DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ROSES AND

SWORDS SYSTEM:
NARRATOR’S GUIDE (ed. 2022)

Based on the ‘Player’s handbook’, ‘Dungeon Master’s Guide’, and the

‘Monster Manual’ from Dungeons & Dragons 5th ed. (Wizards of the Coast,
2014).
Setting and illustrations based on Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, Fire
Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War & Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 (Nintendo
& Intelligent Systems, 1994-2001).
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 3

I. LORE 4

1. The geographical world in Roses and Swords 4

2. History and religion 4

3. Politics 6

4. Magic 7

5. Monsters 9

6. Non-human races 10

7. Legendary weapons 12

II. GAMEPLAY SYSTEM 13

1. Scenario 13

2. Towns and settlements 13

3. Battle maps 14

4. Battle map maneuvers 15

5. Enemies 17

6. Player progression 17

7. Talents 18

8. Narrator’s action and combat check tables (suggestions) 20

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INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
This document covers information, guidelines and inspiration for players who wish to take on
the role of narrator (or Dungeon Master; DM) in the Roses and Swords (R&S) roleplaying
game system. This system is based on Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), but has been simplified
and streamlined to be more welcoming to new players. It is assumed players looking to be a
narrator have read the Player’s guide and its introductory remarks beforehand before
consulting the Narrator’s guide.
Because R&S is a cooperative game, much like D&D, the role of the narrator should not be
interpreted as being the other players’ opponent. As a narrator, it is your task to provide the
players with story, context, and challenges. You portray all other characters aside from the
player’s characters: their dialogue, their actions, and their combat. At the same time, you
keep track of most other ‘mechanical’ aspects of the game: numbers and statistics that are
collected behind-the-screens, but do influence the further progress of the game.
For a narrator, excellent preparation is key. Roleplaying games usually span multiple play
sessions, which together make up a larger adventure or “campaign.” This means being able to
come up with engaging and coherent scenarios leading up to a fitting climax. Leaving some
aspects of your story undecided but flexibly adaptable based on the players’ choices is highly
recommended, should it fit your playing style as a narrator.
Attempt to be empathetic of player’s choices, but do not equate this to giving them “free
passes.” In this roleplaying game, characters can die and the consequences for these
characters can be quite eventful. You ideally want to create an experience where immersion
is strong and clever boldness, creativity and cooperation are rewarded. For this reason, it’s
still advised to avoid saying “no” to your players when they want their character to do
something more unorthodox. Allow them to attempt any action, as long as it doesn’t break
the internal logic of your adventure. However, do link fair and logical consequences to
potentially risky behavior. Can my character ingest a sharp knife, to show off how brave he
is? “He certainly can try!” An appropriate roll of the dice plus your judgement of the player’s
character (does it make sense for him to do that?) should determine the outcome.
Within D&D, multiple conventions are followed when it comes to the transparency regarding
the amounts needed on successful dice rolls (see Player’s handbook), as well as things like
player progression (“experience” gain) and health status (expressed in “hitpoints” in D&D).
In R&S, these numbers are generally kept hidden from players, as it is believed this improves
immersion and the roleplaying experience. The narrator instead consults a set of tables in this
Narrator’s guide and based on this, details the results of the player’s actions. This means
knowing how to properly consult the tables is an important aspect of your role as a player.
D&D allows the narrator to design adventures and worlds with certain characteristics. The
details of this fantasy world are discovered by the players themselves during their adventure,
but for this system (R&S) in particular, this Narrator’s guide offers a vast amount of lore,
backstory, and hopefully imaginative input that might help you to freely flesh out your world,
setting, and ultimately, your adventure.
All the above notwithstanding; this document is still, in essence, a set of guidelines. There is
no absolute, one-rule-above-all every narrator should follow, except for this one: ensure your
players are enjoying the game. Everything else is secondary to this criterion.
I. LORE

