Humanity,

Blessed

Tabletop Roleplaying Game

CC BY:NC:ND Version

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snotskie.

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If you publish your own works that use this system, please clearly label them on the cover with the phrase Humanity, Blessed ⊜ Community Content and include a link to the most recent stable version, at https://snotskie.com/ttrpg/

© 2025 snotskie

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After A Poet to His Baby Son, James Weldon Johnson.

Contents

Intro

Welcome! Thank you for picking up this game!

Humanity, Blessed ⊜, is a rules-light, semi-crunchy, accessibility-focused TTRPG system. It is also a project that is deeply personal to me: Designing this game helped get me out of the longest depressive episode I've ever had, giving me a focus and reconnecting me with my friends and the kind of work I love. I wanted to build something real just for my home table, because I couldn't find a system out there that did everything I needed this one to do.

So, I hope you can take the rules that follow and run with them. I hope playing this game brings you and your friends joy and that you can tell some fun stories.

Anything is possible. Failure is possible. But so too are great things.

Telling Any Story

This game is inspired by my own table's favorite stories about what it means to be human, doing goofy, cool, fantastic little human things. So I wanted this system to be flexible: I wanted you to be able to come back to this game again and again to tell any imaginable story your table wants to tell.

Even when roleplaying as orcs or dogs or robots or magically animated inanimate objects, the most satisfying stories are often those that help us reflect on our own deep questions and feelings as players—and to let us roll some dice and laugh with our friends while we do it.

Different stories call for different genres, and tables can adjust the genre of this game with the Atmosphere, optional Stats, and Endeavor systems.

Even character creation and advancement focuses on character narrative. Your Motivation represents your outlook and goals, your Aptitudes represent what you're good at, and your Backstory determines what your unique History Stat can do.

Accessibility First

This TTRPG system is accessibility-first, designed and tested with blind and low vision players, using narrative and tactile cues instead of complex sheets and board states

I sell print and digital copies of this game. But these core rules are also published for free as a webpage (https://snotskie.com/ttrpg/) that follows your browser and operating system's existing accessibility settings. The online version automatically loads in light or dark mode, while the print and digital versions use a large font.

You are also welcome to redistribute (but not modify or sell) copies of this book with the players at your table. More infomation on how to print this book in different formats is available in the Printables chapter.

We Love Our Dice

For Stats, this game uses a dice array, from d2 to d10. This allows for a managable spread of numbers and lets your Stats look and feel different. Dice "bump"—1s are rerolled—, which feels like wiping the sweat from your brow and cutting the right wire.

This game also uses a d6 pool for resources called "Blessings." Tables can also use a deck of large-print cards to represent Blessings. Blessings can be spent to activate abilities, and two equal Blessings can be spent to "Spark" a roll—two equal Stats are combined, and when either bumps, both bump. This feels like trying to keep hold of the lasers when crossing the streams.

Most importantly, big rolls feel earned. Checks range from 2 to 20+, with a fixed success scale. Low success grants "busts," and high success grants "boons." And when you succeed a Check, the Stats used are "locked" at the last value they rolled, preventing over-reliance on only your best Stat and giving a quick way to resolve Continuing a previous action.

Endeavors—Games Within Games

Not every story, campaign, or session needs a game within a game to represent scenes like combat and racing.

But for those that do, this game has a customizable, accessible "Endeavor" system for all manner of scenes with prolonged tension.

Endeavors use tracks and buttons, so there are no numbers to calculate or distances to measure. Everything is narrative or tangible, while still providing fun, structured challenges.

"At Table Discretion"

The rule that matters most is "at table discretion." This phrase captures how every tabletop game is different and has different wants and needs, different players and characters, different setting, tone, genre, different supplies, pacing, time constraints, different ideas on where to take the story next, and different limits.

How "at table discretion" plays out depends on everything that goes into what makes your table unique.

For some, it could be left up to a Game Master (GM) to adjudicate what happens, where to bend the rules as written, how to interpret them, and when to make up new ones. For others, they might prefer a rotating GM, majority vote, leaving things to chance, or a combination of things.

How you run your table certainly can change, especially over long campaigns. But in any arrangement, the GM and the players can and should rely on one another when they forget things, blank on ideas, have had bad days, are feeling short on "spoons," or just need to mix things up a bit.

A lot has been said and written by others in the tabletop community about how to make tabletop gaming fun, accessible, and equitable. All I'll add here is that however "at table discretion" looks at your table, above all else it is yours.

Session Zero

Step One: Genre

The rules in this game adjust to suit the different types of stories your table can tell. The largest levers for adjustment are the Atmosphere and which of the optional eighth Stats to add, if any, to the game's core seven Stats.

Atmospheres capture the tone and broad genre of your game as a whole. They shape events in the story, characters, and places, as well as the consequences imagined at the table for rolling very high or very low.

The end of this chapter lists Atmosphere options: Light, Dark, and Gritty. Rules throughout the game adjust based on the Atmosphere chosen, creating a different feel to game mechanics and different dynamics between player and non-player characters.

So, choose an Atmosphere based on the genre, tone, and type of story your table would like to play in. Discuss with your fellow players what that genre means to you and the tropes within that genre you would and would not like to see in your game. Each Atmosphere also has a number of optional prompts you can discuss with your table to plant the seeds for your story.

Then, choose if your game will include one of the optional Stats. The core seven Stats and the options for an eighth Stat are listed at the end of this chapter. Optional Stats add mechanics to basic actions in the game that further narrow the game's genre. Your table may also choose to play with only the core seven.

What's in a Character?

As a character in this game, you have a character sheet which tracks:

  • Your identifying information, like name, age, and pronouns.
  • Your Stats, their die sizes, and whether any of them are currently locked at a value.
  • A description of your Backstory, including your current Motivation and Aptitudes
  • Any Specializations on those Aptitudes and any Dedication on your Motivation.
  • Any other descriptive information, like your appearance, items, alliances, and information learned.

You can find a blank Character Sheet in the Printables chapter.

Step Two: Highest Stat

The end of this chapter lists the Stats used in this game: Head, Hand, Heart, Home, Hurt, Hurry, History, and the optional eighth Stats, known collectively as the "H's of Humanity."

To begin creating your character, decide which Stat they are best at.

As you do, begin to think about the story they take on in your mind. Why are they good at this and not at that? Why is one important to them and not the other? What are they trying to improve? What do they like getting help from others on?

Once you've chosen your highest Stat, consider answering that Stat's "high prompts" to further help you flesh out your character.

Note: Some optional Stats cannot be chosen as highest Stats. These list simpler prompts for all players to consider instead.

Once you begin the game, most of your Stats will be equal, using a d4 for their Stat Dice. However, the Stat you chose as your highest Stat begins the game one die size larger. In the next step, your Motivation will increase two other Stats. And all your Stats may be upgraded later in the Session Shop.

Step Three: Motivation

All characters have a Motivation, representating how you stand out among others and your inner belief system. Together, these create the two sides of what drives you and connects you to the story around you.

The end of this chapter lists Motivation options. As you read the options, begin to describe the life your character had growing up, their current outlook on the world, and what drives them Then, pick one Motivation for your character and answer its additional prompts.

Once you've chosen your Motivation, two of your Stats will begin the game an additional die size larger, as explained by your chosen Motivation.

Motivation upgrade options, called "Dedications," are listed in the Session Shop chapter.

Step Four: Backstory

Next, begin to describe your character's story before, coming into, and outside of the game's main story. Answer the following prompts or others chosen at table discretion:

  • Describe who your character looks up to, whose work they strive to emulate, or who taught them everything they know.
  • List three specific skills that your character has proven their ability in, such as through schooling, study, training, specialization within their team, or so on.
  • List three specific people or groups that your character regularly interacts with or have connections to, whether "good" or "bad" connections.
  • Describe where your character could be found on an average afternoon before the action of the story starts.

These background details will help you and your table build the world and set your Backstory, which is used by your History Stat and Aptitudes (described later in this chapter).

What's in a Backstory?

Each character has a Backstory, a list or description of narrative elements from their background that help define the scope of their History Stat, connect them to other characters and events in the story, and set the stage for their Aptitudes.

What makes up a Backstory is determined by the players at the table working together to plant the seeds for a good story. However, in general:

Unique: Your Backstory should define unique skills, connections, events, traits, and other narrative elements that your character brings to the story.

Variety: Your Backstory should have enough variety that not all or most of your History would already be covered by a single Stat.

