About me Materials

My name is Andrew Backhouse. I design pencil-paper-dice You’ll need a pencil, an eraser, and two six-sided dice.
games. You can find out more at https://pencilgames.org/.
You’ll need a copy of the rules for reference. Keep it safe, as
Thank you very, very much for buying Pencilquest! 😊
the hero reference serves as your ongoing record of
unlocked abilities. The rules include the Story for each Map.
Overview Everything which needs to be printed repeatedly is collected
under Playsheets. You play with one Party sheet per player
Pencilquest is a pencil-paper-dice game in which you
(which includes some reference stuff so you don’t need to
explore maps and slay monsters. Positioning, target, and
check the rules much) and one or more Map sheets,
ability selection is everything – it is first and foremost a
depending on adventure length (which includes the tables
deep tactics game. Another essential element is unlocking
for the elite monsters on that map).
the abilities you’ll wield on your adventures, and exploring
the tactical depth these side-grades open up. On top of that,
each map is accompanied by a ream of narrative which you
read at various points while you explore, weaving an
Victory and Defeat
involving story into the experience. Each map has a victory condition described on it. Once you
fulfil this condition, you emerge victorious from your quest.
It is typical in many respects.
Your reward is unlocking one or more abilities, as listed on
You venture forth with a party of heroes. Your goal is the Map.
generally at the other end of the map, and you need to get
You fail the quest after your third Total Party Kill (all heroes
through a lot to succeed. When you encounter enemies,
dying).
you’ll trade blows until one group falls. Your heroes have
limited reserves, and you must be economical and effective
in each battle to make it to the end alive. There are also
various things to interact with like traps, hazardous terrain,
Flow of Play
switches, and healing fountains. You start the game by selecting a party of 3 or 4 heroes,
selecting abilities for them, filling in the Party sheet, and
It is atypical in other respects.
drawing the party on the marked starting tiles. Your heroes
Movement happens by drawing a unit at its destination and alternate between explore and fight phases, starting with
then erasing its old position. Each hero has a fixed pattern of explore. The game ends when the victory condition stated on
movement, like a Chess piece, which they must adhere to. the Map is fulfilled.
Heroes have two resource pools. Vim is health and mana
rolled into one, while Nerve is used to undertake exceptional Explore
feats. You can delve with two, three, or four heroes, and
there are interesting tradeoffs to this decision. The explore phase begins as the last monster in a group dies,
or at the start of the map.
Combat is asymmetrical: monsters automatically hit heroes
for their Rating, while heroes must roll above a monster’s Each hero takes up to three actions. You choose which order
Rating to hit it. Monster aggression is similar to old-school the heroes go in. Use all the actions for one hero before
MMOs, with monsters “aggroing” in packs when moving on to another. If you don’t engage a monster with
approached or attacked. Monsters are often led by one or one of these actions (it can be the last action of the last hero
more elite monsters, which have tables of thematic powers, to act), you begin to experience Dread. You may continue to
and are often capable of strengthening their minions. Status take actions, one at a time, with any hero, but each action
effects occupy space in the world, and the unit they affect is taken costs the acting hero one Vim, paid after the action is
determined by proximity. resolved. Dread stops when you engage a monster group.

When you end this phase by engaging a monster group, all

unused explore actions are lost.

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Fight
The fight phase begins when a hero engages a monster
group. This is done by attacking a monster, or moving to (or
creating an effect on) a tile within a monster’s aggression
range. Example of a hero, showing (left to right) movement
pattern, class (including symbol and passive), two slotted
In this phase, the heroes and the monsters take turns. The
abilities, two nerve, and four Vim
heroes go first, taking one action each. You choose which
order the heroes go in. Then the engaged monsters go, also Vim represents the hero’s will to continue, energy reserves
taking one action each, going in order from strongest to to do so, and general vitality. It is reduced when monsters
weakest. This continues back and forth until all heroes or all land attacks, and many abilities also cost Vim to use. Vim is
engaged monsters are dead. fully replenished at each fountain.

When the last hero or monster dies, you are immediately Maim 2 A (1 M) Hit, Bare, Fumble
returned to the explore phase, and further actions taken Maim is a potent Rogue ability which she must expend
count as explore actions. two Vim to use. It attacks one adjacent target, removing a
Vim from it and afflicting it with the Bare and Fumble
effects if it hits

Heroes Despair is an effect which reduces a hero’s maximum Vim

by 1 for each Despair affecting it. A hero may never gain
Overview Vim beyond their current maximum. Despair may be
removed through Heroic Feats, as detailed on the map.
You may select two, three or four heroes at the start of each
adventure. Nerve ⌽ represents the steely boldness which leads heroes
to accomplish exceptional feats. Certain powerful abilities
Heroes do not have many stats in the sense that you might
cost Nerve to use. One Nerve is replenished at each
be used to them. Each hero has a Vim pool, a Nerve pool, a
fountain.
passive ability, and a unique movement pattern. They also
have a hero-specific list of abilities which they gradually Invert ⌽ A (1 R A) Hit 2, Bleed
unlock, and you will select a handful of these abilities to Invert is a powerful Mage ability which costs a Nerve to
take with you into each map. use. It attacks one target at a range of up to 3 at
Advantage, removing two Vim from it and afflicting it
Actions per Noble: Vim Meek: Vim Nerve per Ability slots with the Bleed effect if it hits
Heroes
round per hero per hero hero per hero
Passive abilities are unique, permanent effects which add to
2 2 10 14 4 5
each hero’s identity. For example, the Warrior’s passive
3 3 6 8 3 3 reduces incoming Hit damage (see below) by 1, is always
4 4 4 5 2 2 active, and doesn’t cost any resources to use. Each time the
Warrior would take Hit damage, reduce it by 1 before taking
it.
Each hero has a master list of 14 abilities, 5 of which are
unlocked for immediate use. Each time you emerge Heroes move according to specific patterns which vary by
victorious from a map, you get to unlock additional abilities hero. This makes getting around the map a different puzzle
for heroes in your party. for each hero.

Whether in an explore or fight phase, you always get to One “implicit” stat shared by all heroes is that ranged
choose which order heroes go in. abilities have a range of 3, unless otherwise stated.

Stats Difficulty
A smaller party has stronger heroes, but this is outweighed
by having fewer actions each hero turn. Avoid two-hero
parties while you are learning the game.

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 While Noble is the intended way to play Pencilquest, if you
find the level of difficulty uncomfortable, try Meek, which
grants your heroes extra Vim.
Gutpunch – A (1 M) Hit
Actions Abilities have several properties.
Actions are your heroes’ undertakings in the world. You will ● The first word is the name of the ability. This ability is
perform one action at a time – either a movement or an called Gutpunch.
ability action. (A hero may also choose to forfeit its action.)
● The next symbol is the ability’s cost. (Note that all
Movement abilities “cost” one action to use.) This can be...

Hero movement must always follow that hero’s movement  A hyphen (–), meaning no cost to use it. Gutpunch
pattern. This can make getting through passages or around has no cost beyond the action spent.
obstacles tricky! In the pattern below, the Warrior is starting  A number, (1), (2) or more, meaning that that much
at the tile in the centre. Vim must be spent to use it.

 One or more Nerve symbols (⌽), meaning that that

much Nerve must be spent to use it.

• An ability may cost both Vim and Nerve.