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1. The geographical world in Roses and Swords
The world in R&S is mostly made up of islands in a vast and seemingly limitless sea that has
not been mapped in full by any nation. The islands vary in size; some can be considered equal
to real-life continents while others “only” span about a day’s worth of travel. Some may
contain lush forests, while others are dominated by frosty tundra: micro-climates are
prevalent. One common feature is that most islands are not that densely populated; massive
urbanization on a scale we see today in the real world has not taken place.
Because of this sometimes-sparse occurrence of human settlements, on some islands, the
local populace is unaware of the existence of other islands and considers their own island to
be the entire world.
This segmented approach to worldbuilding allows the adventures of R&S to be loosely
connected while still giving narrators freedom when it comes to creating campaigns. A story
doesn’t need to take into account the lore
and worldbuilding of the campaigns that
have come before it.

Some example island maps that illustrate the variety of the landscape found in the fantasy
world of R&S.

2. History and religion

While in the current day, gods are generally not widely worshipped in the world of R&S,
once upon a time, people attributed the creation of the island(s) to gigantesque sea serpents or
“dragons” known as Naga (plural). The islands themselves were interpreted to be the bones
and remains of such sea serpents. Some ancient humans did worship the conception of Naga
as the world’s creator and thanked them (in some instances, a single Naga was worshipped)
for blessing humans with lands to live on, often with ritual sacrifices. Today, remnants of
such old pagan beliefs might still linger, especially in secluded areas, though are generally
considered to be mere folk tales by most. Still, this old form of worshipping has caused
several names for the concept of “the entire world”, synonymous with the name for the
relevant deity, to have surfaced, which are still used today on some islands: Jormund,
Jormungandr, Jugdral, Yggdrasil, Midgard, Naga, … (author’s side-note: for thematic

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consistency, these names were picked from pre-existing concepts from Norse mythology,
most relating to either snakes or terms used to describe the earth).

Old gravure featuring a depiction of Naga (as might be found during an adventure).

Human recorded history varies based on the island, but it has reached dates around 600 to
1100. Its technological process is similar to that of the real-world early medieval ages. Over
the centuries, a common trend seen on many islands is the gradual marginalization of sea
serpent religion as societies developed further and took on a more humanist philosophy. To
this day, clergy such as priests and bishops remain spiritually relevant thanks to their belief in
the goodness of humans, hosting ceremonies and feasts and fostering local harmoniousness.
Druids, meanwhile, have long considered humans to be nature’s responsible “gardener” and
have built out rural communities based on these ethics. The discovery of magic (see 4 –
magic) meant a further nail in the coffin for most forms of institutionalized sea serpent
religion.
Cults worshipping extremified beliefs relating to the notion of sea serpents have been known
throughout the world’s history. For example, some cultists adhere to the idea that the
mightiest sea serpents are still living in the vast seas and that their power could be used to
erase the current world and begin anew. Other cults believe it is possible to reawaken the sea
serpents and use them for their personal nefarious purposes.
As a narrator, you can freely work such elements into your R&S story. The choice whether
sea serpent worshipping and cultist rituals materialize into monster encounters for the
players, is up to you (see 5 – monsters).

3. Politics

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The islands in the world of R&S have a long feudal tradition, similar to the early medieval
systems seen in real-world Europe of the time. Emperors, kings, lords, dukes, counts often
make up the ruling class and just like in real history, rivalry over territory, succession and
economically viable resources often leads to militaristic struggles. For this reason, land is
often redivided and takes on different names across different generations. It is often a major
plot point within the stories of R&S.
This being said, islands were experimentation occurred with different, more democratic
forms of government certainly exist. Again, this is an element which a narrator is free to
include.

Example of a political world map, with two conflicting nations possessing settlements (here
color-coded with blue and pink). The blue nation has been driven into a territorial corner – it
is protected by a mountain range, but freshwater access is reserved for the pink nation. This
is one of many potential steppingstones for a conflict and R&S story.

Generational conflict is another item often explored within R&S stories.