Non-Human Backstories

If your game's setting allows you to play non-human characters, there are generally two approaches for how to represent it. The choice depends on the variety of non-human backgrounds among players:

High Variety: If each player character has a different non-human background, the simplest option is to use each character's History to cover one or two simple actions, within reason, that characters of their background could perform unaided that humans couldn't.

Low Variety: If the player characters come from just a few non-human backgrounds, the scope of two or three Stats may be expanded at table discretion to cover one or two simple actions each that characters of their non-human backgrounds could perform unaided that humans couldn't.

Step Five: Aptitudes

Your Aptitudes are the important and often unique narrative areas you are "apt" in. Actions you perform are easier when you are apt in them, and attacks against you take more work to succeed if you are apt in defending against them.

To help you select your starting Aptitudes, begin to imagine your character, select two areas from your Backstory as your first two Aptitudes.

For example: Tying Knots (for a scout), Swordfighting (for a knight), Breathing Fire (for a dragonborn), Reading Legal Documents (for the child of a politician), Acting (for a theater kid), Manipulating Technology (for a hacker), Stunt Driving (for a stunt performer), Friendly Interactions with the Empire (for someone raised in the empire), Unfriendly Interactions with the Rebels (for someone raised in the empire).

You may gain more Aptitudes or add Specializations to your Aptitudes in the Session Shop later.

Aptitudes and Specializations

Characters in this game may have a number of unique effects based on their Aptitudes and Specializations (or "Apts and Specs" for short), described below. The Session Shop chapter lists sample Specializations, which refer to rules described in the following chapters. However, for now you should know:

Specializations: Your Specializations are the Aptitudes you have "specialized," which grant you unique effects depending on the nature of the specialization. You may specialize your Aptitudes in the Session Shop. An example is given below.

Specialization Limits: You may not specialize the same Aptitude more than once or choose the same Specialization more than once.

Final Step: Appearance and Things

Finally, describe your character's appearance and list three or four things your character gained before the events of the story or always has, within reason, such as specific items, information, or alliances. These will be what you begin the game with.

You'll track the items that you typically carry with you, and other items on you can be determined in the moment: Over the course of the story, you may perform Home Checks to find new items, create new items, purchase and sell items, and even see if you already have items that could be narratively reasonable for you to have. Similarly, you'll track and perform Checks to gain, maintain, create, trade in, and already have all kinds of "things gained" beyond just items, like information and alliances.

Alternative: Starting Larger

This game does not have "levels," but it does have an upgrade system, described in the Session Shop chapter. The philosophy of "leveling up" in this game is that we come to know our characters more as the story goes on—not just make their numbers bigger.

Still, it may be appropriate in your game to start with larger Stats, such as in short campaigns or one-offs. To make adjustments for that case:

Alternative Starting Stats: Instead of beginning the game with three d6s, you begin the game with one d10, two d8s, and three d6s. Distribute these among your Stats as you choose. Your remaining Stats use d4s.

Creation Prompts: Answer the "high prompt" for the Stat you assigned your d10, and answer the prompts for the Motivation most closely matching the Stats you assigned your d8s.

Three Aptitudes, One Specialization: Create your Backstory as usual, but choose three starting Aptitudes instead of two, then choose one Specialization for one of your Aptitudes.

Alternative Upgrades: In the Session Shop, instead of choosing a Stat to increase, choose a Stat of size d6 or larger to base your upgrade on, without changing its size. Gain one of the upgrades associated with that Stat's current size. You cannot choose the same Stat twice this way, and once all Stats have been chosen you cannot upgrade further.

Atmosphere Options

⚔️ Light Atmosphere
This Atmosphere is the most familiar and is appropriate for telling good vs. evil stories. In a Light game, characters gain resources through fame, deeds, and greatness, which they may spend to help their friends.
Genres: high fantasy, utopian sci-fi, shonen, optimistic post-apocalypse, mythological, magical realism, allegorical fables, urban fantasy, and children's stories
Prompt: How does the story end? What about the state of the world is so unacceptable to the player characters they are propelled to change something about it? What trials await them along the way, what are the consequences for failure, and how might the characters grow as a result of those trials? What choices won't be easy?
🌒 Dark Atmosphere
This Atmosphere resists feeling familiar, as it often subverts familiarity in order to invoke unsettling feelings. In a Dark game, characters gain resources through endebtedness and vies for a limited global pool of power, which they may spend to ensure—or complicate—a success.
Genres: dark fantasy, gothic fiction, mystical post-apocalypse, psy-fi, cosmic horror, occult fiction, dystopian fiction, and supernatural horror
Prompt: What feelings and themes should this story evoke? What are the major forces—not necessarily all known to the player characters—in the world, like agencies, spirits, laws of nature, resistance groups, and metaphysical concepts? How do these forces interact, stay in balance, or recreate one another?
⚙️ Gritty Atmosphere
This Atmosphere fits stories that have high stakes without clear good vs. evil. In a Gritty game, characters gain resources by making deals and trading reputation, which they may spend to improvise solutions when the need calls.
Genres: cyberpunk, steam punk, hard sci-fi, spy fiction, heist fiction, josei, surveillance-state fiction, noir, and antihero/villain stories
Prompt: How does the story end? What action are the player characters caught up in when the story begins? What twists happen along the way? What other major characters are caught up in the action and why?

Core Stats

🧠 Head Stat
Scope: Intellectual pursuits, problem solving, puzzles, riddles, scanning for information, recalling facts, insight, reasoning, operating and building complex machines, playing practiced music, picking locks.
High Prompt: What kind of puzzles come easily to you and why? What brings you joy to tinker with? What do you have a need or feel a need to do complex things?
✌️ Hand Stat
Scope: Athletic pursuits, endurance, activities that require physical training, raw non-violent strength, moving quietly, pickpocketing.
High Prompt: What labor or practice has given you strength or grace? Was this something you wanted to do? When you're doing things that bring you joy, what are those things and how does that joy feel in your body?
💕 Heart Stat
Scope: Speaking with passion, understanding hidden meanings, playing music improvisationally, creating expressive art, performing sleights of hand for an audience.
High Prompt: What type of expression are you known for or wish you were known for? What type of art or practice inspires you and why? Who has been your biggest mentor or supporter?
☕ Home Stat
Scope: Protecting yourself and loved ones, tending to illness and wounds, shopping, crafting, scavenging, camping, cooking, remaining calm, staying alert, coming prepared.
High Prompt: What does safety mean to you? How does this shape your relationship with others and the world? What does your alone time look like?
👿 Hurt Stat
Scope: Nerve and willingness to inflict harm on others.
High Prompt: Where does your nerve come from? duty? trauma? chaos? self-protection? evil? conviction? inhumanity? your upbringing? Is your nerve something you keep hidden or do you wear it openly on your appearance?
⚠️ Hurry Stat
Scope: Escaping danger, reacting by instinct, surges of adrenaline.
High Prompt: When you think of danger, what comes to mind? Is that something that scares you or excites you? When you come down from adrenaline, how do you crash, relax, or chase that high again?
⏳ History Stat
Scope: Unique specializations, skills, proficiencies, and hardships covered by your Backstory, as well as other aspects covered by the history of your people and not covered by your other Stats.
High Prompt: What specialized skill, profession, study, training, or self-discovery have you set out to acheive? What work is left for you to continue improving, and why have you set out on this path?

