Legacy

Rhapsody
of Blood

1
James Iles
 Legacy: Rhapsody of Blood v0.21

Writing and Layout

James Iles

Art
Tithi Luadthong

Fonts used:
October Crow (chapter headings),
Kinesis Pro (secondary headings and body).

December 2017
A UFO Press Publication.
ufopress.co.uk [email protected]
Twitter: @ufopressrpg facebook.com/UFOpressRPGs
© 2017 UFO Press. All rights reserved

Inspired by the Apocalypse World system by Vincent and Meguey Baker.

Changes from previous version:

• Added a game setup procedure including a prologue.
• Rewrote Exploration and Confrontation moves.
• Added The Half-Damned, The Holy Church, The Hidden Hand,
The Mystic, The Bonded, The Reckoner.
• Added GM guidance on NPC harm ratings.
• Added a brief overview of PbtA mechanics (p. 7).

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Contents
CHAPTER 1: UNDER A BLOOD MOON 4
WHAT IS THIS? 6
BLOODLINES8
EXPLORERS9
GETTING STARTED 10

CHAPTER 2: NEW MECHANICS 14

THE FLOW OF PLAY 16
CASTLE EXPLORATION 17
BLOOD18
HARM AND WOUNDS 18
COVENANTS19
CONFRONTATIONS21
BLOODLINE MOVES 23
THE PASSING OF GENERATIONS 24

CHAPTER 3: PLAYBOOKS 26
LEGENDARY HEROES 28
THE HALF-DAMNED 30
THE HOLY CHURCH 32
THE HIDDEN HAND 34
THE SLAYER 36
THE MYSTIC 38
THE BONDED 40
THE RECKONER 42

CHAPTER 4: RUNNING THE GAME 44

BASE ELEMENTS 46
THE DARK MENAGERIE 46
GOTHIC ACTION AND BLOOD-SOAKED ADVENTURE 47

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 Chapter 1:
Under a Blood Moon

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5
 There’s a wound in the world, and it’s bleeding.
Most of the time, you can’t put your finger on what’s wrong. Yes, pain and suffering
abounds. Yes, plagues and wars regularly carry the young to their graves and tear apart
communities. Yes, those in power do nothing but enrich themselves as the poor beg for
food. But isn’t that just the way of the world?
A select few have a different idea. They’ve come into contact with a corrupting, corrosive
force from outside reality, and even as it’s tainted their bloodline it’s given them the
insight to spot its effects. From across the world - from the forests of Wallachia to the
slums of London, from the plains of the Lakota to the savannah of the Serengeti - brave
souls have faced down the corruption and tracked it back to its source.
That source is the castle: a sprawling, chaotic and ever-shifting gothic nightmare.
Everything it touches is twisted into a nightmare or empowered with occult magic, all
at the whims of the castle’s regent. From the moment it tears a hole into our reality the
blood shed by that wound collects in the castle’s corridors and keeps, eventually pooling
in an Unholy Grail in the regent’s sanctum. When it’s full, they’ll work some grand ritual
to blight the land - unless those brave souls can stop them first.
And if they manage to defeat the regent, what then? The Grail remains, ready to work
great changes on the world. A victorious explorer can seize that power, bringing fortune
to their bloodline and peace to the world, but there’s a cost: the castle needs a regent, and
whoever claims the Grail must go with it as it retreats from the mortal world. When it
returns it’ll be their hands guiding the beasts, their hands working blasphemies, their will
forming a new Grail. Are you willing to pay the price?

WHAT IS THIS?
Rhapsody of Blood is a gothic action RPG where you wage war on an evil castle from
outside the world. The players will control a bloodline able to recognise the castle’s
corruption and fight against it, and an explorer sent by that bloodline into the castle
to defeat the regent, protect humanity and win glory and power. Each time the regent
blights the world or is defeated, the castle retreats from the world; you cover in broad
strokes how your bloodline fares until the blood moon rises again a generation later, and
new heroes are chosen.
One of you will be the Game Master (GM), controlling the forces of the castle and
working to make the game an enjoyable experience. Like other Powered by the
Apocalypse games (Apocalypse World, Monsterhearts, Dungeon World) the GM has an agenda
they’re working towards and a list of actions they can take to keep the game focused on
that agenda, but never rolls dice.
Rhapsody of Blood asks the GM to do some prep work between sessions: they’ll design a
regent for the castle and their acolytes, and plot out a basic map of the castle ready for the
players to explore. During the session their role is more reactive: they call for particular
rules to be used when their triggers are hit, steer the results of the mechanics back into the
fiction, and build the story’s tension and maintain its tone with their GM reactions.

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Players have a narrower focus: it’s their responsibility to portray their bloodline and
explorer honestly, seek out danger and tell thrilling tales of action and adventure. You
should be willing to see your explorer die, fall to corruption or be lost to the castle - the
looming tragedy will make your victories all the sweeter.
For the most part, you'll play by taking it in turns to describe what your characters do
and say while the GM describes the world around you. Occasionally the things you say
will trigger moves: discrete chunks of rules that narrow down that conversation into a
particular set of stakes and potential outcomes, sometimes mediated by dice. When a
move needs a dice roll it'll describe it as 'roll +stat' - you roll two six-sided dice, add the
relevant stat, and that's your result. Generally a 10+ is great, a 7-9 is alright and a 6- is the
GM's cue to make a reaction that makes life harder for you.
Sometimes you'll roll with advantage: you roll 3 dice instead of two and take the highest
two. If the advantage is fleeting, it only lasts for one roll; otherwise, it takes effect any time
its criteria is met. Disadvantage works the same, but you take the lowest two dice.

How It Works
The regent is working a grand ritual, marshalling the
power and resources given to them by the castle to
inflict their blight on the land. The form this ritual
takes varies from regent to regent: a disgraced opera
singer may be tuning and refining a libretto that will
drive the world mad, while a ferocious werewolf might
be abducting local dignitaries to inflict lycanthropy on
them. Whatever they’re planning, it’s reflected in the
regent’s clock. As the players explore the castle actions A regent’s clock with one segment
that take time tick the clock down towards midnight, filled in.
bringing the regent’s victory closer.
How do you stop them? By killing them, or breaking their hold on the grail. But that
won’t be easy: they’re incredibly potent, and unless you really fancy your chances you’ll
need to chip away at their power base first. Thankfully a ritual this grand cannot be
performed by a single participant, however potent. To that end, the regent is assisted by
several acolytes, instilled with a fragment of the regent's power. In their own ward of the
castle, each acolyte works on their fragment of the ritual. By defeating each acolyte the
explorers set back the clock and steal that power for themselves.
Rhapsody of Blood doesn’t want you to map out every twist of
the castle’s corridors - its shifting dreamlike chaos makes that
Clock
futile. Instead, you track the relationships between the wards, Tower
with the Travel the Labyrinth explorer move guiding
movements within a ward. As you defeat acolytes
you’ll create safe camps you can use to rest and Throne Room
resupply without leaving the castle, and
close in on the regent’s lair.

Barracks The gardens

The four wards that make up a version of the castle.
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 BLOODLINES
Standing between the waking world and the nightmare castle are your bloodlines. The
taint of the castle cannot be scrubbed from your family, but you’ve found yourself able to
resist the lure of madness and use its siren call to guide you to your ancient enemy. Each
time the castle breaches reality and begins spreading its poison you’ll be there to fight it
back, save the lands it’s stolen from its influence, and claim its power for your own.
Rhapsody of Blood presents five bloodlines for you to use:
The Legendary Heroes are a bloodline in the truest sense of the word: a lineage where
the virtues of heroism recur again and again. Whether they’ve been trained from
birth to match the deeds of their forbears or brought to the castle by the winds of fate
ignorant of their destiny, they’re tenacious and audacious foes of the regent.
The Magi use secretive and arcane rituals to draw power from the blood. Where other
bloodlines may draw on its power recklessly and spiral down into corruption, the Magi
precisely measure out each portion of their soul as they trade it for power.
The Holy Church draw power from their faith. Whatever the truth of their particular
creed they’re defenders of humanity able to purge corruption, build protections
against evil and provide respite to the afflicted.
The Half-Damned show clearer than most the marks of corruption. Lurking on the
fringes of society, they fight a constant struggle against the dark blood within. In the
castle they have the unique advantage of blending in with its inhabitants, giving them
unmatched powers to infiltrate and gain information on the regent’s plans.
The Hidden Hand focus on temporal power, using the treasures of the blood to shape
mortal society. When the castle returns they call on legions of allies and cutting-edge
technology to push it back and get rich in the process.

Bloodlines are defined by four stats:

Chalices: Their ability to provide aid to the characters and let them rest
and heal.

Swords: Their ability to project force into the castle and claim forward bases.

Wands: Their ability to push back against the occult predations of the regent.

Coins: Their ability to influence mortal institutions and draw resources

from them.

