  through walls.
  darksight. See in darkness nearby as if 
  it were dimly lit.
  mirrorsight. See around corners inside 
  of enclosed spaces, like buildings. You 
  must be within reach of the corner. 
  (For example, you can see around the 
  bend of a hallway.)
  realsight. Detect whether something 
  is an illusion. Illusions you detect with 
  this spell appear to flicker.
  spiritcaller
  wild aspect  — prey sense — nature's watch
  
  63
  command nature
  0
   You whisper a rhyming couplet to 
  the living plants around you. You can 
  write your own or borrow one from 
  another author. Use one that plants 
  might appreciate, like "Hear my voice 
  ring, and welcome the spring."
  Your brief poem entreats the plants to 
  produce a harmless effect by moving or 
  growing slightly. The things you want 
  to manipulate must be within range. 
  You may make trees rustle, cause leaves 
  to fall, get plants to bloom, vines to 
  expand, and seeds to sprout.
  1
   If you can explain how, you can 
  have the effect deal 2 HP of damage to 
  a nearby target. For example, you might 
  have vines grow thorns and lash a 
  creature, or have a tree shake its acorns 
  on their head violently.
  memories of stone
  3
   If you encounter a stone 
  monument, like a mountain, canyon, 
  or statue, you may touch it to channel 
  its ancient wisdom. You must tell 
  the stone a story about your family — 
  perhaps a memory of a gathering, like a 
  holiday. Give this story at the table. 
  The monument reciprocates your 
  offering by sharing its wisdom. 
   
  ■ You sense whether this world is 
  real and natural, or some kind of 
  machination.
   
  ■ You sense whether there are any 
  long-lost monuments beneath the 
  surface, like hidden temples or 
  ancient vaults.
   
  ■ You vaguely sense the most powerful 
  lost artifact in this world and the 
  region where it might be located.
  shift season
  roll the die
  4
   You manipulate the elements to 
  change the current season everywhere 
  within 1 kilometer of your location. You 
  can choose any season for the world 
  you inhabit, and the effect lasts for the 
  next day. The spell takes a minute to 
  cast; the effect emanates rapidly from 
  your location. The weather inside the 
  zone will be unpredictable, but typical 
  of the season you choose. For example, 
  if you turn a hot season to a cold one, 
  you may bring snow. 
  20: You choose the season and may 
  also choose the weather inside the 
  area (excluding natural disasters like 
  hurricanes). The effect lasts for one 
  month.
  11-19: You choose the season and the 
  weather (excluding disasters).
  6-10: You choose the season.
  2-5: The Guide chooses the season, and 
  a storm begins to affect the region that 
  makes travel more difficult.
  1: You accidentally cause a natural 
  disaster to form. The Guide chooses 
  the disaster.
  ecologist
  command nature — memories of stone — shift season
  
  64
  nature's wrath
  7
   You channel elemental fury. You 
  create a storm centered on you with a 
  radius of 1 kilometer. It lasts as long as 
  you wish to channel it, but you take 1 
  HP of damage for each turn you spend 
  maintaining the spell. You may choose 
  the size of the storm eye, which is 
  safe inside. Choose the nature of the 
  disaster each time you cast this spell:
  lightning. Electricity streaks through 
  the storm, arcing through conductive 
  objects and lashing any NPCs caught in 
  it. Each NPC caught in the storm is hit 
  for 2 HP during each turn you cast the 
  spell.
  blizzard. Water condenses in the storm 
  field, turning into apple-sized balls of 
  hail. The air temperature in the storm 
  field is freezing. NPCs in the storm field 
  are hit for 1 HP during each turn you 
  maintain the spell. Creatures cannot 
  see beyond their reach in the howling 
  whirl of ice.
  hurricane. Sustained winds of terrifying 
  force whip through the storm field. 
  Weak buildings are completely 
  destroyed, all windows are shattered, 
  many roofs will cave in, and trees may 
  be uprooted. Most unsecured objects 
  are picked up by the storm and sent 
  flying far away. Any NPCs caught in 
  the storm field are blown around, can't 
  move, and are hit for 4 HP for each turn 
  you cast the spell.
  wild evolution
  Your physical essence becomes 
  permanently intertwined with that of 
  a chosen animal’s form. The animal 
  can be no smaller than a mouse and no 
  larger than an elephant. You may only 
  choose this form once. 
  You may morph back and forth 
  between your original form and your 
  chosen form at will. When you change 
  between forms, you maintain your 
  current hit points.
  You adopt the animal's natural 
  capabilities while you are transformed. 
  For example, if you transform into an 
  eagle, you may fly. Your basic attacks in 
  animal form hit for 3 damage.
  You may now cast spells in animal form 
  and speak telepathically to your allies.
  You can still use the Animal Form and 
  Shapeshift abilities (p. 58), and the 
  rules for those abilities still function as 
  usual. 
  to dust
  3
   You return a crafted object to 
  nature, instantly reducing it to dust.
  The object must be small enough to 
  fit inside a 10x10-meter cube. The 
  transformation is permanent and 
  cannot be reversed. 
  legendary
  
  65
  world wish
  You become the seed for a new world. 
  Casting this spell consumes your life 
  forever; you can never be brought back.
  Your entire knowledge of nature 
  manifests in the spell. When you cast 
  it, your body dissipates in radiant 
  light, becoming a cascading wave of 
  energy that transforms the planet you 
  are on. The wave of energy first alters 
  the atmosphere, making it capable 
  of supporting life if it is not already 
  suitable. 
  Then, a blooming cascade of living flora 
  emanates from your location, rapidly 
  growing and overtaking the planet’s 
  surface. The bloom radiates outward 
  from your location until the entire 
  planet is transformed. The spell forms 
  oceans and rivers if they do not already 
  exist.
  If you choose at the time of casting, 
  the spell disintegrates any constructed 
  objects, like buildings or infrastructure, 
  returning the land to nature. Any 
  objects that are destroyed in this 
  way are done so gracefully, such that 
  existing living things, like people and 
  animals, are lowered to the ground 
  unharmed.
  This is a permanent transformation 
  that cannot be stopped, interrupted, or 
  reversed by countermagic. 
  legendary
  
  66
  the doctor
   
  The Doctor gently touches the arm of 
  an ally, mending their body and spirit. 
  They lean down to examine the dead, 
  discovering what caused their cruel 
  fate. They sense the departed and 
  speak with lost souls. 
  The Doctor is a good choice for 
  people who want to be the party’s 
  healer or someone who plays with the 
  forces of life and death. 
  quick start
  Choose these abilities: Mend, Sleep, Deathsense, 
  Corrupt, Modulate, and Examine the Dead. 
  
  67
  mend
  1
   You gently touch a creature, 
  immediately restoring 5 HP and 
  mending minor wounds like cuts and 
  bruises. The spell does not remove 
  impairments, heal permanent wounds, 
  or cure disease. You cannot use this 
  spell during combat.
  relieve
  1
   You say something comforting to 
  a nearby creature, alleviating them of 
  anxiety, pain, and discomfort for one 
  hour. In this state, the creature cannot 
  be affected by fear or confusion. For 
  a brief time, they feel better than they 
  have ever felt before. 
  heal
  2
   You embrace a creature with 
  a caring touch, restoring all of their 
  hit points. After a short time, the 
  creature is relieved of any short-term 
  impairments. The spell does not 
  remove permanent conditions. If you 
  are using Heal on another member 
  of the party, they may contribute any 
  amount of their own AP to help pay for 
  the spell.
  restore
  7
   You touch a living creature, 
  completely restoring them to their 
  normal state over the next few minutes. 
  (You cannot cast this spell while in 
  combat.) The spell restores all hit 
  points and removes any harm or 
  damage. If you are using Restore on 
  another member of the party, they may 
  contribute any amount of their own AP 
  to help pay for the spell.
  healing
  mend — relieve — heal — restore
  
  68
  sleep 
  2
   You whisper a brief lullaby, 
  putting any number of nearby 
  commoners to sleep for up to one hour. 
  You can write your own lullaby or 
  borrow one from another author. Read 
  it at the table.
  Creatures affected by the spell collapse 
  and enter a dreamful state, but wake up 
  immediately if they are harmed.
  x
   You can intensify the spell to 
  affect nearby minions. Add 1 AP for 
  each minion you wish to put to sleep.
  calcify
  1
   You touch a creature within range, 
  causing its surface to swell and harden. 
  During this time, they feel numb to 
  external pain. Their hardened shell 
  absorbs up to 2 HP from physical hits. 
  Any damage dealt in excess of 2 HP hits 
  the creature normally. The creature's 
  skin returns to normal after 1 minute.
  feign death
  3
   You place up to six nearby 
  creatures in suspended animation 
  for up to an hour. (You may only cast 
  the spell on yourself or willing allies.) 
  Creatures in this state cannot see, 
  feel, speak, or move, but they remain 
  semiconscious and can hear what is 
  happening around them.
  Affected creatures become cold to the 
  touch, and their pulse is undetectable, 
  appearing to be dead to onlookers. Only 
  magic can reveal the ruse. Affected 
  creatures wake immediately if they are 
  harmed and may choose to wake at any 
  time.
  reshape
  4
   You touch a creature, reshaping 
  their facial appearance. You can make 
  them look older, younger, or like a 
  completely different person. If you 
  are making them look like a specific 
  person, you must be able to see a 
  reference of their face while you are 
  casting the spell. 
  The transformation is permanent and 
  can only be reversed with the Restore 
  spell or by casting Reshape again.
  lifelink
  4
   You entwine the life-force of two 
  nearby creatures. Choose one effect 
  each time you use this ability:
  two-way link: When either of the linked 
  creatures is dealt damage, the damage 
  is also dealt to the other creature. This 
  does not include damage that hits the 
  creatures simultaneously (like an area-
  of-effect spell). 
  one-way link: Choose one of the linked 
  creatures. Any time damage is dealt 
  to this creature, it is also dealt to the 
  other.
  leyline: When either of the linked 
  creatures is healed, the other creature 
  receives the same amount of healing. 
  alteration
  sleep — calcify —  feign death — reshape — lifelink
  
  69
  deathsense
  0
   You naturally sense whether any 
  remnants of the dead (spirit creatures) 
  are nearby, but not their positions. The 
  Guide will notify you when this sense is 
  triggered.
  1
   You sense whether any sentient 
  creatures have died nearby and how 
  long ago they died. You can sense the 
  location where any creatures died, 
  as well as the general nature of their 
  death; you sense if they were killed by 
  natural causes, an accident, or foul play.
  1
   You extend your vision, allowing 
  you to see spirit creatures who are 
  invisible. This effect lasts until you 
  leave the area.
  commune with the dead
  1
   If you are aware of one or more 
  spectral creatures nearby (like ghosts), 
  you may communicate with them. You 
  do not need to be able to see a spirit as 
  long as you have sensed its presence, 
  like with the Deathsense spell.
  You may have a conversation with 
  the spirits for up to a minute, and you 
  communicate with them telepathically. 
  You must share a language to 
  understand each other. Spirits must 
  want to respond; if they choose not to 
  speak to you, your adventure point is 
  refunded.
  reanimate
  1
   You animate a nearby corpse or 
  skeleton, making it your thrall. It can 
  move around, but it cannot leave your 
  scene. The spell ends when you leave 
  the scene.
  You control the creature telepathically. 
  It is not conscious, and it only follows 
  your commands. The creature has 3 HP 
  and can attack for 1 HP.
  reinstate the dead
  You touch a living creature and make 
  it the host for a nearby spirit. Choose 
  one:
  5
   dark passenger. You merge the 
  creatures. The spirit creature becomes 
  a permanent passenger in the living 
  host's mind. The passenger can't 
  control the body, but it can experience 
  its senses and talk to the host 
  telepathically.
  7
   steal host. The host creature's 
  consciousness fades away. The spirit 
  inhabits and takes full control of the 
  host's body. Fragments of the host 
  creature's memory remain and will 
  occasionally arise in thought. (This 
  can only be used on bosses if they have 
  less than 20 percent of their total HP 
  remaining.)
  necromancy
  deathsense — commune with the dead —  reanimate — reinstate the dead
  
  70
  corrupt
  0
   You grip an organic creature 
  within reach and create a necrotizing 
  wound. The wound turns flesh black-
  green and branches out from where 
  you touched them. The spell hits for 
  1 HP immediately, and again at the 
  beginning of the target's next turn. (A 
  total of 2 damage.) Affected creatures 
  can only recover these hit points with 
  the Restore spell (p. 67). 
  nox
  1
   You touch a creature, giving them 
  a combination of effects for the next 
  hour. You may choose up to three 
  effects from this list:
  Wakefulness, alertness, increased 
  confidence, euphoria, laughter, vivid 
  sensations, relaxedness, sweating, 
  nausea, chills, or irritability.
  afflict
  roll the die
  3
   You touch a creature, cursing 
  them with an affliction that lasts up to 
  1 month. Choose a symptom each time 
  you use this ability: 
  the sillies. The creature acts completely 
  out-of-character in a silly and carefree 
  way. This may change their goals.
  clumsy. The creature's extremities feel 
  awkward to use. They are unable to 
  wield weapons effectively and they drop 
  things constantly.
  blighted. The creature can't recover HP.
  If you roll a failure, the affliction 
  becomes contagious, rapidly spreading 
  to any creature that touches your 
  target. On a catastrophe, you also 
  become afflicted.
  wither
  4
   You touch a creature and cause 
  their body to wither. Their lifespan does 
  not change, but they experience some 
  of the effects of advanced age. They 
  begin to feel as if death is approaching 
  on the horizon — a condition that may 
  change the creature's behavior and 
  goals. 
  heartkill
  6
   You touch a commoner or minion 
  and curse their heart. (This spell only 
  works on creatures with a heart.) You 
  may choose to instantly cause their 
  heart to explode, killing them. Or you 
  may turn their heart into a time bomb 
  that explodes after a delay of up to 1 
  year.
  If you use this spell on a boss, it acts 
  like a tripwire. If the boss is reduced to 
  20 percent or less of its maximum hit 
  points while cursed, its heart explodes 
  and it dies instantly.
  harm
  corrupt — nox — afflict — wither — heartkill
  
  71
  modulate
  1
   You alter the nature and intensity 
  of a nearby creature's physical 
  sensations for up to 1 hour. Choose one 
  effect each time you use this spell:
  temperature. The creature feels a 
  relaxing sensation of inner warmth or a 
  cool external breeze. Or you can make 
  them feel too hot or too cold.
  nourishment. The creature either sees 
  food and drink as revolting, feels an 
  insatiable hunger and thirst, or feels 
  perfectly fed and hydrated.
  comfort. The creature either feels 
  relaxed wherever they sit or lay, or 
  they cannot find comfort however they 
  arrange their body.
  shape senses
  1
   You touch a creature and 
  manipulate their perception of color. 
  For instance, you may make a target 
  creature see green as purple. Or you 
  may combine multiple colors, perhaps 
  making the target see yellow and 
  green as blue. You can also cause the 
  target to see oversaturated colors, 
  undersaturated colors, or give them 
  monochromatic vision. You can 
  choose any number of changes and 
  combinations as long as they do not 
  overlap. 
  2
   You touch a commoner or minion, 
  transporting one of their senses to a 
  random part of the omniverse for the 
  next day. You may choose to transport 
  a single sense: feeling, sight, hearing, 
  smell, or taste. The creature will 
  experience its new surroundings as if 
  they were actually there.
  false sense
  3
   You touch a creature, causing it to 
  perceive a specific thing or a category 
  of things falsely. For example, you 
  might have them see the town mayor 
  as a clown or all wolves as puppies. Or 
  you might have them think that freshly 
  baked bread smells like fire. The spell 
  lasts until you cancel it or until the 
  creature is harmed by the effects of the 
  deception.
  forget
  4
   You touch a creature, erasing its 
  memory by up to 1 month in the past 
  from the present day. This ability only 
  works on sleeping creatures.
  x
   You may extend the memory loss 
  by spending additional AP on the spell. 
  Each AP you spend increases the effect 
  by up to 1 additional year.
  perception
  modulate — shape senses — false sense — forget
  
  72
  examine the dead
  1
   You evaluate a corpse within 
  reach. The corpse must be intact 
  enough for you to look at it. (It cannot 
  be completely obliterated.) After a 
  minute of inspection, you are able to 
  determine the creature’s exact cause of 
  death. You are also able to determine 
  the time and date of its death.
  diagnose
  roll the die
  0
   You touch a creature, extending 
  your senses to diagnose a mysterious 
  affliction, like a disease, spell, or curse. 
  You must correctly guess the entire 
  name of the affliction. If your guess 
  is wrong, the spell fails and you must 
  spend 1 AP to try again.
  The Guide will give you blanks to fill in 
  that show how many words are in the 
  name and how many letters are in each 
  word. You may start by guessing letters 
  that appear in the name. If you guess 
  a letter correctly, the Guide will reveal 
  everywhere that letter appears in the 
  name. If you guess incorrectly 6 times, 
  the spell fails. 
  20: The Guide fills in half of the letters 
  in the name.
  11-19: The Guide fills in one vowel and 
  two consonants.
  1-10: The Guide fills in one consonant.
  Once you have diagnosed an affliction, 
  you can automatically identify it in the 
  future by touching a creature.
  curious case
  3
   If your scene contains something 
  overtly suspicious, like a dead body or 
  blood on the walls, you may investigate 
  by considering things that seem 
  familiar to you. You must pontificate 
  about your past experience at the table 
  to explain what is familiar to you.
  Choose three details you already know 
  about your scene. If you need more 
  detail, ask the Guide what you sense.
  You can then begin your short speech 
  by saying something like, "This 
  reminds me of the curious case of 
  _________________________." Explain where you 
  have seen the details in your scene 
  before.
  When you are finished, the Guide will 
  reveal a useful clue about your scene to 
  you. The Guide will choose one of these 
  clues:
   
  ■ The motive of the perpetrator who 
  was involved in the scene.
   
  ■ The nearby location of a hidden 
  message, symbol, or other detail that 
  reveals the name or affiliation of 
  someone who was involved in the 
  scene.
   
  ■ Where someone who was involved 
  in the scene might be headed next.
  examination
  examine the dead — diagnose — curious case 
  
  73
  genesis command
  6
   You touch a creature, reversing or 
  accelerating its development to a stage 
  of life of your choosing. (This can only 
  be used on bosses if they have less than 
  20 percent of their total HP remaining.) 
  For example, you may revert an adult 
  creature into a child, giving it the 
  opportunity to grow old again.
  The creature retains all of its memories, 
  unless you revert it to infancy. The 
  creature obtains the basic physical 
  capabilities appropriate for its state of 
  development.
  banish
  1
   You banish a nearby spirit 
  creature to a random shadow plane 
  for the next hour. You do not know its 
  destination. When its imprisonment is 
  up, it reappears at its previous location.
  5
   You permanently banish a nearby 
  spirit creature to a random shadow 
  plane. (This can only be used on bosses 
  if they have less than 20 percent of 
  their total HP remaining.)
  eternal slumber
  4
   You touch a creature within reach, 
  placing them in a permanent and 
  peaceful sleep.
  You may choose to tie the spell to a 
  trigger that can cause it to end; for 
  example, cursing them to sleep until 
  they are embraced by a family member, 
  or tying it to an object that must be 
  destroyed to end the spell.
  You can end the spell at any time you 
  choose. You can only maintain this 
  spell on one creature at a time; if you 
  cast it again, the previous spell ends, 
  freeing the creature from stasis.
  (This can only be used on bosses if they 
  have less than 20 percent of their total 
  HP remaining.)
  the bitter gift
  9
   You touch a creature without self-
  awareness and bestow them with the 
  bitter gift of selfhood. You must recite 
  a statement at the table about what it 
  means to be alive. It can be a passage 
  from a book, a poem, or something else 
  that expresses ideas about the meaning 
  of life.
  The target of the spell falls unconscious 
  for the next minute as their body 
  rapidly experiences 1 million years of 
  evolution toward self-awareness. The 
  evolutionary process alters the animal's 
  physical features and capabilities in 
  ways you may not expect.
  The new creature is thrown into 
  the world with competency in one 
  language, a sense of self-identity, and 
  a vague awareness of its past life, 
  including a few specific memories of 
  significant moments. Another way of 
  putting it: they are now a person like 
  you.
  The creature knows you gave it life.
  legendary
  
  74
  the spy
   
  The Spy smiles and offers an uncanny  
  greeting, walking through the front 
  door with confidence. They slip in 
  and out of the shadows, striking foes 
  when they least expect it. They craft 
  remarkable, bespoke tools that give 
  them an edge in their pursuits. 
  You should play The Spy if you 
  want to roleplay a supremely skilled 
  character who relies on practical 
  means to achieve their aims. It’s a 
  great choice for playing a secret agent 
  or roguish assassin. 
  quick start
  Choose these abilities: Cosmopolitan, Sneak 
  Attack, Strap, Tracker, Persona, and  
  Feather Hook.
  
