TEXT: Robert J. Schwalb
  A Shadow of the Demon Lord Supplement
  
  1
  Forbidden 
  Rules
  Poisoned Pages for Shadow of the Demon Lord
  ~Credits~
  Writing, Design, and Art Direction:
  Robert J. Schwalb
  Editing: Kim Mohan
  Layout: Kara Hamilton
  Graphic Design: Hal Mangold and
  Kara Hamilton
  Cover: Mirco Paganessi
  Illustrations: Ivan Dixon, Jack Kaiser,
  Matt Kaminski, Mirco Paganessi, 
  Svetoslav Petrov, and Andrey Vasilchenko
  Forbidden Rules ©2017 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.
  Shadow of the Demon Lord, Forbidden Rules, Poisoned Pages, Schwalb Entertainment, 
  and their associated logos are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
  SCHWALB ENTERTAINMENT, LLCPO Box #12548
  Murfreesboro TN 37129
  info@schwalbentertainment.com
  www.schwalbentertainment.com
  
  2
  Introduction ........................ 3
  Die Rolls ..................................................3
  Cooperation .....................................................................................3
  Static Boons and Banes .................................................................3
  Consistent Damage ........................................................................3
  No Attack Rolls ................................................................................3
  Players Make the Rolls ..................................................................4
  Bell Curve Rolls ...............................................................................4
  Corruption .............................. 5
  Marks of Darkness .........................................................................6
  Fortune Points ......................6
  Damage-Reducing
  Armor ......................................... 7
  Defense ..............................................................................................7
  Armor .................................................................................................7
  Bonus to Defense ............................................................................7
  Converting Creatures ....................................................................7
  Wounds ....................................... 7
  Converting Damage .......................................................................8
  Simplified Dying
  and death .............................. 9
  Instant Death Variant ....................................................................9
  Incapcitated ......................................................................................9
  Variant Healing ................. 9
  Regroup .............................................................................................9
  Endurance ........................................................................................9
  Slow Healing ....................................................................................9
  Social Combat ......................10
  Rounds .............................................................................................10
  Actions .............................................................................................10
  Roleplaying .....................................................................................11
  Exchange ..........................................................................................11
  Resolution ........................................................................................11
  Combat .......................................12
  Initiative ...........................................................................................12
  New Actions ................................................................................... 14
  Abstract Combat ............... 15
  Zones .................................................................................................15
  Establishing Zones ........................................................................15
  Movement ........................................................................................15
  Melee Attacks ................................................................................ 16
  Ranged Attacks .............................................................................. 16
  Area Eﬀ ects .................................................................................... 16
  Chases .........................................................17
  Distance ............................................................................................17
  Rounds and Turns .........................................................................17
  Actions ..............................................................................................17
  End of the Round ......................................................................... 18
  Multiple Creatures ....................................................................... 18
  Character Creation .........18
  Random Attributes by Ancestry ............................................... 18
  Modiﬁ ed Random Attributes .................................................... 18
  Random Characteristics ............................................................. 19
  Skills ............................................................19
  Skill Categories ........................19
  How Skills Work ...........................................................................20
  New Novice 
  Path: Adept .....................................21
  Simplified Armor .....................22
  Simplified weapons .............. 23
  Weapon Descriptions ..................................................................23
  Variant Magic:
  Power Points .............................. 23
  Gaining Power Points ..................................................................23
  Casting Skills with Power Points ..............................................23
  Rules Changes for Ancestries ...................................................24
  Downtime ........................................... 24
  Beyond level 10 .........................31
  Index .......................................................... 32
  Table of Contents
  
  3
  Introduction
  The game system powering Shadow of the Demon Lord 
  reﬂ ects two key design goals. First, I wanted to make 
  the game easy to learn; second, I wanted complexity 
  to grow, such that each time players came to the table 
  they’d get something new that built on what they had 
  already mastered. 
   Keeping the basic game simple meant I had to make 
  hard choices, rejecting the complex in favor of the 
  straightforward. Reviewing the main rulebook now, 
  I can see all the compromises I made in the design, 
  places where I traveled down one mechanical path 
  only to abandon it in favor of something else. In the 
  end, I’m delighted with the ﬁ nal product, but some 
  abandoned bits of design still haunt me and, as the 
  game has grown, I’ve found other areas I might have 
  explored. 
   And so here we have Forbidden Rules, a supplement 
  that oﬀ ers all kinds of ways to tweak the game 
  to suit your tastes. If you want to try rolling 3d6 
  instead of a d20, using spell points to cast spells, 
  playing characters beyond level 10, or a slew of other 
  possibilities, this supplement is for you. 
   Not everything in these pages works together, so 
  don’t try to implement it all. Rather, choose the stuﬀ  
  you like and set aside the stuﬀ  you don’t. Either way, 
  enjoy perusing these pages to see what kind of game 
  Shadow of the Demon Lord might have been. 
  Die Rolls
  The game system uses die rolls to help GMs and 
  players decide what happens in the game when the 
  outcome of a particular activity is unclear. While the 
  fundamental rules are simple to make the game easy 
  to learn, there are a number of ways you can change 
  how die rolls aﬀ ect the game works, either to make it 
  simpler or to make it more complex.
  Cooperation
  When the characters work together on a task, the 
  GM determines whether their eﬀ ort succeeds, fails, 
  or might succeed with a roll. Normally, a group can 
  complete most mundane tasks given enough time and 
  eﬀ ort, but when neither is in suﬃ  cient supply, the 
  GM can call for a roll. In such cases, each member of 
  the group makes a challenge roll. If half or more get 
  a success, the task results in a success. Otherwise, the 
  task results in a failure. As with any task, the GM and 
  the rules decide on the attribute or characteristic that 
  best applies to the rolls. 
   Depending on the task, the GM might call for rolls 
  using diﬀ erent attributes and characteristics. For 
  example, a group building a raft from logs might 
  include a couple of characters who make Strength 
  challenge rolls to haul the wood, other characters who 
  make Agility rolls to bind the logs together, and one 
  character who makes an Intellect challenge roll to 
  organize the eﬀ ort. 
  Static Boons and Banes
  Using dice for boons and banes provides some 
  variation in their eﬀ ect on attack rolls and challenge 
  rolls, but a result cannot modify the d20 roll by more 
  than 6, regardless of how many boons or banes you 
  have on the roll. For a more reliable impact on the d20 
  roll, you can replace dice for boons and banes with 
  static bonuses and penalties. Here’s how it works:
   Boons and banes cancel each other out as normal. 
  One boon grants a +3 bonus to the roll. The bonus 
  increases by 1 for each boon after the ﬁ rst to a 
  maximum of +5. One bane imposes a –3 penalty to the 
  roll. The penalty worsens by 1 for each bane after the 
  ﬁ rst to a maximum of –5. 
  Consistent Damage
  Random damage provides descriptive cues about the 
  quality of the success, such that a low result might 
  indicate a near miss while a high result would suggest 
  a solid strike from sword or spell. Randomized 
  damage does, however, add an extra step in resolving 
  task rolls, which takes more time. Rather than rolling 
  to determine damage, you can just take the average 
  result of a given die roll and apply that amount 
  consistently.
   The following table shows how to convert the 
  damage. 
  Random to Consistent Damage
  Random Damage
  Consistent Damage*
  1d3
  2
  2d3
  4
  1d6
  3
  2d6
  7
  +1d6
  +3
  +2d6
  +7
  *Add any modiﬁ ers to the damage as normal.
  Example 1: If an attack with a sword would deal 1d6 
  + 2 damage, the attack deals 5 damage instead.
  Example 2: A magician casts ﬁ reball. The spell
  normally deals 5d6 damage, so, using the consistent 
  damage rule, the spell deals 17 damage, since 2d6 + 
  2d6 + 1d6 converts to 7 + 7 + 3.
  No Attack Rolls
  The game uses two types of rolls for task resolution: 
  attack rolls and challenge rolls. You make an attack 
  roll when you pit yourself against another creature 
  and a challenge roll when you would test your own 
  
  4
  abilities. In terms of game mechanics, the two rolls are 
  similar, except that the target number of an attack roll 
  is always the score of the attribute or characteristic 
  used to resist the attack, while the target number of a 
  challenge roll is always 10. One way you can simplify 
  the game is to drop attack rolls and just use challenge 
  rolls for everything.
   When the rules call for an attack roll, the attacker 
  makes a challenge roll using the attribute or 
  characteristic associated with the attack roll, while 
  the target makes a challenge roll using the attribute or 
  characteristic used to resist the attack. Attacks against 
  Defense are an exception; in such cases, the target 
  adds its Defense modiﬁ er (see below) to the roll. The 
  results of both rolls determine what happens, as 
  shown on the following table.
  Attack Outcomes
  Attacker Result 
  Defender Result
  Outcome
  Success
  Failure
  Success
  Success
  Success
  Partial success: If the 
  attack deals damage, 
  the target takes 
  half the damage. 
  Otherwise, the attack 
  has no effect.
  Failure
  Failure or success
  Failure
   Defense Modiﬁ er: In this variant, a creature has 
  a Defense modiﬁ er in place of a Defense score. A 
  creature’s base Defense modiﬁ er equals its Agility 
  modiﬁ er. Wearing armor can improve one’s Defense 
  modiﬁ er, as shown below. Any bonuses or penalties 
  that apply to a target’s Defense score instead apply to 
  its Defense challenge rolls.
   For the purpose of this variant, the Clothing and 
  Armor table here replaces the one presented in the 
  main rulebook.
  Clothing and Armor 
  Name
  Defense Modiﬁ er
  Price
  Clothing
  Agility modiﬁ er
  Varies
  Soft Leather
  Agility modiﬁ er + 1
  2 ss
  Light Armor 
  (Requires Strength 11 or higher)
  Hard Leather
  Agility modiﬁ er + 2
  5 ss
  Brigandine
  +3
  5 ss
  Medium Armor 
  (Requires Strength 13 or higher)
  Mail
  +5
  1 gc
  Scale
  +6
  2 gc
  Heavy Armor 
  (Requires Strength 15 or higher)
  Plate and Mail
  +7
  5 gc
  Full Plate
  +8
  25 gc
   Attribute Scores: Aside from Strength score 
  determining starting Health and Will determining 
  the maximum amount of Insanity a character can 
  accumulate, attribute scores serve no function using 
  the ”no attack rolls” variant. You can drop them from 
  the game and use only modiﬁ ers during play.
  Players Make the Rolls
  Several tabletop roleplaying games feature systems in 
  which only the players roll the dice. You can change 
  this game so that players make all the rolls by using 
  the following procedures.
   Defense Roll: When a creature under the GM’s 
  control attacks a player character, the character’s 
  player makes a Defense roll, which is a roll of a d20 
  plus the character’s Defense modiﬁ er (see above). 
  The target number is equal to the attacking creature’s 
  attack modiﬁ er + 10. If the attack option indicates that 
  the creature would make the attack with 1 or more 
  boons, the creature imposes an equal number of 
  banes on the player character’s Defense roll. A success 
  on the Defense roll avoids the attack, while a failure 
  on the roll indicates the attack succeeds.
   Damage Rolls: If a player character would take 
  damage from an attack, the character’s player rolls the 
  damage and record the result.
   Challenge Rolls: Creatures don’t make challenge 
  rolls unless the GM decides they need to based on 
  the circumstances. If a challenge roll for a creature 
  becomes necessary, one of the players can make the 
  roll on the creature’s behalf.
   Player versus Player: If a player character makes 
  an attack roll against another player character, the 
  attack is resolved as normal, with the attacking 
  character making the attack roll.
  Bell Curve Rolls
  The d20 is a ﬁ ckle die, cruel in its randomness. Every 
  roll is as likely to produce a 20 or a 1 as it is to come 
  up a 10. For this reason, some games use multiple dice 
  for task resolution, so the possible results form a bell 
  curve rather than a ﬂ at line of even distribution. To 
  use this variant, all d20 rolls for determining success 
  or failure are replaced by 3d6 rolls.
   Rolling 3d6 instead of a d20 produces more results 
  near the average of the range. Each roll is more likely 
  to be a 9–12 than it is to result in a 3 or an 18. Although 
  this change does tone down the randomness inherent 
  in the d20, using 3d6 does wreak havoc with the game 
  system, making challenge rolls easier and attack 
  rolls against high target numbers very diﬃ  cult if not 
  impossible. To implement this variant, make the 
  following changes. 
   Challenge Rolls: Increase the target number for 
  challenge rolls from 10 to 11. 
   Boons and Banes: Use a d3 in place of a d6 for 
  boons and banes. 
   Attack Roll 20+: Drop the requirement of having 
  to beat the target number by 5 for talent such as the 
  
  5
  rogue’s Exploit Opportunity, warrior’s Forceful Strike, 
  and for certain attack spells. Similarly, creatures 
  with traits that modify attack options in similar 
  circumstances also ignore the requirement.
  Poisoned Variants
  Other books in the Poisoned Pages series of 
  supplements offer new adventures, ancestries, 
  and rules expansions, but they also offer variant 
  rules. To introduce lasting injuries and make 
  the game a bit more lethal, check out Battle 
  Scars. For nastier rules on disease, see Fever 
  Dreams. Finally, Unhinge the Mind expands on 
  the Insanity and Madness rules, making them a 
  bigger part of the game. 
  Critical Success and Failure
  Some games that use a d20 for task resolution attach 
  special importance to high and low rolls, speciﬁ cally 
  when the die comes up as a 20 or a 1. For high 
  numbers, Shadow of the Demon Lord already rewards 
  critical success on the use of talents and spells by 
  granting additional eﬀ ects when the total of the attack 
  roll is 20 or higher and beats the target number by 
  5 or more. But if both the GM and the players want 
  the speciﬁ c results of 20 and 1 to have meaning, the 
  following variant rules can be applied on top of those 
  used in the main rulebook. If you use the rules for 
  critical success, you must also use critical failure.
  Critical Success
  Whenever a die rolled for an attack roll or a challenge 
  roll comes up a 20 and is a success, the result becomes 
  a critical success. The eﬀ ect of the critical success 
  depends on the nature of the roll. The eﬀ ect of a 
  critical success is cumulative with any other eﬀ ect 
  gained from rolling 20 or higher and beating the 
  target number by 5 or more.
   Damaging Attack: A critical success on an attack 
  that deals damage means that the attack deals 1d6 
  extra damage. Alternatively, the GM can have players 
  roll on the Critical Hit table for a wider range of 
  results. 
  Critical Hit
  3d6
  Ef ect
  3
  The target falls prone and becomes unconscious 
  for 1d3 rounds.
  4–5
  The target becomes dazed for 1d3 rounds.
  6–8
  The target falls prone.
  9–12
  The target takes 1d6 extra damage.
  13–15
  The target becomes impaired for 1d3 rounds.
  16–17
  The target becomes stunned for 1d3 rounds.
  18
  The target takes damage equal to its Health.
   Non-damaging Attack: A critical success on an 
  attack that does not deal damage indicates that the 
  attack is more eﬀ ective. An eﬀ ect could have double 
  the normal duration, for instance. If the eﬀ ect 
  imposes an aﬄ  iction, the aﬄ  iction might become 
  permanent or impose 1d3 banes on rolls made to 
  remove it. In social situations, the target might 
  become overly helpful, perhaps going so far as to take 
  great risks to help the character. Or, the GM might 
  just let the player decide what happens, within reason 
  of course. 
   Challenge Roll: A critical success on a challenge 
  roll indicates that the creature accomplishes the task 
  in half the time, gains a new insight into the problem 
  at hand, or receives some additional beneﬁ t as the GM 
  determines. For example, if a creature gets a critical 
  success on a challenge roll to open a lock, the creature 
  might open the lock in half the time or might make 
  other challenge rolls to open locks with 1 boon until it 
  completes a rest. 
  Critical Failure
  Whenever a die rolled for an attack roll or a challenge 
  roll comes up a 1 and the roll results in a failure, the 
  result of the roll is a critical failure. The speciﬁ c eﬀ ect 
  is determined by rolling on the Critical Failure table. 
  Critical Failure
  3d6
  Ef ect
  3
  The creature falls prone and becomes dazed for 
  1d3 rounds.
  4–5
  The creature falls prone.
  6–8
  An object the creature is holding, wearing, or 
  carrying falls to the ground and moves 1d3 yards 
  in a random direction.
  9–12
  An item the creature is wearing or carrying that is 
  worth 1 gc takes damage equal to its Health.
  13–15
  The creature becomes impaired for 1d3 rounds.
  16–17
  The creature becomes stunned for 1d3 rounds.
  18
  The creature and each of its allies it can reach 
  become impaired for 1d3 rounds.
  Corruption
  As revealed in Hunger in the Void, acts of 
  unredeemable evil cause the essential essence found 
  in all living things to drift close to its demonic origins, 
  becoming stained, sullied, darkened by shadow. The 
  greater one’s Corruption grows, the more it begins 
  to contaminate the body and the mind, making 
  the corrupted individual appear more and more 
  demonic until it becomes consumed by the darkness 
  ﬂ ourishing inside it. 
   The rules and the GM decide when a character 
  earns Corruption, but the GM can also bestow 
  Corruption on characters who perform acts of great 
  and harmful evil. Identifying such acts can be tricky, 
  
