DAWN

A Diceless High Fantasy resource management TTRPG

 A Game Written by Joel Vreugdenhil.

This work was made by humans.

DAWN: The RPG © 2024 by Joel Vreugdenhil is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

1
 Table Of Contents
Table Of Contents................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Mechanical Cliff Notes..................................................................................................................................................... 6
Inspirations and Assumptions.......................................................................................................................................... 7
What DAWN Doesn't Do.................................................................................................................................................. 7
Worlds of Dawn...................................................................................................................................................................10
Sample Settings............................................................................................................................................................. 10
The World Of Sand And Stars........................................................................................................................................ 11
The World Of Daggers And Dusk................................................................................................................................... 14
The World Of Faeries And Frost..................................................................................................................................... 17
World Creation............................................................................................................................................................... 20
Character Creation............................................................................................................................................................. 22
Attributes........................................................................................................................................................................ 22
Always Round Up...........................................................................................................................................................22
Specific Overrides General.............................................................................................................................................22
Outlooks And Archetypes.............................................................................................................................................. 23
Summarized Character creation.....................................................................................................................................24
Unstructured Play Checklist.................................................................................................................................... 24
Structured Combat Checklist.................................................................................................................................. 24
Your Story.......................................................................................................................................................................25
Prologue...................................................................................................................................................................25
The Adventure..........................................................................................................................................................26
Tiering Up.......................................................................................................................................................................27
Example Unstructured Characters................................................................................................................................. 29
Example Combat Builds.................................................................................................................................................30
Body Build Recipes................................................................................................................................................. 30
Talent Build Recipes................................................................................................................................................ 31
Spirit Build Recipes................................................................................................................................................. 32
Mind Build Recipes..................................................................................................................................................33
Universal Rules................................................................................................................................................................... 35
Rule Zero, Consent........................................................................................................................................................ 35
Play Materials................................................................................................................................................................. 35
Playing The Game.......................................................................................................................................................... 35
Modes Of Play................................................................................................................................................................35
Challenge Rolls.............................................................................................................................................................. 36
Unique Roll Types.................................................................................................................................................... 36
Scenes............................................................................................................................................................................37
Tension.....................................................................................................................................................................37
Intermissions.................................................................................................................................................................. 37
Clocks............................................................................................................................................................................ 37
Knockouts...................................................................................................................................................................... 37

2
 Influence.........................................................................................................................................................................38
Dueling ❂......................................................................................................................................................................39
Unstructured Play............................................................................................................................................................... 41
Unstructured Challenge Rolls........................................................................................................................................ 41
Failing Challenge Rolls.............................................................................................................................................42
Threats........................................................................................................................................................................... 43
Using Story Clocks.........................................................................................................................................................43
Ranked Features............................................................................................................................................................ 44
Skills............................................................................................................................................................................... 44
Example Skills..........................................................................................................................................................44
Abilities........................................................................................................................................................................... 45
Creating Unique Words............................................................................................................................................45
Ability Glossary...............................................................................................................................................................46
Bonds............................................................................................................................................................................. 47
Bond Actions ❂......................................................................................................................................................48
Outlooks......................................................................................................................................................................... 48
The Rebel.................................................................................................................................................................50
The Loyal................................................................................................................................................................. 50
The Light.................................................................................................................................................................. 51
The Wolf...................................................................................................................................................................51
The Mentor...............................................................................................................................................................52
The Apprentice.........................................................................................................................................................52
The Accursed...........................................................................................................................................................53
The Blessed............................................................................................................................................................. 53
The Quiet................................................................................................................................................................. 54
The Confident.......................................................................................................................................................... 54
Structured Combat............................................................................................................................................................. 56
Turn Order...................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Character statistics........................................................................................................................................................ 57
Damage And Health.................................................................................................................................................57
Armor And Evasion.................................................................................................................................................. 57
Focus....................................................................................................................................................................... 58
Speed.......................................................................................................................................................................58
Tension........................................................................................................................................................................... 58
Spaces, Movement, and Targeting................................................................................................................................ 58
Alternate Mode: Cinematic Combat...............................................................................................................................60
Effect Listing...................................................................................................................................................................61
Basic Actions................................................................................................................................................................. 62
Movement................................................................................................................................................................ 62
Attacks.....................................................................................................................................................................63
Defense....................................................................................................................................................................64
Utility........................................................................................................................................................................ 65
Techniques..................................................................................................................................................................... 67
Powerhouse.........................................................................................................................................................................68
★ Complexity Techniques..............................................................................................................................................69
★ ★ Complexity Techniques......................................................................................................................................... 71
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 ★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques.....................................................................................................................................73
Vagabond.............................................................................................................................................................................74
★ Complexity Techniques..............................................................................................................................................75
★ ★ Complexity Techniques......................................................................................................................................... 76
★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques.....................................................................................................................................79
Bulwark................................................................................................................................................................................ 80
★ Complexity Techniques..............................................................................................................................................81
★ ★ Complexity Techniques......................................................................................................................................... 82
★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques.....................................................................................................................................84
Altruist..................................................................................................................................................................................85
★ Complexity Techniques..............................................................................................................................................86
★ ★ Complexity Techniques......................................................................................................................................... 88
★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques.....................................................................................................................................90
Disruptor..............................................................................................................................................................................91
★ Complexity Techniques..............................................................................................................................................92
★ ★ Complexity Techniques......................................................................................................................................... 94
★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques.....................................................................................................................................96
Ruiner...................................................................................................................................................................................97
★ Complexity Techniques..............................................................................................................................................98
★ ★ Complexity Techniques......................................................................................................................................... 99
★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques...................................................................................................................................102
Narrator Tools................................................................................................................................................................... 104
Running A series.......................................................................................................................................................... 104
Structuring Chapters............................................................................................................................................. 104
Introducing Threats................................................................................................................................................105
Creating Antagonists............................................................................................................................................. 106
Antagonism............................................................................................................................................................107
Resolving Conflicts................................................................................................................................................ 107
Building Structured Combat............................................................................................................................................ 109
NPC Rules.................................................................................................................................................................... 109
Encounter Design......................................................................................................................................................... 110
Compound NPCs..................................................................................................................................................110
Antagonist Edges...................................................................................................................................................111
Example Deployments................................................................................................................................................. 113
General NPC Types...................................................................................................................................................... 114
DPS NPCs............................................................................................................................................................. 114
Tank NPCs............................................................................................................................................................. 117
Support NPCs........................................................................................................................................................120
Engine NPCs..........................................................................................................................................................122
Stakes in Combat.........................................................................................................................................................125
Modifier NPCs........................................................................................................................................................125
Creating Enemies......................................................................................................................................................... 128
Sample Combat Scenarios.......................................................................................................................................... 129
Credits............................................................................................................................................................................... 131

4
Introduction

The journey begins, no going back now.

5
 Introduction
DAWN is a grid-based, combat-focused, setting-agnostic tabletop roleplaying game (or TTRPG), inspired by battle
manga, anime, and tactical video games.

Create your heroes, discover truths of the world, face off against fearsome villains, and grow in a world of your own
making! Embark on an adventure with friends, coming with its highest highs and lowest lows, bearing the greatest
storms to gaze upon the beautiful DAWN.

This section is meant to introduce you to the game. What it expects from you and what you should expect from it before
you learn to play it.

Mechanical Cliff Notes Meta-Resource

If you’ve played other TTRPGs before this, you may Players will gain and track ‘Influence’ throughout the
recognize some of the game’s mechanics as you read. game and the Narrator will track ‘Antagonism’. Both are
meta-resources that serve to reward players who
Here’s a basic rundown of some of those more interact with the story. They’re incredibly important
recognizable mechanics so that you can get an idea of and can be spent in any mode of play.
how DAWN plays:
Custom Abilities
In unstructured play, players can create a custom
Build Your Own World
This game is fully setting-agnostic. This means that ‘Ability’ for their character. A special power created
you can build or play in any world, existing or original, using a points system that puts a cost on how you can
so long as it has combat, the supernatural, and isn’t use it, what you can use it on, and what needs to
concerned with realism. happen for it to activate.

XD6 Resolution System "Toolbox” Character Building

When attempting to resolve conflict, you’ll roll 6-sided Combat builds are made up of a set of individual
dice (D6), treating rolls of 4 or more as ‘Hits’. You’ll features rather than using an overarching “Class”.
need some number of Hits on these dice to succeed. ‘Archetypes’ exist as a way to categorize these
'Techniques’, but they do little to restrict characters.
Characters build any combination of Techniques from
Exploding 6s
up to 3 Archetypes, in any order.
When you roll a 6 using the XD6 system, it’s counted
as a ‘Critical Hit’, letting you roll an additional die.
No Inventory
This game is not concerned with the players
Split Unstructured Play and Structured Combat
managing weapons, armor, or consumable items. If
There’s a pretty solid divide between the systems of
you feel like your character should have a sword, they
‘unstructured play’ and ‘structured combat’, so that
have a sword, when they heal they could pop a
players who value one over the other don't need to
regeneration serum, use magic, or just tough it out. A
make any concessions over what they prioritize.
character’s equipment only depends on what the user
finds most interesting.

6
Inspirations and Assumptions Assumptions
Before moving forward, It's important to talk about the There are many assumptions made while writing this
inspirations DAWN takes and the assumptions it makes book, and if you or your group would not agree with
of the reader. these assumptions, you should discuss them with each
other. If you cannot find ways to reconcile these
problems, then it may also be good to find a different
Inspirations
game to play.
Though many of these inspirations may be obvious due
to how they are used in how DAWN is advertised and ‣ A Love For Combat: This game is fully wrapped in
described it is important to list each explicitly. fighting from head to toe. Its Narrative high points,
mechanical focus, and general theming only work if
‣ Shonen Manga and Anime: This is the most clearly
you as a player enjoy the idea of combat, even if
expressed part of the game by far, many elements of
only in the context of fiction. Your characters should
this game's aesthetics, language, and themes are
be able to fight when the game demands it.
taken from “shōnen” anime and manga.
‣ A Non-Lethal Worlds: This game never forces a
A genre marketed towards young men and boys, often
player to kill their characters, it is always a choice
focused on the struggles of magical underdogs in
they can make. Tension is meant to come from that
fantastical worlds or earnest heroes in seedy urban
character's connections and personal stories, not from
fantasies, and how punching each other is the best
being threatened directly.
way to communicate these struggles.
‣ A Respect For Your Group: Although there are
DAWN specifically draws from rock-blasting, campy,
guard rails and incentives in place to prevent players
fantasy manga like Fairy Tail, Black Clover, Magi,
from ruining the game for others, there is nothing that
Galaxias, and Radiant. Stuff with relatively simple
can be done about players who don't communicate
systems and worlds more focused on action.
with or respect each other.
‣ Tactical Games: A huge part of DAWN is its focus
Especially in DAWN, as it gives a lot of opportunities
on tactical combat, and this combat holds many
for players to indulge in drama and have selfish little
inspirations. The obvious connection to make is to
moments in the spotlight. If a player wants to exploit
other tactical TTRPGs such as Lancer or the other
that and isn't challenged, then they can really take the
works of Massif Press.
wind out of everyone's sails.
However (though these games are a factor), DAWN's
However, it's important to remember that almost no
combat is more inspired by tactical video games;
one will do this on purpose, always extend the same
RPGs like Disgaea or Waven, beat-em-up MMOs like
attempts at communication for them.
Elsword or Grand Chase, card games like Wildfrost or
Legends of Runeterra, and pretty much any fighting
game by Arc System Works.

‣ Narrative TTRPGs: For the mechanics outside of

combat, DAWN takes quite a few inspirations from
narrative focused TTRPGs with more dedicated rules
to push their themes and intended narratives. Some
good examples of this would be; Tenra Bansho Zero,
Cain, and Fabula Ultima.

7
What DAWN Doesn't Do DAWN Does Not…
On reading the past two pages of the book you may
have some ideas on what you could play with it, but ‣ Engage With All Of Shōnen: Though DAWN is
before you do that it’s important to know what DAWN based on all sorts of Shōnen manga, it purposely
was NOT designed to do and what it struggles with. does not attempt to recreate all tropes, themes or
patterns found within. Some of these decisions are
based on the fact that some tropes many feel are
DAWN Struggles To…
fundamental to the genre, this book considers as parts
of Japanese writing instead.
‣ Evoke Horror: Some recent Shōnen, especially
those in urban settings, are heavily inspired by Namely, the way characters are named, humor is
horror (chainsaw man, JJK, Etc.), using their imagery used, and terms are chosen will be more english than
and tone to evoke some of those same feelings in their in Manga, since this is not a japanese game. DAWN is
readers. However, some aspects of DAWN hinder first and foremost a tactical TTRPG inspired by
trying to do the same. Some player side abilities let Shōnen, and does not intend to be the “Manga
players really easily gather information and quickly Game”, whatever that may be.
get a grasp on their environment, and without proper
Narrator precautions this could snuff a lot of tension.

‣ Subvert Force: Though the time before or just after

combat has a lot of systems and opportunities to use
narrative boons and solve puzzles related to it, DAWN
loses a lot of what makes effective if players can
circumvent an enemy before combat.

‣ Recreate “Fluid” Power Systems: The supernatural

elements of DAWN characters pretty solidly fit into a
formula of “using X, I can Y”, abilities are unique and
cannot really be recreated unless another
character’s ability is to do so (The same way manga
like Hero Aca’s Quirks, Black Clover or Fairy Tail’s
magic, and One Piece’s Devil Fruit work).

Because of this, if your world wants to make the

supernatural fluid and versatile, you will struggle
(Naruto’s Chakra, Dragon Ball’s Ki, and HxH’s Nen
work this way). There are guidelines for how to solve
some of these problems (namely making the basic
uses of that energy into skills) but it could still be a
major roadblock for your game.

8
 Worlds of Dawn

The land stretches out before you, one of mystery and wonder, one of your own making.

9
 Worlds of Dawn
As stated in the introduction, DAWN can be played in a number of settings, including worlds you could create as a
group, and existing worlds from other properties, it is still designed to embody a specific “genre” of world, following in
the footsteps of specific works and carrying their tropes.

Sample Settings The Bare Essentials

Though DAWN can be played in almost any No matter what setting someone’s playing in, there will
setting—and it's experimenting is recommended—this be some parts of it that will be assumed to be true, due
book will focus on three official and original settings. to the nature of DAWN’s theme, or required due to
DAWN’s mechanics. Those points are as follows:
‣ The World Of Sand And Stars

‣ The World Of Daggers And Dusk Magic

DAWN and the supernatural are deeply intertwined.
‣ The World Of Faeries And Frost Many of the abilities of both players and NPCs are
explained with the presence of “magic”, and due to the
These settings are meant to be used as a quick and mechanics of the game all players are capable of
easy jumping-off-point for a series, as well as showing using this magic by default. This could be magic in the
the breadth of worlds that are represented in this game. traditional sense, but it could also be anything that the
Although this book will use these three settings as heroes would have access to that “normal” people don’t
examples and inspiration, a different table’s game world have, or don’t understand.
may end up looking very different.
Action
Anyone who has read DAWN fully should be somewhat At least half of this book is made to explain how
familiar with each of these settings, which makes them someone punches good. This is under the assumption
perfect for conventions, online-first series, and any that characters will fight a lot, and that these fights
other game that want to get off the ground as quickly as would be non-lethal and spectacle-focused. The world
possible. should be full of people to fight and reasons to fight
them.

Unity
Though it’s recommended players explore different
ideas for their characters, it’s important that each has
a template that all players use. Player characters in
Sand and Stars are “Magus”, in Daggers and Dusk
they’re “Virtuous”, and in Faeries and Frost they’re
“Keepers”. Each of these labels coming with traits that
keep the characters well defined give things to relate to.
The unique traits of these characters should be based
on how they subvert assumptions one may make or
expand on more vague parts of the template, not by
adding completely new rules that would affect the other
players or contradict established parts of the setting.

10
The World Of Sand And Stars
Beneath a star strewn sky, a cosmically small speck
of dust houses millions. With those bravest among
them, the ‘Magi’, drawing power from these stars, using
their abilities to elevate their position in the world or
provide for those who can’t.

This is Ka'Sha, a desert world where people draw power

from the constellations and become Magi. Mounted on
sand skiffs, ambitious Magi search their planet for fallen
stars, the catalysts that enable this attunement.

And this requires courage, as these fallen stars carry a

passenger, one whose terrifying form and unbelievable
power strike fear into all who bear witness.

Magic
Within this world, magic is a tool used by those lucky or
wealthy enough to find and keep hold of a ‘Star Shard’
left by falling stars. These are often nomad adventurers,
desperate outcasts, or members of “The Empire”.

This magic is most often used in one of two ways:

When a character absorbs the latent energy of a Star

Shard, they will likely be given an Ability that holds
some power over an element of the natural world, often
sand, light, or wind.

Star Shards can also be utilized in technology, creating

all sorts of esoteric effects not limited by our knowledge
of technology.

Action
There are many threats across Ka’Sha, and the common
people will likely face; armored monsters that roam the
sand, the imperial soldiers drunk with power given to
them through Star Shards, or the bandits that wander
trade roads.

Unity
PCs in Ka’Sha are probably “Magi”, free spirited mages
and rebels, manipulating the power of the earth and
stars to their whim (and often their destruction). They’re
likely to fight on the side of the “Dune Runners” and
oppose the “Empire of Brass”.

11
The Search For Power The Dune Runners
An organization of ambitious nomads, each hoping to
The Fallen Stars find fallen stars before the Imperials and absorb their
Crystalline meteors the size of buildings. Every day, a shards to amass more and more power. They use the
star falls from the sky, carrying with it massive power. titular Dune Runners to race over the sand on the night
Most scholars on the subject suspect these are not of a falling, praying they’re lucky enough to find what
actually stars, as the destruction created from their they’re looking for.
landing isn’t nearly as intense as one would expect from
that kind of impact, but their true origin is still unknown. The exact motives of a Dune Runner depend on the
individual, some seek out of a hatred for the Empire and
Most stars are quickly taken apart by agents of The their monopolization of stars, some seek to take the
Empire, using incredibly efficient magical tools to shards and distribute them among the less fortunate,
harvest it before the Passenger has a chance to and some just don’t want to pay for a shard’s sales tax.
retaliate. Small chunks of the crystal are then sold to the
people living in their cities, with ones of exceptional Example NPCs : Notable Dune Runners
purity being auctioned to imperials at high collar events.
‣ Qayid Āl-Rashid: A boisterous, giant, heroic man with
The Passengers long light hair and scimitar at each hip. A former slave
Pale and alien, sleeping in a star’s core, only seeming to and arena fighter, Qayid led a revolt that shook the very
wake a few hours after its landing. Few outside the foundations of the empire and led many of his fellow
Imperial Harvesters have ever seen an intact Passenger, fighters to freedom.
most stories of them coming from drunken travelers As a PC: Powerhouse / Bulwark, The Rebel.
across the common cities. Some claim the Passengers As an NPC: Berserker / Ronin, World-Renowned.
are giant white hyenas with empty eye sockets, some
‣ Sheikh Shirin: A white haired elderly woman who
say a mist that wafts out of a broken star and kills any
carries a cannon meant for ships despite her diminutive
who inhale it, some are fanatically insistent that each
stature. Shirin is a well known treasure hunter among
star carries beautiful gods, and that the only way to
Dune Runners, and unfortunately a well known criminal
escape their wrath is worship en masse. The Empire
among Imperial Guards, both for her hunting of treasure
and its officials have confirmed none of these rumors,
owned by the empire and for her blatant disregard for
and have done their best to hide any clues that may
the customs of the imperial cities she stops by to rest.
have surfaced through their collection.
As a PC: Ruiner / Powerhouse, The Mentor.
As an NPC: Cannoneer / Bruiser, All-Seeing.
Example Secret Hooks: Fallen Stars and their Passengers
‣ Cassim Nuwas: A slim, handsome man with the sides
‣ The stars are the broken fragments of the heavenly
of his head shaved and a large dagger strapped to his
realm, with the passengers being all that remains of the
leg. Cassim is a world famous thief and assassin, who
gods and their servants.
paradoxically shares the reputation of greed—a man
‣ Ka’Sha exists in a gravitational whirlpool, ripping alien who'll kill even his own mother for the right price—and
vessels from the sky and crashing them to the surface. for his difficulty to find and hire.
Their magic is highly advanced technology that its
As a PC: Vagabond / Disruptor, The Wolf.
inhabitants know little about.
As an NPC: Viper / Assassin, Swift-stepping.
‣ Ka’Sha was once the site of a great calamity. The stars
and their passengers are the survivors of their former
world, now battling against the new humanity that has
sprung up long after their time.

12
The Empire The Imperial battalions
Along with its many disparate squadrons and political
The Brass Empire heads, the empress has created the “6 Imperial
A young power who’ve been inserting themselves into Battalions”. Parties of well trained magi and Imperial
the lives of locals since the discovery of star shards. A soldiers sent out on missions befitting their specialties.
few decades ago the people of Ka’Sha were communal,
every person caring for eachother in small settlements, Each Battalion is led by a “Mushir” who commands the
the only contact with their neighbors being for travel and many smaller squads that make it up, each of those
trade. That changed when the leader of one of these squads having a captain of their own.
communities discovered a more practical use for the
fallen stars, that being to power technology of brass, Example NPCs : The Mushir
creating tools to ease the work required for a variety of
trades. This person was a scholar employed by ‣ Mushir Ahmed: Leader of Battalion Suen, specializing
Shahrazad, the woman who is now the Empress. in public relations. Well loved by the common people for
his warm demeanor and willingness to help civilians.
Over the course of the next ten years Shahrazad would Though asking fellow imperials may lead to a different
show her abilities as a trade powerhouse, using her impression, that of a killer with a perfect mask for any
resources to develop and commission hundreds of occasion and a dagger at your back when it goes
pieces of “Brasswork”, the name she gave these pieces wrong.
of technology. It started with the now widely used Dune As a PC: Altruist / Disruptor, The Confident.
Runners, and eventually developed into Brasswork As an NPC: Baron / Viper, World Renowned.
carriages, security systems, toys, and firearms. The
‣ Mushir Hussain: Leader of Battalion Nergal, a group
wealth and power this granted Shahrazad only grew,
of ruthless warriors who proudly claim to have never
eventually resulting in the sudden and violent takeover
been used for garrison work, only ever being deployed
of her rivals with Brasswork never seen before, and her
into active war-zones that other battalions struggle in.
establishment of the Empire, an event she refers to as
His direct, violent methods have some mistake him for a
“The dawn of a new age”.
simple brute. This is a mistake, however, as his mind
has proven sharper than any of the blades housed in his
Example Hook: A pale-iron Revolution armories. Be it in strategy, tactics, logistics or personal
combat, Hussain is considered peerless.
‣ During a commute between two cities the players find
a scholarly looking man lying in the sand and clearly As a PC: Powerhouse / Disruptor, The Wolf.
injured. He cursed the Empire as he lies, seeming not to As an NPC: Executioner / Necromancer, Cruel-hearted.
notice the players until they address him directly. He
claims that he was attacked by Imperials because they ‣ Mushir Zumurrud: Leader of Battalion Merodach, who
discovered his great invention, an Iron alloy that could oversees the research and development of the empire’s
recreate the effects of Imperial Brass with more Brasswork. Though it is not necessary for the battalion’s
affordable ingredients. If the players help him he offers success, she’s become fascinated with this
to make anything they need out of his magical alloy. development and often travels out with her personal
guard to various dig sites and ruins, where star shards
are found and harvested. It’s rumored that these
personal expeditions of hers are taken to gather shards
for some undisclosed personal project.

As a PC: Powerhouse / Disruptor, The Wolf.

As an NPC: Illusionist / Enchanter, All-seeing.

13
 The World Of Daggers And Dusk
Pantomime is the world capital of an alternate Earth. It’s
known for three things: its status as a massive industrial
titan, its attractive growing market, and the presence of
“Knightly Syndicates”, criminal and corporate alliances
each meant to remove their business rivals.

Each shady alleyway and smoky backroom is as much

a battlefield as the wastes wars are waged on, fought
with as much biting commentary as screaming gunfire.
The Knightly Syndicates would do anything to keep it
this way, a game rigged in their favor. And it might be
time to flip the tables.

Magic
Over the last 30 years the citizens of Pantomime
—especially the Knights of the Syndicates—have been
granted a ‘Virtue’, seemingly at random. These Virtues
give their host the power to invoke a person or thing
from their history, with the personality and life of the
citizen influencing what this lets them do.

Many of those in power are either born with a powerful

Virtue or control other Virtuous, making this power
reinforce their rule. Many of said Virtues being based
upon the tyrants and monarchs of the past. Other
citizens could have almost anything, but many end up
disappointed. Someone may be blessed by the powers
of some mighty god or legendary weapon, only to have
it translated as an incredibly mundane knack for
something vaguely related to it.

Action
This world is lethal. Guns and blades kill with a single
blow, with Virtues making it easier more often than not.
Hits in structured combat should be lucky grazes or
close dodges that drain the target’s stamina rather than
taking any real harm, leaving Wounds to represent
physical damage, to maintain a feel of lethality.

Unity
PCs in Pantomime are probably “Virtuous”, mundane
people given incredible power through chance and birth
-rite. They’ll be forced to take a side between the
“Knights”, the “Vocationals”, and the “Directors”.

14
The Mundane Past Independent Groups
In the 1990s, scientists discovered a secret in the deep
ice of Antarctica. The head researcher didn’t know at The Vocationals
the time, but that discovery made him a sort of “patient But most does not mean all. Shortly after the
zero”, the first of the Virtuous. emergence of the Virtues a mysterious organization by
the name of “The Vocationals” popped up, run by an
Days later he blazed like a star, beams of light emitting even more mysterious leader.
from his eyes, mouth, and tips of his fingers, wounding
some of his fellow scientists. This “anomaly” was A sort of academy made up entirely of Virtuous who’ve
celebrated at their station once he was able to get it been left behind, its staff is made up of eccentrics,
under control, their discovery was going to change the rejects, test subjects, pit fighters, and criminals, and
world, assuming it some sort of power the treasure they though not everyone scouted into their ranks matches
found granted their head of research. this, the students tend to take after their instructors and
caretakers.
But when they returned the truth became more clear,
some of those close to the researcher discovering new
abilities, ones those in power failed to keep secret.
Example NPCs : Notable Vocationals
‣ Yvon Chevalier: Soft spoken apprentice and errand
The current year is 2050, and though barely anyone boy serving directly under the organization’s head, not
cares to remember its origin, this discovery has shaped that he’d tell you any of that if you asked. Yvon
the lives of every person on earth. describes himself as a Knightly Mercenary, someone
who just happens to frequent Vocational facilities and
Example Secret Hooks: Mundanity’s End takes jobs from them for the sake of it, questions on
why he hasn’t removed himself from their records often
‣ Virus found in the ice that causes mutation in people of come with a stammering response and quick escape.
their lineage.
As a PC: Vagabond / Ruiner, The Wolf.
‣ A Time traveler is released, creating virtues to secure As an NPC: Viper / Rifter, Swift-stepping.
their own existence in the future.
‣ Anseis Garrison: An excitable and often violent former
‣ Ancient humans trapped in the ice can tap into the Knight turned to Vocational apprentice. Despite her
Atlantean spirit grid, so they give people Virtues to help Syndicate’s reputation for terror and general infamy she
them fight God. speaks of them with a reverence normally held for
celebrities and heroes of old, made even stranger with
‣ Ghosts trapped in ice giving powers to humans based the fact she used to work for them.
on previous hosts.
As a PC: Disruptor / Powerhouse, The Confident.
As an NPC: Cannoneer / Bruiser, Cruel-hearted.
The Common Virtues
The life of the common citizen is a monotonous one, ‣ Arc “Mayflower” Flèche: A former Vocational known
even for those with virtues. Someone may be granted by almost everyone in Pantomime, no matter their
impossible strength in short bursts, only to use it to opinion of the group. Known for their perfect aim with
carry machinery for their employer. their bow, Eros, some suspect their Virtue was related to
it, and seek out the next person to inherit it. This Virtue
The few people who’re given these powers and try to and the bow itself are some of the most legendary
rise above their station—whatever that station may treasures in the city.
be—are normally struck down by the company heads
As a PC: Ruiner / Disruptor, The Quiet.
and crime lords who’ve already reached the height, the
As an NPC: Ranger / Assassin, World-renowned.
rich get richer and the working class are expected to
stay where they were.

15
The Knightly Syndicates Pantomime’s Structure
Some are seen as royalty, effectively owning districts of
Pantomime using the residents as a resource to exploit The Directors
and control. Some are more conceited, presenting Though most don’t consider them the real authority of
themselves as helpful corporations with benefits for the Pantomime, the Directors are its official leaders.
public, but most are recognized as what they are,
exploitative crime families with a budget. Often snobby types in pristine white uniforms, the
Directors supply resources to the population of the city,
Example groups: Knightly Syndicates food, energy, technology, and housing, these things are
what makes them relevant to its citizens, and their last
‣ Carolingian Syndicate: defense against the possibility of Syndicate takeover.
The local syndicate, with deep connections to local
officials and police. They blur the line between gang The City Districts
activity and government sponsorship. Pantomime consists of 26 distinct districts, one for each
letter of the English alphabet. Though officials claim that
A family run organization, with all the higher echelons
these borders exist to properly assess the needs of their
being related in some way.
citizens, those same officials haven’t spoken in the past
Racketeering, blackmail and production of illegal 20 or so years.
produce grant them the financial power to back
legitimate businesses under their employ. Most districts now exist as land for the more wealthy
Syndicates to take control of, racketeers are a constant
“Carol Singers” is local slang for their racketeers.
annoyance, and if you’re one of the unlucky few those
‣ Avalonian Syndicate: syndicates won’t care to take your District with an
The oldest of the syndicates, but only newly arrived orderly deal.
within a generation.

Has constant internal friction between its entrenched Example Locations: Tourist Districts
foreign old guard and its groundswell of newer, local ‣ District R: Currently occupied by the independent
membership. “Black Beard Syndicate”. Though said Syndicate does
not technically own District R, they don’t take kindly to
Controls shipping, smuggling, drugs trade
being told it to their face, and very few city officials have
Leans towards Arthurian Virtuous.
ever tried to oppose their rule.
“Sending them to Avalon” is a common innuendo for
They can be represented by Privateers, Ronins, and
drowning someone at sea.
Cannoneers in combat. Lots of damage fast.
‣ The Merry Men:
‣ District A: The first of the Districts and one of the few
Don’t think of themselves as a syndicate
still free of Syndicate influence. Though the corruption
Thieves and freedom fighters.
of the Directors has dug in deep, in many ways those
Women and nonbinary members of the group are always living in District A are cattle, made to feel superior with
annoyed at the name. their fancy houses and high class events, their wallets
are milked by the highest rent and taxes anywhere in the
By far the weakest of the syndicates.
city. Most believe this District is the only thing that gives
the city officials any power in the city, and its sanctity is
prioritized over anything else.

The APD can be represented by Guardians, Barons, and

Bodyguards in combat. Lots of stalling and control.

16
The World Of Faeries And Frost
A deadly cold blankets the world. Despite this, the
kingdom of Elfhame thrives in its walls, with its Fey
Keepers lining the outside protecting its citizens from
the beasts lurking behind the sleet.

Elfhame is a kingdom the size of most countries,

housing hundreds of thousands of Elves, most of which
assuming they’re the only sentient species.

Alongside them live Faeries, magical beings that range

from the size of a fly to a small dog, appearing as
translucent and non-verbal Elves, with a sole exception,
Oberon, the black-eyed king of Elfhame, standing far
above the height of adult elves.

Magic
Faeries appear everywhere in the kingdom, with
different subspecies seemingly being gravitated to
things that share their natures.

A Flame Fey may happily dance around a family’s hearth

initiating their faint orange flow, where a slim and sad
Sorrow Fey may follow the journey of a young exile into
the snow, its violet-gray glow shining through the wall of
sleet long after their host disappeared.

The Fey Keepers are the only citizens capable of

communicating with Faeries. Allowing for the use of a
strange magic, creating effects based on the Faeries
that accompany them. The method of communication a
Keeper has with their Faeries differs between each and
is influenced by their Teacher.

Action
Elfhame is a lighthearted and colorful place, combat in
its walls is assumed to be non-lethal and for the sake of
training. This is contrasted with the wild and dangerous
outside world, where animals kill and eat to survive.

Unity
PCs in Elfhame are probably “Keepers”, scholars and
apprentices trained to maintain a relationship with
strange and powerful “Faeries”. Depending on if they
were born within or outside the wall, they’ll face off
against “The Mayflies” or “Oberon” respectively.

17
The Fey Keepers The Wall
An officially recognized order of mage using Faerie An enormous bare stone wall surrounding the Kingdom,
familiars to channel their power. A person becomes a its utilitarian plainness contrasting with the lavish
Keeper through an apprenticeship with another who’s Pavilions inside. The top of this wall is guarded by the
already qualified, with this process often taking about 5 Watchers, a division of guards with armor that matches
years to complete. Keepers are seen as eccentrics with the plain gray walls they stand on. Citizens know that
no apprenticeship like another, the trials one needs to the wall is keeping the heat in Elfhame, but most
take are fully dependent on what their master considers imagine it’s just that, unsure what the guards are there
essential for the care and use of Faeries. to protect them from.

If it wasn’t obvious, Keepers serve to represent the The Watchers

magical players and NPCs of your game, with the Stoic soldiers who stand at the wall surrounding
Faeries existing as a fun power source for those Elfhame. The Watchers are sometimes Keepers, but
characters. Because of this, characters who control only at the highest ranks. Most are simply well-trained
multiple bodies make a lot of sense, but it is in no way soldiers appointed by Oberon or his representatives.
required, most of these characters will have their Faeries They’re the premier physical fighters of the kingdom,
only serve as an aesthetic flair for actions. free to pursue the art of combat in any way they wish,
with Oberon seeming to care little about them being
entirely uniform or professional.
Example creatures: Notable Faerie Species
‣ Lumen: Elf shaped and small enough to fit into the Outside The Walls
palm with a pale yellow glow. Lumen Faeries are used to
create magical light, both as the main partners for the The Humans
Keepers specializing in it and as a utility for anyone else Savage beasts ranging wildly in physicality and ability,
who would need to take a light around with them. elven scholars have recently agreed that they were once
Though normally harmless, an especially large and a sapient species much like them, but due to some long
dangerous Lumen could be represented with an past magical disaster they’ve morphed and changed
Enchanter in combat. into something completely unrecognizable. Humans
often bastardize the animals within the city, taking forms
‣ Tristitia: 1-2 foot tall lanky elves with a dark violet hue. that are recognizably not natural, but just familiar
The Tristitia appear around people in their darkest hour, enough to unsettle.
seeming to sustain themselves off the stresses and
fears of their host. They use it to create slowing and The Mayflies
restraining magic. A resistance group originally made up of exiles and
These creatures can often be dangerous if starved, and criminals who oppose Oberon and his values, though
should be represented by Captors in combat. with many generations passing, it’s become a culture of
its own, with their elders upkeep these beliefs.
‣ Pyre: Swarming and barely visible on their own, they
glow a bright orange and bear sharp teeth. They gather The Mayflies believe that the Wall is a tool he uses to
around fires of all kinds, seeking to eat the ash and entrap its citizens, however they refuse to specify what
melted wax that comes from it. they believe the purpose of this containment is. They
Pyres are the archetypical Swarm in combat, but could exist on the fringes of outer encampments and
also be represented by other Fodder based NPCs like settlements formed by all sorts of vagrants and exiles
Javelins, Gluttons, or Broodmothers. outside Elfheim, wearing worn mismatched weapons
and clothes. They can be mechanically represented with
Slow or Blight Effect dealing NPCs like Vipers.

18
Inside The Walls Oberon
Narcissistic, influential, and completely beyond the
The Pavilions reach of his citizens. Oberon claims that he existed
Elfhame is massive, rivaling the size of many real world before the Kingdom, before the beasts of the outside
countries, and to organize it, Elfhame is split into a world, and before any of his citizens came to be. The
number of different Pavilions, residential areas provided truth of this statement is dubious, none can find a
with different resources. Each Pavilion is ruled by a reason why Faeries could not have been around for that
different Duke, wealthy Elves appointed by Oberon as long, and if Oberon is one as he claims, he’s definitely a
rulers. Each has very little supervision and is free to do district Faerie, but this also means that there is no
whatever they wish with the resources they are given. record to prove any of his claims definitively.

Oberon’s Personal Guard

Example Locations: Well Known Pavilions Oberon is rarely seen in the flesh, and whenever he is
‣ Timon Pavilion: The Pavilion that most notably holds forced to travel, it is by a lavish caravan lined by his
the Timon Academy, one of the few organized Keeper personal guard. This guard is entirely made up of
academies in the kingdom. Rather than being privately physically fit and magically proficient soldiers, each is
tutored, apprentices training at the Timon Academy are sworn to an oath of silence and is clad in spotless
placed under strict schedules where they’re taught by golden platemail.
different Keepers throughout the day, many being
guests given an opportunity to share their unique skills
with the world.

Though the Academy faces a lot of adversity in their

mission to train, as the entire facility technically
sidesteps the legal restrictions on Keepers keeping well
defined apprentices by having the academy itself count
as the master of each of its students.

‣ Verona Pavilion: An essential function of Elfhame, a

Pavilion entirely dedicated to the growth and cultivation
of all sorts of natural resources, be it food, fabrics, or
medicine. The keepers born here have a natural affinity
for Faeries associated with growth, life, and creativity.

Recently the population of the kingdom has begun

outpacing the productivity of Verona. Though not
enough to concern the average citizen, experts within
the pavilion have become incredibly wary of their
dwindling food supplies. Some innovators supposedly
sent by Oberon have begun proposing alternate
methods that some of Verona’s native Keepers find
cruel, but every passing day those methods become
more tempting.

19
World Creation
As stated in the beginning DAWN can be played in any
world that the players think fit the prerequisites given at
the start of this section. And although there are no hard
and fast rules for how you would have to create a world
like that if you wanted to play as a group, the following
can be used as a guideline for doing so.