They also collect Relics - objects imbued with the castle’s power that can fetch
a high price in the mortal world or be used in grand rituals.

Finally, they have Pacts with the other bloodlines - ancient agreements
binding the bloodlines together. Each bloodline has particular actions they
reward with pacts, and things pacts can be cashed in for.

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EXPLORERS
In any given generation, each bloodline will produce a handful of heroes with the
tenacity to enter the castle and fight its denizens. Each explorer has their own set of skills,
particularly suited to a certain aspect of the journey into the castle’s depths.
Rhapsody of Blood has five Explorer types to play as:
The Blooded almost fell to corruption but managed to claw their way back to humanity.
Now they have inhuman powers to call on, but also terrible compulsions to keep
control of.
The Bonded has forged a link with a powerful spirit - a ghost of an ancestor, an avatar
of their god, an elemental force or something stranger. With this spirit standing behind
them, they can work strange miracles and walk between worlds.
The Mystic is an expert at extracting occult power from the castle. In their hands the
blood is coaxed into amulets, weapons and explosive incantations.
The Reckoner is a navigator, able to force order on the shifting chaos of the castle and
get their allies where they need to be. In combat they’re experts at using the castle as a
weapon, turning traps on their owners and finding escape routes.
The Slayer is a monster hunter, plain and simple. They’re fast and lethal, equally at home
confronting a horde of beasts and a single towering colossus.

Explorers are defined by four stats:

Iron: Your stubborn will and ability to fight and kill. When exploring, you
use it to fight hordes. When fighting a powerful adversary, use this to take
advantage of an opening and strike them down.
Glass: Your ability to stay sane and clear-eyed. When exploring, use it to find
your way through and assess your surroundings. When fighting a powerful
adversary, use it to spot openings and help your allies exploit them.
Sulphur: The strength of your passions and ability to tap into occult power.
When exploring, use it to learn magic from the castle’s relics. When
fighting a powerful adversary, use it to pull allies from danger.
Mercury: Your ability to be stealthy, quick and graceful. When exploring, use
it to find safe refuge from the castle’s inhabitants; when fighting, use it to
dodge away from blows and use trickery and guile.
They also deal with two additional resources: blood and covenants.
Blood tracks how corrupted your explorer has been by the castle’s power. As
it increases you unlock advances, gaining improved stats and strange gifts,
but risk falling under the permanent sway of the regent.
Covenants are the promises your explorers have sworn to each other. By
holding true to them, you can resist the castle’s corruption and appear
beside your fellows when most needed. By forsaking them, you can gain
great power.

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 GETTING STARTED
To get playing, it's recommended you have at least 3 people (one GM and two players).
You'll also need some six-sided dice (two per player is best), copies of the playbook
handouts, and some pencils or other means of making notes.
To get your game rolling, Rhapsody lets you set up your game by playing through the first
emergence of the castle and the founding of your bloodlines:

Prologue: A Terrible Night to Have a Curse

It's the middle ages, somewhere in Eastern Europe. The first emergence of the castle has spread
beasts and nightmares across the world, and called heroes from the furthest shores to remove its
blight. You have taken up arms against the castle and its regent - in time, you will be remembered
as the founders of the great bloodlines. But that's all yet to come. Before you stands the gate to the
regent's inner sanctum, and the end of your quest.
Each player picks a family playbook and some details to customise their founder.
Founder of the Legendary Heroes: the Paladin
You're brave and bold, and where your fellows have faltered you inspired them to press on. Now the
regent stands in front of you, and they will answer for the evils they have brought to the land.
One of the other founders risked great danger to save your life. Say what they did and give
their bloodline 2-pact on you. They say how you're still wounded.
Your stats: Iron 2 Glass 0 Sulphur 1 Mercury -1.
Your weapon: fists (tags: stun, close) or a greatsword (tags: cleave, unstable).
Looks: Gleaming chivalric plate; basic peasant garb; rugged travelling gear.
Name: Joseph, Gerda, Ambrose, Faysal, Fatima, Katerina, Zlatomir.

Founder of the Half-Damned: the Tainted

Maybe the castle almost claimed you, and it was only thanks to your fellows that you remained
human. Maybe the darkness was always inside you, and your struggle to stay in control is even
harder now the castle has given it physical form. Either way, it's time to put these gifts to use.
One of the other founders is helping you keep control. Give their bloodline 2-pact on you. You
say how they're keeping you sane, they say what will happen if they stop.
Your stats: Iron 1 Glass -1 Sulphur 2 Mercury 0.
Your weapon: claws (tags: tether, close) or a rapier (tags: piercing, grazing).
Looks: Half-human, half-beast; undead pallor; grotesque chaos.
Name: Willem, Annah, Petra, Mico, Amelia, Lyko, Tali, Haruto.

Founder of the Holy Church: the Saint

You may not be trained in occult lore, or mortal combat. But you know evil, and you know good.
And so long as good people stand against evil, you will be there with them to keep them safe.
One of the other founders joined your flock and helped spread your healing truth. Give their
bloodline 2-pact on you. You say how you blessed them, they say what doubts remain.
Your stats: Iron 1 Glass 2 Sulphur -1 Mercury 0.
Your weapon: ceremonial staff (tags: holy, brace) or a sling (tags: ranged, ammo).
Looks: Ancient and venerable; young and naive; grizzled survivor.
Name: Irene, Timothy, Marija, Dobroslav, Zhang,Costin, Malina.

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Founder of the Hidden Hand: the Mastermind
You're not here out of the goodness of your heart, but raw pragmatism. Frankly, hordes of monsters
are liable to ruin your plans for wealth, prestige and power. At least your talent for command has
come in useful managing this ragtag band of 'heroes'.
One of the other founders helped you find a wondrous treasure. Give their bloodline 2-pact
on you. They say what form the treasure took, you say how it's liable to taint its owner.
Your stats: Iron 0 Glass 1 Sulphur -1 Mercury 2.
Your weapon: sharp dagger (tags: piercing, close) or a crossbow (tags: ranged, reload).
Looks: Young and ambitious; portly and arrogant; spindly and scheming.
Name: Sigismund, Mohana, Livonia, Ciannait, Vígi, Kwame, Halim.

Into the Fight

Once you have chosen and fleshed out your founders, it's time to kick down the door and
confront the Regent. For this you'll just need the Confrontation Moves (p. 21).
GM: decide what form the Regent takes by picking three Qualities for them. No matter
what you pick, their attacks deal 3 Harm.

BESTIAL
The regent is half-mad and twisted into an animalistic form.
• Leap across the arena.
• Hit with devastating force.

ELEGANT
The Regent has a noble grace and precision to them.
• Disarm an explorer.
• Stand with poise on impossible surfaces.

ARCANE
The Regent can shapeshift and use supernatural forces.
• Lash out with crimson fire.
• Summon walls of boiling blood.

COMMANDING
The Regent has hordes of minions.
• Mob a character and isolate them from the party.
• Place a wall of minions between the regent and the explorers.

DARK
The regent is insidious and controls shadows.
• Teleport from one shadow to another.
• Disappear in a cloud of choking poison.

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 This fight will have one of two outcomes:
They defeat the regent. The castle starts crumbling and sliding out of reality. Trigger the
Spoils of Victory (p. 25) to work out how each founder escapes - and what they do with
the rest of their life. If your founder died, give another bloodline 1 pact on you and say
how they carried on your legacy.
They are defeated by the regent. The regent completes their evil ritual over the barely-
alive bodies of the founders. Somehow you all survive - good luck or part of the castle's
diabolical plan? Trigger Darkness Falls (p. 24) and explain how the land is now cursed.

The Turning of Ages

In the decades following the castle's emergence, your bloodlines grew into potent
organisations waiting for its return.
Go through your bloodline playbook, making choices for:
• Stats: What are your bloodline's capabilities, and what does that say about them?
• Traditions: What's the internal culture of the bloodline like?
• Pacts: What sort of things earn your loyalty and respect? What can your allies gain
from your loyalty?
• Shelter: How does your explorer provide solace to the others when resting in
the castle?
• Specialists: What assistance can your bloodline provide at their camps?
• Moves: What special abilities can your explorers call on?
Finally, there's Context. Generations after your bloodline's founding, the blood moon
has risen and the castle has returned. Your refuge is your bloodline's first safe camp, on
the outskirts of the castle. Your breach is the ward your refuge borders on, and your plan
to break in. Finally, your drive gives your explorer a particular reason to break into that
ward and fight back the evil of the regent. Take it in turns to pick options from the list,
sketching a castle map that looks something like the facing page.