● The next letter is the type, and refers to the basic

function of the ability. In this example, the ability is an
Attack.
All blue tiles are valid destinations. You don’t need to trace
 Attack abilities (A) attempt to damage or apply
a path to the destination: monsters, walls, and hazardous or
negative effects, and may only target enemies. These
impassable terrain between you and your destination do not
require you to roll to hit. For each target, roll d6. If
impede your movement. However, the destination tile does
the roll is greater than the target’s Rating (the
need to be empty of heroes, monsters, corpses, and
number representing the monster), the attack hits
impassable terrain.
that target.
The Party sheet includes each hero’s movement pattern as a
 Help abilities (H) attempt to heal or apply positive
reference.
effects, and may only target allies, excluding the
caster. (Self-target abilities, as below, only target the
Abilities caster.) These “hit” automatically and require no
Abilities are the tools your heroes wield in order to interact roll.
with the world around them (mostly in the form of smiting
● The next 2 or 3 characters in brackets give the target
monsters). There is no such thing as a “default attack” or
count, range, and advantage (attacks only) of the
“autoattack” in Pencilquest: if they’re not moving, your
ability. This may be replaced by the word “Self”,
heroes choose from one of their equipped abilities.
indicating a Help ability which affects only the hero
At the start of each map, you will select 2 or 3 abilities for using the ability. Abilities with both target / range
each hero (based on hero count) from your unlocked (ticked) information and the “Self” keyword may target the
abilities to “equip”. Copy each of these selected abilities to caster in addition to the listed targets.
your Party sheet as a reference. You may only use these
 The number denotes the maximum number of units
equipped abilities while you are on your quest.
the ability may target. The ability is still valid if you
Attack abilities are the tools heroes use to damage, and target fewer units. Resolve the ability effect on each
ultimately vanquish, monsters. In this example, a Warrior target in turn. In this example, the attack is affecting
(represented by a circle with a dot in its centre) is about to its maximum target count of 1.
use Gutpunch to attack a non-elite monster with Rating 2
 The letter M or R denotes whether the ability is
(represented simply by a 2).
melee or ranged. Melee abilities may only be used

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 against adjacent targets (any of the 8 tiles touching specified range. If an ability includes Move 5, a hero
the unit using the ability), while ranged abilities may may move to any tile within Range 5 as part of using
be used against any enemy within a range of 3 tiles, that ability.
including those in melee range. The R may be
 Repeat means that the entire ability text occurs
modified by a number (such as “R4”), which alters
twice.
the range. In this example, the attack is melee and
has a valid, adjacent target. Abilities are way less complicated than they sound! The
breakdown above covers every possible way an ability
 Finally, attacks may include A or D. These denote
might be put together, but the majority of them are very
advantaged and disadvantaged attacks, respectively.
simple.
For an advantaged attack, roll two d6s (per target)
and select the higher value. For a disadvantaged To return to our example, to use Gutpunch, the hero rolls a
attack, roll two d6s (per target) and select the lower d6, and if it’s bigger than 2, the monster loses one of its two
value. Normal attacks – those which are neither Vim.
advantaged or disadvantaged – roll a single d6 (per
Here are a few more examples.
target). In this example, no A or D is present, so the
attack is normal. A single d6 is rolled. Sear ⌽ A (3 M A) Hit, Stun
● The following word determines the effect of the
ability. Sear costs the Mage one Nerve to cast. It targets up to three
foes who are in melee range (adjacent to the caster). Each
 Attacks may be modified by... attack occurs at advantage, so roll two dice per target and
use the better roll. If it’s greater than the monster’s Rating,
• Hit, which removes Vim on a successful attack.
the attack hits, and that target loses one Vim, and a Stun
This is normally 1 Vim, but it may be
effect is created adjacent to it.
accompanied by a number (“Hit 2”) which means
that it removes the stated amount of Vim.
Shift 1 H (2 R) Move 1
Gutpunch is modified by Hit, so it will remove 1
Vim if it hits.
Shift costs the Mage one Vim to cast. It targets up to two
• A negative effect, such as Stun or Bleed, which allies (excluding the caster) within the default range of
applies the relevant effect on a successful attack. three. Each of them may move one tile in any direction.

 Help may be modified by... Swarm 1 A (1 R4 D) Hit, Repeat

• Heal, which restores Vim. As with Hit, this is 1 by
default but may be modified (“Heal 2”) to higher Swarm costs the Mage one Vim to cast. It targets one foe
amounts. within a range of four. The attack occurs at disadvantage, so
roll two dice and use the worse roll. If it’s greater than the
• A positive effect, such as Speed or Mend, which monster’s Rating, the attack hits, and that target loses one
applies the relevant effect. Vim. Then the attack repeats. You may select a different
 An Attack may include both a hit and a negative target for the second attack.
effect, and Help may include both a heal and a
Breath 1 A (1 R) Resurrect hero with 4 Vim, 1 Despair, Stun
positive effect.

 Abilities may include none of these modifiers. This Breath costs the priest one Vim to cast. It targets one dead
means that the listed effect takes place, as long as ally (not the priest) within range three. They are restored to
the target count and range are satisfied, and the roll life at their current location. They gain one Despair, so their
hits (for Attacks). maximum Vim is permanently reduced by one. They gain up
to four Vim, limited by their new maximum. They gain the
● Finally, the ability may include special effects. These Stun effect.
are explained on the ability. In this example, no
special effects are present. Enthuse 1 A (1 R) Heal, Vicious
 Move allows for direct (monster-style, ignoring the
hero’s pattern) movement to a point within a

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Enthuse costs the priest one Vim to cast. It targets one ally Total Party Kills
(not the priest) within range three. They gain one Vim, the
When your last hero falls, increment the TPK tracker on the
default Heal amount. They also gain the Vicious effect.
party sheet. All heroes resurrect adjacent to the last fountain
activated by a hero, or otherwise the map’s Entry tiles.
Range Distribute 3 Despair among your heroes however you like (a
Range (for both Heroes and Monsters) is counted as you single hero may take multiple stacks of Despair). Each
might expect. The ring of eight tiles around a unit are Despair is a permanent -1 Vim penalty for the affected hero.
considered adjacent to it (or within Range 1). The ring All heroes are restored to their (new) maximum Vim, but do
around that ring is within Range 2, the ring around that ring not gain Nerve as with normal replenishment. An explore
is within Range 3, and so on. phase begins immediately.

Replenishment Monsters
Maps are dotted with fountains. Each fountain is a single-
use full-party restore. Overview
When any hero ends an action adjacent to an unused The maps you explore are filled with monsters. You must
fountain, they may choose to activate it. Cross it out to mark indiscriminately slaughter (or cunningly avoid) these
that it has been used. All heroes (wherever they are) are creatures to reach the end of each map.
restored to their maximum Vim (after Despair effects), all
heroes gain one Nerve, and all negative effects adjacent to
heroes are destroyed. All dead heroes are resurrected
Stats
adjacent to the fountain.
Normal
Completing a Heroic Feat allows you to remove 2 Despair
A normal monster is represented by a single number, called
from party members.
its Rating, which denotes both how hard the monster is to hit
(the player must roll above it to land a hit) and how hard the
Death monster hits (the monster hits for its Rating).
If a hero is reduced to zero Vim, they die. They lose 1 Normal monsters have 2 Vim, an aggression radius of 2, a
Nerve. Cross out their symbol, but leave it where it is as a movement speed of 2, and may (like heroes) perform 1
body. Treat it as impassable terrain for heroes and monsters. action each turn. If they’re ranged, denoted by a dot in the
It is now a valid target for resurrection spells. top-right corner of their tile, they attack from up to 3 tiles
away.
Resurrection
Each monster’s Vim is tracked by drawing small tally marks
A hero may be resurrected by an ability, or by any party at the bottom of its tile, and crossing them out once it has
member activating a fountain. lost all Vim.
Ability resurrection revives the hero where they fell. The The first monster has lost one of its two Vim,
resurrection ability may come with consequences, such as while the second has lost both of its two Vim.
Despair, a permanent Vim penalty. The ability will also
detail how much Vim is restored. Elite
Fountain resurrection moves dead heroes to an empty tile Elite monsters are represented by single capital letters. They
adjacent (or otherwise as close as possible) to the activated use a Rating as normal, but they may have additional Vim,
fountain, restoring all Vim while respecting any existing and they have complex behaviours as detailed on their
Despair. It has no penalties. Special table. They share normal monsters’ aggression
radius of 2.
A resurrected hero immediately enters play, and takes their
turn in the current round as normal, if they have not done so Vampire (3, M, ○○○)
already.
This elite monster, a Vampire, is represented by a V. It has a
Rating of 3, so it deals 3 damage when it attacks (via the

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Engage ability on its Special table), and attacks against it
must roll above a 3 to hit. Its attack is melee (M) so, like a
non-ranged normal monster, when it engages it will first
approach a hero until it is adjacent before attacking. It has 3
Vim (○○○).

Behaviour
Monsters lurk around the map in packs. They are passive
until they are disturbed, and will attack together when Actions
provoked. If two unaggressed monsters are within 2 range of Monsters have drastically simplified actions compared to
one another, they are part of a linked group and will aggress heroes. Normal monsters normally do nothing other than
together. This “chains”, so all the monsters in the group walk toward the nearest hero and attack it. Like heroes, they
shown here will aggress if any of them are aggressed. can only perform one action per turn, so if they move they
will not attack in the same turn. Elite monsters will roll on
their special table once each monster turn.