Creation Activity
At the start of creating a setting, choose one player to
be the leader, this is often the Narrator but by no
means does it have to be.

After the leader is decided, they must present an idea

to the rest of the group based on the first prompt
below. Based on the responses from the rest of the
group the leader then ranks the idea as "might use" or
"won't use", if any player is completely against it it must
be ranked as won't use.

Leadership is then changed to the person to their

left and they do the same with the same question if it
was determined that the last answer wouldn't be used,
or the next question if it would or may be used.

The prompts are as follows:

‣ What is the closest real world time period to the

setting?

‣ What does the supernatural element come from and

are its users known to the public?
Joel's Notes: Not Just For A Group
‣ How much does the average person worry / know Although this section is originally intended to let a group
about the supernatural (if the previous answer was make a world together for a game of their own, it can
"no", you may skip this)? also be helpful as a companion feature for “sketching
out” a battle shonen style world on your own. Just treat
‣ What real, or common fantasy group are the yourself as the leader the whole time and try out 3-4
supernatural players most like in terms of function? ideas for each of the prompts before deciding on a final
version of the world.
‣ What real, or common fantasy group aesthetically fits
the players in it’s stylings?

‣ What is a short and sweet name for the players?

‣ How are the supernatural players expected to protect

or help the average person (if at all)?

‣ What is an interesting "natural enemy" of either of the

groups that inspired the players?

‣ What is a short and sweet name for this world?

20
Character Creation

A complete guide on the creation of player characters, relevant for all forms of play.

21
 Character Creation
The following is a two part guide on creating a character for DAWN, placed front and center as it is the most important
part of playing the game for a lot of players. When read from front to back, this section will be missing context. Feel free
to come back to this section after reading the rules in full, or use the provided page number references to try making a
character and learning the ropes.

Attributes Joel's Notes: Combat is Tall, Not Wide

‘Attributes’ are abstract values that define their When creating and progressing your character, realize
user’s best and worst approaches to problems. Is a that keeping your Primary high is powerful. Most builds
character strong, are they subtle, hopeful, or intelligent? can use a single Attribute offensively and defensively. In
Attributes are meant to imply and enforce it. most cases, spreading your Attributes thin will lead to
unimpactful attacks and mediocre defenses.
The four Attributes affect the dice rolled for nearly
every action a character makes, both in structured
combat and unstructured play, they are as follows:
Modes Of Play
While playing, players will be in one of two modes,
‘unstructured’ play, or ‘structured combat’.
Body
Your physical health and strength. Affects Health and
Unstructured Play
physical power.
Unstructured play occurs when the majority of players
Talent are not fighting. In this mode, rules are much looser,
Your ability to move quickly and perform stunts. allowing each player to use their problem-solving and
Affects Speed and physical power. Abilities to solve problems. Mechanics like ‘Skills’ and
‘Abilities’ are core to unstructured play.
Spirit
Your natural ability to use the supernatural and think
Structured combat
with your gut. Affects Focus and magic. In opposition to this is structured combat. In structured
Mind combat, each character is arranged on a 7x7 board of
Your non-supernatural knowledge and/or ability to tiles, using strictly structured rules and tactics to take
think on your feet. Affects utility actions. out their opponent(s). Mechanics like ‘Action Points’
and ‘Techniques’ are core to combat.
Assigning Attributes
When creating a player character, a player must assign Joel's Notes: Asymmetrical Character Building
each Attribute as Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary. This Characters do not carry over features other than their
will determine the Attribute’s starting value. Attributes between the two modes of play (non combat
and combat). Having a non-combat Ability that lets you
A character has: stop time does not let you take extra Turns in combat,
and having 3 levels in a Summoner combat Technique
One Primary Attribute that starts at 4. doesn’t mean you can summon whatever you want
outside it. Points of explicit overlap exist, by spending
One Secondary Attribute that starts at 3.
resources you may pull these non-combat Abilities into
And two Tertiary Attributes that start at 2. combat in a ‘Duel’ for example, but you should always
attempt to make connections for features yourself.

22
Outlooks And Archetypes
Most of a character’s unique features come from their ‘Outlook’ and their ‘Archetype’, the first giving tools for
unstructured play, and the second giving tools for structured combat.

Outlooks [Page 49] Archetypes [Page 66]

Each player character is created with a ‘Primary When a character is created they can gain ‘Techniques’
Outlook’, a set of features a character can use outside from up to three different ‘Archetypes’, with the first
combat. As a character progresses, they can advance Archetype taken from being their Primary Archetype.
that Outlook or branch into secondary ones.
The six Archetypes are as follows:
The ten Outlooks are as follows:
The Powerhouse
The Rebel Techniques effective in sustained fights. Often requires
Those without a belief in, or respect for, the authority a high Body Attribute for Attacks, or Talent if you want
above them. to be a little more frail and fast.

The Loyal The Vagabond

A person dedicated to, and participating in, the Techniques effective at defeating single targets. Often
systems and authority of those in power. requires a high Talent to get into and escape
skirmishes.
The Light
A provider, protector, or pacifist, and more importantly The Bulwark
than any of that, a person to be depended upon. Techniques effective at tanking for a team. Can build
for almost any Attribute, as all provide an option to
The Wolf
survive longer, but Body is the most common.
A person scarred and scared, left behind by or who
has left behind those they depended on most. The Altruist
Techniques that mainly benefit your allies. As many of
The Mentor
these Techniques don’t need to deal damage, Mind is
Wise for your years, no matter how many, a towering
often your best Attribute.
beacon of experience and strength.
The Disruptor
The Apprentice Techniques that restrict, metaphorically or literally. As
Bright-eyed greenhorns looking to make up for the many of these Techniques trigger their controlling
experience they lack. effects when Casting, they value a high Spirit
Attribute.
The Accursed
Doomed from the beginning, a being of ill fortune, The Ruiner
granted power they never asked for. Techniques with high impact and cost. Almost all of
these Techniques give you high damage setups for
The Blessed
Spirit Finishers, Spirit is a must.
Living in near-edenic plenty, a person granted fortune
beyond imagination.

The Quiet
Modest and unassuming people, with a life on the
fringes, not concerned with image.

The Confident
A person who must make themselves known, who
fears a decline in image more than their death.

23
Summarized Character creation

Unstructured Play Checklist Structured Combat Checklist

When creating a character for unstructured play, you’ll When creating a character for structured combat, you’ll
need to get the following things. need to get all the following things.

‣ An Ability and Skills. ‣ Techniques.

‣ An Outlook with it’s Boons. ‣ Attributes.

‣ And Attributes. ‣ And your default statistics.

1. Answer The character questions [Page 25] 1. Answer The character questions [Page 25]
The section starting on page 25 lists a number of The section starting on page 25 lists a number of
questions to help flesh out the character’s concept and questions to help flesh out the character’s concept and
give suggestions. All of these questions are optional, give suggestions. All of these questions are optional,
but try asking your Narrator if they’d rather you answer but try asking your Narrator if they’d rather you answer
them for a better image of your character. them for a better image of your character.

2. Assign Attributes [Page 22] 3. Assign Attributes [Page 22]

When creating a player character you must assign each Assuming you haven’t already made the unstructured
of your Attributes (Body, Talent, Spirit, and Mind) as play portion of your character, you must assign each of
Primary, Secondary or Tertiary. They have: your Attributes (Body, Talent, Spirit, and Mind) as
either a Primary, Secondary or Tertiary. A character has:
‣ One Primary Attribute that starts at 4.
‣ One Primary Attribute that starts at 4.
‣ One Secondary Attribute that starts at 3.
‣ One Secondary Attribute that starts at 3.
‣ And two Tertiary Attributes that start at 2.
‣ And two Tertiary Attributes that start at 2.
3. Spend Your Character Ranks [Page 44]
Every player character starts with 8 Character 2. Select Your Techniques [Page 30 / 66]
Ranks. At least four must be spent on Skills, Gain 5 Technique Levels from up to 3 different
mundane things they excel at. The remainder can be Archetypes. Techniques are the combat features for
spent on an Ability, a supernatural thing a character is player characters. You can choose them from the entire
capable of. Your initial Character Ranks can't be saved roster starting at page 66, or use ones recommended by
for later Tiers. build recipes starting on page 30.

4. Choose Your Outlook [Page 49] 4. Determine Default Stats [This Page]
You can now choose one of the Outlooks, as well as At this point you’ll be able to set up your Health,
two Boons from that Outlook. An Outlook illustrates a Speed, and Focus. These are the passive statistics
character’s perspective and way they interact with used to run combat, and no choices past what’s already
others. Each is paired with an Outlook that represents been done that need to be made to calculate them.
its opposite. Boons are the unlockable benefits a
‣ Your starting Health is 10 + [Body] + [Tier × 2].
character gets for choosing an Outlook.
(Your ‘Tier’ is 1 by default.)

‣ Your starting Speed is 2 + [Talent / 2].

‣ Your starting Focus is 1 + [Spirit / 2].

24
Your Story Ambition
Player characters are made up of a set of mechanically No matter how much people act, everyone dreams.
disparate parts, almost any combination can be used, Most player characters distance themselves from their
however, a player should attempt to unify these family to be with the other player characters. Why did
things with their character’s central story and theme. you leave, and what’s the family’s opinion?

The following questions are meant to be answered to ‣ Your family pushed you to pursue something? Ask if
your character fully wants that.
help a new player solidify their theme, and depending
[Recommended Outlook: Loyal].
on the tone of the answer each one will also suggest a
character creation feature for them. ‣ You left to pursue a dream? Ask if anyone in your
family supports it.
[Recommended Outlook: Confident]
Prologue
‣ Forced out of your home outside your control? Ask
Birth what you know about what happened and why it
Everyone in the world is born into a life with context. happened.
Where, and in what condition, was your character born? [Recommended Outlook: Wolf]

You may want to ask your Narrator what the cultures of Violence
the setting are like for improved context. The world is dangerous, are you prepared for it?
How has your character been trained to face violence,
and when did they first face real danger, if at all?
‣ Born into a loving tight knit community? Take extra
time with the next question.
[Recommended Outlook: Light] ‣ Born into circumstances that forced you to fight? Ask
if that experience has made you stronger or not.
‣ Born, or became, an outcast in an otherwise healthy [Recommended Skills: Break / Menace]
community? Ask why.
[Recommended Outlook: Accursed] ‣ Trained by your family using their methods? Ask what
the family teaches and how much of it you know.
‣ Abandoned at a young age, skip the next question [Recommended Skills: Finesse / React]
entirely.
[Recommended Outlook: Wolf] ‣ Your ambition made you a better fighter? Ask what
lengths you will go to continue fighting for this dream.
[Recommended Skills: Luck / Tinker]
Family
A person’s family will inevitably shape who they are.
Abilities
Who did your character spend time with as a child?
The world’s strange, and you're one of its strangest.
What’s your character’s Ability, assuming they have one,
‣ Royalty, a secret clan, or any privileged person? Ask
and how’d they first encounter other Abilities?
if you’re still a part of that privileged culture.
[Recommended Skills: Deceive / Command]
[Recommended Outlook: Blessed / Loyal] ‣ Has an Ability they find useful? Ask what it is and
when you discovered that you could use it.
‣ A family of hard workers or business people? Ask [Recommended Outlook: Blessed / Confident]
how they’re doing now and why you’re with the other
players and not them (assuming they’re not the same). ‣ Has an Ability they think is actively negative? Ask
[Recommended Skills: Endure / Connect] what it is and what happened with it to make them
[Recommended Outlook: Apprentice / Light] think it’s negative.
[Recommended Outlook: Quiet / Accused]
‣ The disadvantaged, systemically or fundamentally?
Ask how well they could provide for you, and if they ‣ Has no Ability (as of now)? Ask what they think about
could for themselves. that.
[Recommended Skills: Move / Absorb] [Recommended Outlook: Rebel / Apprentice]
[Recommended Outlook: Rebel / Quiet]

25
The Adventure Opportunity
Before answering the following set of questions, be sure Most steps taken in life result from single changes.
to ask your Narrator if they will be answered in the You’re recently taken an opportunity to solve a practical
Series itself. The last questions were self-contained, problem or advance your ambition that will lead to you
concerning your character’s past, but these questions meeting the other players, what is this?
could involve other player characters or events that the
narrator intends to run through in the Series. Be sure to know if your Narrator plans to present an
opportunity like what’s being described above as part of
the first session, if so, discuss what would have led your
Change
What came before could be expected, this couldn't. character to it instead.
Though you may have your reason to move forward into
‣ A natural event seemingly happening at random? Ask
adventure, the rest of the world may have seemed
if it’s affected anyone else you know.
stagnant, until now. What happened to create sudden
change in the world? ‣ An event with stakes relevant to you. Ask how
prepared you are to participate.
This MUST be discussed with at least the Narrator, and ‣ The chance to join an organization that could lead
it’s suggested you do with your fellow players as well. you forward? Ask what you thought of the
organization before you had this opportunity.
‣ Dark movements in the secret corners of the world?
Ask how much you know about those secrets
compared to the average person.

‣ A grand success or failure carried out by some

no-name? What’s your opinion of this person and how
does it compare to the average person’s.

‣ World spanning and drastic change made outside the

influence of mortals? Ask how it’s impacted your
personal life.

Optional Step: Settling Down

Most characters in DAWN are “coming of age” in a
sense, so most of them are starting a Series in their
moment of “Rising Action”, and most of the character
creation options are built around these ideas, but that
isn’t necessarily a requirement.

But your character may have finished their personal

journey before this, with a steady fall following their rise,
if that is the case, record where they are now, and let
them follow the other characters as they rise.

26
Tiering Up Optional Rule: Faster or slower Tiers
Like most RPGs, characters in DAWN will grow in The previous Tier rules assume you’ll be playing with a
strength over a Series. This is done through increasing group for a while, around 5 months if you play once a
their Tier, which starts at 1 by default. week. You’ll probably be gaining a Tier every 3 or 4
Chapters, which means you’ll be reaching your peak
Experience from 1-6 after ~18 Chapters. If you plan to play for a
Each player character gains Experience at the end of a shorter amount of time it may feel like your characters
Chapter. 2 by default, +1 for each WAY Influence was don’t change enough, for that reason there are a few
spent in the Chapter, up to a 4 total Experience. optional rules for speeding up the Tiers.

To do this, increase the default Experience gained each

When a character has 10 or more Experience they lose
Chapter to 3, and make it so you gain 1 extra for each
10 and their Tier increases by 1, up to a maximum of
Influence a player spends rather than the different ways
6. When a character increases their Tier, they gain each
they spend it, to max of 6.
of the following benefits:
A Narrator can also make it so players just gain a Tier as
‣ Two Levels to spend on new/existing Techniques or a party without tracking Experience at any point to pace
+1 to your highest Attribute* up or down the game as you wish.

‣ Two Character Ranks that can be spent on

new/existing Skills or your Ability.*

‣ A new Boon from any Outlook (so long as you don’t

exceed your 3 max Outlooks).*

‣ +1 to two different Attributes.

‣ A new Health value: 10 + [Body] + [Tier × 2].

‣ A new Speed and Focus value if applicable.

* Awakening
When a character Tiers up they don’t need to gain
new; Techniques, Character Ranks, or Boons.

They may save them to ‘Awaken’. A character may

Awaken any time they are acting in a Scene to gain a
new feature that they did not gain when Tiering up,
gaining access to any benefits immediately and being
able to explain their sudden transformation whatever
way they see fit.

Joel's Notes: In-The-Moment Awakenings

Players who Awaken for something more complex
should try to prepare it beforehand. Some character
features require making another choice for example, so
knowing what choice you would make when it happens
is in everyone’s best interests to keep the game flowing
at a good pace.

27
Campaign Scale 4: Established Elite
This game can present a lot of different stories with their E.g. Kagurabachi, Gokurakugai, Burn The Witch
own threats. How large is a space? What does it take to
KO a character? These questions of flavour will A person in some sort of position of power, whether it
generally come down to a game’s scale. be due to official authority, or the respect of those within
your line of work.
Normally this scale is determined by what Tier the
players are when the game starts, and though these At this point, player characters have wide-reaching
details are always up to the table, this section will give a responsibilities, they might be recognized by npcs or
few examples to get started. need to hide their identity, but they're still part of some
greater hierarchy, with people clearly above them.

Joel's Notes: Scale Is Fluid

5: Best Of The Best
To clarify, characters will not change the scale of your E.g. Overlord, DBZ, Naruto Shippuden
story just by increasing to the Tier shown for it, these
Tiers just show where you should start if you want to Not only are you recognized and respected by your
recreate the feel of that scale. peers, but the world at large.

However, feel free to change the scale as a story moves Reaching the peak of the established setting, with
along if it feels appropriate, especially since scale has abilities that can affect entire nations. The threats you
no actual effect on the game’s mechanics, it just serves may face may break the fundamental rules of your
as a guideline. setting to be an actual danger.

1-2: Underdog Story 6: Legendary

E.g. Bleach, Early Naruto, Avatar E.g. DBS, Xianxia Novels

A group of complete newbies just starting to learn about You’ve broken out of convention, far above the
the world that they’re engaging in. mundane world and average person. A long term game
within this scale is not recommended.
Characters in an Underdog Story are not meant to be
fighting, they may want to, and they definitely will fight, Both structured combat and unstructured play in this
but if everything was right in the world these people scale require some silly things to make anything in the
would never touch a weapon. Characters in it need very world a danger for your protagonists, so it’s not
little implied history, normally starting their career “on recommended to start at this Tier.
screen”, and developing from there.

3: Up-and-coming
E.g. JJK, Fairy Tail, Black Clover

Novices, students, and journeymen, people who have at

least some knowledge and experience, but who may
not be ready for the things that lie ahead.

The recommended scale for those experienced with

TTRPGs or who have played this game before.
Characters in this scale will likely be involved in the lives
of other NPCs, helping with a problem in their
hometown or taking small-time missions, but these can
easily expand out as they climb in Tier.

28
Example Unstructured Characters

Here are a few Tier 1 character builds for unstructured play that can be used as an inspiration for your own.

Qayid Āl-Rashid Titania, The Prodigy

Outlook(s): The Rebel Outlook(s): The Loyal

Attributes Attributes
Body: 4 Talent: 3 Spirit: 2 Mind: 2 Body: 2 Talent: 2 Spirit: 3 Mind: 4

Skills Skills
Break [+2] Endure [+1] React [+1] _____ [+0] Unveil [+1] Tinker [+1] Absorb [+1] Luck [+1]

Boons Boons
Until My Last Breath Overexertion Fish Out Of Water “My Master’s Teachings”

Ability Ability
Gravity Well [1]: You Can Enhance Gravity So Long Tonitru Companion [1]: You Can Launch Lightning If
As You Touch The Target. Fairly self explanatory and You See The Target. Lighting substitutes for
useful for debilitating would-be opponents. electricity, done so to give a more magical image.

Yvon Chevalier Anseis Garrison

Outlook(s): The Quiet Outlook(s): The Confident

Attributes Attributes
Body: 2 Talent: 4 Spirit: 3 Mind: 2 Body: 2 Talent: 3 Spirit: 2 Mind: 4

Skills Skills
Lurk [+2] Move [+2] Intuit [+1] Unveil [+1] Deceive [+2] Move [+1] Luck [+1] _____ [+0]

Boons Boons
The Talent Stalking Beast Chatty Perspective Of A Lancer

Ability Ability
Virtue: The Imaginary Number [1]: You Can Become Virtue: Insatiable Venus [1]: You Can Attract People
Shadow. A cheap, mostly aesthetic Ability used in So Long As You Hear It. An ability to pull a target from
everything he does, shadowy dash, shadowy stealth, nearly any distance, with an incredibly loose
with the later being its main use in rolls. restriction.

29
Example Combat Builds

Correctly choosing what Techniques your character will use can be a difficult process, for that reason this book provides
a few premade sets, these sets serve as both builds that players can pick up and play at Tier 1 and as examples of
common play styles that can be recreated using the Techniques in the game.

Body Build Recipes

Magical Brawler Scarred Warrior

Attributes: Attributes:
Body: 4 Talent: 2 Spirit: 3 Mind: 2 Body: 4 Talent: 3 Spirit: 2 Mind: 2

Start With… Choose Your…

The Hybrid Style: Put 2 Levels into Spellsword. Fighting Style: Put 3 Technique Levels into;

The goal of this build is to use lots of Cast / Skirmish A Massive Weapon (Dragonslayer, page 69)
combos, this does that.
A Rough Martial Art (Street Fighter, page 93)
Choose Your… A Shotgun (Breacher, page 71)
Element Affinity: Put 2 Technique Levels into; Or Two Swords (Dual Wielder, page 71)

Fire / Poison (Flame Heart, page 99) Every “Fighting Style” given above enhances your
body based Skirmishes and Finishers, giving you
Ice / Stone (Frost Veiler, page 99)
reliable attacks for any situation.
Lightning / Chaos (Thunder Blood, page 101)
Choose Your…
Water / Wind (Wave Rider, page 95)
Physical Build: Put 2 Technique Levels into;
Your “Elemental Affinity” will be a simple Technique
that will enhance the magical parts of your Cast / Being Light (Speed Demon, page 75)
Skirmish combos, and because of how Spellsword
works will also be inherited onto those Skirmishes. Being Stable (Duelist, page 69)

Being Tough (Vanguard Defender, page 81)

Choose Your…
Being Wild (Flagellant, page 69)
Martial Art: Put 1 Technique Level into;
Being Nullifying (Mundane, page 83)
A Dexterous Style (Martial Artist, page 72)
Your build should provide some supplemental
A Rough Style (Street Fighter, page 93) bonuses to your non-Attack actions, your movement
for a Light or Wild Build, Your Defense for a Stable or
A Focused Style (Technician, page 70)
Tough Build, or, making yourself the ultimate
Or a Swift Style (Skirmisher, page 75) anti-magic fighter with a Nullifying Build.

Your “Martial Art” will provide unique benefits for the

Skirmish part of your combos. Martial Artist gives a
variety of bonus effects, Street Fighter gives bonus
damage against characters with debuffs, Technician
makes your combos more potent, and Skirmisher
gives more mobility.

30
Talent Build Recipes

Tricksy Skirmisher Death Dealing Assassin

Attributes: Attributes:
Body: 2 Talent: 4 Spirit: 2 Mind: 3 Body: 3 Talent: 4 Spirit: 2 Mind: 2

Choose Your… Choose Your…

Signature Technique: Put 3 Technique Levels into; Main Weapon: Put 3 Technique Levels into;

Smoke Techniques (Chemist, page 92) A Katana (Blade Master, page 76)

Illusionary Techniques (Mindbreaker, page 95) A Weaponized Scythe (Reaper, page 93)

Medical Techniques (Surgeon, page 87) A Hunting Rifle (Sniper, page 75)

Grappling Techniques (Enchained, page 77) A Compound Bow (Long Draw, page 100)

Insect Techniques (Swarm Body, Page 94) Or a Large Dagger (Assassin, page 75)

Your “Signature Technique” will be a way to use Each of these weapons give you a simple, normally
attacks (mostly casts) without having them deal two-step, setup to pull off a powerful Talent Finisher,
damage, instead providing utility effects that restrict most function best against single powerful enemies,
foes, heal allies, or provide you additional mobility. but depending on your choice you may be provided
with some additional utility.
Choose Your…
Choose Your…
Subtle Weapon: Put 2 Technique Levels into;
Methods: Put 2 Technique Levels into;
A Dexterous Martial Art (Martial Artist, page 72)
Be Cruel (Intimidator, page 71)
An Assortment Of Blades (Knife Juggler, page 77)
Be Elusive (Untouchable, page 75)
A Pocket Pistol (Gunslinger, page 69)
Be Clever (Cunning Fighter, page 76)
Two Swords (Dual Wielder, page 71)
Be Manic (Predator, page 72)
Or a Serrated Blade (Bloodletter, Page 92)
Or be Careful (Analyst, page 86)
Your “Subtle Weapon” is a Technique that should give
useful bonuses for your Talent Skirmishes, but less Your “Methods” all reinforce your main offensive
effective on your Finishers, so that you still have the game plan, either through giving more reliable
actions needed to pull off your tricks regularly. defense or movement in that loop, or through
generating more resources to sustain the combo.

31
Spirit Build Recipes

Keen Caster Supportive Mage

Attributes: Attributes:
Body: 2 Talent: 2 Spirit: 4 Mind: 3 Body: 2 Talent: 3 Spirit: 4 Mind: 2

Choose Your… Choose Your…

Element Affinity: Put 3 Technique Levels into either; Arcane Blessing: Put 3 Technique Levels into either;

Fire / Poison (Flame Heart, page 99) Mender’s Blessing (Compassionate Sage, page 86)

Ice / Stone (Frost Veiler, page 99) Page’s Blessing (Temporal Sage, page 88)

Lightning / Chaos (Thunder Blood, page 101) Trickster’s Blessing (Replicator, page 89)

Water / Wind (Wave Rider, page 95) Gambler’s Blessing (Deckbuilder, page 90)

Light / Dark (Light Bender, page 93) Defender’s Blessing (Sage-Like Aegis, page 89)

Every “Element Affinity” given above enhances your The “Arcane Blessings” enhance your Casts and
Casts and Spirit Finishers, giving you more reliable Spirit Finishers when targeting allies, letting you
attacks at range; they're all self-contained with their effectively support them from range, most give some
own dedicated combos and synergies. form of additional survivability for them, but it is in no
way a hard-and-fast rule.
Choose Your…
Choose Your…
Casting Type: Put 2 Technique Levels into either;
Bent: Put 2 Technique Levels into either;
Versatile Magic (Spellcrafter, page 98)
Traditional Magic (Talisman Exorcist, page 87)
Explosive Magic (Bombardier, page 98)
Erratic Power (Rapid-fire Sorcery, page 98)
Erratic Magic (Rapid-fire Sorcery, page 98)
Masterful Tactics (Analyst, page 86)
Focused Magic (Ritualist, page 98)
Unconditional Kindness (Empath, Page 86)
Corrupt Magic (Grim Ascendant, Page 100)
Your “Bent” is a secondary and inexpensive bonus to
Your “Casting Type” is a sort of secondary modifier to
one of your most likely to use actions (generally the
your Casts, one that doesn't rely on many specific
ones that don’t deal damage). It makes it easier to
synergies or elaborate sequencing to provide value to
help people and doesn't require constant upkeep.
casts and spirit Finishers. This lets them easily
enhance the effects of your Elemental Affinity.

32
Mind Build Recipes

Battlefield Maven Helpful Savant

Attributes: Attributes:
Body: 2 Talent: 3 Spirit: 2 Mind: 4 Body: 2 Talent: 2 Spirit: 3 Mind: 4

Start With… Choose Your…

Genius Fighter: Put 1 Level into Cunning Fighter. Special Interest: Put 3 Technique Levels into either;

The goal of this build is to use your Mind as a primary A Love Of Music (Virtuoso, page 89)
attack in combat, this helps that.
A Love Of Leisure (Fog Walker, page 88)
Choose Your… A Love Of Food (Gourmand, page 86)
Secret Knowledge: Put 2 Technique Levels into; A Love Of Science (Alchemist, page 88)

Mastery of 362 Pressure Points (Inquisitor, page 79) A Love Of Animals (Will-O-Wisp, page 90)

Mastery of Engineering (Modified Meister, page 78) Almost every way you can build a character in DAWN
relies on repeatedly using an attack to progress the
Mastery of Warfare (Battle Instructor, page 86)
combat and deal damage. A lot of different variations
Mastery of The Mind (Siren, page 95) come into play when looking at how you do that, but
these Special Interests are some of the only ways to
Your “Secret Knowledge” are all techniques that in make a character that never needs to attack at all to
some way increase your party’s damage scaling off of progress combat effectively.
your Mind. Most do so by investigating enemies.
Choose Your…
Choose Your…
Personal Style: Put 2 Technique Levels into either;
Last Resort: Put 2 Technique Levels into;
Quick Thinking (Analyst, page 86)
A Dexterous Martial Art (Martial Artist, page 72)
Loving Dedication (Dancer, page 88)
A Pocket Pistol (Gunslinger, page 69)
Theatrical Display (Dramaturge, page 99)
Two Swords (Dual Wielder, page 71)
Unconditional Kindness (Empath, Page 86)
Or a Serrated Blade (Bloodletter, Page 92)
Tricksy Thievery (Cutpurse, Page 93)
With your Secret Knowledge most of your Turns will
With your “Personal Style” you can supplement your
use; move, investigate, and some other third thing.
playstyle with even more beneficial effects for the rest
Your Last Resort will let that third thing perform better
of your party, most of which require far less
if it’s an attack, letting you progress the battle.
investment than your main value engine.

33
 Universal Rules

The following rules apply to every section of the game, be sure to pay attention!

34
 Universal Rules
A few rules apply to both structured combat and unstructured play. These universal rules form the core of the game and
reach out to every other mechanic, in ways big and small. For this reason, this section is one of the most important to
read and fully understand out of them all.

If you’re familiar with other TTRPGs, this section may key you into how this game works on a fundamental level, and is a
great place to start when it comes to describing the game to others.

Rule Zero, Consent Playing The Game

Like in anything cooperative, consent is paramount in a In a game of DAWN someone needs to be an organizer,
TTRPG. Always acting with the consent of fellow preparing the world and setting up its mechanical
players is the first and most important rule of the needs, this is the “Narrator”. It’s their job to:
game, superseding everything else within this book
or outside of it. Define lines that should not be crossed ‣ Respect their fellow player’s needs.
with fellow players, if not with the table you should do
‣ Prepare any visuals/audio they include.
so for yourself. And always make sure players feel
comfortable speaking up about things they want from ‣ Present the game to divers.
the game.
The rest of the players occupy a specific character in
Play Materials the world presented. It’s their job to:
If you want to play DAWN, you’ll need the following
things, or substitutes, to fulfill their purpose. ‣ Create a character and play them.

‣ Interact with the world they occupy.

‣ This book.
‣ Share the spotlight with other divers.
‣ Lots of dice. When this game refers to dice, it
specifically means 6 sided dice, or D6.
A Narrator is meant to describe the context around the
‣ A character sheet (These can be found online). players in a “Series”, the name for a full game of DAWN
for a single group, every instance of play being a
‣ A 7x7 board. A 6x6 tile board can also be used by “Chapter” separate from each other. The number of
playing with units on the lines like in “go”. Chapters in a series is entirely dependent on what the
players want to do.
‣ A group of friends to be the players and Narrator.

Joel's Notes: The X-Card Always Round Up

The X-Card is an optional tool (created by John As stated, when presented with a fraction, it should
Stavropoulos) that allows anyone in your game, instead be rounded up to the nearest whole number.
including the Narrator, to edit out any content anyone is
uncomfortable with as you play. Specific Overrides General
If the specific function of any feature in this book seems
The X-Card is available for free online and can be to contradict a general rule stated earlier, the specific
implemented at any table without specifical tools. rule should always be used. If two specific rules
contradict each other, the user can choose one to use.

35
Challenge Rolls Unique Roll Types
When a player does something that’d be interesting to In addition to the standard rolls described to the left,
fail they can be prompted to take a ‘Challenge Roll’ (or Narrators can make players take a slightly different type
Roll for short) by the Narrator. These have two parts, the of roll that represents more specific kinds of action.
Reward (the reward for success), and the Risk (the
consequence for failure). Opposed Challenge Rolls
Challenge Rolls can be “Opposed” when two characters
In structured combat, Rolls are defined by the are directly facing off against one another.
mechanics in the book. Most don't have a Risk,
rewarding better effects with more ‘Hits’ instead. In an Opposed Challenge Roll there is no target for Hits.
Instead, both participants Roll at the same time, with
In unstructured play, Rewards are defined by the the character who got the most Hits winning and
player rolling when they state their intent, the Risk receiving their Rewards.
can then be defined by the Narrator. Whether or not
a player succeeds is determined by the chart below. If both characters Roll the same number of Hits, they
‘rebound’ and must reroll. Alternatively, if the Rewards
Hits Rolled Result are not mutually exclusive, the Narrator may have both
parties receive their Rewards.
< [Tier+1] Hits Failure: The character faces Risk.

≥ [Tier+1] Hits Minimum Success: The acting

Group Rolls
character receives the Reward but When two or more player characters are doing the
at significant difficulty. same thing and want to work together, they can
make a ‘Group Roll’ instead of a normal Roll, each of
[Tier+1] x 2 Hits Extreme Success: The acting them making their own Roll, with the player who rolled
character receives the Reward and the most Hits having theirs counted.
can describe additional flair on top.

Quick Rolls
In both modes, when someone takes a Roll, they roll a In unstructured play a player can be asked to make a
number of D6 based on one of their Attributes, then Quick Roll in place of a regular Challenge Roll. As the
count each result of 4 or more as a “Hit”. name suggests it is made for the sake of taking less
time than a full Challenge Roll.
Critical Hits
If any dice in a Roll results in a 6, it’s counted as a Rather than rolling and counting hits normally, the
‘Critical’ Hit (Also known as a Crit). Crits count as a Hit, player rolls one die for each source of dice and
but also allow the user to roll an additional D6. Any Advantage they have, two dice if the source would
dice rolled as a result of a Critical Hit can also give 3 or more dice in a standard Roll (for example if a
trigger a Critical Hit themselves. character has a suitable Rank 1 Ability, and a skill at
Rank 3, they would roll three dice).
Advantage/Disadvantage
Challenge Rolls can also be modified with Advantage or If no dice Hits it is a failure, if one die Hits it is a
Disadvantage. Minimum Success, if more than one Hits it’s an Extreme
Success. None of these dice can Critically Hit.
When a roll is made at Advantage the number of
dice rolled increases by the amount of Advantage.

The opposite occurs for Disadvantage. If a Roll has

both Advantage and Disadvantage, they cancel each
other out at a 1-1 ratio.

36
Scenes Clocks
The duration and “cooldown” of many features in Clocks are segmented trackers that are shown to all
DAWN are measured with ‘Scenes’. Scenes are a players when created, they exist in both unstructured
measurement of time that don’t have a hard-and-fast play and structured combat, with vastly different
limit, like scenes in television or film. While the length of purposes in each mode.
most Scenes can be determined at the Narrator’s
discretion, the following rules must be followed. In both modes clocks are made up of an even number
of segments (2, 4, 6…) and are created to track progress
When a player is acting for any reason, it takes place towards a goal established upon its creation.
within a Scene.

When there is a “Fade to black”, skip in the story, or

the game is otherwise brought to a halt, a new Scene
starts.

When the game changes between unstructured play

and structured combat or vice versa, a new Scene
starts.
In both, characters (mostly players but sometimes
NPCs) can take actions to progress the clock, filling its
Tension
segments. Completing the whole Clock by filling all
Scenes in any mode can accrue ‘Tension’, a resource
its segments empties the clock and triggers the
built throughout a Scene that represents the narrative
effect that was established when it was made.
tension between characters. The ways this is done and
the effects it has on a Scene differ between modes, but
Clock Categories
they are fundamentally the same resource and both
All Clocks can fit into two categories, though they both
reset to 1 at the end of a Scene.
function identically they serve very different purposes:

Intermissions The first is a Set Clock. These are associated with

An ‘Intermission’ represents the downtime between different abilities written in the book, possessing fixed
major events in a Series, normally between each effects, and fixed methods of progressing them.
Chapter, but sometimes more or less often.
The second is a Story Clock. These Clocks track any
Intermissions remove the ‘Wounds’ and ‘Stress’ from granular task that is not explicitly defined by the rules
every character involved, and let those characters written in this book. A Story Clock could be used to
develop their ‘Bonds’ (these are all terms that will be track the number of clues found in an investigation, the
further explained in their own dedicated sections of the distance traveled in a chase scene, or the time left until
book). something arrives.

It’s generally assumed that the events of an intermission

are not played out, it’s a fade to black where players can
choose to imply any training or conversation that lead to
their improvements and healing, but this can be
changed if your table wishes.

37
Influence Knockouts
In structured combat and unstructured play, there are In both unstructured play and structured combat, player
situations where players will be given ‘Influence’, a characters can get Knocked Out and removed from the
semi-permanent resource that lets players directly current Scene.
“influence” the story with more control than usual. This
is the only resource that is shared between both ‣ In unstructured play, player characters are Knocked
modes of play, and it has different uses in each mode. Out when they receive 3 ‘Stress’.

‣ In structured combat, player characters are Knocked

Influence is kept between Scenes and Chapters, with no
Out when they receive 3 ‘Wounds’.
upper limit for each player.

The specifics of how this is done is different between

Players should receive one Influence when one of the
each mode, but in both cases, players can stop it by
following things happens:
putting something ‘On The Line’.

‣ The Chapter starts and they have no Influence.

Putting It On The Line ❂
‣ Their character is given a ‘Stress’ or ‘Wound’. Though normal Knockouts are implied to be non-lethal
and temporary, there are ways a player can incur
‣ Another character ‘Studies’ them (a ‘Bond Action’).
permanent injuries if they choose to take the risk.
‣ An ‘Antagonist’ targets their character directly.
Any time a player would be Knocked Out, they can
Spending Influence put something On The Line instead. When a player
In both unstructured play and structured combat, the does this, they’re set to 2 Stress / Wounds (depending
following is a list of universal ways Influence can be on their mode of play) and restore their Health if in
spent. Most of these will be explained in full in their own structured combat. If a player is Knocked Out again in
sections. the same Scene, the thing they put On The Line is lost
forever and they gain 3 Influence.
1 INF: All Out: Reroll a Roll you made, all your dice
that land on 3 or more are counted as Hits. The things a player can put On The Line are as follows,
they cannot pick the same option twice:
1 INF: Break Out: Combat only. Take a non-Attack
Action at no Cost when a character ends their Turn. ‣ Your ability to rank up ‘Skills’ from of an Attribute of
your choice.
1* INF: Duel: Pull a character out of combat to have a
1 on 1 duel. *This has a different cost in combat. ‣ Your ability to rank up or expand on your ‘Ability’

‣ Your ability to level up ‘Techniques’ from one of your

Joel's Notes: The Influence Symbol ( ❂ ) already chosen ‘Archetypes’.
The usage of Influence is incredibly important to playing ‣ The ability to rank up ‘Bonds’.
DAWN, and cannot be ignored if you're looking for the
‣ Your character’s life.
intended experience. For this reason, from this point on,
mechanics that give or spend Influence will be marked
with the symbol at the end of this note’s name.