4. Magic

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Magic currently exists in two forms in the world of R&S. About a century ago (counted back
from the beginning of most adventures), druids allegedly discovered that those pure of heart
could channel their spiritual energy into a crystal or gemstone mounted atop a staff. This
energy could then be used to manipulate the corporeal reality of the world: objects and other
living things could be moved in space thanks to telekinesis, but perhaps even more strikingly:
wounds could be closed, broken bones could be healed, sometimes even those taken before
their time could be brought back from the death – all as long as the ‘heart’ energy was strong
enough, and the druid’s judgement rang true.
This brought about some crucially important factors for R&S’s world: it cemented druids as
spiritual leaders (for the time being!) on most islands, as their powers were considered vital to
a community’s organization and well-being. It also gave more relevancy to humanist priests
and bishops, who operated in a similar manner in more urban settings such as towns and
cities.
On the other hand, the discovery of staff magic also took away most of the influence sea
serpent clergy may have had locally: their god was, in comparison, a cruel one, requiring
sacrifice to grant its blessings upon humans. Druids’ philosophy, on the other hand, put
humanity as a force for good more central. Only by being pure of heart, after all, could the
power of magic staffs be used. It also was the living proof that humanity didn’t need gods to
take care of it.

A simply designed staff made from wood and a round crystal (L). Druids or priests of a
higher status usually crafted more elaborate designs, demonstrating their mastery of magic
(R).
However, far more recently, more discoveries were made that shook the established order of
things to its core. Only about a decade ago (again, counted back from the beginning of most

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adventures), many academics all over the world came to a staggering conclusion after years
of research. Through intense study of physics, chemistry and biology, it appeared, the human
body could, under the right circumstances and with the correct posture, breathing and
concentration, manipulate molecules to conjure up fireballs, wind gusts and lightning bolts.
The methods and practices to achieve such power proved too complex for any human to
memorize, so they were written down in erudite tomes. Academia devoted itself to the further
study of elemental magic afterwards, and many rulers heavily sponsored this research
because of the militaristic applications of the magic.

A lightning-elemental tome (L). While esteemed academics (M) initially took on the study of
elemental magic driven by intense curiosity, soon enough highly intelligent warriors (R) took
use of this new opportunity to become forces to be reckoned with on any battlefield.

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It was a crushing blow for many druids, who had built out their leadership based on the
notion that magic was a limited power reserved only for pure souls. Elemental magic,
however, could be attained by anyone willing to devote themselves to rigorous study – even
if they had war-like ambitions. Naturally, they strongly opposed the pursuit of elemental
magic, which caused a rift in many communities. Town priests were usually more open to
explore the other uses of elemental magic, making them considered “impure” by many
modern druids. However, because of this stringent attitude, many druids have lost favor
within their community in recent years.
This has spiraled into some druids abusing their powers to gain more influence in nefarious
ways. After all, it was reasoned that a pure heart could also convert into a purely evil heart.
This has turned some druids into serious threats brave adventurers may face on their
journeys.
Of course, it is entirely possible for narrators to come up with stories where magic is absent
or handled slightly differently. This lore merely offers a backbone of “internal logic” that
works with the gameplay system of R&S.

5. Monsters
Monsters can exist in the setting of R&S, however, their existence is highly debated among
most humans, especially learned ones. If they are spotted at all, it is usually under dubious
circumstances, making them the topic of stories parents tell their kids to discourage them
from running off into dense forests or misty marshland. Monsters and folk myth go hand in
hand.
This was a conscious decision when designing R&S. Many players who are deeply
accustomed to the roleplaying genre have undoubtedly heard of goblins, kobolds, troglodytes
before, but for newer players, such a menagerie of creatures to keep track of might seem
overwhelming.
This is why, if you include a monster in your story at all, it is recommended to turn it into an
important plot point to drive up tension. After all… they are myths that might turn into
horrible reality, depending on your choices as a narrator. This method of using monsters
helps to familiarize newer players with them.
Ideally, select monsters that symbolize a form of “corruption” that can only occur under
extraordinary circumstances, such as genetic mutations, crossbreeding and extreme climate.
Since R&S monsters are rare, if encountered at all, they’re usually found alone and far away
from civilization.
Specific mention goes out towards dragons and dragon-like monsters such as wyverns and
sea serpents. It may prove rewarding to include such monsters as a climax to your story, since
they neatly tie into the pre-established sea serpent lore. An evil cult, for example, might have
come across such a beast and have mistaken it for their god, or wish to resurrect it. Or, they
might use a human vessel to summon a dragon-like beast through foul genetic
experimentation.