  6
  since the circumstances of a situation might justify an 
  act that would otherwise be deemed evil. As a rule of 
  thumb, if an act results in the direct or indirect harm 
  of innocents or their property, it should result in the 
  perpetrator gaining 1 Corruption.
  Marks of Darkness
  In addition to the options presented in the main 
  rulebook, you can ﬁ nd an alternative Marks of 
  Darkness table in Exquisite Agony and one for 
  clockworks in Ghosts in Machines. The following table 
  oﬀ ers additional marks of darkness for corrupted 
  characters. 
  More Marks of Darkness
  d20
  Mark of Darkness
  1
  Your mind breaks. Your maximum Insanity equals 
  half your Will score.
  2
  Your facial features slough away, leaving nothing 
  but a slit for a mouth and wide, unblinking eyes. 
  Your ghastly appearance imposes 1 bane on 
  attack rolls made in social situations.
  3
  You pass sharp, rusty nails in your bowel 
  movements. Each time you complete a rest, after 
  healing damage, you take 1d3 damage. 
  4
  In darkness, your body sheds light in a 1-yard 
  radius.
  5
  Your ﬂ esh becomes more sensitive. Whenever 
  you take damage, you take 1 extra damage.
  6
  One of your limbs becomes thick and painfully 
  bloated.
  7
  Your anus seals shut. The only way for you to 
  empty your gullet is by vomiting.
  8
  Your skin becomes transparent, which makes your 
  muscles, bones, and organs visible. Your ghastly 
  appearance imposes 1 bane on attack rolls made 
  in social situations.
  9
  An extra face appears on your genitalia. It 
  whispers unspeakable things to you. Each time 
  you complete a rest, you gain 1 Insanity.
  10
  When you speak, your words come out in the 
  Dark Speech. 
  11
  Your eyes emerge from your head on stalks. 
  Increase your Perception by 1, but you cannot 
  avert your gaze. 
  12
  One of your eyes migrates to a position on your 
  body chosen by the GM.
  13
  When you use an action to rush, you must move 
  on all fours. If you’re holding something in your 
  hands, you must drop it.
  14
  You see in black and white.
  15
  Your toes and ﬁ ngers swap places. 
  16
  Cockroaches nest in your lungs. You cough them 
  up from time to time.
  17
  Other people appear old and rotting to you.
  18
  An eyeball forms at the end of your tongue.
  19
  You always speak in a loud, booming voice, 
  audible from up to 1 mile away.
  20
  Your neck disappears, and your head slides down 
  until it emerges from the center of your chest.
  Fortune Points
  With the odds stacked against them and danger 
  looming on all sides, player characters often have a 
  tough time surviving in Shadow of the Demon Lord. 
  Lethality plays a big part in conveying the mood 
  and tone of the setting. Although some players are 
  comfortable facing such dire perils, some groups 
  might want a more heroic game, one in which the 
  characters are expected not only to survive, but to 
  thrive in a dark and deadly world. The mechanic 
  of fortune points can insulate player characters 
  somewhat against the challenges they face in 
  an adventure, though if they spend those points 
  recklessly, they are without any additional insulation 
  against harm.
   In this variant, Fortune is replaced as a game 
  concept by fortune points. Instead of receiving 
  Fortune as a reward, the group begins with a pool of 
  1d3 + 3 fortune points at the start of each adventure. 
  The GM rolls the die and keeps the number a secret 
  from the players. Provided the group has fortune 
  points remaining, a player can expend a fortune point 
  to do any of the following:
  •
  Take another turn during the round
  •
  Heal damage equal to twice the character’s
  since the circumstances of a situation might justify an Fortune Points
  
  7
  healing rate
  •
  Turn any creature’s failure into a success
  •
  Turn any creature’s success into a failure
   Once a fortune point is spent, it is gone. However, 
  whenever the GM would award Fortune, the pool 
  of fortune points increases by 1. At the end of the 
  adventure, the GM can turn unspent fortune points 
  into treasure, exchanging each fortune point for 1 
  gc. The group might gain this additional wealth as a 
  reward for accomplishing its mission, or receive the 
  funds in the form of discounts on purchases made 
  before the next adventure begins. When it’s time to 
  start a new adventure, the GM rolls the dice and notes 
  the size of the new pool of fortune points.
  Damage-
  Reducing Armor
  Armor protects wearers from taking damage by 
  making it harder for other creatures to get a success 
  on their attack rolls. Having a high Defense doesn’t 
  mean that strikes don’t land on the creature’s body. 
  Rather, it means that the armor is doing what it was 
  meant to do: protect the wearer from harm.
   Of course, there are other ways to simulate how 
  armor works. One common method is for armor to 
  reduce the amount of damage its wearer takes from 
  attacks. While this approach can be seen as a better 
  way of simulating how armor works, introducing 
  these variant rules does make the game more 
  complex. 
  Defense
  Defense represents a creature’s ability to avoid attacks 
  from weapons. It is a combination of reﬂ exes, combat 
  training, and instinct. A creature’s Defense equals its 
  Agility score.
  Clockworks
  Using these rules, a clockwork’s Defense equals its 
  Agility score. In addition, clockwork characters gain 
  the following trait.
  Armored Body When you would take damage from a weapon, you 
  reduce that damage by 1d3 per die of damage. You count as if you 
  were wearing medium armor.
  Armor
  Armor comes in three basic forms: light, medium, and 
  heavy. Light armor is typically leather, medium armor 
  is mail, and heavy armor is plate. In this variant, 
  clothing oﬀ ers no special protection. The rules for not 
  meeting requirements for armor are unchanged from 
  those presented in the main rulebook.
  The following table reduces the varieties of armor 
  to three, one for each type. Treat brigandine armor as 
  leather, scale as mail, and both plate and mail and full 
  plate as plate.
   Damage Protection: Under these rules, armor 
  protects its wearer from a certain amount of damage. 
  For the purpose of this variant, treat brigandine armor 
  as leather, scale as mail, and both plate and mail 
  and full plate as plate. Use the Armor table below in 
  place of the Clothing and Armor table in the main 
  rulebook.
  Armor
  Damage
  Variety
  Defense
  Protection
  Price
  Light (Requires Strength 10 or higher)
  Leather
  Agility score
  1
  5 ss
  Medium (Requires Strength 12 or higher)
  Mail
  Agility score – 1
  1d3
  1 gc
  Heavy (Requires Strength 14 or higher)
  Plate
  Agility score – 2 
  1d6
  10 gc
   When the wearer takes damage from a weapon, 
  the armor’s damage protection indicates how much 
  damage to subtract for each die of damage rolled. 
  Thus, if you are wearing mail (medium armor) and 
  take 2d6 damage from an attack, you would roll 2d3 
  and reduce the total damage by that amount.
  Bonuses to Defense
  Any talent or trait that grants a bonus to Defense 
  continues to grant a bonus to Defense. The same 
  applies to the defensive property granted by shields.
  Converting Creatures
  The hardest part about making use of this variant is 
  applying it to creatures. There are a couple of ways to 
  handle this. The GM can choose to change nothing 
  about how attacks against creatures work. Leaving the 
  rules as written keeps the game moving quickly, and 
  you don’t have to worry about reducing damage for 
  each attack. 
   Or, the GM can just change the mechanics for 
  creatures that wear manufactured armor. For 
  instance, a boneguard wearing mail would have 
  Defense 14 (Agility 15, minus 1 for medium armor) and 
  reduce damage it takes by 1d3 per die.
  Wounds
  This variant simpliﬁ es damage to keep the numbers 
  smaller and more manageable. Rather than use 
  variable amounts of damage, each weapon and 
  damage-dealing spell inﬂ icts a certain number of 
  wounds.
  A creature’s or object’s Health score determines the 
  
  8
  number of wounds a creature or object can sustain 
  before becoming incapacitated or being destroyed. 
  Convert Health from the main rulebook to wounds by 
  simply dividing Health by 4. Contrary to the normal 
  rules, you round up in this case.
  Healing Rate
  Each creature has a healing rate, which is equal to 
  one-quarter of its Health (minimum 1). 
  Converting Damage
  Weapons, spells, and other damaging eﬀ ects deal 1 or 
  more wounds instead of amounts of damage. Convert 
  amounts of damage to numbers of wounds using the 
  following table. 
  Damage Conversion
  Damage Amount
  Number of Wounds
  1 or 1d3
  1*
  1d6
  1
  2d6
  2
  3d6
  3
  4d6
  4
  5d6
  5
  +1d6
  +1
  +modiﬁ er
  +**
  *Attacks that deal 1d3 damage or less impose 1 bane on
  their attack rolls or grant 1 boon on challenge rolls made to
  resist these attacks.
  **For attacks that add or deal a ﬁ xed amount of damage, 
  divide the amount of damage by 4 (round down) and add 
  that number to the new damage. 
   Example 1: Troy plays a warrior in a level 2 group. 
  Normally, his attacks with a sword deal 2d6 + 2 
  damage. After he converts the damage, 2d6 becomes 
  2 wounds and the additional +2, after dividing it by 4, 
  rounds down to 0. So, when Troy gets a success on an 
  attack using a sword, he inﬂ icts 2 wounds.
   Example 2: Dan’s character casts the destroy spell 
  from the Destruction tradition. As part of casting 
  the spell, he normally takes 5 damage and his target 
  takes 30 damage. After converting the damage, Dan’s 
  character takes 1 wound (dividing 5 by 4 and rounding 
  down), and his target takes 7 wounds (dividing 30 by 4 
  and rounding down).
   Example 3: A killing mist deals 6d6 + 5 damage 
  to creatures in its space that get failures on their 
  challenge rolls to resist its feed special attack. After 
  converting the damage, such creatures would instead 
  take 7 wounds. They take 6 from the 6d6 plus 1 more 
  from the +5 (5 divided by 4 rounds down to 1).
  Halving Damage
  Damage expressed in wounds is halved as normal, 
  rounding down to a minimum of 1.
  Healing Wounds
  Creatures heal wounds in the same way that they 
  would heal damage. If an eﬀ ect speciﬁ es that a 
  creature heals a variable amount of damage, convert 
  the damage to wounds using the Damage Conversion 
  table.
  Using Damage-
  Reducing Armor
  If you want to combine the damage-reducing armor 
  variant with wounds, armor reduces wounds as 
  follows.
  
  9
   Light Armor: Light armor reduces the number of 
  wounds from the ﬁ rst weapon attack each round by 
  1 (minimum 0). All other attacks during the round 
  ignore the armor.
   Medium and Heavy Armor: Medium armor 
  reduces the number of wounds from an attack by 1, 
  while heavy armor reduces the number of wounds by 
  2 (minimum 0). Thus, a plate-armored character who 
  takes 5 wounds would instead take 3 wounds.
  Simplified Dying 
  and Death
  This variant system softens the rules concerning 
  instant death and simpliﬁ es what happens when a 
  creature becomes incapacitated.
  Instant Death Variant
  When a creature takes damage from a single source 
  and that damage equals or exceeds the creature’s 
  Health, the creature must make a Strength challenge 
  roll. On a success, the creature dies after 1d3 rounds 
  unless healed before then; on a failure, the creature 
  dies immediately.
  Incapacitated
  A creature becomes incapacitated when its damage 
  total equals its Health score. If the creature is a player 
  character, the player rolls a d6 and consults the Fate 
  table below to determine what happens. Any other 
  creature falls prone upon becoming incapacitated, and 
  the GM decides whether the creature also becomes 
  unconscious for 1d3 hours or the creature dies. 
  Fate
  d6
  Fate
  1
  The character dies immediately.
  2
  The character falls prone and becomes 
  unconscious. The character dies after 1d3 rounds 
  unless healed.
  3
  The character becomes unconscious and dies 
  after 1d6 minutes unless healed.
  4
  The character becomes unconscious for 1d6 
  minutes and then heals 1 damage.
  5
  The character becomes unconscious for 1d3 
  rounds and then heals 1 damage.
  6
  The character becomes unconscious for 1 round 
  and then heals 1 damage.
   When an incapacitated character heals any damage, 
  the character removes the unconscious aﬄ  iction and 
  becomes impaired for 1 minute. If an incapacitated 
  creature other than a character takes any damage, it 
  dies.
  Variant Healing
  The following variant rules make healing easier or 
  more diﬃ  cult to accomplish, so diﬀ erent groups can 
  easily adjust the game’s diﬃ  culty to suit themselves. 
  Regroup
  In this variant, player characters can regroup. To 
  beneﬁ t from doing so, a character must spend 10 
  minutes resting, cleaning and binding wounds, 
  eating, drinking, or performing any other activity that 
  requires minimal eﬀ ort. At the end of this time, the 
  character heals damage equal to his or her healing 
  rate. Once a character regroups, the character cannot 
  do so again until he or she completes a rest.
  Endurance
  In this variant, a character’s healing rate is redeﬁ ned 
  as his or her Endurance score, composed of a number 
  of endurance points. 
   Spending Endurance Points: A character can use 
  an action to spend 1 or more endurance points. For 
  each point spent, the character heals 1d6 damage.
   Healing Eﬀ ects: Whenever an eﬀ ect would cause a 
  creature to heal damage equal to its healing rate or a 
  multiple thereof, the character heals damage as if he 
  or she had spent the equivalent number of endurance 
  points. For example, casting major healing from the 
  Life tradition allows the target to heal damage equal 
  to three times its healing rate. Using this variant, 
  the spell would instead allow the target to heal 3d6 
  damage.
   Regaining Endurance Points: When a character 
  completes a rest, he or she regains 1d3 endurance 
  points, up to the limit of the character’s Endurance 
  score.
  New Spell
  REINVIGORATE 
  LIFE UTILITY 4
  Target One creature you can reach
  You touch the target and cause it to regain 1d3 endurance 
  points.
  Slow Healing
  In this variant, healing damage is more diﬃ  cult. 
  Whenever a creature heals damage, it must make 
  a Strength challenge roll. The creature heals the 
  damage as normal on a success, or heals half the 
  damage on a failure.
  