  75
  cosmopolitan
  0
   You are an expert in the study of 
  cosmopolitan cultures, particularly in 
  cities and nations. If you are falsely 
  presenting as a citizen or official of a 
  city or nation and your authenticity 
  is challenged, you may use a local 
  mannerism to fool common people.
  You must come up with the mannerism 
  and describe it to the table. It can be 
  a gesture, like a special handshake, 
  a common saying, or some other 
  idiosyncrasy from the people you are 
  pretending to belong to.
  silver tongue
  1
   If you are caught doing something 
  prohibited or mischevious, you can use 
  clever thinking to evade suspicion.
  You must appeal to something that 
  your adversaries find agreeable. The 
  Guide will choose one of these as the 
  right answer, and secretly write it down:
  orders. Someone with authority 
  commanded you to do it.
  ignorance. You didn't know better. It 
  was a genuine mixup!
  graft. You offer something of value 
  from  your inventory to make this go 
  away.
  You must guess the right approach, and 
  describe how you make the appeal.
  1
   For 1 AP, the Guide eliminates one 
  of the incorrect choices.
  After you give your story, the Guide 
  will reveal the choice they wrote. If you 
  guess correctly, your adversaries will 
  leave you alone.
  don't you know who i am? 
  1
   You impress common folk and 
  minions by pretending to be someone 
  notable. 
  You initiate the ruse by giving a 
  special wink to a party member. Then, 
  each of your nearby party members 
  must proclaim an incredible fact that 
  creates your identity. For example, a 
  party member might begin by calling 
  attention to you as a fabled writer, a 
  storied warrior, or a sports hero. The 
  other members of the party should 
  build on this fake identity until 
  everyone has contributed. Each claim 
  should be more fantastical than the 
  previous one.
  When everyone is finished, you draw 
  a captive audience of nearby creatures 
  who crowd around you.
  charisma
  cosmopolitan — silver tongue — don't you know who i am?
  
  76
  sneak attack
  Once per round, when a nearby foe 
  attacks a creature other than you, 
  you may exploit their focus. You may 
  immediately move behind them to 
  perform one of the following actions: 
  1
   You make a basic attack on them.
  1
   You incapacitate a commoner 
  or minion by touching one of their 
  pressure points. They fall to the ground 
  unconscious for the next 10 minutes, or 
  until they are harmed.
  3
   You kill a commoner or minion 
  instantly. Describe how you take them 
  out.
  poison
  You combine basic goods from any 
  well-stocked general store to create 
  poison. You create enough poison for 
  one use. You can apply it to weapons, 
  put it in drinks or meals, or serve it to a 
  creature directly. Regardless of delivery 
  method, each use of the poison can 
  only affect one creature. Choose any 
  combination of effects:
  1
   blue. The victim falls asleep for 1 
  hour.
  2
   white. The victim writhes in 
  extreme pain for 1 hour and is unable to 
  speak.
  3
   purple. The victim collapses and is 
  paralyzed for the next day.
  4
   black. Commoners and minions 
  are instantly killed. Bosses are hit for 10 
  HP.
  6
   clear. The victim experiences no 
  symptoms and dies 1 week later. (This 
  does not work on bosses.)
  death hand
  magic item. A single-shot hand cannon 
  that uses a silent magic charge to 
  propel a slug. The Death Hand can 
  sense your target and guide your hand 
  to make a perfect shot on any target 
  you can see in your scene, including 
  those that are far away. The shot hits 
  for 6 HP. It instantly kills commoners 
  and minions.
  3
   You must spend 3 AP and one turn 
  each time you recharge the weapon.
  bounty
  roll the die
  5
   You place a bounty on a 
  commoner or minion's head for their 
  capture or death. You must offer an 
  item of value as a reward in addition to 
  the AP cost of this ability that is at least 
  rare in quality. Bounty hunters will 
  compete for the prize.
  If for capture, you may specify where 
  they are to be taken. If you mark them 
  for death, you may require any manner 
  of proof that the deed was done.
  20: The deed will be done by the end of 
  your play session.
  11-19: The deed will be done by the end 
  of your next play session.
  1-10: The target learns of the bounty 
  and places one on your head. You 
  are not sure who bounty hunters will 
  reach first.
  termination
  sneak attack  — poison —  death hand —  bounty
  
  77
  strap
  0
   Unless you are actively searched 
  by another creature, you can conceal 
  up to two weapons in your clothing 
  without being noticed, provided you’re 
  wearing enough to reasonably conceal 
  them.
  disguise
  1
   Any time you are in a room like 
  a bedroom, armory, or office, you may 
  find objects to use to put together 
  a convincing disguise. Depending 
  on where you are, the disguise will 
  offer at least one signature element 
  of your deception, like a uniform, a 
  membership insignia, or a style of 
  dress. The disguise automatically fools 
  commoners, but minions and bosses 
  may question you.
  blink pack
  magic item. A magical messenger pack 
  with a hidden switch in the clasp. 
  When activated, the switch turns the 
  bag’s mouth into a portal to a shadow 
  plane where secret objects may be 
  stored. When the switch is deactivated, 
  the bag functions normally. Spy items 
  stored in the pack do not count against 
  your inventory limit. (This allows you 
  to carry more than 12 items.)
  The pack is paired with a magic amulet 
  that has a button on it.
  3
   You press the button on the 
  amulet. The Blink Pack is teleported to 
  your hands from wherever it is in the 
  omniverse.
  needful hilt
  magic item. A hilt to a basic weapon, like 
  a sword or dagger. 
  0
   If you imagine a common weapon 
  while holding it, the hilt instantly 
  morphs into that weapon. It hits for 2 
  HP in any form. When you no longer 
  need the weapon, it reverts to its form 
  as a simple hilt.
  shadow
  magic item. A magic cape that makes 
  everything but your shadow invisible.
  2
   When you activate the cape's 
  ability, it shimmers and sparkles briefly 
  before you and everything you are 
  carrying vanishes. You are invisible 
  for the next minute, but you still cast a 
  shadow when you move. The shadow 
  disappears when you are still.
  While invisible, common folk and 
  minions won't notice you passing 
  by unless you make a lot of noise. If 
  you attack while invisible, the cape 
  deactivates and you become visible 
  again.
  concealment
  strap — disguise — blink pack — needful hilt — shadow
  
  78
  tracker
  magic item. A pair of devices that allows 
  you to track something.
  The kit includes a magical tag the size 
  of a tiny bead that is sticky and can be 
  applied to most surfaces. The tracker is 
  linked to a magic compass that shows 
  the direction the tag is in.
  The arrow on the compass is black. 
  It turns gold when the tag is in your 
  scene, and begins to vibrate softly.
  spyglasses
  magic item. Eyeglasses that let you see in 
  natural darkness as if it were daylight. 
  The glasses can be permanently 
  upgraded with these capabilities:
  3
   Add the ability to magnify the 
  details of small nearby objects, or zoom 
  to see faraway things clearly.
  4
   Add infrared vision that lets 
  you see an outline of things that are 
  generating heat nearby. This ability 
  works through walls.
  6
   Add the ability to detect whether 
  something is an illusion. Illusions you 
  detect appear to flicker and distort.
  0
   Each of these modes can be 
  toggled while wearing the Spyglasses by 
  turning a dial on the side of the device.
  cloner
  magic item. A magic amulet that allows 
  you to eavesdrop on a communications 
  device.
  0
   When holding the Cloner next 
  to a spell or object that transmits 
  communications, you may clone its 
  signal. You share a telepathic link with 
  the Cloner, and you automatically 
  hear any messages being transmitted 
  through the cloned device in your 
  mind. You may only clone one device 
  at a time; pairing the Cloner with a 
  new device will break the link with the 
  previous one.
  seeker
  magic item. The Seeker is a levitating 
  orb as large as the palm of your hand 
  that responds to your commands 
  telepathically. It shimmers and is 
  almost invisible, but it makes a low 
  humming noise as it moves. 
  0
   You can make the Seeker travel 
  just out of your sight or to an adjacent 
  room. It can tell you how many 
  creatures are in a space, but not what 
  kinds. 
  1
   The Seeker gives you a 
  rudimentary mental map of an adjacent 
  room. The Guide will draw an outline of 
  the room, highlight any major features 
  (like columns or crevasses), and mark 
  the exact location of any creatures.
  surveillance
  tracker — spyglasses — cloner — seeker
  
  79
  dossier
  magic item. A magic book that copies 
  things. You can make a Dossier of any 
  size — from a pocket-sized folio to a 
  coffee table book.
  0
   You can use the book to copy 
  any kind of writing or drawing that is 
  pressed against its pages. For instance, 
  if you press a handwritten letter against 
  one of the Dossier’s pages, a legible but 
  imperfect copy will appear inside. 
  mimic
  magic item. A magical pen that 
  guides your hand to copy any writer's 
  personal style. On the end opposite 
  the pen tip is a magical stamp that 
  can create forgeries of official seals.
  By bringing the Mimic within reach 
  of a handwritten document, it 
  automatically learns how to reproduce 
  the document's handwriting styles, 
  signatures, and seals. 
  2
   You use Mimic to create a single 
  document forged in any style the pen 
  has previously learned, including the 
  reproduction of any official stamps or 
  seals.
  listener
  magic item. A small magic gem that 
  can be activated to record sounds 
  nearby for up to 1 hour. If you have the 
  Cloner (p. 78), you can insert the 
  Listener into a socket on the amulet. 
  When they are paired, you can have the 
  Listener record sounds that the Cloner 
  intercepts. The device can record up to 
  1 hour of sound, and you can squeeze 
  it softly to have it audibly play back 
  the sound. Using the device to record 
  makes it completely forget the previous 
  recording. 
  1
   You activate the Listener. It 
  records anything it hears, paying 
  particular attention to spoken words. 
  crypto
  magic item. Crypto is a ring of opaque 
  glass that glows when brought near 
  glyphs, like writing on a piece of paper 
  or stone etchings. 
  3
   You activate Crypto to translate 
  languages or decode secret messages. 
  The ring reads any object you bring 
  within reach. A translation of the 
  source material emerges, scrolling 
  around the band as you read it. When 
  it is finished translating something, the 
  ring deactivates.
  stenography
  dossier — mimic — listener — crypto
  
  80
  feather hook
  magic item. A magical grappling hook that 
  gently glides itself upward, like a balloon, 
  until it reaches and attaches to a ledge. 
  You can tie any length of rope to the 
  hook.
  0
   Activate the Feather Hook.
  bricolage
  1
   Your skills of improvisation are 
  unparalleled. When you are in a room 
  with everyday objects at your disposal, 
  you may hastily craft one of the following 
  items in less than 1 minute:
  tripwire. You create a wire attached to an 
  auditory trigger that makes a loud noise 
  when someone crosses it.
  poison trap. If you have poison, you may 
  create a small floor trap that poisons the 
  first creature to step on it.
  simple weapon. You fashion a makeshift 
  weapon that hits for 2 HP.
  periscope. You can make a small 
  periscope that allows you to look over 
  objects and around doors that have a bit 
  of clearance. 
  needful key
  magic item. A key that magically senses 
  the mechanism of a physical lock and 
  morphs itself to fit it perfectly. In its 
  default form, the device is a simple 
  key with no teeth. By twisting the key's 
  handle, you can make it revert to its 
  default form. 
  2
   The key morphs to fit a new 
  lock. You must spend 2 AP each time 
  you make the key morph to fit a new 
  lock. The key remembers locks it has 
  previously defeated and can morph to fit 
  them for no AP cost.
  blueprint
  magic item. A magical folio that reveals 
  the floorplan of a building. 
  2
   You press the Blueprint against an 
  interior wall of a building. Magic ink 
  appears, revealing the building's layout 
  for the entire floor you are currently on.
  The Guide will draw you a basic map 
  of the building, including an outline 
  showing the shape of rooms and hallways 
  and marks showing where doors and 
  windows are. The Blueprint only works 
  on artificial structures. (It does not reveal 
  the layout of caves or other natural 
  systems.)
  If you also have the Seeker (p. 78), the 
  Blueprint can show its location in real 
  time, as well as the location of any nearby 
  creatures that the Seeker detects.
  infiltration
  feather hook — bricolage — needful key — blueprint
  
  81
  persona
  You carefully prepare a convincing 
  alternate identity. You cannot create 
  a persona of an existing person or 
  the identity of someone who holds an 
  exclusive position, like the ruler of an 
  existing nation.  
  Each persona consists of a wardrobe, 
  credentials, and a backstory. You may 
  create and describe each element of the 
  persona. 
  When you use your alternate identity, 
  you must outwardly present yourself as 
  that person by wearing their costume.
  2
   You create the persona of a 
  common person of average means, like 
  a farmer, artisan, traveling salesperson, 
  priest, soldier, or teacher. 
  When using a commoner's identity, you 
  can effortlessly blend into crowds and 
  travel unnoticed in public spaces.
  4
   You create the persona of an 
  officer (someone in a position of formal 
  authority), like a politician, judge, 
  military officer, guild leader, or ship 
  captain. 
  When using an officer's identity, you 
  may:
   
  ■ Enter restricted areas that your rank 
  and affiliation gives you access to.
   
  ■ Give mundane orders to people you 
  outrank, like running errands or 
  keeping watch.
  6
   You create the persona of an 
  aristocrat, like a prominent socialite, 
  wealthy business owner, ambassador, 
  or governor. 
  When using an aristocrat's identity, you 
  may:
   
  ■ Enter exclusive spaces for the rich 
  and famous, like private clubs or 
  balls.
   
  ■ Seek audience with local rulers.
   
  ■ Spend 1 AP for a get out of jail free 
  card that pardons you for minor 
  crimes.
  impersonation
  persona
  
  82
  shadow cutter
  magic item. The Shadow Cutter is a 
  wearable bracelet that you can stretch 
  to form a hoop large enough to crawl 
  through. 
  3
   When you press the device against 
  a solid surface, it can be activated to 
  create a hole of an equal circumference, 
  up to 1 meter deep. When you're done 
  using it, it collapses to its original size. 
  When activated, a low buzzing sound 
  can be heard by all creatures nearby. 
  The material behind the device is 
  instantly teleported to a random 
  shadow plane.
  the artifice
  magic item. A small mask that projects 
  an illusion, transforming your image 
  and voice. The mask records the 
  appearance and voice of every nearby 
  creature you encounter and remembers 
  them forever. 
  2
   You activate the mask, projecting 
  a convincing illusion that gives you 
  the appearance of any creature it 
  remembers. Additionally, it changes 
  your voice to sound like the creature 
  you're impersonating. It is capable of 
  fooling everyone but the impersonated 
  creature's closest friends and family.
  nightcrawler
  You are a legendary charmer and 
  intelligence gatherer, capable of quickly 
  extracting sensitive information.
  4
   When you infiltrate a person's 
  office, encampment, or home, you 
  discover sensitive information about 
  them. The Guide chooses two things 
  from this list to reveal to you: 
   
  ■ The identity of an important 
  associate.
   
  ■ A location they will travel to, with 
  the time and date.
   
  ■ A secret that would embarrass them 
  if revealed.
   
  ■ Their financial situation, including 
  who they owe their largest debt to or 
  who owes them the largest debt.
   
  ■ Their true feelings about you or your 
  party.
   
  ■ Their strongest allegiance, whether 
  to a government, guild, or other 
  organization. 
  The Guide will imagine the specifics of 
  the information you receive. They will 
  also choose the document that reveals 
  it, like a receipt, a diary, or a letter.
  legendary
  
  83
  the magician
   
  The Magician flicks their wrist, 
  delighting an audience with a parade 
  of illusory animals. They mesmerize 
  an adversary, freezing them in place. 
  They peer beyond the eyes of another, 
  entering their dreams and shaping 
  their reality. 
  Choose The Magician if you want to 
  use spells that affect the mind and the 
  senses. The role is a great choice for 
  people who want to play a dazzling 
  performer or a devious manipulator. 
  quick start
  Choose these abilities: Magic Tricks, Splitting 
  Image, Magic Eye, Little Bird, Bamboozle, and 
  Scintillate.
  
  84
  magic tricks
  0
   You produce a tiny magical effect 
  to surprise, delight, or confuse those 
  around you. Choose any combination 
  of these effects each time you use this 
  ability:
  light. You create a harmless display of 
  light, like a flickering flame or a pattern 
  of sparks. You can also snuff out or 
  ignite small light sources like torches. 
  sound. You create a small, brief sound 
  effect, like a wind chime, an audience 
  clapping, or someone whispering.
  smell. You conjure a smell of any kind, 
  like a freshly baked pie or a cesspool. 
  touch. You give one or more nearby 
  creatures a gentle physical sensation, 
  like someone tapping them on the 
  shoulder, a chill breeze, or the feeling 
  of goosebumps. 
  mesmerize
  1
   You dazzle a nearby commoner 
  or minion with an optical illusion. 
  (The creature must be able to see.) 
  Until you leave the area, the creature 
  cannot move, take actions, or respond 
  to conversation. The spell ends if the 
  creature is harmed.
  overthere
  1
   You make a suggestive gesture, 
  redirecting a nearby creature that is 
  currently hostile toward you. The target 
  redirects its anger toward a different 
  adversary. (The spell does not work 
  if the target has no other enemies 
  nearby.) This effect is canceled if you 
  harm the creature.
  mirage
  3
   You conjure a major illusion 
  no larger than 100 meters in any 
  dimension. The illusion can be of 
  anything that fits within the space, 
  and you can program it with looping 
  mechanics. For instance, you can 
  create the illusion of an oasis, a pile of 
  treasure, or a lumbering giant guarding 
  their territory. 
  If a creature touches or passes through 
  the illusion, they will no longer see 
  it. Creatures with the ability to detect 
  magic may discover the deception.
  invisibility
  3
   You make a nearby creature or 
  object invisible for the next minute. 
  If it is a creature, everything they are 
  wearing and carrying also becomes 
  invisible. If a creature attacks while 
  invisible, they reappear.
  x
   Add 1 AP for each creature or 
  object you target with the spell beyond 
  the first.
  misdirection
  magic tricks — mesmerize — overthere — mirage — invisibility
  
  85
  splitting image
  1
   You vanish momentarily, 
  reappearing with two illusory 
  duplicates at your side. Your duplicates 
  travel alongside you and perfectly 
  mimic all of your movements. 
  If a creature attempts to target you, 
  the Guide must flip a coin. If it turns 
  up "heads," you are targeted; on "tails" 
  one of your duplicates is targeted. If 
  one of your duplicates takes damage, it 
  disappears.
  phantom menace
  2
   You read the mind of a nearby 
  NPC and produce an illusion of a 
  creature they find extremely irritating. 
  Only you and the target of the spell can 
  see and hear the illusion.
  For the next 10 minutes, the illusion 
  relentlessly mocks and taunts your 
  target, provoking their full attention. 
  You may control the illusion directly 
  and have it manipulate small objects. 
  For example, you can have it steal an 
  item from the target and lead them on 
  a chase. Or you may let the illusion go 
  wild, allowing the Guide to narrate its 
  behavior.
  illusory creature
  3
   Imagine a creature. You create a 
  convincing illusion of it that appears 
  nearby. It looks, moves, and sounds like 
  the creature you imagined. It even feels 
  real to the touch. The illusion has 6 HP 
  and vanishes at 0 HP.
  The illusion can behave independently 
  and travel away from you. You can 
  program the illusion's routines. For 
  example, you may have it clean a 
  house, patrol an area, pretend to be 
  busy, or give it a combination of tasks 
  and behaviors. You can also set rules 
  for it, like "Don't harm anyone for 
  any reason" or "Don't let anyone pass 
  through this door."
  You share a telepathic bond with the 
  illusion when it is nearby, and you can 
  control it directly during your turn. You 
  can make it move, act, and speak your 
  lines. It can hold and use weapons to 
  make basic attacks.
  After 1 day, the illusion will 
  automatically travel out of sight of 
  other creatures and then vanish.
  4
   This spell costs 4 AP instead if you 
  use it to create an illusion of a creature 
  that already exists. You create a perfect 
  double of the creature that looks and 
  sounds like them. It can fool everyone 
  but the creature's closest friends and 
  family. 
  mannequins
  splitting image — phantom menace — illusory creature
  
  86
  magic eye
  1
   You briefly gain the ability to see 
  beyond physical reality. For the next 
  hour, you are able to see the following: 
  magic. A faint aura surrounds any 
  person or object currently affected by 
  magic.
  illusion. Any illusory creature or object 
  slightly flickers, but you do not see its 
  true form. 
  whisper
  0
   You telepathically send a message 
  to a nearby creature. They know you are 
  speaking from within their mind, but 
  they hear you as if you were speaking 
  out loud.
  1
   You create a link with the creature 
  that allows them to respond to your 
  whisper. If they respond, you may have 
  a telepathic conversation with them for 
  the next minute.
  message
  1
   Choose a creature you have met 
  before. You must know the general 
  area where they are presently located. 
  You may communicate with each other 
  telepathically for up to 1 minute.
  4
   You can create the telepathic 
  link, even if you do not know where 
  the creature is located. They can be 
  anywhere.
  interpret
  1
   You enter the mind of a nearby 
  creature and temporarily learn their 
  language for the next 10 minutes.
  When you cast this spell, you may 
  also attempt to permanently learn the 
  creature's language by playing a game 
  of charades. (This happens at the table 
  out of character.) The Guide will write 
  down a word or phrase on a piece of 
  paper and then secretly give it to you.
  Start a timer. You have 1 minute to 
  silently act out the word or phrase. If 
  another player correctly guesses the 
  word or phrase, the spell is successful. 
  insight
  3
   You gaze into the mind of a nearby 
  creature, discovering a prominent 
  intention. Choose one effect each time 
  you cast this spell:
   
  ■ You learn something the creature 
  intends to do in the next 10 minutes.
   