Optional Stats

🪶 Hex Stat
Scope: Use of wands, spells, potions, and other magical instruments, traps, lore, and knowledge.
Genre: Fantasy
Effect: When performing a Hex Check, increase the complexity of the action if you are pushing the area, duration, or nature of the effect further than normal; if the effect requires a material cost you cannot pay; if you are untrained in the effect or it is outside your school of training; if the effect requires forbidden knowledge; or if the environment is not conducive to such effects. The complexity may be increased multiple ranks this way.
High Prompt: Where does your belief, knowledge, and practice in magic come from? What does simple, hard, and complex magic look like for you?
🥕 Ham Stat
Scope: Use of outlandish solutions, cartoonish items, and pun-based bends of reality.
Genre: Cartoon
Effect: When performing a Ham Check, all characters in the scene equally benefit from its boons and suffer from its busts. You may only use Ham if your action is being contested by a rival character.
High Prompt: Where do you get your sense of humor? What has the power to solve any problem, but what weird rules does it have to follow?
🔎 Hunch Stat
Scope: Locating clues, guessing the right solution to a puzzle, being in the right place at the right time.
Genre: Film noir
Effect: When you perform a Hunch Check, before rolling, you may choose to up the stakes. If you do, double the number of boons and busts that result from it.
High Prompt: What was the first mystery you solved and how did you solve it? What fatal flaw keeps you from solving the greatest mystery that still haunts you?
🦾 Hardware Stat
Scope: Use of machines, robotics, and cybernetic implants.
Genre: Cyberpunk
Effect: You may have up to X Hardware Tokens at a time, where X is half this Stat's die size. You start the game with X, and you may buy, trade, find, or otherwise gain more throughout the story. When performing a non-Hardware Check, if this Stat is not locked, you may lock this stat and spend any number of Hardware Tokens to increase the Check's result by the number of spent Hardware Tokens.
High Prompt: Where does your knowledge and practice with machines come from, and how does it show up in your physical appearance? What do simple, hard, and complex interactions with machines look like for you?
👾 Hologram Stat
Scope: Directly investigating, interacting with, noticing inconsistencies in, and reshaping the simulation the characters exist within.
Genre: Futuristic
Effect: When you perform a Hologram Check, before rolling, you may choose a number other than 1. If you do, until the end of the Check this Stat bumps when that value is rolled instead of bumping on 1.
High Prompt: What have you noticed that others haven't or don't believe you about? What happens when you peek behind this secret?
💰 Hireling Stat
Scope: Acquiring employees, minions, or quest companions, and effectively delegating tasks and operating a business.
Genre: Absurd capitalist
Effect: When performing a Hireling Check, each boon adds an ally to the scene but each bust adds a rival.
High Prompt: Where does your wealth—or appearance of wealth—come from? Who does the day-to-day management of your business, and what kind of business is it?
🎁 Holly Jolly Stat
Scope: Drawing from the magic of the season to bring people joy, operating devices from the North Pole, and interacting with reindeer, snowmen, yetis, and other such fantastical beasts.
Genre: Winter wonderland
Effect: When performing a Holly Jolly Check, increase the complexity of the action if you have been naughty; if you do not have sight of snow or festive decorations; or if you are not doing the action to bring joy to others. The complexity may be increased multiple ranks this way.
High Prompt: What is your connection to the magic of the season? What is your favorite part of this magic and why?
🎧 Headline Stat
Scope: Performing music on stage, in a garage with your band, moving in sync with the beat.
Genre: Battle of the bands
Effect: When you perform a Headline Check, before rolling, you may choose an ally in the scene. If you do, until the end of the Check, this Stat bumps if the value on the die matches the value on any of that character's locked Stats, but the Check automatically fails if this Stat rolls a 1.
High Prompt: What is your connection to or role in the band? Why is music so important to you?
🦠 Host Stat
Scope: Drawing on the power of your symbiote to push beyond your normal capabilities.
Genre: Alien paranormal suspense
Effect: When you perform a Check while using this Stat, you may perform the action as though you are apt in it. There may be consequences.
High Prompt: What does your symbiote sound like in your mind, and do you believe what it says? Does your symbiote have an outward appearance others can see, or is it hidden just for you?
💀 Hardship Stat
Scope: Shared narrative elements of the story setting that represent the town's obstacles, troubles, and adversities.
Genre: Suspense horror
Effect: This Stat can only be a d4 and it does not lock.
Prompt: What is the town going through that it might not recover from? Is everyone affected evenly‐does everyone think they are affected evenly?
👻 Haunted Stat
Scope: Dark narrative elements representing a character's fears, a curse they can't escape, or a malevolent force that haunts them.
Genre: Poe
Effect: This Stat does not lock and it begins the game as a d2. When it is rolled, the opposite die size is used instead: d2 vs. d10, d4 vs. d8. Characters do not choose to use this Stat. Instead, whenever the thing that haunts them is present (whether they are aware of its presence or not), after the character has performed a roll, they then roll their Haunted Stat and subtract its value from the original roll's result.
High Prompt: You might not know what it is that haunts you, but do you know what it feels like? How do you know it, whatever it is, is there? What does it not want you to accomplish?
🌳 Hardy Stat
Scope: Shared narrative elements emerging from each session's obstacles and players' combined efforts against the challenges they've faced.
Genre: Coming of age
Effect: This Stat is shared by all characters within a friend group, and it cannot be upgraded by the normal means. Instead, it begins each session as a d2. When a character fails a Check, this Stat upgrades to the next die size, to a maximum of a d10. Any character in that friend group may choose to use the Hardy Stat instead of one of their other Stats for any roll. When they do, this Stat returns to a d2.
Prompt: What lessons does your character still have to learn about the world? Why is it okay that they still haven't learned them yet?
⚫ Haze Stat
Scope: Dark narrative elements representing a character's descent into madness or confusion.
Genre: Psychological horror
Effect: This Stat begins the game as a d2 and only changes die size when you fail certain Checks against the ever-present darkness, at which point it increases by one die size. When another character makes an action against you, that other character may choose to use your Haze Stat instead of their own usual Stat for the roll.
Prompt: What do you fear most, and why do you have to risk facing it? How would someone know you've started to lose it—what's the first sign they would notice?

Motivation Options

🌼 The Blossomer's Motivation Heart/Hurry
Description: In a world of good and evil, you live a relatively carefree life, perhaps because of your naivete, wealth, or the protection of those around you.
Effect: Upgrade your Heart and Hurry Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What do you take for granted that would have a profound impact on your life if you lost it? What impact would it have? Why have you taken it for granted?
⚜️ The Driven's Motivation Hand/Hurt
Description: You are eager for more out of life, perhaps because of a rebellious phase, a yearning, a dream, or a person you want to impress.
Effect: Upgrade your Hand and Hurt Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What do you most want to accomplish? What stands in your way? How confident are you that you'll overcome those obstacles?
🪬 The Steadfast's Motivation Head/Home
Description: Your studies, cared ones, or events in your life have left you wiser or tougher than others around you, and deep down you believe that good people doing good work will win in the end.
Effect: Upgrade your Head and Home Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What lessons have you learned that others around you haven't? Who were you before you learned these lessons? How do these lessons serve you now?
🔮 The Prodigy's Motivation Head/Hurt
Description: Your amoral or nihilistic belief system leaves you unbothered by "good" and "bad" and "consequences," perhaps due to a strict upbringing or life events leaving you with your worldview.
Effect: Upgrade your Head and Hurt Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What fate were you led to believe you are destined for? What's comforting about going along with that destiny? What are the social consequences for fighting against it?
✨ The Fated's Motivation Heart/Home
Description: You have strong feelings about the story sold to you about how the world works, whether you believe it wholeheartedly or you aren't satisfied with its lies.
Effect: Upgrade your Heart and Home Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What lessons have you learned about how the world works? What do you stand to gain or lose if those stories end up being true? What if they end up being false?
👄 The Compeller's Motivation Hand/Hurry
Description: You understand something that others around you don't about how people or the world itself really works, which you are happy to take advantage of.
Effect: Upgrade your Hand and Hurry Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What station in life have you reached? What did you have to do to get there? What do you stand to gain by keeping it and lose by losing it?
🧶 The Crafter's Motivation Hand/Home
Description: Even though you live in a world where the only person you can really trust is yourself, you still live comfortably, perhaps because of a unique skill, place, or creation others can rely on.
Effect: Upgrade your Hand and Home Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What do others know you for? Have you always had this reputation, or did you inherit, find, grow into, or build it over time? How does it help you get by or live comfortably enough?
⚡ The Wired's Motivation Head/Hurry
Description: You have a drive, wit, quickness, or wellspring of energy that others around you don't, which you're happy to make use of because it (usually) gets what you want.
Effect: Upgrade your Head and Hurry Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What five things are you planning or doing all at the same time right now? When is the last time a plan of yours went wrong? How did you get yourself out of the situation anyway?
👁️ The Warry's Motivation Heart/Hurt
Description: You have an understanding of the world itself, almost like it were a character of its own, which leads you to insights that others around you miss or don't believe in.
Effect: Upgrade your Heart and Hurt Stats by one size each. If either of these were already upgraded during character creation, upgrade History instead of that Stat.
Prompt: What belief or practice do you have that makes you an outsider to most of society? Are you the only one with this belief or practice, or are there others like you? Are you wholly self-sufficient, or are their people in mainstream society you can interact with to get by?
💎 The Lost's Motivation
Description: You feel a disconnect from your own past or former sense of self, perhaps because of an exile from your home, an erased memory, or a period of transition or deep self-reflection.
Effect: You do not upgrade any Stats as a result of choosing this Motivation. Instead, at the end of a later session, you may change your Motivation to any of the other options above.
Prompt: Who were you before this period of transition? What were the "parts" of that old self, and what lead to your disconnect with them? Are their any parts of your old self that still serve you or serve you in new ways? What is it you're still trying to figure out?