  10
  Social Combat
  Social combat diﬀ ers from the rules covering 
  social conﬂ ict in that it recasts social situations as 
  battleﬁ elds of a sort, with the characters squaring 
  oﬀ  against their opponents. Rather than try to 
  slay or drive oﬀ  their foes, however, the characters 
  can attempt to change their opponents’ behavior. 
  Characters under the GM’s control do not use these 
  rules to inﬂ uence the player characters because, short 
  of magical inﬂ uences, the players are always in control 
  of their characters.
  New Characteristics
  Social combat uses two new characteristics: 
  Composure and Inﬂ uence.
   Composure: A creature’s Composure score equals 
  its Will minus its Insanity. The number represents 
  the maximum amount of Inﬂ uence a creature can 
  take before its attitude is changed, as described under 
  Resolution. Such a change could cause a target to 
  become friendly or provoke one to violence.
   Inﬂ uence: As damage relates to Health, so does 
  Inﬂ uence relate to Composure. Inﬂ uence represents 
  how much a creature has been aﬀ ected by another 
  creature in a social situation. Creatures begin 
  social combat with 0 Inﬂ uence and gain Inﬂ uence 
  throughout the combat as they are aﬀ ected by the 
  actions of others. Inﬂ uence from one social combat 
  does not carry over to the next. Instead, Inﬂ uence 
  resets to 0.
  Rounds
  Like normal combat, social combat unfolds in rounds. 
  A round in social combat has four phases: actions, 
  roleplaying, exchange, and resolution. Once play 
  proceeds through all four phases, the social combat 
  either ends or continues for another round. Unlike in 
  physical combat, rounds last for a variable length of 
  time. The length of a round depends mostly on the 
  roleplaying phase.
  Actions
  Each player character participating in the social 
  combat chooses a social attack or a social action, and 
  each creature under the GM’s control chooses an 
  attitude. Choices are recorded and kept secret until 
  the exchange phase.
  Social Attacks
  The ﬁ ve kinds of social attacks are described below. 
  As part of choosing an attack, the character must also 
  choose a target. A player character engaging in social 
  combat against a group can choose the entire group as 
  his or her target.
   Befriend (Will against Will): You attempt to 
  improve the target’s attitude toward you. 
   Deceive (Intellect against Intellect): You attempt 
  to make the target believe something that isn’t true or 
  isn’t wholly true.
   Intimidate (Will against Will): You attempt to 
  frighten the target through threats.
   Persuade (Will against Will): You attempt to 
  convince the target to do as you say.
   Taunt (Intellect against Will): You attempt to 
  provoke the target through insults.
  Social Actions
  Instead of making a social attack, a character can take 
  a social action.
   Discover Attitude (Perception against Intellect): 
  On a success, you learn the target’s attitude toward 
  you. You resolve this action immediately when you 
  take it. You can reveal this information to your fellow 
  characters.
   Support (No Roll): You support a companion’s 
  social attack and grant 1 boon on that character’s 
  social attack roll. 
  Attitude
  Each creature under the GM’s control chooses one of 
  the following attitudes, each of which describes how 
  the creature sees the character or group of characters. 
  The GM can assign an attitude to an entire group of 
  creatures.
   Helpful: The target wants to do what the opposition 
  wants.
   Friendly: The target is open to doing what the 
  opposition wants.
   Neutral: The target might or might not do as the 
  opposition wants.
   Unfriendly: The target is disinterested in doing 
  what the opposition wants.
   Hostile: The target refuses to do what the 
  opposition wants.
  Magic and Social Combat
  Telepathy spells (see Demon Lord’s Companion) 
  and similar powers can grant advantages in 
  social combat. The share thoughts spell, for 
  example, can reveal a character’s social attack 
  to other characters. Other spells might provide 
  additional advantages. For example, causing 
  a creature to become charmed forces that 
  creature to become friendly to the charmer, and 
  the creature cannot have an attitude other than 
  friendly or helpful until the spell ends. Ultimately, 
  It falls to the GM to interpret the effects spells 
  have on social combat, though the effects ought 
  to be apparent from the spell descriptions.
  
  11
  Roleplaying
  Everyone has a chance to roleplay during the next 
  phase, with players taking on the roles of their 
  characters and the GM acting on behalf of the 
  opposition. The GM might grant boons or impose 
  banes during the exchange based on what happens 
  during roleplaying, rewarding exceptional roleplaying 
  with 1 or more boons or imposing 1 or more banes for 
  roleplaying in a manner contradictory to one’s chosen 
  social attack. Once the roleplaying phase is complete, 
  each side reveals its attacks and attitudes. The GM 
  then checks to see how much real time has passed 
  and notes it, rounding down to the nearest 5-minute 
  interval.
  Exchange
  During the exchange phase, the players resolve their 
  characters’ actions in any order they choose.
  Social Attack Rolls
  When you make a social attack roll, you use the 
  indicated attribute or characteristic modiﬁ er and 
  make the roll against the indicated attribute. The 
  target’s attitude might grant boons or banes on the 
  roll, as shown on the Social Attack Rolls table.
  Social Attack Rolls
  —Attitude—
  Attack
  Helpful
  Friendly Neutral Unfriendly
  Hostile
  Befriend
  3 boons
  1 boons
  —
  1 bane
  3 banes
  Deceive
  2 boons
  1 boon
  —
  1 bane
  2 banes
  Intimidate
  1 bane
  —
  —
  —
  1 bane
  Persuade
  2 boons
  1 boon
  —
  1 bane
  2 banes
  Taunt
  2 banes
  1 bane
  —
  1 boon
  2 boons
  On a successful attack roll, the target of the attack 
  gains 1d6 Inﬂ uence. On a failed attack roll, the char-
  acter who made the attack gains 1d6 Inﬂ uence. If a 
  character’s Inﬂ uence reaches his or her Composure, 
  the character is forced out of the social combat and 
  cannot participate further.
  Resolution
  When the Inﬂ uence score of a target or a group of 
  targets equals its Composure score, the social combat 
  immediately ends for that target, and the results 
  are applied during the resolution phase, depending 
  on the social attack that was most recently used. 
  Otherwise, the resolution phase is skipped and a new 
  round begins. 
  Befriend 
  The target’s attitude improves by 1d3 steps (maximum 
  helpful). The target’s attitude remains at the new state 
  until something happens to change it. For example, a 
  target might be friendly to you, but if you burn down 
  the target’s house, the target would likely become 
  hostile toward you. As well, gaining more information 
  about you can shift the target’s attitude. For instance, a 
  helpful target might become unfriendly after learning 
  you burned down someone else’s house. 
  Deceive 
  You convince the target that something untrue or 
  mostly untrue is the truth, and the target behaves 
  accordingly. If the target later discovers the deception, 
  its attitude toward you worsens by 1d3 steps 
  (maximum hostile).
  Intimidate 
  The target becomes frightened while in your 
  presence. While frightened in this way, the target’s 
  attitude becomes helpful. The target removes the 
  aﬄ  iction when it completes a rest. If the target 
  takes damage, it can make a Will challenge roll and 
  removes the aﬄ  iction on a success. Once the target 
  removes the aﬄ  iction, its attitude toward you worsens 
  by 1d6 steps (maximum hostile).
  Persuade 
  You persuade the target to undertake an activity as 
  you suggest. The target attempts the activity, provided 
  that doing so would not be harmful to itself, its loved 
  ones, or its property. If the task would be harmful, the 
  target might attempt a diﬀ erent course of action to 
  produce the same results, or simply refuse if no other 
  course presents itself.
  Taunt 
  You change the target’s attitude so that it becomes 
  hostile to you. The target might attack you, seek to 
  harm you, or run away, according to its nature. 
  
  12
  Combat
  This section contains variant rules that aﬀ ect how 
  combat works in the game.
  Alternative 
  Falling Damage
  The normal rules for determining falling damage 
  require knowing exactly how far a creature falls 
  before landing. Rather than worry about exact 
  distances, this variant classiﬁ es falls as short, 
  medium, long, and extreme. 
   
  Short Fall: After a fall of 5 yards or less, a 
  creature must make an Agility challenge roll 
  upon landing. 
   
  20 or higher: The creature lands on its feet 
  unharmed.
  Success: The creature falls prone.
   
  Failure: The creature takes 1d6 damage and 
  falls prone.
  0 or lower: The creature takes 2d6 damage 
  and falls prone.
   
  Medium Fall: After a fall of more than 5 yards 
  but no more than 20 yards, a creature must 
  make an Agility challenge roll with 1 bane upon 
  landing.
   
  20 or higher: The creature takes 1d6 damage 
  and falls prone.
   
  Success: The creature takes 2d6 damage and 
  falls prone
   
  Failure: The creature takes 4d6 damage and 
  falls prone.
   
  0 or lower: The creature takes 8d6 damage 
  and falls prone.
   
  Long Fall: After a fall of more than 20 yards 
  but no more than 100 yards, a creature must 
  make an Agility challenge roll with 2 banes upon 
  landing.
   
  20 or higher: The creature takes 5d6 damage 
  and falls prone.
   
  Success: The creature takes 10d6 damage and 
  falls prone.
   
  Failure: The creature takes 15d6 damage and 
  falls prone.
   
  0 or lower: The creature takes 20d6 damage 
  and falls prone.
   
  Extreme Fall: After a fall of more than 100 
  yards, a creature must make an Agility challenge 
  roll with 3 banes upon landing.
   
  20 or higher: The creature takes 10d6 damage 
  and falls prone.
   
  Success: The creature takes 15d6 damage and 
  falls prone
   
  Failure: The creature takes 20d6 damage and 
  falls prone.
   
  0 or lower: The creature takes damage equal 
  to its Health.
   
  Landing on Liquid: A creature that lands on a 
  liquid surface gains 1 boon on its challenge roll.
   
  Becoming Injured: If damage from landing 
  after a fall causes a creature to become injured, 
  the creature breaks one or more bones. Until 
  the creature heals all damage, it is impaired and 
  slowed.
  Initiative
  The fast turn/slow turn system described in the 
  main rulebook allows players to decide when they 
  act during the round. Some groups, however, might 
  prefer a structured approach to determine turn 
  sequence. Two variants follow.
  Team Initiative
  Team initiative divides combatants into teams, such as 
  the characters and their opponents. A combat might 
  feature two, three, or even more teams.
  Rolling for Initiative
  At the end of each round, including just before the 
  ﬁ rst round of combat, each team in the combat rolls a 
  d6. On the characters’ team, any player can make the 
  roll. In the case of a tie, the tying teams reroll.
  Taking Turns
  The team with the highest initiative number goes 
  ﬁ rst, followed by the next highest team, until all teams 
  have had a chance to act. The creatures on a team 
  can act in any order, though one must complete its 
  turn before another can act, even though all turns 
  taken by members of a team are assumed to happen 
  simultaneously. A creature, on its turn, can use an 
  action, move up to its Speed, and perform one or two 
  minor activities, subject to the GM’s discretion. 
   Once each creature on a team has taken a turn or 
  has opted not to take a turn, the team with the next 
  highest initiative number acts.
  End of the Round
  After all teams have acted, the round ends. Starting 
  with the team that had the highest initiative number, 
  creatures on each team resolve end-of-round eﬀ ects in 
  any order. 
   After the end-of-round eﬀ ects have all been 
  handled, each team rolls to determine the initiative 
  order for the next round.
  Individual Initiative
  Rather than divide combatants into teams, individual 
  initiative has each combatant make initiative rolls and 
  then act in order, from highest to lowest each round, 
  until the combat ends.
  Rolling for Initiative
  Just prior to the beginning of combat, each combatant 
  rolls a d20 and adds its Agility modiﬁ er to the number 
  rolled. The GM can make a single roll once for groups 
  of creatures that share the same statistics to keep the 
  results manageable. In the case of a tie, the creature or 
  
  13
  group of creatures with the highest Agility score acts 
  ahead of the other one. If there’s still a tie, each rolls a 
  d6, and the one with the higher result acts ﬁ rst
  .Taking Turns
  Each round, the creature or group of creatures with 
  the highest initiative number takes a turn, followed by 
  the next highest, and so on until all the combatants 
  have taken a turn. For groups of creatures represented 
  by a single initiative number, each member of the 
  group must complete its turn before another member 
  of the group can act. When a creature takes a turn, it 
  can use an action, move up to its Speed, and perform 
  one or two minor activities. Creatures can use 
  triggered actions as normal. 
   Wait: On its turn, a creature can choose to wait, 
  delaying its turn until a later time in the round. 
  The creature can act at any point immediately after 
  another combatant ﬁ nishes its turn. Once the creature 
  takes its turn, its position in the initiative sequence 
  changes so that during all following rounds it takes its 
  turn at that point in the sequence. If a creature does 
  not take a turn after waiting, it retains its place in the 
  initiative sequence and acts at that point during the 
  next round.
   New Combatants: Any creature that joins a combat 
  already under way rolls initiative at the end of the 
  round to determine its place in the sequence.
  End of the Round
  After each creature or group of creatures has taken 
  a turn (or chosen not to), the round ends and all 
  participants resolve any end-of-round eﬀ ects, starting 
  with the highest initiative number and proceeding 
  through to the lowest.
  Special Rules
  Using either of these initiative systems requires 
  making a few broad changes in the game. 
  Acts on Fast and Slow
  Some spells and traits allow creatures to take both a 
  fast turn and a slow turn in the same round. In such a 
  case, use the rules below.
   Team Initiative: The creature takes a turn when its 
  team acts and takes another turn after all opposing 
  teams have taken their turns. On each of its two turns, 
  the creature can either use an action or move up to 
  its Speed.
   Individual Initiative: The creature has two 
  initiative numbers, one equaling the total of its roll 
  and the other equaling the total of its roll minus 10. 
  On each of its two turns, the creature can either use 
  an action or move up to its Speed.
  Epic Adversary
  Certain powerful creatures can take multiple turns 
  each round.
   Team Initiative: Replace the trait description with 
  the following.
  Epic Adversary This creature does not roll for initiative. 
  Instead, the creature takes three turns per round. It takes 
  its ﬁ rst turn before the opposing team acts. It takes its 
  second turn after each creature on the opposing team 
  has taken a turn. Finally, it can use an action or move up 
  to its Speed at the end of the round.
   Individual Initiative: Replace the trait description 
  with the following.
  Epic Adversary This creature does not roll for initiative. 
  Instead, the creature acts as if it had rolled a 20 
  for initiative. At the end of each round, roll a d3 to 
  determine how many additional turns it can take. It can 
  take a second turn on initiative count 15, a third turn on 
  count 10, and a fourth turn on count 5. In the case of 
  a tie for initiative, this creature goes ahead of all other 
  creatures or groups that were tied. 
  Compelled
  A compelled creature acts on the turn of the creature 
  that bestowed the aﬄ  iction. A compelled creature 
  can use an action or move up to its Speed, as the 
  controlling creature chooses.
  Act on Fast Turns
  Any eﬀ ect that would force a creature to act on a fast 
  turn limits what the creature can do on its turn. The 
  creature can either use an action or move up to its 
  Speed, unless the eﬀ ect speciﬁ es what the creature 
  must do.
  Cannot Act on Fast Turns
  A creature subject to an eﬀ ect that would prevent it 
  from acting on a fast turn takes its turn at the end of 
  the round, before end-of-round eﬀ ects are resolved.
  Talents
  Talents associated with two paths need adjustment to 
  mesh with these initiative rules.
   Acrobat: Replace the Mobility talent with the 
  following.
  Mobility Your movement never triggers free attacks.
   Inﬁ ltrator: Ignore the last sentence of the Faceless 
  talent.
  HORRID JOINING SPELL (FORBIDDEN)
  The target rolls for initiative twice. Each creature 
  joined in this way can use an action on its turn. In 
  addition, the target can move up to its Speed once per 
  round, on either creature’s turn. 
  