Normal monsters have access to the movement and attack

actions. Elite monsters have access to the Special action.
The Special action, as well as all actions it grants (to normal
A monster is aggressed when a hero enters (or creates a or elite monsters), all count as actions for game effects.
negative effect in) its aggression range (2), or uses an Attack
ability on it. Movement
On its turn, each normal monster selects a target. It does not Monsters do not use a pattern like heroes when moving.
“stick” to this target; it selects a target at the start of each of They simply walk in the most direct path towards their
its turns. Target selection works like this: target. Diagonal movements are allowed. Each step of
movement taken by a monster must reduce the range from it
● Select the closest hero to its target. Apart from that rule, the player may select
 If there’s a tie, the player may choose which of the which route a monster takes toward its target. For your
possible targets the monster selects sanity, I encourage you to avoid optimizing this – just have
it take a more-or-less direct path.
Once a target has been selected, the monster will either
attack it if it’s in range (adjacent for melee monsters, or 3 for
Attack
ranged monsters), or move up to 2 tiles towards it if it’s not
in range, stopping once it is in range (ranged monsters will Monster attacks are extremely simple. They do not make
stop 3 tiles away from their target). any checks or rolls. As long as their target is in range, they
simply deal their Rating as a Hit to their current target.
Elite monsters instead roll a d6 on their Special table each
turn. Follow the instructions on the result rolled. In this example, on the monster turn, the 2 hits the Mage,
reducing her Vim by 2, and the 3 hits the Warrior, reducing
Monsters take turns from strongest to weakest. The elite his Vim by 2 (1 is mitigated by his passive).
monsters go first, and then the non-elite monsters. Within
those groups, monsters go from highest to lowest Rating. In
the pack below, the action order would be V (roll d6), 3
(attack your choice of Warrior or Mage), 2 (move), 2 (attack
Warrior), 1 (attack Mage). You choose action order on ties,
so here, you select which 2 goes first.

Special
Elite monsters have access to advanced abilities via their
Special table. On their turn, each elite rolls a d6 and

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 performs the listed action. These abilities may allow the elite occupied by an effect, it is destroyed and its effects do not
to move and attack on one turn, empower its linked allies, apply. Effects do not move of their own accord.
move other units around, or other effects.
Certain events trigger effects. If a trigger event occurs, all
During the Fight phase, roll a separate d6 for each engaged adjacent effects using that trigger are applied.
elite’s Special action, even if they are the same kind of elite.
If a negative and positive effect from the same row of the
Elite abilities which affect monsters only affect non-elite table (such as Speed and Stun) activate together, they cancel
monsters. each other out; both are erased and nothing happens.

Abilities for which there are multiple valid targets always Effects are never triggered by the action which creates them.
have their targets chosen by the player. Abilities which do
The “unit takes an action” trigger, for movement actions,
not have enough valid targets for their effect do nothing.
occurs at both the start and end positions.
In range 3 refers to targets at ranges 1, 2, and 3.
Multi-target attacks trigger “Unit deals attack damage” once
Beyond range 3 refers to targets at ranges 4, 5 and beyond per target, consuming one effect for each target.
(no range limit).
Effects Positive Negative
Scamper 2 grants a movement action of 2, targeting a tile in Name Name
Trigger Result Result
melee range of as few heroes as possible. Symbol Symbol

Unit may take

Summon creates the listed monsters on tiles as close as an additional
Unit does not
take that action
possible to the elite. You may select which. Unit takes Speed action Stun
an action
Engage means that the elite takes a normal monster action, Unit heals 1
Unit loses 1 Vim
using the number and behaviour (melee or ranged) listed Mend
Vim
Bleed
next to its name. It selects a hero target as normal, then
approaches it (if it’s out of range) or attacks it once (if it’s in Unit loses 1 less Unit loses 1
range). Unit Vim extra Vim
Shield Bare
receives
Revive returns monsters to life where they fell. They rejoin attack
damage Attacker loses 1 Attacker heals 1
combat this round. Vim Vim
Thorns Leech
Awareness causes the monster to ignore the closest hero
Unit deals
(and all other heroes at that distance) during target selection Attack removes Attack removes
attack
1 extra Vim 1 less Vim
damage Vicious Fumble
Death
Mend triggers (and is wasted) if activated by a unit with full
Monsters die upon losing their final point of Vim. The death health.
of the final aggressed monster causes the fight phase to end.
Erase monster corpses only once the fight phase is complete. When applying an effect, after checking the range and roll
They count as impassable terrain while they exist. (if applied with an Attack), you may select any empty tile
adjacent to the target to place the effect.

The same applies to effects created by monsters, with the

Effects restriction that monster-created positive effects may not be
These work quite differently to other games! Effects are created adjacent to heroes, and monster-created negative
created in the world as symbols, each occupying an entire effects may not be created adjacent to monsters. This
tile of its own. You can think of them as runes etched in the constraint is waived if there are no other valid placement
air, tense with power, but fleeting and surpassingly fragile. tiles.

They only affect units adjacent to them. Once an adjacent Effects do not stack. If a unit is affected by (adjacent to) a
unit triggers their activation condition, they are consumed. certain effect, a copy of that effect may not be placed
They apply their effect to that unit and are erased from the adjacent to them.
map – they are all once-off. If a hero or monster enters a tile

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Maps Doors & keys
Doors block off access to certain parts of the map and are
Maps are the dungeons, wildernesses, aeries, catacombs,
marked with a numbered door icon. The key to open a door
fractured planes, swamp-dwellings, crumbling halls, and
is marked with a numbered key icon.
ancient parapets you will visit on your adventures.

Story areas
Characteristics
When you cross a light wavy line with a Roman numeral (i,
Maps have two characteristics: Length and Difficulty. ii) attached to it, you have entered a new story area. Whether
Length has to do with how much stuff there is to do on the you’re in a fight or an explore phase, immediately pause
map. Once you have a sense of how quickly you play, this is play and read the corresponding passage from the story.
useful for matching your selection to your available play- Then resume play exactly where you left off.
time. If you don’t want to play with the story, the mechanics notes
Difficulty has to do with your chances of success. Easier above the map have you covered. But make sure you reflect
maps will give you a pleasant romp, while still providing on all the juicy context you’re missing out on.
you with interesting and impactful decisions to make.
Harder maps can be ruthless, and will require patience, Monsters
careful analysis, and pushing your party to its limits. Monster starting locations are annotated with small text in
the bottom-right corner of the tile. At the start of the game
Terrain you will draw all monsters as the appropriate letter or
number at full size in each spawn tile. You’ll gradually erase
Terrain effects only apply to heroes.
them as you clear the map.

These are valid tiles for placing your heroes

Entry
at the start of the game.
Multiplayer
Movement actions started on Water tiles are
Water As with my other games, Pencilquest is designed for solo
replaced with Move 1.
play. However, it is fairly amenable to two or maybe three
Trap If you enter a Trap tile, lose 1 Vim. players. Split up control of the heroes and follow the normal
flow of play, deciding turn order each round as a group.
Pit If you enter a Pit tile, gain Stun.

You may never enter this terrain. This varies Setup

Impassable visually from map to map; it is always a
simple repeating pattern. Enter your heroes on the Party sheet, listing the correct Vim
and Nerve for each hero based on your party size, and
equipping the correct number of abilities per hero.
Features
Draw your heroes on Entry tiles of your choice. Write in
Fountains each monster based on annotations.

These are used to replenish and resurrect your heroes. Their You can copy the Sample Party sheet if you want to get
behaviour is described under the Heroes section. started quickly.

While I prefer to use circles for Vim and crossed circles for
Nerve, and to draw and erase them on the Party sheet as they
are gained and lost, remember that you are free to use tokens
or dice to track these.

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Hero Reference
Warrior
The warrior is a fierce combatant who
measures his value in lives saved and
the breadth of his shield. The scion of a
noble house of moderate means, he
became disenchanted with the
comfortable, empty life laid before him, and pledged to
pursue adventure on his name-day. His family cast his
name from their house the day he left, but his ferocity
and tenacity have led him from success to success.
He has modest damage-dealing capabilities, an array of
control effects, and many options for attack mitigation.
(Passive) Bulwark. Hit damage to the Warrior is
reduced by 1. Zero-damage incoming Hits do not
trigger “Unit receives attack damage”.