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Concept of a “shadow dragon” – a horribly mutated, snake-like creature that inspires fear in
the hearts of men; not only the superstitious ones.
6. Non-human races
In R&S, classical fantasy “races” such as dwarves, elves, hobbits, etc. are generally not
present. This is one of the high-fantasy elements that was consciously left out to make the
lore and gameplay more accessible and streamlined, since in the original D&D game, races
are one of the more complex mechanics included both in terms of backstory and gameplay
alterations they offer.
However, much like monsters, it can be rewarding to include a “non-human” appearance in
your R&S story, easing players into their presence and allowing the story to center around
their unusuality.
A theme recurring in many R&S stories which is part of the conceptualized lore is the
existence of so-called “elves.” On many of the islands in the world of R&S, people with
distinct physical characteristics such as green eyes, light hair and a thin build were often
persecuted and hunted down for being ‘unnatural’, cursed by the serpents, etc.
Over the years, these chased-down humans settled deep within dark forests and cave systems,
far away from society, where generations of genetical inbreeding transformed their look into
an arguably less-human appearance. The characteristics they had been reviled for started to
take on extreme forms; with their eyes looking extremely bright green, their figures being
taller and more slender than humans, and even their hair sometimes being white or showing
hints of green.
This unusual appearance has only widened the gap between humans and these rejects of
society, sometimes resulting in them being called “wild humans”, “sub-humans”, “non-
humans” or “elves.” Most other humans are distrustful towards them even if they’ve never
seen an “elf” in their life before.
Their mounts are said to be winged horses (pegasus, plural pegasi), though these are rarely
spotted and there’s no recorded mention of them in any R&S books and scrolls.

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Finally, this distance from the rest of the world has led some to theorize non-humans like
these were responsible for the original discovery of magic as an inherent power (as described
in 4) and druids merely took the credit for it. This is yet another item narrators are free to
interpret and to use as they see fit in their own original stories.

Legends tell of a non-human civilization living in dense woods surrounding a mystifying lake.

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A depiction of an “elf” dancer and bard.
Further on the right: an etching of a
Pegasus, said to be the mythical mount of
these mysterious non-humans.

An “elf” warrior, sniper, and a young trainee archer.

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7. Legendary weapons
A lore theme optionally includable in many R&S stories is that of the Legendary Weapons.
There are four of them included in the weapons list of the Player’s handbook, meant to
symbolize their synergy with each of the four skills: Mystletain the Sword for Vitality,
Parthia the Bow for Agility, Valflame the Tome for Mind, and Valkyrie the Staff for Heart.
While the abilities of these weapons are considered extraordinary, it is recommended to have
their presence within the story to be often tied to a fate of curses and doom brought upon the
wielders. A party might collect the Legendary Weapons from its fiercest opponents, for
example, only to find out that bringing all Legendary weapons together unlocks the seal on
the imprisonment of a dark beast long forgotten by time. Or the presence of the Legendary
Weapons’ power unlocks the true, devastating magical potential of a person who was
considered innocent and naïve, but is somehow connected by blood to the weapons.
Mystletain is the Demon Sword. It is the master over its wielder and forces said wielder’s
movements to keep itself away from danger. This makes the blade’s defenses impossible to
penetrate unless its actions can somehow be anticipated. It also grants the Luna talent (see 7 –
talents) alongside constant advantage, allowing it to pierce most opponents easily.
Parthia, also known as the Flaming Bow, is said to never miss its mark (its ability to double
the agility bonus and add advantage as a first strike aids this legend) and its arrow’s path
leaves behind flames on all affected squares, creating the perfect defensive wall – or a trap
that may cost the wielder’s life.
Valflame was written by a brilliant scholar and contains the secret to an all-consuming type
of Fire Magic. Its roll-doubling effect plus its constant advantage often ensures victory.
Legends tell of the many sacrifices of both human and non-human life Valflame’s author had
carried out to achieve this raw destructive power, leading to its nickname: Life-Eater.
The Valkyrie Staff manipulates, aside from every living thing, also the mere fabric of reality
itself: it is able to warp time. Despite seemingly being a key to immortality, many wielders of
it have lost their minds attempting to control the staff, sometimes referred to as The Eternal
Lie.