Build your characters

Each player should pick an explorer playbook. Try to avoid doubling up. To make your
explorer, follow these steps:
• Stats: You have a basic statline, customised by adding 1 to a stat of your choice.
• Looks: Options for your appearance, gender presentation, racial background and so
on. These lists are not intended to be exhaustive - use your own ideas if you like!
• Motivation: What pulled you into the life of a castle delver. Use this to add an extra
dimension to your bloodline's current drive, or give yourself a personal quest.
• Covenants: The bonds you've formed with other explorers. Each covenant option
describes how it was formed, how it can be strengthened, and how it can be broken.
• Gear: Build a weapon (using one perk and one flaw from the weapon table on p. 20)
and pick options for backup and utility gear.
• Moves: Pick two moves to give your explorer particular tricks to use in their journey.
With those choices made, you have everything needed to start your assault! Start at one of
the player's refuge, with the characters discussing which breach plan to go with, and play
the attack on the castle out from there...

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Player 1's
refuge
Player 1's First Ward
Breach May have leads on
player 1's Drive.

The Castle
The Regent's
Sanctum
Second Ward Third Ward
May have leads on
May have leads on
player 2's Drive.
player 3's Drive.
Player 2's Player 3's
Breach Breach

Player 2's
refuge Player 3's
refuge

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 Chapter 2: New Mechanics

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15
 While Rhapsody of Blood builds on the basic framework of Legacy: Life Among the Ruins
(and Apocalypse World before it), it’s aiming for a different genre of stories and a different
pace in play. To help you hit that tone, its basic moves have been rewritten from the
ground up to support castle exploration, gothic action and bloodlines waging a shadow
war against the castle’s regents.

THE FLOW OF PLAY

Once you've built this generation's castle, gameplay starts with a party of explorers
invading the castle through one of the breach points identified in castle creation. As a
party delves deep into the castle, they'll use the exploration moves to chart out its twisting
layout, deal with the traps and minions that haunt its halls, and learn to not just survive
but turn the castle's strengths against its regent.
As you master a ward of the castle you'll eventually enter combat with its ruling acolyte.
These fights are tense and dramatic, using their own set of confrontation moves. As the foe
does their best to kill you, your party will find opportunities to strike, use those strikes to
slice away their powers and finally go in for the kill.
And when the acolyte's dead, what then? That's where your bloodline moves come in.
With their resources you can claim the ward as your own, using it as a place to rest up and
stage further expeditions into the castle or work rituals to push back the regent's plan.
Ward by ward you'll take down the regent's acolytes, carefully walking the tightrope
between death and corruption. Maybe you'll fail, and the regent's ritual will blight the
world. Maybe you'll face them down in their sanctum, defeat them and banish the castle
from reality. Depending on the circumstances, each player will have choices to make -
choices that might change the abilities of their bloodline, reshape the castle, and make
strides towards an eventual permanent victory against the forces of darkness.
Those choices made, the clock moves forward a generation as the castle blights the land
once more. Each player creates a new explorer from their bloodline, and fleshes out the
castle with options from their bloodline playbook. The GM tweaks the horrors inside the
castle based on the events of the last generation, and the expedition begins anew.

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CASTLE EXPLORATION
These are the moves your explorers use as they travel through the castle. They’re not
intended to guide you through every moment of the journey; instead, you jump from
point of interest to point of interest, guided by the player’s rolls.

Face the Horde

When you assault a group of castle denizens, roll +Iron. On a hit, you tear through them -
describe how. On a 7-9 pick 2, on a 10+ pick 1:
• You suffer harm appropriate to the enemy.
• You get some on you - mark corruption.
• You end up in a risky position.
• More are coming.
Lurk
When you attempt to avoid notice, roll +Mercury. On a 10+, the danger you are hiding
from passes. On a 7-9, choose one:
• You are separated from something important.
• You have to hide in a perilous place.
• You raise suspicion.
Drink Deep
When you draw on the power in a potent item or ritual site, roll +Sulphur. On a hit, mark
contamination and learn a spell - the GM will say what it does. When you cast it, pick 1:
• Mark contamination.
• Forget the spell.
• Take 1 Harm.
On a 10+, you don't need to pick an option on your first cast.
SAMPLE SPELLS
Purify poisons, disease and toxins out of Breathe underwater.
something you're touching. Cast lots to divine a yes/no question.
Coat your weapons in ice (add perk: stun). Return to where you were 6 seconds ago.
Grow momentary wings to slow your Summon a rat-like familiar.
fall or give your jumps an extra boost.
Whisper into another's mind across
Throw a fireball (ranged, painful). vast distances.
See Clear
When you try to read a dangerous situation, roll +Glass. On a hit, you can ask the GM
questions. Get fleeting advantage when you act on each answer.
On a 7–9 ask 1, on a 10+ ask 3:
• Which exit will take me to my goal?
• What here is valuable?
• What can enemies here do to surprise me?
• What should I be on the lookout for?
• How can I avoid notice?
On a miss, ask 1 anyway, but be prepared for the worst.

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 Travel the Labyrinth
When you attempt to navigate the labyrinthine twists of the castle, roll +Blood. On a hit,
hold 1 and describe your insight into the ward's purpose or layout.
• On a 7-9, the area you arrive at contains castle denizens or traps.
• On a 10+, the area you arrive at contains something valuable or useful.
• On a 6-, this ward’s Acolyte ambushes you.
When you leave the area, spend 1 hold to retreat to a safe camp, 2 to find an exit to
another ward, and 3 to find the Acolyte’s sanctuary. One person rolls each time you
navigate, and the group’s hold from multiple rolls is pooled together.
Thanks to Jason Cordova of Discern Realities for the basic structure of this move!

Shelter
When you look for a safe space to recover, roll +Mercury. On a hit, each explorer picks 1:
• Tend to another explorer: they heal 2 Harm, or step down their worst Wound.
• Encourage another explorer - they get fleeting advantage.
• Use your bloodline’s Shelter move.
On a 7-9, advance the Regent’s clock.
Whenever you rest outside a safe camp, mark contamination.

BLOOD
As the Castle’s corrupting blood begins to flow through your veins, you gain a measure of
the regent’s power. But the power always comes at a cost. When you get corrupted by the
power, you’ll be told to mark contamination.
When you’ve marked contamination 3 times, raise your Blood stat and take a blood
advance to show how the castle empowers you. Then clear out your contamination track.
BLOOD ADVANCES
n Get +1 to a stat (max 3).
n Get +1 to a stat (max 3).
n Get a Blood Gift...........
n Get a Blood Gift...........
Each may only be taken once.
You can take 4 blood advances before finally succumbing. When Blood hits 5, the castle
has full control of you. At the end of your current fight, you twist into an acolyte of the
regent, occupying an empty ward or forming a new one to rule over.

HARM AND WOUNDS

Your explorer suffers damage on two tracks. Glancing blows, exhaustion, stress and curses
can all deal you Harm. If you have Armour, subtract its value from each instance of harm
taken: if you have Armour 1 and would take 4 harm, you instead only take 3. If you hit 10
harm, you collapse and wake up back in the safe camp you last visited.
When the regent or an acolyte strikes you, you’ll take harm but you’ll also risk taking a
wound - the more harm you have, the greater the risk. When you take a wound, you write
it down and suffer its effects until you’re healed. Wounds come in three varieties:

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Minor wounds slow you down. You’re confused, bleeding, sprained, bruised. When a
minor wound impacts your ability to deal with an attack, you take 2 more harm.
Major wounds are significant impediments. Your leg is broken, your eye is blinded, you’re
absolutely terrified. When it impedes your actions, you take Disadvantage on the roll.
Deadly wounds kill you, or come very close. If you’re still functioning after taking one,
you can’t take action unless someone Assists you first.

COVENANTS
Within the twisted reality of the castle, your explorer’s relationship with the others
takes on tangible force. Stay true to them and they’ll be able to help you, even crossing
the vastness of the castle to stand by your side. Break your promises with them, and the
castle will reward you with a taste of its power.
Covenants have three stages:
Contacts are the default. They're fellow travellers on your quest to stop the Regent, but
they've given you little reason to trust them.
When you form a bond with another explorer, that becomes a minor covenant. Each
explorer playbook has three suggested sources of these bonds. Once you've formed the
covenant, you gain access to these moves:

Assist
If you have a covenant with another explorer, you can assist their efforts. Roll plus an
appropriate stat. On a hit, you give their roll Advantage - or allow them to take
action, if they have a deadly wound. On a 7-9, you’re exposed to harm, danger or an
unexpected cost.

Summon Aid
When you call on your covenants for help, distant characters can answer. If they do, they
step from the shadows near you as a wraith. They function as normal, but don’t roll
Endure. The first harm they take weakens them and the second harm banishes them,
weakening their covenant with you by a step.
Each bond listed on your playbook has a way to upgrade it to a major covenant. At this
stage they would risk their life for you, and you for them. At this stage you get Advantage
on rolls to Assist them. In addition, if either of you is about to take a Deadly Wound (and
then either be taken out of the fight or trigger their Death Move), the other can jump in
the way and take it instead.
Finally, you can break your covenant - why let your sentiments hold you back when
the castle will give you power in return for betrayal? Each covenant sets out how each
party can break it, but don't let these limit you: if both players agree that the covenant is
broken, that's that. Breaking the covenant has these effects:
• Minor covenant: The betrayer marks 1 contamination and gains a relic.
• Major covenant: The betrayer marks 3 contamination and gains a relic.
Note: Covenants work in both directions. If you have a covenant with someone, they
have a covenant with you. If you have a major covenant with someone, they have a
major covenant with you. If one of you breaks the covenant, it's broken for both.