Dice

Stat Dice

Your Stats are represented by Stat Dice, which you use to perform Checks and spend to affect the story. You may upgrade your Stats later in the Session Shop.

Die Sizes: A Stat Die can be one of five sizes, from d2 to d10, as described in the Stat Dice Notation table below.

Balanced Stats: Stats are "balanced" if they use the same size Stat Die.

Stats "Bump": Stat Dice "bump," meaning that when you roll a 1 on a Stat Die, roll it again and add the new result to its previous result. As long as you continue to roll a 1 on the die, you continue to roll again and add this way. Success without bumping represents your natural or trained ability, and success with bumping represents your extra determination or focus on the action.

Stats "Lock": When you succeed a Check, all Stats used in the Check become "locked" at the last value rolled on the die. Locked Stats cannot be used in Checks, but they can be used in Continues (described in the next chapter). All your Stats are "unlocked" at the end of the scene, when you take a Rest (described in the next chapter), or at the start of an Endeavor (described in the Endeavors chapter). Locking prevents over-reliance on only your best Stats, similar to a "cooldown" period in other games.

Stats Can "Spark": "Sparks" are what allow you to perform far beyond what is normally possible, limited only by your imagination—and ability to control it! By spending ⊜⊜ (described in the next section), you may spark two unsparked, unlocked, balanced Stats together. A pair of sparked Stats is rolled at the same time and when either bumps, both bump. Then their totals are added together as though they were a single Stat and they become unsparked again.

"Unconventional" Stats: Sometimes, it's appropriate to bend a Stat into a different scope, such as hacking into the mainframe (Head) by hitting the computer just right (Hand). Whenever an effect refers to a Stat, you may replace it with a Stat you have balanced with it, referred to as using an "unconventional" Stat.

History and Optional Stats: The History Stat is a special Stat unique to each character. Whenever an effect refers to a Stat, you may replace it with your History Stat if the action is related enough to your Backstory or Aptitudes, or an optional Stat like Hex or Ham (if your game has them) if the action is related enough to the optional Stat's scope.

Using d20s: This game only uses d2s through d10s. However, sometimes you may want to use d20s instead, such as when you've collected a fun set of d20s, you're controlling many characters at once, or you don't want to reveal secret die sizes. Whatever the case, you may use the d20 Conversion table below to approximate this game's dice. Note how d20 values are converted for the d6 and d8, which allow the d20 to behave within about 5% of those dice.

Stat Dice Notation

Notation Stat Die
d10 A ten-sided die. The largest die size in the game.
d8 An eight-sided die.
d6 A six-sided die.
d4 A four-sided die.
d2 Any of the above dice, treating any odd number as 1 and any even number as 2. The smallest die size in the game.

d20 Conversion

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
d10 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2
d8 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4
d6 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
d4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
d10 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
d8 5 6 7 8 1* 3* 5* 1*
d6 1 2 3 4 5 6 5* 1*
d4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

* Or redo the roll.

Blessings

You have a pool of "Blessing Dice," or simply "Blessings," representing resources you can draw upon when the moment calls. Some effects cost Blessings to activate.

Gaining Blessings: When you gain a Blessing, roll a d6 and add that die to your pool of Blessings. You will be awarded Blessings for good roleplay, creativity, and other events according to the game's Atmosphere:

  • Light Gain Blessings when completing important story milestones, on your first Major Success each session, and when you witness or learn about characters who gained Blessings those ways.
  • Dark Gain Blessings when becoming endebted to certain non-player characters and on your first Major Success each session. When you would gain Blessings either of these ways, you may instead steal that many from other characters in the scene or story.
  • Gritty Gain reputation (good or bad) with factions in the story when completing important story milestones and on your first Major Success each session. Gain Blessings as your reputation reaches new tiers.

Blessings Bump: Like your Stats, Blessings also bump, but in a different way. When you roll a 1 on a Blessing, instead of rolling again to increase the value of the roll, gain an additional Blessing. As long as you continue to roll a 1 this way, you continue to gain an additional Blessing.

Spending Blessings: When you spend a Blessing, remove it from your pool of Blessings. An effect may require you to spend a Blessing of at least a certain size or multiple Blessings at the same time. The Blessing Notation table below shows how this is notated.

Blessing Uses: There are a number of uses for Blessings that all characters have access to, depending on the game's Atmosphere, as described in the Blessing Uses by Atmosphere table below.

Recharge Costs: Some effects list a recharge Blessing cost. Once activated, these effects cannot be activated again until the cost is paid.

Temporary Blessings: Some effects, most notably Endeavors (described in the next chapter), provide you temporary Blessings. Such effects will describe when those temporary Blessings automatically disappear from your pool of Blessings.

Modified Blessings: Some effects modify the values of your Blessings. A Blessing can be worth at most 6, and if it is ever worth less than 1 it is removed from your pool of Blessings.

Blessing Deck: You may use a large deck of cards numbered 1 through 6 to represent Blessings instead of dice and place tokens on them to represent any modifications. This can help if you want Blessings to be more legible or if you have children, pets, or a table prone to being knocked into.

Blessing Notation

Notation Blessing Dice
⑥ A Blessing worth 6. The largest Blessing in the game.
② A Blessing worth 2 or more.
① A Blessing worth 1 or more. The smallest Blessing in the game.
②② Two Blessings each worth 2 or more.
①① Two Blessings each worth 1 or more.
① × 4 Four Blessings each worth 1 or more.
⊜⊜ Two Blessings of the same worth.

Blessing Uses by Atmosphere

Help Light Once per action, when another willing character fails a Check and it is reasonable for you to help, you may spend ① to add half the value of the spent Blessing (rounded down, minimum of 1) to one of that character's rolls for the action, possibly turning the failure into a success.
Jinx Dark Once per action, when any character performs a Check and it is reasonable for you to help, interfere, push yourself, or call on a higher power, you may spend ① to add +1 to that Check but also an additional bust if it succeeds.
Improvise Gritty Once per action, when you fail a Check, you may spend ① to lower the value shown on the die to 1, reducing its result but causing it to bump and potentially turn the failure into a success. If multiple dice were used in the Check, all are lowered to 1 and bump this way.
Buy Light/Gritty You may spend Blessings in social situations as though they were currency. Use the Progress Scale table (in the next chapter) as a scale. Each spent Blessing contributes half its value (rounded down, minimum of 1).
Donate Light/Dark When you visit a place of religious, spiritual, community, or personal importance, you may spend any number of Blessings as a donation, investment, or act of service to the place. The more spent this way, the greater a possible later outcome may be, determined at table discretion.
Collaborate Dark/Gritty Once per action, when another willing character fails a Check and it is reasonable for you to help, you may transfer any number of your Blessings to the helped character, which they may spend to activate effects to possibly turn the failure into a success.

Actions

Checks

An action is anything you do during a scene. Some actions require a Check, at table discretion, to determine the result. To perform a Check:

  1. Roll: Roll the Stat most in the scope of the intended action, an unconventional Stat balanced with it, or History if relevant enough. You may not choose a locked Stat. If you have no usable Stats for the action, you must either choose another line of action, take a Rest first (described later in this chapter), or the action automatically fails.
  2. Spark (optional): Before resolving bumps, you may spend ⊜⊜ to spark.
  3. Outcome: Use the Check Outcomes table below to determine success.
  4. Lock Stats: On a success, lock the Stats used in the Check at the last value they rolled on the die.
  5. Boons and Busts: Some successes come with narrative benefits ("boons"), while others come with complications ("busts"). Boons and busts help determine how much "other" stuff happens alongside your success.

Check Outcomes

Roll Outcome
4 or less Failure. If the action is related enough to your Aptitudes, you may treat results of 3 or 4 as though they were 5 instead.
5, 6, or 7 Minor Success: Check succeeds, with a bust.
8, 9, or 10 Medium Success: Check succeeds.
11-19 Major Success: Check succeeds, with a boon. The higher the roll, the greater the boon.
20+ Maximum Success: Check succeeds with an exceptional boon.

Continues

Locked Stats may not be used to perform Checks, but they may be used in Continues. Whereas Checks represent your success or failure to begin an action, Continues represent your success or failure at continuing or repeating an action over time. To perform a Continue:

  1. Succeed Check: Before you can Continue an action, you must first succeed a Check to begin it.
  2. Continued "Check": Determine success for Continuing an action as though performing its original Check again and as though all Stats used for it rolled the values they are locked at. Any Stats sparked the first time are sparked again.
  3. Continued Outcomes: If the above "Check" succeeds, gain its outcome, boons, and busts as normal.
  4. Interruption: You may no longer Continue an action once the above "Check" fails, once you Rest or any Stats involved in the "Check" are otherwise unlocked, or once the action has been narratively interrupted, run its course, or too much time has passed since it first began.