  ■ You learn something the creature 
  intends to accomplish over a long 
  period of time.
   
  ■ You learn something they intend 
  to do to a specific creature of your 
  choice.
  clairvoyance
  magic eye — whisper — message — interpret — insight
  
  87
  little bird
  1
   You summon an illusory bird 
  somewhere nearby that keeps watch 
  over an area that it can see. It remains 
  there until you dismiss it. You may only 
  have one Little Bird at a time.
  You share a telepathic link with the 
  bird. It will message you when it 
  witnesses something you specify, like 
  a specific creature entering a room or 
  a door opening. The bird will wake you 
  up to tell you what it sees if you are 
  sleeping. 
  helen's fantastic feast
  4
   Imagine an elaborate feast of 
  any culinary style. You summon food 
  and drink, your choice of furniture 
  (if necessary), and your choice of 
  dinnerware and table decorations. You 
  may summon enough to feed a party of 
  up to 20 people. Consuming the meal 
  restores 4 hit points.
  monitor
  2
   You summon a small illusory 
  servant that hovers over your 
  shoulder and follows you around for 
  the remainder of your play session. 
  The Monitor looks like a blooming 
  flower with an eye in the center, and 
  it's invisible except to creatures you 
  designate. You can deploy the Monitor 
  to places just beyond your sight. For 
  instance, you can send it searching 
  around a corner into another room.
  The Monitor can tell you how many 
  creatures are in a space, but not what 
  kinds. It also gives you a rudimentary 
  mental map of spaces it travels 
  through. For instance, if you send it into 
  an adjacent room, you will know the 
  rough size and shape of the room and 
  any major features, like pillars or open 
  pits. 
  shadow haven
  5
   Place your hand on a dwelling 
  in the worldly plane. You instantly 
  duplicate its interior inside of a shadow 
  plane. The duplication looks and feels 
  real to the touch, but it is an illusion; 
  you cannot take its illusory parts out of 
  the shadow plane.
  The dwelling can be as small as a shed 
  or as large as a mansion or castle. The 
  physical entrance to the dwelling in 
  the worldly plane doubles as a secret 
  portal to the shadow haven. You can 
  grant or revoke access to anyone at any 
  time. A creature that is aware of the 
  haven and has permission to enter may 
  choose to open the door to the portal 
  by wishing it. Otherwise, the door 
  functions normally as the entrance to 
  the dwelling in the worldly plane.
  The shadow haven lasts permanently 
  until it is dispelled, you dismiss it, or 
  the spell is cast again. Any creatures 
  inside when the spell ends are instantly 
  expelled through the portal into the 
  worldly plane.
  conjuration
  little bird — helen's fantastic feast — monitor — shadow haven
  
  88
  bamboozle
  1
   You make a nearby creature 
  mildly confused about a specific subject 
  until you leave the area. For example, 
  you could make a merchant confused 
  about the value of their goods, a guard 
  confused about who is authorized to 
  pass, or a dog confused about whether 
  he is a good boy.The confusion is lifted 
  if you push the deception too far, like 
  trying to trade a rock for a priceless 
  item.
  wren's delightful dream
  1
   You whisper and wave your hand 
  at a nearby creature. The next time the 
  creature falls asleep, they experience a 
  deeply comforting dream. They wake 
  up feeling beloved and forget all of 
  their grudges for the next week.
  perky profanation
  1
   You curse a nearby creature for 
  the next 10 minutes. The curse is lifted 
  if the creature is harmed. Choose one:
  laughter. They double over in sustained 
  laughter and can’t move. Everything 
  they hear sounds hilarious to them.
  dance. They hear their favorite tune 
  and start dancing like their life depends 
  on it.
  mimicry. They begin to mimic a creature 
  of your choice. For example, you can 
  make them behave like housecats. 
  4
   You curse any number of 
  commoners nearby.
  fear
  roll the die
  4
   You breach the mind of a nearby 
  creature to seek their worst fear. 
  20: You learn the creature's worst fear. 
  They become permanently haunted by 
  it in every waking moment. Over time, 
  their personality is destroyed, and they 
  become unresponsive to others.
  11-19: You learn the creature's worst 
  fear. You may then conjure the 
  image of this fear in their mind's eye, 
  paralyzing them with dread for the 
  next 10 minutes. They cannot act, 
  except to flee danger. 
  6-10: You learn the creature's worst 
  fear, but they reject you from their 
  mind before you can conjure the fear. 
  2-5: You learn the creature's worst fear, 
  but it paralyzes you with dread for the 
  next 10 minutes. During this time, you 
  are unable to use abilities.
  1: When confronting the creature's 
  fear, you become permanently haunted 
  by it. You must choose an additional 
  character flaw. You can only lift the 
  fear by having the Liberate spell (p. 
  45) cast on you.
  mind control
  bamboozle — wren's delightful dream — perky profanation — fear
  
  89
  scintillate
  0
   You extend your fingers outward, 
  and a streaking bolt of sparks shoots 
  toward a target you can see. Roll the die 
  to see if it hits the target successfully.
  You may make the bolt explode on 
  contact with crackling energy, hitting 
  the target for 2 HP. Or you can make 
  the bolt a harmless firework that 
  explodes in the air, creating a pattern of 
  any shape and color.
  bedazzle
  4
   You summon four prismatic bolts 
  that sparkle brilliantly. You may direct 
  each bolt toward any target you can see.
  The bolts each hit for 2 HP. If all four 
  hit a single creature, the creature is 
  affected by your Mesmerize ability (p. 
  84).
  loosen
  2
   You twirl your finger as if you are 
  unwinding a spool of yarn. Starting 
  with a single creature nearby that you 
  can see, you create a cascading wave of 
  magic mischief that loosens anything 
  fastened or tightened around nearby 
  creatures. For example: 
   
  ■ Bags become unclasped and spill out 
  their contents.
   
  ■ Shoelaces become untied, belts 
  unbuckled, and shirts unbuttoned.
   
  ■ Pets become unleashed.
  chaos ball
  3
   You summon a cherry-sized elastic 
  ball in your hand. When you throw 
  the ball, it bounces off everything 
  it touches, avoiding creatures. Each 
  time the ball bounces, it accelerates 
  slightly, traveling faster and faster until 
  it escapes into the atmosphere after 1 
  minute. 
  The ball's brief reign of terror shatters 
  pottery, glass, light furniture, and most 
  other fragile things in your scene. What 
  a shame.
  mayhem
  scintillate — bedazzle — loosen — chaos ball
  
  90
  control
  8
   You dominate the mind of a 
  nearby creature for the next hour. 
  The creature will do anything you 
  verbally command them to do without 
  exception or hesitation. When the spell 
  ends, they remember everything that 
  happened.
  This spell is cursed. If you use Control 
  to harm another creature, you 
  permanently forfeit your character and 
  they become an NPC boss. The Guide 
  will now play your character as a villain 
  in the story. 
  The Guide will inform you if your use 
  of the spell will cause your character to 
  become an NPC before you cast it; you 
  must agree to forfeit your character, 
  otherwise you may not cast Control to 
  harm another creature.
  peerless pilot
  5
   You conjure a fantastic hot air 
  balloon from another dimension that 
  can fit you and your party. You must 
  be outdoors and standing in a clearing 
  with room for the balloon to form.
  The balloon is 30 meters tall and can 
  look like anything you want. It’s piloted 
  by a small, illusory creature that can 
  talk to you and your crew and take 
  instructions. (The standard creature is a 
  red panda wearing goggles, but you may 
  choose any similarly sized creature you 
  want.) The pilot remembers you and 
  where you’ve been if you cast the spell 
  again. 
  The balloon is powered by a flaming 
  sphere above the carriage that adjusts 
  its intensity based on your commands. 
  The balloon can soar as high as the 
  tallest mountain peaks and move at up 
  to 30 kilometers an hour. The carriage 
  has 40 hit points, and the balloon has 
  10 hit points. 
  You may dismiss the balloon at any 
  time; it vanishes with its pilot and 
  returns home.
  perfect gift
  4
   You glimpse the mind of a nearby 
  creature, discovering what stirs their 
  heart. Then, you conjure an emotionally 
  priceless gift for them.
  You choose how the gift makes the 
  creature feel once it is received. Choose 
  one:
   
  ■ They come to terms with the loss of 
  a loved one, finding peace.
   
  ■ They decide to repair a broken 
  relationship in their life.
   
  ■ They become exuberantly happy for 
  the next month.
   
  ■ They become obsessed with the 
  gift, refusing to part with it for any 
  reason.
   
  ■ They love you as an intimate friend 
  and seek a closer relationship.
  The Guide chooses the form of the gift 
  to match the effect with the creature.
  legendary
  
  91
  invasion
  5
   You touch a sleeping NPC (the 
  host) and enter its dream. You may 
  take any willing party members who 
  are nearby with you. Those invading 
  the dream enter a trance. They cannot 
  sense anything outside of the dream, 
  even if they are harmed. 
  You choose how you and your 
  companions appear in the dream. 
  You may impersonate others while in 
  the dream world. Once you enter, you 
  create a new dream in the host's mind. 
  The dream has two scenes. 
  the suggestion. In the first scene, you 
  meet the host and speak with them. 
  You choose the setting. 
  Here, you may try to convince the host 
  to do something. For example, you 
  might ask them to abandon a serious 
  pursuit, to cut their family ties, or to 
  give away their wealth.
  the trial. In the second dream 
  sequence, the host's greatest fear 
  manifests as a monster that seeks to 
  kill them. The Guide will choose a 
  monster that is proportionate to the 
  severity of your suggestion. If you are 
  trying to  dramatically alter the host's 
  life, the Guide may choose a monster of 
  terrifying power.
  The rules for this fight are the same as 
  outside of the dream, but you cannot 
  die here. All players entering the dream 
  have full health and 10 AP to use. You 
  exit the dream immediately if you reach 
  0 HP.
  If you defeat the monster, the target 
  will later wake up believing the dream 
  was a revelation. They will set out to do 
  what you suggested.
  If the monster kills the host in the 
  dream, the spell ends. Everyone, 
  including the host, wakes up.
  You may use your abilities within the 
  dream the same way you use them in 
  the outside world, but the effects are 
  fictional and cannot leave the dream 
  world. Any AP that you spend inside of 
  the dream is recovered when you exit.
  legendary
  
  92
  the wizard
   
  The Wizard utters a word of power, 
  sending a wave of force that knocks 
  back everything in its path. They 
  imagine an object needed in a pinch, 
  and conjure it from thin air. With a 
  wave of their hand, they open a rift 
  to unexplored dimensions, seeking 
  answers beyond space and time. 
  You can use The Wizard’s dynamic 
  role to play any kind of magic user, 
  from a studious sage seekiduelng 
  spellbooks to a megalomaniacal mage 
  pursuing absolute power. 
  quick start
  Choose these abilities: Magic Strike, Blink, Sense 
  Magic, Speak, Pinch, and Familiar.
  
  93
  magic strike
  roll the die
  0
   You must be holding a pointed 
  object like a wand, staff, or sword 
  to use this spell. You use it to shoot 
  a shimmering missile of force in a 
  straight line at a target you can see, 
  dealing 2 damage.
  2
   You overload the missile, 
  increasing its damage to 4 and hitting 
  the target automatically. You do not 
  need to roll the die if you overload the 
  spell.
  kindle
  0
   You rub your hands together, 
  causing a flammable object you can see 
  nearby to ignite in flame. The spell can 
  ignite textiles, wood, paper, and other 
  combustible material. 
  This spell cannot be used directly on 
  creatures, but it can be used to ignite 
  flammable things they are wearing 
  or carrying. Igniting something on a 
  creature deals 1 damage to them.
  clap
  2
   You clap your hands, creating 
  a thunderous wave of force in the 
  direction you are facing. The wave 
  hits up to 3 nearby creatures for 2 HP. 
  If affected creatures are the size of a 
  horse or smaller, they are also knocked 
  to the ground.
  telekinesis
  You move a nearby creature or object 
  using only your mind.
  1
   You may move an object or 
  creature no larger than an elephant. 
  If you move it gently, you can control 
  it for up to 10 seconds. Or you may 
  forcefully throw it up to 5 meters away 
  and hit it for 2 HP.
  x
   You may increase the power of 
  this ability by spending additional 
  AP. For each AP you spend, you may 
  increase the distance you can throw the 
  creature by 5 meters, and the damage 
  they take by 2 HP. (For example, if you 
  spend 5 AP, you can throw a target 25 
  meters and deal 10 damage.)
  last light
  You must be holding a pointed object 
  like a wand, staff, or sword to use this 
  spell. 
  3
   You momentarily channel a 
  blinding beam of focused light in a 
  straight line at a target you can see, 
  dealing 6 damage. The light ignites 
  anything flammable that it touches, 
  melts a hole in steel objects, and sears 
  organic matter.
  5
   You overload the beam. It 
  instantly kills commoners and minions 
  and deals 12 damage to bosses. If Last 
  Light kills the target, it disintegrates 
  into ash.
  The beam created by Last Light can be 
  deflected by mirrors.
  evocation
  magic strike — kindle — clap — telekinesis — last light
  
  94
  familiar
  2
   You summon a tiny spectral 
  creature, like a bird, a lizard, a butterfly, 
  or anything else of a comparable size. 
  The familiar is the avatar of a random 
  spirit creature from your world. It 
  becomes your ally and will follow your 
  instructions. The Guide chooses the 
  creature's background and personality, 
  and speaks for them. The familiar 
  may choose to leave you if they are 
  mistreated.
  The familiar cannot move out of your 
  sight. It can pick up and move objects 
  no larger than a coin purse and no 
  heavier than 10 pounds. It can't attack.
  Your familiar has 4 HP. It is 
  invulnerable to non-magical harm. If it 
  is reduced to 0 HP, it vanishes, and your 
  bond is broken. You may only have one 
  familiar at a time.
  pegasus cloak
  3
   You bestow any number of nearby 
  creatures with illusory feather cloaks 
  for the next hour. Affected creatures 
  hover 1 meter above the ground and can 
  move by gliding in the direction they 
  want to travel. They will also fall gently 
  until they are hovering 1 meter above 
  ground.
  force field
  3
   You create a paper-thin wall 
  of force capable of preventing non-
  magical creatures and objects from 
  passing through. You may choose 
  whether the field blocks passage on one 
  or both sides. The field can be in any 
  shape you want, but it must fit inside 
  of a cube that’s 10 meters on all sides. 
  The force field has 20 hit points and 
  dissolves at 0 HP.
  You can make the field stationary or 
  move it telepathically. (For example, 
  you might create an invisible platform 
  that glides beneath you as you walk.)
  conjure
  3
   You imagine an object, causing it 
  to appear somewhere nearby. You can 
  summon any object that meets these 
  guidelines:
   
  ■ It can't be larger than an elephant.
   
  ■ It can't have magical effects.
  You must tell the Guide which object 
  you want to summon. Then, the Guide 
  thinks of a related object and gives you 
  its name in secret. (For example, if you 
  want to summon a lockpick, the Guide 
  may tell you to draw a door.)
  Set a timer. You have 1 minute to draw 
  the secret object. When time is up, 
  show it to your party. Your friends can 
  discuss what they see, but they can only 
  submit one guess. Don't give the party 
  clues. 
  If they guess correctly, the item 
  appears. If they guess closely but not 
  exactly, the item appears, but it has 
  a defect. If they're totally wrong, a 
  random misshapen item appears.
  conjuration
  familiar — pegasus cloak — force field — conjure
  
  95
  blink
  1
   You teleport to a location of your 
  choice nearby. You vanish, leaving 
  behind a gentle gust of wind and then 
  instantaneously reappear nearby.
  gate
  1
   bind. You bind yourself to the 
  room you are currently in. It must 
  belong to you or a member of the party. 
  This is your Circle. You may only bind 
  yourself to one at a time.
  3
   gate. Snap your fingers. Any 
  willing party members nearby are 
  instantly teleported to your Circle.
  portal
  3
   You conjure a portal of any shape 
  and orientation that is no larger than 
  a door. It appears at a location of your 
  choice nearby. The portal looks like 
  a window to whatever is on the other 
  side, and its edges crackle and spark 
  with energy. When you cast the spell 
  again, the new portal automatically 
  connects to the previous one. The 
  portals remain open until you choose 
  to close them. Anyone that can fit may 
  pass through them.
  dark door
  2
   You knock on a door, making 
  it a temporary portal to a specific 
  shadow plane. You must be aware of 
  the shadow plane's existence to create 
  a door to it. (For example, if you see 
  a creature with a Cosmic Purse, you 
  can open a door to the purse's shadow 
  plane.) When you open the door, you 
  can see inside the plane, and you and 
  your allies may enter it. If the door is 
  closed, the portal vanishes. (If the door 
  closes behind you, you become trapped 
  in the shadow plane and must escape 
  with other means, like with Gate.)
  teleport
  roll the die
  Snap your fingers.
  5
   You and any willing creatures 
  nearby vanish instantly, leaving behind 
  a small shockwave of air in your wake, 
  and are teleported to any place you 
  choose.  
  20: Everyone arrives safely. You recover 
  the spell's full AP cost.
  11-19: You all arrive safely. Good for 
  you.
  6-10: You all arrive. Choose one: you 
  take 7 damage from turbulence, or 
  a magic item you are carrying is 
  destroyed.
  2-5: The party arrives safely, but 
  nobody else does. You don't know 
  where they went. You lose an item you 
  are carrying.
  1: The spell fails. Party members are 
  lacerated by an arcane explosion 
  and are each hit for 5 HP. All other 
  travelers are torn apart in a gruesome 
  spectacle. (They die.)
  planeshifting
  blink — gate — portal — dark door — teleport
  
  96
  no
  roll the die
  2
   By uttering the word "no," you 
  attempt to neutralize a spell that you 
  see an NPC casting nearby. You must 
  declare you are using this ability before 
  the Guide describes the consequences 
  of the spell.  
  20: The spell is violently canceled and 
  its caster is hit for 1 HP.
  11-19: The spell is stopped before it's 
  cast.
  6-10: The spell misses and hits another 
  nearby creature or target.
  2-5: The spell takes effect normally.
  1: You accidentally amplify the spell. 
  If it is a harmful spell, the damage is 
  doubled.
  reflect
  roll the die
  3
   You produce a counterspell, 
  reflecting a spell that targets you. You 
  must declare that you are reflecting the 
  spell as soon as the Guide says that you 
  are being targeted by a spell.
  11-20: The caster is hit by their own 
  spell, instead of you.
  6-10: The spell reflects off of you but 
  misses its caster.
  1-5: The spell reflects off of you but hits 
  a nearby party member instead.
  enscroll
  2
   You create a Spell Scroll (p. 145) 
  that can be used to produce a spell that 
  you know. You must add the AP cost of 
  the spell you are inscribing to the cost 
  of Enscroll. For example, if you create 
  a magic scroll that can produce your 
  Teleport spell, you must spend 7 AP. 
  You must spend a short time in a safe 
  and quiet place to prepare the scroll. 
  You decide what is written on it. The 
  user of the scroll must read the words 
  aloud to activate the spell it contains.
  spellsteal
  3
   After you observe a creature 
  nearby casting a spell, you may briefly 
  enter their mind to glimpse its nature. 
  You learn the spell and can produce it 
  once.
  Your theft gives you the minimum 
  know-how to produce the spell, but you 
  have not mastered it. The Guide may 
  not fully reveal the effects or potential 
  consequences of some stolen spells.
  Once you cast or Enscroll the stolen 
  spell, you forget the spell and cannot 
  use it again.
  magecraft
  no — reflect — enscroll — spellsteal
  
  97
  sense magic
  0
   You get a gentle tingling feeling 
  in your bones whenever you are near a 
  powerful source of magic. You're aware 
  that magic is in the area, but not its 
  location or nature.
  1
   You discern the location of nearby 
  magic and its general nature. For 
  instance, the Guide may reveal that you 
  sense a magic sword, a cursed door, or 
  an illusion. 
  2
   You study the precise nature of 
  nearby magic, learning its specific 
  effects. If you use this ability to study 
  a mysterious magic item, its name and 
  effects are revealed.
  aura's silvery broadcast
  2
   You broadcast a message up to 20 
  words in length. Each creature within 1 
  kilometer hears the message clearly in 
  a voice that sounds pleasant to them. 
  The sound seems to originate from 
  every direction and background noises 
  are muted for the duration.
  scry
  1
   Once per game session, you may 
  flash forward in time to glimpse your 
  actions in the near future. For the next 
  hour, you can avert failure by redoing a 
  roll of the die. You must take the result 
  of the new roll. 
  Or you may ask the Guide to reveal a 
  situation you are likely to encounter 
  based on the current trajectory of 
  your choices. You may ask the Guide 
  questions about what you sense from 
  this glimpse of the future, but the 
  answers may be vague, as if you are 
  trying to find detail in a watercolor 
  painting.
  see
  4
   For the next hour, you can see 
  through all magical deceptions. See 
  reveals the world to you in several ways:
   
  ■ You see anything that's invisible.
   