38
Dueling ❂ Failing A Duel
Almost any dramatic one on one confrontation in DAWN When the initiator fails a Duel they do not always need
can be represented through a ‘Duel’, be it a clash of to take the stake, they have three options:
swords, words, or anything else. Players can initiate a
Duel with a named NPC by spending 1 Influence, an Bail: Neither character takes the stake.
Antagonist can initiate a Duel by spending one Take It: Take the Stake, Influence spent is refunded.
Antagonism (explained in the Narrator’s section).
Double Down: Reroll, you have to Take It if you fail.
Initiating a Duel
When a Duel starts, both participants leave the Scene, The target of a Duel cannot choose any of these options
enter a separate Scene of unstructured play (even if the and takes the stake without any refund or additional
duel started in combat), and risk is set based on if the benefit.
players were in unstructured play or combat when
the Duel started. The Duel may resolve immediately if
the other players have nothing else they’d like to do,
otherwise it does at a point determined by the Narrator.

Resolving A Duel
To resolve a Duel the participants describe how they
approach it to gain an advantage over their opponent,
starting with the initiator. Then, an Opposed Challenge
Roll is made, with players using whatever Attribute,
Skill, Ability, and Bond seem applicable, and NPCs
rolling ~[7 + Tier] dice, with adjustments made at the
Narrator’s discretion.

Duels in Unstructured Play

Characters who lose a Duel in unstructured play are
made vulnerable. If they’re players, they receive 2
Stress, if they’re a NPC they’re either Knocked Out, or
resist, drawing a 4, 6, or 8 segment Story Clock,
(Narrator's choice) that, when filled, knocks them out.

Duels in Structured Combat

In combat, a character can only Duel by using a
unique Duel Action, spending 4 Influence rather than
AP. This Influence cost is reduced by the current
Tension, to a minimum of 1. In combat Duels resume
when a participant starts their next Turn (If there are no
other enemies or no other allies in the Scene, resolve
the Duel immediately)

A character who loses a Duel in combat takes the 2

Wounds if they’re a player, or 10 + [Tier x 5] damage
if they’re an NPC. When a Duel resolves in combat the
Initiator may teleport both participants to any spaces on
the board’s edge.

39
 Unstructured Play

The rules that dictate the non-tactical elements of DAWN, use these to get immersed and create tension in the narrative.

40
 Unstructured Play
The purely narrative portion of a Series. The Rules of unstructured play mostly center around the use of Challenge Rolls
and how they can be enhanced, avoided, or interpreted, through the ‘Skills’ and ‘Abilities’ the players give their
characters. And when these rolls create situations that put characters together ‘Bonds’ can be created to show how that
meeting affected them.

Unstructured Challenge Rolls Gaining Advantage

When players have their character take an action that When a character takes a Challenge Roll in unstructured
the Narrator thinks would be interesting to fail, they play, they may gain Advantage equal to the total Ranks
can force that player to make a Challenge Roll, with the of one Skill, Ability, and Bond (page 44) they have that
result being determined by how many Hits they roll. they and the narrator agree would be relevant.

Hits Rolled Result Example Of Play: Gaining Advantage

Narrator (Played by Olivia): “Alright, you’ve made it past
< [Tier+1] Hits Failure: The character faces Risk.
the wall without being noticed, what now?”
Minimum Success: The acting
Yvon (Played by Noah): “Sick, I’m going to make my
≥ [Tier+1] Hits character receives the Reward but
at significant difficulty. way into the warehouse.”

Narrator: “After opening the door, you see a guard, who

Extreme Success: The acting
[Tier+1] x 2 Hits character receives the Reward and looks like they’re waking up from a nap on the clock due
can describe additional flair on top. to you entering. How’re you going to deal with the
Threat of them finding out there’s someone here?”

Modified Rolls Yvon: “Oh lord, well I’ll quickly try to duck behind some
This chart above assumes that the player is facing a cover before he realizes I’m here, can I roll for that?”
Scale appropriate Threat, hence the [Tier+1]. But if a
Narrator: “Sure, there’s probably a crate nearby you
narrator wants more control they may set a target
could use, and that sounds like a Talent Roll. You got
number for players to hit instead. Here are some
any bonuses for that?”
examples for each Tier:
Yvon: “Yeah, could I add my ‘Move’ Skill or my ‘Become
Open a padlock, Get a hit on common Shadow’ Ability?”
Tier 1 ≥2
foes, leap a large gap.
Narrator: “Move doesn't sound applicable since you
Use “magic”, Defeat fodder in one need to be careful, Lurk would work better, but the
Tier 2 ≥3
blow, Move against the elements. Ability is fine, make a Roll with Advantage from that.”

Learn tech on the spot, Clear a room of Yvon: “Alright (rolls 4 dice from his Talent and 3 more
Tier 3 ≥5
enemies, Race a vehicle. from his max Rank Ability)... 3 Hits, how’d I do?”

Develop a new ability, Blow through a Narrator: “Oh that’s a fail, you duck away and
Tier 4 ≥6
building, Dodge a bullet. disappear, but end up knocking over a spare can of
paint as you move, the sound puts the guard on edge,
Use an ability thought impossible,
Tier 5 ≥8 and you see them pull out a radio to contact someone.”
Crush a building, Make a sonic boom.

Create a new form of magic, Blow up a

Tier 6 ≥9
mountain, Cross a continent.

41
Failing Challenge Rolls * Joel's Notes: Putting Players on the spot
Functionally, the only reason to roll dice in unstructured The two example Risks labeled with a “*” will in some
play is to add the possibility of failure, and for failure way force players to take action and think of something
to matter in play risks must be used. related to the scene. This can be stressful or tiring for
some players and that should be considered before
Stress ❂ they’re used.
The basic risk that can be presented at any time is
‘Stress’. Stress represents a character’s lasting fatigue Going All Out ❂
and can go up to a maximum of 3. When a character
After a player fails any Challenge Roll, they can spend 1
reaches 3 stress they’re Knocked Out, returning in the
Influence to go “All Out”, rerolling the dice and giving
next Scene at 2 Stress. When characters take Stress
failed Rolls a chance to succeed.
that wasn’t self-inflicted the player gains 1 Influence.
All Out: Reroll a Roll you made, all your dice that land
Alternative Risks on 3 or more are counted as Hits.
If Stress doesn't feel right here are some example Risks.

Double Edged: The effect that the character wanted

to push onto their opponent happens to them instead.

Escalation: A new, related, and more impactful Threat

is immediately levied against the acting character.

Strange Ties: A piece of unsettling or surprising

information is revealed that connects the acting
character and their opponent. The player may create a
Rank [Tier/2] Bond with their opponent at the cost of 1
Influence.

Compromise: The acting character loses something.

Be it an essential item, the safety of a non-player ally,
or a value used to justify the roll by the acting
character.

Falter: The acting character’s opponent presents a

point or ultimatum related to the acting character’s
Motivation. If a character chooses to accept it they
must change the part of their character questioned but
they gain 2 Influence.

*Memento: The opponent presents a reminder related

to the acting character’s History. In the next two
Intermissions the acting player may go into detail on
what their opponent was talking about, doing so
rewards them with 2 Influence.

Scene Change: The acting characters are moved to a

different Scene.

*Trip Up: A problem pops up completely unrelated to

the threat at hand. Any of the other players may be
inconvenienced by this to be rewarded with 1
Influence.

42
Threats Responding To Threats
A ‘Threat’ describes the times when Narrators describe
something that players must interact with or take a Responding With A Challenge Roll
Risk. Though The exact way this gets resolved is Responding to something with a direct challenge meant
different for every Narrator, it’s important that all Series to immediately resolve. In most cases a player can
use Threats in some way, and there are a few guidelines respond to a Threat by attempting a Challenge Roll. In
that exist to make sure players can always make a that case the Threat becomes the Risk for their Roll.
response.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any character can
Dramatic Irony respond to any Threat no matter what their features
It’s important that players know when their may say they can do. Features are meant to enhance
characters are under Threat, and in most cases, their relevant actions rather than restrict others.
what the Risk is, even if their characters do not. This
is due to rule zero, having a player regret a decision Responding with a story clock
because the Narrator refused to tell them something is a Setting up a plan to delay or set up the resolution of a
worst-case-scenario. Threat. Characters can also respond to a given Threat
by starting some sort of plan that only lasts a limited
amount of time or that will only be resolved after other
Example Of Play: Creating Threats conditions are fulfilled.
A player is navigating through the den of a great beast,
and you (the Narrator) want to create tension to show In this case the Threat can be avoided with no roll,
they’ve decided to do something dangerous. You could but some Story Clock must be created that, if filled,
say the following as a Threat. will levy the Threat against said character(s) again.

“Alright, you’ve made it about halfway into the cave, at

this point if something goes wrong it’ll be hard to get Using Story Clocks
out without getting hurt, [Unless you do something to When the PCs face a complex obstacle, the Narrator
stop it, the beast is going to wake up and attack.]” can draw a Story Clock. When a Clock is made, it
must be given a result for when it is filled. This result
The text in the [square brackets] is the actual Threat, can be good or bad depending on what created it.
and in this case the exact consequence has been left a
bit vague, but it’s implied that it won’t be good for the Story Clocks are fluid, and can represent anything within
player in question. For any Threat, it’s important that you a Series, but it’s recommended that they are sorted as
set the Scene beforehand so that the player has enough good Clocks that’ll be progressed through success, or
information to think of solutions related to the bad Clocks that’ll be progressed through failure.
environment, and that the Threat is threatening enough
to make the player want to think of ways to avoid it. In almost all cases a Chapter can be improved if the
Narrator has at least one Clock active, as it can give
players an obvious objective or threat to move towards
or away from.

43
Ranked Features Body Skills
The primary three features used in unstructured Break: Destroy, push through or past, get angry.
play—Skills, Abilities, and Bonds—all have an
associated Rank that represents their strength. This Endure: Do cardio, resist damage, stay focused.
number can range from 1 to 3.
Menace: Intimidate, show force, scare something.

Character Ranks Defend: Take attention, take hits, move people.

Skills and Abilities can be upgraded by spending
Character Ranks. When a character is created, they are Talent Skills
given 8 starting Character Ranks, and must spend at
least 4 on Skills (meaning at Tier 1 a character has 4 Finesse: Damage, isolate, act swiftly and precisely.
Ranks to spend on Abilities). Lurk: Sneak around, avoid attention, act subtly.

Initial Character Ranks can't be saved for later, but the Move: Be athletic, avoid obstacles, move quickly.
two receive from increasing a character’s Tier can.
React: Adapt to action, avoid danger, find things.

Skills Spirit Skills

‘Skills’ reflect a character’s capabilities as a result of
their training, lifestyle, and/or upbringing. A player may Absorb: Resist abilities, interface with “magic”.
spend one Character Rank to gain a new Skill or Intuit: Solve practical problems, understand “magic”.
Rank up an existing Skill, with each Skill increasing
up to a max Rank of 3. Connect: “Get” people, make someone laugh.

Luck: Succeed without skill, get your big break.

Skills are chosen from the list to the right. Each is
associated with an Attribute, and it’s normally assumed
that a roll that can use the Skill also uses its Attribute.
Mind Skills
Although the Narrator may let other Attributes be used Deceive: Convince people, lie, disguise yourself.
at their discretion.
Command: Exercise authority, influence crowds.

Optional Rule: Custom Skills Unveil: Research the unknown, uncover lore.
There are some cases where players feel that none of
the available skills fit their character, especially if they’re Tinker: Create art, use medicine, act methodically.
playing in a custom setting, in that case Narrators can
let them create their own custom skills, though each
should probably follow the following guidelines:

Short And Sweet: The Skill should be 5 words long at

most, and 2 words long at least.

Not Too General: It should be obvious where a Skill

can’t be used.

Skills, Not Abilities: A Skill should be something

anyone is capable of without the assistance of
supernatural elements.

44
Abilities Optional Rule: Tight / Universal Ability Systems
Most player characters are also created with an ‘Ability’. This game assumes that Abilities are varied across your
Abilities are things that a character can always do world and that most characters can access them, hence
that are impossible for a “mundane” person. They’re the wide range of possible effects.
always a use of the supernatural element of the game’s
world, and are explained through that element. Some settings have a limited pool of effects players can
use (i.e. the elements in Avatar), in these settings the
Creating An Ability Narrator may limit the Nouns to 1–4 options, reducing
Abilities follow the format of: the cost for each by 1.
“You can [Verb] [Noun], so long as [Condition].”
In settings where some Abilities are usable by anyone
These words in square brackets have a cost associated willing to put in the effort (i.e. flight in Dragonball) the
with them. To obtain an Ability a player must spend Narrator may establish them as Skills that can be picked
Character Ranks equal to the total cost of the three up by anyone.
chosen words (minimum of 1), it is then set to Rank 1.
Creating Unique Words
On the following page, there is a list of words that can
Though a list of examples is shown on the following
be used to fill in those bracketed sections.
page, players can use any words they want, though
they must brief their Narrator and get their approval, and
A character can only ever have one Ability.
to do so a cost must be decided.

Progressing Abilities Impact And Access

Unlike Skills, Abilities have two district measurements of
Every word in an Ability can be judged and have its cost
strength, that being their Rank, and the words used to
decided with one of two distinct categories, the word's
create it.
Impact and its Access compared listed words.

Abilities can be Ranked up by spending 1 Character

Impact: A word’s Impact describes how much it can
Rank. Like Skills, this can go up to a maximum of Rank
change in a story when used at its most extreme. The
3, but they can also be ‘expanded’. When expanding
Verb “Obliterate” would probably have the highest
upon a character’s Ability they may add a new Verb,
theoretical cost of any word you could make, since
Noun, and/or Condition, paying the price of the word
when combined with an accessible Noun, like “earth”
they’re adding in Character Ranks (minimum 1).
or “people”, it could have a story breaking impact.

When using an Ability a character may use any of the Access: A word’s Access describes how many things
words they’ve bought, so long as it still follows the “You are under their umbrella, and how important those
can [Verb] [Noun], so long as [Condition].” format and things are for the story. Obviously, “Anything” would
keeps at least one word contained in the original. be the best possible and highest cost Noun, since it
would let the chosen Verb impact the story in any way
Not Always Effortless they want, assuming they don’t have a very restricting
Though it is assumed that an Ability’s user can use said condition. And even though it may not sound that bad
Ability at will with no roll, It is important to know that the with low cost Verbs, narrators should still cost it high,
Narrator can always oppose actions that would in case the Ability is expended out to more expensive
dramatically change the story or seem far-fetched Verbs.
based on their understanding of the Ability. This is
normally by having a player make a Roll to achieve their
goal.

45
Ability Glossary

You can [Verb] [Noun], so long as [Condition].

Verb Cost Noun Cost Condition Cost
Breathe ✢ 0 Ghosts / Illusions 0 You Win In A Game ✧ -1

Eat ✢ 0 Weather ✢ 0 You Are Sweating -1

Perceive / Talk To ✢ 0 Food 0 It's A Specific Time -1

Become ✢ 1 Barriers / Traps 0 You’re Wearing X ☾ 0

Empower / Weaken 1 Plants ✧ 1 You Sacrifice X ☾ 0

Launch / Attract 1 Melee Weapons ✧ 1 You Build The Target 0

Repair / Heal 1 Sound 1 You’re Carrying It 0

Rotate / Shake 1 Light / Shadow 1 You Write On The Target 0

Shape / Solidify 1 Animals / Monsters ✧ 1 You Aren’t Seen 0

Stop / Immobilize 2 Mana / Electricity 1 You Touch The Target 0

Duplicate / Recreate 2 People ✧ 2 You Hear / Smell It 1

Cut / Break / Melt 2 Machines ✧ 2 You Dance 1

Store / Capture 2 The Four Elements ✧ 2 You Speak To The Target 1

Conceal / Locate 2 Heat ✢ 2 You Understand It 1

Control / Puppet 2 Meat / Bones / Souls 2 You Draw The Target 1

Enlarge / Shrink 2 Ranged Weapons ✧ 2 You Explain It 1

Teleport / Swap 2 Yourself ✢ 2 You Hold Your Breath 1

Create ✢ 2 Abilities 3 It Can Hear You 1

Negate / Reverse 4 Gravity 3 You See The Target 2

Fuse X and ☾ 4 Fluids / Solids / Gasses 4 You Remember The Target 3

Transform X Into ☾ X Distance / Velocity 4 You’ve Touched It 3

✢ (If you pick any of these words you can ignore “, so long as [condition]”, or include any condition at a cost of 0)

✧ (These words represent a category, you may reduce its cost by 1 by picking only one thing in that category)

☾ (You must choose another Noun to represent X, if the cost is X the cost becomes the chosen Noun’s Cost)

/ (When a word is split with slashes it means the user must pick one option when the word is chosen)

46
Bonds Quick BOnds ❂
‘Bonds’—like Skills and Abilities—are Ranked features In addition to forming Bonds during Intermissions,
that can be used to gain Advantage in Rolls. Unlike the players can form one Quick Bond at will at any point
other features, Bonds can’t be gained with Character during a Chapter.
Ranks, and are created as the Series progresses.
They represent any sort of connection or relationship Quick Bonds are always Rank 1, cannot be used to gain
between characters. The only consistent element of a Influence, and are removed at the end of a Chapter,
Bond’s nature is that it’s always a one-way-street, only unless the player chooses to use 1 Influence to sustain
representing the user’s feelings. it and make it a normal Bond.

Forming Bonds Ranking Up Bonds

During Intermissions, player characters can form any Bonds can be freely Ranked up during an Intermission
number of Rank 1 Bonds with any other named so long as the user can speak to or have spoken to said
characters that they can speak to or have spoken to Bond since the last Intermission, AND so long as the
since the last Intermission. Bond was already at its maximum Bond Tags (ie. A
Rank one Bond must have one tag to be Ranked up to
Bond Tags two, and a Rank two Bond must have two tags to be
As a player interacts with their Bond, they may add ranked up to three).
‘Bond Tags’, single word descriptors that detail their
relationship with their Bond. A Bond can have a A Bond cannot be Ranked up if it was created during or
number of Tags equal to its Rank. already ranked up in said Intermission.

Tags can be added freely, but the first Tag a character

applies to their Bond must be one of the following
‘Basic Tags’; Partner, Rival, Student, or Enemy (player
characters cannot be Enemies unless both give explicit
permission). These will determine how a character can
use the Bond Actions detailed on the following page.

Joel's Notes: Returning Characters

Once a non player character is Bonded with, they
should be considered an important and central element
of the story by the Narrator.

If you are a Narrator, you should always try to make

these characters relevant at multiple points in the game.
After all, if a player has gone so far as to bond with an
NPC, they likely enjoyed your portrayal of them.

For example, If the players leave the city that character

lives in, give that character a reason to travel that they
can explain to the character they’re Bonded with when
they meet again. This can often be a good way of
seeding new story hooks, or feeding the players
interesting lore details.

47
Bond Actions ❂ Teach (Give Skills)
Along with the normal bonus Advantage given through a The user can offer a Skill to their Bond with a Rank
Bond, characters Bonds can use the following Bond equal to their Bond Rank, the Bond ranks up that Skill
Actions. Each Bond Action can be used by spending for the remainder of the Chapter. The type this is taught
either 1 Influence or gaining 1 Stress and targeting a is based on your Basic Tag.
Bond in the same Scene.
Partner: The user tries to reinforce something they
believe is good about their Partner.
Help (Give Advantage)
Give your Bond [Tier] Advantage on their current / next Rival: The user challenges something they think is a
roll (a roll can only benefit from one “Help” at a time). flaw in their Rival.
And do one of the following based on your Basic Tag
Student: The user explains something that they
with said Bond.
believe their Student isn’t experienced with.
Partner: The user pushes forward through a challenge
with their Partner. Antagonistic Bond Actions ❂
The following Bond Actions are generally not meant for
Rival: The user challenges their Rival—implicitly or
player character to player character Bonds, but can be
explicitly—to do better.
used so long as both parties give permission.
Student: The user initiates a task with their Student
following behind them. Hate
Can only be used with an Enemy Bond. Taken when a
Protect (Remove Stress) character decides they will no longer stand for their
Remove 1 Stress from your Bond. What you need to do Enemy. The user gains [Tier] Advantage on their current
to restore this Stress depends on your Basic Tag with Roll. When the user Abandons their Enemy with a Bond
said Bond. Rank of two or more it provides an additional Influence.

Partner: The user moves to defend or console their

Abandon
vulnerable Partner.
Taken when something has changed in the perception a
Rival: The user moves to push against any force character has with their Bond. This removes that Bond
harming their Rival. and gives the user an amount of Influence equal to its
Rank. Once a PC has Abandoned a character, they lose
Student: The user calls out to inspire their Student to the ability to gain Influence by Abandoning the same
defend themselves. character. This Bond Action can be taken with any
Bond, even if it’s at its max Tags.
Study (Share Influence)
Study cannot be used by taking Stress. Make a
statement about your Bond and ask them if it’s true or
false, having them explain how it's false if it is, if they’re
a player they gain 1 Influence, if they aren't give the
Influence to a player listening to it. The type of
statement you make is based on your Basic Tag.

Partner: The user tells a glowing story about their

Partner that relates to what they’re doing.

Rival: The user makes a technical explanation of what

their Rival is doing.

Student: The user explains how they do what their

Student is doing, or if they can’t.

48
Outlooks
Each player character is created with one of the following ‘Outlooks’, the one they choose serving as their
‘Primary Outlook’. As a character increases their Tier, they can advance that Outlook or branch into new ones. Any
Outlooks gained after character creation are considered ‘Secondary Outlooks’. A character can have up to three
total Outlooks, one of them their Primary and two of them their Secondary.

Boons
A character’s Outlooks provide them with a variety of ‘Boons’. Boons are features that can be used in unstructured
play, and only unstructured play. When creating a character a player can choose two Boons from their Primary Outlook,
and will be given more options as they Tier up.

The ten Outlooks are as follows:

The Rebel The Accursed

Those without a belief in, or respect for, the authority Doomed from the beginning, a being of ill fortune,
above them. Be it The Rebel’s immediate superiors or granted power they never asked for. What is the power?
those completely out of reach. How can they get rid of it? The Accursed rarely knows.

The Loyal The Blessed

A person dedicated to, and participating in, the systems Living in near-edenic plenty, a person granted fortune
and authority of those in power. The Loyal’s oath to beyond imagination. Some combination of pride and
this cause reaps benefits others could only dream of. ignorance is almost necessary for The Blessed.

The Light The Quiet

A provider, protector, or pacifist, and more importantly Modest and unassuming people, with a life on the
than any of that, a person to be depended upon. The fringes, not concerned with image. Though it’s hard to
Light naturally draws those in their darkest hour. say how many of The Quiet would like a story.

The Wolf The Confident

A person scarred and scared, left behind by or who has A person who must make themselves known, who fears
left behind those they depended on most. The Wolf is a a decline in image more than their death. Who wouldn’t
loner, though they’re unlikely to stay that way. agree with The Confident when your life has eyes on it.

The Mentor
Wise for your years, no matter how many, a towering
beacon of experience and strength. Though maybe this
isn't The Mentor’s story to use this.

The Apprentice
Bright-eyed greenhorns looking to make up for the
experience they lack and make a name for themselves.
The Apprentice starts small, but holds big ambitions.

49
 The Outlooks Of Authority

The Rebel The Loyal

Those who’ve lost their belief in, and respect for, the A person dedicated to, and participating in, the systems
authority above them. Be it The Rebel’s immediate and authority of those in power. The Loyal’s oath to
superiors or those completely out of reach. this cause reaps benefits others could only dream of.

If this is your Primary Outlook, the following question is If this is your Primary Outlook, the following question is
added to the “Your Story” questionnaire. added to the “Your Story” questionnaire.

Your Rebellion Your Oath

Show them what they did to you, make them pay. Power requires discipline, and for discipline, focus.
This world is structured, with rules, organizations, and Something that happened to you made you take an
traditions that hold the status quo in place. Your Oath towards something or someone, what is it? Also
existence breaks these rules, why? Also ask how the ask what / who you made this Oath to and why.
“Change” affected your rule breaking nature, if at all.
Inherent Boon
Boons The Oath: This must be taken in addition to your two
Until My Last Breath: When at 2 Stress or higher, you starting Boons if you choose “The Loyal” as your
gain 3 Advantage on Body and Talent Rolls. Primary Outlook. This Boon can't be taken after Tier
one. You have an Oath, a single word that you
I’ll Carry My Weight: When a character attempts to embody, at any point the Narrator can invoke your
use Help on you you may take one Stress for them Oath to ask you to act in a specific way, if you do so
instead of having them spend. you gain 1 Influence.
Supernatural Deafness: You don’t have an Ability and
can’t use supernatural equipment. In exchange, you Boons
gain double the Advantage from Bonds and gain 2 Fish Out Of Water: Once Per Chapter When you use
Character Ranks. Study while the target is doing something normally
considered mundane or pedestrian you may give the
Not Today: When you or one of your Bonds would recipient one extra Influence.
take Stress from physical damage you may become
the target and nullify the Stress. Roll a dice for each of Durandal: You’ve been entrusted with a massively
the following questions that are answered with “yes” important weapon or tool. Note what it is and what it
and take 1 Stress for each that doesn't Hit. excels in as if you were making a custom Skill. When
‣ Was the attacker a named character. your tool is applicable in a Challenge Roll, gain 2
‣ Are you not have a bond with the attacker. Advantage and you may go “All Out” by gaining 1
‣ Does the Narrator think the attack could kill you. Stress instead of using Influence.

Overexertion: When you make a roll, you may go All “My Master’s Teachings”: An NPC you’ve met or of
Out by taking a Stress instead of spending Influence. your creation gains a Rank [Tier/2] Student Bond with
you. Once per Chapter you may have them use the
"Leave This To Me...": When an ally is forced to take Teach Bond Action on you even if they are not in the
Stress from another character you may offer to ‘take Scene (you choose the Skill they offer you).
over’, letting you Duel that character at no cost if the
ally allows it. Law And Order: Once per Chapter, you may choose a
character. The Narrator must then tell you the most
Aggressive To A Fault: You may create any number of notable crime they’ve committed (if any). You may also
Quick Bonds in a Chapter so long as all of them are freely Quick Bond with them.
immediately set as Rivals or Enemies.
Secret Technique: When you use your Ability in a Roll
you may spend 1 Influence to claim to use a “Secret
Technique” taught by the people you swore your Oath
to. When you do, you may force any NPC related to
your Oath to use the “Help” Bond Action on you, even
if they’re not in the Scene.

50
 The Outlooks Of Dependence

The Light The Wolf

A provider, protector, or pacifist, and more importantly A person scarred and scared, left behind by or who has
than any of that, a person to be depended upon. The left behind those they depended on most. The Wolf is a
Light naturally draws those in their darkest hour. loner, though they’re unlikely to stay that way.

If this is your Primary Outlook, the following question is If this is your Primary Outlook, the following question is
added to the “Your Story” questionnaire. added to the “Your Story” questionnaire.

Your Community Your Disappearance

Not family, not coworkers, something more special. Something inside you is dead, you have to move on.
After moving away from your family you became deeply You used to be part of a rich community, a person who
integrated into a second group, who are they? Also ask was respected and respected their peers, you can never
if this community is related to your other players. go back to that, why? Also ask if that community is still
around, and how they’re doing without you.
Boons
Saint: You have 2 Advantage on Rolls that relate to Inherent Boon
characters with no negative feelings towards you. Lone Wolf: This must be taken in addition to your two
starting Boons if you choose “The Wolf” as your
Friendly And Approachable: Your Quick Bonds with
Primary Outlook. This Boon can't be taken after Tier
non-player characters start at Rank 2. You may also
one. You can only have 3 Bonded characters at a time,
form more than one Quick Bond in a Chapter by taking
you always know where someone you’re Bonded with
one Stress when doing so.
is.
Performance Artist: Choose one of your Skills, it
gains an additional Rank. When you first get an Boons
Extreme Success with your chosen Skill in a Scene, The One Thing You Can Rely On: You may form
anyone Bonded with you can remove 1 Stress. Bonds with weapons as if they're characters, when
North Star: Your “Help” Bond Actions give additional you do so they’re Rank 1 and Partners. Weapons
Advantage equal to your Bond Rank with the target. made via an Ability all count as the same weapon.

Books And Their Covers: When you offer to befriend Dark Urge: When you attempt to use your Ability in a
someone who’s tried to hurt you before, you may Challenge Roll you may gain 4 Advantage, if you roll
spend 1 Influence to force the Narrator to either have an odd number of Hits your Narrator can have you use
them accept the offer or give you 2 Influence. If this is a Skills or Ability on a character you weren’t targeting,
attempted on the same character more than once, the you can resist this by taking 2 Stress. Gain 4 Character
Narrator can deny it without giving you Influence. Ranks that can be spent on your Ability.

Looking Our Best: Once per Chapter you may spend Outgunned: When you’re working against more
1 Influence to change to a new outfit of your enemies than you have allies, you gain 2 Advantage on
description between Scenes, willing allies who were all Rolls.
with you can also do this at no cost. Characters in Loyal: When you only have 1 Bond, the Rank of that
outfits that match their environment (eg. suits at luxury Bond is treated as being 2 Ranks higher when used in
events) have all their Skill Ranks raised to [Tier/2] for a Roll (this can surpass the Rank 3 maximum).
the duration of the Scene.
Brood: When you take Intermission and don't form or
Perspective Of A Friend: Your Bonds with Partners Rank Up any Bonds you gain 2 Influence. You may
always count as being 1 Rank higher when used in a also leave the Intermission (if there is one central site)
Roll (this can surpass the Rank 3 maximum). When and tell the Narrator that you want to do something,
you only have one Partner and you use Influence with they can either describe how you succeed or force
them present for the first time in a Scene, they gain an you to roll for it or play it out as a Scene.
Influence.
Better Off Alone: When you Abandon a Bond of Rank
2 or higher you may restore all of your Stress.

51
 The Outlooks Of Experience

The Mentor The Apprentice

Wise for your years, no matter how many, a towering Bright-eyed greenhorns looking to make up for the
beacon of experience and strength. Though maybe this experience they lack and make a name for themselves.
isn't The Mentor’s story to use this. The Apprentice starts small, but holds big ambitions.

If this is your Primary Outlook, the following question is If this is your Primary Outlook, the following question is
added to the “Your Story” questionnaire. added to the “Your Story” questionnaire.

Your Past Your Future

You used to be like them, oh how the years fly by. Everyone else is doing so well, let's start the climb!
Choose any other Outlook’s “Your Story” question, Once, and only once before the adventure begins, you
answer it in addition to this. Also ask what’s happened meet a legend, a person who you've been hearing and
to you since you did that, and how often you still think idolizing your entire life, who are they? Also ask how
of those days. similar you are to them, and in what ways.

Boons Boons
Old, Calloused Hand: Write two ‘Calluses’, negative "Never Give Up!”: Once per Chapter, when you fail a
events that you’ve dealt with before, leaving you Roll with immediate consequences, you may ‘Resist’,
stronger. When you’re presented with a Threat related holding it back, drawing a 2 segment Clock instead.
to your Callus, you may lose 1 Stress. This Clock fills a segment, when you Roll against
something other than that Threat, or at the Narrator's
Casual Excellence: Choose two of your Skills or a
discretion. The Threat resumes when the Clock fills,
Skill and Ability. When you would Roll using one of
and you take 1 Stress (this is not self-inflicted Stress).
these features to gain Advantage you may roll a single
D6 instead, getting a Failure on a roll of 1, a Minimum Amazing Potential: Whenever you Roll with one or
Success on a 2-5, and an Extreme Success on a 6. A fewer sources of Advantage, roll an additional D6, this
Narrator may make you roll 2 dice and take the lower if is your “Star Die”. If your main roll is a Failure, but your
the challenge would be exceptionally high. Star Dice is a 5 it becomes a Minimum Success at the
cost of 1 Stress, if it’s a 6 the roll becomes an Extreme
An Organized Style: When you use your Ability in a
Success.
way you’ve never used it before, you can give that
specific usage a name to gain 3 Advantage. Still Getting Used To It: When you use your Ability to
gain Advantage in a roll, roll a die, if it’s even gain [Tier]
A Power That Must Never Be Used Again: Once per
additional Advantage from it, if it’s odd, gain no
Chapter, your Ability can instantly kill any unnamed
Advantage from it. Gain 3 Character Ranks to spend
NPC standing in front of you regardless of context. If
on your Ability. When you would Awaken a Boon you
you ever use the effect of this Boon, you lose two
may remove this one instead, and gain another 2
Bond Ranks with a character of your choice. If you
Character Ranks to spend on your Ability
lose all of your Bonds, you lose control of your
character permanently. Plenty To Learn: Once per Scene, If a player you
Study uses Influence in that Scene, gain 1 Influence.
Perspective Of A Teacher: Your Bonds with Students
always count as being 1 Rank higher when used in a A Step Behind, But Still Running: When you Awaken
Roll (this can surpass the Rank 3 maximum). When in an unstructured Scene you gain 3 Advantage on the
you only have one Student and you use Influence with next roll you make. Gain 2 Character Ranks that can
them present for the first time in a Scene, they gain an only be used to Awaken.
Influence.
Order And Out: While you’re following any kind of
order given by one of your Bonds they may “Help” you
even if they’re not in the same Scene as you.

52
 The Outlooks Of Fortune

The Accursed The Blessed

Doomed from the beginning, a being of ill fortune, Living in near-edenic plenty, a person granted fortune
granted power they never asked for. What is the power? beyond imagination. Some combination of pride and
How can they get rid of it? The Accursed rarely knows. ignorance is almost necessary for The Blessed.

If this is your Primary Outlook, the following question is If this is your Primary Outlook, the following question is
added to the “Your Story” questionnaire. added to the “Your Story” questionnaire.

Your Fall Your Rise

We all know it happens, but never expect ourselves. To think there are those who live without luxury.
Something supernatural has implanted itself into you, Through some great coincidence or fortune you hit a
what is it? Also ask how much you know about what massive windfall that changed your life forever, what
happened to you and if it’s related to the “Change” that was it? Also ask Why you pursued the “Opportunity”
started this Series. rather than spending the rest of your days in opulence.

Boons Boons
Volatile Blood: Your Ability ignores the “keeps one of A Web Of Connections: When you use Influence, you
the words contained in the original” restriction when can identify an unnamed NPC in the Scene. You gain 2
swapping out its original words with new ones. Gain 3 Advantage on Rolls where that NPC is relevant.
Character Ranks that can be spent on your Ability.
Trust Fund: You have 10 ‘Funding Tokens’, when you
Uncontrollable Power: Your Ability is now “You [Verb] make a Roll you may spend any number of Funding
[Noun] When You [Condition]”. Meaning it’s always Tokens to explain how you use your wealth to help you
applied while the condition is fulfilled (or just always if and gain equal Advantage. Gain 5 more Funding
there’s no condition). When you expand your Ability Tokens when you Tier up.
choose if those new words are your “default”, if so
Sick Ride: You have a 1-2 seating ground or water
they can trigger your Ability. Gain 3 Character Ranks
vehicle that you can create or call to you by taking 1
that can be spent on your Ability.
Stress or spending 1 Influence. When you do choose a
Sacrifice: You may use this Boon after any Roll to willing character to drive and answer the 3 following
make it a Extreme Success by sacrificing one of the questions. The driver gets Advantage equal to the
following (It can't be restored, only replaced). number of "yes" answers on all rolls that could use the
‣ Your eye. vehicle for the duration of the scene.
‣ Your arm. ‣ Are you in a large open area.
‣ Your leg. ‣ Does the driver have experience with it.
‣ Your tongue. ‣ Is it the first time you used this in this chapter.
‣ Your life.
Social Setup: Once per Chapter, you can spend 1
Self Destructive Strength: When you use an Ability to Influence to claim you have connections in the place
gain Advantage on a Roll but don’t use either a Bond you’re in or relating to what you’re doing. When you
or a Skill, you may take 1 Stress to “Overload” your do this, Roll Mind with Advantage equal to your Tier
Ability and gain double the Advantage from it. and set all Hits aside. Any time you’re in a Scene with
an unnamed character, you may claim that that person
Tainted Body: One or more of your limbs or eyes are
is part of this connection and gain Advantage on all
concealed from other people. Once per Series, when
rolls relating to them equal to the Hits you set aside.
you spend Influence, you may reveal this part to gain 3
+ [Tier] Character Ranks to spend on your Ability. Beck And Call: Gain a Rank [Tier/2] “Servant” Bond
with an NPC you’ve met or of your creation. Once per
The Voice: Your Ability is sentient and speaks to you,
Chapter you can call them into any non-combat Scene
it also counts as a Bond and can be used in rolls
at will, and if they cannot show up the Narrator must
(unless you’re using it as an Ability). When you only
give you 1 Influence.
use your Ability in a roll you may ask the Narrator if it’s
compliant in the action you’re taking, if they are, gain 2
Advantage, if they aren't, take 2 Disadvantage.