Also note:

No Modifications: The values of locked Stats may not be modified when determining Continue results.

No Shifts: A Continue cannot be used to perform an action unrelated to the original one, even if still in the scope of the original Stats. The purpose of a Continue is to quickly resolve going further into the same course of action, not to get around a Stat's lock.

Group Continues: Continuing an action made as a group requires all members of that group to Continue together.

Rests

A Rest is any action you take to "reset" yourself, tend to your resources, reevaluate a situation, or so on. To perform a Rest:

  1. Time Passes: When you take a Rest, time passes narratively, allowing other characters to act and events to unfold around you.
  2. Unlock Stats: At the end of your Rest, unlock all your Stats.

Effect Sizes

Some success effects list three different effect sizes you may choose from. The choices available depend on the size of the Stat locked. If multiple sizes of Stats were locked in the same action, use the size of the Stat most central to the intent of the action.

Small ●: Effect sizes listed after the circle ● symbol may be chosen regardless of the locked die size.

Medium ■: Effect sizes listed after the square ■ symbol require a d6 or larger to have been locked.

Large ⬧: Effect sizes listed after the diamond ⬧ symbol require a d10 to have been locked.

For example: Perform a Check to brew a number of potions. On a success, you gain ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.

Complexity

Some descriptions list a number of example actions one may expect to be available in a setting or situation, ranked by complexity:

Easy ○: Narratively "easy" actions require only a single Check to determine success and are performed as though you were apt in the action, denoted by an open circle ○ symbol.

Simple ●: Most actions require only a single Check to determine success, denoted by a single circle ● symbol.

Hard ●●: Narratively "hard" actions require two successes in a row using different Stats, denoted by a double circle ●● symbol.

Complex ●●●: More narratively "complex" actions require three or more successes in a row using different Stats, denoted by a triple circle ●●● symbol.

For example: In the atelier, you may create ○ rudimentary items like sandwiches, ● simple items like sterile bandages, ●● harder items like healing potions from rare ingredients, or ●●● more complex items like furniture, weapons, and armor.

Group Action: The individual Checks in hard and complex actions may be performed all by one character or distributed between characters acting together.

All or Nothing: Stats are locked after each successful Check in a hard or complex action. If any of its Check fails, the whole action fails and any Stats locked so far become unlocked.

Attacks

Attacks are Checks performed against another character. There are two types of Attacks: violent and non-violent.

Violent Attack: A violent Attack is you perform an action against another character's will using Hurt or an unconventional Stat as though it were Hurt. All violent Attacks are dangerous, regardless of intent.

Non-violent Attack: A non-violent Attack is any other action you perform against another character's will.

For all Attacks:

Apt Defense When another character Attacks you, if the action is related enough to your Aptitudes, its complexity is one rank higher.

Tracked Actions

At table discretion, some goals are large enough to require progress to be made over a series of actions spread out over multiple scenes or sessions, such as persuading new allies, crafting items, attending school, or climbing a mountain. These may be represented by action tracks.

In such cases:

  1. Begin: In most cases, you begin at 0 along the action track, though you may begin higher at table discretion.
  2. Move: On a success, move up ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 spaces on the action track. On a failure, move down 2 instead. Incremental benefits, challenges, or story may come from reaching different tiers of progress. For reference, see the Progress Scale table below.
  3. Accumulate Nuance: Boons and busts accumulate along the way and shape the final outcome.

For representing sustained tension within a single scene, such as combat or racing, use the Endeavor system instead (described in the next chapter).

Progress Scale

Total Required Expected Duration, Cost, or Complexity
4 or less Simple
5, 6, or 7 Complex
8, 9, or 10 Elaborate
11-19 Intricate
20-99 Strenuous
100+ Inexorbitant

Luck

Sometimes an action so simple it doesn't warrant performing a Check, yet a table could still want to use a roll of the dice to determine your luck in the situation.

To perform a Luck Check, roll 2d10 and consult the Luck Outcomes table below.

Luck Outcomes

Result Luck
Both Odd Lucky
Both Even Lucky
Equal Very Lucky
Otherwise Not Lucky

Endeavors

General Endeavor Rules

Sometimes, the player characters will need to race to be the first to reach some destination, be the first to acheive some action, escape without being caught, advance an objective before time runs out, or so on! Many such scenes where the tension is drawn out can be run as Endeavors.

There are several different types of Endeavors depending on the scenario. However, all Endeavors build on the same general rules covered below, which on their own are not enough to run an Endeavor. Specific types of Endeavors build upon those general rules to provide everything you need to run many kinds of high-tension scenes.

Unlock Stats: When an Endeavor begins, all characters involved unlock all their Stats.

Rounds: Endeavors are carried out over rounds in which characters attempt to drive the narrative tension, progress themselves, and slow their opponents. Each type of Endeavor specifies what characters are involved and how they win.

Temporary Blessings: At the start of each round, all characters in the Endeavor gain one temporary Blessing. Temporary Blessings disappear at the end of the Endeavor or when you take the special action, described below.

Turn Order: Each type of Endeavor specifies whose turn is first. Turns then move clockwise. If there is no clear clockwise seating order, such as when playing online, each character chooses whose turn will follow theirs during the first round, and in subsequent rounds this same order is followed.

Actions: During your turn each round, you may choose and perform one action from the action options for that Endeavor. You may activate your other effects as normal, whenever would be most appropriate before, during, or after your turn, which do not use your action for the round.

Requirement Tags: Action options may have tags that specify requirements for taking them. For example, the Head tag requires that you use Head or an unconventional Stat as though it were Head in the action's Check. In contrast, the Not Hurt tag prohibits you from using Hurt in the Check or an unconventional Stat as though it were Hurt. Within reason, History and optional Stats can be used to satisfy these requirements.

Special Actions: Actions with the Special tag cannot be performed during your turn. Instead, at the end of the round when all other actions are complete, whoever has the most temporary Blessings chooses a special action from the options provided by the Endeavor and performs it. If opponents are tied for most, no one takes the special action. After you perform a special action, your unspent temporary Blessings disappear, representing an unleashing of potential stored over the previous rounds.

Group Action: During your turn, you may call other willing characters who have not acted yet that round into your turn so that you may act together on a hard or complex action.

Tracks: Endeavors use movement tracks (simply called "tracks" in this chapter) to record character positions, scores, progress towards goals, or so on. Tracks begin at 0 and go up by whole numbers as high as needed. Each type of Endeavor describes where characters begin, and its action options describe how characters move.

Group Movement: If a group moves together an amount, they only move a total of that amount. Unless specified otherwise, how the group distributes this movement among its members is up to the group to decide.

Multiple Tracks: Some Endeavors span a large field or pull characters in different directions. Such situations can be represented with multiple tracks.

Nearby Influence Only: Characters and effects can only interact with what is on the same track as them.

Changing Tracks: Some Endeavor actions allow you to change tracks. Doing so changes your position to 0 on the new track, unless specified otherwise.

All Tracks are Connected: Regardless of narrative distance, for simplicity all tracks are equally "connected." When permitted, you may change from any track to any other track with a single action.

Buttons: Endeavors also add a number of buttons to the track, listed at the end of this chapter. Each type of Endeavor describe how its buttons are added, activated, and any effects that trigger as a result.

Personal and Global Scopes: Buttons have one of two scopes, personal and global. Personal buttons can only be activated by the character associated with them, whereas global buttons can be activated by any character.

Passive and Cumulative Effects: Some buttons have a passive effect that applies while the button is present, and some have a cumulative effect that activates only once if multiple instances of that effect would activate at the same time.

Printable Track: Two printable tracks, one for seven characters and a longer one for one character, are available in the Printables chapter.

🧟 Combat Endeavors

Some campaigns or sessions may involve the player characters facing off against zombies, robots, or the manifestation of someone's fear! These may be run as Combat Endeavors.

Combatants: You and your fellow "protagonists" are opposed by the "antagonists."

Antagonists: All antagonists have a Starting Position (SP), representing how hard they are to remove from the Endeavor. Some may also have a number of tags that affect their actions and buttons.

Antagonists cannot use unconventional Stats or take the Shine action unless they have the Unique tag.