  ■ You know if something is an illusion.
   
  ■ You may see the true form of 
  anything that has been altered by 
  magic.
  find
  3
   find. You close your eyes and 
  attempt to locate any object you have 
  held before, as long as it is in your 
  current universe. You discover its exact 
  location.
  3
   recall. Immediately after you have 
  used Find to locate an item, you may 
  recall it for an additional 3 AP. The 
  item instantly vanishes from its present 
  location and appears in your hands.
  projection
  sense magic — aura's silvery broadcast — scry — see — find
  
  98
  speak
  1
   For the next minute, you may 
  speak silently into the mind of a nearby 
  creature. Your lips move normally as if 
  you were speaking aloud, but no sound 
  comes out. Instead, the target of the 
  spell hears your voice inside their head. 
  The creature can tell that your voice is 
  inside their mind. 
  pinch
  2
   You imbue your fingers with 
  supernatural strength. For the next 
  minute, you can effortlessly pick up and 
  move objects of any weight, as long as 
  you can reasonably handle their size 
  and shape. For instance, you might 
  pinch the shirt of a bully and raise 
  them up in the air or casually move a 
  giant anvil.
  stretch
  2
   Choose a nearby creature or object 
  that is no smaller than an ant and no 
  larger than a horse. You cause it to 
  instantly enlarge or shrink. It can grow 
  up to twice its size or shrink up to half 
  of its size. The target's weight increases 
  or decreases proportionally, but its 
  hit points do not change. You cannot 
  enlarge something beyond the confines 
  of the space it's in.
  4
   You may stretch an object no 
  smaller than an ant and no larger than 
  an elephant.
  undo
  You speak a word of power, reversing 
  the fate of a nearby object. The spell 
  cannot be used to affect living things.
  The thing you are undoing must be the 
  discrete result of another creature's 
  effort. For example, you might undo 
  a creature's shoelaces, unthread a 
  garment, cause a piece of furniture 
  to fall apart, or revert a sculpture to a 
  block of marble.
  Choose how much effort to undo each 
  time you use this spell:
  1
   Up to 1 minute of effort.
  2
   Up to 1 day of effort.
  3
   Up to 1 week of effort. 
  4
   Any amount of effort.
  trickery
  speak — pinch — stretch — undo
  
  99
  rift
  5
   You summon a magnificent 
  gateway that contains a portal to your 
  current universe's nexus in The Rift. 
  (The Rift is a special location in the 
  omniverse, which you can read more 
  about on p. 33) Each universe's 
  gateway is unique; it might be a stone 
  archway, an iron gate, a humble 
  wooden door, or something else. The 
  Guide imagines what this gateway 
  looks like.
  This is an extraordinarily difficult 
  portal to maintain, and it only remains 
  open for 1 minute. Once opened, any 
  creatures or objects that can fit through 
  the portal may pass through it. 
  While you may summon access to 
  the gateway anywhere, the exit point 
  remains in the same location in The 
  Rift. 
  transcendence
  5
   You embark on an incredible quest 
  for knowledge within living things. For 
  the next minute, you enter a trance as 
  your consciousness expands, touching 
  all sentient beings within 1,000 
  kilometers of you.
  The ordeal is staggering. You 
  immediately sense time and personal 
  identity at a scale beyond your normal 
  understanding. You absorb the 
  simultaneous experiences of others — 
  possibly from billions of beings.
  Your knowledge quest must be limited 
  to a subject that you could reasonably 
  come to understand by seeing through 
  the eyes of others. For instance, you 
  may set out to learn the true history of 
  a species, identify who and where the 
  most powerful being is, discover the 
  location of a secret object, or become 
  generally accustomed to the beliefs and 
  practices of a culture. You cannot use 
  the spell for things that one mind could 
  not reasonably possess (for instance, by 
  asking for “all the world’s knowledge"). 
  The Guide will decide if your request is 
  reasonable. 
  Beware. Entering the minds of others is 
  risky. 
  You may experience unforeseen 
  consequences...
  legendary
  
  100
  planecraft
  You conjure a shadow plane. Its 
  contents are completely illusory and 
  cannot leave the plane. You can fill it 
  with anything you can imagine, except 
  sentient beings.
  The things inside may look and feel 
  real, but they are ultimately mirages. 
  Creatures cannot be harmed by things 
  you put in this plane.
  2
   You conjure a tiny plane no larger 
  than a mansion or castle.
  4
   You conjure a plane no larger than 
  the size of a village.
  6
   You conjure a plane with no size 
  limit.
  8
   You conjure a plane with no size 
  limit and no safeguards. Creatures can 
  now be harmed by the things you put in 
  the plane. (That includes you.)
  create
  5
   You tap raw magic, converting 
  its energy into a single, non-magical, 
  inanimate object that fits inside a 
  cube no larger than 5 meters in any 
  dimension. You create the object 
  perfectly and it is real in every sense. 
  You may create anything that fits in 
  the space, including precious gems, 
  flawless weapons, or exact replicas of 
  other objects. 
  This spell requires perfection and is 
  extremely taxing on your ability as 
  a Wizard. Keep track of how many 
  times you have cast the spell on 
  your inventory sheet. The spell's cost 
  increases by 1 AP each time you use it.
  legendary
  
  101
  
  102
  the guide
  You are the lamp 
  that lights the way 
   
  This section of the book is for the Guide. 
  If you're not playing as the Guide, you're 
  done! You can stop reading here.
  Being the Guide is awesome. You have 
  the power to help your friends create an 
  exciting story and make them feel special. 
  Helping the players tell an exciting story 
  about their characters is your primary 
  responsibility. Everything we'll teach 
  you in this section is meant to help you 
  achieve that goal.
  This is a rewarding and memorable role 
  to play, and the skills you learn can even 
  benefit you in the real world.
  chapter 4 (30-60 minutes)
  
  103
  the basics 
  listen and respond
  Quest is a conversation. Your role in it 
  as the Guide is to describe scenes, listen 
  to how players react, and then imagine 
  what happens next.
  When the party succeeds, you should 
  cheer for them! You’ll present the 
  players with challenges because it 
  makes the game interesting and fun, 
  not because you want to defeat them. 
  You are not the villain in the story, even 
  if you play the villain’s character. 
  Make sure everyone gets a chance to 
  be heard, a chance to contribute to the 
  story, and a chance to do great things. 
  You’ll speak often, but it’s just as 
  important for you to listen carefully. 
  Listen to understand the priorities 
  and feelings of other players. The 
  adventure is more fun for everyone 
  when you collaborate with the players 
  to make the world meaningful to their 
  characters.
   
   
   
  focus on the fantastic
  As the Guide, you have the ability to 
  help the players immerse themselves in 
  a world of imagination. Cultivate that 
  immersion by translating the rules of 
  the game into colorful fiction.
  While you will learn advanced rules 
  in this section, never talk about them 
  with the players. Don't say, "You deal 
  4 damage to the monster"; say, "The 
  monster cries out as you rip through its 
  scaly armor." 
  Keep the nuts and bolts of the game 
  private. Focus on telling the players 
  what they see, smell, hear, and feel.
  The adventure 
  is more fun for 
  everyone when you 
  collaborate with  
  the players.
  
  104
  player safety
  Games of roleplaying and 
  imagination can be difficult 
  for some people, especially 
  if they are asked to imagine 
  or participate in a story that 
  makes them uncomfortable.
  Every player is responsible for 
  helping to create a safe and 
  welcoming experience. Every 
  player can help facilitate a 
  positive experience by using 
  player safety tools.
  If you're playing with people 
  you've never met before, it's 
  especially important to observe 
  the group and make sure 
  everyone feels comfortable. 
   
  boundaries
  Before you begin the game, you should 
  ask the players in your group to let you 
  know if there is any subject matter that 
  is sensitive for them. You can use these 
  categories to help create boundaries for 
  your story's content.
  out of bounds. If something is out of 
  bounds, that means you should not 
  use it in your story. For example, if a 
  player says that graphic descriptions 
  of torture are out of bounds, everyone 
  in the group should agree not to use 
  that subject matter in the game. Things 
  that are out of bounds should not be 
  discussed.
  off camera. There are some topics 
  that might be okay to include in your 
  story, but not in detail. In this case, 
  you should reference these events 
  indirectly or metaphorically, as if 
  they are happening off screen in the 
  background.
  For example, if a player is 
  uncomfortable with detailed 
  descriptions of blood and gore, you 
  might describe a group of commoners 
  being massacred by a gang of 
  marauders by the grim sounds of a 
  stampede.
  Some players won't realize that 
  something is out of bounds until they 
  hear it. If you notice that a player is 
  uncomfortable, consider asking them 
  if they are okay to keep playing before 
  continuing.
  stop sign
  Players can use a stop sign to signal 
  when something makes them 
  uncomfortable or when they need to 
  pause the game. 
  Your group's stop sign can be anything 
  you agree to use. It can be a verbal cue 
  (like a safe word), a gesture, or a card.
  If someone uses a stop sign, pause 
  the game to find out why by talking to 
  each other out of character. Listen to 
  other players if they need to set a new 
  boundary, and respect the boundaries 
  of other players in your group.
  If you want a tangible stop sign, you 
  can use a piece of paper or a card from 
  the Quest Core Deck (sold separately.)
  additional resources
  For additional player safety tools, please 
  check out the TTRPG safety toolkit, 
  compiled by co-curators Kienna Shaw 
  and Lauren Bryant-Monk.
  
  105
  build a world
  Set the big scene
  First, imagine where your story 
  takes place. 
  This is your world profile. You 
  can use it to create the basics of a 
  fantasy world.
  You don't need to imagine every 
  detail of your fantasy world when 
  you begin the game. You just need 
  enough to give the players a sense 
  of time and place. The examples 
  we give are for a world with little 
  technology and lots of magic, but 
  you can use any setting you like. It 
  helps to think of a favorite movie 
  or book that you want to emulate. 
  Make sure you build a world that 
  everyone's comfortable playing in.
  
  106
  1
  Starting area
  Your adventure will start small 
  and grow over time. Choose 
  where the story will begin. This 
  is where the adventurers will 
  face their first scene.
  These are just suggestions. 
  You're free to come up with your 
  own answers and change the 
  names of things you see here.
  Use this prompt to think about 
  the places that might be nearby 
  when the adventurers begin the 
  game. A frontier town might be 
  a great place to explore caves 
  and dungeons, while a capital 
  city can be a playground  
  for political intrigue.
  Your story begins 
  ,
  in the frontier town of Wendros
  outside the great encampment
  in the great capital of Eneria
  at the grand Fortress of Eos
  in the heart of The Harrow
  in the shadow of the wall
  on the island of Draenor
  in the coastal city of Brell
  in the borderlands
  on the rolling hills of June Serin
  at the seat of the Seven Banners
  on the battlefield of Drakkon
  on the lonely moon of Visma
  at the gates of The Cauldron
  where the three rivers meet
  in the caves of Ksamkarja
  in the Gulf of Sorrow
  on the fields of hope
  a 
  .
  rough-and-tumble region
  place of great knowledge
  yearlong carnival town
  cultural powerhouse
  bustling trade hub
  lawless frontier
  military nation
  besieged city
  neutral zone between armies
  region occupied by invaders
  wild land plagued by beasts
  land of mystery and horror
  land devastated by magic
  tinderbox of civil conflict
  holy place of the gods
  rebel stronghold
  
  107
  2
  Region
  Choose two points of interest: the 
  space between them is your region. 
  Your starting area is in the middle 
  of this region. 
  You can choose anything you see 
  here, create your own points of 
  interest, or use some from the 
  starting area suggestions.
  Your region is mostly for colorful 
  background, but the adventurers 
  may want to travel to the places 
  you mention. Think about what 
  these points of interest mean and 
  what the players might find there.
  Finally, choose something big that 
  this area is known for. You can use 
  this later to say what's happening 
  in the story.
  From the 
  , 
  to the 
  , 
  towering summit of Mount Luna
  crumbling ruins of Calcarias
  fallow fields of The Harrow
  corrupted throne of Strago
  sunken city of Olsasserine
  catacombs of Gal-Torum
  gleaming tower of Ielion
  coliseum at Qram
  shattered lands
  infinite depths of the great sea
  ice-capped peaks in the West
  forgotten forest in the North
  shifting sands in the South
  million lakes in the East
  Emerald metropolis
  chasm of Clodiff
  Temple of Ages
  gates of hell
  you'll find 
  .
  the survivors of the apocalypse
  killers, thieves, and charlatans
  traders from around the world
  pioneers looking for a home
  clans fighting for territory
  roving bands of monsters
  peace and prosperity
  spectacular wealth and power
  disciples on a sacred mission
  peoples ruled by an iron fist
  guilds vying for monopoly
  a horde of the turned
  a brewing revolution
  humble nomads
  
  108
  3
  Basics
  These basic facts will help you 
  answer lots of follow-up questions 
  about your world when they arise. 
  You can use these to decide how 
  the world works.
  Remember that you don't need to 
  fill in all of the details up-front. 
  But when questions arise, you can 
  answer them using these basics. 
  For example, if a player asks, 
  "How do folks travel?", you can 
  use what daily life is like to 
  help you answer. If the world is 
  comfortable and convenient, you 
  might imagine wonderful systems 
  of public transit. If life is difficult, 
  most people might only be able to 
  march between places.
  In this world, magic is 
  ,
  rare
  common
  outlawed
  regulated
  danger is 
  ,
  everywhere
  a mystery
  rarely seen
  mundane 
  otherworldly
  magical
  ghastly
  oppressive
  and daily life is 
  .
  comfortable and convenient
  abundant with pleasures
  brutish and difficult
  a grueling affair
  always a risk
  filled with peace and love
  raucous and competitive
  a waking nightmare
  humble and quiet
  extravagant
  (It's a lot like 
  .)
  (Here, you can choose a movie, book, play, or other fictional work that can help 
  everyone imagine the world.)
  
  109
  4
  Hope and fear
  You can create tension throughout 
  your world by creating focal points 
  of hope and fear.
  Use these decisions to shape the 
  actions of NPCs in the region. 
  They don't have to apply to 
  everyone, but they're a good 
  starting point when thinking 
  about what the NPCs are doing in 
  the background and what might 
  be on their minds.
  People here are hopeful that 
  ,
  the invaders will be defeated
  darkness will be snuffed out
  the revolution will succeed
  the long drought will end
  their families will return
  the savior is coming
  a new ruler will rise
  the world fair will bring wonders
  the gods will answer their prayer
  the great harvest is upon them
  there are riches in the depths
  the world fair will bring joy
  justice will be delivered
  peace will be brokered
  but 
  .
  the ruler is tightening their grip
  the disappearances are rising
  the highways are dangerous
  storm clouds are gathering
  war looms on the horizon
  nightmares are spreading
  strange things are afoot
  thugs are in control
  the climate is becoming deadlier
  a strange star haunts the sky
  zealots speak of grim omens
  saboteurs may be among us
  criminals are on the loose
  a plague is spreading
  madness is growing
  magic is fading
  
  110
  5
  Adventure hook
  The players need a reason to go on an 
  adventure. Your adventure hook is the 
  scenario in the first scene that draws 
  them into action.
  You can choose one of the prompts 
  on the next page or create your own. 
  Use the choices you made to build 
  your world to help you create your own 
  hook.
  Think about what the implications of 
  your adventure hook are. Where will 
  the players seek clues next? Where 
  might they go? Use the adventure hook 
  as a prompt to create a small first 
  adventure that you can build on.
  When you've completed your world 
  profile, we'll teach you how to run the 
  game.
  the dinner party. A strange 
  courier confronts the party 
  unexpectedly. They bear a note 
  with a strange seal, inviting the 
  adventurers to a dinner party in a 
  remote mansion. It promises the 
  opportunity of a lifetime. 
  the lonely giant. While strolling 
  down a local road, the party sees 
  a flock of birds suddenly fly out 
  from the canopy of a nearby 
  forest, shortly followed by an 
  earthquaking thud from that 
  direction. As they investigate, 
  they find an elderly giant who 
  has fallen. The adventurers 
  notice that the giant's hands and 
  feet have been bound to some 
  nearby trees. 
  the fog. As the party walks down 
  the street, a young person bursts 
  out of the door to their home, 
  with bloodshot eyes. They run 
  up to an adventurer, falling to 
  their knees and gripping their 
  clothing. “Run,” they say, before 
  collapsing to the ground dead. 
  The party notices a strange 
  purple fog begins to roll out from 
  the door of the house. 
  the nameless star. The 
  party overhears a group of 
  townspeople talking. Rumors 
  are that a star fell from the sky a 
  week ago, and people who have 
  gone looking for it have not yet 
  returned. 
  the date. The party's hotel 
  concierge delivers an urgent 
  letter addressed to them that just 
  arrived. The letter has no sender, 
  only a date and time printed on 
  it: three days from now.
  the strangers. While walking 
  down a road in the center of 
  town, the party sees familiar 
  figures approach. They are 
  suddenly facing themselves in 
  the road, as if they had all been 
  cloned.
  the portrait. As the party 
  investigates the mansion of a 
  local person who was murdered, 
  they pass by a wall-sized portrait 
  of a finely clothed woman 
  standing in front of a famous 
  keep. When they pass by the 
  portrait again, the woman is 
  missing. When they touch the 
  portrait, the surface seems to 
  ripple and give way, as if their 
  hand can pass straight through. 
  
  111
  the children. As they enter a rarely 
  visited frontier town, the party notices 
  something strange: there are no adults 
  anywhere, only children. 
  the author. A famous author whose 
  identity is a mystery is about to 
  release their latest novel. The events 
  of every novel they have written have 
  eventually come true. When the party 
  buys the new novel, they realize it’s 
  about them. This author always kills 
  their characters. 
  the bounty. The party arrives at a 
  city they've never been to before, and 
  they stop at a notice board. On the 
  board, they see wanted posters with 
  portraits of the adventurers. The party 
  is wanted for crimes it didn’t commit, 
  dead or alive. 
  the dream. The party wakes up from 
  an unusually refreshing sleep. When it 
  reconvenes, the adventurers all realize 
  they had the exact same dream, and 
  they can all recount it in vivid detail. 
  The end of the dream involves the 
  party walking through a dark portal in 
  a unique-looking basement. 
  5
  
  112
  run the game
  All stories in Quest can be 
  created with the same basic 
  recipe. Every Guide can make 
  the game interesting and fun by 
  using these ingredients.
  First, use clues to set up the 
  scene. They can be clues you 
  provide or clues that players 
  give you about what they want 
  or what they're thinking about.
  Then, put something in the 
  party's way. They'll have to 
  overcome a challenge to get 
  what they want or where they're 
  going.
  Finally, create consequences 
  for the players' actions. How 
  they deal with challenges can 
  result in rewards or setbacks. 
  These consequences drive the 
  story forward and create new 
  situations.
  clues
  Clues are story prompts — hints about 
  where to take the story next. They 
  appear everywhere, from the players' 
  character profiles and abilities to the 
  details you put in each scene. For 
  example, if the party's Ranger picks lots 
  of abilities that can be used in the forest, 
  they're telling you they want part of the 
  story to take place in nature.
  Many adventures begin when the players 
  say they want something. It can be small, 
  like buying a sword from a merchant, 
  or big, like preventing a war. Use what 
  the players say they want to help you 
  build the story, and give them clues that 
  stimulate their desires. Maybe they want 
  to buy that sword because you describe it 
  gleaming in a storefront window as they 
  walk by.
  challenges
  When the players want something, you 
  can put a challenge in their way to raise 
  the stakes in the adventure and give 
  them a chance to use their skills. You 
  can introduce any kind of challenge. 
  Here are some examples:
   
  ■ An enemy ambush.
   