Abilities
Unlocked? Name Cost Effect
🗹 Brace – H (Self) Shield
🗹 Charge – A (1 R4 A) Move adjacent to target
☐ Hook – A (1 R4) Move target adjacent to self
☐ Bloodlust – A (1 M) Leech
☐ Spikes – H (Self) Thorns
🗹 Cleave 1 A (2 M D) Hit
☐ Smite 1 A (2 M D) Stun
☐ Assist 1 H (1 R) Move adjacent to target, Shield
☐ Expose 1 A (1 M) Hit, Bare
🗹 Sacrifice 2 A (1 M) Hit 2, Stun
☐ Sweep 2 A (3 M) Hit, push targets 1 tile
🗹 Harden ⌽ H (Self) Heal, Shield, Mend, Thorns
☐ Slam ⌽ A (3 M) Hit, Stun
☐ Rally ⌽ H (3 R & Self) Heal, Vicious

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Priest
The priest is a dedicated servant of the
Infinite Light. Shaped by his
experiences at the temple, he has sworn
an intricate series of oaths which bind
him to do the work of the Light in the
world and to aid those in need. Immaculate in its
balance, the Light demands a modest sacrifice of its
adherents each time it is wielded. This is a cost the
Priest pays gladly.
He has a wide array of healing capabilities, as well as a
smattering of control, buff, and resurrection options.
(Passive) Blessed. The Priest’s maximum Vim is
increased by 2 (four heroes), 3 (three heroes), or 5
(two heroes).

Abilities
Unlocked? Name Cost Effect
🗹 Fade – H (1 R, Self) Monsters ignore self or target ally next monster turn
☐ Harvest – H (1 R) Ally loses ⌽, Priest gains 2 Vim
🗹 Protect 1 H (2 R) Shield
🗹 Light 1 H (1 R2) Heal 3
☐ Enthuse 1 H (1 R) Heal, Vicious
☐ Alms 1 H (1 M) Heal 4
☐ Empathy 1 H (1 R) Heal then Repeat
☐ Breath 1 H (1 R) Resurrect hero with 4 Vim, 1 Despair, Stun
☐ Piety 2 H (1 R4) Move target adjacent to self, Heal 2
☐ Bind 2 H (2 R) Heal 2
🗹 Aura 3 H (1 R) Resurrect hero with full Vim, Mend
🗹 Grace ⌽ H (Self) Heal 8
☐ Brilliance ⌽ H (3 R) Heal, Shield, Mend
☐ Circle ⌽ H (3 R & Self) Heal 2

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Rogue
The rogue is a self-taught blademaster.
She stole her God-dagger from a tomb,
and its lingering curse forces her to
keep moving, remaining ahead of the
restless darkness which pursues her.
Whether she sleeps is a matter of some debate;
certainly none have spotted her in the act.
She has a broad array of damage-dealing capabilites,
with an emphasis on single targets, as well as limited
debuff and movement capabilities.
(Passive) Elusive. The Rogue counts as if she is 1 tile
further away for monster aggression and monster
target selection. Once she has been selected, attacks
against her count their range normally.

Abilities
Unlocked? Name Cost Effect
🗹 Stab – A (1 M) Hit
☐ Backstab – A (1 M) Hit, Bleed Flank
☐ Shortbow – A (1 R D) Hit
🗹 Longbow 1 A (1 R A) Hit
🗹 Weave 1 A (1 M) Hit then H (Self) Move 1
☐ Sap 1 A (1 M) Stun, Bare
☐ Flourish 1 A (2 M) Hit. Targets may not be adjacent to one another
☐ Prepare 1 H (Self) Speed then A (1 M D) Bare
☐ Flicker 1 H (Self) Move 2 then A (1 M) Bare
🗹 Focus 2 A (1 M A) Hit 2, Bleed
☐ Maim 2 A (1 M) Hit, Bare, Fumble
🗹 Fury ⌽ A (6 R2) Hit
☐ Ambush ⌽ A (1 M A) Hit 4 Flank
☐ Feed ⌽ A (1 M A) Hit, gain 3 Vim if target dies

Flank only works against monsters who are adjacent to a non-Rogue hero. You
must attack from one of the three tiles on the opposite side of an ally. In each
image, the various Rogue positions are valid Flanks.

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Mage
After spending an extremely pleasant
youth learning the shapes of the aether
in the libraries of Tennam, the Mage
was kidnapped in her sleep by a wight.
She was forced to learn quickly how to
put her art magic to crude, practical use. Disoriented by
extensive planar travel, she seeks the memory of her
home, that she may find her way back.
She has a variety of combat tools, with a fair split
between single-target and area of effect, as well as
various movement and utility skills.
(Passive) Seething. The Mage gains an extra ⌽ (2
total) when a fountain is activated.

Abilities
Unlocked? Name Cost Effect
🗹 Icicle – A (1 R D) Hit, Stun
☐ Blink – H (Self) Move 4
☐ Swap – H (1 R8) or Attack (1 R8) Switch places with target
🗹 Swarm 1 A (1 R4 D) Hit, Repeat
🗹 Shove 1 A (1 R) Hit, Move target 2
☐ Shift 1 H (2 R) Move 1
☐ Haste 1 H (1 R) Speed
🗹 Fireball 2 A (2 R) Hit 2. Targets must be adjacent to one another
☐ Urswarm 2 A (1 R4 A) Hit, Repeat
🗹 Sear ⌽ A (3 M A) Hit, Stun
☐ Void ⌽ A (3 R2) Hit 2
☐ Invert ⌽ A (1 R A) Hit 2, Bleed
☐ Jaunt 1⌽ H (3 R, Self) Move 5
☐ Slant ⌽⌽ H (3 R) Speed then Attack (3 R) Stun

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Story
The Crypt of Vish’serim You reflect on the strange behaviour of the older vampire. It looked like it
was trying to approach the censer, but the light kept it at bay. You take the
censer with you, in case you can find some use for it later on.
Introduction
Your party claims the first censer.
The Vampire Lord Vish’serim has been a dread legend passed around for
generations. While no-one seems to have experienced his malice first-hand, As soon as you touch it, its light goes out. Hmm.
everyone has a cousin or grandmother whose village was menaced by his
legion of bloodthirsty children.
iii
Until today, that is. One of you hears a fresh-sounding rumour, and you
You find yourselves in a narrow passage. The roof is low, sodden, and soil
manage to pin it down to an elderly tracker. You meet her in a tavern, and
and roots have forced their way in among the heavy slabs. A low burbling
after a little lubrication, she shares the exact location of Vish’serim’s crypt.
sound announces a fountain in the far corner of the room. You can barely
Your party polishes their blades and recites their incantations before setting make out a massive set of wooden doors off to your right, and another large,
out. Following her directions, you arrive at a worn jumble of stone and dark space looms before you.
rotted wood, which could be the remains of a village, or perhaps a single
You have only a moment to take all this in. A shrieking wight materializes
large manor-house.
from the darkness and rushes toward you, a pair of stunted wightlings at its
You spend some time poking around in the rubble, and gradually become side. It has the suggestion of form: a flowing wisp-garment says all there is
discouraged – there seems to be little sign of a crypt here. But then a scream to say about whatever shape the creature may have had while it lived. It
alerts you – one of your number has slid down a dark ditch! seems to be a thin, stooped woman, but as it flies noiselessly toward you, its
head bends impossibly far back, and some kind of bubbling mass ripples the
The hole is steep and narrow, but you manage to wrestle yourselves down wisp-cloth at its throat. Behind it, another wightling scoops something from
into the darkness. As the slope becomes more gentle, it widens, but the its dripping torso and prepares to lob it at you. To arms!
gloom is utterly impenetrable. You light torches.

Your heroes carry torches which allow you to see your foes. iv
Attacks made against monsters at range 4 or greater must be
made at disadvantage. Picking wight-plasm from your garments, you step forward into the side-
room. It’s a large space with ornately carved walls, although it’s also shaped
The flickering light doesn’t illuminate much. You see a doorway ahead of somewhat irregularly. You get the feeling this crypt was hewn from the
you, and – was that movement? Must be a trick of the light. The air is heavy bedrock, following skeins of softer stone.
with dust. You can’t smell much, but there’s a hint of something acrid – it
smells of decay. Ahead of you, there’s another glowing censer, and it’s being perused
haughtily by another elder vampire, its broodlings scurrying at its feet. Off to
Just as you’re starting to feel confident that you’ve gotten the drop on the right, the carvings draw your eye to a colossal stone lever mounted to an
whatever might lurk here, a long, anguished scream echoes from deep in the unseen mechanism.
crumbling halls, and it is answered by a cacophony of shrieks and howls.