When antagonists with the Revenge tag activate a Recovery Button, they may immediately take an additional action to Attack an opponent who caused them to move down that round.

While an antagonist with the Horde has a Recovery Button on their track, they do not lock their Stats.

Attacks against antagonists with the Immunity tag are not just made more complex by their Aptitudes—they automatically fail.

Antagonists with the Unrelenting tag may take an additional action to Attack an opponent at the end of each round, before the special action, for each time they've activated a Recovery Button.

Wounds: When you are "wounded," gain a Wound Button at the first position at or above your current track position without one already.

Setup: Protagonists begin at position 0. If an antagonist has an SP of 10 (3), for example, they begin at position 10 and add a Recovery Button 3 below that. All antagonists also add a Defeat Button at position 0. Whoever has the largest Hurt or Hurry Stat goes first, resolving ties at table discretion.

Combat Actions: Protagonists use the Generic and Protagonist Actions, listed at the end of this chapter. Antagonists use the Generic and Antagonist Actions.

Goal: Move all the antagonists to position 0 before they can give you three Wound Buttons in a row.

🏇 Racing Endeavors

Some campaigns or sessions may involve a prolonged scene where the player characters race against one another or their opponents, whether it be by foot, horseback, sled, racecar, or even spaceship! These may be run as Racing Endeavors.

Fatigue: When you willingly spend a Blessing during the race, gain a Fatigue Button, representing your need to regroup after a hard push.

Setup: All racers begin at position 0. At the top of the first round, the lay of the land will be provided at table discretion for the race course environment, including any terrain elements like hills, brush, holes, asteroid fields, or so on, represented by Terrain Buttons.

As the Endeavor progresses, additional areas may become available, each with their own track and lay of the land. Whoever has the largest Hand or Home Stat goes first, resolving ties at table discretion.

Racing Actions: Racers use the Generic and Protagonist Actions, listed at the end of this chapter.

Goal: Be the first to reach the finish line or the last one standing.

⏩ Rush Endeavors

Some scenes call for something between a Combat Endeavor and a Racing Endeavor, where the player characters must charge in and stop the enemy before they complete their plans, such as catching a thief before they can escape with a powerful artifact or infiltrating a star base before it can fire a large laser! These may be run as Rush Endeavors.

Adjusted Combat: Rush Endeavors are run as Combat Endeavors with the following adjustments.

Charge Leader: Before the first round, elect a "charge leader" from among you and your fellow protagonists. Only the charge leader and the antagonists are considered for determining who takes special actions.

Foiling: When a charge leader is "foiled," another protagonist is elected as the charge leader instead. Once you are foiled, you cannot become the charge leader again. The antagonists do not automatically win if your entire side has been foiled, but your victory will be much more difficult.

Simpler Turn Order: The charge leader acts first. If there is no charge leader, antagonists act first.

Rush Antagonist Actions: Antagonists use the Rush Antagonist Actions, listed at the end of this chapter.

Goal: Move all your opponents to position 0 before they can complete their scheme or foil your plans.

💣 Stealth Endeavors

Some campaigns or sessions may involve prolonged tension where the player characters attempt to sneak past guards, escape a prison, perform a heist, or so on! These may be run as Stealth Endeavors.

Rogues vs. The Eye: The opposing side is represented by the "Eye." When the Endeavor begins, the Eye is in "warry mode" and on the lookout for you and your fellow "rogues." However, once the Eye has been alerted, it will enter the much more dangerous "wake mode." For the sake of rules, the Eye is a character, but it has only a single Watch Stat that never locks, has no track position, and it cannot be Attacked directly.

Setup: You and your fellow rogues begin at position 0. At the top of the first round, the lay of the land will be provided at table discretion for the guarded area, including any rooms, halls, obstacles to climb or hide behind, locking and security mechanisms, and so on.

The Eye's defenses in those areas are represented by Alarm Buttons, actions the rogues need to complete are represented by Objective Buttons, exit points are represented by Escape Buttons, and places safe from danger are represented by Sanctuary Buttons.

As the Endeavor progresses, additional areas may become available, each with their own track and lay of the land.

Stealth Actions: Rogues use the Generic and Rogue Actions, listed at the end of this chapter. The Eye uses the Eye Actions.

Goal: Remove all Objective Buttons and escape without alerting the Eye.

🎖️ Unit Endeavors

Some campaigns or sessions may involve prolonged contests between "units" operated by the player characters and their opponents, such as ship-to-ship combat, a battle of the bands, or cheering on your magical creatures! These may be performed as Unit Endeavors.

Units and Operators: You are an "operator" of a "unit," alongside fellow and opposing operators and units.

For the sake of rules, a unit is a character with only a single Unit Stat that never locks, no track position, and they can only Attack and be Attacked by other units. Each unit is represented by a track, which ends at the position equal to the unit's Unit Stat size. Anything placed or moved beyond this is placed at the last track position instead.

Unit Size: Smaller units are harder to hit and move to. When Attacking a unit that has a smaller Unit Stat, or when moving to the track of a unit that has a smaller Unit Stat, increase the complexity of the action by one rank.

Hits: When a unit is "hit," choose a random position on its track. Add a Hit Button there if one is not there already.

Shields: At table discretion, some units may have Shield Buttons representing their defenses. At the start of the endeavor, add a number of Shield Buttons at random positions on the unit's track, depending on their Unit Stat size: ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.

Setup: You and your fellow operators begin at position 0 on your unit's track. Effects may extend your unit's track during the Endeavor. If a unit is removed from the Endeavor while you're on its track, perform a Check to move to a different track. On a failure, you are removed from the Endeavor too.

Unit Actions: Operators use the Generic and Operator Actions, listed at the end of this chapter.

Units use the Unit Actions, but they do not have a turn as normal. Instead they act when one of their operators takes the Operate action to operate them. How many times a unit can act this way per round depends on their Unit Stat size: ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.

Units also can't take special actions. They still gain temporary Blessings, but they are ignored when determining who has the most.

Goal: Place three Hit Buttons in a row on your opponents' units' tracks before they do the same to yours.