  ■ A room filled with deadly traps.
   
  ■ An NPC who demands tribute.
   
  ■ A puzzle blocks the way.
  You should introduce challenges 
  when they would make the story more 
  interesting. If the players want to do 
  something trivial, you can always just 
  let them do it, and wait for the next 
  opportunity to present a challenge.
  consequences
  It's your job to imagine how the world 
  responds to the players and to create 
  consequences for their actions. 
  The players' actions should affect the 
  world and the lives of the people they 
  meet. In a good story, both the heroes 
  and the villains have wants and needs, 
  and they both experience change. Even 
  inaction should have consequences. 
  If the party ignores a threat for too 
  long, have it affect the world in the 
  background.
  Consequences can take any form — from 
  a hit to a player's wealth to a loss of 
  hit points, a change in reputation, hurt 
  feelings, or even death. Next, we'll give 
  you examples of clues, challenges, and 
  consequences you can use.
  
  113
  set scenes
  Say what's 
  obvious, then  
  set the mood 
   
  offer clues
  Always start with the most obvious and 
  urgent things that people would notice 
  upon entering a scene. If the party is 
  crossing a bridge with a giant hole in 
  the middle, you should point it out!
  Then, consider offering some small 
  details that set a mood for the scene. 
  You might describe linens fluttering 
  gently in the middle of a breezy 
  marketplace or the overwhelming smell 
  of freshly baked bread. Your description 
  is most powerful when you fill all of 
  the players' senses. But even one or two 
  details like this can make the players 
  feel like they’re there, so don't overdo it.
  Adjust the amount of description you 
  provide to match the importance of 
  the scene. If the players are stopping 
  somewhere for just a moment, you can 
  keep it very simple. Take more time 
  to describe bigger scenes where you 
  expect lots of conversation or action.
  If you're creating an action scene, it's a 
  good idea to think of some additional 
  details that the players might find 
  useful. For example, if you describe a 
  crumbling pillar that looks weak at the 
  base, a clever player might try to topple 
  it to create a ruckus. 
  Use figurative language, similes, and 
  metaphors to add texture to your 
  description. Did the door in front of the 
  party simply open, or did it creep open 
  with a groan? Is the storm violent, or is 
  it like the electric tongue of a vengeful 
  god? Does she look fierce, or is she a 
  lion standing above her pride? 
  be flexible
  When you design a scene, start by 
  choosing its purpose. What can 
  the players accomplish here? What 
  obstacles might they face? Answering 
  these questions will help you know 
  what to put in the scene and how much 
  detail to provide.
  Then, imagine the layout of the place. 
  Use the rules for Distance (p. 12) 
  to help you create the scene. It's very 
  helpful to make everything the players 
  might interact with either nearby or 
  within range of their abilities. For 
  example, if the players are infiltrating a 
  castle's courtyard, it's easier to handle 
  the scene if you make it so the castle 
  guards are all located nearby. Put things 
  that the players won't need to interact 
  with in the background.
  Once you've set the basics of the scene, 
  be open to changing it. You can use 
  the imagination of your players to help 
  you fill in the details and possibilities 
  of each scene. If a player asks if there's 
  anything they can set on fire in that 
  castle's courtyard, you might say there's 
  a giant banner hanging on the wall. Use 
  this trick often to make your players 
  feel perceptive and powerful. 
  You should also use what you already 
  know about the players to make scenes 
  relevant to them. For example, if one of 
  your players is a Doctor who can speak 
  to the dead, you might put a skeleton 
  in the corner of the room that they can 
  interact with using their abilities.
  
  114
  clues
  Begin by giving players important 
  details about their scene that their 
  characters are sure to notice right 
  away, like a chasm in the floor.
  say the obvious
  Offer one or more players a clue 
  that signals a threat. It can be 
  something imminent, like the smell 
  of death, or looming, like a storm 
  cloud rolling in from the horizon.
  warn them
  Put something in the scene that will 
  inspire a player to act on their ideal 
  or succumb to a flaw.
  make it personal
  You can subtly suggest a situation 
  is similar to something the players 
  have encountered before by giving 
  one overlapping clue, like a familiar 
  smell or a tattoo they'll recognize.
  repeat clues
  Tell a character something they 
  think they can do. You might tell 
  the strong Fighter that they think 
  they can break through a door or 
  the nimble Spy they think they can 
  climb a ledge.
  you can do it
  Put something in the scene that 
  suggests a player can interact with it 
  using one of their special abilities.
  tempt abilities
  You may decide that a character 
  knows something that their player 
  doesn't. For example, if a player's 
  character is about to break the law 
  but the player doesn't know that, 
  you can tell them their character 
  knows they are about to break 
  the law and see if it changes their 
  decision to act. You can give players 
  information about what their 
  character knows to help fill in the 
  context of a scene.
  give knowledge
  Signal to the players that someone 
  needs help, like with the sound of 
  crying, a wreck on the road ahead, 
  or a town burning in the distance.
  signal distress
  You can offer clues with obvious 
  sensory associations. For example, 
  you might make the key for a door 
  or chest match in color or material.
  red key, red door
  Put something in the scene that is 
  bizarre or breaks the rules of the 
  normal world to signal that there is 
  magic or trickery nearby.
  make it weird
  
  115
  clues
  You can have a character in the 
  scene give the party a rumor about 
  another NPC, a place, or anything 
  else happening elsewhere in the 
  story.
  You can also have the party's 
  adversaries sow false rumors to lead 
  them astray or into danger. 
  sow a rumor
  Giving a lot of detail about a place 
  signals to the players that it's an 
  important place where they are 
  likely to find valuable information 
  or where something dramatic is 
  about to occur. Give more detail 
  than usual for big scenes where you 
  expect lots to happen.
  overexpose
  Draw the players a map, like a 
  treasure map, that shows a point 
  of interest and the promise of a 
  reward. Leave out the pitfalls.
  draw a map
  Suggest that a character is hiding 
  something or has a secret. Perhaps 
  a commoner wears an item that 
  looks too valuable for them to have, 
  a guard's armor doesn't seem to fit 
  correctly, or a character in the scene 
  trembles with discomfort.
  not quite right
  If a player asks a question or blurts 
  something out that you had not 
  considered about the scene, you 
  can use the information as if you'd 
  thought about it all along. The 
  players don't know what you know 
  about the world, so you can reward 
  them for creative thinking by 
  putting things in the scene that they 
  imagine.
  take a cue
  
  116
  rolling the die 
   
  Always call for a roll of the die when 
  the players attack a creature with a 
  weapon and when an ability explicitly 
  asks for it.
  In all other situations, you get to decide 
  when the die is rolled. You should only 
  ask players to roll the die when they 
  try to do something challenging and 
  when a chance for failure makes things 
  interesting. But only offer die rolls if 
  success is possible. If a player tries to 
  do something impossible, just tell them 
  they can't (or don't) succeed.
  You should roll the die for NPCs when 
  they make attacks against the players. 
  And you must make your rolls in public 
  view just like all of the other players. 
  trials
  Trials are the most flexible way to run 
  an action scene. They're like movie 
  montages that speed up the action. In a 
  trial, players work together to overcome 
  a challenge. If the players collectively 
  succeed enough times, they overcome 
  the challenge. But if they fail too many 
  times, something bad might happen.
  Have the players roll the die each time 
  they try to deal with the challenge, 
  then describe the consequences. For 
  example, let's say the players are on a 
  sinking ship, and you initiate a Trial 
  to see if they can save the ship. The 
  players are free to propose any kind of 
  action, as long as it makes sense. They 
  can use one of their abilities or try 
  something else. 
  Here are some ways the players might 
  approach the problem:
   
  ■ The Magician says they want to use 
  their Magic Eye ability to search for 
  the sources of the leak.
   
  ■ The Fighter says they want to use 
  their Marshal skill to hold back 
  water from one of the leaks.
   
  ■ The Spy says they want to use their 
  Silver Tongue skill to rally the boat 
  crew and inspire them to take swift 
  action.
  You can be more open-minded about 
  the players' abilities during a trial. 
  Reward the players for clever thinking.
  NPCs can affect the scene but they 
  don't take turns during a trial. Trials 
  only test the party.
  only roll once
  Because the chance to succeed is 
  always the same in a die roll, it is not a 
  test of skill — it's a test of fate. Players 
  only need to roll the die once to see 
  what happens in any given situation. 
  For example, let’s say a player rolls a 
  success on an attack against a monster. 
  The outcome of that roll is all you need 
  to describe the consequences for the 
  entire situation. Because the player 
  was successful, it is assumed that the 
  target of the attack was not successful 
  in avoiding it.
  If you invent your own abilities and 
  situations, design them around this 
  rule. For example, if you create a spiky 
  floor trap that a player walks over, you 
  might ask the player to roll the die to 
  see if they dodge it.
  npc rolls
  You only need to roll the die for NPCs 
  when they make attacks against players 
  or use abilities that require die rolls. 
  When your NPCs do things to each 
  other, or things in the world that don't 
  affect party members directly, you can 
  just narrate what they do and what 
  happens. Of course, you're free to 
  roll the die anytime you want to leave 
  things up to fate.
  If your NPC rolls a tough choice, it's 
  up to you to create a setback for them. 
  You can keep them simple. By default, 
  have the NPC deal half damage on a 
  tough choice, unless you can give them 
  a more interesting setback.
  
  117
  challenges
  If the players are threatening, cause 
  grievous offense, or do something 
  else to draw hostility, you can have 
  your NPCs attack them.
  attack!
  Have a group of minions ambush 
  the party if they're lost, not paying 
  attention, or in a vulnerable spot. 
  They can be connected to a group 
  of adversaries pursuing the party, 
  or a random encounter based on 
  where the party is. For example, if 
  the party is traveling down a remote 
  highway, you might have some 
  bandits try to rob them.
  ambush
  Put an explosive on a door, place 
  a stake pit in the floor, poison the 
  food, or do something else that 
  turns the environment against the 
  players. Be sure to offer them a 
  subtle clue to give them a chance 
  to discover the trap. If they don't 
  investigate or discover it, you can 
  spring it on them.
  set a trap
  Just when the players think they've 
  won a fight, you can have more 
  enemies show up. Make them think 
  about whether to stand or flee.
  reinforcements
  Maybe the walls crumble as the 
  temple collapses around the players, 
  or the ground rumbles as a chasm 
  opens. Perhaps the town guard 
  mounts their horses to give chase. 
  Start a Trial (p. 116) to see if the 
  players can escape a dangerous 
  situation.
  escape
  Demand a player's valuables if they 
  try to pass through a hostile area, 
  or if an NPC thinks they can take 
  advantage of the party's situation.
  charge a toll
  
  118
  consequences 
   
  When creatures in the world 
  act, it's up to you to imagine and 
  describe the consequences.
  To keep the action moving, feel 
  free to rely on a small set of 
  predictable consequences for 
  common situations. For example, 
  when players roll a tough choice 
  on a weapon attack, you might 
  routinely give them the same 
  choice of dealing half damage or 
  hurting themselves by accident.
  You should introduce serious 
  consequences and more 
  dramatic choices when the 
  players repeatedly make bad 
  decisions or when raising the 
  stakes makes the story more 
  interesting.
  These examples show how you 
  might interpret the results of a 
  die roll. Adjust the severity of the 
  consequences based on the risk 
  of the situation.
  lower risk
  A player tries to pick a lock to a safe 
  while no witnesses are around. 
  triumph (20)
  They deftly release the lock to the 
  safe, and the door swings open 
  quietly. You secretly decide to add an 
  additional reward to the stash. 
  success (11-19)
  The player opens the safe with no 
  problems, retrieves the contents, and 
  closes the door without leaving a 
  trace. 
  tough choice (6-10)
  They open the safe. You give them a 
  choice: the lockpick breaks off in the 
  keyhole and prevents the safe from 
  being closed or the safe's silent alarm 
  is triggered.
  failure (2-5)
  The player accidentally activates one 
  of the lock’s defensive mechanisms, 
  and it becomes permanently stuck. 
  catastrophe (1)
  The player unwittingly triggers the 
  safe’s silent alarm. The guards are on 
  their way...
  higher risk
  A player tries to leap over a chasm to 
  escape a monster that's chasing them. 
  triumph (20)
  They leap flawlessly into the air with 
  grace, clearing the chasm and landing 
  on the other side into a somersault. 
  The monster scowls at them and, 
  realizing it’s outmatched, turns away. 
  success (11-19)
  They cross the chasm in one stride, 
  landing on both feet on the other side. 
  tough choice (6-10)
  They cross the chasm. You give 
  them a choice: their crossbow gets 
  loose from its sling and falls into 
  the darkness, or they have a rough 
  landing and take 4 HP of damage.
  failure (2-5)
  They slip on the approach and fall 
  before they can cross. The monster 
  attacks them.
  catastrophe (1)
  The player stumbles into the chasm, 
  tumbling all the way down. They take 
  damage and fall unconscious.
  
  119
  rewards
  Give Adventure Points:
   
  ■ Award 1-2 for great roleplaying, 
  coming up with a clever plan, or 
  solving a difficult puzzle.
   
  ■ Award 4 or more for defeating or 
  neutralizing a boss.
   
  ■ Award 8 or more for resolving a major 
  story arc.
  Increase their reputation:
   
  ■ The locals offer hospitality or 
  protection.
   
  ■ Positive rumors are spread about 
  them.
   
  ■ They gain audience with a powerful 
  person.
  Give them an out:
   
  ■ A boss is impressed by them and 
  retreats from a confrontation.
   
  ■ They scare minions away.
   
  ■ The weather clears up.
   
  ■ They find a clue that helps them 
  advance.
  Give them treasure  
  (p. 131):
   
  ■ They get a favorable deal when 
  trading with someone.
   
  ■ They find an uncommon item after a 
  small fight or earn one for doing an 
  NPC a favor.
   
  ■ They receive a rare item after 
  completing a series of challenges.
   
  ■ They find a rare or legendary item.
  setbacks
  They are hurt:
   
  ■ An NPC attacks them.
   
  ■ They fall unconscious.
   
  ■ Their body is impaired.
   
  ■ They become cursed or diseased.
  Their reputation or standing is harmed:
   
  ■ They offend someone.
   
  ■ They break the law and become 
  wanted by authorities.
   
  ■ They are cast out of a community.
   
  ■ A bounty is put on their heads.
   
  ■ They lose an ally.
  They lose items:
   
  ■ An item is stolen or lost.
   
  ■ An item breaks and must be repaired.
   
  ■ A merchant demands a costly trade.
  Their environment shifts:
   
  ■ A storm makes the journey difficult.
   
  ■ A disaster devastates the land.
   
  ■ A mishap creates an impasse.
   
  ■ A plague spreads.
  Their enemies advance:
   
  ■ A boss gains power.
   
  ■ An ally loses territory or resources.
   
  ■ Monsters spread across the land.
  tough choices
  A good tough choice is between two 
  setbacks that are equally undesirable. 
  You can use any of the setbacks on the 
  previous page when offering your players 
  a tough choice between two alternatives 
  or create your own based on the context 
  of the situation.
   
  ■ Deal half damage or hurt yourself.
   
  ■ Take damage or lose/break an item.
   
  ■ Betray a friend or make an enemy.
   
  ■ Retreat to save the nation but sacrifice 
  the town.
   
  ■ Save one commoner from dying but 
  not the other.
   
  ■ Pick up treasure and become cursed 
  or leave it behind.
  
  120
  It's okay to give the 
  players a way out 
  of their situation, 
  especially if it makes 
  the game more fun.
  mercy 
   
   
  The threat of death and loss is what gives 
  the game compelling stakes and makes 
  the players' decisions meaningful. You 
  should try to observe the rules as much 
  as possible to prevent the game from 
  feeling arbitrary. The players should feel 
  like their choices matter and have real 
  consequences.
  But sometimes your players will face an 
  impossible challenge that could hurt the 
  story your group wants to tell. Maybe the 
  monster you’ve introduced is too powerful, 
  the players make lots of strategic 
  mistakes, or everyone's having an unlucky 
  day. In any case, you are not obligated to 
  kill their characters.
  If punishing the players would make 
  the story less interesting or fun, it's 
  okay to give the players a way out of 
  their situation — especially if you made 
  something too difficult by accident.
  Let the party know that most dangerous 
  encounters don't have to be fatal. 
  
  121
  non-player characters 
   
  A big part of the fun is creating 
  interesting NPCs that the players can 
  interact with. You can create some 
  of these characters in advance, while 
  others you'll have to imagine on the fly.
  You don't need to imagine a story 
  for every character, but they should 
  all have a name and a desire that 
  motivates them. It helps to create a 
  list of character names you can use 
  for any occasion, like merchants and 
  bartenders.
  Make your characters believable. They 
  should be active parts of your story, not 
  idle props in the background. Use your 
  characters often to speak directly to the 
  player characters. 
  make characters belong
  Your world can be filled with creatures 
  of your wildest imagination, from 
  commoners to wild beasts, strange 
  terrors, mythical beings, gods, and 
  even time-traveling beings of light and 
  energy.
  All of your creatures should have a 
  reason to be where they are in your 
  world. Think about where they came 
  from, why they're here, and how they 
  affect the environment around them. 
  Make your characters living, breathing 
  parts of your world. They should be 
  active participants in each scene.
  For example, if your players are wasting 
  time in line at a shop, you might have 
  the shopkeeper or a patron scold them 
  for holding things up. Use your NPCs to 
  add urgency and life to each scene.
  Every character and creature in 
  the game should have some kind 
  of objective, even if it’s small. A 
  shopkeeper might just want to get 
  the best trade for something. But if 
  the characters push the character and 
  investigate, you might consider a bigger 
  role for them. Maybe the reason that 
  shopkeeper is so firm about the price 
  is because they have a sick child they 
  need to care for.
  major characters
  You should give some deeper thought 
  to the major characters in your story. 
  Like the players, they should have 
  their own ideal, flaw, and dream. If 
  your story has major characters that 
  accompany the party or show up often, 
  you may also want to think about 
  their particular mannerisms, way of 
  speaking, and deeper personality traits 
  that can establish them as unique 
  people in the world. 
  You won’t be able to do this with a 
  lot of characters, but your players 
  will appreciate getting to know a 
  few important ones. It makes a big 
  difference.
  organizations
  You can build organizations around 
  your major characters that affect your 
  fantasy world in the background. 
  It's a good idea to have at least two 
  organizations that are in conflict with 
  each other. This conflict can help you 
  build scenes and introduce challenges.
  For example, if a villain of your story is 
  a bandit leader who is wreaking havoc 
  on trade in the region, consider creating 
  a major character who opposes them. 
  Perhaps the leader of the town guard 
  issues a warrant for the bandit leader's 
  arrest and offers the party a reward for 
  their capture. 
  You can use organizations to buffer 
  your major characters. Make the party 
  have to get through legions of minions 
  to reach the bandit leader!
  
  122
  npc templates  
   
  You can use the basic templates on 
  the next page to create any kind of 
  creature you want. 
  All NPCs have two main stats: hit 
  points and attack rating. 
  An NPC's attack rating is how much 
  damage it deals whenever it hits 
  an opponent with a basic attack. 
  And an NPC's hit points, like the 
  player characters' hit points, are the 
  measure of their mortality.
  However, NPCs are more vulnerable 
  to death than player characters. 
  When an NPC is reduced to 0 hit 
  points, they die immediately.
  See the Quest Adventure Deck (sold 
  separately) for creature cards that 
  you can use in your game or for 
  inspiration when creating your own 
  creatures.
  