53
 The Outlooks Of Image

The Quiet The Confident

Modest and unassuming people, with a life on the A person who must make themselves known, who fears
fringes, not concerned with image. Though it’s hard to a decline in image more than their death. Who wouldn’t
say how many of The Quiet would like a story of their agree with The Confident when your life has eyes on it.
own.
If this is your Primary Outlook, the following question is
If this is your Primary Outlook, the following question is added to the “Your Story” questionnaire.
added to the “Your Story” questionnaire.
Your Weakness
Your Comfort If it’s not true, if I’m not the best, am I even myself?
Heroism is nice, but little things keep us human. You have lived a life full of people and achievements
Choose a hobby or activity unrelated to the main that reaffirmed your unmatched status, but once before
“Change” or “Opportunity” of the adventure that you’re you faltered in that belief, why? Also ask how many
incredibly invested in? Also ask if going on the people know that it happened, and who they are.
adventure helps you with that hobby or activity at all.
Boons
Boons Spite: When you lose, either in the narrative or in an
The Talent: Your once per Chapter Boons are now Opposed Roll, to a character you’re Bonded with you
twice per Chapter. may assign them as the target of your ‘Spite’. When
you use that Bond to gain Advantage in any sort of
Right Place, Right Time: Once per Chapter when an competition you may also Crit on rolls of 5, if the roll is
ally is in a different Scene and you are not occupied, a Extreme Success that character is no longer the
you may appear in that Scene. If said ally was making target of your Spite.
a Roll they may go All Out once at no cost.
“And I’ll Only Use One Hand…”: Once per Chapter
Stalking Beast: Once per Chapter when you speak to when you take an Opposed Roll with someone else,
a character you were not with the Scene before you you may give them a handicap. This gives them 2
may ask the Narrator one of the following questions. Advantage and gives you 1 Influence.
‣ Where did they come from.
‣ Were / Are they being followed. Chatty: When you perform an Opposed Roll, you can
begin talking, be it monologuing, quipping, taunting or
Gearhead: You can now create ‘Gadgets’ in addition ranting, gaining Advantage equal to your Bond ranks
to Skills when using Character Ranks. They’re treated with your opponent. If you fail this roll, your character
as Abilities for their creation and usage in Rolls. Unlike receives 1 Stress.
Abilities, Gadgets are physical objects that can be
given to, and used by other characters, though others “Do You Know Who I Am?”: When you dramatically
can only gain up to 2 Advantage from using them. introduce yourself around unnamed characters, you
Your Gadgets can be permanently destroyed through may use this Boon to prompt them to: gasp, become
the Risks you receive or by doing so yourself, doing interested in you, or make fun of you (Narrator’s
either refunds you any Character Ranks you spent on choice). When you get a reaction you haven’t before
them. Gain 3 Character Ranks to spend on Gadgets. gain an Influence.

Knacks And Hobbies: You gain 3 Advantage on all Perspective Of A Lancer: Your Bonds with Rivals
rolls that don't oppose or relate to another character. always count as being 1 Rank higher when used in a
Roll (this can surpass the Rank 3 maximum). When
Technobabble: Once per Chapter, when you see a you only have one Rival and you use Influence with
supernatural item you may ask the Narrator one of the them present for the first time in a Scene, they gain an
following questions. Once in that Scene you can go All Influence.
Out on a Roll relating to it at no cost.
‣ What does it usually do.
‣ How could it be disabled.
‣ Could I recreate its effects.

54
 Structured Combat

The tactical layer of DAWN, build up your character and show their flair, the things that can’t be shown with words.

55
 Structured Combat
The tactical element, the most game-like part of DAWN, meant to be used when two evenly, or almost evenly,
matched groups face each other in battle. And though combat’s risks can create some tension, it’s mostly done for
fun and to reinforce the player character’s aesthetics in ways that can only be shown in combat.

In structured combat players are asked to optimize builds, handle threats, and control whatever variables they can to
defeat their enemies as efficiently as possible, the way they use their Actions and choose their Techniques
determines whether they live or die as well as implicitly enforcing their character’s themes and aesthetic.

Turn Order Taking Turns

Structured combat is made up of ‘Actions’, ‘Reactions’, Players and NPCs both treat the Turn order differently.
'Turns’, and ‘Rounds’. A Round consists of the Turns When a Round starts, all players must decide
of all involved players and at least one enemy Turn amongst themselves who should take the first Turn.
for each, these Turns contain a player’s Actions, with After this is determined, that player takes their Turn.
Reactions taken between turns.
When a player ends their Turn an enemy of the
Narrator’s choice that has not yet taken their Turn
Actions And Action Points
takes theirs, if all enemies acted an enemy who already
When a character’s Turn starts, they receive 3 ‘Action
has can take a Turn instead.
Points’ (AP) if they’re a player character, with NPCs
receiving 2, losing any they had before. Players can
After this Turn ends the last player who acted can
spend these on Basic Actions (detailed on page 62).
choose a player who has not yet taken their Turn,
Each has a listed AP Cost (sometimes shortened to
that player then takes theirs, this repeats until all
Cost) that must be spent to use it. Each NPC has a
players have taken their Turns, once an enemy moves
unique set of Actions that all have a Cost of 1 based on
after the last player a new Round starts.
their ‘Type’.

Action Limit and Swift Actions Assisting ❂

A character can't use the same Basic Action more There will be times where combat starts and a player is
than once each Round unless that Action was present at the table but their character isn’t in the
‘Swift’, a bonus often granted by Techniques. Scene. Combat is long, and excluding players from it
entirely because their character can't participate is too
Reactions punishing, for this reason these players may "Assist"
Reactions can be used outside a Turn when certain their fellow player(s) when combat begins.
conditions are met. Reactions are still Actions but do
not abide by the once per Round limitation, all counting While Assisting a player can use Break Out to take
as being Swift by default. an Action while controlling a consenting ally. They
may also take Break Out at no Influence cost up to three
times in each Combat Scene.
Break Out ❂
In addition to normal Reactions, all non-Attack Actions
Any stats referenced during an Assisted Break Out are
can be taken as a Reaction to a character ending
replaced with the Assistant’s highest Attribute (This
their Turn by spending 1 Influence to ‘Break Out’.
includes replacing Attributes for rolls but also replacing
Actions from Break Out have no AP Cost.
other passive stats like Speed).

56
Character statistics
All player characters in DAWN share a set of standard
statistics, including Health, Focus, and Speed. The way
these stats function and scale determine how the player
with them can play.

Damage And Health

All interactions in structured combat will be motivated
by damage, whether it’s to avoid it or deal it. Damage is
how this game tracks progress in its fights.

Health
Characters all have a ‘Health’ value that determines their
durability, with Health resetting at the end of each
Scene. As characters take damage, they lose their
Health to a minimum of 0. Player characters have a
max HP of: 10 + [Body] + [Tier × 2].

Wounds And Knockouts ❂

A Wound symbolizes a long-lasting injury that weakens
those who have it. When a character is reduced to 0
Health, they receive a ‘Wound’, and their Health reset
to its max.

When a character reaches 3 Wounds they lose one

Wound and are Knocked Out of the Scene. NPCs are
Knocked Out as soon as their Health drops to zero.
Characters lose Wounds during Intermissions.

When a character takes a Wound—that isn’t from

themselves—their controller receives one Influence.

Armor And Evasion

Though most characters don’t have access to it by
default, some have the following defensive stats.

Armor
If a character has an Armor value, damage they take
from Attacks is reduced by its value (minimum of 1).
This is applied after all forms of damage reduction.

Evasion
If a character has a Evasion value, damage they take is
redirected to said Evasion, lowering as if it was Health. If
this reduces an Attack’s damage to 0 the defender
also ignores any secondary effects from said Attack.

57
Focus Spaces, Movement, and Targeting
‘Focus’ is a resource used for powerful Attacks and Movement and targeting is the most essential part of
some more specific features. When combat starts, combat, affecting the way every character deals
player characters have their Focus set to 1 plus half damage, takes damage, and resolves any and all forms
their Spirit, and they can regain more by using specific of objectives.
Actions, with no upper maximum.
Setting Up
Alternative Foci: Combat takes place on a 7 × 7 space board, no smaller
Though all characters use Focus by default, some—via and no larger. With players ‘Deploying’ on the edge
the effects of their ‘Techniques’—will exchange it for an (outermost spaces) opposite to the enemies.
alternate resource under a different name.

Joel's Notes: Realizing Spaces

These resources will come with their own unique effects
A narrator could change this to what fits their scene, but
and conditions, but unless otherwise specified they
at Tier 1, I have a space span about 3x3 meters in the
can all be spent and gained as if it’s Focus.
fiction. But as you Tier up they should get bigger.

Speed
Movement and drawing range
All characters have a ‘Speed’ that determines how far
When moving or drawing ‘range’, characters must
they can move with an Action. Player characters have
measure spaces orthogonally (Manhattan Distance),
Speed equal to 2 + [Talent / 2].
can’t move through opponents or ‘Terrain’, and can’t
end movement in a Space another character occupies.
Tension
‘Tension’ is a resource that starts at 0 at the start of Adjacency
every combat, as it increases, characters become The spaces orthogonally closest to a character are
more powerful and gain new options. It is shared considered ‘adjacent’. A character entering these
between all characters, players and NPCs. Tension spaces enters ‘adjacency’. A character cannot be
increases by one when one of the following happens: adjacent to themselves, even if they take up multiple
spaces. Characters are always adjacent to other
‣ A Round ends. characters in your space.
‣ An NPC is Knocked Out.
Push and Pull
‣ A player character is Knocked Out.
When something is ‘pulled’, the puller must move the
target directly towards themselves in a ‘Line’. When
Optional Rule: Low-Tension Combat ‘pushing’, the pusher must move them directly away
If you’re a fan of really long combats you may be put off in a Line. If the target is not in a Line relative to the user,
by the way these Tension rules will accelerate combats they must use the closest Line.
and increase damage, because of this Narrators should
be willing to change these tension rules to make longer
Teleporting
“low-tension” combats. When a character Teleports, they move from one
space to another without passing through the
One of the easiest ways to do this is to remove the spaces between. This still qualifies as movement. You
Tension increase from a character being Knocked Out, cannot Teleport to an occupied space.
making it only increase at the end of a Round.
Targeting Allies
Some Actions must target an “ally”. These are the
characters—player or NPC—that the user is working
with, but notably not themselves.

58
Special Targeting Centered Zones
There are some effects that will target something other Sometimes features that create Zones specify that the
than one target in a range. Zone must be “centered” on a specific character or
space. This means that there must be as many
With this targeting, and any other form of spaces of the Zone adjacent to the centered space
multi-character targeting, attacks are rolled once, as possible, and if possible, with said space in the
with that one roll being shared for all targeted dead center of the Zone. If there are multiple valid ways
characters. If a source of Advantage or Disadvantage to do this the creator decides. The following examples
would apply to one of the targets but not all, roll the are valid 3×3 and 2×3 Zones centered on the user.
lowest amount of dice first and apply that to all targets,
then add dice separately for that target and add the Hits
to the Hits that target would take.

Zones
A Zone is a shape listed as “X×Y” (ie. 2×2, 3×3) with X
and Y representing how many spaces it can be wide or
tall (they may be swapped freely). When creating a
Zone in a targeted space, the user can place any
part of said Zone within that space. The following
examples are valid ways to place an adjacent 2×2 Zone.

Lines
A Line expands from any of the orthogonal or diagonal
directions from its user, unlike normal range, Lines
count diagonals as being one space apart. The
following is an example of all possible 3 space long lines
you could make in the center space of the board.

Moving In Straight Lines

As will be described above, straight lines can be
drawn orthogonally or diagonally, counting diagonal
spaces as being one space apart. When a character
has to move in a straight line, they also count diagonal
spaces as being one space apart.

59
Terrain Alternate Mode: Cinematic Combat
Terrain is an object on the battlefield that blocks There exists a second mode of structured combat, and
movement. Terrain can be destroyed, and has a set it’s recommended for fights between smaller groups,
Health based on its size. A piece of Terrain’s Health is 10 or if you would rather not need to spend so long in
times the number of spaces it takes up, unless stated combat scenes. This is ‘Cinematic Combat’.
otherwise.
In Cinematic Combat, all characters are placed along
Other than the standard terrain described above, some a 7 space long line, with allies Deploying on the 2
spaces are, or have, special terrain with different rules, leftmost spaces, and enemies Deploying on the
these types of special terrain are as follows: opposite 2 spaces.

Difficult Terrain Unlike in standard structured combat, any number of

Some spaces are considered Difficult Terrain. When a characters can fit in one of these spaces, and
character enters a space of Difficult Terrain, their Speed characters can move through their opponents, but
is reduced to 0 until the end of the turn. This also moving into an enemy’s space counts as Difficult
ends any movement they are currently taking. Terrain (Unless the movement would normally be able
Characters who started their turn in Difficult Terrain to pass through enemies).
become immune to all connected pieces until the end of
their turn. Standard targeting and Line targeting can only target
one character in the spaces it targets, however actions
High/Low Terrain that target multiple spaces other than Line targeting
Though there is no codified height in DAWN, areas must target all characters in the spaces it targets.
can simulate it through special terrain spaces
assigned as either high, standard, or low ground.
Moving from one height level to another to another
stops all movement and reduces speed to 0 until the
end of the user’s turn. Attacks made from one height
level have [Tier/2] Advantage against targets on a
lower level or [Tier/2] Disadvantage on targets on a
higher height level.

Walls
Walls are Terrain that don’t exist on spaces, instead
being placed on the borders between spaces, like
terrain it cannot be moved through and can be targeted
and damaged by targeting any of the spaces on its
border. Unlike Terrain, targeting cannot be drawn
between spaces separated by Walls.

60
Effect Listing
‘Effects’ represent all sorts of ongoing benefits and statuses. Characters lose their Effects when they end their
Turn, unless stated otherwise. Effects can't be removed in this way on the Turn they’re applied. If an Effect would be
applied to a character who already has it it counts as being applied on that Turn.

Positive Effects:

Banish(ed): You can't target any non-Banished characters, other non-Banished characters can't target you, and you
can take up the same space as another object. Lose this Effect at the beginning of your turn. (When a character applies
Banished, all other characters that have been Banished by them lose it.)

Hasten(ed): Your Speed is doubled. When you move in a way that doesn't rely on speed, you may move twice as far.

Disappear(ed): You’re removed from the board. You lose this Effect when you take any Action, start your Turn, or if an
enemy spends 2 AP to search for you. When you lose this Effect, reappear on any space that isn’t adjacent to a
character. This does not count as movement.

Invisible: You may lose this to Disappear as a free Action or Reaction. This is not removed at the end of your Turn.

Regenerate(ing): Restore 4 + [Tier] Health when you end your Turn. This is not removed at the end of your Turn.

Reinforce(d): You gain [Tier] Armor.

Steady: You cannot be moved unwillingly.

Strengthen(ed): Your Attacks deal [Tier] additional damage.

Negative Effects:

Blight(ed): Lose [Tier] Health when you use an Attack. This is not removed at the end of your Turn.

Daze(d): You start your Turn with 1 less AP.

Fear(ed): Your Attacks that target the character who applied Fear to you have [Tier] Disadvantage. This is also removed
when the Fearing Character is Knocked out.

Immobilize(d): You can’t willingly move. You can't benefit from Evasion.

Launch(ed): You can't take your turn before any non-Launched allies, you can’t willingly move. When someone targets
a Launched character, they may ‘Spike’ them, giving them [Tier] Advantage and removing Launched. This is removed
when you start your Turn.

Mark(ed): Attacks that target you deal [Tier] additional damage.

Slow(ed): Your Speed is halved. When you move in a way that doesn't rely on speed, you may move half as far.

Shred(ded): You can't benefit from Armor.

Snare(d): When a character applies this, you’re pulled adjacent to them. While your ensnarer is on the board, you can’t
willingly move, when they move you are moved adjacent. You can't benefit from Evasion.

Taunt(ed): Your Attacks that don't target a character who applied Taunt to you have [Tier] Disadvantage. This is
removed when the Taunting Character is Knocked out.

Weak(ened): Your Attacks deal [Tier] less damage.

61
Basic Actions Movement
The following are a set of basic Actions and Reactions The following two Actions are the only ways a character
to be used in structured combat. Actions can only be can move by default.
used on your turn, but Reactions can be triggered
when specified. Jump

Combos AP Cost: 1
As a character gains Techniques and progresses, they
may gain ‘Combos’. Move up to [Talent] spaces in a Line. This ignores
opponents and Difficult Terrain.
A Combo is a string of two or more Actions
formatted as “[ X → Y ]” that results in some bonus
Stride
when performed with no other Actions in-between
(only one Combo can be executed per Action). If a AP Cost: 1
Technique Level starts with a Combo, its effects only
happen if that Combo is used. Move up to [Speed] spaces. This movement can be
saved and used after taking other Actions.
After using a Combo, it goes on ‘Cooldown’ until the
end of your next Turn. Combos cannot be used while
they are on Cooldown.

62
Attacks
The damage dealing Actions, each with slightly different functions and requiring different Attributes. Unlike other Actions,
when targeted by an Attack, a character can respond with a Defensive Reaction.

Cast

AP Cost: 1

Target a space within 5 range, Roll Spirit.

Reward: Deal [Hits] damage.

Skirmish

AP Cost: 1

Target up to 2 spaces adjacent to you, Roll Body or

Talent. You may ‘Punish’ characters willingly leaving
adjacency with you using Skirmish at the cost of 2
Focus instead of AP as a Reaction.

Reward: Deal [Hits] damage.

Finisher

AP Cost: 2

Target an adjacent space. You may spend Focus up

to the current Tension, Roll any Attribute. This Roll
gains Advantage equal to the Focus Spent.

Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage.

Duel

Influence Cost: 4*

*This cost is reduced by the current Tension, to a

minimum of 1. Remove yourself and an adjacent
enemy from the board, resolve the Duel (as
described on page 39) when a participant starts
their next Turn (If there are no other enemies or no
other allies in the Scene, resolve it immediately).

The loser takes the 2 Wounds if they’re a player, or

10 + [Tier x 5] damage if they’re an NPC. Then
Teleport both participants to ranger choice on the
board’s edge.

63
Defense
When a player is targeted by an Attack (other than Duel) they can respond using one of the following reactions,
each defensive reaction can be taken before or after an attack is rolled against them. All of the following reactions cost
no AP and have a listed Focus cost instead.

Block (Reaction)

Focus Cost: 2

As a reaction to being Attacked, Gain [Body] Armor

for the duration of the Attack and get pushed one
space away from the attacker.

Dodge (Reaction)

Focus Cost: 2

As a Reaction to being Attacked, Gain [Talent / 2] or

[Mind / 2] Evasion, move 1 or 2 spaces, and stop all
forced movement from said Attack. You’re still the
target of said Attack if you move out of its range.

Clash (Reaction)

Focus Cost: 2

As a reaction to being Attacked, start an Opposed

Roll with the attacker, with both rolling 3 + [Tier]. If
the player loses they may take 5 damage to redo
the roll, or take the attack. If the player wins they
deal [Spirit] damage to the attacker and reduce the
incoming attack’s damage by the same amount.

64
Utility
Actions that don't directly affect the damage being dealt Interact
or taken. This category of Actions is rarely referenced,
with most features referencing specific Actions in the AP Cost: 1
category.
Use an adjacent object or objective.

Breathe
Improvise
AP Cost: 1
AP Cost: 2
Gain one Focus.
Create up to 2 spaces of connected terrain adjacent
to you with 10 Health each or apply a non-Banish
Charge Effect to a character adjacent to you.

AP Cost: 2
Joel's Notes: Blatantly Cheating
Roll Spirit with [Tension] Advantage.
Structured combat and its rules are meant to represent
Reward: Gain [Hits] Focus (minimum 2). the “average” combat experience, and let each player
have an equal shot at expressing their character through
it, but obviously not all combat is “average”.
Hide
There may be times where a player wants to do
AP Cost: 1 something that makes sense contextually but is not
permitted in the game’s normal rules, this does not
If you are on the board’s edge and didn't start this
mean it cannot be done. The main option that exists to
Turn already Disappeared, you Disappear.
let people do that is to Duel.

Since Duels move to unstructured play; the game is not

Shove
restricted to the rules of structured combat, and you
AP Cost: 1 may use that to justify attempting to interact with the
game world in ways that wouldn’t normally be defined.
Move an adjacent character 1 space.
For narrators, if they want to prepare something for a
combat that isn’t defined, it’s recommended that they
Investigate create custom pieces of terrain or NPCs that players
can use Interact to mess with.
AP Cost: 1

Mark a NPC in [Mind] range. You may have the

Narrator to tell you their value or effects of one of
the following features:
‣ Health.
‣ Armor and/or Evasion.
‣ Speed.
‣ Passive.
‣ Actions.
‣ Ace.

65
 Techniques

A glossary that lists each Technique, separated from the rest of the book for easy access.

66
Techniques Archetypes
In structured combat, player characters are defined by When a character chooses their Techniques they can
their use of ‘Techniques’. Techniques are the main gain them from up to three different ‘Archetypes’, with
combat features for player characters, with each the first Archetype you take from becoming their
contributing to that character’s overall build. They ‘Primary Archetype’, taking Techniques from another
are mostly passive and serve to add new effects to the Archetypes makes them a ‘Secondary Archetypes’.
statistics and Actions given to all players by default.
The six Archetypes are as follows:
The following block is an example of a Technique:
The Powerhouse
Techniques effective in sustained fights. Often requires
Berserker | (1) ★ | (1) Revenge, Wounds, Tanking a high Body Attribute for Attacks, or Talent if you want
to be a little more frail and fast.
(2) “To stagnate is to forget your purpose, to still is to
die. Here you’ll live, each scar a mark of pride, each beat The Vagabond
of your heart a melody all your own.” Techniques effective at defeating single targets. Often
(3) 1: Revenge: After you take a Wound, you may spend requires high Talent to get into range and escape after
up to 2 AP as if it was your turn, all Actions you take skirmishes.
when doing this count as Reactions.
(3) 2: Cornered Dog: When you receive an Effect, you The Bulwark
may take 2 damage instead. Techniques effective at reducing damage for a team.
(3) 3: Take A Beating: The first time you take damage Can build for almost any Attribute, but Body is the
each turn, gain 1 Focus. If that damage would deal a most common.
Wound to you, Charge at no Cost as a Reaction.
The Altruist
Techniques that mainly benefit your allies. As many of
1: Complexity Stars And Tags
these Techniques don’t need to deal damage, Mind is
Each Technique has 1-3 complexity stars and some
often your best Attribute.
tags. Complexity stars represent how intricate or difficult
it is to use the Technique. Tags show the most broad The Disruptor
effects and synergies the Technique has. These things Techniques that restrict, metaphorically or literally. As
have no effect on what the Technique does many of these Techniques trigger their controlling
mechanically and are only meant to summarize its effects when Casting, they value a high Spirit
complexity and effects respectively. Attribute.

2: Flavor Text The Ruiner

A short piece of fiction that is in some way related to the Techniques with high impact and cost. Almost all of
Technique in question. These blocks of text have no these Techniques give you high damage setups for
effect on the mechanics of the game. Spirit Finishers, Spirit is a must.

3: Technique Levels
Each Technique has three Levels, and when gaining
a Technique you only gain one Level at a time,
starting from 1 and going up to 3. Player characters are
given 5 total Technique Levels when they’re created.
This is often spent on the three Levels of one Technique
and first two Levels of another, but it can be spread out
as widely as someone wants, as all Techniques can be
progressed at the same flat rate.

67
 Powerhouse

Fiery and violent, dive into battle like a meteor. Techniques effective in sustained Fights.
Often requires a high Body Attribute for Attacks, or Talent if you want to be a little more frail and fast.

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 ★ Complexity Techniques

Berserker | ★ | Revenge, Wounds, Tanking Flagellant | ★ | Revenge, Self-Effects, Attacks

“To stagnate is to forget your purpose, to still is to die. “Sorry, but it’s hard to tell exactly what he looked like. I
Here you’ll live, each scar a mark of pride, each beat of was one of the later waves the Watchers sent out and at
your heart a melody all your own.” that point the fog was coming in heavy. But I remember
1: Revenge: After you take a Wound, you may spend up something, that thing seemed more animal than elf, I
to 2 AP as if it was your turn, all Actions you take when could see the violet light of their eyes piercing through
doing this count as Reactions. the fog, and I swear I could see pain fey trailing off their
2: Cornered Dog: When you receive an Effect, you may wounds like a commander’s ribbons.”
take 2 damage instead. 1: Thrill: When you receive a Negative Effect, you may
3: Take A Beating: The first time you take damage each also Strengthen yourself.
turn, gain 1 Focus. If that damage would deal a Wound 2: Wild Rush: The first time you Skirmish each Turn,
to you, Charge at no Cost as a Reaction. before targeting, you may Blight yourself to move up to
2 spaces in a Line. If you’re already Blighted, Mark
yourself instead and move up to 3 spaces. If the target’s
Dragonslayer | ★ | Weapon, Body, Anti-Armor Adjacent, you gain 1 Advantage for each space moved.
3: Bled Dry: You are unaffected by Negative Effects, so
long as you have 1 or more Wounds.
“I felt stupid for for my obvious awe, with the size of our
quarry I should have expected my hunt-mates bringing
comparable arms, but that… club? It was ridiculous,
even more so with how he carried it. I wanted to make a Gunslinger | ★ | Weapon, AOE, Range
comment, but with how the others greeted him it seems
Alt Resource. Can't take with other alt resources.
like I’m the only one who would think it's strange.”
1: Speed Is Weight: If your Body Finisher is the first “Adept knights know their guns as well as they know
attack on your Turn, you gain 2 Focus and Shred your themselves; each part maintained and accounted for.
target before dealing damage. Famous knights just need to let shots fly.”
2: Wide Arc: When you spend 3 or more Focus on a
Body Finisher, you can have it target enemies in a 2x2 1: Big Iron: You now use ‘Bullets’ instead of Focus. You
Zone placed on yourself. start all Scenes with 6 Bullets. When you spend Bullets,
3: Titanic Heave [ Breathe → Body Finisher ]: The you may deal 1 damage to an enemy within 4 range
Finisher counts all dice rolled as Hits, pushes enemies it once per bullet spent. When you Skirmish you may
hits 2 spaces back, and Weakens you after it resolves. spend any number of Bullets to have it target characters
you deal bullet damage to.
2: Lock And Load: Your Skirmishes gain 1 Advantage.
When you end your turn without spending a Bullet, you
Duelist | ★ | Skirmishes, Tanking, Effects can set your Bullets to 6.
3: Bullet Juggle: Your attacks that roll 2 or more Crits
“What’s wrong, can't draw blood? I remember you were Launch a target of your choice. Your bonus damage
talking real big with all that “I’ll only need one strike” from “Big Iron” is doubled against Launched characters.
garbage. So go on. Strike me.”
1: Riposte [ Block → Skirmish ]: (Combos can be
started off of your Turn so long as you don’t take any
actions that would break it) The Skirmish lets you move
3 spaces before targeting and Taunts your target.
2: Parry: Your Blocks give [Tension] additional Armor
Using Block against an adjacent character Dazes your
Attacker and pushes them instead of you.
3: Deflecting Blow: When you Block an Attack and
reduce its damage to 1 or less, you may spend 1 Focus
to Strengthen yourself and Skirmish.

69
Struggler | ★ | Revenge, Reliability Unbroken | ★ | Revenge, Wounds, Influence

“LET IT RUN THROUGH YOUR BLOOD! FEEL YOUR “You must not give in! You cannot! Claw and bite like a
SYSTEM ERUPT! GIVE A FUCK WHAT YOU SAID! cornered rat! It’s the only option you have left.”
WE ALL LIE IN THE MUD!” 1: Get Back Up: Once per Chapter, you may spend an
1: Effort: When you roll a 1 in any Challenge roll, you Influence to put it On The Line at no cost. Doing this
may reduce your Speed by 1 for the duration of the makes you lose the ability to gain Influence for the
Scene (to a minimum of 1) to treat it as a 6 instead, remainder of the Scene.
converting it to a Critical Hit. If you cannot lower your 2: Furious Revival: When you spend an Influence in a
Speed, you receive [Tier] damage instead. combat Scene, you may take an Action with a cost of 1
2: Adrenaline: When you take damage on your Turn, for no cost with Swift.
you may move up to 3 spaces towards an enemy of 3: Phoenix: When you put it On The Line using “Get
your choice. If this brings you adjacent to the enemy, Back Up” you may set your Wounds to 1.
you may Mark them.
3: Defy Reason: You may use the effect of “Effort” on
any roll that comes from a Finisher, regardless of value.

SpellSword | ★ | Skirmishes, Casts, Combos

“Versatility is a power you can’t buy. It must be learned

through a complete mastery of all its parts.”
1: Twin Suns [ Cast → Skirmish ]: The Skirmish is
Swift, and has its cost reduced to 0. When using it, you
can Teleport to a space in 3 range before targeting.
2: Infused Edge: When you end a Combo in a non-Cast
Attack, it becomes ‘Infused’. Infused attacks count as a
Cast and let you Teleport to a space adjacent to your
target after dealing damage, dealing additional damage
equal to the Crits you rolled if you do.
3: Witch Hunter [ Cast → Body/Talent Finisher ]: If
the Finisher targets the same character as the Cast, it
deals [Spirit] additional damage.

Technician | ★ | Combos, Charge

“A fighter is not their body, but a collection of

techniques and experiences.”
1: Stretch: When you Charge, you ‘Stretch’. After
Stretching, until the end of your next Turn, completing a
Combo gives you 1 AP.
2: Perfect Form: When you complete a Combo, you
gain 1 Armor until the start of your next Turn.
3: Final Blow [ Skirmish → Finisher ]: The Finisher
costs 1 AP and pushes its target 3 spaces away.

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 ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Braggart | ★ ★ | Delayed, Attacks Dual Wielder | ★ ★ | Weapon, On-Skirmish Triggers

“You weren't even worth cleaning the stains…” “My lord used to beat me for my left-handedness.
1: Hubris: Begin tracking ‘Pride’, a 6 Segment Clock When I killed him, I used both hands. Out of respect.”
that’s emptied after every Scene. After you do one of 1: Twinned blow: When you Skirmish targeting a single
the following, fill one Segment of this Clock: character, you may give it [Tier] disadvantage. If you do,
‣ Get hit by an enemy's Attack without using a Defensive you may ‘Flurry’, Dealing [Body / 2] or [Talent / 2]
Reaction. damage to the same target afterwards. Flurrying counts
‣ Attack rolling one of your two lowest Attributes. as a Swift Skirmish at 0 cost. Other techniques cannot
While your Pride Clock is full, you gain 1 Advantage change Flurry's targeting.
on all Rolls for the remainder of the Scene. 2: Frenzied Barrage: When you spend 2 or more Focus
2: Prove Yourself: When your Pride Clock fills, you may on a finisher, you may give it [Tier] Disadvantage. If you
‘Hold Back’, emptying the Clock and reducing its total do, you may ‘Flurry’ twice, each of them targeting a
Segments by 2 (to a min of 2). If your Pride Clock has character the Finisher targeted.
less than 6 Segments, “Hubris” grants one additional 3: Varied Blades: Your Skirmishes have an additional
Advantage for every two Segments it is less than 6. two effects that alternate every time you Skirmish,
3: A Worthy Opponent: When an enemy attacks you, resetting at the start of your Turn (first Skirmish uses
you may fill a Pride Segment. effect A, second uses effect B, third uses effect A
again). Choose two of the options below as effects:
‣ Astral: Gain [Tier / 2] Focus.
‣ Blazing: Deal [Tier / 2] damage to your target.
Breacher | ★ ★ | Weapon, Body, Displacement
‣ Umbral: Teleport to a space within [Tier] spaces.
‣ Vorpal: Restore [Tier / 2] Health.
“A hundred pellets at 1600 feet per second hurts about
‣ Phasing: This attack ignores its target’s Armor.
as much as you would expect.”
‣ Whirling: Move your target [Tier] spaces.
1: Buck Shot: Your Skirmishes can target a character in
4 range instead of its normal targeting. Your Skirmishes
Against targets in 2 range push the target 1 space away.
Intimidator | ★ ★ | AOE, Body, Displacement
2: Both Barrels: When you Skirmish, so long as you're
not Weakened, you can fire ‘Both Barrels’. Doing this
gives the Attack [Body/2] Advantage, doubles any push “You choose, live on your knees or die on your feet.”
it deals, and Weakens you after it resolves. 1: “Pathetic”: When you increase Tension on your Turn
3: Annihilate: Your Body Finisher can now target or KO Fodder you may “Impose”, Fearing enemies in a
characters up to 3 spaces away and can use the effect 3x3 Zone centered on yourself, and dealing [Tier]
of “Both Barrels”. When you use “Both Barrels” with a damage to them if they weren't already Feared.
Skirmish or Body Finisher, have it target a 2x2 Zone 2: “Out Of My Way”: When you move with Stride or
adjacent to you. Jump you may change the distance you’re moving to
[Body]. If you do, you may choose any characters you
would move into the space of, and move them 1 space
each and Impose when you end your movement.
3: “Fools And Dead Men”: When you Knock Out an
enemy, gain 2 Focus and 1 AP, when you Knock Out a
non-fodder NPC due to the damage dealt through
Impose, place a Fodder Zone in their space.

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Martial Artist | ★ ★ | Skirmishes, Versatile, Effects Lancer | ★ ★ | Weapon, Body, Range

“I’m pretty experienced myself y’know, 15 years of Baji “Mankind is a friend to the spear. We grew in wisdom
Quan, 11 years of Aikido, and a semester of Capoeira. and technique alongside our oldest defender. Know this,
Oh, sorry. We should be dueling about now! I’ve got a vile foe: this thrust carries the weight of all human
bad habit of bragging when I don’t think I’ll be seeing history behind it!”
someone again.” 1: Pierce: Your Skirmish and Body Finisher can target
1: Art Of The 8 Hammers: You can’t use any part of one enemy within 2 range instead of its normal
this Technique if you use Techniques with the "weapon" targeting. Your Skirmishes gain Advantage equal to your
tag. After you Skirmish or Body / Talent Finisher, you target’s distance from you (up to a maximum of 3).
can use one of the following follow ups on one of your 2: Phalanx: Your Skirmish and Body Finishers can
targets. Each can be used once per Round. target an enemy within 3 range instead of its normal
‣ Quick Step: Move up to 3 spaces. Gain [Tier] Evasion. targeting. Skirmish targets all enemies between yourself
‣ Binding Blow: Snare your target. and your original target(s), dealing half damage to each.
‣ Rising Knee: Launch your target. 3: Cannon-Arm [ Breathe → Skirmish ]: The Skirmish
‣ Iron Shoulder: Push your target 3 spaces. can target a space in 4 spaces and raises the maximum
2: Flow-State: Your first Skirmish each Turn is Swift. Advantage from “Pierce” to 4. If the attack had 4 or
When You trigger an effect of “Art Of The 8 Hammers”, more total Advantage, it additionally targets all spaces
you may deal [Body / 2] or [Talent / 2] damage to a adjacent to the original, dealing half its damage to said
character you’ve attacked this Turn. targets. Each affected space becomes Difficult Terrain.
3: Unlimited Blows: Your attacks gain 1 Advantage.
When you roll at least one Crit on a Skirmish or Finisher,
“Art Of The 8 Hammers” triggers an additional time.
Predator | ★ ★ | Sustain, Wounds, Movement

“I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see
Monastic Warrior | ★ ★ | Effects, Tanking, Versatile you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I
see you. I see you. I’m hungry. I see you. I see you. I see
Born under the twin stars, Qayid Āl-Rashid existed in a you. I see you. I see you. I see you. I see you.”
state of extremes; his life oscillating between terrible 1: Yearn: The first time you Investigate each Turn, it
misfortune and unforgettable opulence. It was only after becomes Swift, has its Cost Reduced to 0, and has a
he came of age that he learned to balance these chaotic range of [Body]. However, it can only be used to ask
forces, and channel them in battle. what your target’s current and maximum Health is.
1: Mind Made Manifest: While you’re Strengthened, When any opponent is Knocked Out while adjacent to
gain 2 Armor. While you’re Hastened, gain 2 Evasion at you, you heal [Body] HP.
the end of your Turn. 2: Obsess: When you know an opponent has half their
2: Calm Within Chaos: Begin tracking "balance", an 8 maximum Health remaining or less, your Speed is
segment Clock that's emptied after every scene. Fill 1 increased by 3, and you ignore Difficult Terrain, but you
segment each time you perform a Utility Action after an cannot move unless you’re moving closer to at least one
Attack Action, or an Attack Action after a Utility Action of said opponents.
on the same Turn. At the start of your Turn, you may 3: Devour: Once per Scene, when you heal using
empty 1 segment to Strengthen or Hasten yourself. “Yearn” you may ‘Indulge’, Immobilizing and Dazing
3: Sublime Equanimity: When you Charge, you may yourself. While you’re under these Effects, the Focus
‘Meditate’. When you Meditate, instead of rolling, gain gained through Breathe and Charge are replaced with
Evasion equal to the filled Balance segments, and then healing a Wound.
empty your Balance. If your balance was full, gain [Tier x
2] focus, teleport to any empty space, and perform a
swift spirit or mind finisher on an adjacent enemy at no
cost. After Meditating you cannot fill balance segments
on the same Turn.

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 ★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Improvisational Fighter | ★ ★ ★ | Interact, Terrain Optional Rule: Dramatic Ascendants

If the Narrator allows, when Awakening, Warring
“I’ll take all you bastards on! I’ll flatten your whole Ascendant, or another “Ascendant” Technique, the user
damned Pavilion! You’ll rue the day you slighted me! may Charge at no cost while gaining no Focus.
And the record will be written in your scars!”
“Well… if I still had my sword. Until then, a concussion
and some splinters will do.”
1: “This’ll Do”: You can Interact to ‘notice something’,
creating a piece of 10 Health Terrain in 5 range, or to
remove adjacent Terrain to make a Swift Skirmish or
Cast using any Attribute for its Roll.
2: “That One Hurts!”: You may Interact at no cost and
with Swift once per Round, so long as it doesn’t result in
an Attack. Attacks from Interact have 3 Advantage.
3: Last Resort: Once per scene, you may Attack using
“This’ll Do”, even if there isn’t Terrain to remove. This
use gives the Attack from it [Tension] Advantage.

Warring Ascendant | ★ ★ ★ | Delayed, Versatile

Transformation. Can’t take with other transformations.