  14
  Other Modifications
  You will likely encounter other instances where the 
  game interacts with the fast turn/slow turn system. It 
  falls to the GM to decide how those instances work 
  with these initiative rules, using the special rules 
  described above as guides.
  Attacks with Two Weapons
  If you think the rules for making attacks with 
  two weapons are too strict, you can reduce the 
  number of banes for attacking two different 
  targets to 1. 
  New Actions
  The following optional activities supplement those 
  described under “Action” in chapter 2 of Shadow of 
  the Demon Lord.
  Goad
  If you can speak, you can use an action or a triggered 
  action on your turn to goad one creature you can see. 
  If the creature can understand what you say, make 
  an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Will. On 
  a success, the target makes attack rolls against you 
  with 1 boon and makes attack rolls against any other 
  target with 1 bane until the end of the round. On a 
  failure, the target is immune to your goading until it 
  completes a rest.
  Isolate
  When you use an action to make an attack against a 
  creature you can reach, you can use a triggered action 
  to isolate the target, causing it to focus its attention 
  on you. The target remains isolated until the end of 
  the next round or until you can no longer reach it. 
  While it is isolated, you impose 1 bane on attack rolls 
  it makes against targets other than you.
  Overbear
  You can use an action to move up to your Speed. 
  During this movement, if you move into a space from 
  which you can reach a creature, you can attempt to 
  push past the creature by making a Strength attack 
  roll against the target’s Strength. If the target is larger 
  than you, subtract your Size from the target’s Size 
  to determine the number of banes it imposes on 
  your roll. If the target is smaller than you, subtract 
  the target’s Size from your Size, rounding down, to 
  determine the number of boons you have on your roll. 
   On a success, you move the target 1 yard away from 
  you, and you can continue moving. If the total of your 
  roll is 20 or higher and exceeds the target number by 
  5 or more, the target falls prone after being moved. If 
  there is no open space into which the target can move, 
  the target falls prone in the space it occupies.
  Step
  If your Speed is at least 3 and you are not climbing, 
  ﬂ ying, swimming, or prone, you can use an action, or 
  a triggered action on your turn, to move 1 yard. This 
  movement does not trigger free attacks. 
  Tumble
  You can use an action to move up to your Speed. If 
  your movement would trigger a free attack, you can 
  make an Agility challenge roll. On a success, the 
  movement does not trigger a free attack. For each 
  additional time you would trigger a free attack during 
  
  15
  the same movement, you make the Agility challenge 
  roll with 1 additional bane. 
  Wrestle
  You can use an action to wrestle a creature you are 
  grabbing. Make a Strength attack roll against the 
  target’s Strength or Agility (target’s choice). If the 
  target is larger than you, subtract your Size from 
  the target’s Size, rounding down, to determine the 
  number of banes it imposes on your roll. If the target 
  is smaller than you, subtract the target’s Size from 
  your Size, rounding down, to determine the number 
  of boons you have on your roll. On a success, choose 
  one of the following eﬀ ects: 
  •
  The target falls prone.
  •
  The target takes damage as if you had
  attacked it with an unarmed strike.
  •
  If the target is prone, the target becomes
  defenseless for 1 round.
  Climbing on 
  Larger Creatures
  If you grab a creature whose Size is larger than 
  yours, when the creature moves, you move with 
  it. While you have such a creature grabbed, you 
  can use your movement to climb across the 
  creature’s body. Doing so typically requires a 
  success on a Strength challenge roll, possibly 
  with 1 or more banes depending on the creature 
  and how it moves. A failure indicates you make 
  no progress and fall off the creature unless you 
  use an action to grab the creature again. A roll of 
  0 or lower indicates you fall off the creature and 
  land prone in a space of the GM’s choice within 1 
  yard of the creature.
  Abstract Combat
  The rules for moving are straightforward, designed to 
  accommodate both those who use miniatures or other 
  physical representations for their characters and those 
  who don’t. If your game is one in which the action 
  unfolds in the players’ imagination, exact distances 
  or positions do not really matter, and the GM can 
  resolve such matters with the following variant rules, 
  which handle movement, distance, and other facets of 
  combat abstractly.
  Zones
  These rules divide the imaginary world into zones. 
  Each zone is a speciﬁ c area, such as “behind the 
  inn” or “the shrine of the Betrayer,” or a part of a 
  larger area, such as a section of graveyard, a length 
  of hallway or part of a courtyard. If necessary, the 
  GM can determine how much area a zone covers, but 
  usually precise distances do not matter.
   A zone is considered adjacent to any zone it touches, 
  as long as a means of access exists between the zones. 
  Thus, if a bar has a door leading outside, the bar, 
  which is a zone, is adjacent to the inn exterior, which 
  is also a zone. 
   Finally, the GM decides how many creatures can 
  ﬁ t in a zone. Combats involving several combatants 
  or enormous creatures might restrict the number of 
  creatures that can ﬁ t into a zone that covers a smaller 
  area. A giant, for instance, would have a hard time 
  ﬁ tting into a narrow passageway.
  Establishing Zones
  When a combat begins, the GM creates zones based 
  on the combatants’ starting positions and all the 
  adjacent zones. As the combat unfolds, the GM can 
  create new zones as needed.
   Example 1: The player characters are plundering 
  the Vault of the Deviant when a muttering maw 
  lurches down the passage leading to the vault. The 
  GM decides that the vault is a zone, the adjacent 
  passage is another zone, and the antechamber beyond 
  the passage is a third zone. Creatures could move 
  from the vault to the passage, from the passage to the 
  vault or the antechamber, or from the antechamber 
  to the passage or whatever other zones are adjacent to 
  the antechamber.
   Example 2: The player characters are traveling 
  along a trail through a dark and menacing wood 
  when a band of brigands spring an ambush. The GM 
  divides the battleﬁ eld into four zones: the road, the 
  area behind the fallen log from which the brigands 
  sprang, the far woods behind the bandits, and the 
  near woods on the opposite side of the road. The 
  road is adjacent to the fallen log and the near woods, 
  while the fallen log is adjacent to the road and the far 
  woods. If the combat moves beyond these zones, the 
  GM might create additional zones to represent deeper 
  parts of the woods or special locations (such as a 
  clearing or a campsite).
  Movement
  A creature can freely move inside the zone it occupies. 
  Abstract combat does not care about exact locations 
  within a zone, and it assumes that creatures move 
  about inside the zone constantly, jockeying to get 
  into the best positions. A creature can exit the zone 
  it occupies and enter an adjacent zone by using 
  movement or by using an action to charge or retreat, 
  provided a clear path exists to that zone. A creature 
  that uses an action to rush can move up to two zones, 
  while a creature that rushes and uses movement can 
  move up to three zones. 
   Free Attacks: A creature that moves from a zone 
  without using an action to retreat triggers free attacks 
  from 1d3 – 1 creatures inside the zone that the moving 
  creature exited.
  
  16
   Slowed Creatures: A slowed creature can leave a 
  zone only if it uses an action to rush and also uses its 
  movement, in which case the creature moves into an 
  adjacent zone.
   Diﬃ  cult Terrain: Ice, debris, slopes, stairs, and 
  other terrain features can all hamper movement. 
  Diﬃ  cult terrain applies only if it covers most of a 
  surface across which a creature would move. If so, a 
  creature must use movement twice or use an action to 
  rush in order to escape the zone.
  Melee Attacks
  A creature can use a melee weapon or an attack spell 
  with a range of touch against any target in the same 
  zone. Abstract combat ignores reach.
  Ranged Attacks
  A creature can make a ranged attack against a target 
  in the same zone or in a diﬀ erent zone, depending on 
  the weapon’s maximum range. 
   A creature using a ranged weapon or a spell attack 
  that works out to short range or has a maximum range 
  of 5 yards or less can choose the target from among 
  those in the same zone only.
   A creature using a ranged weapon or a spell attack 
  that works out to medium range or has a maximum 
  range of 20 yards can choose the target from among 
  those in the same zone or an adjacent zone.
   A creature using a ranged weapon or a spell attack 
  that works out to long range or has a maximum range 
  of 100 yards can choose the target from among those 
  within three zones.
   For an attack that works out to extreme range or 
  has a maximum range of more than 100 yards, the 
  attacking creature can choose a target in just about 
  any zone to which it has an unobstructed path. The 
  GM might rule that certain zones are too far away, 
  based on the zones currently in play and the exact 
  range of the eﬀ ect. 
  Area Effects
  An area eﬀ ect, such as one created by a spell, 
  originates from a point. The exact placement of the 
  origin point is not important—all that matters is what 
  zone the point is located in. 
  Range
  As with ranged attacks, the zone in which an origin 
  point is placed depends on the maximum range of 
  the eﬀ ect. 
   For an area eﬀ ect that has a range of personal, 
  touch, or short, or a maximum range of 5 yards or less, 
  the origin point is in the same zone as the creature 
  creating the eﬀ ect.
   For an area eﬀ ect that has a range of medium, or a 
  maximum range of 20 yards, the origin point can be 
  within two zones.
   For an area eﬀ ect that has a range of long, or a 
  maximum range of 100 yards, the origin point can be 
  within three zones.
   For an attack that works out to extreme range or 
  has a maximum range of more than 100 yards, the 
  creature creating the eﬀ ect can place the origin point 
  in just about any zone to which the creature has an 
  unobstructed path. The GM might rule that certain 
  zones are too far away, based on the zones currently in 
  play and the exact range of the eﬀ ect.
  Creatures Affected
  The size and shape of the area determine how many 
  creatures can be subject to the eﬀ ect. Generally, an 
  area eﬀ ect works on creatures and objects within 
  just one zone. Particularly large areas, however, 
  might occupy two zones or more. For example, the 
  ﬁ reball spell aﬀ ects a sphere with a 5-yard radius. If 
  the origin point is within a square room roughly 10 
  yards on each side, the spell would aﬀ ect just that one 
  zone. However, if the spell was cast in a smaller zone, 
  such as a closet, the spell’s area is large enough to 
  easily spill out into an adjacent zone or even farther, 
  depending on the zones in play. In every case, the 
  GM decides how many zones an area can potentially 
  aﬀ ect, based on approximately how large an area the 
  zone covers.
   In any event, an area eﬀ ect can work against only 
  a limited number of creatures, since abstract combat 
  does not track each combatant’s exact placement. 
  The Aﬀ ected Creatures table shows how many 
  creatures in a zone can be aﬀ ected, based on the 
  area’s size and shape. The GM can and should 
  overrule the table when an area would aﬀ ect a 
  crowded and cramped zone.
  Affected Creatures 
  Shape
  Number of Creatures Af ected per Zone
  Cone
  The cone’s length in yards minus 1 
  (minimum one creature)
  Cylinder
  The cylinder’s radius in yards
  Line
  The line’s width in yards minus 1 
  (minimum one creature)
  Sphere
  The sphere’s radius in yards
   Example 1: Kara’s Fire priest casts the ﬁ re blast 
  spell. Since the spell originates from her character, 
  the spell takes eﬀ ect entirely in her zone. At 3 yards in 
  length, the cone can aﬀ ect up to two creatures in the 
  same zone.
   Example 2: Adam’s wizard casts the ﬁ reball spell so 
  that it takes eﬀ ect in a hallway crowded with ten orcs. 
  The spell’s area is large enough to ﬁ ll the hallway, so 
  the GM rules that all the orcs in the zone are aﬀ ected.
  
  17
  Choosing Affected Creatures
  An area eﬀ ect always works on its maximum 
  number of possible aﬀ ected creatures, assuming 
  that a suﬃ  cient quantity of targets is available. If 
  the number of creatures in the area exceeds the 
  maximum, randomly determine which creatures 
  are aﬀ ected (or not aﬀ ected). For example, if Adam’s 
  wizard loosed a ﬁ reball in a zone containing three 
  enemies and three allies, the spell aﬀ ects ﬁ ve of those 
  six creatures, the lucky one to escape having been 
  determined randomly.
  Cover and Obscurement
  Cover and obscured areas can aﬀ ect the outcome of 
  certain attacks just as in the normal combat rules, 
  but whether such factors protect creatures in abstract 
  combat is largely up to the GM.
   Cover ought to beneﬁ t creatures in zones that 
  have signiﬁ cant amounts of cover, whether from 
  terrain, objects, or crowded conditions. For example, 
  a character who shoots an arrow at a speciﬁ c target 
  inside a zone crowded with combatants might treat 
  the target as being half covered or three-quarters 
  covered. 
   Obscurement is easier to assess. An area of shadows 
  or darkness ought to ﬁ ll the zone it is located in. If a 
  creature brings a light source into that zone, it would 
  purge the entire zone of shadows and darkness. 
  Obscurement caused by leaves, hangings, and other 
  physical features would apply only if those features 
  cover a substantial portion of the zone; in such a case, 
  their eﬀ ects on attack rolls apply as normal.
  Chases
  A chase occurs when one or more creatures ﬂ ee and 
  one or more other creatures pursue. Normally, the 
  creatures with the faster Speed scores win, such that 
  a faster creature ﬂ eeing from a slower creature would 
  eventually escape. 
   In some situations, though, escape and capture are 
  not so certain, either because the creatures are evenly 
  matched in of Speed or because the chase takes place 
  in an environment ﬁ lled with obstacles. Furthermore, 
  what happens when a creature pushes hard to keep 
  pace, moving faster than normal through great eﬀ ort, 
  or a faster creature stumbles and allows a slower 
  pursuing creature to catch up? The following optional 
  rules help to adjudicate chase sequences to ﬁ nd out 
  who gets away and who doesn’t.
   The most basic chase involves one escaping 
  creature (or group of creatures) and one pursuing 
  creature (or group of creatures). A chase lasts until 
  the ﬂ eeing creature escapes or the pursuing creature 
  catches its quarry. A number of factors can produce 
  either outcome, and the most common situations are 
  detailed here. 
  Distance
  Chases measure distance in yards, just as in the rest 
  of the game. When a chase begins, the GM decides 
  the starting distance between the escaping creature 
  and the pursuing creature based on the events that 
  preceded the chase. For instance, a creature trying 
  to ﬂ ee from melee combat against another creature 
  might begin the chase with a head start of only 5 or 10 
  yards. A creature that spots an enemy from a distance 
  and starts trying to run away would begin the chase at 
  a much greater distance.
  Rounds and Turns
  A chase unfolds over a series of rounds. During 
  a round, the escaping creature and the pursuing 
  creature each have a chance to act. Unlike combat 
  rounds, chases do not feature fast turns and slow 
  turns. Instead, the escaping creature acts ﬁ rst, 
  followed by the pursuing creature. Each can use an 
  action and move up to its Speed, just as if taking 
  a slow turn. (Chases ignore any rules that limit 
  creatures to taking only fast turns or slow turns.) A 
  creature that has the Epic Adversary trait can take 
  just one turn per round while involved in a chase. 
  Other creatures with traits that enable them to take 
  more than one turn a round can do so, but they take 
  all their turns at once, can move only once per round, 
  and can use an action to rush just once per round. 
  Actions
  A creature involved in a chase can use an action to 
  perform any activity as normal, though using an 
  action for any activity other than rush, charge, or 
  sprint (see below) potentially allows the escaping 
  creature to get farther away or the pursuing creature 
  to close the distance. Whenever the escaping 
  creature moves, it adds the distance moved to the 
  total distance between it and its pursuer. Conversely, 
  when the pursuing creature moves, it subtracts the 
  distance moved from the total distance between it and 
  its quarry.
   In addition to the normal activities, the chase rules 
  introduce the following new activities.
  Impede
  If an escaping creature’s movement would carry it 
  around and past a creature or an unsecured object 
  or an obstacle, the creature can use an action or a 
  triggered action to impede the pursuing creature. 
  Examples of such activities include toppling a pile 
  of crates across the pursuer’s path or getting lost in 
  the crowd at a marketplace. If the escaping creature 
  gets a success on a Strength or Agility challenge roll 
  (creature’s choice), the creature creates an obstacle in 
  the pursuing creature’s path. When the pursuing 
  
  18
  creature encounters the obstacle, it must get a success 
  on an Agility challenge roll or stop moving. On a total 
  result of 0 or lower, the pursuing creature also falls 
  prone.
  Sprint
  An escaping creature or a pursuing creature that isn’t 
  fatigued can use an action to sprint, enabling that 
  creature to move farther than normal. The creature 
  moves three times its Speed and then must make a 
  Strength challenge roll. On a failure, the creature 
  becomes fatigued for 1 minute and its Speed is halved 
  until the end of the next round. 
  End of the Round
  Participating in a chase can be exhausting. A creature 
  can safely take part in a chase for a number of rounds 
  equal to 4 + its Strength modiﬁ er (minimum 1 round). 
  After this length of time, a creature must get a success 
  on a Strength challenge roll at the end of the round or 
  become fatigued. If the creature was already fatigued, 
  it takes a–1 penalty to Health. Multiple failures 
  impose a cumulative penalty. The penalty persists for 
  as long as the creature remains fatigued. A creature 
  can remove the fatigued aﬄ  iction by resting for 1 
  minute.
  Multiple Creatures
  A chase might involve multiple escaping creatures, 
  pursuing creatures, or both. Each pursuing creature 
  must choose a quarry and then tracks its distance 
  from that target as normal. If creatures in a group 
  move at the same rate and 
  in the same direction, 
  treat the group as 
  a single creature 
  for the purpose 
  of the chase 
  rules. If 
  faster 
  and 
  slower escaping creatures are moving in the same 
  direction, track each one’s distance from the escaping 
  group separately.
   If one or more creatures move in a diﬀ erent 
  direction from the group, pursuing creatures can 
  follow them, in which case a new chase begins, or let 
  them go, in which case those escaping creatures leave 
  the chase.
  Character 
  Creation
  Players have options aplenty when it comes to 
  creating and advancing characters. The following 
  variant rules provide even greater ﬂ exibility.
  Random Attributes 
  by Ancestry
  Oﬀ ering players ways to randomize their ancestries’ 
  attributes began in Only Human and continued in 
  other installments of the Victims of the Demon Lord 
  series. Each of the attributes for an ancestry other 
  than those covered in that series can be randomized 
  by subtracting 2 from the given score and then rolling 
  a d3 and adding the result to that number. 
   Example: The jotun ancestry has attribute scores 
  of Strength 13, Agility 9, Intellect 8, and Will 10. 
  After subtracting 2 from each score and adding 1d3 
  to it, a jotun with randomized attributes would have 
  Strength 1d3 + 11, Agility 1d3 + 7, Intellect 1d3 + 6, and 
  Will 1d3 + 8.
  Modified 
  andom 
  Attributes
  The GM can allow players to 
  enerate random attribute scores 
  nd then modify them to 
  ccount for ancestry. To use 
  his method, a player rolls 
  d6 four times. For each 
  oll, the player references 
  he Starting Scores table. 
  The player can assign 
  he four scores to the 
  ttributes in any order.
  18
  18
  must choose a quarry and then tracks its distance 
  from that target as normal. If creatures in a group 
  move at the same rate and 
  in the same direction, 
  treat the group as 
  a single creature 
  for the purpose 
  of the chase 
  rules. If 
  faster 
  and 
  Strength 1d3 + 11, Agility 1d3 + 7, Intellect 1d3 + 6, and 
  Will 1d3 + 8.
  Modified 
  Random 
  Modified 
  Random 
  Modified 
  Attributes
  The GM can allow players to 
  generate random attribute scores 
  and then modify them to 
  account for ancestry To use 
  this method, a player rolls 
  3d6 four times. For each 
  roll, the player references 
  the Starting Scores table. 
  The player can assign 
  the four scores to the 
  attributes in any order.
  