  123
  2 hp   —   1 attack
  commoners
  Commoners are average creatures, like 
  the everyday people and animals you 
  meet. They don't usually pose a threat to 
  the party, unless they hold some position 
  of power or influence.
  Farmers, merchants, artists, politicians, 
  pets, and other average creatures are all 
  examples of commoners. You should 
  use these characters mostly for social 
  interactions. They're not fighters, but 
  they may defend themselves if necessary.
  Most commoners are like extras in a 
  movie: background characters who help 
  to fill the world and give it life.
  4 hp   —   2 attack
  minions
   
  Minions are any tougher characters 
  who could pose a threat to the party in 
  an encounter, like a bear in the forest 
  or rank-and-file members of the town 
  guard. Most minions don't usually pose a 
  big threat to the party by themselves, but 
  they can be deadly in groups.
  Some minions, like bandits, travel in 
  small groups with their own agendas, 
  while others act in service of a boss.
  Minions can be very powerful, but they 
  are more susceptible to the players' 
  special abilities than bosses.
  Consider giving powerful minions one or 
  two special features.
  10 hp   —   4 attack
  bosses
  Bosses are special characters of 
  exceptional power and importance. They 
  are major characters who should each 
  have a goal they are working toward, 
  whether it's to take over a town, guard 
  their dungeon, or simply to prey on 
  adventurers. They should operate in the 
  background and affect the world even if 
  they are not present in a scene. Because 
  they're so powerful, bosses usually attract 
  crowds of minions that do their bidding.
  Bosses already innately have special 
  protections against some of the players' 
  more powerful abilities, but you can give 
  them even more power by granting them 
  a few special features.
  npc templates
  
  124
  Add 4 HP and 1 attack if the creature 
  is highly experienced, like a veteran 
  town guard, a professor of magic, or 
  an ancient elemental.
  veteran
  Add 10 HP and 1 attack if the 
  creature is much larger than the 
  players, like a bear, a giant spider, or 
  a hill giant.
  big
  Add 40 HP and 4 attack if the 
  creature is orders of magnitude 
  larger than the players, like a 
  sandworm, a kraken, or a titan.
  colossal
  When the creature damages an 
  adversary, it recovers hit points 
  equal to the amount of damage 
  dealt.
  lifetap
  The creature has an extraordinary 
  method of movement. Choose one: 
  it can fly, it can climb quickly, it can 
  burrow and travel underground, it 
  can teleport brief distances, or it can 
  outrun other creatures by foot.
  evasive
  The creature can attack twice 
  during its turn instead of once.
  extra attack
  npc features
  Give the creature a special ability 
  belonging to one of the eight player 
  character roles or something you 
  invent. If the creature is a boss, 
  like an NPC Wizard, you can give 
  them a handful of special abilities 
  belonging to that role.
  NPCs do not have adventure points, 
  and they do not need AP to use 
  special abilities. If you give them 
  especially powerful abilities, use 
  your judgment to limit how many 
  times they can use them.
  special ability
  At the beginning of each of its 
  turns, the creature recovers half of 
  its hit point maximum.
  regeneration
  The creature is so grotesque, 
  otherworldly, or grim that it causes 
  immense fear in anyone who sees it. 
  When first encountering a 
  horrifying creature, players must 
  roll the die. If they fail, they are 
  frozen in fear and lose their first 
  turn.
  horrifying
  The creature cannot be seen with 
  natural vision.
  invisible
  
  125
  resistance. The creature takes half 
  damage from a type of damage, like 
  fire or non-magic weapons.
  immunity. The creature takes no 
  damage from a type of damage 
  or cannot be affected by certain 
  conditions, like sleep or mind 
  control.
  protection
  The creature cannot lose hit points. 
  It's probably a god.
  invulnerable
  When the creature receives damage, 
  return half of the damage received 
  to the attacker.
  reflection
  The creature can shift between 
  physical and ethereal forms or 
  between solid and gaseous forms.
  phase shifter
  The creature can freely change its 
  shape to take on the likeness of 
  other creatures. They revert to their 
  default form upon death.
  shapeshifter
  The creature has no physical body 
  and cannot be affected by physical 
  damage. (It can only be affected 
  by magic harm.) It can freely 
  pass through physical objects and 
  communicate telepathically. 
  All spirit creatures are ethereal.
  Many ethereal creatures are 
  invisible, but not all are. Ethereal 
  creatures that can be seen appear 
  like ghosts: translucent creatures 
  that glide through the air.
  ethereal
  npc features
  
  126
  combat
   
  It's your job to keep track of turns and 
  rounds in combat to make sure everyone 
  gets an equal opportunity to act. 
  When the players fight their adversaries, 
  you take turns for the NPCs. You must 
  privately keep track of the NPC's hit points 
  and equipment.
  If the players are ambushed, the NPCs go 
  first. Otherwise, have the players go first. 
  You decide the order of turns for both the 
  players and the NPCs. Do what makes 
  the most sense in the context of the story. 
  For example, if the party's Fighter bursts 
  through a door to find a gang of bandits, 
  it might make sense for the Fighter to act 
  first.
  rounds and turns
  The Guide and the party take turns in an 
  alternating series of rounds. During the 
  party's round, each player takes a turn 
  to move and act. And during the Guide's 
  round, each NPC takes a turn to do the 
  same. Describe the consequences of each 
  creature's action immediately after they do 
  something.
  Here's an example of what that might look 
  like:
  round 1: the party
  The Fighter bursts through the door, 
  discovering murderous bandits who have 
  kidnapped a commoner. The Guide lets 
  The Fighter act first.
   
  ■ The Fighter draws their sword and 
  attacks the nearest bandit, killing them.
   
  ■ The Spy is next through the door and 
  throws a dagger at a bandit, missing.
   
  ■ The Doctor is last through the door and 
  casts a spell on The Fighter.
  round 2: the bandits
   
  ■ The bandit closest to The Fighter 
  screams in horror and retreats.
   
  ■ The last remaining bandit draws their 
  crooked dagger and stabs The Fighter.
  round 3: the party
  Because The Fighter was just hurt 
  by a bandit, The Guide decides they 
  stumble backward a bit, giving the Spy 
  an opportunity to go first and redeem 
  themselves for their previous miss.
   
  ■ The Spy scores a triumph on a basic 
  attack, killing the last bandit and ending 
  the fight.
  combat difficulty
  Every player and party are different, 
  so there's no way to create a perfect 
  encounter for them. Sometimes you'll give 
  them something too difficult or something 
  too easy. You'll only learn what your 
  players are capable of handling by playing 
  the game. That said, you can use a basic 
  formula for combat difficulty to present 
  the party with appropriate challenges.
  First, add up the current hit points of the 
  entire party. For example, if the party has 
  4 players at full health, they have a total of 
  40 hit points.
  Then, look at all of the NPCs in your 
  encounter. Add together: 
   
  ■ Their hit points.
   
  ■ The highest possible amount of damage 
  they can deal in a single turn.
   
  ■ The number of NPCs in the group.
  This number is your difficulty rating.
  If the difficulty rating is roughly equal 
  to or greater than the party's HP, it is a 
  deadly fight that will push their limits.If 
  the difficulty rating is between 50 to 80 
  percent of the party's HP, it is still deadly, 
  but should be a fair fight.
  Consider this group of minions to calculate 
  an example difficulty rating:
   
  ■ Four pack wolves (16 HP / 8 damage).
   
  ■ One alpha wolf (6 HP / 4 damage).
  These add up to a difficulty rating of 39 
  (22 HP + 12 Attack + 5 NPCs).
  
  127
  the first play session 
   
  You should organize the first 
  play session for your group. 
  It’s best to pick a date and 
  time when everyone can 
  comfortably meet for a few 
  hours without any distractions. 
  The players don’t need to 
  memorize all the rules before 
  you get started, and it’s okay to 
  learn some things on the fly. 
  But as the game’s referee, you 
  should come prepared with a 
  good understanding of how the 
  game works. 
   
  create player characters
  Make sure everyone has a character 
  profile, a character worksheet, and a 
  20-sided die.
  The players should begin by completing 
  their character profiles. Then, they 
  should choose their special abilities and 
  starting equipment.
  It's okay to choose these things when 
  you meet, but it can help if the players 
  choose their role and abilities in 
  advance. Knowing these choices can 
  help you create challenges that take 
  advantage of the characters' skills. For 
  example, if the party has a Doctor who 
  can speak to the dead, you might create 
  a ghost who they can gather clues from.
  We strongly recommend that each 
  member of the party choose a different 
  role. This can help balance the game 
  and make everyone feel like they have a 
  unique contribution to make. If you are 
  using the Quest Core Deck, this also 
  ensures that everyone gets a full set of 
  cards for their role.
  the first scene
  When everyone has their characters 
  ready, you can begin the game. Here’s a 
  good way to get started.
  player introductions. When the players 
  are finished filling out their profiles, 
  have them introduce themselves to the 
  table out of character by reading the 
  sheet aloud.
  introduce the world. Help your players 
  get situated in your world by giving 
  them some basics about how it works. 
  Start high up by describing the setting 
  and atmosphere. Feel free to mention a 
  popular movie or book as an easy way 
  to explain what the setting is like.
  establish the party. When you begin, 
  tell the party how their characters 
  know each other, or let them decide. 
  If the players’ characters don’t already 
  know each other, have them make 
  introductions. 
  set the scene. Then, zoom in to the 
  particulars of where the players are 
  located when they begin the game. 
  Describe what they sense and what’s 
  happening around them. 
  call to adventure. At this point, you 
  need to give the players a reason 
  to speak and act. This is when you 
  introduce your first adventure hook. 
  Maybe the players overhear someone 
  talking about a secret treasure.
  begin the conversation. When you’ve 
  presented the party with a reason to 
  act, it’s time to let them decide what to 
  do. Ask them: “What do you do?”
  
  128
  wrapping up
  Before everyone leaves, make sure 
  the players' character worksheets are 
  updated. Each player receives 5 AP as a 
  reward for playing. 
  Feel free to award players some 
  additional AP if you want. Here are 
  some situations you should consider:
   
  ■ A player said or did something really 
  funny, dramatic, or surprising.
   
  ■ Someone played their character's 
  role in a convincing way.
   
  ■ A player was helpful, patient, or did 
  something else that made the game 
  better.
   
  ■ A player communicated really well.
   
  ■ You think the party needs a boost to 
  be able to enjoy the next session.
  It can also be useful to spend some 
  time at the end of your session looking 
  back on what just happened.
  You can reward each player an 
  additional 1 AP for sharing their 
  thoughts about the session you 
  just played. They can give you their 
  thoughts at the table or send them to 
  you in private afterward.
  It's nice to ask:
   
  ■ What was your favorite moment?
   
  ■ What happened that you want more 
  of in the future?
   
  ■ What happened that you want less 
  of in the future?
   
  ■ What do you want to do next?
  long-term play
  If you want to tell the story of an epic 
  adventure, find a group of players who 
  are willing to get together regularly. 
  Each session you play can continue the 
  party's story and allow the characters to 
  grow and change over time.
  Take extra time to build major 
  characters and organizations that 
  affect the world around them. These 
  characters and organizations should be 
  doing things in the background of your 
  story. Think about how they affect the 
  world when the players ignore them for 
  too long.
  In a long-term game, it helps to start 
  small and build your plot over time. 
  Make sure you balance the highs and 
  lows of your play sessions by spreading 
  out pivotal moments. Think of it like a 
  good television show: it doesn't work if 
  the world is about to end every episode. 
  Don't put too many twists in the story.
  It's especially important to take notes 
  when you are running a long-term 
  game. You can surprise and delight the 
  players when you bring back things 
  from earlier in the adventure. For 
  example, if the players help someone 
  on the side of the road early on, you can 
  have them appear in the story down the 
  line as someone important who decides 
  to repay the adventurers for their 
  generosity. Or if the players wronged 
  someone in passing, perhaps they've 
  been stewing quietly in the background, 
  waiting for revenge...
  managing play sessions
  
  129
  advanced rules
  growth
  Every group and story are different. You 
  can adjust the pace of your game to fit 
  your needs.
  If you are playing a single session and 
  want to tell a dramatic story about 
  powerful player characters, you can 
  have them begin the game with more 
  than 6 abilities.
   
  ■ With 12 or more abilities, the players 
  are highly competent and can handle 
  lots of different challenges.
   
  ■ With 20 or more abilities, the 
  players are extremely powerful and 
  can deal with many world-shaking 
  threats.
  On the other hand, if you are playing a 
  long-term game and want the players 
  to grow more slowly over time, you can 
  reduce the rate of learning. If you want 
  to spread a game out over more than 
  20 sessions, consider having them learn 
  a new ability after every other session.
  If you want to control the players' 
  growth more directly, you can have 
  them learn new abilities when they 
  complete goals in the story.
  rate of play
  Adventure points are meant to limit the 
  players from using their most powerful 
  abilities all the time, but you may need 
  to adjust how often they gain AP.
  The base rate of AP gain (5 per session) 
  is based on sessions that last about 3 
  hours each. If you run sessions that are 
  longer than 3 hours, you may need to 
  increase the rate of AP gain to let your 
  players use their abilities throughout 
  your session.  
   
  You are free to reward AP whenever 
  you need to, whether it's to make sense 
  of the story or just to help the players 
  have more fun. For example:
   
  ■ You "fast-forward" months or years 
  ahead in the story. You give the 
  players additional AP to reflect the 
  passage of time.
   
  ■ You didn't expect the session to last 
  this long, and the players all ran 
  out of AP. You give them more to 
  help them have fun and advance the 
  story.
   
  ■ The players routinely need more AP, 
  so you increase the amount they 
  earn for winning fights.
  quirk
  The easiest way to let players be 
  creative with their roles is to grant 
  them a quirk. This lets them learn a 
  single ability belonging to a different 
  role. Consider granting a quirk to a 
  player who has a really interesting 
  reason to use one. 
  For example, perhaps the party's 
  Fighter imagines they are a former 
  Ranger who abandoned their life in the 
  outlands but still keeps some of their 
  old oral traditions. You let them learn 
  the Speak Myth ability. Or perhaps the 
  party's Spy is a failed Magician from 
  a former life. You let them learn the 
  Magic Tricks ability.
  You can grant a quirk at the beginning 
  of the game or as a reward based on a 
  character's unique behavior.
  
  130
  dual roles
  To make things more interesting, you can consider 
  letting one or more players combine two roles. 
  Players with a dual role can learn any of the abilities 
  from each role, including legendary abilities. 
  They must still learn abilities in order within each 
  learning path, and begin the game with six abilities. 
  Players with dual roles can learn up to 25 abilities. 
  After reaching 25 abilities, they can still learn a new 
  ability by forgetting one they already know. 
  no roles
  If you want to try an extreme form of custom 
  play, consider placing no restrictions on mixing 
  roles. With no roles, players are free to choose any 
  combination of abilities from any of the roles. In 
  the no roles format, you should still have players 
  learn abilities in order within each learning path.
  If you use this form of play, limit the total number 
  of abilities each player can learn to 20. Stretching 
  beyond this number can make the game overly 
  complicated. This mode should only be used by 
  experienced players and Guides.
  advanced rules
  
  131
  the treasure catalog 
   
  Add wonder  
  and delight
  You can reward the players with 
  curious and magical items to grab their 
  attention and keep them hooked on 
  adventure.
  Getting treasure is one of the best parts 
  of the game for the players. When 
  they delve a dungeon, defeat a villain, 
  solve a mystery, or complete a quest, 
  you should consider offering a tangible 
  reward.
  Treasure can do anything in your story. 
  It can help the heroes, hinder them, 
  make them see the world differently, 
  or even spark the beginning of a long 
  adventure.
  chapter 5  (20-30 minutes)
  
  132
  rarity
  Each item in this game is classified by 
  its rarity — a measure of how special the 
  item is. Use an item's rarity to consider 
  whether it's an appropriate reward for a 
  situation in your story.
  uncommon. These items are more 
  valuable and curious than the common 
  goods seen by most people. Consider 
  offering uncommon items as rewards 
  for minor encounters, like defeating a 
  band of minions, or as curiosities traded 
  in the back room of a special store.
  Feel free to offer one or more 
  uncommon items each play session.
  rare. These are exceptional items of 
  great value that are very difficult to find 
  and often well-guarded. You should 
  offer a rare item as a reward for a 
  difficult series of challenges. 
  It's good to give a rare item to the party 
  once every 2-3 play sessions.
  legendary. These are priceless and 
  often unique items of great power, only 
  found in the most remote or guarded 
  places. They are extraordinarily difficult 
  to acquire, and the owners of legendary 
  items will often go to great lengths to 
  protect them. 
  Offer a legendary item when the players 
  complete a major story arc, or about 
  once every 7-10 play sessions.
  supreme. These are items of such 
  incredible power that the consequences 
  of their use ripple through the 
  omniverse. Only grant these items 
  if you want their unique features to 
  dramatically change your story.
  managing treasure
  Items are important. 
  The promise of treasure can draw 
  the players into adventure. They will 
  use treasure to trade for things they 
  want, so feel free to liberally hand out 
  uncommon items.
  Give thought to the items you present 
  to the players. Just like with your NPCs, 
  make treasure belong where it appears. 
  Think about why it shows up where it 
  does, who wants it, and what happens 
  when the players get it. Every item can 
  have consequences for your story.
  If you give the players an extremely 
  powerful item, think about how it 
  affects the world around the players. 
  Treat Legendary and Supreme items 
  like magnets that attract covetous 
  NPCs.
  When you give the players potent items, 
  you can keep their effects or powers 
  secret at first. Consider describing some 
  items they find without naming them. 
  You can let the players investigate the 
  item to find out what it does, or wait 
  until they activate it by accident!
  important symbols
  2  This is how much damage an item 
  deals when used to attack.
  1
   Some items have an activation 
  cost, just like abilities. This is how 
  many adventure points the user must 
  spend to activate the item's special 
  powers.
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  133
  uncommon
  albatross pendant
  This is a magic communication device 
  that receives a dispatch once a day from 
  the Albatross Press. The pendant emits 
  a pulsating glow when it has a new 
  dispatch.When the pendant's switch is 
  activated, it emits an audible message 
  with the top recent news headlines.
  archive
  The archive is a talking crystal 
  ball that is programmed to recall 
  information stored inside. When held 
  by a creature, they can telepathically 
  transmit information to the ball. That 
  information can then be retrieved by 
  anybody who queries the ball. The 
  archive imprints the creator’s voice and 
  thoughts, but it can only repeat what it 
  is told when it is asked a question. 
  atlas incognito
  This is a book of 10 magic stamps 
  produced by various underground 
  organizations. When a stamp is 
  removed from the book and placed on a 
  map of a town or city, it reveals on the 
  map the name and location of one of 
  each of the following:
   
  ■ An underground marketplace where 
  stolen goods are traded.
   
  ■ A popular safe house for criminals.
   
  ■ A popular establishment where 
  illegal services are offered.
  blink blade
  2  This is a magic sword with an 
  incantation engraved in its fuller. (The 
  Guide will tell you what the engraving 
  says.) When someone speaks the 
  incantation while the sword is nearby, it 
  instantly teleports into their hand.
  brell's boat in a box
  A small wooden box containing a paper 
  model of a sloop.
  2
   When you set the boat in water 
  with enough clearance around it to fully 
  expand, you can activate it to transform 
  into a real, working sloop. You may 
  have the boat return to its paper model 
  form at any time by patting the boat 
  on the side and giving it some words of 
  encouragement.
  brell's charismatic couture
  Brell’s Charismatic Couture is a line 
  of magical shapeshifting garments 
  that automatically find a perfect fit 
  for their wearer. With the tug of an 
  interior ribbon, these garments can 
  also instantly transform slightly to 
  express variations on their design and 
  appearance. Authentic versions bear 
  a shimmering magical B symbol on 
  their interior lining that is said to be 
  impossible to counterfeit.
  albatross pendant
  
  134
  brell's limitless ledger
  A magical networked codex that 
  duplicates entries from linked 
  journals. When an entry is made on a 
  page in one of the linked journals, it 
  automatically appears in the others.
  brell's magnificent morsels
  A tin of 10 delightful little candies, 
  each with a touch of magic. The flavor 
  of each candy is a surprise. Be careful: 
  some creatures find them literally 
  irresistible.
  brell's tent in a tin
  A colorful tin canister that's magically 
  pressurized. When you unlock the 
  canister and set it on the ground, the 
  lid blows off a few moments later, 
  deploying a large magic tent that can 
  fit 30 people. Sound cannot escape the 
  inside of the tent. A switch on the side 
  of the tin teleports the tent back inside 
  and closes the lid.
  dim grimoire
  roll the die
  This is a notebook belonging to a 
  student of magic. It contains poorly 
  written notes and unintelligible magical 
  incantations. 
  4
   You read from the book.
  20: Well, it turns out the author of 
  this book was actually a genius. You 
  learn a legendary ability of the Guide's 
  choice from either The Magician or 
  The Wizard. The book's power fades 
  and cannot be used again.
  17-19: You learn the location of a 
  legendary magic item.
  14-16: You accidentally turn yourself 
  into a sheep for the next hour. You 
  retain your current hit points but can't 
  speak or use abilities.
  11-13: The book releases a deafening 
  shockwave, shattering all glass objects 
  within 1 kilometer.
  8-10: You hear the howling of demons 
  in your mind. The book's real owner 
  senses your location. They are coming 
  for you...
  5-7: You glimpse ultimate horror and 
  are overcome with dread when the 
  Dim Grimoire is nearby. You can't use 
  your abilities when the book is near.
  2-4: You accidentally absorb an NPC 
  spirit that was imprisoned in the 
  book. It cannot control you, but it can 
  speak to you in your mind and witness 
  everything you do. It can only be 
  removed with Banish (p. 73).
  1: The book explodes in brilliant 
  prismatic fire and is destroyed, dealing 
  4 damage to every creature nearby.
  brell's tent in a tin
  uncommon items
  
  135
  discretion
  This is a common-looking leather 
  scabbard that can hold bladed weapons. 
  Whenever a weapon is seated inside 
  of the scabbard, the weapon becomes 
  invisible, making the scabbard appear 
  empty. When the weapon is removed, it 
  becomes visible.
  field monitor
  Field Monitors are magic maps 
  produced by a guild of cartographers. 
  Each map is designed to provide 
  information about a specific region 
  of the world. You can ask the map 
  questions about major towns, cities, 
  and landmarks in the region it covers. 
  Magic ink then appears on the map, 
  showing information about your 
  request. You can ask the map for any of 
  the following:
   
  ■ The location and a brief description 
  of a popular landmark or 
  monument.
   