Endeavor Action Options

Generic Actions
Continue Continue a previous action, if possible, gaining its outcome again on a success.
Rest Take a Rest to unlock your Stats.
Change If applicable, you change tracks. At table discretion, this may require a successful Check.
Operate If applicable, you operate a machine, give an order to a non-player character, or otherwise interact with a unique element of the Endeavor. At table discretion, this may require a successful Check.
Shine Spend ⊜⊜ to perform an action unique to your character. Take two other actions combined.
Protagonist Actions
Hurt Hurt Violently Attack your opponents. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, they move down ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Interfere Head/Hand/Heart Non-violently Attack your opponents. On a success, decrease the values of their temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Advance Not Hurt Perform a Check to advance your team's objectives. On a success, move up ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.
Protect Home/Hurry Perform a Check to protect yourself or an ally from the opponents. On a success, the protected character gains an Aptitude against the opponents' Attacks until the start of your next turn.
Combo Special Move up by your number of temporary Blessings. Then you and your allies may move down any total amount. If you do, choose opponents to move down this same total amount.
Victory Special If you are at position 30+, choose an opponent to remove from the Endeavor.
Antagonist Actions
Hurt Hurt Violently Attack your opponents. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, wound ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 of them.
Interfere Head/Hand/Heart Non-violently Attack your opponents. On a success, decrease the values of their temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Advance Not Hurt Perform a Check to advance your team's objectives. On a success, add ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 Scheme Buttons at the first positions at or above your current position without one already.
Protect Home/Hurry Perform a Check to protect yourself or an ally from the opponents. On a success, the protected character gains an Aptitude against the opponents' Attacks until the start of your next turn.
Combo Special Remove up to X opponents with 3+ Wound Buttons in a row from the Endeavor, then wound up to X remaining opponents, where X is equal to your number of temporary Blessings.
Victory Special If there are 10+ Scheme Buttons in a row, choose an opponent to remove from the Endeavor.
Racer Actions
Hurt Hurt Violently Attack your opponents. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, they move down ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Interfere Head/Hand/Heart Non-violently Attack your opponents. On a success, decrease the values of their temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Advance Not Hurt Perform a Check to advance your team's objectives. On a success, move up ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.
Protect Home/Hurry Perform a Check to protect yourself or an ally from the opponents. On a success, the protected character gains an Aptitude against the opponents' Attacks until the start of your next turn.
Overcome Special Move up by your number of temporary Blessings, ignoring the first Terrain Button you would activate during this movement.
Rush Antagonist Actions
Hurt Hurt Violently Attack your opponents. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, wound ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 of them.
Interfere Head/Hand/Heart Non-violently Attack your opponents. On a success, decrease the values of their temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Advance Not Hurt Perform a Check to advance your team's objectives. On a success, add ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 Scheme Buttons at the first positions at or above your current position without one already.
Protect Home/Hurry Perform a Check to protect yourself or an ally from the opponents. On a success, the protected character gains an Aptitude against the opponents' Attacks until the start of your next turn.
Plot Special Foil the charge leader. Then add X Scheme Buttons at the first positions at or above your current position without one already, where X is equal to your number of temporary Blessings.
Execute Special If there are 10+ Scheme Buttons in a row, remove all opponents from the Endeavor.
Rogue Actions
Disarm Heart/Hurt Perform a Check or Attack to find or create weakness in the Eye's defenses. On a success, choose an Alarm Button within ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 spaces of your position and remove it from the Endeavor. On a Maximum Success, also remove all Alarm Buttons contiguous with it.
Misdirect Head/Home Perform a Check or Attack to stall or evade the Eye's plans. On a success, decrease the values of its temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Move Hand/Hurry Perform a Check or Attack to move yourself toward your objective or away from danger. On a success, move up or down by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3. You may not move as a group this way.
Work If you begin your turn on or next to an Objective Button, perform the Objective Button's Check. On a success, add ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 Scheme Buttons at the first positions at or above the Objective Button's position without one already. Then remove the Objective Button if every position from it to the next Objective or Escape Button has a Scheme Button.
Quicken Special You and your allies may each take an additional action during your next turns.
Eye Actions
Search Warry Perform a Check. On a success, randomly choose ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 positions in 1–20 and add Alarm Buttons at those positions.
Scan Warry Perform a Check. On a success, randomly choose up or down and move all Alarm Buttons in that direction by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.
Awaken Wake Replace each Alarm Button with Wound Buttons at the same positions, distributed as you wish between your opponents.
Wound Wake Wound an opponent and gain a temporary Blessing.
Sweep Special Warry Choose two Alarm Buttons that have no Alarm Buttons between them. Add temporary Alarm Buttons to all positions between them, removed at the end of next round.
Clean Special Wake Remove all opponents with 3+ Wound Buttons in a row from the Endeavor. Then wound each remaining opponent.
Unit Actions
Hit Attack the opposing units. On a Maximum Success, hit them each ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 times. On other successes, hit ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 of them each once.
Interfere Attack the opposing units. On a success, decrease the values of temporary Blessings among them and characters on their tracks by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Channel Release your stored energy. Give your temporary Blessings to allies on your track, distributed however you choose.
Operator Actions
Hurt Hurt Violently Attack your opponents. On a Maximum Success, remove one of them from the Endeavor. On other successes, they move down ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Interfere Head/Hand/Heart Non-violently Attack your opponents. On a success, decrease the values of their temporary Blessings by ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3 total.
Advance Not Hurt Perform a Check to advance your team's objectives. On a success, move up ● 1, ■ 2, or ⬧ 3.
Protect Home/Hurry Perform a Check to protect yourself or an ally from the opponents. On a success, the protected character gains an Aptitude against the opponents' Attacks until the start of your next turn.
Rally Special You and your allied operators on the same track as you may move down any total amount. If you are on an allied unit's track, extend the track by the amount moved this way. If you are on an opposing unit's track, choose opposing operators to move down a total of the amount moved this way.
Sally Special If you are on an allied unit's track, remove up to X opposing units with 3+ Hit Buttons in a row from the Endeavor, then hit up to X remaining opposing units, where X is equal to your number of temporary Blessings.
Tally Special If you are at position 30+ on an allied unit's track, choose an opposing unit to remove from the Endeavor.

Endeavor Buttons

Wound Button
Type: Personal, for the protagonist who was wounded.
Activation: Activated when you move off it.
Effect: Decrease your remaining movement by 1, to a minimum of 0.
Scheme Button
Type: Global.
Activation: None. Tracks progress toward Antagonist and Rogue objectives.
Recovery Button
Type: Personal, for the antagonist who began the Endeavor with it.
Activation: Activated when you move onto it.
Effect: End your movement, remove this button, and return to your starting position.
Defeat Button
Type: Personal, for the antagonist who began the Endeavor with it.
Activation: Activated when you move onto it.
Effect: End your movement, remove this button, and you are removed from the Endeavor.
Terrain Button
Type: Global.
Activation: Activated when you move onto it while moving up.
Effect: End your movement.
Passive Effect: If this button has the Area tag and is the nearest such button at or below your current track position, it restricts which Stats you may use for your actions.
Fatigue Button
Type: Personal, for the racer who pushed themself too far.
Activation: Activated at the end of the round, before special actions.
Cumulative Effect: Perform an easy Check to remain in the Endeavor. On a success, remove one of your Fatigue buttons. On a failure, you are removed from the Endeavor.
Alarm Button
Type: Global.
Activation: Activated when you end your turn on it.
Effect: The Eye enters wake mode.
Passive Effect: When a rogue fails a Check or Sparks a roll, add an Alarm Button above this one if there is not one there already.
Cumulative Effect: Alarm Buttons that would move to or be placed at a position outside 1–20 instead move up or down by 20 until in that range. If multiple would move to or be placed at the same position, all but the oldest there are removed.
Objective Button
Type: Global.
Activation: None. Represents a Check toward a larger objective.
Escape Button
Type: Global.
Activation: Activated when you end your turn on it.
Effect: You may safely remove yourself from the Endeavor.
Sanctuary Button
Type: Global.
Activation: Activated when you perform an Attack while on or next to it.
Effect: Remove this button.
Passive Effect: You do not activate Alarm Buttons while on or next to this button.
Hit Button
Type: Global.
Activation: Activated when you move off it.
Effect: Decrease your remaining movement by 1, to a minimum of 0.
Cumulative Effect: If multiple Hit Buttons would move to or be placed at the same position, all but the oldest there are removed.
Shield Button
Type: Global.
Activation: Activated when a Hit Button would be placed on it.
Effect: Remove this button instead.

Session Shop

Ending Sessions

At the end of each session, you receive one free Stat Upgrade for your character. Depending on what size you increase a Stat to, this may then grant you an additional upgrade from options described in this chapter.

You may receive an additional Stat Upgrade by spending ①①① or by downgrading one of your Stats from a d4 to a d2. You may purchase additional Stat Upgrades as many times as you want and can pay for.

What you do with any remaining Blessings at the end of the session depends on the game's Atmosphere:

  • Light Any unspend Blessings disappear at the end of the session. Gain two new Blessings near the start of the next session.
  • Dark Any unspend Blessings disappear at the end of the session, but first track the number of Blessings you have worth exactly 1. Gain that many new Blessings at the start of the next session.
  • Gritty Track your exact Blessings so you can regain them at the start of the next session.

Upgrade Options

Stat Upgrade One Free
Effect: Upgrade a single Stat's die one size.
Limits: At any given time you may have at most two Stats of size d10 and at most three of size d8.
Other Upgrades: When you upgrade a Stat to a d6, d8, or d10, you may receive one upgrade with the d6, d8, or d10 tag, respectively.
Backstory Upgrade d6
Effect: Make up to two changes or additions to your Backstory, within reason. For example, you might add or change your hobbies, beliefs, interests, items, information studied, chance encounters, connections to others, and answers to prompts from during character creation.
Rumor Upgrade d6
Effect: Begin, end, or modify one rumor, based on the events of the story so far, how you would like to see events play out, or how you would like to interfere with events as they stand. At table discretion, it may or may not spread quickly, be believed by others, or even be true.
Aptitude Upgrade d8
Effect: Gain a new Aptitude, based on the events of the story so far or how you would like to see your character grow.
Specialization Upgrade d8
Effect: Specialize one of your Aptitudes, based on the events of the story so far or how you would like to see your character grow. Select a Specialization option and explain how it relates to that Aptitude. Then gain that Specialization's effect or an adjusted version of it, at table discretion. You can't specialize the same Aptitude twice or choose the same Specialization twice.
Gains Upgrade d10
Effect: One thing you have gained improves to an exceptional quality, such as an item, information, or alliance. When performing Checks related enough to it, you may treat results of 6 or 7 as though they were 8 instead.
Dedication Upgrade d10
Effect: Choose a Dedication for your Motivation. Which Dedication options are available to you depend on your Motivation, but all represent a powerful character trait or flaw and all allow you to "bank" boons or busts. A banked boon or bust does not impact the narrative as usual but instead can be spent later.
The Blossomer, Driven, or Steadfast You may dedicate yourself to Pride & Prudence, Greed & Vanity, Rite & Divinity, or Precision & Accuracy.
The Prodigy, Fated, or Compeller You may dedicate yourself to Greed & Vanity, Power & Influence, Rite & Divinity, or Fairness & Value.
The Crafter, Wired, or Warry You may dedicate yourself to Pride & Prudence, Power & Influence, Precision & Accuracy, or Fairness & Value.