“My dearest brother, born on the battlefield. I know you

expect more, but I implore you. Lend me your strength,
and feel the air on your skin. I call upon you in my time
of greatest need, heed, o’ Durandal!”
1: Heavenly Arm: Choose a Technique with the
“Weapon” Tag. Once per Scene, when you Charge with
at least 2 Tension, you may ‘Transform’, pushing all
enemies within 2 range 3 spaces away. While
Transformed you count as having all three Levels of the
Technique you chose, if it has an alternate Foci, track it
separately and use it as your Focus while Transformed.
When you’re reduced to 0 Health while Transformed, it
ends, and you’re Dazed.
2: Esoteric Blades: Choose one other Technique of any
kind, while you are transformed you count as having the
first two Levels of that Technique.
3: Saintly Sword, Durandal: You may lose your
Transformation when you use your finisher. If you do so,
that Finisher can target all enemies along a ∞ space
long Line, where at least one targeted space is adjacent
to you, dealing one additional damage for each
character it targeted. If you’re Tier 3 or higher you may
Daze yourself and spend 2 Focus to transform as soon
as you deploy regardless of Tension.

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 Vagabond

Quick and precise, eliminate your targets at breakneck speed. Techniques effective at defeating single targets.
Often requires high Talent to get into range and escape after skirmishes.

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 ★ Complexity Techniques

Aerial Master | ★ | Movement, Versatile, Stance Skirmisher | ★ | Skirmishes, Movement

“I’ve been looking my entire life, the way she carried me, “Float like a butterfly…”
we must have been at least 500 meters off the ground… 1: Sting: Once per Turn, if you’ve moved with Stride on
Doesn't matter who she was, or where she was taking the same Turn, you may ‘Jab’ an adjacent character at
me, don’t think I’ll be able to sleep until I can ask her…” no Cost. A Jab deals [Talent/2] damage to its target and
1: Soar: When you Jump, you may Hasten yourself counts as a Swift Skirmish; features other than this
rather than moving. When you’re Hastened you enter Technique cannot change a Jab’s damage or targeting.
‘Flight Stance’, removing other Stances you had. While 2: Shifting Blows: You may move up to two spaces in a
in Flight, incoming Attacks have [Tier] Disadvantage, straight line after Skirmishing.
and you ignore Terrain and enemies while moving. 3: Rebound: Your Skirmishes gain 1 Advantage. If
Attacking removes Flight Stance. movement provided by Skirmish moves you into
2: Hunt: When you Attack a Launched character in adjacency with a character who hasn’t been attacked
Flight (and don’t Spike), you may end your Turn to this Turn you may Jab them (as described in “Sting”).
Disappear with them. When either of you reappear, the
other appears in an adjacent space of their choice, and
you deal [Speed/2] damage to all adjacent enemies.
Speed Demon | ★ | Movement, AOE
3: Falling Ax Strike: The Attacks you use while in the
Flight can roll [Speed] rather than an Attribute, doing so
“It was over before it even started. I don’t know who you
removes Hastened and Launches your target.
pissed off, but they moved like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
1: Fade: You can move through enemies. You still must
end your movement in an empty space.
Assassin | ★ | Attacks, Avoidance
2: Flash Step [ Breathe → Stride ]: The Stride lets you
move triple its normal distance.
“A bloodied coin spends just as well as any other.” 3: Flash Strike: When you move out of a character’s
1: Ambush: If the first Action you take after Deploying is space using “Fade”, you may deal [Talent / 2] damage to
Hide, it has no Cost and ignores its requirements. them (this is not an Attack). You can't use this on the
2: Assassinate: Attacks you make while Disappeared same target more than once each Round. When you
gain [Tier] Advantage, let you reappear adjacent to trigger this while using “Flash Step” you may Launch
characters, and the dice rolled Crit on rolls of 5 or 6. any characters you damage.
3: Speed of Dark [ Hide → Stride ]: The Stride has no
cost, turns you Invisible when used, and gives your next
Finisher on that Turn [Speed / 2] Advantage.
Untouchable | ★ | Avoidance, Talent, Dodge

“And what's this! It looks like she can’t be hit! They’re

Sniper | ★ | Weapon, Talent, Range moving at speeds I can’t even keep up with! Champ
looks like she’s boxing ghosts!”
“The unseen attack is the perfect assault.” 1: Duck: The first time you Dodge each Round, gain
1: Long Shot: Your Talent Finisher can target characters [Talent / 2] additional Evasion.
within 5 range instead of its normal targeting. 2: Weave: You can move one additional space when
2: Bunker Down: When you end your turn without using Dodge. When your Evasion reduces damage to 0,
Attacking you may “Bunker Down”, gaining Immobilized. you may move as if you Dodged.
While you’re Immobilized, your Talent Finishers gain 5 3: Fighter's Instinct [ Dodge → Skirmish ]: The
additional range and Crit on rolls of 5 or 6. Skirmish lets you move 3 spaces before targeting and
3: Deadeye [ Hide → Talent Finisher ]: The Finisher lets you Crit on rolls of 5 or 6.
deals [Crits rolled] + [Distance from target] additional
damage, and targets enemies between yourself and
your original target (as per any shortest path).

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 ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Acrobat | ★ ★ | Movement, Talent, Skirmishes Cunning Fighter | ★ ★ | Investigate, Mind, Utility

“Obstacles are found everywhere. In overcoming them, “Heavy Build. Tall. Reach advantage. Confident,
we nourish ourselves.” capable. Trained in the four forms of Cavalcabo.
Their salute will transfer into a sudden flèche. This has
1: Flying Kick [ Jump → Skirmish ]: If the Skirmish is
served them well against inexperienced opponents. Bind
against one adjacent target, it gains Advantage equal to
the attack, then transfer to a quick glide. During their
the number of spaces you moved during your Jump, up
shock, apply knee to groin. Begin gloating.”
to a max of [Talent].
2: Wall Jump: When you end a Jump’s movement 1: Plan and Execute: Begin tracking ‘Cunning Plan’, a 4
adjacent to a piece of terrain or board edge, you may Segment Clock that’s emptied after every Scene. When
move an additional 3 spaces in a straight line and gain 1 you Investigate a character you haven’t Investigated in
Evasion. This additional movement is considered part of the Turn, fill one Cunning Plan Segment. Once per Turn,
the Jump’s total movement. You can only “Wall Jump” you may empty a Segment to take any non-Attack
once per Turn. Action, reducing its Cost by 1 and gaining Swift.
3: Weightless Body: You may “Wall Jump” any number 2: Plans Within Plans: “Plan and Execute”s spending
of times in a Jump. You can't use the effect of “Wall portion is no longer once per Turn.
Jump” on the same terrain or board edge more than 3: At a Glance: The first time you Investigate each Turn
once per Jump. you may spend 1 Focus to Investigate another enemy
within [Mind] spaces of the target.

Blade Master | ★ ★ | Weapon, Talent, Breathing,

Stance Egomaniac | ★ ★ | Attacks, Movement

“A weapon’s strength is secondary to the strength of “Only the most conceited, self-important, piece of
those who wield it.” sho’vah grit could do what you do. No! That's not a
damn compliment!”
1: Draw Stance: When you Breathe or Charge, you may
enter ‘Draw Stance’, removing any other Stances you 1: Peak Condition: Begin tracking ‘Style’, a 4 Segment
had. This effect ends after you Attack, Stride, or Jump. Clock that’s emptied after every Scene. Whenever you
When you use a Talent Finisher or Skirmish in Draw Attack, fill one Style Segment for each of the following
Stance, you can Crit on rolls of 5 or 6. conditions that it fulfilled. When you take damage from
2: Divide In One Motion [ Breathe → Jump ]: The an Attack, empty one. When you fill the Clock, empty it,
Jump does not end Draw Stance. After using the Jump, move up to 2 spaces in a Line, and gain 1 AP.
you may use a Talent Finisher at no AP Cost. The ‣ Drama: Attack rolled 2 or more Critical Hits.
Finisher targets all enemies you moved into adjacency ‣ Dance: Previous action moved you Adjacent to target.
with or through during your Jump. ‣ Diversify: You didn’t use the Attack on your last Turn.
3: Leaping Koi: When you use “Divide In One Motion”, ‣ Denouement: Attack brought you to 0 AP.
roll the Finisher before using your Jump’s Movement. 2: Dance With Me: The first time you move each Turn
For every Critical Hit rolled in the Finisher, you may without spending AP, fill one Style Segment.
move an additional 3 spaces in a straight line. This 3: Finale: Your attacks that fill at least 2 Style Segments
additional movement is considered part of the Jump’s before dice are rolled Crit on a roll of 5 or 6. Once per
total movement. Scene, when a single Attack fills 4 Style Segments, you
may lose the movement and AP gained from “Peak
Condition” to deal [Tension + Tier] Damage to the target
of the attack instead.

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Enchained | ★ ★ | Casts, Movement, Skirmishes Malicious Mimic | ★ ★ | Dodge, Attacks

“These scars and bindings are a reminder of what I was. “Impossible… she only saw that technique once!”
And in keeping them, I remind myself of what I can be.” 1: “Anything You Can Do…”: Once per Round, when
1: Hook Shot: When you Cast targeting a non-adjacent you Dodge or Clash, you gain an ‘Impression’ with the
unoccupied space, you may ‘Swing’. When you do, same name as the attacker. As an Action with no Cost,
track your distance from the target, and Teleport to any you may spend any of your Impressions to use the
space an equal distance away from the target. indicated NPC’s Attack as if you were an NPC. All
2: Draw In: When you Cast targeting an opponent, you Impressions are lost at the end of a Scene.
may choose not to deal damage. If you do, the Cast has 2: Rehearsed Movements: When you Dodge an NPC
its Cost reduced to 0, move one space towards them, while you hold an Impression matching their name, you
and pull them one space towards you, repeating until gain 2 additional Evasion.
you’re both adjacent. 3: “…I Can Do Better”: When you gain an Impression
3: Momentum [ Cast → Skirmish ]: If movement you may spend 1 Focus to gain that NPCs Passive
provided by your Cast moved you adjacent to the target effect until you spend the Impression.
of your Skirmish, you gain [Tier x 2] Advantage on that
Skirmish and you push them 4 spaces.

Knife Juggler | ★ ★ | Weapon, Movement

Alt Resource. Can't take with other alt resources.

“Though it’s fallen slightly out of favor, thrown weapons

have been a part of our culture for hundreds of years,
and it’s time people start respecting that.”
1: Throw: You now use ‘Weapons’ instead of Focus.
You start all Scenes with 4 Weapons. When you
Skirmish, you can ‘Throw’, spending 1 Weapon,
reducing its cost to 0, and letting it target one character
within 4 range instead of its normal targeting.
2: Resupply: Your Skirmishes gain 1 Advantage. When
you resolve a Skirmish with Throw, place a ‘Weapon
Marker’ in the space you targeted or an unoccupied
space adjacent to it. When you move into a Weapon
Marker’s space, you may remove it to move 1 space
and gain 1 Weapon.
3: Chaser: When an enemy leaves the space of a
Weapon Marker, you may Teleport to the marker and
Skirmish them as a Punish at no Focus cost, this
Skirmish can't use Throw.

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Metallurgist | ★ ★ | Versatile, Weapon, Stance Opportunist | ★ ★ | Skirmishes, Talent, Support

“The shop always brings back nostalgia, the smell of oil “You were really expecting a fair fight?”
and tin, the sound of motors and dad’s music box. I 1: Pack Tactics: Once per Round, when an ally resolves
keep asking where he got this stuff, or why guards stop an Attack on a character within [Talent] spaces, you may
by to talk with him, but I never get a straight answer.” Swiftly Skirmish targeting them at no Cost. If you are
1: Adaptive Edge: Choose another Weapon Technique outside Skirmish’s range, you may Teleport to a space
you have, it’s your ‘Primary Form’. Choose a Weapon adjacent to the target before drawing range.
Technique you don’t have, its first 2 Levels are your 2: Hungry Eyes: When an ally within [Talent] spaces
‘Secondary Form’, if it has an alternate Foci, track it targets a character with an attack, you may spend 1
separately and use it as your Focus in that Form. Start Focus to Mark the target.
combat in your Primary Form, after your first Breathe or 3: Launcher Combo: Once per Round, when an ally
Charge each Turn, swap your Form. When you swap, inflicts an Effect to an enemy within [Talent] spaces, you
gain the Technique, triggering any start of Turn / Scene may use the effect “Pack Tactics” on the same target.
effects, and lose the one you left. You cannot unlock This level has a separate once per Round limitation from
your Secondary Form’s Levels through Tier increases. the one in “Pack Tactics”.
2: Protean: Upgrade your secondary form to level 3.
You may charge at 1 Cost so long as you haven't
swapped forms this Turn.
Reflector | ★ ★ | Dodge, Mind, Attacks
3: Syzygy: Gain a benefit after you swap for the first
time each Turn, based on the Archetype of that Form.
“Strike me if you dare.”
‣ Powerhouse: Strengthen and Reinforce yourself.
‣ Vagabond: Strengthen and Hasten yourself. 1: Catch The Blade: At the beginning of your turn, you
‣ Bulwark: Reinforce yourself and gain [Body] Evasion. may name any number and note it down until the end of
‣ Altruist: Strengthen allies within [Tier] spaces. the Scene. When you take damage from an enemy
‣ Disruptor: Snare an enemy within [Tier] spaces. equal to a number you’ve noted, gain [Mind] Evasion
‣ Ruiner: Gain [Spirit] Focus and Steady yourself. before the damage is dealt.
2: Watch And Wait: Whenever you take damage from
an enemy, you may note another number with “Catch
The Blade”. Enemies who attack you cannot roll
Modified Meister | ★ ★ | Skirmishes, Mind
additional dice with their Critical Hits.
Alt Resource. Can't take with other alt resources. 3: To Carry Their Fury: When you reduce an attack’s
damage to 0 with Evasion, you may teleport adjacent to
The vibration of whirring chains, the sound of spinning the attacker and Swiftly Skirmish them at no cost. When
gears, the buckling of mismatched plating and loose you make an attack and deal damage equal to a number
screws, it almost feels like it’s alive. you noted, you may remove any of your noted numbers
to deal two additional damage for each removed.
1: Running Hot: You now use ‘Heat’ instead of Focus.
You start all Scenes with 0 Heat, substitute all Focus
costs with gaining Heat instead, effects that would give
Focus reduce Heat instead. If your Heat increases to 6
or more it is reset to 3, and you explode, dealing [Mind]
damage to yourself and all adjacent enemies.
2: Overload: When you Skirmish or Finisher, you may
“Overload”, gaining [Mind / 2] Advantage and Blighting
the target(s), afterwards you receive 1 Heat for every Crit
you rolled.
3: Overclock: When you Breathe with at least 2
Tension, you may ‘Overclock’ until the end of your next
Turn. While Overclocked, dealing or taking any amount
of damage generates 1 Heat. Whenever you would
explode while Overclocked, you may instead set your
Heat to 3 to take [Mind / 2] damage, move up to 3
spaces, and gain 1 AP.

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 ★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Drunkard | ★ ★ ★ | Self-Effects, Movement, Master-At-Arms | ★ ★ ★ | Weapon, Movement,

Avoidance Effects

“A little something to take the edge off~” “You thought that was the last one?”
1: Down The Hatch: Establish what direction is “up” 1: Multi-Faceted: Gain the three following ‘Armaments’
after Deploying. When you Breathe, you may ‘Drink’ each one has a condition, and when you Skirmish while
Slowing yourself. Once per Turn, when you start or end that condition is fulfilled you ‘Equip’ it, replacing any
your Turn while Slowed you must roll a d6, and move Armament you had Equipped before. Each Armament
one space in a Line based on the result: can only be Equipped once per Turn.
1: Up, 2: Right, 3: Down, 4: Left, 5/6: Any direction. ‣ Blade: Skirmish while exactly 2 spaces away from an
When involuntary movement would move you adjacent enemy and adjacent to none. This Skirmish is Swift,
to, out of adjacency with, or have your movement before targeting, move one space. After resolving the
prevented by an enemy you may deal [Tier] damage to Skirmish, Strengthen yourself.
them, up to once per type of trigger per enemy per turn. ‣ Pole: Skirmish 2 adjacent enemies. This Skirmish is
2: Fool’s Dance: When you end your Turn while Slowed, Swift, and pushes your targets 3 spaces away from you.
gain Evasion equal to [Tier/2] + the number of Negative After resolving the Skirmish, Launch your targets.
Effects on you. ‣ Chain: Skirmish while exactly 4 spaces from your
3: Chug: The first Breathe on your Turn is Swift. When intended Target. This Skirmish is Swift and targets one
you Drink while Slowed, you Shred, Weaken, and Blight character 4 spaces away from you. After resolving the
yourself. If you have 3 or more Negative Effects at once, Skirmish, Shred your target .
you may ignore the effects of each. The movement from 2: Like Water: The 2nd time you Equip an Armament
“Down The Hatch” can now trigger with any Negative each Turn, you gain 1 AP and Hasten yourself.
Effect, and when triggered with two or more Effects it 3: Master At Work: When you use a Talent Finisher
changes to “twice per Turn”. while you have an Armament Equipped, you gain a
bonus based on the Armament.
‣ Blade: Move two spaces ignoring characters, if you
passed through the Finisher’s Target Mark and Launch
Inquisitor | ★ ★ ★ | Investigate, Mind, Attacks
your target.
‣ Pole: This Finisher targets a 2 space Line drawn from
“Topple the Goliath, find the minute weaknesses in
your space. If this Finisher Spikes a Launched character
everyone you face, disassemble their idiot stances, fight
gains an additional [Tier] Advantage and the spaces you
dirty, and have a plan to kill everyone you meet.”
targeted become Difficult Terrain.
1: Study Weakness: When you Investigate a character, ‣ Chain: This Finisher targets all enemies in a 1x1 Zone
place a ‘Weak Point’ in a space adjacent to them that centered on a space adjacent to you, for each Critical
doesn't have one, and your Investigations that target the Hit you roll that Zone expands by 1 space in every
same character are Swift this Turn. Weak Points move to direction (1x1 > 3x3 > 5x5…) and deals one additional
match their host’s movement. When you move into a damage.
Weak Point, you may remove it to ‘Jab’ dealing [Mind/2]
damage to its host. This counts as a Skirmish but
cannot have its damage or targeting altered.
2: Dissect [ Investigate x 3 ]: The third Investigate has
no Cost, and Slows all Marked Enemies.
3: 4-Point Execution: Whenever you move, you may
teleport to a space an equal number of spaces away, so
long as the teleport targets a Weak Point. When you
remove 3 Weak Points from one target in a single Turn,
you may teleport to any space adjacent to them and
perform a Mind Finisher at no cost.

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 Bulwark

Stoic and resolute, mitigate incoming damage to defend others. Techniques effective at reducing damage for a team.
Can build for almost any Attribute, but Body is the most common.

80
 ★ Complexity Techniques

Crusher | ★ | Weapon, Body, Revenge Giant Frame | ★ | Body, Finishers, AOE

“It’s said that to effectively counter an oncoming force, “Woah. You’re bigger in person. Like. Way bigger. Oh
one would need 5 times the force to stop it. I assure right, the armor, right away sir!”
you… I have that.” 1: Big Arms: When you use a Body Finisher, you may
1: 30,000 Tons: When you Skirmish you may ‘Brace’, spend 1 additional Focus to have it target each
targeting no characters, Reinforcing yourself, and character in a 2x2 Zone adjacent to you.
Taunting all adjacent enemies. When you Skirmish while 2: Immense: Gain [Body] additional maximum Health.
Reinforced you ‘Slam’, dealing [Tension] additional You may take up a 2x2 section of spaces rather than
damage and losing Reinforced. one space when you Deploy, if you do so you can freely
2: Hammerfall: When you Slam after taking at least 5 move through 1x1 enemies and Terrain.
pre mitigation damage since the end of your last Turn, 3: Shockwave: When you use a Body Finisher, you may
you target all spaces adjacent to you instead of your spend 1 Focus to have it target all spaces adjacent to
normal targeting and Weaken all targets. you, deal half damage, and have it Launch its targets.
3: “You Look Like A Nail”: When you Slam after taking
at least 10 pre mitigation damage since the end of your
last Turn you deal an additional [Body] damage.
Iron Bodied | ★ | Tanking, Body

Mushir Ahmed has a reputation for his displays of

confidence. Most famously is his armor, it covers his
legs and arms but leaves his chest bare. It baffles
advisors and opponents alike..
1: Tough As Stone: You can never have a Speed lower
than 3 and can always move using your own Actions,
ignoring all other rules to the contrary.
2: Resilience: Gain [Body/2] Armor.
3: Stainless Stride: At the beginning of your Turn, you
may Immobilize yourself. While Immobilized, you can
never take more damage than 4 + [Tier/2] in one
instance (after all forms of damage reduction).

Vanguard Defender | ★ | Tanking, Body, Support

“If I get hurt, don’t stop running.”

1: White Knight: You may Block Attacks that target
allies within [Body] spaces, when you do so you
Teleport to a space adjacent to the ally being targeted
and become the target instead.
2: Steel Angel: The first Block you use each Round has
no Focus cost and gives you [Tier] Armor until the start
of your next Turn, if you’re Blocking for your allies.
3: Inspire Courage: When you start movement by
moving out of adjacency with an ally, they may move to
a space adjacent to your new location and Reinforce.

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 ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Absolute Bastard | ★ ★ | Investigate, Tanking Juggernaut | ★ ★ | Displacement, Body, Movement

“You’re an expert at making strangers hate you, huh?” His physique spoke to me.
1: Easy To Hate: Gain 3 Focus at the start of each It said, “Get the fuck out of my way.”
Scene. When you Investigate an enemy, you may spend 1: Wild Charge: When you Jump, you may move [Body]
1 Focus to Taunt them. spaces instead of [Talent], deal 30 damage to Terrain
2: Bully: Once per Turn when you Taunt a character you you move adjacent to, and move any number of
may move up to 3 spaces towards them, if you move characters you passed through or moved into adjacency
into adjacency with them, Snare them and gain 1 AP. with to a space adjacent to you.
3: Add Injury To Insult: Your Attacks against characters 2: Violence: Once per Round, when you move through
you’ve Taunted gain [Tier/2] Advantage. characters using “Wild Charge”, you may deal [Body / 2]
damage to them and Launch one of them.
3: “Eat Dirt!”: When you Launch an adjacent character
without Attacking you may ‘Throw’ them, moving them
Battle Jockey | ★ ★ | Tanking, Displacement
5 spaces in any direction. If they end their movement
adjacent to another character or Terrain deal [Body]
One of the most fearsome gangs is Pantomime, the
damage to both and remove Launched from them.
infamous “Cavalry”, riding diesel guzzling steeds. Known
across the city for their “Night rides”, driving free and
encircling anyone who dares standing in their way.
Mollycoddler | ★ ★ | Revenge, Casts, Support
1: Trusty Steed: After Deploying, you may Summon a
Mount NPC with a Tier equal to yours adjacent to you.
This Mount cannot redirect targeting with its Passive. “To truly love something, let it kill you~”
2: Grasping Jaws: When your Mount attacks an enemy, 1: Lash: When an ally is hit by an Attack you may spend
you may have it Taunt them. 1 Focus to Swiftly Cast targeting the attacker regardless
3: Roaring Entry: Once per Scene when your Mount of range at no AP Cost.
would take its Turn, you may have it Roar instead. When 2: Loving Rite: When an ally is damaged you may take
your Mount Roars, it Dazes all enemies in 3 spaces of it, [Tier] damage to reduce the amount they took by [Tier].
pushing them 2 spaces away. When you trigger this because an ally was attacked, you
may Fear the Attacker.
3: Devotion: When an ally triggers “Loving Rite” you
may Mark them, when you trigger “Lash” with an ally
Grappler | ★ ★ | Finishers, Body, Restricting
you’ve Marked, while there are no other allies you’ve
Marked, you may use a Finisher instead of Cast.
“Make way for Pantomime’s blazing star!”
“The killer king with the inescapable pin!”
“The one, the only… Raphaël Blasé!”
Joel's Notes: Using Summons
1: Restrain: When you Body Finisher, Snare your target, If you’re creating a character who can use Summons or
characters you have Snared also count as being NPC actions it’s important to familiarize yourself with
Taunted by you.
the Narrator-side NPC rules on page 109.
2: Spine Breaker: Your Skirmishes gain 1 Advantage.
When you Spike a single Launched character, you may
teleport to a space adjacent to your target and change
the attack you are using into a Body Finisher at no Cost.
3 Finishing Move [ Body Finisher → Jump ]: Instead
of moving with this Jump, you and a target of the
Finisher Disappear. At the start of the next round or
when either of you’re able to take another Action
(whatever comes first) you both return to the board in
the same spaces, Launching all other enemies in 2
range, and letting you Swiftly Body Finisher the initial
target at no cost.

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Mundane | ★ ★ | Tanking, Body Shield Bearer | ★ ★ | Tanking, Body, Movement
Alt Resource. Can't take with other alt resources.
They stood their ground. A breathing, bleeding wall
between the people they had sworn to protect, and the
“No tricks, no frills, no bullshit. coming darkness.
Just sit ups, squats, and plenty of juice”
1: Wall: When you Block, you may spend 1 Focus to
1: For What The Spirit Lacks: You now use ‘Tenacity’ gain [Tier] additional Armor, and retain the Armor until
instead of Focus or AP, spending it in place of both. You you take another reaction, or you start your Turn.
start each Round of combat with 2 Tenacity + [Body / 2]. 2: Shield Charge: When you Block, place a ‘Shield
You can't gain Tenacity from anything other than this Marker’ in a space adjacent to you until you lose your
Technique. You can't use Cast or Spirit Finishers. Armor. The Shield Marker moves to match your
2: Dig Deep, Stand Firm: When you’re targeted by an movement. When your movement would move your
Attack, gain 1 Tenacity. When you would gain Focus, Shield Marker into an opponent's space, you may
you reduce the cost of your first Finisher that Round by remove the Marker to deal [Body / 2] damage to them
the same amount (this includes the initial AP cost as and push them 2 spaces.
well as any additional cost added that would normally 3: Focused Defense: While you have a Shield Marker,
be paid with Focus). indicate a 3×3 Zone centered on it. If an enemy attacks
3: In The Face Of The Beyond: Once per Scene when you while inside that Zone, they're Weakened for the
you target an adjacent enemy you may spend 2 Tenacity duration of the Attack.
to ‘Silence’ them. Silenced characters can only move or
Attack on their turn, and their Attacks cannot apply or
trigger any feature or effect other than damage.
Enemies you Silence remain Silenced until they end Stalwart Sentry | ★ ★ | Skirmishes, Displacement
their Turn outside of adjacency with you or until the end
of the Round (whatever happens first). “Nothing gets past me, at least not in one piece.”
1: Guardian: So long as you haven’t moved during your
turn, the spaces diagonally connected to your count as
Rising Challenger | ★ ★ | Tanking, Spirit, Support being adjacent when it would benefit you.
2: On Watch: Begin tracking ‘Vigilance’, a 4 Segment
Two swordsmen lock blades silhouetted by moonlight, Clock that’s filled at the start of every Scene. You may
the impact reverberating throughout the streets, blowing empty one Segment of this Clock when performing a
out a nearby streetlamp. Punish to have it not cost Focus. When you Charge you
One survivor lives on, regretting every second of it. refill the Vigilance Clock.
3: Zone Of Influence: When you Investigate you may
1: Perfect Deflection: When you perform a successful place up to 4 ‘Spotlights’ in unoccupied spaces on the
Clash, you gain 1 Focus and can move [Tier] spaces. board. A Spotlight is a unique piece of Difficult Terrain
2: “You’ll Have To Get Through Me!”: You may Clash that only affects enemies. When a character enters a
with Attacks that target allies within [Spirit] spaces. Spotlight you may teleport to an adjacent space and
When you Clash, you may Teleport to a space adjacent Punish them as if they left adjacency with you.
to the character who initiated the attack.
3: Drama And Spite: Gain 3 Advantage in Clashes. Your
Spirit counts as being 3 higher while in Clashes

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 ★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Beastial Ascendant | ★ ★ ★ | Delayed, Versatile Mecha Pilot | ★ ★ ★ | Tanking, Versatile

Transformation. Can’t take with other transformations.
“Runic alignment complete. Aether levels nominal. We
got this partner. For Oberooooon!”
“Don’t worry, this happens to everyone your age.”
1: Rune Core Engine: You enter all combat Scenes with
1: Beastly: Choose two non-Modifier NPC Types. Once
a ‘Suit’ adjacent to you. This is a 2x2 piece of terrain
per Scene, when you Charge with at least 2 Tension,
with 15 Health and [Tier/2] Armor. By Interacting with it,
you may ‘Transform’, pushing all enemies within 2 range
you put the Suit on. This removes the Terrain, grants you
3 spaces away and restoring [Body x 2] Health. While
[Tier/2] Armor, and makes your character 2x2 in size.
Transformed you can use your NPCs' Attacks, said
You may use Interact again to leave the Suit, losing
attacks lose any additional damage from Tension. When
these benefits and placing the terrain adjacent to you in
you’re reduced to 0 Health while Transformed, it ends,
sufficient empty spaces.
and you’re Dazed.
2: Autonomous: The Suit is now a Summoned non-
2: Inheritance: Choose one of the two NPCs you chose
Modifier NPC of your choice with a Tier equal to yours,
when gaining “Beastly”. You gain that NPC’s Passive
so long as you don’t have it on. It is still 2x2 in size and
while Transformed. If the Passive triggers when the user
counts as both Terrain and an NPC, regardless of the
is Knocked Out, it triggers when you end your
NPC chosen (if this summon would have more than 15
Transformation instead.
health raise it to be equal to the summon’s health).
3: Apex: When you’re Transformed you can use your
When your Summon takes its Turn, you may Skirmish a
NPCs’ Actions by spending 1 AP. If you’re Tier 3 or
character adjacent to it in place of one of its Attacks.
higher you may Daze yourself and spend 2 Focus to
3: Perfect Sync: You may Interact with the Suit after
transform as soon as you deploy regardless of Tension.
Deployment at no Cost. Even when you are in the Suit, it
may still take Turns as a Summon, sharing your space
and moving you when it moves. While you are in the
Guardian’s Call | ★ ★ ★ | Tanking, Spirit Suit, the Summon is Dazed.

Tybalt’s Faerie is a strange thing, stays hidden whenever

it can. Its ability to shield and mend is invaluable for a
guard, but he worries something's wrong with it, with
every beast they fend off it stares at the body longer,
and when tensions rise he swears he hears sobbing.
1: Two Bodies: You can Block when other characters
are attacked, granting that character any Armor you
would gain and preventing any forced movement they’d
receive. When you would Block for an ally without a
‘Guardian’ marker, first create one in a space within
[Spirit] range. Unless the Guardian is adjacent to the
attacker or the target when you Block, the Block is
canceled. If you move while you have a Guardian you
may move them the same distance.
2: Together In Life: Allies who start their turn adjacent
to or in the Guardian’s space are Reinforced, enemies
who do the same are Marked.
3: Together In Death: Your Blocks for allies have their
Focus cost reduced to 1 and scale off of your Spirit.

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 Altruist

Friendly and versatile, enable your allies to overrun the enemy. Techniques that mainly benefit your allies.
As many of these Techniques don’t need to deal damage, Mind is often your best Attribute.

85
 ★ Complexity Techniques

Analyst | ★ | Expensive, Mind, Support Gourmand | ★ | Interact, Mind, Support

“What’s my game? You seem confused, why play games “Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there
with you when I’ve already won?” are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many
1: Flash Of Insight: Once per Round, after any Roll flavors—it’s how you combine them that sets you apart.”
from an enemy or willing ally, you may spend 1 Focus to 1: Healthy Meal: You have [Mind / 2] ‘Meals’ that
force its initiator to redo it. refresh each Intermission, you may Interact to hand an
2: Take Advantage: When using “Flash Of Insight” adjacent ally a Meal and Reinforce or Hasten them.
against an enemy’s Attack the attack’s target gains When this Effect expires the character finishes their
[Mind/2] Evasion. meal, and restores 4 + [Mind] Health.
3: Watch And Wait: When you investigate an enemy, 2: Fast Food: When you move out of adjacency with an
you may spend 2 additional Focus to ‘Predict’ them. The ally you may give them a Meal without Interacting.
GM must tell you what actions they plan to use and the 3: Shared Experiences: When someone you’re Bonded
targets, if applicable. If that enemy does not take the with eats one of your Meals you both gain [Mind] Focus.
action(s) described on their Turn they are immediately
Dazed and Weakened.
Compassionate Sage | ★ | Casts, Spirit, Support
Alt Resource. Can't take with other alt resources.
Battle Instructor | ★ | Movement, Mind, Support

“Keep your back straight!” “When allies falter, your presence is the whispered
“Strengthen your footing!” promise of safety.”
“Remember the plan!” 1: Strength Of Prayer: You now use ‘Compassion’
“...” instead of Focus. You start all Scenes with [Spirit]
“That was good, keep at it, kid.” Compassion. You can't gain Compassion using Breathe
1: Strike Order: When you mark a character, an ally of or Charge, you gain 1 Compassion when you target an
your choosing may move up to 3 spaces towards the ally with an action or the effect of a Technique.
character. Your Investigates are Swift. 2: Cleansing Light: When you Cast targeting an ally,
2: Teaching Moment: When an ally is dealt a Wound you don't deal damage or Negative Effects, heal [Hits]
you may Investigate the character who Wounded them Health to your target(s), and have all Effects of their
at no Cost as a Reaction. choice removed from them.
3: Remember Your Training: Once per Turn per ally, 3: Grand Restoration: Your Spirit Finisher gains the
when an ally moves adjacent to an enemy through the effects of “Cleansing Light”, and can target characters
movement given by “Strike Order”, you may have them within 5 range. When using a Spirit Finisher on an ally,
deal their [Body/2] or [Talent/2] Damage to said enemy. they begin Regenerating and lose a Wound (Wounds
can only be healed once per character per Scene).

Empath | ★ | Movement, Talent, Support

“Don’t worry buddy, everything’ll be okay!”

1: Calming Aura: Allies who start their turn adjacent to
you may lose any one of their Effects and become
Strengthened.
2: Protective Response: When an ally within [Talent]
spaces takes a Wound or Effect from a source other
than themselves you may Break Out at no Influence
cost so long as it moves you adjacent to them.
3: “Are You Ok?”: Allies who start their turn next to you
gain 3 Focus and restore [Tier] Health.

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Surgeon | ★ | Skirmish, Mind, Support Talisman Exorcist | ★ | Casts, Spirit, Versatile

”To blessed Hippocrates, I grant an offering. Let my Every surface is covered in small, intricately detailed
hands remain steady and true. Let not guide this soul to papers. This sort of obsessive protection seemed silly to
Thanatos’ waiting grip. This I swear. This is my Virtue.” her, but when removing one of these seals resulted in
1: Do No Harm: When you Skirmish an ally, you may voices echoing around the room, she reconsidered.
‘Operate’ on them. When you Operate you must roll 1: Sacred Seal: When you Breathe, you may replace its
Mind instead of Talent or Body, and your target restores effect with placing a ‘Talisman’ on an adjacent character
[Hits / 2] Health rather than taking Damage. or space. Spaces and characters with Talismans are
2: Operational Procedure: When you take this feature always valid targets for your Casts, and when you Cast
or when you take an Intermission, lose any ‘Bandages’ targeting them, you gain 1 Focus.
or ‘Disinfectant’, then roll [Mind / 2]. For every odd 2: Tossed Talisman: When using “Sacred Seal” you
number rolled, gain one Bandage. For every even may place Talismans on targets within 5 spaces, when
number rolled, gain one Disinfectant. When you Operate you Charge, you may activate “Sacred Seal” and repeat
you may expend a Bandage to heal a Wound, and/or a the effect once for each Focus you would have gained.
Disinfectant to remove any number of Effects. 3: Exorcize: Your Spirit Finisher can target all characters
3: Miracle Worker: Gain 3 Advantage on your “Do No and spaces with Talismans at once. Doing this destroys
Harm” Roll. When you roll two or more 1s or two or your Talismans and gives you 2 Focus for each.
more 6s with “Operational Procedure” you may replace
the resources gained by those dice with a ‘Miracle’.
When an ally is Knocked Out, place a marker where
they were. When you Skirmish targeting this Marker; you
may expend a Miracle to bring the Knocked Out
character back to that space or an adjacent one if it’s
occupied with full Health and 2 Wounds.

Tactical Master | ★ | Self-Effect, Mind, Stance

“Your ideas of combat are so limited, here, paint you a

picture of how far this canvas reaches.”
1: Stop And Think: Anytime you are Weakened you
enter the ‘Tactician Stance’, removing any other Stances
you had. While in the Tactician Stance, when your
non-Attack Actions and Effects you apply deal damage
gain 1 Focus, up to [Mind] times per turn.
2: Study: When you Breathe, you may Weaken yourself
to gain 2 additional Focus.
3: Eureka!: When you start your turn in Tactician
Stance, you gain 1 additional AP, and your first attack
on this turn costs 1 more AP.