You square your shoulders and set off into the crypt. v
It takes two of you to get the heavy chunk of stone to move, but once it does
i it moves quickly, nearly unbalancing you. There is a moment of pregnant
silence before you hear a cascade of thunking and grinding sounds in the
Off to your right, you glimpse the face of an older vampire as it turns this roof, growing gradually more distant. They end with a massive, terminating
way and that, clearly disturbed by something. It is illuminated by a low crunch, as though a massive boulder has fallen from a great height.
glow, but you’re not sure where it’s from.
You may now pass the doorway at vii.
You’ve barely taken five steps when another vampire spins to face you, teeth
glistening! Its minions scurry around it in the darkness. It is impressively
tall, its back a rictus of condescending poise. It is wreathed all in black, but vi
you cannot make out whether it is fabric or shadow-flesh. Its skin is supple,
Like the last one, this censer hangs on a spike of gnarled, ancient-looking
but horrifically mottled: black, brown and purple skeins seem to ooze and
metal, driven deep into the wall-carvings. Its light dims and is extinguished
flow beneath the surface. It leaps towards you, and you rush forward to meet
as you remove it.
it in battle.
Your party claims the second censer.
ii As you bring the two censers near one another, tiny threads of light connect
A censer hangs on an ancient spike of metal, buried deep into the rocky wall them and break apart, playing and spilling in something like a fountain. This
of the crypt. It doesn’t look like it belongs here. It gives off a low, steady is accompanied by a quiet, gentle tinkling sound.
glow, and there’s no sign of smoke, or smell of oil. Something divine is
fuelling its light.

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 vii xii
If you have not activated story area v: A pale sheet of stone stands in your way. It seems completely seamless.
While the layout of the large hall implies an entrance in this direction, you
A vast pair of closed doors looms before you, sturdy and implacable. They are overcome by the urge to avoid the surface, and cannot even bring
have intricate carvings along the base, and gaps in the filigree implies the yourselves to touch it. The air near it is still and cold.
possibility of some kind of automated machinery, waiting to fling them
open. They do not budge when you shove them. If you have activated story area xi:

If you have activated story area v: Steeling yourself, you approach the wall of stone before you. As you draw
near, the wall softens and melts away in patches. It seems surreally sped-up.
A vast pair of doors stands open before you. Connections to systems of As it drips away, so does the profound dread you felt, and you find
weights and counterbalances are visible on the sides. You pay the doors little yourselves squaring your shoulders and stepping through the arch into a
heed, however, because the chamber before you is captivating. The light is dark, dark room. It seems to consume all the light from your torch – you can
modest, but enough for you to see creatures seething and scurrying around. barely see the walls.
The space is enormous. The ceilings vanish in the darkness, swallowing two
colossal pillars. The walls recede into pitch black, but you can make out You raise your weapons as a wight shrieks toward you.
entryways around the main concourse.

xiii
viii As you round the corner, cursing all wights and swearing never to set foot in
As you pass through the high archway, the space before you erupts in light. a crypt again, your gaze falls on the monstrous visage of Vish’serim himself.
As your eyes adjust to it, you make out several rows of candles, artfully He is incredibly tall, even for a vampire, and as he looks at you, you feel the
spaced around a terraced rectangular platform of heavy marble. The wall weight of the thousands of years he has lived. He looks distracted, or
behind it is also faced in marble, and carved with elaborate scenes of winged perhaps disappointed. He raises a gnarled hand and points toward the door.
creatures crying voluminously. A heavy iron bracket sits in the centre of the He lets out a quiet groan, and in it you can make out a word: “Leave.”
altar, split down the middle, holding two portentous sockets.
If you have killed all three of Vish’serim’s children:

ix You hold up a gauntleted fist and open it before Vish’serim. Three five-inch
fangs drop to the ground. It takes a moment for him to understand your
You approach the altar cautiously. It seems unfazed. meaning, but as soon it becomes clear, he hunkers down in an almost pitiable
squat, letting out a low, slow moan of despair.
If your party has claimed both censers:
Heroic feat completed! Remove 1 Vim from Vish’serim.
You place the censers in the sockets. As you bring them together, the dance
of light between them grows to a manic intensity. You notice for the first You gird your loins and set your brows. It’s time to purge this land of
time that they interlock neatly, bringing their quiet flames almost in contact. another deranged beast.
For a beat, the candles around the altar’s edges erupt to roar, nearly blinding
your dark-adjusted eyes and consuming all shadow in their intensity. A If your entire party dies while fighting Vish’serim, you must
chorus of guttural yelps accompanies the burst of light. distribute one additional Despair upon revival.

Heroic feat completed! Remove 1 Vim from Vish’serim.

Conclusion
x If Vish’serim exhausts your last TPK:

The smell of wight-plasm lingering in your nostrils, you step through As darkness steals in around the edges of your sight, the last thing you see is
another high archway. The room beyond is narrow and crumbling. You can Vish’serim leaning over your satchel and drawing your journal from it with
just make out, among mounds of rotting wood-pulp, the shapes of a few tall two spidery fingers. At least someone will read your story.
books on deep shelves. This was once a library. One book catches your eye
If you defeat Vish’serim:
immediately. Its cover is dark mahogany, and the lettering stands out in the
gloom: a pale, pearlescent blue-white. Off to the side, in the darkness, you Vampire lords do not die easily. With his body run through in several places
can hear another elder vampire growling. by metal and magic, he seems to slow down and stoop gradually. Kneeling,
he opens his mouth as if to say something, but he seems to change his mind
at the last moment. He bows his head and seems to expire, not from your
xi mortal instruments, but from accumulated millennia of exhaustion. He
You approach the book and examine it more closely. It appears to be in makes eye contact with each of you before falling forward onto the stone, as
perfect condition, while those around it are in various stages of collapse. It stiff and cold in death as he was in life.
hums quietly as you reach to grasp it – and startles you as you lift it. It’s
As much as his misdeeds echo in your memories, you cannot help but feel a
about as long as a dwarf’s arm, but it weighs nothing at all. You hand it to
sense of loss for the world, as a tether which connected the present to the
someone with space in their satchel.
distant past has been irrevocably broken.
You may now pass the doorway at xii.
Reward: Unlock one ability, and a second ability if you completed
both heroic feats.

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 The Ogre-King’s Caverns As you set off into the caverns, you remember a strange, seemingly
irrelevant comment from the aide – “the Ogre King has a deep respect for
royalty.”
Introduction
The caverns are bare and well-lit. For this map, enemies aggress
The king is dead. Messengers thunder forth from the cities along every road. at a range of 3, not 2.
The king is dead. Hamlets hold urgent midnight meetings, elders murmuring
fearfully of war and of chaos. The king is dead. Pretenders to the throne
weave sinister plots in the darkness. i
You are approached by a royal aide. The message is extremely discreet. You Stepping over the ragged, decaying corpses of the hounds, you examine the
are to meet at a nondescript tavern in a small village. You are to stagger your boneyard they were nosing at. Holding your noses to ward off the incredible
arrival, and reveal your identities and mutual loyalties to no-one. stench, you peer at the bones. Off in one corner, separated from the general
carrion quite conscientiously, is a pile of tiny, delicate vertebrae. They must
She is much as you had imagined. Stern and tall, she carries herself rigidly. be from some small reptile. Wondering at their pride of place, you scoop a
She does not scowl, nor does she smile; her face is determinedly neutral. few into a pack.

The ogre clans to the north keep mostly to themselves. They are violent, but You have found the Vertebrae.
only against trespassers. She tells you the story which will be repeated to the
rest of the civilized world. The king rode on a hunt beyond his normal
stomping grounds. His guides were distracted, and did not realize they had ii
turned astray and entered ogre territory. Their presence angered a roaming Stepping over the imposing mounds of ogre, you find yourselves in a
pack of adolescents. Despite paying with the lives of twenty servants, the slightly narrower cavern. The ceiling is still very far above you.
ogres exacted their price in royal blood.
This seems to be some kind of tannery. Fresh hides are hung on racks in the
You shudder to think about what will be done to ensure the servant part of sunlight, and long, wicked skinning knives glint on a wide rack. An ogre and
the story lines up. his subordinates sit on rocks in a loose scatter, scraping hides clean and
You ask how the king really died. Her answer makes it clear that you really sharpening blades.
don’t want to know the answer, but you get an impression – something
which needs to be impossible, for the stability of the realm. An assassination, iii
or a betrayal. A reality which must be denied quickly and completely.
This seems to be the collection point for finished hides. Bouncing the
The price will be the head of the ogre king, and she needs a discreet, delicate vertebrae in one hand, the beginnings of a plan hatch in your mind.
effective band of adventurers to exact it. She promises you any flavour of You take a few broad strips of leather from the pile.
power you desire.
You have found the Hide Strips.
~