Specialization Options

Analytical Specialization
Effect: Twice per session and once per action, when another willing character fails a Check and it is reasonable for you to provide help, you may roll four d6 and group those dice into two piles of two. If addition or multiplication could make the piles equal, add 5 to one of that character's rolls for the action, possibly turning the failure into a success. For example, 1, 1, 1, and 2 could be grouped this way as 1×2=1+1.
Calm Specialization
Effect: Once per session, when you are in a safe place, you may perform a Head or Home Check. Then once before the end of the session, you may use the value of that roll instead of rolling for another non-violent Check.
Creative Specialization
Effect: Increase the difficulty one rank of a Check in a social situation, but ignore the lowest roll if it would cause you to fail. Recharge: ④.
Determined Specialization
Effect: Once per action, you may ignore the negative effects of your injuries and conditions. Recharge: ③.
Excessive Specialization
Effect: Once per session, you may destroy a thing you have gained, such as an item, information, or alliance. Until the end of the scene, you adopt its properties, the properties of a concept associated with it, or push it to its breaking point.
Friendly Specialization
Effect: You gain access to a creature companion, mechanical companion, or similar companion of your choice, within reason. The companion uses a d6 for all Stats and has its own Backstory and Aptitudes. It also has an Action Limit of 0-3 for each Aptitude, totaling 8, which you may redistribute between sessions. The companion can only perform actions related enough to its Aptitudes with an Action Limit of 1+. When it performs an action, decrease its Action Limit for that Aptitude by 1 until the end of the session. If the companion is lost, stolen, destroyed, or you lose its loyalty, replacing it may require time and effort.
Insured Specialization
Effect: A character may automatically succeed a Check to tend to your wounds, even after they've rolled. Recharge: ①. When this effect is recharged, increase the cost to recharge it by ①①.
Mischievous Specialization
Effect: When another character would succeed a Check, you may distract them using a thing you have gained, such as an item, information, or alliance. If you do, modify that character's result by -3, possibly turning their success into a failure. Recharge: ⑥.
Protective Specialization
Effect: When another nearby character would be violently Attacked, you may become the Defender instead. Recharge: ③.
Resolved Specialization
Effect: When an Attack succeeds against you, the Attacker receives one fewer boon and one additional bust than usual, and you gain a Blessing. Recharge: ④.
Rousing Specialization
Effect: Once per session, when your Blessings have a total combined worth of at least 10, you may share a speech, story, or information related enough to your Motivation. Each other character who hears this gains a Blessing.
Self-Accepted Specialization
Effect: When you succeed Checks in social situations while using unconventional Stats, you receive an additional boon, within reason.
Shameless Specialization
Effect: Once per session, when your Blessings have a total combined worth of at least 10, you may perform a joke, dance, or stunt related enough to your Motivation. Each other character who witnesses this becomes "Uncool": While Uncool, actions they perform that are witnessed by others are one rank more complex. Once they Rest they are no longer Uncool.
Skilled Specialization
Effect: When you succeed a Check related enough to this Aptitude, gain an additional boon, within reason.
Spiked Specialization
Effect: When a violent Attack succeeds against you at a close distance, you may have your Attackers receive a less severe version of the same injury you received. Recharge: ③.
Well-Traveled Specialization
Effect: When you encounter an item, place, piece of information, or character for the first time, you may establish new details, within reason, for how your Backstory relates or connects. Recharge: ⑥.
Witty Specialization
Effect: When a non-violent Attack related enough to this Aptitude succeeds against you, you may have the Attacker receive a less severe version of the same effect you received.

Dedication Upgrades

⚕️ Pride & Prudence Dedication
Description: You have an unwaivering trust that you can overcome any obstacle, even if it means planning for the longterm. Perhaps this confidence owes to your abilities, accomplishments, lineage, or even hubris. But whatever the job, you know you will succeed.
Effect: When an opponent would gain a bust in an Attack against you, you may instead bank that bust. When you are in a safe place of rest, you may spend busts banked this way to gain or give your allies that many Blessings total.
Prompt: Where does your trust in your eventual success come from? How does this trust give you strength?
👹 Greed & Vanity Dedication
Description: Moderation is for fools. Why hold back when you can be exactly the dream everyone else wishes they could be? They want wealth. They want power. They want utter freedom. But they're still scared to go for it. The least you could do is show them it's possible.
Effect: Once per session, when you would gain a boon from succeeding a Check, you may instead bank that boon and an additional boon for each character who witnessed your success. You may spend boons banked this way to gain that many temporary Blessings, which disappear at the end of the action.
Prompt: What about you—what many things about you—would others be envious of (or what would they be foolish for not being envious of)? What does it feel like to be alone or unnoticed, and how does that feeling drive you?
⚖️ Power & Influence Dedication
Description: Assets run the world. The more, the better. The lines between friend, foe, fame, and fortune ultimately come down to what they can do for you. And what do you do with assets? Put them to use.
Effect: When an opponent would gain a boon in an Attack against you, they may instead have you bank that boon. When you are in a safe place of rest, you may spend boons banked this way to gain that many Blessings and give those opponents that many Blessings total.
Prompt: Do you have an ultimate goal that drives your accumulation of assets, or does it just bring you joy to successfully "trade up" one asset for another? Is there anything you've gained you prize enough to never trade away?
🕯 Rite & Divinity Dedication
Description: You can take a breath. You've earned this. Your intention is set and nothing can shake you from it. It doesn't matter if you don't know all the details just yet—it only matters that you can carry the torch high enough and pay the tolls the journey demands. Only then can you be the light for others to follow in the dark.
Effect: When you succeed a Check without gaining a bust, you may instead gain a bust and bank a bust. When another character gains a Blessing, you may spend busts banked this way to give yourself and them a total of that many additional copies of that Blessing. Copied Blessings gained this way do not bump.
Prompt: Who is it you are leading, and what path are you leading them on? What great sacrifices do you hope they never have to make, and why can they never go back from making those sacrifices?
🔧 Precision & Accuracy Dedication
Description: You know that missteps can lead to disaster and that even the best plans can fall apart. But you also know that, in the here and now, those with the greatest dedication to detail, truth, and technique will always have the upper hand.
Effect: When you would gain a boon from succeeding a Check, you may instead bank that boon. When you spend Blessings, you may spend that many boons banked this way to gain that many Blessings.
Prompt: What does detail, truth, and technique mean to you, and what scares you about getting them wrong? What process do you follow to make sure you get them right, and what are you missing for solving the biggest puzzle you are working on right now?
❇ Fairness & Value Dedication
Description: When you step back, it's clear that wealth, status, law, and justice only work because of our connections to one another. Even the most nihilistic among us still have interests they care about. So, you don't need a complicated philosophy. Just make good deals, and don't get screwed over. Tit for tat, eye for an eye.
Effect: When an opponent would gain a bust in an Attack against you, you may instead bank that bust. You may spend busts banked this way to temporarily increase your reputation with someone by that amount, which will decrease by that amount at the end of the session.
Prompt: What rules do you follow when meeting someone new for the first time, and how do those rules drive you towards bigger picture things? What strength do you have and use when people try to screw you over?

Printables

The following pages contain printable resources: a character sheet, a track spanning 1-10 for seven characters, and a track spanning 1-50.

To print this book on A4 paper single-sided, use either of these buttons: Single-sided Color or Single-sided B&W

To print this book on A4 paper front and back, use either of these buttons, 1 page(s) per sheet, print on both sides, flip on long edge: Two-sided Color or Two-sided B&W

To print this book on A4 paper as a folded, saddle-bound booklet, use either of these buttons, 2 page(s) per sheet, print on both sides, flip on short edge: Saddle-bound Color or Saddle-bound B&W

To print this book on A4 paper as a cut, perfect-bound booklet, use either of these buttons, 2 page(s) per sheet, print on both sides, flip on short edge: Perfect-bound Color or Perfect-bound B&W

Character Sheet

🧠

✌️

💕

☕

👿

⚠️

⏳

____

Art

Motivation

Aptitudes

Gains

Blessings

Seven Short Tracks

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

One Long Track

Options Index