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 ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Alchemist | ★ ★ | Breathing, Interact, Effects Fog Walker | ★ ★ | Avoidance, Breathing, Support

“Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of When the fog rolls off the river Undine, the city streets
dog, Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting, Lizard’s leg are empty. For the darkened hunts would find those who
and owlet’s wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a do not flee, meeting those who carry a smile as easily as
hell-broth boil and bubble.” a blade.
1: Quick Mix: When you Breathe, you can make one of 1: Blowing Smoke: When you Breathe on your Turn,
the following ‘Potions’. You can Interact to use one of you may replace its effect with creating ‘Fog’ in a space
these Potions on yourself or a character within 4 range. adjacent to you. At the end of your Turn, move your Fog
1: Pure Water: Remove any Effect(s) from the target. up to 2 spaces in any direction. If you or an ally starts
2: Fury Vapors: Strengthen the target. their Turn in Fog, they may Disappear. When a character
3: Growth Serum: Regenerate the target. Disappeared through this level reappears, they must do
4: Adrenaline Stim: Hasten the target. so in Fog, or as close as possible.
5: Stoneskin Balm: Reinforce the target. 2: Mystic Mist: When a character reappears in Fog,
6: Vilethorn Poison: Blight the target. they gain [Mind] Evasion and move up to 3 spaces.
2: Powerful Mix: The first Interact you use on your Turn 3: Stinging Steam: Your Breaths are Swift. When you
has its Cost reduced to 0. When you use a potion on an Stride you may replace its effect with moving your Fog
ally they gain [Mind / 2] Focus. When you use a potion Clouds up to 2 spaces and deal 2 damage to enemies
on an enemy you may deal [Mind] damage to them. every time a Fog Cloud passes through them.
3: High Intensity Mix: When you Breathe you may
replace its effect with triggering “Quick Mix” two more
times, randomly determining the potions with a D6 roll
Last Hope | ★ ★ | Avoidance, Spirit, Support
for each rather than choosing.
He felt stupid. There it was, his face plastered on the
gray brick in front of him. A blurry picture of it, but his
Dancer | ★ ★ | Movement, Utility, Support face nonetheless.
These posters must have been put up by someone he’s
The intimacy of combat is something that’s difficult to helped, claiming he was some mythic savior. A
recreate. That intoxicating passion has drawn more reputation that would only make his life harder.
people together than you can possibly know. What annoyed him most, though, was a certain
1: Dance Partner: You can Interact with a willing someone now knew he wasn't going to stop.
character to set them as your ‘Partner’. You may only 1: Notably Absent: You may Assist at the start of any
have one Partner and lose them if you end your Turn combat Scene regardless of your character’s condition.
outside of adjacency. When one partner moves willingly, When you Break Out while Assisting allies, you may give
the other may move to a space adjacent to them and them an Effect based on the Action taken, the actions
gain Haste. and effects are as follows:
2: Hearts In Tandem: The first time a Partner Hides, or ‣ Stride: Hasten.
gains Focus each Turn, their partner gains any positive ‣ Breathe: Reinforce.
Effects or Focus they gained. ‣ Investigate: Strengthened.
3: The Prestige: When a Partner uses a Finisher, their 2: Heroic Return: At the start or end of any Turn where
Partner may Daze themselves to have the finisher crit on the Tension is 4 or higher you may return to the board
rolls of 5 or 6. Using this effect makes the user lose their from your Assisting on any border space. When you
Partner status. return to the board, you gain all Positive Effects your
allies have. These Effects can't be removed until combat
ends.
3: Explosive Return: As soon as you return to the
board, you may take a Turn, even if it would interrupt the
turn of an enemy. If this interrupted an ally’s Turn you
must wait for them to finish.

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Replicator | ★ ★ | Attacks, Casts, Support Temporal Sage | ★ ★ | Casts, Support, Effects

An infinite barrage of bullets and blades. A force that Time until death: T- 2 minutes 4 days 10 days 2 weeks
resembles an army but was born from a single hunter 1 month 1.5 months 3 months 5 months 1 year 5 years
with a mage at their side. 6 years 6.5 years 10 years 25 years
1: Echo Form: When you Cast targeting only an ally or 1: Accelerate: When you Cast targeting an ally, you
yourself, you don’t deal damage or negative Effects. don't deal damage or Negative Effects, they may move
Instead, create an ‘Echo’ adjacent to them. You can only spaces equal to the damage you would have dealt, and
have 3 Echos at a time. Echos are targetable pieces of then Hasten them.
Difficult Terrain with 1 Health. A character with an Echo 2: Decelerate: Your Casts gain 1 Advantage. When you
may draw range from their Echos. or an ally would lose an effect or an enemy would lose
2: Symmetry: When a character with an Echo moves, an effect other than Dazed or Immobilized you may
they may move their Echo an equal number of spaces. spend 1 Focus to apply the same effect again.
3: Full Sync: Characters with an Echo start the Round 3: Time Stop: Begin tracking ‘Flux’, a 8 Segment Clock
with 1 additional AP per Echo they have. Characters that’s emptied after every Scene. When you apply an
benefiting from this give Swift to their Attacks, so long Effect to an ally fill one Flux Segment. Once per Scene,
as each draws its range from a different Echo. when you start your Turn with a full Flux Clock you may
spend all your AP to empty it and Cast targeting all
characters in the Scene. If there are two or fewer
Sagely Aegis | ★ ★ | Tanking, Casts, Support enemies you may take a Wound to go All Out and turn
your roll against them into a Finisher.
“A battle won unharmed is a flawless battle.”
1: Barrier: When you Cast targeting one or more allies,
you don't deal damage or Negative Effects, Reinforce
Virtuoso | ★ ★ ★ | Breathing, Mind, Support
them, and create a ‘Barrier’ between one of them and a
space adjacent. Barriers are 5 + [Tier x 5] HP walls that “Doesn’t it all seem to have a rhythm to it? When the
move to match allies they were created for, and do not bullets are flying and everyone else is in chaos, that
affect the targeting or movement of allies. When you rhythm guides me.”
create a Barrier it replaces all other Barriers. 1: Musician: When you Breathe, gain a ‘Verse’ of your
2: Impenetrable: When you create a Barrier, extend it choice from the list below. You can hold up to 4 Verses
one space in both directions and give [Spirit / 2] Evasion at a time (Including repeated verses). When you use
to all allies adjacent to it. Charge, you may expend all the Verses you are holding
3: Block Beam: When your Barrier would be removed and grant the effects listed on them to characters in a
or replaced for any reason it ‘Fires’ away from the 3x3 Zone placed adjacent to you.
character it was created for, dealing [Spirit] damage to ‣ Harsh: Allies Strengthen and may move 1 space.
all enemies in a Line. ‣ Soothing: Allies gain [Mind / 2] Health.
‣ Inspiring: Hasten and give 1 Focus to allies.
‣ Raucous: Shred, and deal 1 damage to enemies.
‣ Frantic: Allies may use a 1 Cost Utility action for free.
2: Reverb: Your Breaths are Swift. When you gain a
Verse you may immediately perform its effect on
adjacent characters without spending it.
3: Encore: When you Charge with 3 or more Verses, you
may forgo the Focus given to reduce its cost to 1.

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 ★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Artist | ★ ★ ★ | Interact, Versatile, Support Will-O-Wisp | ★ ★ | Support, Spirit, Versatile

The Ishtar Battalion has been described as A heretical idea to most, artificial Faeries able to be used
“Avant-garde.” Both meanings are equally accurate. by the non-keeper guards employed by Eberon. Despite
1: Stroke Of The Brush: You can Interact to ‘Paint’ on the disapproval of most, more and more “royal keepers”
an adjacent space in a ‘Color’ of your choice. Each have been appearing as of late.
Color has a specific effect that triggers when you or an 1: Spirit Weaving Flame: When you Charge for the first
ally enters its space or starts their Turn in it for the first time in a scene you may create “Spirit Flame”, a marker
time in a Round. The Colors are as follows. that you can move up to 4 spaces when you Stride and
‣ Red: Strengthen yourself. when you end your Turn, it is also pushed one space
‣ Yellow: Teleport to another Colored space. when it’s space is targeted with an attack. When a
‣ Blue: Gain 2 Focus. character is standing on or adjacent to your Spirit Flame
‣ White: Push any enemies in 3 spaces 3 spaces. they count as having an effect. Choose an option from
‣ Black: Pull any enemies in 5 spaces adjacent to you. the list below to determine the effect:
2: Canvas Of Flesh: The first Interact you use on your ‣ Dreamy Spirit: Enemies are Slowed.
turn has its Cost reduced to 0. When you Interact with ‣ Angry Spirit: Enemies are Blighted.
an ally, you may spend 3 Focus to create a ‘Seal’ on ‣ Insightful Spirit: Enemies are Marked.
them, letting them gain the effect of one of your Colors ‣ Intense Spirit: Allies are Hasted.
every time they end their Turn. ‣ Kind Spirit: Allies are Regenerating.
3: Brush-Brand: When you Skirmish a character, you ‣ Violent Spirit: Allies are Strengthened.
may ‘Brand’ them with a Color of your choice. When 2: Friendly Spirits: When an ally moves out of your
you or an ally Attack a Branded character, consume the Spirit Flame you may have it move to a space adjacent
Brand and the attacker triggers the effect of the Color. to their new position. When an enemy attempts to move
out of your Spirit Flame you may spend 1 Focus to stop
their movement after they move out of that space,
leaving them adjacent to the Spirit Flame.
Deckbuilder | ★ ★ ★ | Casts, Mind, Versatile
3: Twinned Spirits: You may choose an additional
option from “Spirit Weaving Flame”, and when you
“My father’s deck has no pathetic cards!”
create a Spirit Flame you may create two, one of each
1: Draw: After deploying, roll a die and set it aside. type, or create one with the properties of both.
These dice are your ‘Cards’. When you Breathe with
three or fewer Cards, roll a new Card. When you Cast
you may spend any of your Cards to roll [Mind] instead
of [Spirit], have it deal no damage to allies, and gain the
Card’s bonus. The bonuses for each are as follows:
1: Illness: Blights and permanently Slows the Target.
2: Etteilla: Restore Focus equal to the damage dealt.
3: Night: The target Disappears and becomes Invisible.
4: Protection: Permanently Reinforces the target.
5: Union: Teleport adjacent to, and Snare the target.
6: Folly: Dazes, Immobilizes, and Launches the target.
2: Card Capture: Once per Scene when you Investigate
an NPC’s Attack, you can roll a Card with all of that
attack’s non-damage effects. At the end of the scene
you can replace a Card in your deck with that Card. You
can only replace up to 3 of your Cards like this at a time,
and can return your default Cards at any time.
3: Greed: “Draw” has you roll double the Cards in all
scenarios, and you may gain Cards by Breathing when
at or below 5 cards instead of 3.

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 Disruptor

Sadistic and calculated, chain down the enemy’s options. Techniques that restrict, metaphorically or literally.
As many of these Techniques trigger their controlling effects when Casting, they value a high Spirit Attribute.

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 ★ Complexity Techniques

Bloodletter | ★ | Weapon, Talent, Effects

“I don’t kill people, doctor. What I do is much worse.”

1: Bleeding Edge: Your successful Skirmishes and
Talent Finishers Blight the target(s).
2: Bloodhound: Your Skirmishes gain 1 Advantage.
When a non-adjacent enemy takes damage from Blight,
move up to 3 spaces. If it brings you adjacent, you may
remove the Blight to Swift Skirmish them at no cost.
3: Rupture [ Skirmish → Breathe ]: If the Skirmish
targeted a character with Blight, roll Talent and trigger
the effect of Blight [Hits] times.

Chemist | ★ | Terrain, Mind, Effects

“Now there’s a smell you can feel!”

1: Sublimation: Your Improvises have their Cost set to 1
and can create Terrain up to 4 spaces away. When
resolving an action targeting a piece of Terrain, you may
destroy it to create a 3×3 Zone of ‘Gas’ centered on its
space that disappears at the start of your next Turn.
When an enemy enters Gas they are Weakened. Allies in
the Gas gain 3 Evasion when they’re targeted by attacks
coming from outside the Gas.
2: Experimental Mixture: When you Weaken a
character you may ask the Narrator what it’s current
Health is, if it’s at or below [Mind] that character is
Knocked Out and you gain 2 Focus.
3: Deposition: When you create a Gas Zone, deal
[Mind] damage to all enemies in the spaces it covers.
When you Knock Out an enemy with “Experimental
Mixture” create a 3x3 Gas Zone centered on them.

Constrictor | ★ | Weapon, Body/Talent, Restricting

“Whips, garrotes, nooses, you’d be surprised how many

people are killed with glorified string.”
1: Wrap: Your Successful Skirmishes with 1 target Snare
the target. At the end of your Turn, you can move all
characters you've Snared up to 5 spaces. You do not
need to pull characters you’ve Snared when you move.
2: Choke: Your Body and Talent finishers can always
target characters you've snared. Your Finishers deal
[Tier] additional damage to Snared characters.
3: Twisting Impact: Your Skirmishes gain 1 Advantage.
When “Wrap” moves a character into adjacency with
other characters, they each receive [Talent/2] damage.

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Cutpurse | ★ | Movement, Talent, Effects Reaper | ★ | Weapon, Effects, Displacement

“It’s an easy job, in-and-out, no need for worries, no The people of the Gardens knew well to put out their
need for anyone to get hurt. Bump into Āl-Amir just after offerings at solstice. For as the days grew long, the
sunset and slip your hand into his pouch. Be sure to Harvesters of Krouses would make pilgrimage, seeking
apologize and offer something, historically he’ll refuse.” homes lacking piety to become their bloody crop.
1: Fast Hands: When you leave adjacency with an 1: Sow: When you Skirmish one Character, you may
enemy on your Turn (once per character per Turn), you Teleport them to another space adjacent to you. The
may end your movement, to do one of the following that first time you use this each Turn, you Mark your target.
you haven’t used on this Turn. 2: Tend: Enemies in 3 range don't lose Marked when
‣ Disarm: Weaken them. they end their turn.
‣ Trip: Slow them. 3: Reap: If you start your turn in 5 range of a Marked
‣ Steal: Gain 2 Focus. enemy, you may spend 2 Focus to Teleport to a space
2: Snatch: When you inflict certain Negative Effects on adjacent to them and use a Finisher on them at no cost.
an enemy, you may gain its positive version. The Effects If you are then in 5 spaces of another Marked enemy,
this applies to are as follows. you may repeat this effect at a Focus cost of 1 using a
‣ Blight: Regenerate. Skirmish instead of a Finisher. This cannot target the
‣ Slow / Snare: Hasten. same enemy more than once.
‣ Shred: Reinforce.
‣ Weaken: Strengthen.
3: Rob Them Blind: If you used Hide on your Turn, you
Street Fighter | ★ | Skirmishes, Body, Effects
can use “Fast Hands” without ending your movement.
Once per Scene, if you leave all spaces adjacent to the
“Who’s lookin’ to scrap!”
same character you may Blight, Slow, Shed, Weaken,
and deal [Tension] damage to them. 1: Bloody Brass: When you Shove a character, you
Daze them.
2: Break And Bruise: When you Skirmish a Dazed
character without using a Technique with the Weapon
Light Bender | ★ | Casts, Spirit, Effects
Tag it has Advantage equal to the number of different
Effects on your target.
“For hundreds of years the idea of Keeping a ‘light’ or 3: Brutalize: You may now trigger “Break And Bruise”
‘solar’ Fairy was seen as a fruitless endeavor. Not only when targeting Dazed enemies with Body Finishers. The
was it not fully known if they exist, all theories that spoke Finishers convert all Advantage from it into additional
of them came to the conclusion that a Faerie of its damage, in addition to Immobilizing and Snaring their
nature would far surpass the influence of any other kind. target(s) after damage is dealt.
It’s no wonder its first known keeper has performed so
well among his peers.”
1: Blendendes Licht: Your Casts and Spirit Finishers
that Crit weaken one of their targets for each Crit rolled.
2: Sonneneruption: Your Spirit Finishers target a 2x3
Zone centered on you, without targeting you (I.e. in the
shape of a “C” around you), and Crit on rolls of 5 or 6 if
at least one of the targets has a Negative Effect.
3: Falscher Stern: Once per Scene when you charge
with at least 2 Tension you may replace its effect with
drawing a full 4 Segment ‘Solar’ Clock, and placing a
‘Falscher Stern’ marker within 4 range. At the start of
your turn, if you have a Solar Clock, empty one segment
and Swiftly Cast at no Cost, targeting all enemies in a
3x3 Zone centered on the Falscher Stern, if it was the
last segment use a Spirit Finisher instead, removing the
marker and the Clock.

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 ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Autophage | ★ ★ | Attacks, Body/Spirit, Effects Inhuman Strength | ★ ★ | Body, Displacement, Terrain

Alt Resource. Can't take with other alt resources.
“Mom always said the best way to move people is with
words, but picking up that bus seemed much faster.”
“The Students of Mardrus were widely renowned in their
day, creating the doctoring profession as we know it. 1: Strong-Arm: When you Shove, you may move your
Shame their achievements are overshadowed by the target up to 5 spaces in a Line, pushing any characters
human cost of their work.” it would move through to the nearest possible
unoccupied space. If you push them adjacent to an
1: Transfusion: You no longer use Focus. When you opponent you may Launch all characters involved. You
would spend, or lose Focus, you use 2 Health per Focus may target Terrain with your Shoves.
instead, when you gain Focus gain an equal amount of 2: Piston Fist: When you Skirmish or Body Finisher a
Health instead. When you Attack a character with two or character, you may push them [Body - Target’s Armor]
more different Effects, you begin Regenerating. spaces.
2: Overexert: When you Attack, you may take 5 3: Smash Through: When you move a character into
damage to roll a D6. Apply an Effect to your target adjacency with a piece of Terrain, both take [Body]
based on the result of the roll. When you have 5 or less damage. If the Terrain is destroyed, the character is
Health, you may use this without taking damage. pushed for another 3 spaces. This additional movement
1-2: Blight can only be triggered once per move.
3-4: Daze.
5-6: Immobilize.
3: Born Of Mutable Flesh: Once per Scene, when you
use a Spirit / Body Finisher you may trigger “Overexert” Swarm Body | ★ ★ | Restricting, Tanking
twice and change its targeting to all enemies with more
Health than you. “I could see them wriggling under his coat, and the glare
through his glasses didn’t help me feel safer. They tried
to explain the mission to me but I could barely pay
attention, there were times where… something crawled
Earth Speaker | ★ ★ | Casts, Spirit, Terrain across the ground out of sight and the conversation
would suddenly stop. It always seemed like it was
“You lost the moment you touched the ground.” glaring at me, despite me not being able to see any of its
1: Tectonic Shift: When you move Terrain you didn’t eyes. I’m getting shivers just thinking about it!”
create or another character, you create a piece of Terrain 1: Fluttering Form: When you end your turn or are
with 10 Health and 0 Armor in the space it left. targeted by an attack you may spend 1 Focus to release
2: Earthen Shards: When you destroy or move a piece a “Swarm” in your or the attacker’s space. Swarms are
of terrain, you may deal [Tier] damage to all enemies spaces of difficult terrain that only restrict enemies and
adjacent to its new position. Each enemy can only be deal [Tier] damage to enemies who enter them or start
damaged by this effect once per Turn. their Turn in them. When you start your Turn you may
3: Stone Soldiers: When you Cast or use a Spirit move each of your Swarms up to 3 spaces.
Finisher, you may move a piece of terrain adjacent to 2: Vanish Into Flies: When you Disappear you may also
you into a space adjacent to your target. Doing so gives create 3 Swarms within 2 spaces of the space you left.
the Attack 3 Advantage and destroys the terrain after 3: Devour: When an enemy would take damage from a
the Attack resolves. Swarm while two or more other Swarms are within 2
spaces of it you may remove those additional Swarms
from the board to Blight the enemy who took damage
and deal [Tier x 2] damage to them.

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Siren | ★ ★ | Investigate, Effects, Avoidance Mind Breaker | ★ ★ | Cast, Mind, Restricting

“Lure and tempt, free them all of their inhibitions, show “Day 4: I still haven’t seen any of my fellow keepers, it
them that the world holds better things for you and seems we’ve all fallen to the same curse affecting me,
them, before you rip it all away.” this fog goes on forever and strange beasts accost me
1: “You wouldn’t hurt ME, would you?”: Gain 3 Focus at every turn. My energy is running low, and I can only
at the start of each Scene. When you Investigate an hope those beasts are edible.”
enemy, you may spend 1 Focus to Fear them. 1: “Where Are You?”: While Casting on your Turn You
2: Irresistible: Once per turn when you Fear a character can deal no damage. If you do, this Cast instead
you may force them to move up to 3 spaces towards banishes a single character within range. Characters
you, if they move into adjacency with you, you may you’ve Banished can be targeted, but if they are dealt
Daze them and gain 1 Focus. damage by a non-Banished player character they lose
3: “A little help over here?”: When you Spirit or Mind Banished. You may have any number of characters
Finisher a character, you may have all enemies affected Banished at a time.
by Fear move their Speed towards your target and deal 2: “Where Am I?”: Your first Cast each Turn that uses
[Tier] damage to them if they’re adjacent. “Where Are You?” is Swift. When you have two or more
enemies banished at the end of your Turn, you may
move each of them [Mind] spaces. If two or more of
them move adjacent to each other you may force each
Wave Rider | ★ ★ | Casts, Displacement, Support
of them to attack another adjacent enemy.
3: “Who Are They?”: If an enemy starts their Turn and
Yvon was never known for much, didn’t make a fuss,
all enemies are Banished create two ‘Dark Illusions’.
didn’t make enemies, and didn't make a name for
Dark Illusions are NPCS that are always Banished,
himself. But there were places where his name was
cannot be targeted or damaged, cannot take Turns, and
whispered in reverence. Old knights told tales of the boy
have one attack that rolls 5 + [Tier] dice and deals
most free, never chained down, no kings, no clients, no
damage equal to their hits. They count as enemies for
masters. Never lingering, he appeared silently and
the purpose of using “Where Am I?”.
passed through crowds like flowing water. Though
sometimes this reputation bothered him, he felt his life
could do with a little more attachment.
1: Gentle Waves: Your Casts that target one empty
space are always Swift, and the first Cast you use on
your Turn that fits this condition has no Cost. When you
target an empty space with a Cast or Spirit Finisher, you
may place a ‘Wave Seal’ in that space, up to a
maximum of 4 + your Tier Wave Seals placed at a time.
When a character (allies must be willing) start their turn
in or move into a space with a Wave Seal, you may
remove it to do one of the following:
‣ Move them up to 2 spaces in a Line.
‣ Launch them.
2: Momentous Waves: When you move yourself or an
ally with the effect of a Technique, the character who
was moved deals 1 additional damage on their next
Attack on their Turn, up to a max of [Spirit].
3: Aqua Cage: If an enemy has a Wave Seal in each of
their adjacent spaces, you may remove those Seals to
Launch, Daze, and Immobilize them. Each enemy can
only be affected by this once per Scene.

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 ★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Gale Strider | ★ ★ ★ | Casts, Spirit, Displacement Inner World | ★ ★ ★ | Breathing, Spirit, Restricting

“True freedom doesn’t exist in this world. Even the wind “It’s a bit dirty out here for a fight don’t you think? Let's
cannot blow on forever.” take this somewhere a little more, orderly.”
1: Growing Winds: When you Cast targeting an 1: Gaze Deeply: When you Charge you may forgo the
unoccupied space or Jump, you may place a ‘Typhoon’ Focus you would gain to Immobilize an enemy in a
in the targeted space / space you left, and all spaces range equal to the Focus you would have gained.
adjacent to it, replacing all other Typhoons you’ve 2: Domain Of Control: Once per Scene when you inflict
created. When a character ends their Turn in a Typhoon an Effect to a character you may Teleport them and
you may move all characters in the Typhoon 1 space in yourself to any space in your ‘Inner World’ a separate
the same direction. 3x3 board that no other characters have access to.
2: Updraft: When you end your Turn you may move any Once you K.O. them or they deal a Wound to you, you
Typhoons 3 spaces in a Line. Any characters who enter Teleport all living characters in your Inner World to a
the Typhoon through this movement are pushed 1 space on the edge of the normal board.
space in the direction it is moving and are Launched if 3: Home Turf: While in your Inner World, you gain [Tier]
they are an enemy. Advantage on all attacks and Duels (this feature carries
3: Mountain Carver: “Growing Winds” and “Updraft” over to the Duel despite it not being combat). “Domain
can now move Terrain as well as characters. When you Of Control” is now [Spirit] times per Scene instead of
move a piece of Terrain outside of a Typhoon you may once per Scene.
have it continue its movement until it moves adjacent to
a character, dealing [Tier] damage to that character. If a
piece of Terrain is moved to the edge of the board
Mage’s Array | ★ ★ ★ | Breathing, Spirit, Restricting
through this feature, it is destroyed.
“Look at where you’re standing. Perhaps it’s more
accurate to say you “were” winning. In the afterlife,
Hunter | ★ ★ ★ | Skirmish, Mind, Displacement practice your situational awareness.”
1: Inscribe: When you Breathe, you may place a ‘Rune’
“Just… one… more… step…” on a space within 4 range. When you Charge you may
1: Steel Jaws: Your Skirmishes that target one empty attempt to connect 3 or more Runes you’ve placed with
space are always Swift. When you target an empty Lines to form a polygon, and then Spirit or Mind Finisher
space with a Skirmish or Mind Finisher, you may place a targeting all spaces in this polygon (including its lines) at
‘Small Trap’ in that space, when an enemy moves over a no cost, this removes the Runes.
Small Trap their movement is stopped and you may 2: Readjust: Before connecting the lines when using
swiftly Skirmish them regardless of range at no Cost. “Inscribe” you may Teleport any/all of your Runes up to
2: Far Setting: Your Skirmishes that do not target 3 spaces in any direction.
characters have an additional 3 range. Your Skirmishes 3: Prison Of Your Own Design: When you use the
that come from “Steel Jaws” Immobilize your target. Charge portion of “Inscribe” you may leave the lines on
3: Pit Trap: When you set a 2 x 2 area of Small Traps the board until you next use it. The spaces these Lines
you may convert them into a “Pit Trap”, changing the cover are Difficult Terrain for opponents.
area into Low Terrain and combining the 4 traps into one
“Giant Trap”. Giant Traps function identically to Small
Traps except they let you use a Mind Finisher on the
target instead of a Skirmish.

96
 Ruiner

Ambitious and impactful, build up your ultimate spell and obliterate. Techniques with high impact and cost.
Almost all of these Techniques give you high damage setups for Spirit Finishers, Spirit is a must.

97
 ★ Complexity Techniques

Bombardier | ★ | Finishers, Spirit, AOE, Expensive Spellcrafter | ★ | Casts, Mind, Versatile

“Explosion!” “Everyone thinks an idiot of an innovator.”

1: Explosion!!: Your Spirit Finisher can now target a 1: Experimentation: Gain one of the ‘Augments’ listed
space in 4 Range and all spaces adjacent to it instead below. You start every Scene with [Mind] ‘Innovation’
of its normal targeting. charges, and may spend one of those charges when
2: Explosion!!!: When you spend 2 or more Focus on a you Cast or use a Spirit Finisher to apply an Augment
Spirit Finisher, you may have it target a 3x3 Zone you have. These bonuses are as follows:
centered on a space within 5 range. ‣ Dire Augment: Damage dealt by this attack is
3: EXPLOSION!!!!: When you spend 4 or more Focus on increased by [Mind].
a Spirit Finisher, you may have it target a 5x5 Zone ‣ Focused Augment: This attack now targets a 5 space
centered on a space within 6 range.
Line adjacent to you.
‣ Wild Augment: This attack now targets a 2x2 Zone
within 3 range.
Rapid-Fire Sorcery | ★ | Casts, AOE
‣ Salient Augment: The range, and the length of lines
created by this attack, are increased by [Mind].
“No, No, NO! Try showing me up when reduced to ash!”
2: Solidification: Gain an additional Augment. You no
1: Proliferate: When you Cast or Spirit Finisher, you longer have Innovation charges and may use
may spend 1 Focus to ‘Rapid Fire’ instead. While Rapid Experimentation by spending 1 Focus, your starting
Firing, you roll damage before targeting (meaning you Focus is increased my [Mind].
cannot be affected by things that apply advantage / 3: Finalization: Gain an additional Augment. You may
disadvantage when targeting) and may divide all apply two different Augments to any Cast or Finisher so
damage dealt between any spaces or characters within long as you pay for both.
5 range. You don't need to divide this damage equally.
2: Scorched Earth: When you would deal damage to an
empty space, you may turn it into Difficult Terrain. The
first time enemies move into or start their Turn in Difficult Student Of Stars | ★ | Finishers, Spirit, Expensive
Terrain you created each Turn, they receive [Tier]
damage. “Feel the power flow into you, the ears ring with pops
3: Endless Fire [ Charge → Cast ]: The Cast gains and snaps, the forearms go numb and the feet are
Advantage equal to the number of different enemies you rooted, with the earth below being your last resort in
could target + [Tension]. case everything else goes wrong. Remember your
teachings and chants, only when every single one fails
will you really know what you’re capable of.”
Ritualist | ★ | Finishers, Breathing, Spirit 1: Power Unleashed [ Charge → Finisher ]: The
Finisher has its Cost reduced to 1. When you use this
“Glyphs intertwine, paths converge—within this Finisher, you spend up to triple the Tension in Focus.
mesmerizing dance of foci, magic finds purpose.” 2: Formless Strength: When you use “Power
1: Ley Lines: When you Charge you may place a ‘Spell Unleashed” you can have it target a ∞ length Line or a
Circle’ in your current space, removing any you’ve 2x2 space Zone adjacent to you.
already created. When in a Spell Circle space, your 3: Moment Of Truth: If you enter a Duel with 6 or more
Spirit Finishers can target enemies in 5 range.
Focus you may expend all of it to gain Advantage in that
2: Arcane Artillery: When affected by a Spell Circle,
your first Spirit Finisher each Turn has 3 additional range Duel equal to half the Focus you spent.
and gains [Tension] Advantage.
3: Fractal Etchings: If you Charge while on a Spell
Circle, you may enhance it for the Scene, doubling the
effects of “Arcane Artillery”. A Spell Circle can't be
enhanced multiple times.

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 ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Dramaturge | ★ ★ | Spirit/Mind, Finishers Flame Heart | ★ ★ | Spirit, Casts, Effects

“Why so glum, you’re living in hallowed times! I’ve even “What approached me in that moon-lit pavilion was no
graced you with my presence! Enjoy it while you can!” elf, the way their eyes glowed was unnatural, the flames
1: All Eyes On Me: Once per Action, when you roll a that licked from the ground to their legs, it felt too
practiced, and the way they bled looked almost like they
Crit for any reason, you may spend 1 AP or 3 Focus to
wanted this to happen.”
‘Elevate’ the roll. When you Elevate describe how your
1: Rev Up: When you Breathe you may ‘Ignite’, receiving
character adds some dramatic flair or additional detail to
up to 6 damage and Blighting yourself to receive an
the roll they’re taking and increase the Tension by 1. additional Focus for every 2 damage taken. You receive
2: Snatch Their Fire: When you increase Tension, half the damage from Blight.
create ‘Drama’ instead. Drama increases Tension by it’s 2: Damning Impact: If you Cast or use a Spirit Finisher
value on player’s Turns, being turned back into Drama while Blighted, you gain [Tension] Advantage, and Blight
on enemy Turns. your target. When you would Blight an enemy who’s
already Blighted you deal [Tier] damage.
3: Power In Presentation: When you Elevate specific
3: Ashes To Ashes: Your Casts gain 1 Advantage. Your
actions, they receive a bonus: Spirit Finisher has a range of 5 and removes Blight from
‣ Finisher: Deal [Tension] additional damage (counting its target and yourself after targeting, if it removes any
the Tension added via Elevate). Blight it additionally targets enemies in two crossing
‣ Charge: Gain AP equal to the AP spent on this Action diagonal 5 space Lines centered on the target in the
(not including AP spent on Elevate). shape of an “X”.
‣ Cast: You may Mark, Immobilize, Taunt, or Fear your
target, if multiple Crits were rolled choose one additional
Frost Veiler | ★ ★ | Casts, Spirit, Restricting
option for each Crit.

“Each incantation is a flurry of frozen elegance,

conjuring storms of ice and swirls of snow.”
Feral Arcana | ★ ★ | Body, Casts, Finishers 1: Chill: Your successful Casts Slow your target(s).
2: Icicle Halo: Your Casts gain 1 Advantage. Begin
“Magic isn’t a thing you own, you don’t create it and you tracking “Icicle”, a 4 Segment Clock that empties after
aren't its master. The magi borrow from something each Scene. When you gain Focus, fill one Segment.
greater than themselves, it's only natural that I return the When you Breathe you may replace its effect with
favor once in a while.” emptying the Clock and deal [Spirit/2] damage to a
1: Vorpal Claw: Your Cast can now only target one character within 5 range once for each Segment
character within 2 range and Snares the target, this emptied. If this damage targets a Slow character,
overrides any range or targeting modifiers or Immobilize them.
replacements outside this Technique. You may Roll 3: Shatter: Your Spirit Finishers can target enemies in 5
Body instead of Spirit for Cast’s Roll. range. When you target an Immobilized character with a
2: Unchain [ Charge → Interact]: If Interact targets Spirit Finisher, the Narrator must tell you their Health, if
you, begin tracking ‘Fury’ a 6 Segment Clock, and fill their Health is equal to or lower than [Spirit] you knock
one Segment for each adjacent enemy + [Tension]. If them out. When you KO a character using “Shatter”,
you have Fury Segments, you can only spend AP on Slow enemies within 3 spaces of the target.
Jumps & Finishers, and doing either empties one. In
Fury, Jumps are Swift, and after you Jump Swiftly Cast
at no Cost targeting ALL adjacent characters. When
Fury empties, remove it, and you’re Dazed.
3: Grasp: Your Casts gain 1 Advantage. If you have at
least 1 Fury Segment and you use a Body Finisher, you
may spend all your Fury Segments to gain [Tension]
Advantage and move up to 3 spaces before targeting.

99
Grim Ascendant | ★ ★ | Delayed, Spirit, Casts Mana Blades | ★ ★ | Casts, Skirmishes
Transformation. Can’t take with other transformations.
“My spirit was focused, ready. I have honed it into a
sharpness few things have ever known. It is almost
It started from the extremities furthest from his heart. disappointing that most will only see it once.”
Beat by beat, Otes lost feeling in his fingers and toes.
After legs came his sight, he must rely on his instinct. 1: Call Arms: Choose a Technique with the “Weapon”
And finally it enveloped him, a dark blessing, a grim Tag that you don't have, it’s added to your ‘Arsenal’.
perversion of the natural world, an immoral exploitation When you Breathe or Charge, you may ‘Forge’ a number
of his masters, and the only chance he had left. of Techniques from your ‘Arsenal’ equal to the focus
1: Impermanent Power: Once per Scene, when you gained. When you Cast with a Forged Technique, you
Charge with at least 2 Tension, you may ‘Transform’, must use one to gain the 1st level of that Technique for
gaining 1 AP, pushing all enemies within 2 range 3 the cast and make it count as a Cast and a Skirmish.
spaces away, and losing Health until you reach 1,
2: Blade Storm: Add a weapon to your Arsenal. When
gaining the Health lost + [Spirit] in Focus. While you’re
Transformed the first Cast of your Turn is Swift and you start your Turn with 2 or more Forged Techniques,
Health loss / gain affects your Focus instead. When you Strengthen yourself and make your first Cast Swift.
are reduced to 0 Focus while Transformed, you lose the 3: Saintly Sword, Excalibur: Add a weapon to your
Transformation and become Dazed. Arsenal. When you Spirit Finisher while Strengthened, it
2: Drain Life: When you use a Spirit Finisher while targets an enemy within 5 spaces, can use “Call Arms”,
transformed, you may begin ‘Draining’ your target,
provides all three levels of the Technique chosen, and
Immobilizing yourself and the target until the start of
either of your next Turns, if neither of you take damage counts as a Body / Talent AND Spirit Finisher.
before the effect is lost you gain [Spirit] Focus.
3: Umbra: When you lose your Transformation, you may
use a Spirit Finisher targeting yourself and enemies in a Sellsword’s Call | ★ ★ | Casts, Spirit, Expensive
3x3 Zone centered on yourself. If you’re Tier 3 or higher
you may Daze yourself and spend 2 Focus to transform The Keepers of Lear had some of the strangest partners.
as soon as you deploy regardless of Tension. The Faeries rarely take the shape of elves, seeming to
prefer hounds and rodents. Their reputation for violence
is worse than those animals they imitate.
Long Draw | ★ ★ | Weapon, Talent, Movement 1: A Warrior’s Reprise: Your Casts gain 2 Advantage.
When you would Cast without a ‘Sellsword’ marker, first
“Eros, a $20k compound bow custom-made for easy create one in a space within [Spirit] range. Your Casts
disassembly and shots from a distance upwards of 2000 only treat spaces adjacent to your Sellsword as being
meters. It boasts a draw of 200 lbs and the ability to within range. If you move while you have a Sellsword
pierce military grade armor. It’s Mayflower’s calling card, you may move them the same distance.
and one of the few things that proves they ever existed.” 2: Warrior’s Fury: Once per Round, on your Turn, while
1: Nock The Arrow: Gain a new Action, ‘Prepare’. you have a Sellsword, you may spend 1/3/6/10 Focus to
Prepare costs 1 AP, is Swift, and gives you one ‘Prep’. ‘Spark’ a character adjacent to your Sellsword 1/2/3/4
times. A Spark deals 1 damage to its target and counts
Once per Turn, When you Skirmish or Talent Finisher,
as a Swift Cast; features other than this Technique
spend your Prep to gain 2 additional range & Advantage cannot change a Spark’s targeting or damage.
for each Prep spent, up to a maximum of 6 Prep. 3: Supreme Sellsword: Once per Scene when you
2: Feather Step: When you Prepare, you may move one Charge you may replace your Sellsword with a
space so long as you don't move adjacent to an enemy. Summoned DPS NPC at the same Tier as you placed in
3: Lord Piercer [ Prepare × 3 ]: Gain 1 AP, your next the closest unoccupied space. While it’s a Summon you
cannot Cast. At the end of the Summon’s Turn next
Skirmish or Finisher this Scene (can’t stack) targets all
Round it turns back into a Sellsword in the same space.
characters in an adjacent Line with a length equal to its
range. If said Attack targets a character at the attack’s
maximum Range or the edge of the board, the attack
deals additional damage equal to the Prep spent.