  ■ The name and location of a 
  highly rated lodging and dining 
  establishment, and the specialty it's 
  known for.
   
  ■ An interesting piece of trivia about a 
  town, city, or region.
   
  ■ The location of any fine 
  establishment where Field Monitor 
  gear is sold.
  friend flute
  This is a small magic whistle that 
  knows who your friends are. When you 
  blow in the whistle, only your friends 
  nearby can hear its sound. 
  glitter bomb
  This is a single-use pouch of magic 
  glitter that tingles the hands of anyone 
  who touches it. When thrown, the 
  pouch explodes on contact, sending a 
  cloud of glitter in the air that touches 
  everything nearby. The glitter dispels 
  invisibility on any creature or object 
  it touches, instantly revealing them. 
  Anything revealed by the glitter bomb 
  sparkles for the next day.
  goat simulator
  This is a magic stuffed toy goat with a 
  bell collar. 
  1
   When you place the bell collar on 
  the toy, a life-sized illusion of a goat 
  appears somewhere random nearby. 
  The goat looks, smells, and feels real to 
  the touch. It has 4 HP and vanishes at 0 
  HP. The illusion immediately acts with 
  the kind of chaotic mischief typical of 
  genuine goats. Keep away from small 
  children.
  discretion
  friend flute
  uncommon items
  
  136
  healing potion
  This is a small vial of clear, odorless 
  magic liquid. Each vial contains one 
  use, and drinking it restores 4 HP. It 
  tastes foul. If you drink more than one 
  potion in a single day, you become 
  permanently resistant to its effects, and 
  drinking healing potions in the future 
  will only restore 2 HP.
  kiln gauze
  A container of magic gauze that 
  can be used to repair broken metal 
  weapons like swords. When the gauze 
  is wrapped around a severed weapon, 
  it welds the weapon back together in 
  a flash. There is enough gauze in each 
  container to repair one weapon.
  light trap
  The Light Trap is a magic glass orb that 
  instantly captures and stores nearby 
  light when it is squeezed. Each time 
  the orb is squeezed, the new capture 
  overwrites the old one. When placed on 
  the ground, the orb creates an illusion 
  that overlays the real world nearby. 
  When standing inside this illusion, you 
  can see the light field the orb captured, 
  as if you are standing in a photograph.
  lying lyre
  This magic lyre guides its user's hands 
  to produce a beautiful song, lying to its 
  audiences about its owner's musical 
  talent. It only knows one song.
  magic potion
  roll the die
  A vial filled with one dose of viscous 
  liquid that has unpredictable effects.
  20: You are instantly affected by 
  Restore (p. 67).
  15-19: Your hit points are fully restored.
  14: You can use Whisper (p. 86) at 
  will with no AP cost for 1 hour.
  13: You are affected by Calcify  
  (p. 68) for 1 day.
  12: You grow gills on your neck and 
  can breathe underwater for 1 day.
  11: You are affected by Pegasus Cloak  
  (p. 94) for 1 day.
  10: You can use Blink (p. 95) at will 
  for no AP cost for 1 hour.
  9: You become invisible for 1 hour, and 
  the invisibility does not fade if you 
  attack.
  8: All of your footsteps become 
  completely silent for 1 day.
  7: You speak your thoughts out loud 
  uncontrollably for the next hour.
  6: You forget languages for 1 day.
  4-5: You are affected by Nox (p. 70) 
  for 1 hour. The Guide chooses the 
  effects.
  2-3: You are hit for 6 hit points.
  1: Your maximum HP is reduced by 2 
  until the Restore spell is cast on you.
  mischievous marbles
  This is a bag of marbles that feels 
  slippery to the touch.
  1
   When the bag is opened, the 
  marbles spill out. They roll around, 
  seeking out any creatures nearby 
  who they might trip. The marbles are 
  especially interested in people who are 
  carrying things, like servers carrying 
  a meal, or children holding ice cream 
  cones.
  uncommon items
  
  137
  not a pipe
  This is a pipe...
  2
   When you use the pipe to smoke 
  something (the pipe does not mind 
  what you put in it), it begins to rapidly 
  produce a thick magic fog centered 
  on you, filling the air nearby within 
  seconds. Creatures inside the fog 
  cannot see beyond their reach. The fog 
  disperses after 10 minutes or if the area 
  is affected by strong winds.
  permanent solution
  This is a small glass dropper filled with 
  a gray magic liquid. There is enough 
  liquid inside to dispense 6 bead-sized 
  drops. A single drop is enough to 
  permanently bond two things together 
  within 10 seconds. For example, by 
  placing a drop of Permanent Solution 
  inside a weapon's scabbard and then 
  putting the weapon back inside, you 
  can make it impossible to remove the 
  weapon from the scabbard. 
  There is no limit to the size of the 
  things you can bond, but the solution 
  does not make them stronger; if enough 
  force is applied, the bonded objects 
  may break around the point of contact 
  where they are bonded. The bond can 
  only be broken with the Undo spell (p. 
  98). 
  portable potent potable probe
  The Portable Potent Potable Probe is 
  a small box with a magic dish inside 
  that can be used to detect poison. 
  When liquid is placed in the dish, 
  the box briefly conjures an illusory 
  servant nearby. If there is no poison, 
  the servant nods at you and vanishes. If 
  poison is detected, the servant pretends 
  to cough and die. The servant is not a 
  trained actor, and its peformance is a 
  little much.
  quiplasher
  3  This is a sentient magic whip 
  that is always listening to what's said 
  nearby. In its default position, it is 
  locked in a stiff coil. If the whip hears a 
  witty one-liner, it relaxes, and you can 
  use it to make an attack on a nearby 
  creature. Once the whip strikes a 
  creature, it becomes rigid again.
  ramification
  This is a small magic battering ram 
  with two handles that can be used by a 
  single person. 
  3
   When you activate the ram, you 
  can use it to hit and break a wooden 
  door of any size. The door shatters into 
  tiny splinters.
  not a pipe
  permanent solution
  uncommon items
  
  138
  registrar
  The Registrar is a magic book that 
  automatically senses and records 
  the most commonly used name of a 
  creature that passes nearby and the 
  time and date of their passage. (For 
  example, if a creature known by a 
  nickname passes by, it records the 
  nickname.)
  repeater
  4  This is a compact magic crossbow 
  that straps to the user's forearm. The 
  Repeater has an internal magazine 
  of four magically guided bolts. When 
  fired on a target in range, all four bolts 
  are released rapidly, dealing 4 damage 
  (1 per bolt). The bolts are guided 
  magically to the target. You cannot use 
  it again until it is reloaded.
  2
   The Repeater reloads itself and 
  can be used again.
  silvery horn
  This enchanted, pocket-sized horn can 
  send messages far and wide.
  2
   You speak into the horn. It has 
  the same effects of the Aura's Silvery 
  Broadcast spell (p. 97).
  skycaller amulets
  A pair of magic amulets that allow 
  their owners to communicate with 
  each other at any distance within 
  the same world. When held in the 
  hand, the amulets allow the bearers 
  to communicate with each other 
  telepathically by wishing for the link 
  to be created. Each pair of amulets can 
  only communicate with each other and 
  can only be activated up to three times 
  a day. Each time the link is activated, 
  the wearers may communicate for up 
  to 5 minutes.
  portable potent potable probe
  ramification
  uncommon items
  
  139
  the catcher
  This is a single heavy metal gauntlet 
  that has an abrasive pad on the palm.
  1
   While wearing the gauntlet, you 
  can grab a bladed weapon that is 
  about to strike you. Grabbing the blade 
  prevents an enemy from hitting you, 
  even if their attack was successful. You 
  may take the weapon from them.
  the howdy doodat
  This is a magic candle that makes a 
  noisy fizzling sound when lit and sheds 
  light nearby. When light from the 
  candle touches an illusion, the surface 
  of the illusion begins to sparkle. If the 
  source of the illusion is nearby, like 
  the caster of an illusion spell, they also 
  begin to sparkle from the candle’s light. 
  The candle has enough wax to burn for 
  1 hour.
  the lagniappe
  3  A weapon with a little extra. The 
  Guide chooses its form. (It might be 
  a sword, a bow, a staff, or something 
  else.)
  the left-handed smoke shifter
  The words "left-handed smoke shifter" 
  are etched on the surface of this 
  otherwise plain metal rod. The rod is 
  enchanted with a curse that affects 
  anyone who is currently holding it. Any 
  commoner or minion holding the rod 
  is amenable to accepting impossible 
  quests. For example, if you send them 
  on an errand to retrieve an item that 
  does not exist, they will begin to pursue 
  it with relentless zeal. This effect ends 
  if they stop holding the rod.
  the sure shot
  2  The Sure Shot is a magic bow that 
  aids the user with their aim by gently 
  guiding their arms to align with a target 
  in their mind’s eye. As long as there are 
  no enemies within reach while using 
  the bow, you can upgrade a failure to 
  a tough choice and a catastrophe to a 
  failure.
  the catcher
  the howdy doodat
  uncommon items
  
  140
  tricky ticket
  In its default form, this is a sheet of 
  6 silvery magic tickets that have no 
  markings. When you tear a ticket from 
  the sheet when a ticket collector is 
  nearby, it senses what they want to 
  see and transforms into a forgery of a 
  real ticket. The forgery shows all of the 
  relevant information required to make 
  it seem authentic.
  untamed magic broom
  roll the die
  When you straddle this broom, you may 
  ask it to let you fly. 
   
  20: The broom accepts you, becoming 
  a Tamed Magic Broom. You can now 
  safely activate it for 2 AP whenever 
  you want, allowing you to fly with it 
  for 1 hour. 
  11-19: The broom decides it is in the 
  mood to fly and lets you ride and direct 
  it for the next 10 minutes.
  6-10: The broom thinks you want it to 
  clean something. It begins floating 
  around, sweeping up any loose bits 
  into piles.
  2-5: The broom decides it is in the 
  mood to fly, but not with you. It shoots 
  up into the air, ejecting you forcefully, 
  and pursues its own agenda for the 
  next hour before returning to you.
  1: The broom tires of you and your 
  games. It flies off into the distance. 
  You don't know if it will return to you.
  the true witness
  This is a set of magic glasses that are 
  linked to each other. One pair is called 
  The True Witness, and the other is 
  called The Receiver. When a creature 
  is wearing The True Witness, they 
  broadcast what they are seeing to The 
  Receiver. When a creature wears The 
  Receiver, they see exactly what The 
  True Witness is looking at in real time.
  wraithfire bomb
  A dark crystal orb, the size of an 
  orange, that contains a volatile magical 
  charge. When thrown, it explodes in 
  a small radius on contact, igniting 
  anything within a few meters of the 
  point of impact in searing, ethereal 
  flame. Creatures touched by the flame 
  take 4 damage and writhe in agony.
  untamed magic broom
  uncommon items
  
  141
  rare
   
   
  abdellahi’s scepter
  2  This magic scepter feels cold to the 
  touch. When picked up, it curses its 
  owner with a chill aura until the scepter 
  is destroyed. The owner can cast the 
  Freeze spell (p. 60) at will. 
  abyssal brand
  2  The Abyssal Brand is an edged 
  weapon forged by a conniving demon. 
  On a triumph, the target hears dark 
  whispers from the demon, causing it to 
  take 4 additional damage. Once picked 
  up, the weapon curses its owner. At 
  any time, the demon who forged the 
  weapon can whisper thoughts into the 
  cursed owner's mind. 
  accursed band
  This is a translucent magic bracelet 
  that can detect spirits. When a spirit 
  creature is nearby, a glowing blue rune 
  appears on the bracelet. A similar 
  rune appears for each spirit creature 
  nearby. The band lets the wearer use 
  the Commune With the Dead spell (p. 
  69) at will for no AP cost.
  big belt of strong strength
  This is an unusually large belt. When 
  you wear it, you feel unusually strong.
  1
   You channel the belt's magic 
  power, granting you the ability to lift 
  things as heavy as elephants for the 
  next 10 seconds.
  bonebreaker
  2  This giant hammer has been 
  imbued with magic force that 
  accelerates the weapon as it is 
  swung toward a creature, sending 
  reverberating shockwaves through 
  its body. On a triumph, the weapon 
  completely shatters the creature's 
  bones, if it has any.
  chaos pearls
  A bag of luminescent magic pearls. 
  (When you first find the bag, roll the 
  die. The result is the number of pearls 
  inside.) When you throw one of the 
  pearls nearby, it explodes with invisible 
  magic force, releasing a shockwave 
  that knocks down all creatures nearby, 
  damages weak objects, and sends small 
  things flying about the scene.
  dawnbringer
  2  This greathammer is imbued with 
  radiant light by an archmage who 
  worshipped their world’s north star. 
  2
   You raise the hammer in the sky 
  and utter the phrase: “Day unto dark, 
  dark unto day: I call for the light from 
  on high.” When activated, the hammer 
  emits the blinding light of a star. Any 
  creature that can see the light of the 
  hammer and has their eyes open is 
  blinded for the next minute.
  death adder
  This is a small, golden, magic tally 
  counter that can count as high as 7 
  digits. Whenever a person dies nearby, 
  the counter automatically increases by 
  1.
  1
   The Death Adder reveals the cause 
  of death for its most recent tally.
  
  142
  defiance
  2  This silvered short blade grants the 
  wielder immunity against magic that 
  affects the mind. But this protection 
  has a cost. Defiance curses its owner 
  with overconfidence, rendering them 
  unable to rationally evaluate danger. 
  While cursed, you are unable to 
  perceive whether situations pose real 
  danger to you. 
  draconis
  2  Draconis is a longsword said to 
  have been forged in the flame of a 
  dragon's breath. When the sword is 
  unsheathed, it begins to glow red-hot, 
  as if it just emerged from a forge. On 
  a triumph, the sword’s blade roars and 
  explodes in flame, dealing 4 additional 
  damage.
  dress of many pockets
  This magic dress deceptively appears to 
  have no pockets. In fact, it has many.
  When wearing the dress, you may press 
  an item against it that you wish to 
  stash. A seam silently opens, creating a 
  portal to a pocket-sized shadow plane. 
  When the item you wish to pocket is 
  deposited, the seam closes. The seam 
  reopens any time you wish to retrieve 
  the item. You may store up to 10 items 
  in the dress, and these items do not 
  count against your inventory limit. 
  If the dress is ripped apart or destroyed, 
  any items stored inside immediately fall 
  out.
  dawnbringer
  defiance
  rare items
  
  143
  gideon's shroud
  A knee-length flowing black cloak that 
  appears to glisten under moonlight. 
  The shroud makes the wearer 
  undetectable by clairvoyance magic. 
  Any being attempting to spy on the 
  wearer of the shroud feels confused and 
  gains misleading information.
  lichblade
  2  The weapon of a banished lich, this 
  withering sword feels chill to the touch 
  and casts a malevolent aura felt by 
  all creatures nearby. The sword's user 
  recovers 1 HP each time it deals damage 
  to a creature, as the sword devours 
  the life force of its victim. The sword’s 
  original owner can sense its presence 
  from afar and wants it back. 
  masterwork
  3  This is a weapon of incredible 
  quality that still bears its maker's mark. 
  There are only a handful of copies like 
  it.
  needful gift box
  This is a small wooden box with 
  nothing inside. When the owner of the 
  box is negotiating a trade, the box can 
  sense an object of value that the other 
  party desires. A convincing illusion of 
  the object then appears inside the box 
  that feels real to the touch. The illusion 
  permanently disappears if it spends 1 
  minute outside of the box. 
  perspicacious pot
  This is a large magic pot made of 
  fine silver. When the lid is closed, a 
  portal to an unknown shadow plane 
  opens inside, and the pot’s contents 
  are temporarily devoured. One minute 
  later, the contents are spit back into 
  the pot, returning slimier than when 
  they entered. When the contents return 
  after being devoured, a recipe for 
  how to create the item, including its 
  ingredients or parts, appears etched on 
  the side of the pot.
  gideon's shroud
  perspicacious pot
  rare items
  
  144
  portal chalk
  This is a brilliant stick of chalk that 
  flickers as if a candle is inside of 
  it. You can use the chalk to draw a 
  closed shape. As soon as you close 
  the drawing, the area within the 
  shape becomes a portal that teleports 
  anything that passes through it. 
  You must draw a second portal for 
  the first one to become active. When 
  you have two portals, they become 
  a gateway to one another. The chalk 
  crumbles to dust as soon as the two 
  portals become active.
  professor prim's mind exploder
  This is a bitter magic tablet that 
  dissolves in a glass of water. When you 
  consume the drink, you forget an ability 
  you already know, and learn a new one 
  of your choice.
  scintillating wand
  This colorful wooden wand makes you 
  feel giddy with mischievous thoughts 
  when you hold it in your hand. You can 
  use the wand to cast the Scintillate spell 
  (p. 89) at will.
  scrying sphere
  This is a magic crystal ball that's the 
  size of an apple. Scrying spheres are 
  traditionally stored in velvet pouches 
  and concealed by silken cloths. The 
  sphere makes a noticeable and ongoing 
  ringing sound that echoes nearby when 
  it is uncovered.
  1
   When you hold the sphere and 
  gaze into it, you can use the Scry spell  
  (p. 97). You may only activate the 
  sphere once per game session.
  scion
  Scion is a magic pincushion. When 
  a pin coated with a creature's blood 
  is pressed into the pincushion, Scion 
  audibly whispers the family names of 
  the creature's closest blood relatives.
  portal chalk
  serpentine staff
  rare items
  