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II. GAMEPLAY SYSTEM
As a narrator, you control everything aside from the player characters’ decisions.
This means a lot of logistic preparation has to precede the start of any session. The following
overview lists things to take into account during the creation of your story. It also further
expounds on some of the mechanics brought up in the Player’s handbook (especially the
mechanics that occur behind-the-scenes from the player’s perspective).
1. Scenario
An adventurous, challenging or inspiring context for your players to start out. The internet
offers many cues when it comes to this, but here are a few simple ones, based on a list from
one of the earlier D&D manuals. Start with a basis and flesh out your story from there.
Mapping an unknown area (containing… uncontacted tribes?)
Rescuing kidnapped or imprisoned persons
Escorting a diplomatic party between enemy nations
Exploring ruins for treasure, but stumbling into bandits
Dealing with a corrupt druid or priest
Re-taking a militarily important area for a local lord
Escaping from an enemy faction after (presumably) committing crimes
…
2. Towns and settlements
Along their journey, the player characters will need opportunities to restock on highly needed
items, or they might very well be interested to learn more about the locals. Sometimes,
however, stumbling across a town is like entering the lion’s den… Attempt to include the
following elements into the towns your players might find with some variation:
Alignment: is the town friendly to strangers, do they have a particular alliance with
any nation? Sometimes, the players’ actions might cause a town to become hostile!
A stable: selling horses or similar mounts. They require rations but improve a player’s
battle capacities significantly.
A travel shop: offers the “travel items” mentioned in the Player’s handbook on p. 20.
An inn: offers the possibility to rest, heal up with the assistance of a local priest, and
might sell juicy rumors for the right price. Can also contain local figures important for
story progression, or just included for thematic flair.
A weapon shop: offers weapons, ammunition for players who use projectiles, as well
as related trinkets such as instruction booklets, silver weapon technique manuals and
rings (see Player’s handbook, for types of instruction booklets and silver weapon
techniques, see 7). It makes sense to include health water in these shops.

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 A magic shop: offers tomes and/or crystals and associated trinkets, much like
described above. It makes sense to include refreshment water in these shops.
An important person or location for the story: this helps to give players a sense of
direction and helps narrators to include a story element that naturally advances the
plot from “downtime” in a town.
3. Battle maps
R&S offers complete creative freedom to how narrators design the battle maps that will be
used throughout the story. Many internet tools exist to do so. Merely take into account the
following aspects, as described in the Player’s handbook:
Battles take place on squared maps
Unmounted characters can move 4 squares, then take an action.
Mounted characters can move 8 squares, then take an action.
Characters cannot (normally) move through obstacles, such as trees, rocks, or walls
(but they can be circumvented with action checks!).
Projectiles and magic have 1 diagonal and 2 horizontal/vertical range without
accuracy loss (see 8 later)

Example of a battle map featuring a building, its surroundings and interior. Towers flank its
entrance.

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4. Battle map maneuvers
Various maneuvers can be introduced to your R&S games to further add complexity to the
battles.
By default, the mechanic “advantage” is included, which entails that characters (both player
and NPC) may reroll and keep the best roll when:
A character attacks a sleeping or unconscious character.
A character attacks another character in the back or in some other way that is
unforeseen.
The opponent is otherwise not focused on the fight (stumbled, nauseous, ...)
Another circumstance as stipulated by the narrator occurs (for example,
weather, illness, an exceptionally skilled opponent, etc.)
The following maneuvers might be included into the story, for instance by allowing your
players to “learn” about them from other allied NPCs, which will grant the players the
opportunity to slowly get accustomed to more and more strategic thinking. You can freely
decide to further restrict or tighten these maneuvers, for example by only letting mounted or
unmounted units carry out certain actions.