19
 WEAPONS
Your armaments in Rhapsody of Blood are simple: each weapon has perk tags and flaw
tags. Your starting gear has one perk and one flaw, but more advanced weapons can have
multiple perks, or no flaws.
Weapon tags govern the situations where your weapon is effective, and the effects attacks
with it have on your target and you.

Perks Flaws
Cleave Can slice through many foes Ammo If any dice on an attack come
in a single swing. or Fragile up 1, the weapon’s useless
until you Shelter or get R&R.
Flexible It wraps around defences and Brace You need to stand on steady
can be redirected mid-swing. ground to use it.
Hefty Knocks an enemy back on Close You need the enemy to be
a hit. within arm’s reach to use it.
Holy Causes intense pain against a Grazing It only deals surface harm,
particular foe. This tag is only not deep wounds.
accessible via moves.
Lingering It causes ongoing pain: if you Heirloom If you lose it, get
hit someone with it they'll Disadvantage on bloodline
try to stay away from you. moves until you get it back.
Piercing Can penetrate armour and Painful Each time you attack, take
thick hide. 1 Harm.
Ranged Can attack any foe Reload You need to take action to
in eyesight. attack again after using it.
Stun Makes enemies slow and Thrown Once you attack with it, you
sluggish on a hit. need to recover it.
Tether After you hit, you can easily Unstable You’re vulnerable and unable
hold onto/keep pace with to move after using it.
the foe.

Example Weapons
Warhammer: hefty/brace.
Rapier: piercing/superficial.
Harpoon: tether/thrown.
Flintlock: ranged/ammo.
Greatsword: cleave/unstable.
Blood whip: flexible/painful.
Bareknuckle boxing: stun/close.

20
CONFRONTATIONS
As you explore the castle you’ll encounter the rank and file of the regent’s minions:
skeletons and ghouls, wraiths and beasts, crazed cultists and eldritch demons. They
need very little prep - just a description and a few reactions they can use to hurt
the explorers:

Example: Burning Skeletons

A skeleton walking in defiance of the natural order,
surrounded by viridian flames.
• Hurl a burning skull at the explorers.
• Set something important on fire.
• Travel between fires.

As skilled explorers you’re able to make your way past them with no significant effort
(see Face the Horde), but some foes demand more effort. One of those foes is the
regent squatting at the centre of the castle or walking through its halls performing
strange rites. But the regent is also supported by acolytes: mortals, beasts or eldritch
creatures invested with their power and playing some role in their schemes.
Each significant adversary has:
• A description to guide their actions in the fiction.
• A rating for how much Harm their attacks deal to explorers.
• Three or more qualities: packages of reactions tied to a particular strength
of the adversary. As the explorers fight the adversary, they’ll strip away its
qualities and deprive it of those abilities. When all qualities are destroyed, the
adversary’s defeated.
Here’s an example - for more, check out Chapter XX:
The Surgeon
A maniacal medic called to the regent’s service by the blood’s siren song. Here she
has worked great miracles of medicine that prolong life far beyond any natural
limits, and her ambition only grows with each victim she converts into an orderly.
Deals: 1 Harm (stabbing needles), 3 Harm (embedded poison needles).
ATTENDANT ORDERLIES.
• Mob a character and isolate them from the party.
• Stab a character in the back.
PARALYTIC VENOM.
• Numb a limb.
• Embed a poison-tipped needle in their flesh.
OVERDRIVE SERUM.
• Leap to the room’s rafters.
• Hit with devastating force.

21
 Confrontation Moves
Significant foes benefit from more involved combat mechanics. When your explorers face
down an acolyte or the regent, use these moves:
Dodge
When you try to avoid incoming harm, roll +Mercury. On a hit pick 1, on a 10+ pick 2:
• You avoid the danger.
• The foe’s heedless in pursuit of you: create an Opening.
Line It Up
When you…
• Try to sneak past an enemy’s defences, roll +Mercury.
• Use physical force to knock the foe off-balance, roll +Iron.
• Size up the enemy to locate a weak spot, roll +Glass.
• Passionately implore or taunt the foe, roll +Sulphur.
On a hit you do it, and find an Opening. On a 7-9, pick 1:
• The foe notices you and will make you its highest priority.
• You lost or used up a piece of gear - GM says which.
• The foe’s wise to you - get fleeting Disadvantage on your next Strike.
Strike
When you take advantage of an Opening to attack a foe with your weapon or the
environment, roll +Iron. On a hit, you damage one of the foe’s qualities - if you destroy its
final quality, it’s dead. The Opening’s now gone.
On a 7-9, the GM picks 1:
• The foe lashes out at you: take Harm appropriate to the enemy.
• The foe separates you from the others or puts you in a spot.
• The foe brings in reinforcements or triggers hazards in the environment.
Rescue
When you pull an ally out of danger, roll +Sulphur. On a 10+, both of you escape and heal
1 harm. On a 7-9, one of you escapes and heals, the other faces the brunt of the danger.

Withstand
When you take harm, roll -Total Harm. On a 7+ you’re alright.
On a 4-6, take a minor wound but choose one:
• Stand firm, creating an Opening against the foe.
• Play possum, making them focus on another target.
On a 1-3, take a major wound but choose one:
• Get infected by their power and mark contamination.
• Frenzy and get fleeting advantage attacking them.
On a 0 or less, take a deadly wound but choose one:
• Fall unconscious, waking up at the end of the fight.
• Die and trigger your Death Move.
Flee
When you use an Opening to retreat, any and all characters can flee the battle. Advance
the regent’s clock by one.

22
Victory
When the foe is slaughtered, everyone still living may take a Blood advance, and may
increase their Covenant with each other by a step. The foe’s sanctum becomes a place of
power, usable for Forward Base.

BLOODLINE MOVES
Bloodline moves govern the efforts of your bloodline’s support structures. If explorer
moves are the vanguard pushing into the regent’s domain, these are the logistics keeping
them in fighting condition and cementing their victories.

Rest and Relaxation

When you provide aid to characters in a safe camp, roll +Chalices.
On a 7-9, pick 1; on a 10+ pick 2.
• Each explorer may heal all harm.
• Each explorer may heal all wounds.
• Each explorer can repair and resupply their weaponry.
• Each explorer may form a new covenant, or raise an existing covenant by one.
• The regent’s clock doesn’t tick down.
Forward Base
When you claim a place of power as a forward base in the castle, roll +Swords. On a 7-9
pick 2 things that still needs to be done to make it safe; on a 10+ pick 1.
• Supplies must be escorted in from another base.
• An evil aura must be exorcised.
• Defences need to be set up.
Once those are done, it counts as a safe camp for the purposes of Rest and Relaxation and
Travel the Labyrinth.

Resist Doom
When you work a grand ritual, spend 1-3 Relics on occult resources and ceremonial
paraphernalia and roll +Wands. On a hit, choose one for each Relic spent:
• Reduce the Regent’s clock by 1.
• Bless a weapon to strike true against one Acolyte, giving it the Holy tag.
• Reduce a character’s Blood track by one.
On a 7-9, the Regent weaves a counter-spell; you’ll need to defeat an Acolyte before
anyone can work further rituals.

Reinforcements
When your family calls on outside allies for assistance, roll +Coins. On a hit, pick 1:
• Authorities will ignore your actions in the mortal world.
• They send you resources worth 1 Relic.
• They send forces to protect a region of the mortal world.
• They highlight a weakness of the Regent or one of their Acolytes, useful as
an Opening.
On a 10+ they send you a special gift - a piece of utility gear, a weapon with two perk tags,
or an enchanted item (as per Drink Deep).

23
 THE PASSING OF GENERATIONS
The castle is an eternal foe. It cannot be defeated, only pushed back. It’s your bloodline’s
calling, then, to wage a shadow war keeping the mortal world safe. When the castle
breaches reality, you muster and push it back; while it’s banished, you deal with the curses
the regent may have laid down on the world and gather resources for the next breach.
Each generation - between 15 and 30 years - the blood moon rises and the castle returns,
and new heroes rise to meet it.
Each expedition into the castle has three outcomes:
• The regent’s clock fills, and they enact their dark ritual.
• The explorers defeat the regent, and the castle retreats from the world.
• The explorers defeat the regent, and one claims their power to work a miracle in the
world - but they’re claimed by the castle as its new regent.
Here’s how those outcomes work.