  145
  serpentine staff
  2  The Serpentine Staff is a magic 
  snakewood staff made by ancient 
  druids. A golden ouroboros symbol is 
  etched into the base.
  1
   You whisper a magic word to the 
  staff, causing it to transform into a 
  viper. The viper is a magical illusion 
  that you control. You share a telepathic 
  bond with the viper and can command 
  it to move, act, and attack. It has 4 hit 
  points and its attacks deal 1 damage. 
  You may have the viper transform 
  back into its staff form at any time. 
  If the viper is killed, it automatically 
  transforms back into the staff.
  spell scroll
  These are scrolls bearing the signature 
  or mark of a spellcaster that are 
  enchanted with their knowledge of 
  a single spell. Any person holding a 
  spell scroll can read the words on it to 
  activate the spell. Not all spell scrolls 
  are clearly marked with their effects. 
  The Sense Magic ability (p. 97) can 
  be used to identify the spell contained 
  in a scroll.
  spirit trap
  This is a magic crystal orb that attracts 
  spirit creatures nearby. Any spirit 
  creature that comes within reach of the 
  trap is automatically captured by it and 
  imprisoned inside. (It cannot attract 
  or capture bosses.) Each trap can only 
  hold one spirit creature at a time. When 
  a spirit is trapped inside, a hazy portrait 
  of its corporeal form can be seen by 
  gazing into the orb. Spirits can only be 
  released from the orb by shattering it.
  the bouncer
  This is a magic buckler with a strap 
  that feels like it always fits perfectly. 
  If a foe within reach attacks you with 
  a weapon and rolls a failure, you may 
  have their attack bounce off of your 
  buckler. They hit themselves with their 
  attack instead, damaging them for 2 HP.
  the compensator
  2  In its normal state, this is a 
  humble-looking broadsword with heavy 
  signs of wear. Whenever the sword 
  makes contact with another weapon, 
  the blade instantly morphs to become 
  twice as large as the weapon it touched. 
  the eager edge
  3  This is a sentient magic sword that 
  loves to be used. Every time a fight 
  begins, nearby creatures can hear the 
  sword excitedly say, "Here we go again!" 
  Your first attack with the sword in a 
  fight is automatically successful. But 
  if you back down from a fight or avoid 
  one altogether, the sword will loosen 
  itself from your body, fall to the ground, 
  and attempt to slide toward someone 
  else nearby.
  the miracle sponge
  This is an otherwise normal sponge, 
  except for the fact that it is also a magic 
  portal to a shadow plane. The shadow 
  plane connected to the sponge acts as a 
  reservoir, allowing the sponge to rapidly 
  absorb enough liquid to fill a swimming 
  pool or small pond. Squeezing the 
  sponge releases the stored liquid at the 
  rate a normal sponge would.
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  legendary
   
  a magician's key
  This is an obsidian skeleton key with a 
  simple tooth that can fit inside a door's 
  lock. Whenever you hold the key, you 
  catch a fleeting feeling, as if someone is 
  visiting your mind.
  5
   You turn the key in a door's lock, 
  creating a Shadow Haven (p. 87) 
  of the dwelling the door leads to. You 
  control it.
  ancient ranger's pouch
  This is a pouch whose leather hide is so 
  old that it is nearly fossilized. The pouch 
  is filled with seeds. (Roll the die when 
  you first receive the pouch. The result is 
  how many seeds are inside.) When you 
  plant one of the seeds, it grows into a 
  full-sized sentient tree creature within 
  one week. The tree knows who you are 
  and considers you a friend for life.
  bane
  2  Bane is a magical dagger once 
  wielded by a jealous lover. Once it is 
  picked up, the dagger attunes itself to its 
  owner. When the dagger is unsheathed, 
  it may try to charm a nearby creature 
  that can see it, except for members of the 
  party. The Guide will ask you to roll the 
  die when Bane tries to charm a creature. 
  On a success, the creature is charmed: 
  they covet the dagger, and it becomes 
  their greatest worldly desire. Any 
  creature affected in this way will regard 
  the dagger’s owner as their mortal 
  enemy, and for the next week, they will 
  relentlessly pursue their destruction 
  at any personal cost. All damage dealt 
  by the weapon has a corrupting effect 
  that permanently decreases the target’s 
  hit point maximum by the amount of 
  damage dealt.
  blood pact
  4  The Blood Pact is a sentient blade 
  that curses whoever picks it up. The 
  blade demands that those cursed by 
  it kill a creature at least once per day. 
  While holding the blade, the wielder feels 
  intense pleasure from drawing blood with 
  it. 
  If those cursed by the blade do not kill 
  a creature by the end of each day, the 
  blade steals 1 HP from their hit point 
  maximum. (This effect cannot bring a 
  player below 1 max HP.) The maximum 
  HP is returned when the cursed creature 
  quenches the blade's thirst.
  The curse can only be lifted by destroying 
  the sword, and the sword can only be 
  destroyed by killing the spirit creature 
  who is linked to it — wherever they are.
  cloak of a hundred billion stars
  This is a shimmering blue cloak that 
  drifts in and out of material form as 
  it is stroked by an ethereal cosmic 
  breeze. Any creature that looks at the 
  cloak is momentarily transfixed and 
  feels humbled by the incomprehensible 
  expanse of the omniverse. When worn by 
  an Invoker, the wearer can use the Invoke 
  ability (p. 42) at will for no AP cost. 
  a magician's key
  
  147
  conway’s comrades
  This is a set of 9 magic toy figurines 
  in a beautifully carved wooden box. 
  A golden plaque inside the box 
  reads: "Fine Company In Case Of 
  Catastrophe."
  4
   When the figurines are placed on 
  the floor in a battle formation, you can 
  speak a magic command to activate 
  them. They instantly transform into a 
  group of life-sized soldiers armed with 
  swords and bows. (The group is treated 
  as a single powerful creature with 10 
  HP and 4 Attack.) 
  The soldiers are not conscious and do 
  nothing except for what they are told. 
  You may command the soldiers to 
  perform actions in unison on your turn. 
  If the soldiers are reduced to 0 HP, they 
  revert to their form as toy figurines.
  cosmic purse
  This is a magic bag with a golden 
  tie whose silky fabric looks like the 
  glimmering surface of the night sky. 
  The bag's dinner plate-sized opening 
  is a portal to its own private shadow 
  plane where an unlimited number 
  of items may be stored and sorted in 
  secret. When you reach into the bag, 
  your hand will grasp any stored item 
  that you are currently imagining. Items 
  stored in the bag do not count against 
  your inventory limit. If the bag is ripped 
  or destroyed, all of its contents are 
  tossed out of the opening as its shadow 
  plane closes.
  creighton’s fascinators
  This pair of tall black boots is adorned 
  with wondrous stitching and a 
  permanent shine. They fill the wearer 
  with a robust feeling of confidence and 
  make them feel as if they’re walking on 
  clouds.
  While wearing these boots, you cast an 
  aura of leadership. Commoners nearby 
  will listen to you speak if you try to grab 
  their attention. If they are not hostile 
  toward you, they will join a cause you 
  earnestly espouse, like backing a new 
  leader or supporting a civic proposal.
  The wearer of these boots will often 
  find themselves invited to exclusive 
  places.
  5
   While wearing the boots, you can 
  recruit a dutiful companion according 
  to the rules of the Attendant ability (p. 
  38). You may only have one recruit 
  at a time.
  conway's comrades
  creighton's fascinators
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  148
  echo
  Echo was a ring belonging to a 
  legendary assassin who hunted magic 
  users across planes of existence. 
  Whenever a harmful spell successfully 
  takes effect on its wearer, the ring 
  automatically duplicates the spell, 
  immediately casting it on the spell's 
  source.
  fable
  3  This is a weapon that has been 
  found again and again by heroes 
  throughout time. It presents itself 
  differently in appearance and form to 
  match the style of each hero who finds 
  it. When you pick it up, it binds itself 
  to you until your death. If you and the 
  weapon ever part, you can have it blink 
  back into your hands simply by wishing 
  it to return.
  Fable is indestructible. It cannot be 
  dinged, damaged, or undone in any way. 
  Until your death, all of your deeds are 
  observed by the weapon and recorded 
  by a central ledger of heroic deeds, 
  somewhere in the omniverse. 
   
  guile
  Guile is a cameo brooch crafted by a 
  powerful magician. After the wearer of 
  Guile encounters a creature and has a 
  conversation with them, the embossed 
  visage on the brooch transforms into 
  the face of the creature the wearer 
  was speaking to. The item stores the 
  likeness of each creature the wearer 
  speaks to. 
  1
   On command, Guile projects 
  an illusion, giving the wearer the 
  appearance of a creature it has stored.
  gungrox’s coin 
  This is a smooth platinum coin from an 
  unknown dimension whose embossed 
  symbols have nearly been worn into 
  oblivion. Whoever picks the coin up 
  becomes attuned to it and begins 
  to feel its presence on their person, 
  developing an urge to constantly turn 
  it over in their pocket with their hands. 
  Once per game session, you may flip 
  a coin at the table. If the coin lands 
  on heads, nothing happens. If it lands 
  on tails, you may harness the coin’s 
  interdimensional power and randomize 
  your role. If you randomize your role, 
  take your cards and put them back 
  in a Quest Core Deck. Then, shuffle 
  the deck, and draw cards equal to the 
  number you put in. You may use these 
  abilities for the remainder of the game 
  session.
  harmony
  This is a weathered wooden lute whose 
  rosette is a magical singularity that 
  resonates across the vastness of the 
  omniverse. A short music sheet is 
  etched into the neck. 
  5
   You play the lute's song, opening 
  a two-way portal nearby that leads 
  to a random place in the omniverse 
  where great music is currently being 
  performed. The portal remains open 
  until you use the lute to play the song 
  again. 
  guile
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  149
  harper's haven
  This is a small stone figurine of a 
  Naturalist holding a blooming flower. 
  Once per game session, when Harper's 
  Haven is placed on the ground, moss 
  begins to spread out from the figurine. 
  The moss covers all surfaces until the 
  area nearby looks like a forest oasis. 
  Creatures inside of this area hear the 
  calming ambient sounds of the forest 
  and they receive the benefit of a full 
  rest while regrouping here.
  10  You activate the figurine, 
  awakening its ancient magic. This has 
  the effect of the World Wish spell (p. 
  65). The figurine is consumed by the 
  spell instead of the user.
  june's blanket
  This is an old patchwork blanket that 
  feels impossibly soft to the touch. It 
  belonged to a legendary healer who 
  spent her life bringing love and comfort 
  to others.
  1
   You whisper "be with them" 
  to the blanket when draping it on 
  another creature. If the creature is sad 
  or suffering, they feel the weight of 
  their troubles lift. They do not forget 
  anything, but they are left with a feeling 
  of peace, calm, and confidence for the 
  next week. 
  4
   If you instead whisper "be with 
  them, for they are forgiven," they feel 
  the weight of their troubles lift and are 
  also affected by the Forgive spell (p. 
  45).
  lorelai's wand
  This wand once belonged to one of the 
  omniverse's most powerful wizards, 
  before they were lost on a journey to 
  The Beyond.
  You may choose to bind yourself to the 
  wand's energy by holding it and verbally 
  inviting its power. Upon making the 
  bond, you feel the wand's power coarse 
  through every part of your body — a 
  painful but exciting sensation. The 
  wand is now yours: it cannot bind to 
  others until you die. 
  When you are holding the wand, your 
  activated abilities now cost 1 AP less to 
  activate, but cannot cost less than 1 AP. 
  Additionally, the wand overloads your 
  spells, causing any harmful spells to 
  deal 50 percent more damage, rounding 
  up. However, you may now only know 
  up to 10 abilities. If you know more 
  than 10, when binding yourself to the 
  wand, you must immediately choose 
  abilities to forget until you are left with 
  10 or fewer. If you have 10 abilities and 
  choose to learn a new one, you must 
  forget another ability.
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  150
  loren's luminous starglass
  This is a finely polished brass telescope 
  forged in the fires of creation. When 
  you look into the eyepiece, it shows a 
  pristine view of space in the direction 
  you are pointing it. (The telescope 
  ignores anything that would obscure 
  the view, like objects, atmospheres, or 
  daylight.) 
  3
   When you turn a switch on the 
  side of the telescope, it shows you the 
  nearest planet where life is present.
  9
   By turning the switch forward 
  an extra notch, the telescope opens a 
  two-way portal nearby that leads to the 
  most recent planet it has identified. The 
  portal remains open until you turn the 
  switch to its original position.
  multivious map
  A sentient map of the stars that loves to 
  pontificate about possibility.
  1
   You ask the map for help. It will 
  suggest the most promising courses of 
  action for the party. (This is effectively 
  like asking the Guide for useful hints 
  about where to go next.) 
  nightmare
  3  Nightmare is a two-handed 
  greatsword that appears to be 
  impossibly black. On a triumph, 
  the sword gives its target a waking 
  nightmare for the next minute, 
  rendering it completely unable to act. 
  This effect is dispelled if the victim of 
  the nightmare takes damage. If the 
  wielder scores a catastrophe on an 
  attack with the sword, they receive the 
  nightmare instead. 
  prismatic circlet
  This crystal crown sparkles with 
  prismatic colors. When the crown 
  is placed on the ground, it can be 
  activated to project a major illusion.
  3
   You set the circlet on the ground, 
  creating an illusion of your choice. Use 
  the rules for the Mirage spell (p. 84) 
  when creating this illusion. 
  prismatic circlet
  legendary items
  loren's luminous starglass
  
  151
  resplendent plate
  This indomitable breastplate made of 
  an unknown metal draws the attention 
  of most who see it. If you wear this 
  in populated areas, commoners 
  may crowd you, attempting to touch 
  the plate. The wearer of this armor 
  becomes resistant to physical attacks 
  and only takes half damage from them. 
  When the armor is hit by weapons, they 
  inexplicably fail to leave a scratch or 
  dent. The plate is reactive to shadow 
  planes. It appears to wither when in 
  a shadow plane and loses its resistive 
  effect until it leaves.
  rebellion
  This is an ancient bronze shield with an 
  etching that depicts commoners rising 
  up against their rulers in a great battle.
  4
   You close your eyes and squeeze 
  the shield's handle, activating its 
  ancient power. The shield releases a 
  reverberating sound like a giant bell 
  being rung. If any nearby commoners 
  hear Rebellion's call, they stop what 
  they are doing and feel the fires of 
  independence ignite in their hearts. 
  Then, they take action against whatever 
  or whoever is keeping them down. 
  Each person's protest is their own; the 
  consequences of using Rebellion are 
  often unpredictable.
  shadow
  3  Shadow is a magic shortblade 
  forged by a malevolent god. Whenever 
  the blade kills a creature, that creature’s 
  soul is transported to a hellish shadow 
  plane where it is tormented for eternity. 
  Each time a creature is killed by the 
  blade, its wielder experiences a glimpse 
  of the slain creature’s torment, dealing 
  them 1 damage.
  the cosmic cruiser
  The Cosmic Cruiser is a magic starship 
  that can travel through space with a 
  crew of up to 10 creatures. The vessel 
  can also travel between planes, The 
  Rift, and other parallel universes 
  (p. 33). The party can pool their 
  adventure points to activate the ship's 
  travel features.
  In its default form, the Cruiser is a 
  galleon in a crystal sphere. When it 
  enters a new region of the omniverse, 
  it can detect the nature and style of 
  that region's technology, and change its 
  form to fit in among it. For example, 
   
   
   
   
  if the vessel arrives in a universe with 
  mechanical starships, it can take the 
  appearance of one. Regardless of its 
  form, the Cruiser always has personal 
  quarters for each crew member, a 
  bridge where the ship can be controlled, 
  a galley, an armory, and a common 
  area. It can support its own livable 
  atmosphere and conjure food and drink 
  for its crew.
  3
   Teleport to The Rift.
  9
   Teleport to any known location, or 
  a random location.
  the cosmic cruiser
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  152
  the toll
  This is an iridescent coin with a hole 
  in the middle that always feels warm 
  to the touch. Holding this coin on your 
  person makes everything you have 
  seem slightly heavier.
  If you die while possessing The Toll, 
  you wake up in a lush field under an 
  unknown star, surrounded by natural 
  paradise. You carry nothing from your 
  prior life, except for the coin, which 
  appears in your hand. When you wake, 
  an astral guardian approaches you 
  and asks for The Toll. If you give it to 
  them, you return to your mortal body 
  completely restored — giving you a 
  second chance on life. If you keep the 
  coin instead, the guardian leaves, never 
  to return. You remain alive in this 
  paradise — forever alone.
  unity
  Unity is a magic pin once worn by a 
  great diplomat. While nearby the pin, 
  creatures become able to comprehend 
  the languages of any and all other 
  creatures also nearby the pin and can 
  communicate with them.
   
   
   
   
  vol
  3  This magic spear, once belonging 
  to a demigod, is attuned to nature and 
  begins vibrating when a lightning storm 
  will form within the next day.
  If you roll a 20 while throwing the 
  spear, it becomes a bolt of lightning 
  that streaks between up to 3 nearby 
  targets of your choice, dealing them 
  each 6 HP of damage. If you roll a 1, you 
  are shocked by the spear and hit for 2 
  HP.
  vol
  the toll
  legendary items
  unity
  
  153
  cosmic forge
  conservator's ring
  This is an unimaginably powerful magic 
  ring created and worn by members of an 
  interdimensional bureau of gods. The 
  ring cannot be destroyed.
  9
   You and any nearby creatures 
  of your choice teleport to any desired 
  destination in another universe, leaving 
  behind a tear in the universe. The tear 
  rapidly releases that universe into The 
  Beyond, destroying it completely. The 
  universe's corresponding anchor in 
  The Rift is also destroyed in a terrifying 
  conflagration of prismatic fires. 
  A record of your deed is stored in the 
  ring, and your location is transmitted to 
  any other beings who are wearing one of 
  the ring's siblings.
  cosmic forge
  roll the die
  The Cosmic Forge is an obsidian ring that 
  phases in and out of ethereal form like 
  waves lapping the shores of an ocean. 
  When worn, it becomes permanently 
  attached to the bearer and can only be 
  released if they are destroyed.
  The bearer may snap their fingers to 
  conjure any object into existence nearby, 
  except for a copy of the Cosmic Forge. 
  20: You conjure the object. It is perfect 
  in every way.
  11-19: You conjure the object, but the 
  ring overheats, hitting you for 6 HP.
  6-10: You conjure the object, but it is 
  cursed with a random effect of the 
  Guide's choice.
  2-5: You conjure the object, but 
  it appears in a random location 
  somewhere else in the omniverse.
  1: You crumble to dust and are 
  destroyed. The ring falls to the ground, 
  waiting.
  supreme
  
  154
  dubbin’s dire die
  This is a 20-sided die that 
  occasionally appears to tremble as if 
  there’s an earthquake in the distance. 
  4
   When activated, the die bends 
  the fate of creatures nearby it. The 
  next 10 rolls made nearby the die use 
  the following spread of outcomes: 
   
  ■ 1-9: Catastrophe
   
  ■ 10: Tough Choice
   
  ■ 11-20: Triumph
  If the owner of Dubbin's Dire Die 
  rolls a 1 while the die is activated, 
  the die explodes with rending 
  magic force, dealing 4 damage to all 
  creatures within 1,000 kilometers.
  it whispers to you
  This ring’s humble presentation 
  enshrouds its devious character. 
  You look at the ring.  
  It whispers to you.
  Forged by a forgotten god, the ring 
  grants the wearer the ability to 
  cast the Control spell (p. 90) 
  on a nearby creature. The spell 
  automatically takes effect against 
  the target. It cannot be resisted 
  or countered, and its duration is 
  permanent.
  The ring was not meant for you 
  to wear. Each time you use the 
  ring's ability, it steals your fate, 
  permanently reducing your hit point 
  maximum by 3. If you use the ring 
  more than 3 times, you die.
  You look at the ring.  
  It whispers to you. 
  the hand
  This is a pocketwatch with a large 
  crown, a single hand, and a face with 
  no markings. The crown has two 
  stops. 
  3
   When pulled out to the first 
  stop, the crown can be rotated to turn 
  the watch's hand. Turning the hand 
  clockwise shows the bearer their 
  current surroundings in the future, 
  while turning it counterclockwise 
  shows visions of the past.
  9
   When the crown is pulled to 
  the second stop, it can be used to 
  travel through time. The movement 
  is imprecise: you don't know exactly 
  how far you will arrive in the future 
  or past. When you stop rotating the 
  crown, it depresses to its default 
  position, and you arrive at your 
  destination.
  the hand
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  155
  wish heart
  A magic locket created by a god, the 
  Wish Heart can turn thought into 
  reality. When you open the locket, you 
  see the visage of a paradox — a person 
  who is strange and yet most familiar to 
  you.
  To make a wish, you must open the 
  locket and speak to the visage. State 
  your wish clearly at the table.
  If you would gain nothing from your 
  intended wish but good feelings, the 
  person in the locket smiles at you.
  If you would gain something material 
  from your intended wish, the person in 
  the locket raises an eyebrow.
  If you intend to harm someone with 
  your wish, the person in the locket 
  scowls at you.
  Moments after the visage reacts to you, 
  the locket briefly scintillates and rattles. 
  Then, it vanishes before your eyes.
  Your wish comes true in a manner 
  of the Guide's choosing. The wish is 
  highly unpredictable. For example, if 
  you wish for someone to be relieved 
  of pain, they may die — releasing them 
  from their mortal troubles. If you 
  wish for your party to safely escape an 
  apocalypse, you might be teleported to 
  a safe but unknown parallel universe. 
  Being specific about what you want 
  to come true can help, but it's not 
  guaranteed that you will get exactly 
  what you had hoped for.
  However, there is one type of wish 
  the locket hopes to hear. If you ask to 
  be reunited with a loved one, it will 
  reunite you in an exact manner of your 
  choosing without any unpredictable 
  consequences. For example, if you say 
  you wish for your lost sibling to return, 
  you may have them appear in front of 
  you — real in every way, and here to 
  stay.
  wish heart
  supreme items
  end of game book
  www.adventure.game
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Quest Digital Game Book/Quest Digital Game Book.pdf