Doubling
Attacking twice when an enemy character is “pinched” between at least two sides and one
side has advantage.

PLAYER (not on turn)

having advantage
ENEMY facing ↓
PLAYER (on turn, can
attack twice)

Advantageous terrain
Attacking from a raised position such as a tower or steep hill can be a condition inducing
advantage. Defending said terrain might then become an interesting battle objective.

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Canto
Mounted units use up leftover movement after attacking. Alternatively: half their movement.

MOUNTED 1 2
PLAYER ON
TURN
8 ROCKS ROCKS 3, attack ENEMY
7 6 5 4

Stomp
A successful VIT check against the opponent pushes them one square away in the opposite
direction. If objects are hit or if the opponent falls, more damage might be calculated.
Can be enhanced with a JUMPKICK (have to roll AGI successful as well) in order to not
only knock the opponent a square away, but knock him out for a turn as well.

ENEMY bumps into wall upon successful check

ENEMY facing ↓
PLAYER (stomps) ↑

Grapple
A successful VIT check against the opponent (has to be repeated each turn) allows for
holding them in place, making any other attack against them automatically have advantage.
Alternatively, use RESCUE/ABDUCT to allow characters to carry each other on their turn,
provided their inventory is free (much like carrying dead characters).
Sidestep
A successful higher combat check as the defender allows for taking evasive action after the
counterattack.
Can be enhanced with GLIDE: being able to glide under the enemy after a successful dodge
to appear behind him (and have advantage on the next turn).

ENEMY attacking ↓
2. PLAYER moves here PLAYER (rolls a higher
during enemy’s turn, after combat check, 1.
counterattack counterattacks), then ←

Jump/Salto
Normally, enemy units cannot be passed through, but giving characters the ability to jump
with a successful AGI check (according to the table in 8) might provide them with interesting
ways to deal with a row of enemies in their path.
5. Enemies

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 A battlefield should, at the bare minimum, include one enemy character. Enemy character
function much the same as player characters in that they possess a skill score for each of the
four skills, weapons, items and gold, and even talents. It is advised to copy data of similar
enemy units to lighten the load of preparation work the narrator has to carry out.
Don’t be afraid to adjust these numbers as the campaign progresses and even during a
session. It is incredibly difficult to properly balance the enemy’s stats, so make alterations
where necessary. A good rule of thumb is to generally have enemies’ main attacking skill be
about two skill points lower than your player characters’ highest skills. Of course, you can
divert from this rule easily by including “boss characters” who require players to come up
with special strategies (such as teamwork or distraction) in order to defeat them.
6. Player progression
The players' skill scores are not static; these may increase over the course of the game. This is
done based on “experience points”.

Players collect (invisible to them) experience points by performing (un)successful actions.

Per successful check or each time the player deals damage, the narrator notes down one
experience point for that skill. For each failed check or each time the player takes damage,
the narrator records two experience points for that skill. The moment a player has a sufficient
number of experience points, the skill in question receives a permanent increase by one. Each
attribute can rise a theoretically infinite number of times, but one potential cap is to have +7
per skill as a bonus and to have players “level up” twenty times in total.

Experience point gain should be determined beforehand – narrators are free to experiment
with this, but a logical system is an exponential function. For example:

10 EXP POINTS for level-up.

25 “ “

50 “ “

100 “ “

200 “ “

400 “ “

A linear function is possible, but might cause a snowballing effect if players have a
particularly active playstyle, making the game overly easy as it goes on, which is often the
opposite of the intention of many narrators.

Alternatively, you can use “milestones”, meaning players receive set skill score
improvements during various parts of the story. This may add to immersion, but requires
more preparation for the level-up moments to make sense.