Darkness Falls
When the regent’s clock fills, they blight the mortal world. The GM marks one:
pp A section of the region’s population is cursed and made monstrous.
pp Day is short and nights are starless.
pp Monsters walk the world every full moon.
pp Weather becomes unnatural and devastating.
pp Plagues strike a section of the population.
If all are marked, the castle claims the mortal world and all is lost.
Each player picks how their bloodline responds to the blight, and adjusts their stats:
• You stayed safe, at the cost of withdrawing from the world. Say which of your
connections suffered in your absence. +1 Chalices, -1 Coins.
• You fought to push it back, but your best mystics lost their lives. Say what their sacrifice
achieved. +1 Swords, -1 Wands.
• You took some of the taint into your family. Say what lingering malady the blight has left
you with. +1 Wands, -1 Chalice.
• You waged a shadow war keeping society safe at great cost to your warriors. Say which
settlement still stands thanks to you. +1 Coins, -1 Swords.
Gnosis
When the Regent is slain, the explorer with the highest Blood can choose to inherit the
Grail. If they do, they increase a bloodline stat by 1 but reduce their Pacts with the other
bloodlines by 1. They get one wish from the Grail:
• Life Everlasting: Your character can return in each subsequent generation, and they
will never truly die.
• The Resurrection of the Dead: One person of your choice is returned to life.
• Insight From Beyond: Gain a new bloodline move.
• Wealth of Kings: Your bloodline gains 5 Relics.
• Peace on Earth: Each bloodline gains 1 Relic; you gain 1-Treaty on the others.
• Purification: Remove a Blight infected by a previous Regent.
The castle then takes you with it as it leaves reality behind. You will return as its next
regent unless you chose Life Everlasting - in which case the next regent is Death Itself.

24
Spoils of Victory
If you leave the castle without claiming the grail, pick one of the choices unlocked by
your Explorer’s Blood.
BLOOD 0+
• Your explorer loots the castle for valuable trinkets. Say what they spend the rest of their
life doing with their fortune, and start the next generation with 1 more Relic.
• Your explorer devotes their life to preparing the next generation. Choose one other
bloodline - say how you helped train their next explorer, and increase your Pact with
them by 1.
• Your bloodline works to heal the wounds left in this community when the castle leaves.
Gain advantage on all Coins moves if the castle returns here.
BLOOD 2+
• Your explorer instils their skills into a piece of gear. Describe how they pass it down to
the next generation: when they use it, they can access one of your current explorer's
moves, but it gains the heirloom tag.
• Your explorer forces permanent order on the castle. One ward will remain in its
current form for the rest of time, and your bloodline gets Advantage Travelling the
Labyrinth there.
• You invest in improving your bloodline’s resources. Sacrifice 3 Relics to raise a bloodline
stat by 1.
BLOOD 4+
• You let the corruption sink deep into your bloodline, controlled but ever-present. Your
future characters start at Blood 1, with a Blood Advance to match.
• You form a bond with the castle. Your explorer can always mark contamination to get a
vision of what the regent is doing at the moment, and ask one follow-up question the
GM must answer truthfully.
The New Generation
Once the group has resolved these moves, you skip forward to the next time the blood
moon rises. Follow these steps:
1) WHERE DOES THE CASTLE EMERGE?
Is it somewhere it’s haunted before, or a new location? Each bloodline picks a refuge
option from their playbook to flesh out the surrounding area.
2) HOW HAS THE EVIL MANIFESTED?
Blood calls out to blood, and each bloodline is drawn to the castle by misfortune or
curse. Each bloodline picks a drive that brought them here, and says what they suspect
the drive says about the regent’s plans.
3) HOW DO YOU BREAK IN?
You’re ready to break into a ward of the castle. Each bloodline picks a breach option and
says what they’ve seen of the ward they’re preparing to assault.
4) MAKE EXPLORERS
Each player picks an explorer playbook and builds them up, picking stats, looks,
motivation, covenants, moves and gear. Start with the first explorer breaking in, with
the other explorers assisting them as wraiths or in the flesh.

25
 Chapter 3: Playbooks

26
27
 Legendary Heroes
Stats
Pick one:
Chalices 1 Swords 1 Coins 0 Wands -1 if fate and coincidence keep bringing your
bloodline to the castle despite their ignorance of mystical matters.
Chalices 0 Swords 1 Coins -1 Wands 1 if your bloodline is tested from childhood for
martial aptitude and trained to face the castle.
Chalices 0 Swords 1 Coins 1 Wands -1 if your bloodline are world travellers with a
fortune built on castle raids.
Traditions
Pick one from each or write one of your own:
Style: Stylish contemporary fashion; family crests and heirlooms; rustic or
utilitarian clothing.
Lore: Picking it up as they go along; ancestor’s crumbling journals; oral history passed
from parent to child.
Name: A noble title; an inherited naming convention; bearers of the ________.

Pact: The Way of Gold

One bloodline’s legends taught you how to be heroes. Set your pact with them to 1. You
say what legend you’ve heard, they say what secret failure the legend left out.
You prize heroism and valour. At the end of each play session, pick the explorer whose
heroism most impressed you and raise their pact with your bloodline by 1.
While at one of your camps, members of other bloodlines can spend 1-pact to gain a
weapon from your stores. Give it two perks and a flaw, and describe its history.
Shelter Move
When your explorer finds Shelter in the castle, they can inspire the others with tales
of selfless heroism. The next time their allies would mark contamination while trying
to aid or protect another explorer, they ignore it.
Specialists
Pick one to have at each safe camp your bloodline controls:
pp A Chronicler: Anyone can tell them a story of their expedition: write it down.
Later generations can strike off a story to get fleeting Advantage on a related roll.
pp A Civilian: They’ll have up-to-date information on the state of the world outside.
pp A Weaponsmith: Anyone can spend 2 Relics to add another perk to a weapon, or 4
Relics to remove a flaw.

Bloodline Moves
Pick two:
Audacious
When your explorer confronts the Regent, roll +Swords. On a 7-9 pick 1, on a 10+ pick 2:
• They’ll talk for a time before attacking or leaving.
• They let slip a weakness of their plans.
• They focus on your explorer and ignore the others.

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Defeat Means Friendship
When your explorer would inflict the killing blow on an Acolyte, they may stay their hand. If
you do, roll +Chalices. On a 7-9 pick 1 they get enough control to tell you:
• How the Regent’s ritual can be set back.
• How the Acolyte can be saved.
• A secret weakness of another Acolyte.
Then they retreat into the maze-like corridors of the castle.
On a 10+ they gain enough control to change sides and work alongside you, though they
cannot act directly against the Regent.
Our Town
When you call on your reputation in a community that knows your legend, roll +Chalices on
Reinforcements instead of +Coins.
Secret Technique
There’s a particular fighting style passed down your bloodline through training, genetics,
or mystical empowerment. Pick one:
• Cheating Death: The first time your explorer triggers their Death Move, they survive
hanging onto the barest thread of life.
• Consecrated Blood: Any monster that consumes your blood is feels agonising pain.
Your explorer can take 1 Harm to give their weapon the Holy tag for one strike.
• Accelerate Perceptions: Can take 1 Harm to move incredibly fast for a few seconds, at
the cost of being exhausted and unable to move for a few seconds after.

The Will to Fight

Your bloodline has a tenacity that lets them cheat death so long as they have something
to fight for. When they take Harm while defending an ally or offering themselves up as a
distraction, take Advantage on Endure.
Context
Each generation, pick one from each or make your own:
REFUGE
A inn or cafe where your sister plays music.
A general shop run by your grandfather.
A club, park or back alley where friendly gangs hang out.
DRIVE
Your love, kidnapped by the Regent.
Your parent, cursed to waste away
A neighbourhood, devastated by monsters.
BREACH
A grand door and a sturdy boot.
A great stained glass window and a hefted brick.
A high wall and a knotted rope.

29
 The Half-Damned
Stats
Pick one:
Chalices 0 Swords 1 Coins -1 Wands 1 if your bloodline is cursed with obvious signs of
damnation and must live on the fringes of society.
Chalices -1 Swords 1 Coins 1 Wands 0 if your bloodline is cursed with terrible hungers
or a lingering blight, even as they appear completely human.
Chalices 1 Swords 0 Coins -1 Wands 1 if one bloodline member in each generation
shows the physical gifts of the curse, while the rest suffer the frailties imposed.
Traditions
Pick one from each or write one of your own:
Style: ragged fabrics and animal skins; fastidiously clean and modern clothing;
anonymous peasant or low class clothing.
Lore: Ancient immortals with flawed memories; a voice whispering in your nightmares;
religious texts that damn you but offer advice.
Name: A shared mark or feature; after your progenitor; what zealots and bigots call you.