100
Void Soul | ★ ★ | Avoidance, Spirit, Movement Zealot | ★ ★ | Cast, Spirit, Self-Effects

“You’ve been told you’re hard to notice, easy to ignore. “The brass has sullied all we hold sacred! The machine
If only they knew how right they were.” is in the garden, and nectar coats its teeth!”
1: Return To Nothing: When you Teleport you may 1: Heretical Devotion: Begin tracking ‘Insight’, a 6
Banish yourself, making this feature unusable until the Segment Clock that’s emptied after each Scene. Once
end of your next Turn. per Action, when you roll a 1 for any reason, you may
2: Fade Away: The first time you Dodge or move to the spend 1 Focus to fill an Insight Segment. When you
edge of the board each round, you can spend 1 Focus Charge, Cast, or Spirit Finisher, you may empty an
to Teleport to another space on the edge of the board. Insight Segment to have your final Hit count treated as
3: Hollow Heart: Begin tracking ‘Void’, a 6 Segment [Spirit + Tier] x 2 minus the number of Hits rolled.
Clock that’s emptied after every Scene. When you 2: Freak: When you start your Turn with 4 or more
Teleport, become Banished, or Disappear fill one Insight Segments filled, you may Strengthen yourself
Segment on your Clock, when you Spirit Finisher while and have every character inflict Fear on you.
the Clock is filled you may empty the clock to ‘Blot The 3: Never Meant To Be: When you use a Spirit Finisher
Stars’, targeting all enemies in a 5x5 zone centered on with a full Insight Clock, you may empty all the
the center of the board, dealing half damage to each. Segments to have it target two intersecting ∞ length
lines anywhere on the board. All characters targeted are
moved one space off of the line in a direction of your
choice and the targeted spaces are removed from the
Thunder Blood | ★ ★ | Casts, Movement, Self-Effects
game, destroying any Terrain on them or connected to
them. If a character would enter one of these spaces,
“Plenty of kids in this country have spent sleepless
they are instead Teleported to the closest space on the
nights watching the White Hounds, sparks flying down
opposite side of the Line.
mountains and trees, descending from the clouds.
Inevitably they’ll be told by those older and wiser that
there’s no such thing, and when I was that age I almost
listened. Thank god I didn’t, the wind against my face is
so exhilarating at this height.”
1: Raiden: Begin tracking ‘Static’, a 6 Segment Clock
that’s emptied after each Scene. When you roll more
Hits on a roll than you have Segments, Hasten yourself
and fill a Segment, or two segments if at least one of
those rolls were a Crit. When you fill this clock, empty it,
Daze yourself, and Swiftly Cast targeting all enemies
within 4 range.
2: Energized Incantation: When you Cast, you can
empty a Static Segment to do one of the following:
‣ Blink: Teleport to a space adjacent to your target
‣ Shock: Inflict Daze.
‣ Chain: Swiftly Cast a different enemy in 5 range of
initial target at no cost (this cannot spend static).
3: Tactical Discharge: While you have at least 3 Static,
Your Casts Crit on 5s or 6s. When you fill your Static
Clock by casting or using a Spirit Finisher you may
Teleport to a space within 4 range before emptying it.

101
 ★ ★ ★ Complexity Techniques

Creation Ascetic | ★ ★ ★ | Breathing, Spirit, Attacks Ego Arm | ★ ★ ★ | Spirit, Finishers, AOE
Alt Resource. Can't take with other alt resources.
Two minds as one, united in a pursuit of glory.

“This city is a heretical idol, incomplete, unstable, and 1: I Am Your Sword: After Deploying or Breathing
fallen to vice. My men and I have tried to negotiate its adjacent to a willing ally you may ‘Transform’, making
salvation, but these creatures seem unable to save them your ‘Wielder’. While Transformed you take up the
themselves. Be thankful we are so graceful.” same space as your Wielder, can't be targeted, can’t
1: Forming Signs: You now use ‘Creation Marks’ move, can use their attributes when you need to roll one
instead of Focus. You start all Scenes with no Marks. of yours, and if your Wielder takes a Wound you do the
You can only gain Marks using Breathe and Charge. same. Either of you can split at the start of your Turns,
When you make an attack with any number of Creation
placing you in an unoccupied adjacent space.
Marks you must spend all of them and gain an effect
based on the number spent and the Attack used. 2: Show Your Targets: You may move on your Turn
1-2 & Cast: Crossing Nails: Target two adjacent 3 space while transformed, moving your Wielder with you.
Lines where at least 1 space of each overlaps. 3: And I’ll Become Irreplaceable: When you transform,
3+ & Cast: Impossible Mallet: Target every enemy determine you and your wielder’s highest combined
exactly 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 spaces away from you, dealing Attribute (choosing between ties), and give both of you a
additional damage equal to this number.
feature based on what it is;
1-2 & Finisher: Celestial Pile-Arm: Gain 2 Advantage.
Your target is pushed as far as possible, and receives Body: Heavy Arm: Before targeting with Finishers move
one damage for every space pushed up to 3 spaces in a Line, dealing [Partner’s Body]
3+ & Finisher: Living Idol Gain 4 Advantage. Target up to damage to enemies you move adjacent to.
6 spaces adjacent to each other where one is adjacent Talent: Bladed Arm: When moving you ignore enemies
to you, these spaces also become high-ground. and gain [Partner’s Talent] Evasion if you moved through
2: One True World: Your first Breath you use on your at least one enemy.
turn is Swift, your Charge has its cost reduced to 1. Spirit: Ranged Arm: Your Finishers can target characters
When you deal damage to or destroy terrain you gain a up to [Partner’s Spirit] spaces away, when they target
Creation Mark. one character at that range exactly they also deal [Your
3: Labor Of The Devout [ Cast → Finisher ]: This Spirit] additional damage.
Finisher counts as having spent an equal amount of Mind: Complex Arm: At the end of your Turn Mark all
Creation Marks as the Cast used before it. enemies you attacked, when you attack a Marked
enemy gain [Partner’s Mind] Focus.

102
Narrator Tools

This section is for those who want to run an Adventure themselves. good luck!

103
 Narrator Tools
Unlike many of the sections prior, this section is meant to give suggestions to its reader rather than explaining
hard-and-fast rules. What things CAN you do, what things might be most interesting, and how you could run an
interesting game of DAWN as a Narrator.

Outside of some rules meant to explain how NPCs operate in structured combat, this section contains advice and
optional rules for Narrators to use in their games, and is not necessary to read for most players.

Running A series Example Of Play: Act 1 Hooks

Some aspects of DAWN’s “vibe” should be obvious to
A group of students training to become [Ambitions] are
you if you read through the previous sections (which you
being brought to a practical testing site off of their usual
should do if you haven’t yet). This should be able to
stuffy campus, though when instructors are questioned
inform a lot of how a game would be run, what work
why the testing has to be done in this way their answers
should inspire your Series, a Series’ pacing may be
are inconclusive.
obvious to you, but there are some parts of running
that tend to trip Narrators up, especially those without
TTRPG experience. Act 2: confrontation
The 2nd act, or the “rising action”, can be defined
Structuring Chapters through its focus on increasing tension and involving
Though there are no hard rules for how a Narrator can the players (characters) in the action as directly as
write and run a Chapter, the way that I (Joel) find it possible, without cutting off a route to a dramatic finish.
easiest to plan one—Especially on short notice—is to
follow a simplified three act structure. The most important part of this act to consider as a
Quartermaster is why the story doesn’t end here. This
Act 1: setup should be where your players first face resistance,
Sometimes done through narration, the setup is meant be it a Leviathan encounter or through their hunt being
to give players, and to a lesser extent the characters interrupted with a new confrontation, and in either case
they control, context for the remaining acts. In terms the players will probably try to end it there. They’re liable
of what context can / should be provided, I would to kill the Leviathan, push past the interruption, do
consider the following points essential to cover for whatever they can, and for one reason or another
running this game specifically: they’re going to need to try something else.

How does the average person see your players? Act 3: resolution
As expected from its name, the goal of the resolution is
Why are the players together right now?
to make the players feel rewarded for making it past the
How does what’s happening right now connect to trials you’ve thrown at them through Act 2.
the ambition of at least one character?
If you only plan to run 1 chapter make sure to wrap up
These don’t need to be individually stated or outright as many loose ends as possible, gauging your players
confirmed in any way, so long as you have an answer energy and enthusiasm to see how much of it should be
ready for the players if they ask, or have a reason why played through and how much you can narrate to
they can’t know the answer. completion. If you’re planning to continue, keep 1 or
two story threads obviously unsolved, you could even
try throwing in a mention to what setups are still left.

104
Introducing Threats The Fall / Rise
Outside direct combat, the main method a Narrator has The results are in, the players you pushed, or who
to threaten players and push them to action, is through pushed themselves have rolled and succeeded or failed
the use of Threats (hence the name). and you’ve gotta move forward.

The First look For players who’ve failed, show the consequences,
Threats, like characters or stories, should be memorable deal with the ones you already told them about when
for your players, not something to drop in front of them the push happened, and then show what other threats
without context. Before using Rolls or consequences, came up because of this. A leaping attack from an
give a solid description of your Threat. enemy pins you to the floor, and there’s another blow
coming, can any of your friends help you? A building
For threatening characters this is often their; mood, collapsing around you damages you, but since you
expression, posture, or general vibe. Show why failed to escape you still need to find a way out?
they’re about to become a Threat and give players a
chance to try to change it. Those who succeed can move forward with what they
want, but also ask what else is happening around
For environmental threats these are sounds, gut them. If other players fail to show what's happening to
feelings, and the things that are changing around your them, if the problem they’re facing is persistent, show
players. Players with athletic or magically powerful it’s next step and if that presents a Threat.
characters should be shown this is their time to act
if they want to try to deal with it. Take inventory
Now you’ve successfully resolved a Threat, and you can
Take a breath after this initial description, if a player move on to the next thing, but be sure you’ve still got
wants to take action, that’s their time, if not it’s time to everything going to plan.
push them.
Be sure to remember what the average Stress is
The Push among players, don’t want to KO someone when you
The action springs to life, players who you feel are didn’t plan for that to be a threat at all.
vulnerable in the current scene are targeted down by the
Threat and forced into action. Be sure you’re still moving towards the next act, want
to make sure your threats have a purpose.
Describe what’s happening to this / these player(s) and
ask them how they react, optionally giving them an And be sure all your players are doing well, if people
example of the “path of least resistance”, telling them don’t seem into it you can always call for a break.
what they could roll with their stats skills to try to get
out. Once they decide how they want to roll, tell them
what’ll happen if they fail (in most cases this can just
be taking a Stress, or 2 Stress in extreme danger).

Decide as they Roll if you want the roll to be standard

difficulty (1 + Tier hits) or if it’s 1 / 2 higher or lower, then
move to the next step.

105
Creating Antagonists The Method
Most major conflicts in a Series will be caused by an For most people this ambition would not be possible to
Antagonist, a non-player character (NPC) opposing the achieve, for the antagonist this isn’t the case.
players. Antagonists can vary widely in scope, as small
as the leader of an opposing gang, or as large as a Give them more authority over the world than the
world-ending threat. One consistent element is that average person. Be it through political power, an
an Antagonist is always named. insane ability, or a massive thrall of those loyal to them.
Importantly it’s good to know what, if anything, the
It could easily be argued that—in most DAWN games— Antagonist had to sacrifice to have access to this
the series’ main Antagonist is the most important method, and how it affects the two steps previous.
element of the story other than the player characters,
and it’s important to recognize that. The Person
With those three points you have the skeleton for your
All Antagonists serve two main functions; to create Antagonist: a person who wants to [Ambition], whose
threats for the players, as a narrator’s proxy, letting [Rejection] pushed them to use [Method].
you directly impact and influence players towards
specific goals. And to serve as a target for the From this point, the details, and how many of those
player's Bond based abilities in unstructured play. details you choose to explore, are up to you. Just be
sure to add something, a quirk, a look, a voice, players
The Ambition are meant to bond with them after all.
To best accomplish the first function of an antagonist,
it’s important to understand where the players Joel's Notes: Steal Ideas
should be pushed. An Antagonist should always be If you like a way a character you know does one of
moving towards some goal, something grand enough these steps, feel free to steal it! This is compartmental,
that it requires the length of your series to accomplish. so copying one part does not at all mean that the whole
idea will be “unoriginal” by any means, and even if it did
An easy way to do this is to think of something that the I don’t think it would matter too much.
average member of the world would see as a major
problem, poverty, exploitation, or lost knowledge are all
valid responses. An Antagonist’s ambition does not
need to be complex or antagonistic on its own.

The rejection
Then, figure out what makes it so they couldn't do
what they want without opposing the players.

Something has come in the way of their ambition, and

because of it, this person had to push themselves to do
something that has set them against the party. Be it a
lack of resources, a lack of compassion, or lack of
companions, the world around the Antagonist has
made it incredibly difficult or impossible to move
forward with their ambition without new methods.

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Antagonism Antagonist Actions
When a Series starts the Narrator should begin tracking These points can be spent on one of the following
Antagonism, their version of Influence. They get an Antagonist Actions, at a cost of 1 point each. The
amount equal to the number of players in their game, Actions are as follows.
and gain one more whenever players spend Influence.
Unstructured play.

Foil: This Narrator can negate a Reward for a player,

so long as it directly relates to an Antagonist. Said
player gains 2 Influence.

Bargain: When a player would receive a reward that

would affect an Antagonist, the Narrator can present
an additional threat that will be inflicted upon that
player if they receive the reward. The player may give
up their reward and gain 1 Influence or go through
with it anyway and take the threat.

Structured combat.

All Out: The Narrator can reroll a roll made by an

enemy, that roll hits on 3s or higher. The roll’s target(s)
gain 1 Influence.

Break Out: This Narrator can have an enemy move or

attack outside of the normal turn order. If a player is
attacked they gain 1 Influence.

Any form of play.

Escape: The Narrator has an NPC leave the scene

with one of the following: a new plan, a permanent
injury, or a new power.

Awaken: The Narrator reveals some hitherto unknown

plan or element of a character. An Antagonist may only
do this once in a Series, but doing so has them gain
[Tier x 2] Antagonism.

Duel: In place of an attack on their Turn in combat or

at any time in unstructured play the Narrator can have
the Antagonist force a player adjacent to them into a
Duel, where said Antagonist has Tier additional
Advantage.

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Resolving Conflicts Moving Into Struggle
One of the most common failings of DAWN narrators is To expand on the point made in the escalation table,
misusing structured combat. Throughout all parts of structured combat, though it is the main and most
DAWN, players are likely to get into fights, whether detailed way to represent a physical conflict, is meant to
they started them or not. Depending on the style of your represent combat between two relatively equal parties.
game, the attitude of your players, and the weight that
conflict has on your story, that conflict should be If players are being threatened by a Antagonist, above
resolved in different ways. their scale in some way, it may be more impactful to
have them roll better in Duels, or introduce a Clock that
An easy method for this is to follow escalation. represents the player’s defeat, than forcing players into
a long winded combat meant to beat them. In the
1: Establish the stakes and conditions of a conflict same way that you wouldn’t force players into combat
naturally in unstructured play, moving into duels or when interrogating the last member of a team of villains,
other contested rolls to establish the scene. it takes too long and is largely unnecessary.

If the opposition is far weaker or stronger than the (You could also just avoid combat if you don’t have time
participating players, the conflict can end there. left in the chapter to do it.)
2: If not, describe the struggle, transitioning into a full
structured combat that can emulate a real back and Player Versus Player
There could be times where two player characters could
forth battle between the two parties.
have a conflict between each other, and due to these
If you already had combat that chapter or it feels more characters being represented by real people it’s better
fitting, you could also extend the conflict through a not to use any mechanical resolutions that would
clock or puzzle presented in unstructured play. ignore the players consent.

Initiating Conflict Instead try to use a system more based on improv.

As implied with the escalation above, by default players When a player character wants to take action against
are in unstructured play and are not going to be in another their controller should state the Threat as if
conflict with anyone, and the main way of initiating they’re a Narrator, and rather than rolling or otherwise
conflict with another character, is to Duel them. mechanically opposing it, the defending player can
continue the threat with either:
As a Narrator it’s important to consider the fact that you
can make your Antagonists initiate these Duels and “No”: The Threat does not happen and the characters
put players into a struggle. Characters can obviously can attempt to disengage from the conflict.
also just try to start fighting people, but consider
“Yes”: The Threat was cool so it happens to the
introducing clocks, forced rolls, or other consequences
defender as described.
for taking on the conflict on the story’s terms, rather
than forcing conflict with a Duel. “Yes, but…”: The Threat happens with an addendum
or some other alteration.

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 Building Structured Combat
NPC Rules NPC Tiers
As described in the Turn Order section, NPCs alternate All NPCs have a Tier, and are generally balanced to be
with Players, taking Actions until one side is taken out. about as strong as a player with the same Tier, not
accounting for Technique synergies, meaning players,
An NPC starts their turn with 2 AP, and they can especially those with more game knowledge and
spend it on any of their actions or to Stride. Like optimized kits, will likely be more powerful.
players, NPCs cannot use the same action multiple
times in the same Round. All NPCs are listed with “Tier 0” stats, with bonuses
listed next to them in square brackets. Like you
would scale any playerside technique, add these
NPC Aces And Tension
numbers to the enemy scaling off what tier you want
Every NPC has an ‘Ace’, an Action that they can take
them to be at.
when Tension reaches a certain value.

An NPC’s Ace is formatted as follows: “[Ace:TX] Name: Fodder Zones

Effect.”. The “X” is the amount of Tension required for When the narrative calls for a high number of
the Ace to be used. Once per Scene, when an NPC expendable foes that don’t match up to the players, the
starts their Turn while Tension is at or above X they Narrator can set Fodder Zones.
may use their Ace at the cost of 2 AP.
Fodder Zones are special pieces of Difficult Terrain
that don’t affect their allies, they can be targeted as
Summons
NPCs with 1 Health, they don't take Turns and can
Some NPCs will be created as “Summons”. This means
overlap with any character.
that they are created by an allied character. Summons
take their Turn immediately after their Summoner
When NPCs end their Turn, the Narrator moves each
ends their Turn, without other characters taking turns in
Fodder Zone up to 2 spaces. When the Round ends,
between. Summons cannot take Turns in any other way,
each Zone may deal 2 damage to a player they’re within
cannot use Aces, don’t generate Tension when Knocked
1 space of.
Out, and are immediately Knocked Out when their ally is
Knocked Out.
Fodder Zones summoned by players or NPCs that were
summoned by players move at the end of each player
NPCs summoned by players have their actions that
turn and deal damage to enemies.
refer to “players” or “enemies” swapped around.

(i.e. Actions that normally only target players now only

target enemies and vice versa.)

NPC Wounds
Players do not deal direct Wounds to NPCs, because
they don’t take Wounds, but there are some situations
where NPCs will take Wounds (mostly via Summons).
When an NPC takes a Wound, they take 10 un-
reducible damage instead.

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Encounter Design Compound NPCs
There are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to how Though powerful enemies can be represented by an
you want to create combat encounters for your players, NPC with a high Tier, it will often result in a flat and
but there are expectations. less interesting encounter than intended. For that
reason Narrators have the option to create ‘Compound
Basic Setup NPCs’.
As implied on the last page, an NPC with a Tier equal to
a player is what a player should be expected to fight. So A Compound NPC is a powerful character that is
the easiest way to create a combat is to Deploy NPCs mechanically represented by a group of NPCs that
with total Tiers equal to the players. So if there are 4 share the same space.
Tier 1 players their total Tiers is 4, and you could deploy
4 Tier 1 NPCs. When a Compound NPC is created, the Narrator
must choose two or more NPC Types to serve as its
Turning The Dial ‘Parts’. Each Part can take its Turn separately and
However, not all characters are made equal, and your functions as if it was an independent character.
table may have players with far more mastery over
the game’s systems than most, to increase challenge Perform the following to make a Compound NPC:
for them feel free to pump up the enemy tiers.
‣ A Compound NPC is considered one target and has
An easy combat should have: a single Health total equal to the sum of its Parts’
~Total NPC Tiers = total player Tiers. Health values. Effects applied to it apply to all Parts.

‣ Divide its Health by its number of Parts. The result is

A standard combat should have:
its ‘Health Gate’. When the total damage a Compound
~Total NPC Tiers = 1.5x total player Tiers.
NPC takes reaches a multiple of its Health Gate, all
other damage it would take past that point is reduced
A hard combat should have:
to 0 and the Tension increases by 1.
~Total NPC Tiers = 2x total player Tiers
‣ A Compound NPC has a single Speed equal to the
Using Fodder most common Speed of all its Parts (if there is more
Because the effects of Fodder are flat throughout each than one most common value, take the highest).
Tier, the number of Fodder you’d need to Deploy to
‣ A Compound NPC inherits the highest Armor or
have them equal the impact of one l one NPC will
Evasion among its Parts (if equal, choose one).
increase as the Tier increases.
‣ A Compound NPC inherits each of its Parts’
In general, one NPC is worth about 3 Fodder Zones plus Passives. Unless a Passive changes its other stats, it
its Tier, so a Tier one NPC is worth 4, and a Tier 3 NPC only applies to the Part it came from. A Passive cannot
is worth 6. remove it from Deployment.

‣ When any Part of a Compound NPC moves, all do.

Joel's Notes: Variety’s The Spice Of Life
All Parts must always be in the same space.
It’s important to know that every NPC in this game
provides a specific challenge, and threatens specific ‣ Effects that’re cleared at the end of a Compound
kinds of play more than others. When designing a fight, NPC’s Turn do so at the end of the Round instead.
be sure to make at least half of the NPCs threaten the
strengths of your players. If none of the players have
Armor you might not want to use a “Executioner”, an
NPC who specifically deals Shred, an effect that
reduces Armor.

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Antagonist Edges Back-stabbing | Sacrifices allies for their own survival.
There are times when Antagonists will be Deployed into
a structured combat as an NPC, sometimes because “Honorable” Sacrifice (Defense Reaction): When any
they are a unique character established before the NPC would be attacked, this may have one of its allies
combat, and sometimes because this combat is their teleport adjacent to it and become the target instead.
introduction. In any case, it is recommended that
Shirk The Blame (Start Of Turn): When this NPC
these NPCs are given access to one of the following begins its Turn while another NPC is adjacent to a
Antagonist Edges. player, they may have said NPC Taunt them.

Each Antagonist Edge gives three abilities, these “Seize Them!” (Phase Change): When this NPC would
abilities can be used freely up to 3 times spread across be Knocked Out or pass a Health Gate you may spend
all abilities each Scene, and can be used further by 2 Antagonism and give all players 1 Influence to deploy
2 Bodyguard NPCs with a Tier equal to this NPC’s, have
spending 1 Antagonist per use.
this gain [Tier x 5] Health, and [Tier x 3] Evasion.

The Antagonist Edges are as follows:

Cruel-Hearted | Sadistically debuffs and DOTs players.
Joel's Notes: Mutable Edges
Body Of Thorns (Defense Reaction): When this NPC
Though you may expect Edges to be a consistent
would be Attacked they may gain [Tier × 2] Armor. If the
element of an Antagonist’s rap sheet, almost like their
Attack’s damage is reduced to 1 the Attacker is
class, this isn’t exactly true. I recommend letting Blighted.
Antagonists swap between Edges as it suits the story or
gameplay. Sadist (Start Of Turn): When this NPC begins its Turn it
may clear Blight from any number of characters in the
An “All-Seeing” NPC may reveal their true face when scene, doing this Strengthens this NPC and deals [Tier
× 2] damage to all character’s affected.
exposed to a stressful situation, becoming a
“Wild-Eyed” NPC. You could even try making “Breath It In!” (Phase Change): When this NPC would
antagonists compound NPCs with their Edges attached be Knocked Out or pass a Health Gate you may spend
to their multiple profiles! 2 Antagonism and give all players 1 Influence to attach
a Contagion and Isolation Modifier with Tiers equal to
this NPC’s and have this restore [Tier x 5] Health.
All-Seeing | Master of battlefield control and range.
“Predictable” (Defense Reaction): When this NPC
would be Attacked they may gain [Tier × 2] Evasion. If
the Attack misses, this NPC may move up to 3 spaces
in any direction.

Piercing Vision (Misc Reaction): When this NPC is at

least 4 spaces away from a player and the player gets
attacked, this may Mark them (before the attack is rolled
or advantage is determined).

“...You’ve Forced My Hand” (Phase Change): When

this NPC would be Knocked Out or pass a Health Gate
you may spend 2 Antagonism and give all players 1
Influence to deploy 2 Artillery NPCs with Tiers equal to
this NPC’s and have this restore [Tier x 5] Health.

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God-Like | All-Rounder with tools to move players. Swift-Stepping | Assassin eliminating single players.
“BREAK” (Defense Reaction): When this NPC would Enter Shadow (Defense Reaction): When this NPC
be Attacked they may gain [Tier × 2] Armor. If the would be Attacked they may gain [Tier × 2] Evasion. If
Attack’s damage is reduced to 1 the Attacker is pushed the Attack misses, it teleports to a space on the edge of
3 spaces away and slowed. the board and Disappears.

“BEHOLD” (Start Of Turn): When this NPC begins its Dominate (Start Of Turn): When this NPC begins its
Turn it may choose a non-adjacent player and pull them Turn it may choose a character that hasn’t been
2 spaces towards themself. If the player is brought attacked since the start of its last turn, that character
adjacent, Daze them. becomes “Marked For Death”. When this NPC attacks a
character who’s been Marked For Death, they deal [Tier
“BOW TO ME” (Phase Change): When this NPC would
× 2] additional damage and remove the effect.
be Knocked Out or pass a Health Gate you may spend
2 Antagonism and give all players 1 Influence to deploy “Go To Sleep…” (Phase Change): When this NPC
2 Paladin NPCs with Tiers equal to this NPC’s and have would be Knocked Out or pass a Health Gate you may
this restore [Tier x 5] Health. spend 2 Antagonism & give all players 1 Influence to
Disappear and Strengthen this, have this restore [Tier x
5] Health, and give this [Tier x 3] Evasion.
Iron-Willed | Full force tank who can protect allies.
Guardian (Defense Reaction): When any NPC would Wild-Eyed | Bruiser benefiting from being in the mix.
be attacked, this NPC may teleport adjacent to the
attacker and gain [Tier × 2] Armor and force the attack Vicious Interception (Defense Reaction): When this
to target them. NPC would be attacked, they may force the attacker to
Clash with it instead (the enemy counts as having 3 +
Jabbing Insults (Start Of Turn): When this NPC begins
[Tier] Spirit for the Clash).
its Turn adjacent to a player, they may Taunt them.
Beastly Roar (Start Of Turn): When this NPC begins its
“Push The Line!” (Phase Change): When this NPC
Turn, it may ‘Roar’, clearing all Effects on it, dealing
would be Knocked Out or pass a Health Gate you may
Daze to opponents in 3 spaces of it, and pushing them
spend 2 Antagonism and give all players 1 Influence to
to the nearest space 4 spaces away from it
deploy 2 Swarm NPCs with a Tier equal to this NPC’s,
have this restore [Tier x 5] Health, and give this NPC “Crush Them All!” (Phase Change): When this NPC
[Tier] Armor. would be Knocked Out or pass a Health Gate you may
spend 2 Antagonism and give all players 1 Influence to
attach a Giant and Earthquake Modifier with Tiers equal
to this and have this restore [Tier x 5] Health.
Over-Confident | Evasion based bruiser with a cleanse.
“Go On And Try!” (Defense Reaction): When this NPC
would be Attacked, they may Mark themselves to gain World-Renowned | Supportive fighter with buffs.
[Tier × 2] Evasion after the attack.
Hero’s Interception (Defense Reaction): When any
Drop The Weight (Start Of Turn): When this NPC
NPC is attacked, this NPC may teleport adjacent to the
begins its Turn it may lose any amount of Evasion to
attacker and force the attacker to Clash with it instead.
move 4 spaces ignoring characters. If this NPC moves
through an opponent they take damage equal to the Inspiring Presence (Ally Turn Start): When another
Evasion spent. NPC begins its Turn, this NPC may have it Attack or
move an additional time.
Deafening Silence (Phase Change): When this NPC
would be Knocked Out or pass a Health Gate you may “Face Me!” (Phase Change): When this NPC would be
spend 2 Antagonism and give all players 1 Influence to Knocked Out or pass a Health Gate you may spend 2
remove all Negative Effects from this, make it unable to Antagonism and give all players 1 Influence to force a
gain Negative Effects for the remainder of the Scene, player into a Duel, have this restore [Tier x 5] Health, and
and have this restore [Tier x 5] Health. give this [Tier x 3] Evasion.

112
Example Deployments
The following pages list a number of different NPC Deployments you could use for combat. They are sorted by the Tier
and number of players they’re expected to be used against, and use the NPC Types listed in the next section.

Syndicate Squadron (easy) Tier 1 / 3 Players Rogue Dune Runners (easy) Tier 2 / 4 Players

Professional and coordinated warriors, with almost all Gleaming blades seen through the sandstorm, they
supporting their captain in some way. intend to end this battle before it passes.

The Knight Commander should always start on the A simple but effective NPC setup based around one
Mount, and the Squad Fodder Should be spreading thing and one thing alone, damage. The Viper and
out between their allies and the most forward Ronin are powerful NPCs on their own, and the
opponents. Privateer along with them create a powerful synergy
that ends with a staggering number of attacks.
‣ Knight Commander (T1 Executioner).
‣ Their Ride (T1 Mount). ‣ The Leader (T2 Viper).
‣ Their Squad (T1 Bodyguards). ‣ The Lancer (T2 Ronin).
‣ The Brains (T2 Privateer).
‣ The Heart (T2 Martyr).
Mayfly Ambush (easy) Tier 1 / 4 Players

An attack in the snowy wastes, faces concealed by Vigilante Virtuous (easy) Tier 3 / 3 Players
sleet, and a toll that needs pay. The archetypal fantasy
bandits and a simple team to run or fight. A hero(?) drops from the sky with a crash, with the
power to fight an army on their own.
Their leader should always be positioned near the
Bruiser and Berserker, so that they can get full value This is a basic idea that can be easily reused for any
out of their Ace when it triggers. Other than that the kind of game. It’s a big compound NPC with parts
positions they need to take are fairly fluid, all enemies that don’t rely on targeting allies, and it’s still as
are more effective in melee range and should be threatening as any normal group of enemies.
moved closer to enemies.
‣ Hercules (Three Part Compound).
‣ Group Leader (T1 Coordinator). [T3 Bruiser, T3 Behemoth, T3 Giant].
‣ Named Goon A (T1 Bruiser).
‣ Named Goon B (T1 Berserker).
‣ 5 Fodder Zones.

The Faceless Horde (easy) Tier 2 / 3 Players

A swarm of bodies flowing into the room like water, all

after the same thing. This setup is meant to make the
idea of fighting a giant horde of enemies mechanically
interesting.

There’s something or someone you have to protect,

and the swarm is here to get it from you, led by a
huge and imposing leading character.

‣ The Horde (T2 Swarm).

‣ The Biggest One (T1 Javelin).
‣ The Light In The Darkness (T2 MVP).

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General NPC Types
A listing of all NPC Types categorized based on their role in the average combat.

DPS NPCs
Behemoth | Endgame checkmate, creates terrain.
Assassin | Burst damage from stealth using Mark. E.g. Terra Magi, Gigantic Drake, Wandering Undertaker.
E.g. Imperial Assassins, Wild Panthers, Lurking Ghosts. 8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed
8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed
[Action] Leap: This NPC Disappears if it did not attack
Passive: This NPC Disappears after Deploying. When this Turn. When it reappears it Launches and all pushes
this attacks a Marked character, this disappears if it all characters within 2 spaces of it 2 spaces unless they
wasn’t already when it attacked. choose to Dodge as if this was an attack.

[Action] Neutralize Target: Target any character and [Attack] Tore From Earth: Target up to two characters
Mark them, this Mark cannot be lost. within 6 spaces. Roll 5 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and place a 10
[Attack] Slice: Roll 3 + [Tier] on an adjacent target. If + [Tier × 5] Health 0 Armor Terrain adjacent to them.
this was Disappeared it may reappear in a space
adjacent to the target, and gain 2 + [Tier] Advantage. [Ace:T5] Meteor: This NPC Teleports to the middle of
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage, if the target the board and Steadies itself. At the start of its next Turn
has no other adjacent characters deal [Tier] additional it attacks all characters that do not have a piece of
damage. Terrain between them and this, instantly dealing 2
Wounds to them.
[Ace:T2] Hidden Blades: For the rest of the Scene
whenever this NPC disappears it leaves a “Hidden
Blade” in the space it left. Hidden Blades are spaces of Captor | Disrupts squishy targets at long range.
difficult Terrain that deal [Tier] Damage to any character
E.g. Retiarius, Bounty Hunter, Wolf-Hunting Spider.
who moves into it, this also removes it.
8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed

Bruiser | Attacks to Daze, deals extra damage after. [Action] Watch And Wait: Place a unique piece of
difficult terrain in an unoccupied space within 4 spaces
E.g. Professional Boxer, Dire Gorilla, Police Officer.
of this, if a character enters said space it’s removed and
10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed, [Tier] Armor this may use “Catch And Release” on them.

Passive: If this NPC's Attack can't push its target the [Attack] Catch And Release: Target a character within
full distance, the target is Dazed. 4 spaces. Roll 5 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage, Weaken and
[Action] Beatdown: Target an adjacent Dazed Snare the target if they haven’t been attacked this
character, this deals 2 damage to them 1 + [Tier] times. Round.
[Attack] Skulduggery: Target characters in a 2x2 Zone [Ace:T1] Sticky Bomb: Indicate an opponent in 5
placed on this, without targeting this. Roll 4 + [Tier]. spaces. At the end of the next turn, this uses “Catch
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and push the And Release” targeting all characters in 3 spaces of that
target [Tier × 2] space(s). character. Characters hit by this are pulled adjacent to
[Ace:T1] Decimate: This NPC indicates a 3x3 Zone the character and are Snared by them instead of this.
centered in a space 2 spaces away from it and Steadies
itself. At the end of the next turn, this uses
“Skulduggery” on all opponents in said Zone with 2 +
[Tier] Advantage.

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Executioner | Debilitating anti-tank attacks at slow pace. Pugilist | All-rounder with rotating effects on attack.
E.g. Axe Wielder, Elderly Master, Grim Reaper. E.g. Martial Artist, Varied Arsenal, 4-faced Demon.

10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed 10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed

Passive: This NPC is unaffected by Effects that lower its Passive: When this Attacks they gain an additional
speed, or prevents movement. effect based on the number of times they’ve attacked in
the scene, resetting when they reach the final one. The
[Action] Focus: This NPC Strengthens and Reinforces.
effects are as follows.
[Attack] Cleave: When this attacks without being 1: Push the target 3 spaces, then move to follow.
‘Charged’, they are Charged instead. While Charged, 2: Snare the target.
this has its Speed reduced to 1 and gains 1 + [Tier] 3: Launch the target.
Armor. Target characters in a 2 space Line adjacent to 4: If the target is Launched, gain double Advantage from
this. Roll 6 + [Tier × 2], then lose Charged. Spiking them.
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension x 2] damage. Shred the
[Action] Take Stance: This NPC may set its passive to
target if they haven’t been attacked this Round.
any of its steps, then Strengthen itself.
[Ace:T2] Bifurcate: This NPC indicates an opponent,
[Attack] Flurry Of Strikes: Roll 5 + [Tier] on an adjacent
becomes Charged, and Steadies itself. At the end of the
target, Slow the target if they haven’t been attacked this
next turn, this moves adjacent to that opponent (or as
Round.
close as possible), moving through as few spaces as
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage.
possible. This NPC then uses “Cleave”, targeting the
opponents it moved through or adjacent to. [Ace:T3] Martial Perfection: For the rest of combat,
this triggers their passive twice on each attack. This
NPC immediately takes another Turn.
Javelin | Creates and uses Fodder to make attacks.
E.g. Violent Fey, Flame Summoner, Automated Cannon.
Ranger | Ultra-long-ranged attacker with high damage.
10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 2 Speed
E.g. Careful Sniper, Elven Archer, Turret Emplacement.
Passive: When this NPC attacks, it may destroy a
8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 2 Speed
Fodder Zone in its space or adjacent to it to extend the
range it can attack to 5 spaces. Passive: After this is Attacked it may move one space.

[Action] Call: Create 1 + [Tier] Fodder within 4 spaces. [Action] Nest: This NPC Steadies itself and gains 1
The amount created decreases by one each time it’s “Aim”. Aim is lost when this moves on it’s turn and adds
used in the same Round. 1 damage to all of it’s successful attacks

[Attack] Crushing Impact: Target a 2x2 Zone placed [Attack] Take The Shot: This NPC chooses a character
on itself, without targeting itself. Roll 4 + [Tier]. in 8 spaces. Roll 5 + [Tier]. This NPC deals [Tier + 2]
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and Launch if additional damage if the target is at least 4 spaces away
there is only one targeted character. and hasn't been attacked this Round.
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage..
[Ace:T1] Shockwave: This NPC indicates a 5x5 Zone
centered on itself, without targeting itself, and Steadies. [Ace:T2] Headshot: Target a character this can see.
At the end of the next turn, this uses “Crushing Impact”, The next time they’re hit by this NPC's Attack they
targeting opponents in said Zone with (2+1) Advantage. receive an additional [Hits] damage.

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Ronin | Fast and versatile attacker with on-Crit effects. Witch | Aoe ranged attacker with slow movement.
E.g. Wandering Duelist, Crazed Killer, Feral Hound. E.g. Dark Sorcerer, Reckless Bomber, Bile Spewer.