7. Talents

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Once every X amount of levels (this is free to decide for a narrator, depending on the length
of the overall campaign – though 4 is a good average for most situations), a player character
unlocks a “talent” related to the skill he has levelled up. A player character can unlock up to
four different “talents” from the following list.
Talents can be offered as a choice (for example, you list all three), decided at random (by a
dice roll), or woven into the story in an organic way.

VITALITY AGILITY MIND HEART

Perfectionist: Everything Barrier: Inspiration:
three fours, fives according to plan: immune to magic telekinesis that is
and three sixes projectiles and of the same type if successfully applied to an
are an automatic throwing weapons wielding a tome, ally allows him to move
success. can be used immune to and attack twice on his
infinitely. telekinesis if same turn.
wielding a staff.

Speed demon: Opportunist: in Wrath: If the Negotiator: halves

ability to perform the event of player suffers prices in stores.
two attacks in one advantage, the roll damage, he inflicts
turn (once per difference doubles mortally wounding
battle, next turn (and increases the damage on a
no offensive damage). successfully hitting
action). attack during the
next turn.

Counter: if Faster than the Genius: tome Miracle: ability to

the player suffers wind: possible to magic can be used ignore all damage during
damage, he dodge all attacks infinitely. one round per battle.
automatically during one round
applies grade 2 per battle map.
damage to the
opponent if he is
within an adjacent
square.

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Silver weapon techniques are taught by combat masters who usually dwell in towns or
sometimes weapon shops. They have smaller effects on battle and are encouraged as an
inclusion that improves strategic thinking.

SILVER WEAPON TECHNIQUES

Swift strike: adds Vantage strike: if Critical strike: if a hit
advantage to the current attacked, the defender can successfully connects,
combat check. If advantage counter-attack without doubles the roll, increasing
is already present, the player taking damage from the damage. Can be activated
can make another roll. Can attack. The counterattack once per battle.
be activated once per battle. can still miss. Can be
activated once per battle.

Mythical sword skills are not learned through player progression but can be woven into the
story’s plot points, for example as a technique taught by a respected combat master after
completing his challenging quest. They are once-per battle special moves that often result in
the elimination of an opponent. As their name suggests, these skills can only be executed
with the use of swords of a legendary status – for instance, the blade of a fallen formidable
enemy general.

MYTHICAL SWORD SKILLS

Astra: can be Luna: can be Sol: can be Cosmos: can be
activated once per activated once per activated once per activated once per battle
battle by player battle by player battle by player by player characters.
characters. Five characters. Ignores characters. Inflict Adds all skill bonuses to
combat check opponents’ positive mortally wounding a combat check.
rolls are made by bonuses and their damage on a Valkyrie
the user; the total roll. Ignores all connecting hit and
is halved potential damage heals the user’s
(rounded down) sustained by the sustained damage
as their total user that turn. fully.
combat check Mystletain Valflame
number.
Parthia

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8. Narrator’s action and combat check tables (suggestions)
AGILITY CHECKS

Jumping and other acrobatics

< 2M far or 50 CM high Roll 7
< 3.5M far or 1M high Balancing on a tree trunk 12
< 5M far or 1.5M high Balancing on a tightrope 16
< 7.5M far or 2M high Somersault, cartwheel, ... 21
< 9M far or 2.5M high Triple somersault, continuous 27
cartwheel, ...

Throwing (combine with "lifting" if heavier than 30 KG, half distance)

< 5M 9
< 10M 14
< 25M 19
< 50M 25
< 100M 29

Dexterity (theft, unlocking locks, ...) and sneaking unnoticed

Stealing from or sneaking around...
Someone who sleeps 8
Someone who is drunk 12
Someone with a negative MND bonus (awake) 16
Someone with a MND bonus less than or equal to 3 (awake) 21
Someone with a MND bonus greater than 3 (awake) 27
Immune to theft and sneaking if MIND = +7

MIND CHECKS

Follow tracks
Blood trail or similar 5
Snow 10
Grass, earth 15
Stone 20
For each day the track is old +10

Identify, use, counterfeit, or communicate with unknown object or persons

Use/name 9 Use right table for creating Low quality 2
Use/name and origin 11 known objects (e.g. cutting Functional 12
Use/name, origin, communication in 15 a pole from a tree trunk) Good quality 17
another language, value
Use/name, origin, language, value, last 19 High quality 22
owner/user
All the above + knowledge on how to 23 Unique masterpiece 27
make/use it yourself

Magical creation outside of battle (active tome needed!)