  19
  Starting Scores
  3d6
  Starting Score
  3
  7
  4–5
  8
  6–8
  9
  9–12
  10
  13–15
  11
  16–17
  12
  18
  13
  Next, the player selects an ancestry and applies 
  the ancestry’s attribute modiﬁ er to each score as 
  shown on the Ancestry Attribute Adjustments table. 
  Modiﬁ ers for ancestries other than those shown on 
  the table can be derived by subtracting 10 from the 
  given starting score. So, if an ancestry normally starts 
  with Strength 11, the ancestry using this variant would 
  grant a +1 bonus to Strength.
  Ancestry 
  Attribute Adjustments
  Ancestry
  Strength
  Agility
  Intellect
  Will
  Human*
  +0
  +0
  +0
  +0
  Changeling
  –1
  +0
  +0
  +0
  Clockwork
  –1
  –2
  –1
  –1
  Dwarf
  +0
  –1
  +0
  +0
  Goblin
  –2
  +2
  +0
  –1
  Orc
  +1
  +0
  –1
  –1
  Faun†
  +0
  +1
  +1
  –1
  Halﬂ ing†
  –1
  +1
  +0
  +1
  *Increase one attribute by 1
  † See Demon Lord’s Companion
  Random 
  Characteristics
  Normally, characters derive their characteristics from 
  their attributes, such that starting Health equals a 
  character’s Strength score and Perception equals a 
  character’s Intellect score. This does not, however, 
  have to be the case. Using this variant, characters roll 
  for their characteristics.
   Each character has the following random 
  characteristics in addition to attributes: Perception, 
  Health, and Sanity. (Using this variant, Defense 
  and Speed are determined using the normal rules.) 
  Sanity, similar to the function of Health, describes 
  the maximum amount of Insanity a character can 
  have before going mad. A player rolls 3d6 three times 
  and consults the Starting Scores table (above) to 
  determine the starting scores, then assigns one score 
  to each characteristic.
   Once starting scores for characteristics have 
  been determined, apply modiﬁ ers from ancestry. 
  In addition to those modiﬁ ers, add the ancestry’s 
  attribute adjustments from the Ancestry Attribute 
  Adjustments table as follows: Intellect adjustment 
  applies to Perception, Strength adjustment applies to 
  Health, and Will adjustment applies to Sanity.
   Example: Stacee creates a changeling character. 
  Since the group uses random characteristics, she rolls 
  3d6 three times and gets 8, 7, and 16. These rolls give 
  her starting scores of 9, 9, and 12, which she assigns to 
  Perception (9), Health (12), and Sanity (9).
   Now, she looks to the Ancestry Characteristic 
  Adjustments table. She applies the +1 adjustment 
  to her Perception, increasing it to 10, and the –1 
  adjustment to her Health, giving her Health 11. She 
  makes no further adjustment to her characteristic 
  scores. 
  Ancestry 
  Characteristic Adjustments
  Ancestry
  Perception
  Health
  Sanity
  Human
  +0
  +0
  +0
  Changeling
  +1
  –1
  +0
  Clockwork
  –1
  –1
  –1
  Dwarf
  +1
  +4
  +0
  Goblin
  +1
  –2
  –1
  Orc
  +0
  +1
  –1
  Faun†
  +2
  +0
  –1
  Halﬂ ing†
  +0
  –1
  +1
  † See Demon Lord’s Companion
  Skills
  In this variant, player characters have skills in place of 
  professions, and a character’s mastery of a given skill 
  is expressed as a number of ranks. While professions 
  are broad descriptors, cues for the GM to use when 
  considering the outcomes of performed tasks that 
  relate to those activities, skills represent speciﬁ c 
  areas of expertise that characters have developed and 
  reﬁ ned through practice, instruction, and training. 
  Skills, and skill ranks, provide clearer mechanical 
  beneﬁ ts at the expense of the more free-form 
  applications of professions.
  Skill Categories
  Skills are divided into three categories. The skills 
  listed within each category below are by no means 
  exhaustive. You can add more skills to add further 
  detail to the game world, reﬂ ecting its people and 
  their cultural and technological developments. 
  Athletic Skills
  Athletic skills represent areas of physical development 
  that are acquired through a combination of training 
  
  20
  and practice. Athletic skills apply to physical activities, 
  usually coming into play when a character would 
  make a Strength or Agility challenge roll. 
   Examples: Balancing, Climbing, Hiding, Jumping, 
  Lifting and Carrying, Running, Sneaking, and 
  Swimming.
  Lore Skills
  Lore skills represent areas of specialized knowledge 
  that reveal something about the world and the people 
  and creatures living in it. Characters acquire lore 
  skills through study, memorization, and instruction. 
  Most of them come into play when a character 
  would recall useful information related to the topic. 
  Knowing or recalling general information ought to 
  be an automatic success, while little-known details 
  might require a success on an Intellect challenge 
  roll, possibly with 1 or more banes depending on the 
  obscurity of the information sought.
   Examples: Architecture and Engineering, Arts and 
  Culture, Astronomy, Folklore, Geography, History, 
  Language*, Magic and the Occult, Medicine, Military 
  Sciences, Natural Sciences, Navigation, Politics and 
  Law, and Theology and Philosophy.
  *Individual languages are separate skills. Having
  1 rank in a language enables a character to speak 
  the language. Having 2 ranks in a language allows 
  a character to also read and write in that language. 
  There is no particular beneﬁ t for having more than 2 
  ranks in a language.
  Trade Skills
  Trade skills are areas of professional training that 
  enable characters to work in certain occupations. 
  Having a trade also gives the character knowledge 
  related to the activity. A character might gain a trade 
  by apprenticing to a master or might pick up the 
  skill through hard work and experience. Generally, 
  having a trade skill enables a character to work in that 
  occupation and imparts knowledge about anything 
  related to doing so. 
   Examples: Actor, Animal Trainer, Apothecary, 
  Baker, Barber, Beggar, Blacksmith, Boatman, 
  Bookbinder, Brewer, Butcher, Carpenter, Chandler, 
  Clown, Cobbler, Comedian, Cook, Courtesan, Dancer, 
  Driver, Drover, Dyer, Equestrian, Farmer, Fisher, 
  Forger, Gambler, Glassblower, Gravedigger, Groom, 
  Guide, Herder, Hunter, Jeweler, Juggler, Laborer, 
  Leatherworker, Locksmith, Mason, Mechanic, 
  Merchant, Miner, Musician (speciﬁ c instrument), 
  Orator, Painter, Papermaker, Pickpocket, Pilot, Poet*, 
  Potter, Printer, Puppeteer, Sailor, Scribe, Sculptor, 
  Servant, Singer, Storyteller, Tailor, Teamster, Tracker, 
  Trapper, Weaver, and Writer*.
  *A character can choose these skills only if he or she
  can read and write at least one language.
  How Skills Work
  A character begins with one or more skills gained 
  from training and other skills granted by the 
  character’s ancestry. The character’s ability to use 
  each skill successfully is represented by ranks in that 
  skill. Whenever a character makes a challenge roll 
  that involves one or more of its skills, the roll is made 
  with a number of boons equal to the character’s ranks 
  in all applicable skills. Thus, a character who tries to 
  hide and has 2 ranks in Hiding would make the Agility 
  challenge roll with 2 boons.
  Skills Gained from Training
  Referring to the Skill Training table, the player 
  chooses or randomly determines the nature of a 
  starting character’s training. The types of training 
  correspond to the profession types in the main 
  rulebook, and each one allows access to certain 
  categories of skills.
   The table entry for each type of training indicates 
  the number of ranks the character begins with in 
  each of the categories. For instance, a character with 
  academic training gains 4 ranks in Lore skills and 2 
  ranks in Trade skills, with those ranks assigned to 
  skills of the player’s choosing.
   A character’s training can also serve as a guide for 
  coming up with what the character did to make ends 
  meet before joining the group. Someone with martial 
  training might have been a soldier, or someone with 
  wilderness training might have worked as a tracker. 
  Skill Training
  —Ranks by Category—
  d6
  Training
  Athletic
  Lore
  Trade
  1
  Academic
  0
  4
  2
  2
  Common
  1
  1
  2
  3
  Criminal
  1
  1
  2
  4
  Martial
  2
  0
  0
  5
  Religious
  1
  2
  1
  6
  Wilderness
  1
  2
  1
  Skills Example
  Chris creates a human character. His ancestry 
  grants him the ability to speak the Common 
  Tongue and either speak another language 
  or gain a random profession. Chris opts for a 
  random profession, so to replace that with a 
  skill, he rolls a d3 and gets a 2, which tells him to 
  select a Lore skill. Chris puts 1 rank into Medicine.
   
  In addition, all starting characters begin with 
  skills gained through training. Chris rolls a d6 to 
  determine what kind of training he has and gets a 
  2, which is Common. From his training, he gains 1 
  rank in an Athletic skill, 1 rank in a Lore skill, and 2 
  ranks to use for Trade skills. He chooses Sneaking 
  (Athletic), Folklore (Lore), and both Healer and 
  Tracker (Trade), gaining 1 rank in each of those 
  four skills. 
  
  Skills Gained from Ancestries
  All ancestries grant languages and might grant one or 
  more professions. To translate those features for this 
  variant, any language granted by a character’s ancestry 
  counts as a skill, with 1 rank if it can be spoken and 2 
  ranks if the language can be read and written. 
   If a character would receive a random profession 
  from a path, the player rolls a d3 instead, choosing an 
  Athletic skill on a 1, a Lore skill on a 2, or a Trade skill 
  on a 3.
  Improving Skills
  Whenever a path indicates that a character would 
  gain another profession, the character gains 1 rank 
  that can be placed either in an existing skill or a 
  diﬀ erent skill. 
   Some paths specify a group of professions to choose 
  from, such as military or academic. In such a case, 
  a new skill can come from any category that was 
  available to the character from training. For example, 
  the thief expert path allows a character to gain one 
  criminal profession, so the new skill can come from 
  any category. In contrast, the gladiator master path 
  provides a new martial profession, which allows only 
  the choice of an Athletic skill.
  Universal Literacy
  The game world posits that not everyone knows 
  how to read, since literacy is not a crucial skill 
  given the setting’s technological level. You can 
  ignore this assumption for player characters and 
  simply grant them for the ability to read any 
  language they can speak. 
  New Novice Path:
  Adept
  The following novice path allows players to pursue 
  magic without the focus of a magician and without 
  the religious aspects of a priest.
  Adept 
  Novice Path
  Born with magical talent, adepts learn to harness their 
  gifts by awakening the power within them. Few adepts 
  ever receive formal instruction, and thus their access 
  to magic is limited compared to that of magicians. 
  Adepts do enjoy great ﬂ exibility, however, when it 
  comes to discovering their traditions, and they can 
  tailor their spell arsenals to suit their needs. 
   Since their magical power comes from within, many 
  adepts discover psychic traditions, such as Telekinesis 
  
  22
  and Telepathy (see Demon Lord’s Companion), or 
  become able to exert their will over fire, wind, and 
  storms. As they become more comfortable with 
  their capabilities, adepts might go on to become 
  elementalists, psychics, spellbinders, and sorcerers. 
  Most adepts come from the ranks of faerie (mainly 
  elves, fauns, changelings, and goblins), though 
  an individual of any ancestry might be gifted—or 
  cursed—with the adept’s life.
  Adept Training
  d6
  Training
  1
  You always thought you were haunted. It wasn’t 
  until you realized you could control the strange 
  events around you that you knew you were in fact 
  a magical being.
  2
  A passing stranger paused before you, drew a 
  mystic mark on your brow and left. Not long after, 
  you discovered you could work magic.
  3
  One of your ancestors was a great user of magic, 
  and you must have inherited something of that 
  ability.
  4
  You believe that in a previous life you were a 
  great witch or wizard. Something from that life 
  before remains inside you and manifests as your 
  magical talent.
  5
  You were born in a faerie borderland, and 
  weirdness has followed you throughout your life.
  6
  You found a strange relic and called forth 
  its power. The item was destroyed, but the 
  experience left you forever changed. 
  Level 1 Adept
  Attribute Scores Increase two by 1.
  Characteristics Health +4, Power +1
  Languages and Professions You either read one language 
  you can speak, speak another language, or add another 
  profession to your list of professions.
  Magic You discover one tradition. Then choose one of the 
  following options.
  You discover two traditions.
  You discover one tradition and learn one spell.
  You learn two spells.
  Spell Recovery You can use an action to heal damage 
  equal to your healing rate and regain one expended 
  casting of a spell. Once you use this talent, you cannot 
  use it again until you complete a rest.
  Level 2 Adept
  Characteristics Health +4
  Magic You either discover a tradition or learn one spell.
  Potent Spellcasting When you cast an attack spell, you 
  make the attack roll with 1 boon, and creatures make 
  challenge rolls to resist the spell with 1 bane.
  Level 5 Expert Adept
  Characteristics Health +4, Power +1
  Magic You either discover a tradition or learn one spell.
  Spell Fighting When you use an action to attack with a 
  weapon, you also cast a spell that normally requires the 
  use of an action to cast.
  Level 8 Master Adept
  Characteristics Health +4
  Magic You either discover a tradition or learn one spell.
  Improved Spell Recovery When you use Spell Recovery, 
  you regain two castings instead of one.
  Novice Path Variants
  The two changes described below can be 
  incorporated into the priest and magician paths 
  if so desired.
   
  Unrestricted Priest Magic: The game rules 
  restrict a priest’s access to certain traditions by 
  virtue of the priest’s religion. Uncertain Faith 
  goes farther by presenting individual priest 
  novice paths for the various religions and gods 
  that populate the supernatural world. If you want 
  even more flexibility, when the priest path would 
  let you discover a tradition at level 2, you can 
  discover any tradition.
   
  Alternative Magician Talent: A magician, at 
  level 1, can take the Potent Spellcasting talent in 
  place of the Cantrip talent.
   