8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed 8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 2 Speed

Passive: This NPC starts its turn with 1 additional AP, Passive: After this NPC attacks indicate a 3x3 Zone
but can only target the same character once each Turn. centered on the space it attacked, at the end of the next
Turn all players in that Zone take [Tier] damage.
[Action] Sheath: The next time this character moves,
they must spend 3 AP, but may also Dissect targeting all [Action] Drawing Runes: This action costs 2 AP. This
characters they move into or out of adjacency with. NPC creates a 3×3 Zone centered on it, replacing any
others. So long as it’s in this Zone all dice it rolls are
[Attack] Dissect: This attack is Swift. Choose an
counted as hits.
adjacent character and Roll 4 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage. If two or more [Attack] Expelling Force: Target a space within 5
Crits were rolled, Shred and Slow them. spaces. Roll 5 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and move all
[Ace:T1] Thunderclap And Flash: This NPC Steadies
targets to the closest space outside the targeted Zone.
itself and indicates 4 Lines of any length connected at
their ends, where one is connected to it. At the end of [Ace:T1] EXPLOSION: This NPC Indicates a 4x4 Zone
the next Turn, this moves across each Line, ignoring anywhere on the board and Steadies itself. At the end of
characters and Terrain, until it reaches the end of the the next turn, this may use “Expelling Force” and target
final Line. It then uses “Dissect” targeting each all its opponents in the Zone and gains 1 + [Tier]
opponent it moves over or into adjacency with, with this Advantage. This NPC removes the Zone.
Attack Critting on 5s.

Viper | Spreads Blight and deals burst if not stopped.

E.g. Bandit, Slinking Serpent, Malevolent Spirit.

10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed

Passive: When this Attacks, it moves up to 3 spaces,

ignoring opponents. If it passes through an opponent it
hasn’t Attacked this Turn it may “Filet” them.

[Action] Lick The Knife: Deal damage to Blighted

players equal to the number of Blighted players + [Tier].

[Attack] Filet: Choose an adjacent character, or choose

not to activate Passive to target one up to 5 spaces
away. Roll 4 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and Blight the
target. If they were already Blighted, Mark them.

[Ace:T2] Knife In The Dark: This NPC is removed from

the board. At the end of the next turn, this uses “Filet” to
teleport adjacent to and Attack all players without an
adjacent ally, reappearing on any space thereafter.

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Tank NPCs Cocoon | Endgame threat that absorbs attacks early.
E.g. Slumbering Giant, Patience, Half-Built Machine.
Bodyguards | Enhanced Fodder that can buff allies.
13 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed, [Tier] Armor
E.g. Soldier Squad, Churning Mass, Wolf Pack.
Passive: This NPC starts combat Scenes ‘Docile’. While
1* Health, 0* Speed
Docile, it can't move or attack, and it gains 1 ‘Growth’
*Passive: When this would Deploy, Deploy 4 + [Tier] when it ends its Turn. When this starts its Turn with 3 or
unique Fodder Zones instead. This NPC cannot be more Growth, it loses Docile and regains 10(+2) Health if
Knocked out until all of its Fodder Zones are Knocked it could lose it.
Out or until all non Fodder are Knocked Out, and when
[Action] Menace: Fear all opponents within 3 spaces of
they are, this receives 1 damage.
this. If this is docile an ally can move or Attack.
[Action] Brace: If there are 3 or more Fodder Zones in a
[Attack] Rampage: Move up to 3 spaces in a straight
line, they all become impassable until the line’s broken.
line, ignoring any and all forms of restriction. Roll 4 +
[Attack] Behind Me: Move all Fodder Zones up to one [Tier] on an adjacent target.
space. Choose up to 3 characters adjacent to a Fodder Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and use this
Zone. If this targets an ally, Reinforce them. If this attack again, only targeting characters who haven’t
targets an opponent, roll 5 + [Tier]. been attacked this turn.
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage, daze targets
[Ace:T3] Quick Growth: This NPC gains 1 Growth. This
who haven’t been attacked this Round.
NPC immediately takes another Turn.
[Ace:T2] Reinforcements: Create 3 + [Tier] Fodder
Zones in spaces on the edge of the Board. This NPC
Duelist | Forces single targets to attack them in duels.
immediately takes another Turn.
E.g. Royal Fencer, Imperial Annoyance, Latching Insect.

Broodmother | Creates Fodder when hit and taunts. 8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed

E.g. Scarab Lord, Transport Vehicle, Tough Summoner. Passive: Characters who Attack or are Attacked by this
are Taunted by it.
10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed, [Tier] Armor
[Action] Goad: Taunt a character, if they were already,
Passive: When this receives damage while there are
force them to spend 2 Focus or move 3 spaces directly
5(+2) or less Fodder Zones on the board, it may place a
towards this, dazing them if they move adjacent.
Fodder Zone within 2 spaces of it.
[Attack] Flèche: Target a character within 2 spaces.
[Action] Call: Create 1 + [Tier] Fodder within 4 spaces.
Roll 5 + [Tier]. If the target is Taunted, deal [Tier]
The amount created decreases by one each time it’s
Additional damage.
used in the same Round.
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and move 1
[Attack] Swarming Chase: This NPC moves itself and space.
all adjacent allies one space, Roll 4 + [Tier] targeting any
[Ace:T2] Disassemble: Place a weak point in an
opponents this moves adjacent to.
unoccupied space adjacent to a character. When this
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage, + 1 for each
Attacks them while standing in its weak point, this does
Fodder Zone adjacent to the Broodmother.
[Tension] additional damage and may immediately use
[Ace:T2] Roar: This NPC Taunts all opponents in a 5x5 this Ace again.
zone centered on it. This NPC immediately takes
another Turn.

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Glutton | Eats Fodder to heal and spits them out Guardian | Protects allies from a specific direction.
E.g. Ravenous Ogre, Nanobot Swarm, Splitting Slime. E.g. Honor-Bound Knight, Big Body, Stone Golem.

15 + [Tier × 5] Health, 2 Speed 15 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed, [Tier] Armor

*Passive: When this Knocks Out a Fodder Zone, it Passive: The spaces adjacent to this are counted as
restores 3 + [Tier] Health. Track how many times this difficult terrain for its opponents.
NPC triggers this healing.
[Action] Guardian Shield: This NPC Slows itself and
[Action] Call: Create 1 + [Tier] Fodder within 4 spaces. places a 2x3 “shield” adjacent to it until the start of its
The amount created decreases by one each time it’s next Turn, with the zone moving to match this.
used in the same Round. Opponents who attack in this area treat their targets as
having 1 + [Tier] additional Armor.
[Attack] Slobber: Choose up to 2 adjacent characters.
Roll 5 + [Tier]. [Attack] Shove: Roll 4 + [Tier] on an adjacent target.
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and Slow the Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage, push the target
target(s) who haven’t been attacked this Round. 2 spaces away, and Launch them.

*[Ace:T4] Regurgitate: This NPC places Fodder Zones [Ace:T3] Imposing Presence: For the rest of the scene
equal to the number it destroyed with its passive on characters Taunted by this have the effect of Taunt
spaces of its choice. If any of these Zones are placed on doubled.
characters, those characters are Launched.

Mount | Attaches to squishy allies to protect and buff.

E.g. Armored Horse, Giant Salamander, Dire Wolf.

10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed

Passive: When this is deployed, or as an action, it may

have a willing adjacent character ‘Mount’ it, replacing
any past riders. While a character is Mounted on this,
they combine and move as if they're a Compound NPC.
If its rider is targeted, this is targeted instead.

[Action] Synergy: This NPC may use its rider’s Action,

or any 1 Cost Utility Action if the rider is a player.

[Attack] Thrash: Target up to 2 adjacent characters.

Roll 5 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage.

[Ace:T2] “CHARGE!”: This NPC moves up to its speed

in a straight line. When this movement ends, its rider
may use its Attack / Skirmish with [Tier] Advantage. This
NPC immediately takes another Turn.

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Oni | Swaps between a healing and tanking stance. Revenant | Immortal NPC that drains Focus on attack.
E.g. Red & Blue Oni, Stance Dancer, Eclipse Magi. E.g. Chilling Spirit, Reassembling Skeleton, Grey Mage.

10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed 5 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed

Passive: When this deploys, it is Strengthened. When Passive: This NPC does not provide Tension when
this is Attacked it loses all positive Effects it has. When Knocked Out. If this NPC is Knocked Out at the start of
this NPC loses Strengthened it becomes Reinforced, the Round, it returns to the board at full Health in an
when it loses Reinforced it becomes Strengthened. unoccupied space of its choice.

[Action] Stabilize: This NPC loses its Effects and [Action] Lurk: All opponents with 1 or less Focus are
Hastens. Feared by non-Revenant characters within 2 spaces.

[Attack] Polaris: If this is Strengthened it moves up to 2 [Attack] Tear From The Soul: Target a character within
spaces in a straight line, targeting all characters it 3 spaces. Roll 5 + [Tier].
moved into adjacency with. If this is Reinforced it Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and the target
targets all characters in a 3x3 Zone centered on itself loses 1 + [Tier] Focus.
without targeting itself. Roll 5 + [Tier].
[Ace:T2] Hollowed Eyes: This NPC indicates the player
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and Launch the
with the least Focus. At the end of the next turn, this
target(s) if this is Strengthened, or heal [Hits] health and
uses “Tear From The Soul” ; they teleport to a space
Haste the target(s) if this is Reinforced.
adjacent to that player and gain 6 + [Tier] Advantage -
[Ace:T4] Vibrant Terror: For the rest of this Scene, this the target’s current Focus.
gains double the benefits from positive Effects. This
NPC immediately takes another Turn.
Spright | Dodge tank that benefits from movement.
E.g. Old Sensei, Excitable Newbie, Thunder Fey.
Paladin | Can both Daze enemies and heal allies.
10(+5) Health, 5 Speed
E.g. Holy Warrior, Reassuring Comrade, Pack Guardian.
Passive: When this ends movement it gains Evasion
13 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed, [Tier] Armor
equal to the distance it is from its original position.
Passive: When this attacks their allies, they don't deal
[Action] Discombobulate: Choose an adjacent
damage, healing the same amount instead.
character, if they have more Evasion than Armor, slow
[Action] Gospel: Reinforce Regenerating characters. them, if they have more Armor, Shred them, if they have
neither, Mark them.
[Attack] Gift From God: Choose up to 2 adjacent
characters. Roll 4 + [Tier]. [Attack] Incision: Roll 5 + [Tier] on an adjacent target.
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and Daze the Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and Teleport to
target if it’s an opponent who hasn’t been attacked this the space adjacent to them that’s furthest from you.
Round, or give Regenerate if it’s an ally.
[Ace:T2] Thunderous Ascension: Increase this
[Ace:T1] Weal and Woe: This NPC uses “Gift From enemy’s speed by [Tier × 2], and for the rest of the
God” against all characters in 2 spaces of it. Scene, once per Turn, when it moves into every space
adjacent to an opponent that opponent is Slowed and
Dazed. This NPC immediately takes another Turn

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Support NPCs Coordinator | Has allies make extra attacks on its turn.
E.g. Squad Captain, Inspiring Bard, Pack Alpha.
Bannerman | Buffs and moves allies close to itself.
8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed
E.g. Battle Commander, Psychic Lord, Hivemind Minion.
Passive: This NPC's allies in 4 spaces count as having
13 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed Strengthened during this NPC's Turn.
Passive: When this moves any of its allies within a 3x3 [Action] “Neutralize Them”: Target a character within 4
Zone centered on itself may move to a space adjacent spaces, Mark them.
to its new position.
[Attack] Fanaticize: Move up to 1 space and roll 5 +
[Action] In Position: Target an ally in 6 spaces and [Tier] against an adjacent target.
choose a direction. Strengthen them, Reinforce them, Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and have an
and move them one space in the chosen direction, ally move their speed or use their primary attack on a
pushing any characters who would prevent said character who hasn’t been attacked this turn.
movement. Repeat these effects on allies adjacent to
the target (including this effect) up to once per target. [Ace:T2] Coordinated Charge: All other enemies in 5
spaces can move their speed or use “Fanaticize” on a
[Attack] Swing: Roll 4 + [Tier] on an adjacent target. character who hasn’t been attacked this turn.
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage, and Weaken
them if they haven’t been attacked this Round.
Doppelgänger | Transforms into allies and duplicates.
[Ace:T3] Plant The Flag: Place a 20(+5) Health terrain
in a space adjacent to this, so long as the terrain exists E.g. Fey Trickster, Mystic Chameleon, Impersonator.
it uses “In Position” at the start of the Round, this NPC 10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 5 Speed
attack changes to another NPC’s on the board until this
terrain is destroyed. Passive: If this NPC did not start their turn Imitating
another NPC they may attack twice on their turn.

Builder | Creates terrain to disrupt enemies. [Action] Imitate: This NPC ‘Imitates’ one of its allies,
replacing their non-Health stats, Passive, Action, and
E.g. Stone Tosser, Lava Fey, Construction Worker. Attack with the chosen ally’s. This NPC Imitation lasts
10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed, [Tier] Armor until this receives damage, at which point this can
Teleport to a space within 6 spaces of it. A
Passive: This NPC can move through terrain. Doppelgänger cannot Imitate the same NPC two Turns
[Action] Landscape: Target up to 3 unoccupied spaces in a row.
within 4 spaces, make them High or Low Terrain. [Ace:T3] Diplopia: This NPC creates two copies of itself
[Attack] Violent Construction: Target a character in 6 in unoccupied adjacent spaces with the same Tier and
spaces. Deal 2 + [Tier] Damage to them and place a 10 current Health. This NPC immediately takes another
+ [Tier × 5] Health terrain adjacent to them. Turn.

[Ace:T2] Army Of Stone: Turn all pieces of Terrain on

the board into allied Fodder Zones. This NPC
immediately takes another Turn.

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Healer | Chooses a favorite ally and heals them. Matriarch | Creates safe zones where allies are immune.
E.g. Imperial Cleric, Battle Medic, Partner Faerie. E.g. Shield Magi, Mysterious Fey, ER Responder.

8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed 10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed

Passive: At the beginning of this NPC's Turn it may Passive: At the beginning of each Round this can
choose an ally to be its ‘Guardian’. So long as it’s designate a space, for the remainder of the Round,
adjacent to its Guardian and the Guardian can be non-Matriarch enemies in that space can't be targeted
targeted, this cannot be targeted. by characters other than the Matriarch.

[Action] Heal: Restore 2 + [Tier] Health to an ally in 3 [Action] Caress: Target any character, Teleport them to
spaces. This NPC healing is doubled against its the designated space, or Teleport a character in the
Guardian. designated space to another space.

[Attack] Exsanguinate: Target a character within 5 [Attack] Destroy The Interloper: Target a character in
spaces. Roll 5 + [Tier]. the designated space. Roll 5 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage, and Mark Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage, Banish them,
them. When a Marked opponent is attacked, Mark is and move them up to 4 spaces.
removed and the attacker restores 5 + [Tier] Health.
[Ace:T3] Mother Of The Void: For the rest of this Scene
[Ace:T1] Savior: This NPC removes all effects from their this can designate 2 spaces with its passive. This NPC
Guardian, and they begin Regenerating. immediately takes another Turn.

Illusionist | Swaps the position of characters freely. Martyr | Takes damage to heal all allies in a zone.
E.g. Mirror Magi, Smoke Elemental, Destablizer. E.g. Sacrifice, Shield Generator, Dedicated Leader.

10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed 8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed

Passive: When this starts their Turn, they may swap any Passive: At the end of each Round, this restores 5 +
NPC’s position with another NPC. This NPC counts as [Tier] Health.
Teleporting for both.
[Action] Gorge On My Flesh: This NPC deals 1 + [Tier]
[Action] Spatial Rift: Create 5 Walls with 10(+3) Health damage to itself. Until the end of this NPC's Turn all
anywhere on the board. allies within 4 spaces of it gain 2 + [Tier] Armor.

[Attack] Distort Reality: Target any number of adjacent [Attack] Savor My Blood: Target a character within 5
characters. Roll 4 + [Tier]. spaces. Roll 5 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage. The target is in Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage, and heal this
‘Flux’. When a character in Flux starts their Turn this equal to half its missing Health.
may use its passive on them as if they're an NPC, doing
[Ace:T3] Sacrifice: This NPC knocks itself out,
so removes Flux.
restoring Health to all allies equal to double the allies’
[Ace:T1] Shattered Skies: This NPC Immobilizes itself. Armor. This NPC triggers automatically if this is knocked
At the start of its next turn, it uses its Primary Attack on out while the Tension is at or above 4.
all its opponents.

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Engine NPCs

Baron | Bans specific attacks and attacks its users.

E.g. Imperial Justicar, Law Faerie, Syndicate Head.

10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 2 Speed, [Tier] Armor

Passive: At the start of its turn, this names “Skirmish”,

“Cast”, or “Finisher”. It can't name the same one twice
in a row. When a player takes an action that matches
the last one this named, this can Teleport to an empty
space adjacent to them (If there is one), become the
target, and deal [Tier + 2] damage to them. This NPC
can only happen once each Round.

[Action] Prescript: Target up to 3 opponents, each of

them must indicate a space on the board, if they do not
end their next Turn in that space they receive a Wound.

[Attack] Suppress: Roll 4 + [Tier] on an adjacent target.

Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and Weaken
the target if they haven’t been attacked this Round.

[Ace:T3] Absolute Sovereignty: For the rest of this

Scene, this may name two actions when it triggers its
Passive, removing the naming of the same action twice
in a row restriction, it may deal damage once per word.

Berserker | Gets in the mix and wants to take damage.

E.g. Outland Rager, Aggressive Bouncer, Wounded Rat.

13 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed Cannoneer | Sets up a powerful ranged attack slowly.

Passive: Once per Turn, when this takes 4 or more E.g. Ship’s Cannon, Dragon’s Maw, Ritual Caster.
damage in one instance, it can move up to 1 space in 8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 1 Speed
any direction and deal [Tier + 1] damage to an opponent
adjacent to it. *Passive: When this is deployed, begin tracking
‘Preparation’, a 4 Segment Clock that’s emptied at the
[Action] Seeth: This NPC restores 4(+2) Health. start of every Scene.
[Attack] Thrash: Roll 5 + [Tier] on an adjacent target. [Action] Aim: This NPC Strengthens and Steadies itself.
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and push them
1 space away. [Attack] Load: Fill the Preparation by 1 Segment, 2 if
this didn’t move this turn.
[Ace:T3] Last Stand: This NPC sets its Health to
10(+3), and its Passive changes to move it two spaces *[Ace:TX] Fire: Use this Ace when this begins their Turn
for the rest of the Scene. This NPC immediately takes with a full Preparation Clock. Empty the Preparation
another Turn. Clock and target a character in 10 spaces. Roll 5 +
[Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage three times.

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Cultist | Increases Tension to summon stronger allies. Enchanter | Disrupts with debuffs and controls actions.
E.g. Spirit Caller, Assembly Line, Sentai Squad. E.g. Luring Fey, Puppet Master, Neuro Toxician.

8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 2 Speed 8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 3 Speed

Passive: Whenever this increases Tension in any way, it [Action] Charm: Target a character in 5 spaces. Fear or
adds one ‘Doom’ counter to the Scene. During players’ Taunt them, then move them 3 spaces.
Turns they treat the Tension as being 1 lower than its
[Attack] Heartbreaker: Target a space within 5 spaces.
value for each Doom counter in the scene.
Roll 5 + [Tier].
[Action] Ritual Drawings: Tension increases by 1. Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage, if the target
Place a ‘Ritual’ token in three empty spaces. If an was Feared or Taunted, Weaken and Slow them.
opponent enters a space containing a Ritual, remove it,
[Ace:T2] By My Command: This NPC chooses a
deal [Tension] damage and Daze them.
Taunted or Feared character, that character gains 2 AP
[Attack] Swipe: Roll 4 + [Tier] on an adjacent target. and must take a Turn where they Attack one of their
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage. allies, or they receive a Wound.

[Ace:T8] Grand Calling: This NPC is Knocked Out and

a new NPC is created in the space it left. This NPC is a Hound Master | Creates seeking fodder that explodes.
two part Compound where one Part is always a “Giant”
E.g. Dog Tamer, Rocket Platform, Mystic Ranger.
and the other part is any NPC type of the user’s choice.
Both parts have a Tier equal to double the Cultist’s Tier. 10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 2 Speed

Passive: Fodder Zones can move 4 spaces rather than

Daredevil | Moves and attacks as tension increases. 2 at the end of this NPC’s Turn.

E.g. Local Hero, Chaotic Imp, Sparkling Performer. [Action] Fire Seeker: Target a character 4 or more
spaces away and create a ‘Seeker’ in a space adjacent
10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed
to this. Seekers are special Fodder Zones. If a Seeker
Passive: When Tension increases, this may move up to moves adjacent to the character that was targeted when
3 spaces in a straight line. If this movement moves them it was created, it disappears and deals 6 + [Tier]
adjacent to a character they may deal 2 + [Tier] damage damage to all adjacent opponents.
to said character (max 1 character per move).
[Attack] Shove: Target a character within 3 spaces. Roll
[Action] Gloat: Increase the Tension by 1. 5 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and push them
[Attack] Dance: Choose up to two adjacent characters.
2 spaces away.
Roll 4 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and launch the [Ace:T2] Wild Hunt: This NPC creates 3 Seekers
target(s). targeting the same character.

[Ace:T4] Adrenaline High: For the rest of the scene this

deals an additional [Tier] damage with their Primary
Attack and can move up to 6 spaces with their Passive
movement. This NPC immediately takes another Turn.

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Necromancer | Revives dead allies and fears enemies. Rifter | Creates portals that anyone can use.
E.g. Lich, Scrap Reassembler, Recovering Cleric. E.g. Spacial Magi, Tunnelling Mole, Explosive Jumper.

8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 2 Speed 8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 2 Speed

Passive: Enemies who're knocked out while the Passive: When this initiates movement (even involuntary
necromancer is Deployed leave a ‘Corpse’ on the space movement) it creates a “Rift” in the space it left and the
they were Knocked Out on. space it moved to. Once per Turn, when another
Character moves on to a Rift, they may remove it and
[Action] Rise Again: Create 3 Corpses within 4 spaces
move to another unoccupied Rift.
[Attack] Terrifying Shot: Target a character in 5 spaces.
[Action] Wild Shifting: Teleport to a space within 3
Roll 4 + [Tier].
spaces 3 times.
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension × 2] damage, Fear the
target. [Attack] Emerge: Teleport to a space in 5 spaces, and
target all adjacent characters. Roll 5 + [Tier].
[Ace:T2] The Danse Macabre: This NPC revives 2
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage.
Corpses as Bruisers, Vipers, or Rangers with Tiers equal
to this NPC's minus 1 (min 1). [Ace:T3] Implode: All Rifts explode, performing the
damaging portion of this NPC's Primary Attack on all
characters adjacent to or within those Rifts.
Privateer | Attacks when allies attack nearby enemies.
E.g. Running Gunman, Bird Of Prey, Mini Turret.
Swarm | Enhanced Fodder that makes more Fodder.
8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed
E.g. Insect Swarm, Bandit Squad, Vestigial Limbs.
Passive: Once per Round, when an ally attacks an
1* Health, 0* Speed
opponent in this NPCs Attack range, this can deal [Tier
+ 2] damage to them. *Passive: When this would Deploy, Deploy 4 + [Tier]
unique Fodder Zones instead. This NPC cannot be
[Action] Escort: Hasten an ally, when that ally moves
Knocked out until all of its Fodder Zones are Knocked
this may move an equal number of spaces so long as it
Out or until all non Fodder are Knocked Out, and when
doesn't end up further away from the ally.
they are, this receives 1 damage.
[Attack] Spray And Pray: Target all characters in a 2
[Action] Call: Create 1 + [Tier] Fodder within 4 spaces.
space Line adjacent to this. Roll 4 + [Tier].
This NPC can only be used once per Round (these are
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension × 2] damage.
not included in this NPC’s unique fodder).
[Ace:T3] Gear Change: For the rest of this Scene this
[Attack] Tear: Move all Fodder Zones up to one space.
can move 1 space at the end of every character’s turn.
Choose up to 3 opponents adjacent to a Fodder Zone,
This NPC immediately takes another Turn.
Roll 5 + [Tier].
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and Daze one
of the targets.

[Ace:T2] Reinforcements: Create 4(+2) Fodder Zones

on the edge of the Board. This NPC immediately takes
another Turn.

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Adding Modifiers Deployables vs Technique NPCs
The previous list of enemy types is what DAWN Some modifier NPCs will be marked as “Technique
considers the “standard deployments”. Standard NPCs”, these are not NPCs in the traditional sense,
enemy types are the villains of your story, characters having passives and attacks that threaten the entire
with a set of strengths and weaknesses that are meant board regardless of distance and often represent more
to compare to and contest player characters. general threats of an area or attacks for an NPC. When
they would be deployed they are instead attached to
Though most well developed combats shouldn’t just be an NPC, granting said NPC all of its stats, and being
about facing off against those enemies. automatically KOed when its host is KOed.

Modifier type NPCs are NPCs mechanically and follow Example Of Play: Adding Combat Stakes
the rules a Narrator uses for others, but do not
represent a character in the combat. They are either The players have sneaked into the antagonist’s base of
ways to modify existing characters by stapling on new operations, and it seems like the Antagonist has a staff
attacks and threats, or more neutral or environmental of guards protecting them. The players could try to take
elements of a combat that will make things more out the guards from stealth, letting them proceed to
difficult for players. fighting the more powerful Antagonist in a structured
combat Scene, but if they fail an additional “Legion”
Though they are intended to be as impactful on a player modifier is added to the combat as guards rally to
as an equal tier standard NPC, Modifyers are often protect their leader.
esoteric and threaten characters very differently
depending on that character’s ability to work around
its specific form of threat. The same idea applies for
more specialized standard enemies, but every Modifier
is more specialized than them, making player character
matchups extra important.

Modifiers as Stakes
If you don’t want to involve Modifiers in every combat as
your extra spice, try deploying them as a response to
a player's actions in Unstructured Play.

If a player fails to evacuate a group of civilians before

the Antagonist flies in to face them off, try adding the
“Collateral” modifier NPC to the combat you already
planned around the Antagonist.

If the players choose to ignore an Antagonist when told

they’re collecting a “relic of untold power!”, equip the
NPC with a Technique Modifier and give them a new
threat to attack the players with.

Despite their strangeness, most modifier enemies can

be easily deployed into preexisting combats without
presenting problems for the existing deployment.

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Artillery | Creates delayed flat damage zones randomly. Earthquake | Delayed damage around its host.

8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 0 Speed Technique NPC. Attach instead of Deploying.

Passive: After this Deploys, they choose one of the 10 + [Tier × 5] Evasion
following shapes: two ∞ length Lines so long as they *Passive: When this is Attached, indicate “In” or “Out”.
have no adjacent spaces, a 3x3 Zone, a 2x5 Zone, all At the end of each Round this deals [Tension] damage
the spaces on the board's edges. After this Deploys it to all Opponents further than 2 spaces of the Host if “In”
may indicate its chosen shape anywhere on the board. is indicated or within two spaces of the Host if “Out” is
At the end of each Round this deals [Tension] damage indicated. It then indicates a new word with this NPC’s
to all Opponents within the indicated space. It then passive.
chooses a new area to indicate with this NPC’s passive.

Gargantuan | Makes the host take up the entire arena.

Collateral | Vulnerable NPCs players must protect.
Technique NPC. Attach instead of Deploying.
6 + [Tier] Health, 0 Speed
[Tier] Armor, 10 + [Tier × 5] Evasion
Passive: Place a number of these creatures into empty
spaces equal to 1.5x the number of PCs. Create a 'Peril' Passive: All Parts connected to this have their Speed
clock with as many segments as the number of PCs. If reduced to 0 and cannot move for any reason. When
this creature is Knocked Out, advance the Peril clock. If this is Attached, indicate a board edge and expand the
the Peril clock is full, the PCs lose the combat. board one space in its direction instead (making the
board 7x8). This NPC takes up every space added by
Enemies may target this NPC as though it were a player this expansion of the board.
summon if it is not adjacent to another non-VIP player
or player owned summon. Otherwise, they may not Attack: Target up to two 2x2 Zones anywhere on the
harm it under any circumstances. board, removing any terrain created by this Attack,
destroying any Terrain there, pushing all characters out,
Players may remove this character from the scene and placing terrain in those spaces. When these terrain
without triggering their Knock Out effect by Interacting pieces are targeted the user targets this instead. This
with them and passing a challenge 1 + [Tier] roll. NPC and its other Parts can draw its range from the
Terrain it has created. Roll 4 + [Tier].
If this NPC is part of a Composite, it does not increase
Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage to characters
its health total, nor gain any Health Gates, using the
moved by this Attack.
value used by this creature as its maximum instead.
Additionally, all instances of this creature take one
action as a group, not individually. Giant | Makes the host really large and tanky.
Technique NPC. Attach instead of Deploying.
Contagion | Punishes players who’re too close.
[Tier] Armor, 1 Speed
Technique NPC. Attach instead of Deploying.
Passive: The Host takes up 2x2 spaces.
10 + [Tier × 5] Evasion
Attack: The Host moves up to 4 spaces in a straight
Passive: When this is Attached, indicate a player line, ignoring opponents. Any opponents who’re moved
character instead. At the end of each Round this deals through are pushed to unoccupied spaces adjacent to
[Tension] damage to all Opponents within 3 spaces of the Host's new location and are Launched.
the indicated player character (not including said
character). It then chooses a new player character to
nominate.

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Haven | Punishes players who leave a “safe zone”. VIP | A vulnerable NPC that players must protect.
Technique NPC. Attach instead of Deploying. 8 + [Tier × 5] Health, 4 Speed
[Tier] Armor Passive: If this is Knocked Out, all Players are Knocked
Passive: When this is Attached, indicate a 3x3 area Out. Enemies may target this NPC as though it were a
instead. At the end of each Round this deals [Tension] player summon if it is not adjacent to another non-VIP
damage to all Opponents outside the indicated Zone. It player or player owned summon. Otherwise, they may
then moves the Indicated Zone anywhere on the board. not harm it under any circumstances.

Isolation | Punishes players who stay far apart. Vortex | Pulls high priority fodder toward the host.

Technique NPC. Attach instead of Deploying. Technique NPC. Attach instead of Deploying.

*10 + [Tier × 5] Health, 0 Speed 1 + [Tier] Armor

*Passive: When this is Attached, indicate a player *Passive: When this is Attached, create four fodder
character. At the end of each Round this deals 5 + [Tier] zones spread across the border(s) furthest from the
damage multiplied by the number of player characters attached NPC at the end of each Round. These Fodder
to all Opponents within 3 spaces of the indicated player Zones can only move if they move closer to the Host.
character (not including said character). This damage is
divided by the number of characters receiving it. It then If a Fodder Zone from this attack touches the Host it is
indicates another player. KOed and the Host gains 1 Armor until the end of the
Scene. If its Armor increases by 5 from this effect, it
deals 20 + [Tier × 2] damage to all players.
Legion | Constantly summons weakened enemies.

*X Health, 0 Speed

*Passive: This NPC's health is equal to the number of

player characters Deployed × 10. This NPC cannot take
damage from any Feature outside this Passive. Every
time another NPC is Knocked Out, this takes 10
damage (no damage if it was a Fodder NPC). When this
is Knocked Out all other enemies are Knocked Out. This
NPC does not need to be Deployed.

Attack: This NPC returns up to [Tension] enemies who

have been Knocked Out to a space on the board’s edge
at half Health. If there are less enemies to return than
the Tension, create Fodder Zones equal to the difference
on the edge of the board.

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Creating Enemies The Numbers
Some Narrators will want to create their own NPC Types Now that you know what enemies are expected to do in
that fulfill a combat niche not found in the preceding general terms, you should have a template that looks
rules. These are guidelines to help create new NPC like this.
Types that don’t fall too far out of line with the others.
Cool Guy | Is cool and does cool stuff.
This section isn’t meant for inexperienced Narrators, it’s
X + [Tier × X] Health, X Speed
for those willing to demonstrate their expertise of the
system to challenge similarly experienced players. Passive: This NPC can move X spaces after attacking.

[Action] Beatdown: Target an adjacent Dazed

The Design character, this deals 2 damage to them 1 + [Tier] times.
Before starting this process you should have a strong
idea for the “fiction” of this enemy. The following steps [Attack] Violence: Target up to 2 adjacent characters.
should help you realize your concept mechanically, but Roll X + [Tier].
won’t assist you in idea generation. Reward: Deal [Hits] + [Tension] damage and slow them
if they were not attacked this Round.
(Modifier enemies will not be covered as they do not
[Ace:T2] Big Violence: This NPC indicates a 3x3 Zone
follow normal rules and expected game plans.)
centered on itself from it and Steadies itself. At the end
of the next turn, this uses “Violence” on all opponents in
Step 1: Defining its type
said Zone with X + [Tier] Advantage.
The first and most important step to making an NPC is
to decide its role in combat, and by extension, its Type.
It’s important to set the X values for your character
If an enemy threatens the players into attacking them correctly. Generally, you should stick to the averages for
or dying, it’s a DPS. each Type and adjust the numbers up or down based
on whether you want them to be stronger, weaker, or
If it prevents the previous category from getting more specialized.
focused down and destroyed, it’s a Tank.
The averages are as follows:
If it helps the previous two do their job without being a
threat on their own, it’s a Support.
Base Health: DPS: 10, Tank: 12 (9 if armored),
And if it messes with players (often by unconventional Support: 9, Engine: 9.
means) if it’s ignored, it’s an Engine.
Speed: DPS: 3 (often move when using other actions),
Tank: 3, Support: 4, Engine: 2.
Step 2: Deciding its primary threat
It’s important to know what the expected play pattern of Base Attack Dice: DPS: 4 (can normally deal [Tier]
each NPC Type is. The specifics depend on the enemy, extra damage with setup), Tank: 5, Support: 3, Engine:
but the general expectations are as follows: 4 (can also deal additional damage reactively).

DPS: An attack with good damage that can attack Misc: Advantage and damage bonuses should be
more than one character, and deals a Negative Effect. conditional and not be higher than 2 + [Tier].

Tank: An action that makes them easier to hit, and/or Reliable unrolled damage should not be higher than
allies harder to hit than usual. [Tier], per Turn, per target.

Support: A passive that makes this harder to kill, and NPCs should not attack more than once per Turn.
an action that helps allies deal or avoid damage. NPCs who can heal should heal ~4 more than what is
expected if they dealt damage.
Engine: A passive that gets more powerful over time
and/or an attack that sets up a threat players need to Powerful Negative Effects should only work on targets
avoid through taking specific actions. who haven’t been attacked in the Round.

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Sample Combat Scenarios Defense
The standard objective in a combat Scene is to There’s an area that the players must defend at all
Knockout all Enemies in the Scene before the player costs. The players succeed by reaching 6 Tension
characters are Knocked Out. However, this is not a hard without an NPC starting their turn in the gold area.
and fast requirement. Narrators should feel free to
change the victory condition of any individual combat. To prevent the players from ending the combat by
This could be because of the game’s narrative, or just defeating everything on the table rather than completing
because they feel it would be more fun. the objective, adding at least one “Legion” to the enemy
roster is highly recommended.
The exact nature of these changes are up to the
Narrator in question, but there are common scenarios
that’ll end up in more than one game. This page is
meant to show some common examples.

Legend
The board setup before Deployment will be shown for
some of these examples. The colors shown in the
diagrams below have the following meanings:

Blue Spaces: Player Deployment zone.

Red Spaces: NPC Deployment zone.

Grey Spaces: Standard Terrain.

Gold Spaces: Unique Terrain. Will be explained in the

example’s description. Assault
The inverse of the scenario above. The players succeed
by reaching 6 Tension without an NPC standing in the
The white spaces make up the remainder of the board
gold area and with at least one of the players in it.
and are treated as standard empty spaces.

To prevent the players from ending the combat by

defeating everything on the table rather than completing
the objective, adding at least one “Legion” to the enemy
roster is highly recommended.

129
Secure Collateral
In order to succeed the players must capture a target on In this mission there’s multiple people or things that the
the other side of the field. The players can pick up the players need to protect. A ‘Collateral’ modifier (page
object using Improvise standing in the gold area and win 126) is deployed into any of the gold spaces and
by starting their Turn holding it in their deployment zone. combat progresses as normal.
Players holding the object are Slowed.
Enemies that can target multiple players and those with
To prevent the players from ending the combat by high speed are especially threatening in this combat.
defeating everything on the table rather than completing
the objective, adding at least one “Legion” to the enemy
roster is highly recommended.

VIP
In this mission there is a person or thing that the players
do not want to be hurt. A VIP modifier (page 127) is
Destroy deployed into the gold space and combat progresses as
To win, players must destroy a piece of special terrain normal.
(located in the gold space) with 20 + [Tier x 10] HP. The
terrain can’t receive more than 5 damage at a time, and Enemies with high single target damage and those with
can’t take damage 3+ times on the same Turn. high speed are especially threatening in this combat.

Enemies with taunt and Snare can be important to make

it harder for players to burst the target.

130
 Credits
Formatting:
Joel V.

Writing:
Joel V.
Wolfgang Eastman (Technique fluff text)
Moth Mouse (Technique fluff text)

Editing:
Kendall Harper

Play testers:

(g)Nat Hunter Ysybusybear Mogrit

IGKU (control food by damaging it) Finaljas90 Ffzdf
1in3 Lokyos SpicyBC
Gold Oresamalav Dusty
ScoutxD VeeEffGee YogPoz
“C” GGFreak Calder on the rocks
Cappachronic Noah Burrow Hinakido
Razor Roy Xenosan Jlaney
Scratch Nico Arson
Waveboy24 NinjaCat Nowsde
FastcartCorp Eld
Morg Fire Samurai

Artists:

Comixian: @cosmixian BBUREDO: @bured0

Skycrime: @SkyCrimeDraws Pit: @pitganart
Horology: @horoart Distr: @Distrbeachboy
YoungWeb: @youngweb5 Okaysureyeah: @okisurya70
Francesco Silva: @francescolobo Somerdrop: @smrsltdrpkck
Kyo Yukanna: @Kyo_Yukanna Mag: @maggotmicrowave
Saka: @sakasukiyaki WizardoFrank: @WizardoFrank
Shig: @Shigezie0 Chen: @ghost_in_a_bin
AlezzioArts: @AlezzioArts DrugsAndSocks: @drugsandsocks_

131
Thank you for reading!

- Joel Vreugdenhil

132
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