Pact: The Way of Red

One bloodline hunted you as monsters before you forged a treaty. Set your pact each other to
1. You say how you proved your humanity, they say how they made amends.
You prize integrity and sacrifice. At the end of each play session, pick the explorer whose
mercy most impressed you and raise their bloodline's pact with you by 1.
While at one of your camps, other bloodlines can spend 1-pact to transfer a point of
contamination to a member of your bloodline. Say how the recipient is further twisted.
Shelter Move
When your explorer finds Shelter in the castle, they can use the power of the blood to
push back death. Anyone in the party can mark contamination to heal 1d6 Harm.

Specialists
Pick one to have at each safe camp your bloodline controls:
pp An Apothecary: Sacrifice a relic to create a healing salve - 1 use, heals 4 Harm.
pp A Scout: They’ll have information on the monsters seen in neighbouring areas.
pp A Lure: Can take them with you when you leave. They can make enough noise to
attract all monsters in an area, letting you sneak by or set up an ambush.

Bloodline Moves
Pick two:
Dark Legacy
All your explorers bear the curse of the castle, but have learned to resist its corruption.
Each explorer starts with a Blood Move; when using it, you may choose to take 1 harm
instead of marking contamination.

30
More Than Human
When you make an explorer, choose one:
• They have natural weapons: claws, spines, etc. Give them a perk and a flaw.
• They have resistance to harm: fur, chitin, thick skin etc. Get 1 Armour.
• They have unnatural agility. They can climb walls, run on water or leap dozens of
metres, and get advantage on Dodge.

In the Shadows of Humanity

Human society may recoil from you, but that doesn't mean you're powerless. If you
intimidate people into helping you or appeal to their baser urges, roll +Swords on
Reinforcements instead of +Coins.

One of the Horde

When you send your family members to blend in with the castle's denizens, roll +Wands.
On a 7-9 hold one, on a 10+ hold three. Spend the hold 1-for-1 to get them to:
• Strike from within a group of castle denizens, sending them into disarray.
• Help you navigate, giving you 1 Travel the Labyrinth hold.
• Smuggle you a useful item.

Voice of the Regent

Add the following option to Resist Doom:
• Give your explorer a one-time ability to command the castle's denizens.
When they use this, the denizens become their loyal servants. When they fight alongside
you, your attacks gain the cleave tag. When you send them to act independently of you,
the GM will decide how well they do. When you take Harm, you can choose to have the
denizens be destroyed instead.

Context
Each generation, pick one from each or make your own:
REFUGE
A graveyard where your peers shelter.
An aerie overlooking the land.
Underground tunnels forgotten by man.
DRIVE
The beast that turned you, working for the Regent.
Your sibling, called to the castle by an irresistible compulsion.
A mob whipped into a frenzy by fear of the Regent.
BREACH
The regent's menagerie, using yourself as bait for the game wardens.
The servant's quarters, and a stolen uniform.
The barracks, and notes on the patrol schedule.

31
 The Holy Church
Stats
Pick one:
Chalices 1 Swords 0 Coins -1 Wands 1 if you act as a mystery cult, revealing deeper
truths only to those who have shown the ability to handle it.
Chalices 1 Swords 0 Coins 1 Wands -1 if you are an offshoot of a grander church, giving
you temporal influence but limited ability to dabble in the occult.
Chalices 1 Swords 1 Coins -1 Wands 0 if you're a scattered group of devotees resisting
persecution in pursuit of righteousness.
Traditions
Pick one from each or write one of your own:
Style: A simple symbol of your faith, fastidious clerical robes, joyous flowing colours.
Lore: The whispers of martyrs in your dreams, a holy book filled with ecstatic visions,
accumulated folklore from your congregations.
Name: The virtue you follow, the mark you wear, your hope for the future.

Pact: The Way of White

You saved another bloodline from falling to darkness. Set your pact with them to 1. They say
what dark temptation was twisting them into servants of the castle; you say what you did
to redeem them.
You prize self-sacrifice. At the end of each play session, pick the explorer who risked the
most to help others and raise their bloodline's pact with you by 1.
While at one of your camps, other bloodlines can spend 1-pact on you to take a Relic from
your stores. Describe it, and suggest how it came to be owned by your order.
Shelter Move
When your explorer finds Shelter in the castle, they may lead the group in prayer. They
each hold 1: spend the hold to miraculously avoid a curse, spell or mystical attack.

Specialists
Pick one to have at each safe camp your bloodline controls:
pp Oracle: Sacrifice a Relic to see what the Regent or an Acolyte is currently up to.
pp Purifier: Spend a Relic to get a bag of salt that keeps away evil, letting you succeed on
Shelter as if you'd rolled a 10+.
pp Medics: Each time you visit the camp, one Explorer can heal their least severe wound.

32
Bloodline Moves
Pick two:
Stoke The Flame
When an explorer on the verge of death is brought back to one of your camps, roll +Chalices.
On a 7-9 the deadly wound is stepped down to a major wound; on a 10+ it's gone entirely.
On a 6- their soul gutters out entirely, replaced by something dark: they'll die and become
an undead Acolyte, unless 1 Relic is sacrificed to stop it.

Shield of Faith
So long as your camps maintain a constant vigil of prayer, they will not come under attack.
When your explorer attempts to manifest this shield, roll +Sulphur. On a hit, radiant light
prevents creatures of the castle from coming within a few metres of you. On a 7-9 pick
two, on a 10+ pick one:
• You cannot move without breaking the shield.
• You cannot attack without breaking the shield.
• No-one else can shelter under the shield.
Martyrdom
When you Resist Doom, your character can sacrifice some of their lifespan to channel
greater power. You may substitute a minor wound for 1 relic, a major wound for 2 relics,
or a deadly wound for 3 relics.

The Flesh is Weak

With prayers and unguents you can concentrate the castle's corruption in one part of an
explorer's body. Actions using the corrupted body part have Advantage, but so long as this
ritual continues the explorer marks an additional point every time they mark corruption.
Amputating the node of corruption deals the explorer a major wound, and they lose a
point of Blood and a Blood Gift. The removed body part counts as 1 relic.

Sanctuary
When you offer your bloodline's aid to a group of civilians, roll +Chalices when you
bring in Reinforcements to protect them.
Context
Each generation, pick one from each or make your own:
REFUGE
An old church still warded against malign influences.
A memorial remembering the dead of the last great war.
The home of a believer, where the faithful are waiting out the horrors.
DRIVE
A saint's relics stolen from a desecrated grave.
A great demon only vulnerable to the righteous.
A sin that can only be washed clean through great heroism.
BREACH
The tainted chapel, and the supply wagons that bring in sacraments.
The burial catacombs, and a crevasse that's opened them to the world.
A marble-floored museum, and its ornate skylights.

33
 The Hidden Hand
Stats
Pick one:
Chalices 1 Swords 0 Coins 1 Wands -1 if you live lives of luxury and try not to think too
hard about the source of your wealth.
Chalices -1 Swords 1 Coins 1 Wands 0 if you act as a mercenary group, guiding the
world's conflicts in a direction that benefits you.
Chalices 0 Swords -1 Coins 1 Wands 1 if you've suborned the world's elite into a secret
society bound by occult rituals and mutual blackmail.
Traditions
Pick one from each or write one of your own:
Style: Formal wear and subtle marks of membership, opulent clothes and impractical
accessories, state-of-the-art arms and armour.
Lore: Reports from agents scattered around the world, an iron grip on the rare book
market, a private institution of scholars probing the boundaries of knowledge.
Name: a mythical creature, an alchemical process, a feudal role.

Pact: The Way of Silver

You split the fabulous wealth you found with another bloodline. Gain 1 pact on them. They
say what they used the wealth for; you say how entropy and betrayal robbed them of it.
You prize entrepreneurship. At the end of each play session, pick the explorer who most
increased their wealth or power and raise their bloodline's pact with you by 1.
While at one of your camps other bloodlines can spend 1-pact on you to get access to more
luxurious supplies, giving them advantage on Shelter until they return to a safe camp.
Shelter Move
When your explorer finds Shelter in the castle, they may upgrade and reinforce their
party's gear. They each hold 1: spend the hold to get fleeting advantage on Strike
or Endure.

Specialists
Pick one to have at each safe camp your bloodline controls:
pp Soldiers: You may take them with you when you leave. Send them against a mob of
the regent's minions to take them out.
pp Engineer: You may take them with you when you leave. They have enough gear to
collapse a corridor, bridge a narrow gap or create a route between different floors.
pp Armourer: Performs repairs, giving each explorer fleeting Advantage on Withstand.

34
Bloodline Moves
Pick two:
Avarice
The strange byproducts of the castle's intrusion into our reality retain their power, if you
let them feed from you. When you would spend a relic, you may mark contamination to
keep it in your bloodline's stocks.