  Potent Spellcasting When you cast an attack 
  spell, you make the attack roll with 1 boon, and 
  creatures make challenge rolls to resist the spell 
  with 1 bane.
  Simplified Armor
  The rules for armor impose some drawbacks for 
  wearing medium and heavy suits, making some tasks 
  more difficult and slowing down creatures who wear 
  the heaviest forms. This variant simplifies armor into 
  four basic forms (including clothing) and lessens the 
  penalties for wearing medium and heavy armor.
  Requirement
  Anyone can wear any form of armor. However, some 
  forms of armor have requirements to ensure that you 
  can support the armor properly and handle its bulk. 
  If you fail to meet the requirement of armor you are 
  wearing, you make Agility challenge rolls with 1 bane 
  and take a –2 penalty to Speed. 
   If you use this variant, treat brigandine armor as 
  leather, scale as mail, and all forms of plate as plate.
  Clothing and Armor
  Name
  Defense
  Price
  Clothing  
  (No Strength Requirement)
  Clothing
  Agility
  Varies
  Light Armor  
  (Requires Strength 11 or higher)
  Leather
  Agility + 2
  5 ss
  Medium Armor  
  (Requires Strength 13 or higher)
  Mail
  15
  1 gc
  Heavy Armor  
  (Requires Strength 15 or higher)
  Plate
  17
  5 gc
  
  23
  Simplified Weapons
  The simpliﬁ ed weapons variant lets players deﬁ ne 
  weapons within speciﬁ c categories. Each category 
  provides some suggested weaponry, but the exact 
  form a weapon takes is up to the player and GM. 
  Generic Melee Weapons
  Name
  Damage
  Hands
  Properties
  Price
  Light 
  weapon
  1d3
  Off
  Finesse, thrown 
  (range 5)
  1 ss
  Hand 
  weapon
  1d6
  One
  —
  5 ss
  Heavy 
  weapon
  2d6
  Two
  Cumbersome
  1 gc
  Improvised 
  Weapon
  Varies
  Varies
  —
  Varies
  New Melee Weapons
  Name
  Damage
  Hands
  Properties
  Price
  Katana
  1d6 + 2
  Two
  Finesse
  3 gc
  Rapier
  1d6 
  One
  Finesse
  1 gc
  Shield
  1d3
  Off
  Defensive +2
  1 ss
  Spear
  1d6
  One
  Finesse, special
  1 ss
  Staff
  1d6
  Two
  Finesse
  5 cp
  Unarmed 
  strike
  1
  Off
  Finesse
  —
  Whip
  1d3
  Off
  Finesse, reach + 1
  Ranged Weapons
  Name
  Damage
  Hands
  Properties
  Price
  Blowgun
  1d3
  Two
  Ammunition 
  (needles), medium 
  range
  1 ss
  Bow
  1d6
  Two
  Ammunition
  (arrows), long range
  5 ss
  Crossbow
  2d6
  Two
  Ammunition (bolts), 
  medium range, 
  reload
  1 gc
  Hand
  crossbow
  1d6
  Off
  Ammunition (bolts), 
  short range, reload
  2 gc
  Pistol
  2d6
  Off
  Ammunition 
  (rounds), medium 
  range, misﬁ re, reload
  5 gc
  Riﬂ e
  3d6
  Two
  Ammunition 
  (rounds), long range, 
  reload
  10 gc
  Sling
  1d3
  Off
  Ammunition
  (stones), short range 5 cp
  Weapon Descriptions
  Descriptions and special rules for the items on the 
  weapons tables follow. For the purpose of talents, all 
  melee weapons on the table count as basic weapons, 
  and any weapon that has the ﬁ nesse property counts 
  as a swift weapon. For weapons with no descriptions 
  provided here, refer to the main rulebook.
   Bow: If your Strength is 11 or higher, you gain a +1 
  bonus to damage rolls on attacks you make a bow.
   Hand Weapon: A hand weapon is a weapon you 
  can hold in one hand such as a sword, an axe, a mace, 
  a ﬂ ail, or a machete. If your Strength is 11 or higher, 
  you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls on attacks you 
  make with a hand weapon.
  Incoming!
  Whenever you throw a handheld object such 
  as a bomb, there’s a good chance it will bounce 
  when it lands. When you throw the object, make 
  a Strength challenge roll. On a failure, the object 
  bounces. Roll a d6. On a 4, 5, or 6, the object 
  moves forward or stops if it can’t move forward. 
  The object bounces to the left on a 2 or to the 
  right on a 3. On a 1, the object bounces back in 
  the direction it was thrown. The object comes to 
  rest 1d3 yards from the spot where it originally hit. 
   Heavy Weapon: A heavy weapon is a weapon that 
  you must use two hands to wield eﬀ ectively, such as 
  a maul, a warhammer, a bastard sword, or a greataxe. 
  If your Strength is 13 or higher, the weapon loses the 
  cumbersome property.
   Improvised Weapon: An improvised weapon is any 
  object that can be used as a weapon, though it was 
  never intended for use in this way. The GM decides 
  how you wield the object—oﬀ -hand, one-handed, 
  or two-handed—which also determines how much 
  damage it deals. Oﬀ -hand improvised weapons deal 
  1 damage, one-handed deal 1d3 damage, and two-
  handed deal 1d6. Improvised weapons impose 1 bane 
  on attack rolls made using them. 
   Katana: A katana is a sword with a long, curving 
  blade with a single edge. If your Agility is 11 or higher, 
  you gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls on attacks you 
  make with it. If your Strength is 11 or higher, you can 
  wield a katana in one hand and you gain a +1 bonus 
  to damage rolls you make with it. If you have Agility 11 
  and Strength 11, the bonus becomes +2. 
   Light Weapon: A light weapon is any weapon you 
  can hold in your oﬀ -hand and throw. Possibilities 
  include hatchets, cleavers, knives, hammers, short 
  swords, and chains. If your Strength or Agility is 11 or 
  higher, you gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls on attacks 
  you make with these weapons.
   Rapier: A rapier is a sword with a narrow blade 
  designed for speed and precision. A rapier can also 
  be a scimitar or a short sword. If your Agility is 11 or 
  higher, you gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls on attacks 
  you make with a rapier. If your Agility is 13 or higher, 
  you can wield the weapon in your oﬀ -hand. 
   Shield: A shield is designed for defense and is 
  usually strapped to your arm. This variant rids the 
  game of the distinction between small and large 
  shields.
   Spear: If you have Strength 11 or higher, the weapon 
  gains the thrown (short) property.
  
  24
  Variant Magic:
  Power Points
  In the standard rules, for each spell you learn, you 
  receive a number of castings based on your Power 
  score. Once you run out of castings for a spell, you 
  cannot cast the spell again until after you replenish 
  your castings, which you usually accomplish by 
  resting. 
   Some groups might prefer a bit more ﬂ exibility 
  when it comes to casting spells, even if that ﬂ exibility 
  comes with greater complexity. The material here 
  replaces the standard rules for spellcasting and 
  some of the particular ways in which magical eﬀ ects 
  function.
  Gaining Power Points
  Each time you learn a spell, including when you learn 
  a rank 0 spell from discovering a tradition, you gain a 
  number of power points depending on the rank of the 
  spell and your Power score, as shown on the Power 
  Points table. Each time your Power score increases, 
  the number of power points gained from spells you 
  have learned also increases.
   Example: Jason’s human character becomes a 
  magician when the group reaches level 1. He decides 
  to discover two traditions, learning two rank 0 spells 
  from each one thanks to the Cantrip talent, and learns 
  two rank 1 spells. Since his Power score is 1, at level 1 
  he gains 2 power points for each rank 0 spell learned 
  and 2 power points for each rank 1 spell learned, 
  which gives him 12 power points.
   When the group reaches level 2, Jason decides to 
  discover another tradition, which lets him learn two 
  more rank 0 spells and another rank 1 spell. Learning 
  these spells brings his power points up to 18.
   At level 3, Jason’s character becomes a sorcerer, 
  which increases his Power score by 1 in addition to 
  letting him learn another spell or discover a new 
  tradition. Before he makes this decision, he must 
  recalculate his power point total for all the spells he 
  has learned already. Jason’s character knows six rank 
  0 spells and three rank 1 spells. At Power 2, his rank 0 
  spells grant him 2 power points each for a total of 12, 
  and his rank 1 spells grant him 4 power points each for 
  a total of 12. Jason has 24 power points so far. He then 
  decides to learn a rank 2 spell, which adds 3 power 
  points to his supply and brings his total to 27.
  Power Points
  —Power Points per Spell by Rank—
  Power
  0
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  9
  10
  0
  1
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  1
  2
  2
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  2
  2
  4
  3
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  3
  3
  4
  3
  4
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  4
  3
  4
  6
  4
  5
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  5
  4
  6
  6
  8
  5
  6
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  6
  4
  6
  6
  8
  10
  6
  7
  —
  —
  —
  —
  7
  5
  6
  6
  8
  10
  6
  7
  8
  —
  —
  —
  8
  5
  6
  9
  8
  10
  12
  7
  8
  9
  —
  —
  9
  6
  6
  9
  12
  10
  12
  7
  8
  9
  10
  —
  10
  6
  6
  9
  12
  15
  12
  7
  8
  9
  10
  11
  Casting Spells 
  with Power Points
  Using this variant, you cast spells as described in 
  the main rulebook, except that instead of expending 
  a casting, you instead expend power points. The 
  number of power points required to cast a spell equals 
  its rank + 1.
   You regain all expended power points and replenish 
  your castings when you complete a rest.
  Limit on Casting
  On any given day, you can cast a number of spells of a 
  certain rank equal to 1 + the number of spells you have 
  learned at that rank. So, if you have Power 1 and you 
  have learned two rank 1 spells, you could cast as many 
  as three rank 1 spells. Similarly, if you have Power 3 
  and have learned one rank 3 spell, you could cast that 
  spell twice between rests.
  Rules Changes
  Dropping castings in favor of power points requires 
  changes to how some talents and spells work. The 
  following changes aﬀ ect descriptions found in the 
  main rulebook. For rules in other sources, use these 
  changes as a guide.
  Magician
  Spell Recovery You can use an action to heal damage 
  equal to your healing rate and regain power points equal 
  to 1 + your Power score. Once you use this talent, you 
  cannot use it again until you complete a rest.
  Improved Spell Recovery When you use Spell Recovery, 
  you regain twice as many power points.
  Artificer
  Store Spell You can use an action to touch one object you 
  created from your Artiﬁ cer’s Bag. If you concentrate for 
  1 minute, during which time you must maintain contact 
  with the object, you can cast a spell. The spell has no 
  immediate effect. Instead, you imbue the object with 
  
  25
  the spell effect, where it remains until you complete a 
  rest or the spell is cast from the object. Any creature 
  holding the object can use an action to cast the spell 
  from the object. 
  Paladin
  Divine Smite When you attack with a weapon and get a 
  success on the attack roll, you can expend a number 
  of power points up to your Power score – 1 to deal 
  extra damage. For each power point spent in this way 
  (minimum 1), the attack deals 1d6 extra damage. If the 
  target was a demon, devil, faerie, spirit, or undead, 
  increase the extra damage by 1d6.
  Faith Healing You can use an action to touch one living 
  creature and expend 2 power points. Choose one of 
  the following effects.
  • The target heals damage equal to half its healing
  rate.
  • You remove a diseased afﬂ iction from the target.
  • You remove a poisoned afﬂ iction from the target.
  Spellbinder
  Invest Power You can use an action, or a triggered 
  action on your turn, to invest greater power into 
  the target of your spellbound weapon spell. Spend 
  2 power points. For 1 minute, eldritch ﬂ ames dance 
  across the weapon, lighting the area within 10 yards of 
  it. Until the effect ends, your attacks with the weapon 
  deal 1d6 extra damage.
  Warlock
  Steal Spell When a creature within medium range casts 
  a spell, you can use a triggered action to make an 
  Intellect attack roll against the triggering creature’s 
  Intellect. On a success, the spell has no effect. If your 
  Power is high enough to cast the spell, you can cast 
  that spell once without expending power points. You 
  must cast the stolen spell before you complete a rest, 
  or it is lost. Once you use this talent, you cannot use it 
  again until you complete a rest.
  Witch
  Flying Broom You can use an action to touch a broom 
  and expend a number of power points up to your Power 
  score. You imbue the broom with magic that remains for 
  a number of hours equal to the number of power points 
  you spent. Until the effect ends, while you sit astride the 
  handle, you can move by ﬂ ying. You can carry one or 
  more passengers whose total Size is 1 or less.
  Wizard
  Grimoire You gain a tome ﬁ lled with magical lore. Choose 
  three spells from any tradition and record them in the 
  grimoire. Each of the spells must be of a rank you can 
  cast. If learning these spells would cause you to gain 
  Corruption, you gain Corruption as if you had learned 
  them. If you are holding your grimoire, you can expend 
  power points to cast spells from the book as if you had 
  learned them. Whenever you learn a spell that you have 
  written in your grimoire, you can also add a new spell of 
  the same rank or lower to the spells contained in your 
  grimoire. The spell you add must be of a rank you can 
  cast, but can be from any tradition.
  Spell Expertise Double the number of power points you 
  gain from your rank 0 spells. In addition, you need to 
  spend only 1 power point to cast a rank 1 spell.
  Spell Mastery You further perfect the art of casting spells. Gain 6 
  power points.
  Arcanist
  Arcana Mastery Reduce the power point cost for casting 
  Arcana spells by 1 (minimum 1).
  Reclaim Arcana When you spend power points to cast 
  an Arcana spell, roll a d6. On a 6, you regain the power 
  points you spent.
  Diviner
  Omens When you make an attack roll or a challenge roll, 
  you can spend a number of power points up to your 
  Power score. You make the roll with 1 boon for each 
  power point spent.
  Geomancer
  Earthen Defense You can use an action to spend a number 
  of power points up to your Power score. For each point 
  spent this way, roll a d6. The total of your rolls becomes 
  your Earthen Defense, a pool of points you use to absorb 
  damage. While your Earthen Defense pool has at least 1 
  point, you subtract any damage you take from the pool 
  ﬁ rst and then, if any damage remains, you take that 
  damage as normal. The effect lasts until the pool drops 
  to 0, you use this talent again, or you complete a rest.
  
  26
  Hydromancer
  Watery Form You can use an action to spend a number 
  of power points up to your Power score. You assume 
  a watery form and remain in that form for a number 
  of rounds equal to your Power score + the number 
  of points you spent. While in this form, you have the 
  following beneﬁ ts.
  • You make all Agility rolls with 1 boon.
  • You can move through openings wide enough to
  permit the passage of water.
  • You take half damage from weapons.
  • You cannot be grabbed, immobilized, knocked prone,
  or slowed.
  • You are invisible while submerged in water.
  • You can use an action, or a triggered action on your
  turn, to return to your normal form.
  Jack-of-all-Trades
  Magical Epiphany When you see a creature cast a rank 0 
  spell that you have not learned, you can spend 1 aptitude 
  point to learn that spell and gain power points from 
  learning that spell. You retain knowledge of the spell 
  until you complete a rest. You retain the power points to 
  cast that spell until you spend them or you complete a 
  rest.
  Thaumaturge
  Fluid Magic Each time you complete a rest, you can 
  exchange one spell you have learned for a different 
  spell of the same rank. The new spell can be from any 
  tradition.
  Theurge
  Pious Restoration You can use an action to spend a 
  number of power points up to your Power score. For 
  each point spent in this way, you heal 1d6 damage.
  Traveler
  Hasty Escape When a creature you can see attacks you, 
  you can use a triggered action to spend a number of 
  power points up to your Power score. You teleport to 
  an open space within a number of yards equal to 1d6 for 
  each power point you spent and then become dazed 
  for 1 round. If the target can no longer attack you, the 
  triggering attack results in a failure. 
  Woodwose
  Forest Hide When you are in an area obscured by foliage, 
  you can use a triggered action to spend a number of 
  power points up to your Power score. You become 
  invisible for a number of rounds equal to 1 + the number 
  of points you spent.
  Spells
  Certain spells require revisions to work with this 
  variant system.
   Regain Castings: Whenever an eﬀ ect would allow 
  you to regain the casting of a spell you just cast, you 
  instead regain the power points you spent to cast the 
  spell. 
   Sacriﬁ ce: Ignore the Sacriﬁ ce line of any spell that 
  has one.
  HARNESS MAGIC 
  ARCANA UTILITY 4
  Duration 1 minute
  Triggered You harness magical energy. For the duration, 
  you reduce the power points required to cast any spell by 1 
  (minimum 1 point).
  WILD MAGIC 
  CHAOS UTILITY 3
  Area A sphere with a radius of 1d6 yards centered on a 
  point you can reach
  Weird lights, strange sounds, and other oddness spread out 
  through the area and then dissipate. Roll a d20 and ﬁ nd the 
  result on the Wild Magic table to determine what results.
  Wild Magic
  d20
  Ef ect
  1
  1d6 small demons appear in open spaces within 
  the area. They take the next available turn to 
  attack.
  2–3
  Each creature in the area gains 1 Insanity.
  4–5
  Each creature in the area makes attack rolls and 
  challenge rolls with 1 bane for 1 round.
  6–8
  Each creature in the area takes 3d6 + 5 damage, 
  or half the damage with a success on a Strength 
  challenge roll.
  9–13
  You gain 4 power points.
  14–15
  Each creature in the area heals 3d6 + 5 damage.
  16–17
  Each creature in the area makes attack rolls and 
  challenge rolls with 1 boon for 1 round.
  18–19
  Each creature in the area can take one extra turn 
  before the end of the next round.
  20
  One creature of your choice in the area takes 6d6 
  + 10 damage, or half the damage with a success
  on a Strength challenge roll.
  Forbidden Tradition
  The Forbidden tradition requires you to 
  sacriﬁ ce a creature to the dark powers to regain 
  expended castings of your Forbidden spells. If 
  you use the power points variant, you regain 
  expended castings after completing a rest, but 
  you must sacriﬁ ce a creature within 4 hours or 
  you gain 1 Insanity.
  FORM OF THE OAK GUARDIAN 
  NATURE UTILITY 5
  Duration 1 minute
  You assume the form of a mighty animated tree. For the 
  duration, you cannot speak or cast spells, but you gain the 
  following beneﬁ ts:
  • You gain a +3 bonus to Defense and a +15 bonus to
  Health, and your Size doubles.
  • You make Strength attack rolls and Strength challenge
  rolls with 1 boon.
  • Your branches count as a melee weapon that deals
  3d6 damage.
  • You can use a triggered action on your turn to expend
  2 power points and extend the duration of this spell by
  1 minute.
  