Spark, cinder, breeze, ... 10
The size of a bucket (30 cm) 12
The size of a horse (2x2M) 18
The size of a carriage (4x4M) 23
The size of a house (8x8M) 28

VITALITY CHECKS

Damaging and destroying (max size per turn: 2x2M)

Paper, fabric, textiles 6 10
Glass, ice, crystal 8 12
Wood, bone 10 16
Stone 12 21
Steel, iron, precious metal 17 28
Gemstone 21 30

Short lifting/pushing
< 30 KG 10
< 60 KG 15
< 120 KG 20
< 240 KG 25
Intimidate
Children 10

22
 Citizens 15
Bandits 20
Knights and nobles 25
“Non-humans” 30

HEART CHECKS

Persuasion/Lie
FRIEND 0 Neutral: does what is asked 0 Believes the truth and Immune to serious lies
without risk little lies and small/big-risk
15 Small risk 13 Believes serious lies beliefs from +5 MND
or more
25 Serious risk/sacrifice 23 Believes absurd lies

INDIFFERENT 0 Nothing 0 Believes the truth

15 Without risk as requested 13 Believes small lies
25 Small risk as requested 23 Believes serious lies

HOSTILE 0 Aggression 5 Is suspicious of the truth

20 Nothing (one turn no 17 Believes the truth
aggression)
25 Risk-free as requested 27 Believes small lies

Healing (staff needed & active crystal)

Superficial wounds (grade 1) 11
Serious wounds and concussions (grade 2) 17
Heavy (internal) bleeding, broken bones (grade 3) 21
Mortally wounded (grade 4) 27
Bringing back from the dead (aka grade 5) 30

Telekinesis (staff needed & active crystal)

The size of a pebble 5
The size of a bucket 8
The size of a body (2x2) 13
The size of a carriage (4x4) 18
The size of a house (8x8) 23

COMBAT CHECKS
RANGE per space or 1M further than normal range.
-3 Clear weather, well-lit room
-7 Rain, weak wind, poorly lit space
-10 Heavy rain, strong wind, night at moonshine
-15 Fog, night without moon, full darkened space

DAMAGE based on combat check roll difference.

Grade 1: Superficial wound (scratch, bruise) first degree burned, ... 1-5
Grade 2: Concussion, open wound, second degree burned, ... 3-4
Grade 3: Heavy (internal) hemorrhage (due to large open wound), third degree burned, broken bones, ... 5-6
Grade 4: Mortally wounded: Limbs removed or skeleton completely broken, fourth degree burned, ... 7-8-9
Grade 5: Instant death, charred, pulverized, ... 10 =<
In case of three superficial wounds: loss of consciousness (3xG1)
In case of two concussions: loss of consciousness (2XG2).
In case of loss of consciousness: no rolls can be made to counter. Player awakens after fight or thanks to healing.
Heavy (internal) bleeding (untreated) leads to unconsciousness during the second turn after the attack and death during the third turn
after the attack.
Mortal wounds (untreated) lead to unconsciousness during the first turn after the attack and death during the second turn after the attack.

CRITICAL FAILS (*: opponent has advantage on character next turn)

1 7 Stumbles* 13 Nosebleed* 19
2 Daydreaming* 8 Weapon/object breaks 14 Itching* 20 Weapon/object breaks
3 Weapon/object breaks 9 Nauseous* 15 Hiccups*
4 Daydreaming* 10 Vomits* 16 Coughing fit*
5 Stumbles* 11 17 Sneeze*
6 Weapon/object breaks 12 Weapon/object breaks 18 Attack your own team
member

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