Experimental Weaponry
Your family's resources are devoted to the creation of new weapons to be used against
darkness. Once a generation, you can gain one of these weapons for your struggle.
When your scholars bring their most recent creation to your camp, roll +Coins.
On a 7-9 pick one, on a 10+ pick two:
• You can sacrifice it to Strike without needing an Opening.
• If you sacrifice a relic to it, it gains the holy tag for the rest of the fight.
• It has three perks and a flaw, or two perks and no flaw.
Bodyguard
Your explorer has a skilled companion to back them up in the castle. Pick one when you
make your explorer:
pp Your companion fights beside you, giving your attacks the cleave tag.
pp Your companion protects you, giving you advantage on Withstand.
pp Your companion heals you: whenever you Shelter, heal 4 Harm.

Opulence
When you shower luxury on party of explorers, you may roll +Coins to give them Rest &
Relaxation.

A Web of Influence
Your contacts stand ready to support your war against evil. When you roll a 7+ on
Reinforcements, you may pick one extra option.

Context
Each generation, pick one from each or make your own:
REFUGE
A mansion filled with helpful servants.
A watch station, barricaded up against the darkness.
A scholar's laboratory, fizzing with strange chemicals.
DRIVE
A rumoured treasure that might bring eternal life.
Your political rival, empowered by the regent's corruption.
Rare reagents created by abhorrent rites.
BREACH
The deeper vaults, and a brace of explosives.
A grand soiree, and a forged invitation.
The clock tower, and a zip line anchored to a nearby belfry.

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 The Slayer
Stats
You start with this array; add 1 to a stat of your choice.
Iron +1 Glass ±0 Sulphur ±0 Mercury -1

Looks
Ambiguous, Concealed, Feminine, Masculine
Maimed body, lithe body, muscular body, stout body.
Fur-collared greatcoat, austere robes, heavy armour, loose and simple fabrics.
Asian or South Asian, Black, Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous,
Middle Eastern, ________

Motivation
Pursuit of excellence, death wish, righteous justice, fierce loyalty, avenging a grudge.

Covenants
Go around the table, introducing your explorer to the group. Ask for volunteers for
each one:
Who nursed me back to life after the damned almost killed me? Get a minor covenant on
them. If you prevent their death, upgrade to a major covenant. If you intentionally abandon
them to danger, break the covenant.
Who suffered a tragedy because I wasn’t strong or fast enough? Get a minor covenant on
them. If you help them find healing or revenge, upgrade to a major covenant. If you put your
own safety over their revenge or healing, break the covenant.
Who am I teaching to fight? Get a minor covenant on them. If they get the killing blow on
an acolyte you're fighting, upgrade to a major covenant. If you refuse their assistance, break
the covenant.

Gear
Start with a weapon (1 benefit, 1 drawback). In addition, pick one:
pp A backup pistol (ranged, reload).
pp Breastplate or mail shirt (armour 1 vs physical attacks).
pp A shield (Advantage on Withstand, Disadvantage on Dodge).
You always have enough supplies to maintain and repair your weapons and gear.
In addition, pick two:
pp Torches and fire lighting kit.
pp Bandages and healing salves.
pp Anti-venoms and stimulants.
pp As many rations as you need.

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Moves
Pick two:
Lightning Swift
Your attacks always have the cleave tag, and you have Advantage on Dodge.

Regain Momentum
When you land a successful Strike, heal the last Harm you took.

Trick Weapon
Pick two tag sets for your weapon. You can switch between the two at a moment’s notice.

Blood Trail
Once you’ve landed a Strike on a target, get Advantage on future Strikes.

Trophy
When you draw on the power of a trophy carved from an Acolyte, roll +Iron on Drink
Deep instead of +Fire.

Blood Gifts
Frenzy
When you roll a miss on Strike, you can mark contamination to immediately make
another Strike.

Lupine
Your teeth and fingernails gain a keen edge. You always have access to them, as a weapon
with Piercing/Close.

Burning Blood
Your blood burns as it leaves your body. You may mark contamination to create a wall of
fire most monsters won’t willingly cross.

Voice of Command
When an Adversary is bearing down on an ally, you can mark contamination to force
them to target you instead.

Death Move
As the final blow comes down you choose not to defend yourself, instead using your
attacker’s momentum to drive your weapon home. Now it’s lodged in them, slowing
them down and creating a weakness your allies can use to take revenge. Until they take
advantage of the embedded weapon as an Opening, your allies take Advantage on Dodge
and Rescue.

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 The Mystic
Stats
You start with this array; add 1 to a stat of your choice.
Iron -1 Glass ±0 Sulphur ±0 Mercury +1

Looks
Ambiguous, Concealed, Feminine, Masculine.
Slim body, athletic body, stout body, frail body.
Scholar’s robes, exotic jewellery and accessories, occult tools and a mask, simple and unassuming
travel gear.
Asian or South Asian, Black, Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous,
Middle Eastern, ________

Motivation
Pursuit of wisdom, removing a curse, searching for eternal life, laying a spirit to rest.

Covenants
Go around the table, introducing your explorers. Ask for volunteers for each one:
Whose dreams am I studying for occult insight? Get a minor covenant on them. If they let
you watch them sleep in the castle, upgrade to a major covenant. If you interfere with
their dreams without their consent, break the covenant.
Who has an illness I’m keeping at bay? Get a minor covenant on them. If you use medical
supplies to heal an injury of theirs, upgrade to a major covenant. If you let the illness
progress to gain mystical insight from their symptoms, break the covenant.
Who has insights I don’t quite understand? Get a minor covenant on them. If you find
fortune by following their advice, upgrade to a major covenant. If you find doom after
ignoring their advice, break the covenant.

Gear
Start with a weapon (1 benefit, 1 drawback). In addition, pick one:
pp A protective amulet (destroy to avoid having to mark corruption).
pp Purified salt (1 armour when you stand within a circle of it).
pp A last-ditch ice burst (stun, painful).
You always have enough supplies to maintain and repair your weapons and gear.
In addition, pick two:
pp Crystals that glow like candles.
pp Bandages and healing salves.
pp A pouch of alchemical samples.
pp As many rations as you need.

Moves
Pick two:
Cast the Runes
When you scry into the future, describe your ritual and ask the GM a question that can
be answered with yes or no. Then roll +Water. On a hit, they’ll answer truthfully; get
fleeting advantage acting on the answer. On a 10+ you may ask a follow-up question.

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Soul Vessel
When you defeat a minion of the Regent, you can catch its spirit. If you do, roll +Sulphur.
On a hit, you catch it; on a 7-9, it taints you and you mark contamination. So long as a
spirit is contained, you can freely use one of its moves. When you mark contamination
you can shift it onto the vessel, destroying the spirit. You must destroy your currently
trapped spirit to catch another.
Binding
When you land a Strike on an adversary, choose one:
• It must not cross a specified boundary.
• A specified explorer gets Advantage to Dodge its attacks.
• You can use the wound as a sympathetic weapon: ranged, piercing, painful.
Arcanist
When you use a spell learnt via Drink Deep, pick one:
• The spell’s effects linger as long as you like.
• The spell affects more or fewer targets than normal.
• The spell doesn’t take effect now, but when a condition you set out is met.
Blood Reinforcement
When you perform rites to manipulate the castle’s power, roll +Relics sacrificed. On a 7-9
pick one, on a 10+ pick two:
• Add a perk to a weapon.
• Remove a flaw from a weapon.
• Raise the armour value of an outfit.
• Crystallise the power in a fragile gem: consume it to heal all harm but mark enough
corruption to raise Blood.
Blood Gifts
Eyes on the Inside
You can mark contamination to perceive the intangible and immaterial. When you
Assess or See Clear with this sight, you can roll +Mercury instead of +Glass.
Ghost Eater
You can consume the spirits trapped in your Soul Vessel. When you do, mark
contamination but heal your last wound.
The Unquiet Flesh
Your body is shifting to become something ancient. You may mark contamination to
grow an organ or limb - arms, tentacles, wings, eyes, mouths or similar.
The Blood is Life
Your blood is a medium for spirits. When you intentionally shed it, roll +Harm taken.
On a 7-9 pick 1, on a 10+ pick 2 about the spirit that forms a body from it: they follow your
commands, they remember useful information, you can banish them at will.

Death Move
As death takes hold, you perform one final work - an alchemy of the soul. Each explorer
with you may transfer one point of Blood to you, losing a Blood Advance of their choice
but keeping the stat advance or blood gift. For each, one part of your body becomes a Relic
usable in arcane rites.

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 The Bonded
Stats
You start with this array; add 1 to a stat of your choice.
Iron ±0 Glass ±0 Sulphur +1 Mercury -1

Looks
Ambiguous, Concealed, Feminine, Masculine.
Maimed body, lithe body, muscular body, stout body.
Bound to an ancient human ghost, an angel, a demon, an elemental spirit.
Asian or South Asian, Black, Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle
Eastern, ________
Motivation
Cure your condition, prove your worth, find a challenge, test your powers.
Covenants
Go around the table, introducing your explorers. Ask for volunteers for at least one:
Who forged my bond with the spirit? Get a minor covenant with them. If you use the spirit
to save them from danger, upgrade to a major covenant. If you use the spirit's powers for
evil ends, break the covenant.
Who has helped me understand my abilities? Get a minor covenant with them.
If they reveal something that upends your understanding of the spirit, upgrade to a major
covenant. If you discover they were making it up, break the covenant.
Who is a true friend of mine? Get a minor covenant with them. When you take time out
to bond with each other, upgrade to a major covenant. If either of you ignore the other's
request for aid, break the covenant.