  CANNIBALIZE MAGIC 
  NECROMANCY ATTACK 3
  Target One creature within medium range
  Make an Intellect attack roll against the target’s Strength. 
  On a success, the target takes 3d6 damage and you regain 2 
  power points.
  Attack Roll 20+ The target takes 2d6 extra damage and you 
  regain 1 additional power point.
  SHADOW MAGIC 
  SHADOW UTILITY 3
  Choose a spell of rank 2 or lower from any tradition. You cast 
  the spell without expending power points to do so.
  Weird Magic
  On the Weird Magic table, replace the “2” result with 
  the following.
  2
  The caster must spend twice the normal number 
  of power points. If the caster does not have 
  enough power points, the caster instead gains 1d6 
  Insanity.
  Enchanted Objects
  On Enchanted Object Table 3, replace the “7” result 
  with the following.
  7
  You can use an action to regain 2 power points. 
  The object has one use.
  On Enchanted Object Table 5, replace the “9” and “17” 
  results with the following.
  9
  When you cast a rank 1 or rank 2 spell, roll a d6. 
  On a 1, you gain 1 Insanity. On a 6, you regain the 
  power points you spent to cast the spell. On any 
  other number, there is no effect.
  17
  The object contains a rank 1 spell of the GM’s 
  choice. You can cast this spell once, and the 
  object regains the expended casting 24 hours 
  later. 
  Creatures
  Creatures use the standard rules for casting spells.
  Downtime
  Adventures mark the most important moments 
  in the player characters’ careers, when they must 
  overcome the most signiﬁ cant challenges, brave the 
  greatest dangers, and receive the greatest rewards. 
  These adventures might occur weeks, months, or 
  even years apart, so characters might have a fair 
  amount of downtime before embarking on their next 
  mission. What happens between adventures is usually 
  something the GM and players work out, but if you 
  want a more formal and random method for ﬁ lling in 
  the narrative gaps, you can use the tables presented 
  here.
   Each character rolls on the Downtime Experience 
  table once between adventures. For longer periods of 
  downtime, the GM might call for two or more rolls. 
  
  28
  Downtime Experience
  3d6
  Experience
  3
  You Died! Roll on the Cause of Death table to ﬁ nd 
  out how. You can either create a new character 
  or be returned to life by some stroke of luck (your 
  choice). If you return to life, you start the game 
  with 1d6 Insanity. If you’re using Tombs of the 
  Desolation and you are of an appropriate ancestry, 
  you can become a revenant or a vampire.
  4–5
  Roll on the Major Setback table.
  6–8
  Roll on the Minor Setback table.
  9–12
  Roll on the Work table.
  13–15
  Roll on the Minor Windfall table.
  16–17
  Roll on the Major Windfall table.
  18
  Roll on the Strange Event table.
  Cause of Death
  3d6
  Cause of Death
  3
  You were murdered.
  4–5
  You died in a freak accident.
  6–8
  You died from disease, starvation, or exposure.
  9–12
  Your time was up and you died from natural 
  causes.
  13–15
  You were killed in a ﬁ ght.
  16–17
  You died at work.
  18
  You killed yourself. 
  Major Setback
  d20
  Major Setback
  1
  You did something profoundly wrong and evil. 
  Gain 1d3 Corruption. Roll a d6. On an odd number, 
  other people know what you did. On an even 
  number, you managed to keep your act a secret.
  2
  You made many bad choices, and the 
  consequences of your actions led to innocents 
  being harmed. Gain 1 Corruption. 
  3
  The place where you were living burned down. 
  You lost 1d3 items of the GM’s choice in the ﬁ re.
  4
  You gained the attention of a minor devil that 
  tried to tempt you. Make a Will challenge roll. You 
  resisted the temptation on a success, and you 
  gain 1 Corruption on a failure (for accepting the 
  devil’s worthless gift).
  5
  You angered a powerful user of magic, and 
  you are now cursed until the end of the next 
  adventure (as if by a rank 1d6 spell). While cursed 
  in this way, you make attack rolls and challenge 
  rolls with 1 bane.
  6
  You contracted a disease. Make a Strength 
  challenge roll. On a success, you recovered. On a 
  failure, you are diseased when the next adventure 
  begins. Each time thereafter that you complete 
  a rest, you can make another Strength challenge 
  roll. You remove the afﬂ iction on a success. If you 
  are immune to the diseased afﬂ iction, ignore this 
  result. Instead, you spent your time indulging your 
  vices.
  7
  You were jailed! Roll a d6. On an odd number, you 
  committed the crime, and you gain 1 Corruption. 
  On an even number, you were innocent, and you 
  gain 1d3 Insanity from your tribulations. 
  8
  You were robbed! You lose all your equipment 
  except for the clothes on your back.
  9
  You suffered a nasty injury that took from you an 
  eye, an ear, or 1d3 ﬁ ngers.
  10
  A romantic relationship or friendship came to an 
  acrimonious end. The other person now regards 
  you as an enemy.
  11
  Someone close to you died: a spouse, a child, a 
  parent, or a sibling.
  12
  You were conscripted or press-ganged. You 
  spent your time pulling an oar, standing guard, or 
  swabbing a deck. 
  13
  You angered the people of the community in 
  which you were living. You were driven out, and 
  now you face death if you return.
  14
  You saw something horriﬁ c. Gain 1 Insanity.
  15
  You pissed off the wrong person and received a 
  savage beating as a result. You lost one piece of 
  equipment of the GM’s choice and have a broken 
  nose, a nasty scar, or broken ﬁ ngers to show for 
  the experience. 
  16
  The trials of your last adventure haunted you to 
  the point that you became unhinged. Gain 1d6 + 1 
  Insanity. 
  17
  A witch hunter or an inquisitor accused you of 
  trafﬁ cking with dark forces. You were imprisoned, 
  tortured, and forced to confess. Somehow, you 
  escaped the pyre, but your captors are looking for 
  you still.
  18
  You caused the death of someone you love: a 
  spouse, a child, a parent, a sibling, or a friend. 
  Gain 1 Insanity.
  19
  You indulged your vices to the point that you 
  upset the community in which you live. Most locals 
  are unfriendly to you, and you make attack rolls 
  with 1 bane in social situations involving locals. 
  20
  You made a dangerous enemy, one who seeks to 
  harm you. Work with the GM to create a suitable 
  nemesis.
  Minor Setback
  d20
  Minor Setback
  1
  A monster followed you back to town from your 
  last adventure and ate a few people. Locals blame 
  you, but they say nothing to your face since you 
  helped destroy the beast.
  2
  You sprained an ankle, got sick, or suffered some 
  other minor mishap. 
  3
  You went on an adventure by yourself, but 
  returned broken, bloodied, and defeated. Take 
  your friends next time.
  4
  You suffered signiﬁ cant ﬁ nancial trouble. Lose 
  1d6 gc. If don’t have the coin, you must sell your 
  possessions to make up for the shortfall. Selling 
  an enchanted object clears your debt. 
  5
  A romance or a friendship ended. Roll a d6. On 
  an odd number, it was your fault. On an even 
  number, it was the other person’s fault.
  6
  You got into a ﬁ ght. Roll a d6. On an odd number, 
  you lost. On an even number, you won. In either 
  case, the other person now considers you an enemy.
  7
  Something you saw reminded you of a previous 
  brush with the horriﬁ c. Gain 1 Insanity.
  8
  You did something that made you unwelcome 
  to a certain group of people, such as a religious 
  community, a guild, or the city guard. These 
  people are unfriendly to you.
  9
  Nothing good happened to you. It was all 
  disappointment and despair. The ﬁ rst time you 
  make an attack roll during the next adventure, 
  you must roll twice and use the lower result. 
  
  29
  10
  You misplaced something valuable. Lose an 
  interesting thing.
  11
  You spent your time drinking or doing drugs. 
  At the start of the next adventure, you become 
  fatigued until you complete the adventure.
  12
  You dropped some money gambling. Lose 1d3 
  ss. If you don’t have coin to cover this loss, sell 
  off items until you clear your debt. Selling an 
  enchanted object clears your debt.
  13
  You broke up with a lifelong friend. Roll a d6. It 
  was your fault on an odd number, or the other 
  person’s fault on an even number.
  14
  You learned a dangerous secret. Work with the 
  GM to determine what it is.
  15
  You suffered a nasty head wound. You have 
  difﬁ culty speaking. For the next adventure, you 
  make attack rolls in social situations with 1 bane.
  16
  Someone you love became injured as a result of 
  your actions.
  17
  You tried to travel, but a storm or a natural 
  disaster dashed your plans. You lost one item of 
  the GM’s choice.
  18
  A spouse, a child, a sibling, a parent, or a friend 
  vanished.
  19
  Your living quarters were burgled. You lost one 
  item of the GM’s choice.
  20
  An old enemy tried to kill you but failed. You 
  suspect another attempt might be coming.
  Work
  3d6
  Work
  3
  You botched your work so badly that you lost 
  1d6 gc. If you don’t have enough coin, you must 
  sell off items to make up your shortfall. Selling an 
  enchanted object clears your debt.
  4–5
  You couldn’t ﬁ nd work and lived a destitute lifestyle.
  6–8
  You earned little. You lived the poor lifestyle.
  9–12
  You earned a bit. You lived the getting by lifestyle. 
  13–15
  You earned some. You lived the comfortable 
  lifestyle.
  16–17
  You earned a lot. You lived the wealthy lifestyle.
  18
  You earned a fortune. You lived the rich lifestyle.
  Minor Windfall
  d20
  Minor Windfall
  1
  You fell in love or got married. If you were already 
  married, you had a torrid affair instead. Work out 
  the details with the GM.
  2
  You started a business related to your profession. 
  Roll on the Work table to see how you did.
  3
  You got someone pregnant, or you became 
  pregnant.
  4
  You traveled extensively. Add one language to 
  the list of languages you can speak.
  5
  You made the acquaintance of someone 
  important. This character becomes a contact 
  who is deﬁ ned by the GM (see “Connections” in 
  Shadow, page 207). 
  6
  You furthered your education. You can either add 
  a language to the list of languages you can speak, 
  become able to read and write a language you 
  can speak, or gain a random area of scholarship.
  7
  You won some money gambling. Gain 1d6 gc.
  8
  You obtained a horse. You can keep it or sell it.
  9
  You found work in a new ﬁ eld. Add a random 
  common profession.
  10
  You gained a random interesting thing.
  11
  You helped foil a foul plot in your community. 
  During the next adventure you undertake, you 
  make attack rolls with 1 boon in social situations 
  involving members of the community in which 
  you spent your downtime.
  12
  You helped save the community from danger 
  and are now considered a hero. During your next 
  adventure, you do not have to pay for food or 
  drink while you are in the community in which you 
  spent your downtime.
  13
  You found a healing potion.
  14
  You escaped nearly certain death. You start the 
  next adventure with Fortune.
  15
  You spent time in a sanitarium or similar 
  institution to reclaim your Sanity. Reduce your 
  Insanity by 1d6. If you already had 0 Insanity, you 
  instead came into some money, gaining 2d6 cp.
  16
  An item you own turned out to be an enchanted 
  object with a random property. 
  17
  You made a lifelong friend (as a commoner) who will 
  accompany you on your adventures and help you.
  18
  You organized and led members of your 
  community to accomplish something important. 
  You received the key to the community (worth 
  1d3 cp).
  19
  You fought to protect your community from an 
  outside danger. You received a shiny medal worth 
  1 ss for your efforts.
  20
  You saved someone’s life, and that person is now 
  in your debt. This character is friendly to you 
  and will help you. Work with the GM to identify 
  the character and the kind of help this character 
  might provide.
  Major Windfall
  d20
  Major Windfall
  1
  You did a service for a faerie lord or lady. If 
  you have Terrible Beauty, you gain a random 
  favor (see page 36). If not, you gain a random 
  enchanted object.
  2
  You discovered a tradition of magic.
  3
  You made an important connection. Choose 
  Inﬂ uence, Information, or Security (see 
  “Connections” in Shadow, page 207). Come up 
  with details about this character with the GM.
  4
  You came into signiﬁ cant money. Gain 2d6 gc.
  5
  You made friends with a medium animal. The 
  creature is friendly to you and accompanies you 
  on your adventures.
  6
  You built and now own a small house in the 
  community or a small ship.
  7
  You learned something signiﬁ cant. At any point 
  during your next adventure, you can ask the GM 
  one question pertaining to the adventure and the 
  GM must answer you truthfully.
  8
  You found a treasure map that might lead to a 
  future adventure.
  9
  You found a book of spells containing 1d3 + 1 
  incantations, all of rank 1.
  10
  You acquired a small box containing 1d3 + 1 
  potions of the GM’s choice.
  11
  You spent your time performing charitable acts to 
  atone for your misdeeds. Reduce your Corruption 
  by 1. If you already had 0 Corruption, you start the 
  next adventure with Fortune.
  