The ride to the foothills in which the ogres live is swift and uneventful. You iv
follow her concise directions to the base of a particularly tall mound of earth.
The grass in the valley is thin and knotted, trampled by generations of The ogre corpse at your feet twitches slightly. Stepping past the pooling
colossal feet. A great gash has been cleaved into the earth, and you can see a blood, you peer into the widening cavern beyond. An ornate totem
well-lit space inside. The entrance is tall for a human, but probably quite a dominates the room, stretching impressively toward the ceiling.
stoop for an ogre.
It is crafted of sturdy-looking pieces of wood, bound together with thick
You step into the cavern. The smell that assaults your nostrils is incredible. It twine, in a strangely beautiful abstract chaos. The outward-facing branches
smells as if generations of corpses have been left to rot alongside one have been trimmed and sharpened, and upon each is mounted the dessicated
another. You can smell layers of decaying carrion – from nearly-fresh to remains of a small creature. They are impaled all along its length, mostly by
truly ancient. You struggle not to gag as you file inside. the chest or head. As you look carefully, you realize that their eyes have been
removed and replaced with rounded semi-precious stones.
Long, thin gashes in the roof allow sunlight to stream into the cavern. It is
vast and mostly empty. The walls are packed, dusty sand, the soil sucked dry
by the ogres’ crude water extraction. v
You approach the totem cautiously, and realize that it is radiating significant
To your right, a powerful-but-mangy hound stalks beside a pile of bones, a
psychic energy, binding the ogres together to a shared life-energy. You’re not
litter of stringy pack-mates nipping at one another behind it. It looks calm
going to be able to defeat their king with this thing around...
and loose, but ready for anything. A long canine glints in a sun-beam, and
you shudder. The totem has six Vim. Any hero standing within this story area
may spend an action to remove one Vim from the totem.
On the other side of the cavern, you see a full-grown ogre slumped against a
wall beside an adolescent. Not having had the opportunity to study an ogre The ogres notice the strange interlopers interfering with their sacred artefact
before, you stare at its strangely disfigured features with curiosity. It looks as almost immediately, and emerge from small hovels around the cavern to
if someone has sculpted a human face from clay, but at almost twice the intervene.
scale, and then loosed a furious series of kicks and blows against it part-way
through the setting process. The knurls and folds of its face seem to be When you enter this story area, draw the top starred monster
constantly in motion, as if it were constantly seeking a comfortable group. Once that group is defeated, draw the bottom starred
arrangement for its grotesque features. monster group. Once that group is defeated, reduce the totem’s
Vim to zero.

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 If the totem is reduced to zero Vim, all monsters in the starred You have found the Feather.
groups are immediately defeated (or not drawn if they have not
yet spawned).
x
If the totem is reduced to zero Vim, the Ogre King loses three
You heave yourselves into the final chamber. Your arms ache from fierce
Vim.
battle, and the ubiquitous dust has made its way into your eyes, boots and
nethers.
vi The skylights here are narrow cracks, but plenty of light spills in from the
The hound-corpses lie still at your feet. Trying very hard to ignore their dead previous room. You take a moment to appreciate being silhouetted heroically
stares, you sweep your eyes around the space beyond. The cavern is in the passage.
enormous, bigger still than the previous ones. You stare in amazement.
The space is positively teeming with activity. Ogres and hounds roam in
The occasional jagged gaps in the ceiling have given way to an enormous scraggly packs, but you ignore them almost immediately, as your attention is
skylight. It looks like a circle at first, but after glancing at the pattern of light captured by a colossal pile of skulls on the far side of the room. An ogre the
on the floor, you realize that it forms an enormous clenched fist. size of a small barn is planted atop it, breathing heavily and slowly.

The space is as sparsely occupied as the other chambers, which makes the Off to the right, you spot a small patch of incongruous beach sand.
effect of the massive symbol on the ground quite fantastic. You wonder if the
symbolism is meaningful – do these ogres rally under a banner of some
kind? – but can only speculate, not knowing very much about ogres. xi
Yep, it’s a beach – or at least, a strange little shrine to a beach. The mound of
Passageways ahead of you and to your left imply deeper chambers, and to
sand is quite small, but it was definitely taken from a beach. This must have
your right a group of surly ogres lounge in front of a large, crudely
been a colossal effort, as the caverns are many leagues inland, and the
constructed coop. It is filled with truly strange creatures.
nearest coast is all sheer cliffs.

The sand is decorated with a noisy scatter of dessicated kelp and putrid
vii crustacean bodies. A few small, tidy sea-shells are laid in a circle in the
Two adult ogres are entertaining a group of adolescents by juggling rocks middle.
with very little co-ordination. Every few attempts they wound themselves
slightly, to enthusiastic whoops of delight. You grab a few choice shells.

In the distance beyond them, you can make out a large, dark pile of You have found the Sea-shells.
weaponry. This must be the ogres’ armoury.
xii
viii From up close, the ogre king is a profound assault on the senses. The
The pile of weapons behind the ogres is as poorly organized as anything olfactory miasma nearly floors you. Scarcely half of the bones beneath him
you’ve seen in the caverns so far. Stacks and heaps of dull metal lie rusting are clean – you catch a glimpse of a thick maggot squirming into an eye-
on the sandy floor, wholly un-cared-for. The collection mostly seems to be socket – but the stench of decay is swamped by a richly aromatic scent from
simple bladed weapons, but you see a couple of pikes, scimitars, and maces his body which makes you dry-heave reflexively.
poking through too. His size is also staggering. Even accounting for the throne of bones, his
It seems a sorry collection – none of the gear holds a candle to yours. But as massive bulk towers toward the ceiling, and he hunches slightly to avoid
you turn to leave, a glint catches your eye. A small dagger, its hilt bound in scraping his head. A huge hound is sprawled on the lower steppes of the
dark, bloody red, lies portentously at the edge of the pile. Everything else in bone-mound, and other ogres sit around him.
the room is caked in the tan dust which permeates the cavern, but the dagger If you have the Vertebrae, Hide Strips, Feather, and Sea-shells:
is clean and stark.
As you peer at his colossal head, you can make out an elaborate
As you lean over to pick it up, your skin tingles as strange energies make head-dress wrapped around his forehead. Your hoarding instinct
themselves known. You breathe deeply, appreciating the power the dagger has served you well! You spend a minute crafting a crude
confers. duplicate, decorating it with the items you have gathered from
You have found the Enchanted Dagger. One hero may once use around the caverns.
any one ability without paying its cost. They also gain two Vim. You lose the Vertebrae, Hide Strips, Feather, and Sea-
Your party loses the Enchanted Dagger when you do this. shells. You gain the Royal Head-dress.

As you step forward, the king notices you. He stares at you steadily with no
ix sign of alarm or recognition, but he gradually gets to his feet, raises his
You approach the coop with some trepidation. The creatures look something massive club, and grunts to alert his underlings. They shamble towards you.
like domestic chickens which have been used as spell-fodder by a Prepare yourselves!
particularly imaginative wizard. Some have large, curved talons which stunt
If you have the Royal Head-dress:
their gait, while others struggle under the weight of elaborate plumage.
The king spots the headdress. He looks confused for a moment,
A particularly well-formed and unmolested feather lies on the dirt in the
but then draws himself up and limbers up more energetically. He
coop. You snatch it.
roars something at you in ogrish. You don’t understand the words,

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 but the meaning is clear: he recognizes you as a substantial He seems to take a moment to realize that his wounds are mortal.
challenger. His immense bulk takes forever to reach the ground, and the
sound of his demise is a deep, low sigh. You feel the heavy
The Ogre King gains three Vim. crunch of his landing in each bone. A few clods of dirt are
dislodged from the ceiling and fall around you.
Conclusion His loose flesh hangs in deep, sagging arcs, and his face is
If the Ogre King exhausts your last TPK: grotesquely distorted under its own weight. He seems to sink into
the bones a little, but he looks no less intimidating. You reflect on
His club is mercifully swift. The king crushes your dreams and your accomplishment – you have slain a titan.
your skull with a single deft stroke. It was probably a mistake to
meddle in the affairs of ogres. Reward: Unlock one ability, and two more abilities if you defeated
the Ogre King with the Royal Head-dress.
If you defeat the Ogre King:

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 The Matterlace of Uthrix gestalt. The whir of a thousand tiny gears driven by a hundred tiny motors,
wound around a malevolent arcanum which defies description, fills you
with at least a little dread.
Introduction
It has no face, but as it notices you and begins to move toward you in
A drawn-out walk down a particularly uninteresting dusty path seems to earnest, the impression it gives is not one of malice. It simply seeks to
drag on for an absurdly long time. It starts with glances at one another, at understand you, inside and out, and it places this imperative well above
the sky, and at the unchanging horizon. The sun was directly overhead your continued survival.
when you set out, and it hasn’t moved. It feels like you’ve been trudging for
half a day. Your supplies are beginning to run low when someone stops and
poses the question: what the hell is going on? iii
It takes a bit of experimentation, but you find that if you all walk in The Adjuster’s intricate corpse lies behind you. As you round the pillar, two
opposite directions, the world takes on a shimmering, fisheye aspect, and more turn to face you, probes twitching. Behind them, a curtain of midnight
the sky seems to bend inward. After a moment of this, a quiet susurration blue drenches the void. You ready your spells and your blades.
exhorts you to stop what you’re doing. Naturally, your efforts redouble, and
you pit blade and spell against the edges of this strange trap.
iv
All at once, the world around you seems to fold in on itself. You see The curtain vanishes as you step into it, and you catch a glimpse of the
reflections of yourselves repeated hundreds of times, yawing off into the small plane upon which you stand repeating in more dimensions than your
distance. The images shimmer with colour and light, and the smaller images mind was built to handle. Your stomach lurches and you reel forward, eager
appear to represent your past actions. Swivelling your head, a stream of to escape the non-Euclidean wrongness.
grotesquely oversized reflections shrinks toward you, and you spot a sea of
imminent darkness. The wild tessellation fades, and you find yourselves standing once again on
the deep-blue sheet. The thick pillar of light ahead of you seems to be
Your party huddles together and braces. pulsing a little more strongly than before.
There is the faintest sound, like the click of a beetle-carapace snapping, and
the light-show stops. You look up and find yourselves surrounded by a v
starless void.
Another Adjuster waits for you, limbs snicking quietly, but it is
The surface you’re standing on is matte and deep blue. It is neither cold nor accompanied by an even more alien presence.
warm to the touch, and the texture beggars description. It’s right in between
polished marble and polished steel. It would be easy to forget it was there. A Shaper hovers quietly behind the Adjuster. It is also built from some kind
of intricate clockwork, but where the Adjuster’s movements are precise and
It is wholly overshadowed by four thick pillars of light which pierce the methodical, it seems to flow through the still air. It carves elaborate,
heavens and are also dully visible on the other side of the blue sheet. They sinuous loops with each motion, each more difficult to predict than the last.
undulate gently in the silence. They look to be conduits of unfathomable
power. Thin slices of light fracture from some of them, forming massive, As the Adjuster moves towards you, the Shaper slides sideways into some
impassable barriers. Dimly, through the surface under your feet, you see secret dimension on its approach. You ready yourselves.
intricate traceries of light layered in some kind of colossal optical
clockwork.
vi
The other thing you notice is the edge. The line between deep blue and
A small bundle of inchoate darkness floats in front of you. Upon closer
void-black is indistinct, but you are fairly certain nothing would stop you if
inspection, you discover an intricate geometry to it, full of strange loops
you tried to step into the abyss.
and twists. Three impossibly thin filaments of light emerge from its innards,
You collect your spirits and set off into the strange half-light. The clicking and are drawn taut to the nearby light-pillar.
sound returns, distant but insistent.
Experimentally, you try to nick a thread with a dagger. The tip of the dagger
This domain is not watched by your Gods. You lose after a falls soundlessly to the surface beneath you. Shaping these is beyond your
single Total Party Kill. ken.

You hear a rustling in the distance. Peering into the gloom, you see what
i looks like a pile of playing cards elaborately arranged into a geometric
pattern on the ground. As you watch it, however, it suddenly folds in on
The pillars of light, while useful as landmarks, do not do much to itself, undergoing some absurdly complex transformation. When the
illuminate the space. As you set off into the darkness, you seem to draw dizzying movement is completed, it more closely resembles a tower.
closer to the source of the clicking. It resolves into a complex series of
sounds, clustered together into louder bursts. It sounds for all the world like You get the distinct impression that it’s trying to decide how small a space
a machine pretending to be an insect. you could fit in. It must be an Enfolder.

You also notice that the floor is strewn with tiny pieces of clockwork.
vii
ii A pack of void-creatures seethes before you. Behind them, an old man
cowers, the emptiness of infinity at his back.
An Adjuster stands before you in all its obscene glory. At least twenty
maniple limbs extend from its trunk, probing and waving at the air in a wild

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 viii Conclusion
You help the man to his feet. He speaks first in a tongue you don’t If your party are all killed battling Uthrix:
understand, but after some experimentation discover that he knows broken
Oret, a hardly-used dialect of the old stonemasons’ tongue, which one of Uthrix seemed to be losing interest from the time your party
your number can speak too. began to weaken, and as he mortally wounds your last, he turns
back to his tangle of darkness, deeply preoccupied with some
He is immensely relieved to have people to talk to. He explains what he has intricate task.
put together of the situation. Strangers are brought here from without. They
are trapped in the strange space until some time determined by the keeper- As the void approaches, a pack of Enfolders carefully carries
creatures. Then they are elaborately killed near the dark bundle, to some your bodies toward the light. You barely hear him mutter – to
nefarious end. you, or perhaps to himself – “at last, I shall rest”.

He identifies himself as a student of the Infinite Light, which the creator of If you cut all three threads by hand, saving the vessel:
this place has taken great efforts to tame, with little success thus far. He Gasping for breath, Uthrix mutters: “Fools. A billion lives will
demonstrates that his studies have given him limited capacity to shape the never be lived. A billion threads will never be woven. For such a
Light, and that he thinks he has been brought here to perform some task in light hand to unmake so much... not even the darkest deeds deal
this vein. He says that they’ve kept him here for months, and while for in such deep profanity. You have... wronged...”
some reason he never grows hungry, his mind has begun to fray somewhat.
His words trail off as shafts of piercing light spill from his eyes.
He encourages you to destroy the strange patch of darkness, for it seems to It cuts deep grooves in the Matterlace as he falls backward. His
be a focal point for the creator’s power. breathing seems to relax, and a small smile plays over his
features. You hear the voice of the old man.
ix “Thank you, friends. You have delivered me from a fate far
As you approach the orb, the stranger convulses and twitches, and then crueller than death.”
draws himself upright.
You glimpse more light emerging from cracks on his face and
Spawn the monsters marked with asterisks. hands, but he makes a small gesture and you find yourselves
unceremoniously deposited back on the dusty path.
“At last! Subjects of... viable... potency.
If you kill the vessel:
“Do not resent this vessel. It recalls nothing of its... servitude. I am Uthrix,
and I formed this Matterlace. My great work lies incomplete, however, The tendrils of darkness sag then drip thickly, slowly falling
because I have not found material stout enough to weave what must be away from their strange knot. The threads bound to them make
woven... until now. loud cracking noises as they snap back to their source beam, and
then begin to hiss and writhe, seeming to fray first at the tip, and
“Destiny hangs thick around each of you: gossamer cloaks of weighty then along their edges. One whips past a hero’s face, leaving a
portent. Once your foetid coils are removed, I shall spin the loose yarn into very unique scar.
that which I have sought for an aeon. My work shall finally be complete.”
The rapidly-whipping threads begin to dislodge others near their
You now face Uthrix. Cutting his world-threads will commit the attachment points, and you see irregular perturbations in the
Matterlace unto the cool embrace of entropy. To do this, you can main shaft of light. The hiss becomes a thrum, and then a roar,
kill his vessel, or cut the threads yourselves. and great bundles begin to split from the trunk. The surface
beneath your feet begins to judder violently.
To cut the threads by hand, you must first reduce Uthrix’s vessel
to 2 or less vim. In his weakened state, you may co-opt his You hear the titanic crack of something fundamental breaking-
power to cut the threads. A hero standing at an attachment point
(▵) may spend her action to attempt to cut that thread. This You find yourselves in a ramshackle wooden shed in a patch of
requires beating a rating of 2 at Disadvantage. Roll two dice and forest you can’t recognize. A scrap of dirty parchment is pinned
get 3, 4, 5, or 6 on both. to one of the buckled walls by a tiny triangle of metal. The note
reads:
The sole Heroic feat available is to save his vessel.
“Your world is forfeit. Better luck in the next.”
Uthrix lunges towards you with death in his eyes.
Reward: Unlock two abilities, and two more if you saved the
vessel.