Gear
Start with a weapon (1 benefit, 1 drawback). In addition, pick one:
pp Martial arts training (tether, close).
pp Reinforced coat (armour 1).
pp Spiritual aura (Advantage on attacks against intangible foes).
You always have enough gear to maintain and repair your weapons and armour. In
addition, pick two:
pp Survivalist gear.
pp Old journals of past encounters with the castle.
pp A hip flask of spirits, skin of wine or pouch of tobacco.
pp As many rations as you need.
Moves
Pick two:

Astral Projection
With force of will you can send your spirit out to act in the castle. As long as you
concentrate you can see through its eyes and - with effort - pull switches, open doors,
move small object, etc.

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Bloody Insight
When you take harm from an adversary, hold 1. Spend 1 to reveal a weakness in their
fighting style and give an ally advantage against them. Spend 3 to create an Opening.

Soul Blade
Your spirit has its own weaponry. Pick a perk and a flaw for it. When the spirit fights, roll
+Sulphur to Strike and Face the Horde. If you have Astral Projection, the spirit can fight
with the weapon when distant from you; otherwise, it must stand beside you as it fights.

Spiritual Fusion
When you fuse with your spirit, roll +Sulphur. On a 7-9 hold 2, on a 10+ hold 3. On a
6- hold 1 but mark contamination. Spend a hold to use the spirit's power. Work it out
with the GM, but it should be about the level of a spell from Drink Deep: rapid healing,
temporary invulnerability, a burst of flight, etc. When all hold is gone the spirit's power is
spent, and you can't fuse again until you use Shelter or Rest and Recreation.

Spectral Knowledge
When you ask your spirit for advice, roll +Glass. On a hit, ask a question and the GM will
answer honestly... for the most part. On a 7-9 pick two, on a 10+ pick one:
• The spirit will confuse parts of its past for the present.
• The spirit cannot perceive some significant detail.
• The spirit will ask you to agree to something before it answers.

Blood Gifts
Blink
When your spirit is away from you thanks to Astral Projection, you may mark
contamination to swap places with it.
Apotheosis
Your spirit reveals its true form, though it taxes your body to host it. Mark contamination
to channel its full power into an attack, giving it Advantage and a tag of your choice.
Half-Dead
The spirit’s connection to your body is pushing your mortality away. Gain 1 Armour
against physical attacks, but take 1 more harm from magical/spiritual attacks.
Medium
You can mark contamination to summon a spirit of place, the unquiet dead, or a lesser
imp or seraph. They won’t be hostile - at least, at first.
Death Move
As your life fades, the spirit reveals why it was bound to you and reveals a choice:
• Transfiguration: The spirit merges with you. You stand back up, burning with power,
and you’re immune to harm for the rest of the fight. Then you die.
• Guardian Angel: As you die the spirit vows to continue your mission. For the rest of
this generation, it’ll follow the other players and provide whatever aid it can.
• Damnation: The spirit is banished, but the castle takes its place. Mark contamination
for each point of Harm you heal. From then on, any time you would take Harm you
mark corruption instead.

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 The Reckoner
Stats
You start with this array; add 1 to a stat of your choice.
Iron -1 Glass +1 Sulphur 0 Mercury 0

Looks
Ambiguous, Concealed, Feminine, Masculine.
Spindly body, stout body, athletic body, out-of-shape body.
A brace of elaborate lenses and telescopes, a slate of sketched equations and a wrist-mounted abacus,
camoflage and dull colours, bags full of scrolls and tomes.
Asian or South Asian, Black, Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, Middle
Eastern, ________
Motivation
Understand the nature of reality, push back chaos, test your will, guide allies safely home.
Covenants
Go around the table, introducing your explorers. Ask for volunteers for at least one:
Who has sworn to protect me? Get a minor covenant with them. If you save them from
mortal danger, upgrade to a major covenant. If you leave them behind and get hurt, break
the covenant.
Who has experience with twisted reality? Get a minor covenant with them.
If their insight helps you realise some truth of the castle, upgrade to a major covenant. If
either of you reveal you were misleading the other, break the covenant.
Who can hide even from you? Get a minor covenant with them. If they show you their
secret techniques, upgrade to a major covenant. If you draw attention and harm to them,
break the covenant.

Gear
Start with a weapon (1 benefit, 1 drawback). In addition, pick one:
pp A crossbow (ranged, reload).
pp Protective gear (armour 1 vs cold, heat and corrosion).
pp An old map (sacrifice to get 2 Travel the Labyrinth hold).
You always have enough gear to maintain and repair your weapons and armour. In
addition, pick two:
pp Long-burning glow sticks.
pp Chalk, paints and dyes to mark the corridors.
pp A theodelite and a spirit level.
pp As many rations as you need.
Moves
Pick two:

Bend Time
When you roll 10+ on Dodge, time seems to slow for everyone except you. If you can
perform your next action within a few seconds, it'll have Advantage.

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Reshape Chaos
The shifting nightmare of the castle bends to your will. You may spend Travel the
Labyrinth hold, 1-for-1, to uncover one of these details in your environment:
• A mechanism that will close off a passage.
• A secret passage or trapdoor to shelter from harm.
• An environmental hazard (caustic vat, rockslide, fuel tank, etc) ready to be set off.
Pinning Fire
Your shots are precise and lethal. When you attack a foe with a ranged weapon, the foe
must choose: remain where they are, or be taken out (if they're a minion) or provide an
Opening (if they're an adversary).

True Sight
You can always recognise an illusion or supernatural deception as what it truly is. In
addition, you get Advantage on See Clear.

And next you'll say...

When you tell an opponent what they'll do next, roll +Glass. On a hit, they pick one:
• They do exactly what you predicted.
• They stumble, hesitate or flinch.
On a 10+, reveal a trap you set up to take advantage of your prediction. If they go through
with the predicted action, the trap creates an immediate Opening or takes out a minion.

Blood Gifts
Just You and Me
If you're within arm's reach of a foe, you can mark contamination to reshape the castle
and trap you both within an empty room. The previous state is restored when you will it,
or when you take a major wound.
Worlds Away
If a foe's within arm's reach of you, you can mark contamination to reshape the castle
such that you are seperated by a deep chasm, a barricade or a surging river (of what?).
Chaos Eyes
The shifting chaos of the castle bleeds out of your mind and into those that meet your
gaze. Your eyes are a weapon with ranged, piercing, unstable.
Psychopomp
Within the castle, dreamlands and myths and stranger realms besides find physical form.
You can mark corruption and spend 2 Travel the Labyrinth hold to guide your group to or
from: an individual's psyche, the land of the dead, where the castle comes from.
Death Move
As you die, you command one final effort of will to enforce order on the castle. The
current ward locks down - your allies have unlimited Travel the Labyrinth hold there.
It's harder to affect more distant areas, but you can lock the regent and their acolytes into
their respective wards and rewrite the connections between them.

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 Chapter 4: Running the
Game

44
45
 BASE ELEMENTS
Agenda
Make the world feel real.
Fill the character's lives with action and adventure.
Play to find out what happens.

What to say
What your prep demands.
What the rules demand.
What honesty demands.

Principles
Keep momentum up.
Make a move that follows.
Begin and end with the fiction.
Think offscreen too.
Taint everything the castle contacts.
Give power alongside corruption.
Twist reality around them.

Reactions
THE DARK MENAGERIE
The Acolyte's Minions
ASSIGNING HARM
Minions by default deal 1 Harm. Add 1 for each:
• The minion is towering and powerful.
• The minion empowers its attacks with magical force.
• The attack is close-range and brutal.

Building an Acolyte/Regent
HARM
To work out how much harm an attack from an adversary does, follow these guidelines:
By default, their attacks deal two harm. Stick with this if you don't have reason to
change it.
An adversary may deal one harm if they are particularly weak in a certain circumstance -
for example, if a fire demon is attacking you while you're underwater.

46
An adversary may deal three harm if their attacks are particularly effective in a
certain circumstance - for example, if a lightning demon is attacking you while
you're underwater.
An attack can deal four harm if the adversary needed to first take some action setting it
up - for example, if a flesh demon needs to merge with your flesh before bursting out in
shower of gore.
Finally, only use attacks dealing 5 harm if they need time to build up, the players have an
opportunity to get away, and the attack destroys one of the adversaries' qualities.

Example Qualities
GOTHIC ACTION AND BLOOD-SOAKED
ADVENTURE
Describing Action
Building Mood

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