  30
  12
  You made a friend of a powerful ﬁ gure—an 
  archmage, a high priest, a general, or a hero. 
  The GM determines the person’s identity and the 
  beneﬁ ts your friendship provides.
  13
  A god, a divine servant, or an ancestral spirit 
  visited you and bestowed on you its favor. You 
  can invoke the favor when you make an attack roll 
  or a challenge roll to make the roll with 1 boon. 
  When you invoke the favor, roll a d6. You lose the 
  favor forever if you roll an odd number.
  14
  You saved the life of a veteran. The character 
  accompanies you on your adventures and serves 
  until death. Work out the details with the GM.
  15
  You gained an inheritance from a wealthy relative 
  or friend. This inheritance pays for you to have 
  a wealthy lifestyle. Alternatively, you can use 
  your stipend to purchase the rich lifestyle at the 
  discounted rate of 1 gc (see “Living Expenses” in 
  Shadow, page 100). 
  16
  You gained a suit of armor or a weapon of your 
  choice.
  17
  You acquired a small construct that serves you 
  loyally and obeys your commands.
  18
  You have become famous for your exploits, and 
  you are known all across the lands in which you 
  live. You make attack rolls with 1 boon in social 
  situations involving people who have heard of you.
  20
  You received a warning about the future from 
  a witch. If you would die, you can invoke this 
  warning. Instead of dying, you are rendered 
  unconscious for 1d3 hours, after which time you 
  heal 1 damage and regain consciousness. 
  Strange Event
  d20
  Event
  1
  You stumbled into a borderland and spent your 
  time living among the faerie. Add Elvish to the list 
  of languages you can speak.
  2
  You suffered a weird magical mishap. Your skin, 
  hair, or eyes changed to an unusual color or 
  pattern of colors.
  3
  You angered a druid and were transformed 
  into an animal of your Size. At the start of the 
  next adventure, you are in in this form, using 
  the animal’s statistics in place of your own. You 
  remain in this form for the ﬁ rst 24 hours of the 
  adventure.
  4
  You spent time in research. Add a language you 
  can read or write, or gain an area of scholarship.
  5
  You went to a temple to ﬁ nd or strengthen your 
  faith. The ﬁ rst time you make a fate roll during the 
  next adventure, you can roll twice and use either 
  result.
  6
  Your exploits attracted the attention of a demon, 
  and you were possessed. If you have Demon 
  Lord’s Companion, you gain the Possessed story 
  complication. Otherwise, you gain 1 Corruption 
  and the demon moved on to other, more 
  succulent targets. 
  7
  You have no idea what happened during your 
  downtime, but you woke up without clothes and 
  with a strange scar on your chest. You lose one 
  set of clothing.
  8
  Someone you killed during the previous adventure 
  now haunts you as a spirit. If you have Demon 
  Lord’s Companion, you can add the Haunted story 
  complication.
  9
  You suffered terrible nightmares involving the 
  events of your previous adventure. You gain 1d3 
  Insanity, but you make challenge rolls with 1 boon 
  to resist the frightening and horrifying traits for 
  the duration of the next adventure.
  10
  You were struck by lightning and have a nasty 
  scar to show for it.
  11
  A cult tried to recruit you. Make a Will challenge 
  roll. On a failure, you joined the cult, and you gain 
  1 Corruption and 1d3 Insanity. Work with the GM 
  to deﬁ ne the cult.
  12
  You faked your own death, then recently 
  returned, revealing the ruse to your friends. 
  13
  You spent time among the dwarfs, the gnomes, 
  or some other people. Add the language of those 
  folk to the list of languages you can speak.
  14
  You had a vision of the future. Once, when you 
  get a failure on an attack roll or a challenge roll, 
  you can turn the failure into a success.
  15
  You stopped a harvester from stealing another 
  person’s organs. The harvester ran off, but is 
  sure to give you trouble. The person you saved is 
  friendly to you and will try to help you. Work with 
  the GM to identify this person and the kind of help 
  the person might offer.
  16
  You encountered a mysterious stranger who 
  whispered a secret to you before vanishing. The 
  GM tells you this secret.
  17
  You went on a short adventure by yourself or with 
  a different group of people. You returned with 
  3d6 gc and an enchanted object. 
  18
  You have no idea what happened. You woke 
  up in a wheat ﬁ eld, naked and sore. When you 
  inspected your body, you discovered a weird scar 
  on your back.
  19
  You gained a mutation, perhaps from something 
  encountered during a previous adventure. The GM 
  rolls on the Mutations table (Shadow, page 198) to 
  determine what form your mutation takes.
  20
  If you are a living creature, a changeling murdered 
  you and took your appearance. Create a new 
  character with the changeling ancestry to join the 
  group in your place. If you’re not a living creature, 
  you spend your time working instead. Roll on the 
  Work table to see what happens.
  group in your place. If you’re not a living creature, 
  you spend your time working instead. Roll on the 
  Work table to see what happens.
  
  31
  Beyond Level 10
  Most campaigns end when a group completes an 
  adventure after advancing to level 10. At this point, 
  the characters have reached the pinnacle of their 
  careers. They are assumed to retire from their lives 
  of danger and go on to pursue other objectives in the 
  world. Magicians might withdraw to towers where 
  they research new magic, construct relics, or master 
  increasingly diﬃ  cult spells. Priests build temples and 
  gather congregations, while rogues might take over 
  guilds and warriors ﬁ nd themselves at the heads of 
  armies, masters of castles, or enlightened teachers in 
  ﬁ ghting academies.
   But the game doesn’t have to stop for characters at 
  level 10. It can go on for as long as your group desires, 
  the adventurers continuing their struggle against the 
  encroaching darkness and the horrors unleashed by 
  the Demon Lord’s approach.
   The following rules provide the basic mechanics for 
  advancing characters beyond level 10. 
  Paragon 
  Legendary Path
  Paragons are storied individuals whose lists of 
  accomplishments and exploits are the things of 
  legend. They loom large in the minds of ordinary folk, 
  for they are among the most powerful people in the 
  world. Paragons include the greatest users of magic, 
  adventurers of supreme cunning, battle-hardened 
  veterans who have spilled the blood of countless 
  enemies, and the living symbols of the gods’ inﬂ uence 
  on the mortal world. Each paragon continues the 
  mission it undertook earlier in life, keeping up the 
  ﬁ ght against the myriad horrors at large in the land, 
  battling against demons and giants, dragons and 
  krakens, always facing oﬀ  against the greatest dangers 
  in order to spare their world from the doom that casts 
  such a long shadow across it.
  Level 11 and Higher Paragon
  At level 11 and at each level thereafter, you gain the following 
  beneﬁ ts.
  Characteristics Health +1
  Legendary Talent Choose a talent from the list of 
  legendary talents presented below.
  Legendary Talents
  Legendary Power Increase your Power by 1. You can 
  choose this talent multiple times, and its effect is 
  cumulative.
  Legendary Health Increase your Health by 5. You can 
  choose this talent multiple times, and its effect is 
  cumulative.
  Legendary Magic You discover a tradition or learn a spell 
  from a tradition you have discovered. You can choose 
  this talent multiple times, and its effect is cumulative.
  Legendary Attack When you make an attack roll, you can 
  choose to get an automatic success. Once you use this 
  talent, you cannot use it again for 1 minute.
  Legendary Casting You can use a triggered action on your 
  turn to cast a spell of rank 3 or lower. You can use this 
  talent a number of times equal to your Power score. You 
  replenish your uses when you complete a rest.
  Legendary Prayer When a creature you can see makes an 
  attack roll or a challenge roll, you can grant that creature 
  an automatic success. You can use this talent a number 
  of times equal to your Power score. You replenish your 
  uses when you complete a rest.
  Legendary Strength Increase your Strength by 1 (maximum 
  20). You can choose this talent multiple times, and its 
  effect is cumulative.
  Legendary Agility Increase your Agility by 1 (maximum 
  20). You can choose this talent multiple times, and its 
  effect is cumulative.
  Legendary Intellect Increase your Intellect by 1 (maximum 
  20). You can choose this talent multiple times, and its 
  effect is cumulative.
  Legendary Will Increase your Will by 1 (maximum 20). You 
  can choose this talent multiple times, and its effect is 
  cumulative.
  Legendary Perception Increase your Perception by 2 
  (maximum 25). You can choose this talent multiple 
  times, and its effect is cumulative.
  Legendary Resilience When you would take damage, you 
  can reduce the damage to 0. Once you use this talent, 
  you cannot use it again for 1 minute.
  Legendary Defense Increase your Defense by 1 (maximum 
  25). You can choose this talent multiple tomes, and its 
  effect is cumulative.
  Legendary Spell Defense You impose 3 banes on the 
  attack rolls of any creature attacking you with a spell, 
  and you make challenge rolls to resist attack spells with 
  3 boons.
  Legendary Boon You make all attack rolls and challenge 
  rolls with 1 boon.
  Legendary Endurance You are immune to damage from 
  disease and poison and to the diseased and poisoned 
  afﬂ ictions. In addition, you add your group level to your 
  healing rate.
  Legendary Speed Increase your Speed by 4. You can 
  choose this talent multiple times, and its effect is 
  cumulative.
  Legendary Immortality You return to the prime of your 
  life and stop aging. You cannot be aged, and short of 
  violence or mishap, you are now immortal.
  Legendary Stealth You are invisible in shadows and 
  darkness.
  Legendary Senses When you close your eyes, you have the 
  sightless trait (see Shadow, page 215).
  Legendary Recovery You need to rest for only 1 hour to 
  complete a rest.
  Legendary Stamina You can use an action, or a triggered 
  action on your turn, to heal damage equal to your 
  healing rate. You can use this talent once, and you regain 
  the use of this talent when you complete a rest. You can 
  choose this talent multiple times; each time you do so, 
  you can use it one additional time between rests.
  Legendary Fighting When you use an action to attack with 
  a weapon, you can either deal 1d6 extra damage with 
  that attack or make another attack against a different 
  target at any point before the end of your turn.
  Legendary Magical Sense You count as always being 
  under the effect of the sense magic spell from the 
  magician path. If you have learned this spell already, 
  you can learn a spell of any rank you can cast from one 
  tradition you have discovered. 
  Legendary Charm You make attack rolls in social situations 
  with 3 boons.
  Legendary Polyglot You can speak, read, and write 
  all languages. In addition, when you would use an 
  incantation, you get an automatic success on the 
  challenge roll made to cast the spell.
  
  32
  A
  Acrobat ........................................................................................... 13
  Actions ............................................................................................10
  Actions, New .................................................................................14
  Adept ...............................................................................................21
  Area Eﬀ ects ...................................................................................16
  Armor ................................................................................................7
  Armor, Simpliﬁ ed ........................................................................23
  Athletic Skills ................................................................................19
  Attacks, Melee ..............................................................................16
  Attacks, Ranged ............................................................................16
  Attacks, Two Weapons ...............................................................14
  Attitudes .........................................................................................10
  B
  Banes, Static ....................................................................................3
  Befriend ..........................................................................................10
  Bell Curve Rolls ............................................................................. 4
  Bonus to Defense ...........................................................................7
  Boons, Static ....................................................................................3
  C
  Cannibalize Magic ......................................................................27
  Character Creation ...................................................................... 17
  Characteristics, New ...................................................................10
  Chases ............................................................................................. 17
  Climbing Large Creatures ......................................................... 15
  Clockworks Defense .....................................................................7
  Combat ...........................................................................................12
  Combat, Abstract ......................................................................... 15
  Combat, Magical ..........................................................................10
  Combat, Social .............................................................................10
  Compelled ..................................................................................... 13
  Composure ....................................................................................10
  Converting Creatures ...................................................................7
  Cooperation ....................................................................................3
  Corruption .......................................................................................5
  Cover ............................................................................................... 17
  Critical Failure ................................................................................5
  Critical Success ..............................................................................5
  D
  Damage Conversion......................................................................8
  Damage, Consistent ...................................................................... 3
  Damage-Reducing Armor ........................................................... 7
  Deceive ............................................................................................11
  Defense ............................................................................................. 7
  Die Rolls ........................................................................................... 3
  Diﬃ  cult Terrain ........................................................................... 16
  Discover Aptitude........................................................................10
  Downtime ...................................................................................... 27
  E
  Endurance ...................................................................................... 9
  Epic Adversary ............................................................................. 13
  Exchange Phase ............................................................................11
  F
  Falling Damage, Alternative .....................................................12
  Fast Turns ......................................................................................12
  Fast Turns, Acting on .................................................................. 13
  Forbidden Tradition .................................................................. 26
  Form of the Guardian ................................................................ 26
  Fortune Points ............................................................................... 6
  Free Attacks ................................................................................... 15
  G
  Goad ................................................................................................14
  H
  Halving Damage ........................................................................... 8
  Harness Magic ............................................................................. 26
  Healing Rate................................................................................... 8
  Healing Wounds ........................................................................... 8
  Horrid Joining .............................................................................. 13
  I
  Incapacitation ................................................................................ 9
  Inﬁ ltrator ........................................................................................ 13
  Inﬂ uence ........................................................................................10
  Initiative .........................................................................................12
  Instant Death ................................................................................. 9
  Intimidate .......................................................................................11
  Isolate ..............................................................................................14
  Index
  
  33
  L
  Legendary Talents ....................................................................... 31 
  Lore Skills .....................................................................................20
  M
  Magic Variants ............................................................................. 24
  Marks of Darkness ....................................................................... 6
  Movement ...................................................................................... 15
  N
  No Attack Rolls ...............................................................................3
  Novice Path Variants ...................................................................22
  O
  Obscurement ................................................................................ 17
  Overbear ........................................................................................14
  P
  Paragon ........................................................................................... 31
  Persuade ..........................................................................................11
  Poisoned Variants ..........................................................................5
  Power Points ................................................................................. 24
  R
  Range ..............................................................................................16
  Regain Casting ............................................................................ 26
  Regroup ........................................................................................... 9
  Reinvigorate ................................................................................... 9
  Rounds ............................................................................................10
  Rules Changes ............................................................................. 24
   
  Magician .....................................................................................24
  Artiﬁ cer ........................................................................................24
   
  Paladin ..........................................................................................25
  Spellbinder ...................................................................................25
   
  Warlock ........................................................................................25
   
  Witch .............................................................................................25
   
  Wizard ..........................................................................................25
   
  Arcanist ........................................................................................25
  Diviner ..........................................................................................25
  Geomancer...................................................................................25
  Hydromancer ............................................................................26
  Jack-of-all-Trades .....................................................................26
  Thaumaturge ............................................................................26
  Theurge .......................................................................................26
  Traveler .......................................................................................26
  Woodwose ...................................................................................26
  S
  Sacriﬁ ce ......................................................................................... 26
  Shadow Magic ..............................................................................27
  Simpliﬁ ed Dying ........................................................................... 9
  Skills ................................................................................................19
  Slow Healing .................................................................................. 9
  Slow Turns .....................................................................................12
  Slowed Creatures .........................................................................16
  Social Actions ...............................................................................10
  Social Attack Rolls ........................................................................11
  Social Attacks ................................................................................10
  Social Combat ..............................................................................10
  Spell Revisions ............................................................................ 26
  Step ..................................................................................................14
  Stumble ..........................................................................................14
  Support ...........................................................................................10
  T
  Talents............................................................................................. 13
  Taunt ................................................................................................11
  Trade Skills ...................................................................................20
  U
  Universal Literacy ........................................................................21
  V
  Variant Healing ..............................................................................9
  W
  Weapons Descriptions ...............................................................23
  Weird Magic ..................................................................................27
  Wild Magic ................................................................................... 26
  Wounds ............................................................................................7
  Wrestle ............................................................................................ 15
  Z
  Zones ................................................................................................15
  
  Enter 
  the World 
  of Fire 
  and Blood
  
  Forbidden Rules is ©2016 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC. All rights reserved.
  Shadow of the Demon Lord, Schwalb Entertainment, and their associated  
  logos are trademarks of Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
  Schwalb EntErtainmEnt, llc
  PO Box #12548
  Murfreesboro, TN 37129
  info@schwalbentertainment.com
  www.schwalbentertainment.com
  SKU: SDL1632 
  $19.99
  Forbidden Rules provides a comprehensive set of variant and optional rules for use with 
  Shadow of the Demon Lord, letting you reshape the game in a variety of different ways. 
  Whether you’re looking for a points-based casting system or basic rules to kick off games 
  beyond level 10, this supplement has it. Inside this book, you’ll find:
  • Dice rules that range from cooperative tasks to consistent damage, bell curve rolls, and
  variants in which players make all the rolls.
  • More marks of darkness and rules for using fortune points.
  • Damage reducing armor rules
  • Wounds to replace damage
  • Modified dying and death rules
  • Variant healing methods
  • Social combat rules
  • Variant combat options, such as initiative or guidelines for running abstract combats
  • New ways to use actions in combat plus details on how to handle chases
  • Optional rules for customizing ancestries
  • A skill variant to replace professions
  • A new adept novice path
  • A system of power points to replace castings
  • Plus much, much more!!
  Behold 
  the Forbidden!
  Using the options in this book helps you 
  tailor your Shadow of the Demon Lord game 
  experience in a variety of new and interesting 
  ways, but even if you don’t alter the underlying 
  system, certain options are perfect expansions 
  for the main game. Do you have the courage to 
  read these Forbidden Pages? 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Shadow of the Demon Lord/Poisoned Pages/SotDL - Poisoned Pages - Forbidden Rules.pdf