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Playsheets

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Reference Effects
Additional
No action
Flow Alternates Explore / Fight. Three actions Speed action Stun
Entry – start here per hero in Explore, one in Fight. Game ends on Action
goal completion or 3rd TPK. Heal 1 Vim Lose 1 Vim
Combat Hero must roll above monster rating to Mend Bleed
Water – max. move 1 hit. Roll per target. Advantage is better of two
rolls, Disadvantage is worse. Monsters autohit Lose 1 less Lose 1 more
Trap – lose 1 Vim heroes for rating. Damage Shield Bare
in
Death Corpses block movement and are only Attacker Attacker
Pit – gain Stun cleared on res (heroes) or when all elites dead Thorns loses 1 Vim Leech heals 1 Vim
(monsters). On TPK, res heroes at last fountain,
distribute 3 Despair, and increment TPK counter. Damage Attack deals Attack deals
Impassable – cannot enter out 1 extra Vim 1 less Vim
Replenishment Fountain can be used by an Vicious Fumble
adjacent hero during Explore. Restores all Vim
Fountain – replenish all heroes and one Nerve to all heroes, resurrecting the
dead. Heroic Feat completion lets you clear 2 Heroes Vim (N) Vim (M) Nerve Abilities
Door – impassable until opened Despair. 2 10 14 4 5
Monsters Default Vim, aggress range, move of
3 6 8 3 3
Key – opens a Door 2; range of 3. On action, select closest target
(player choice on ties). Move towards it (out of 4 4 5 2 2

Story area – progresses narrative range) or attack (in range). Elites instead roll
Special.
Total Party Kills □□□
Move Class Abilities Nerve Vim
Warrior

Hit damage reduced

by 1. Zero-damage
incoming Hits do not
trigger “Unit
receives attack
damage”.

Priest

Maximum Vim
increased by 2 (four
heroes), 3 (three
heroes), or 5 (two
heroes).

Rogue

Counts as 1 tile
further away for
monster aggression
and target selection.

Mage

Gains an extra ⌽ (2
total) when a
fountain is activated.

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 Example of a complete, ready-to-play Party

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 The Crypt of Vish’serim Heroic feats - You may only pass the illusory wall at xii if you
1. Place both Censers on the Altar have entered xi.
Difficulty: Easy 2. Defeat all three Children of Vish’serim - At ix, if you have entered both censer areas (F1),
Length: Medium Mechanics Feat 1 complete; boss loses 1 Vim.
Goal: Kill Vish’serim! - Dark: Attacks against monsters at range 4 or - At xiii, if all three Children (F2) are dead, Feat 2
Reward: Unlock one ability. Unlock a second greater are always at disadvantage. complete; boss loses 1 Vim.
ability if both Heroic Feats are completed. - You may only pass the doors at vii if you have - 1 additional Despair distributed if the party wipes
entered v. to Vish’Serim.
Wight (4, R, ○○) Vampire (3, M, ○○○) Vish’Serim (3, M, ○○○○○○)
1 Out-of-range monsters Engage immediately 1 Nearest monster loses 1 Vim. V heals 1 Vim 1 Nearest monster loses 1 Vim. V heals 1 Vim
2 Heroes in Range 2 gain Bare 2 Summon (1, Melee) 2 Summon (2, Melee)
3 Heroes beyond Range 3 gain Bleed 3 Heroes in Range 1 gain Leech 3 Heroes in Range 2 gain Leech
4 Ranged monsters Scamper 1 immediately 4 Revive monsters in Range 1 (1 Vim) 4 Revive monsters in Range 2 (1 Vim)
5 Monsters gain Awareness this turn 5 Engage 5 S gains Vicious; Engage
6 Monsters gain Shield 6 Monsters in Range 1 gain Vicious 6 Monsters in range 1 gain Vicious; Engage

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 The Ogre-King’s Caverns 1 Heroic feats group after the top is defeated. Heroes in v may use
1. Destroy the ogre totem. an action to remove one Vim from the totem.
Difficulty: Medium 2. Craft the royal head-dress. Killing both monster groups will also destroy it. If
Length: Medium Mechanics the totem is destroyed, Feat 1 complete; the Ogre
Goal: Kill the Ogre King! - Open: Enemies aggress at range 3 instead of 2. King loses three Vim.
Reward: Unlock one ability. Unlock two more - The monsters marked * don’t spawn at map start. - If you’ve entered i, iii, ix, and xi, upon entering
abilities if Heroic Feat 2 is completed. - v is a totem with six Vim. If you enter this area, xii, Feat 2 complete; Ogre King gains three Vim.
the top * group appears, followed by the bottom * - Entering viii allows one hero to once use an
ability for free and gain two Vim.
Hound (2, M, ○○) Ogre (3, M, ○○○○) Ogre King (3, M, ○○○○○○○○)
1 H Scampers 1 1 Weakest monster gains Stun 1 K does nothing
2 H does nothing 2 O does nothing 2 Closest hero gains Bare
3 Strongest monster gains Vicious 3 Closest hero gains Bare 3 Heroes in range 2 gain Fumble
4 Engage 4 Engage if out-of-range 4 Engage; if hero took damage it gains Bare
5 H gains Vicious; Engage 5 Engage; if hero took damage it gains Bare 5 Engage; if hero took damage it gains Bleed
6 Engage with Awareness 6 Engage; if hero took damage it gains Bleed 6 Engage; if hero took damage it gains Stun

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 The Ogre-King’s Caverns 2 Heroic feats group after the top is defeated. Heroes in v may use
1. Destroy the ogre totem. an action to remove one Vim from the totem.
Difficulty: Medium 2. Craft the royal head-dress. Killing both monster groups will also destroy it. If
Length: Medium Mechanics the totem is destroyed, Feat 1 complete; the Ogre
Goal: Kill the Ogre King! - Open: Enemies aggress at range 3 instead of 2. King loses three Vim.
Reward: Unlock one ability. Unlock two more - The monsters marked * don’t spawn at map start. - If you’ve entered i, iii, ix, and xi, upon entering
abilities if Heroic Feat 2 is completed. - v is a totem with six Vim. If you enter this area, xii, Feat 2 complete; Ogre King gains three Vim.
the top * group appears, followed by the bottom * - Entering viii allows one hero to once use an
ability for free and gain two Vim.
Hound (2, M, ○○) Ogre (3, M, ○○○○) Ogre King (3, M, ○○○○○○○○)
1 H Scampers 1 1 Weakest monster gains Stun 1 K does nothing
2 H does nothing 2 O does nothing 2 Closest hero gains Bare
3 Strongest monster gains Vicious 3 Closest hero gains Bare 3 Heroes in range 2 gain Fumble
4 Engage 4 Engage if out-of-range 4 Engage; if hero took damage it gains Bare
5 H gains Vicious; Engage 5 Engage; if hero took damage it gains Bare 5 Engage; if hero took damage it gains Bleed
6 Engage with Awareness 6 Engage; if hero took damage it gains Bleed 6 Engage; if hero took damage it gains Stun

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)

 The Matterlace of Uthrix Heroic feats - ix may only be activated after viii has been
1. Save the vessel. activated.
Difficulty: Hard - The monsters marked * only spawn when
Mechanics
Length: Short activating ix.
- Forsaken: You lose on the first TPK.
Goal: Cut all three of Uthrix’s World-Threads! - To win, either kill Uthrix, or reduce him to two
- When all heroes are past iv, they are all teleported
Reward: Unlock two abilities. Unlock two more if to tiles of your choice at Ω. Vim then cut all three of his Threads. To cut one,
the Heroic Feat is completed. stand near it (△) and beat Rating 2 (Disadvantage).
Adjuster (1, M, ○○○○○○) Shaper (5, R, ○) Enfolder (4, M, ○○) Uthrix (5, R, ○○○○)
1 Scamper 1 1 S gains Stun 1 E does nothing 1 Nearest hero gains Fumble
2 Scamper 1 2 Scamper 3 2 E gains Mend, Shield 2 U gains Thorns
One out-of-range monster within S moves adjacent to a hero it is 3 Engage 3 Nearest monster gains Speed
3 Range 2 Engages 3 not adjacent to (Range 8)
Adjacent monster loses 1 Vim, A gains
4 Engage Nearest monster’s Rating is
4 increased by 1
4 S moves adjacent to the farthest
2 Vim 4 hero from it (Range 8) 5 Heroes adjacent to E gain Stun
Engage; An adjacent hero must Move Heroes within Range 2 of E gain 5 Two heroes gain 1 Despair each
5 1 away from A 5 Heroes adjacent to S gain Bare 6 Stun The last Hero ability used may no
Engage; Swap positions of 2 heroes 6 Heroes adjacent to S gain Bleed 6 longer be used in this Fight phase
6 adjacent to A

Loi Alberto (Order #21741696)