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Nine Powers Rules

Table of Contents
Welcome
Your Character
Skills
Estimating Skill Ratings
Imagine Your Character
Increasing Skills and Talents
Skill Checks
Skill Check Difficulty and Dice
Bonus and Penalty
Degrees of Success
Set Up Well, Leverage, and Fate
Stamina, Composure, and Wealth
Defeat
Skill Contests
Taking Turns
Damage if No Armor
Armor and Recovery
Heroism and the Armor Table
Pacing
Automating the Story
Foundation and Shape
Tools for Brainstorming
Skill and Talent Descriptions
Skill Descriptions
Crafting Descriptions
Talent Descriptions
Runeblocks
Runeblock Basics
Runeblock Effects
Economic Rules
Impacts
Magic Item Impact
Magic Item Examples
Non-Crafted Magic Items

Welcome to Nine Powers, a storytelling game of fun and memorable adventures.

Playing this role-playing game requires these rules, paper and pencil, a set of polyhedral dice, and one or more people eager for stories of excitement, challenge and humor.

Nine Powers an excellent introduction to pencil-and-paper role-playing games, as well as an exceptionally kid-friendly storytelling game. It works great for "theater of the mind" adventures, or can use maps and miniatures.

The people playing Nine Powers have different roles. Normally one player acts as narrator to describe the setting, and the other(s) each play the role of a protagonist, making choices and developing personality for that protagonist. The game's rules help determine if characters succed at what they try to do, and what consequences happen.

For historical reasons, this type of cooperative storytelling game is called a role-playing game, the narrator is called the Game Master or GM, and the other people in charge of the protagonists are called the Players.

With Nine Powers the GM and Player(s) take turns telling the story. This is a cooperative storytelling game.

Tools that automate much of the GM role are included to help new or young GMs, and to allow playing the game by yourself.

Two other traditional acronyms call the main characters Player Characters or PCs, as opposed to the side characters controlled by the GM who are called Non-Player Characters or NPCs.

The Player's job during the storytelling is to describe what the PC tries to do. Be daring, dramatic, and confident! Try to keep the pace of the story quick and exciting.

The story becomes suspenseful and exciting when the PC must deal with difficult situations. Numeric skill and talent ratings measure how well the PC overcomes problems. Just like in real life, difficulties can be easier or harder to overcome based on the circumstances and available equipment. A clever Player will arrange situations to benefit his or her PC.

As the story unfolds, the PC accomplishes objectives and is awarded with increased skill and talent ratings, and with wealth that can be spent to craft or buy special equipment.

The rules are an aid to help the GM and Players decide whether the PC and NPCs are successful in their intentions. The rules surround the story with an unobtrusive layer of structure that provides consistency and a shared understanding of what might reasonably happen. The rules allow the players to cooperatively develop an adventure story that sometimes unfolds as planned and at other times develops in unexpected ways.

Nine Powers uses dice so luck can play a role in the story's development. Allowing luck to steer the story in a surprising way puts the GM and Players on more equal footing as improvisational storytellers who feel suspense and excitement. Strategy and tactics are rewarded, but careful plans and high skill ratings do not always guarantee success.

A fun GM prioritizes helping a thrilling and dramatic story unfold, and will sometimes ignore the rules and dice. On the other hand, the rules and dice are there to help lead the action in an unexpected direction, and a wise GM trusts that the story will naturally flow into places even more colorful and memorable than what was planned or predicted.

The game includes the fantasy setting of Spyragia. Very few tweaks are needed to adapt the rules to other settings.

Fox-like Unseemly (by Esther Young) Spyragia is a world ruled and shaped by its Creator and by the nine Powers that the Creator made and gifted with authority, power, and status . The Creator also put boundaries on their influence by assigning them dominions:

The people of Spyragia belong to six fantasy races inspired by old folk tales and refreshed with new delights.

I have written many stories to help you enjoy meeting Spyragia's people, monsters, Powers! Compared to the rule pages the stories have simple words for young kids to read.

Arlinac Town by Jereme Peabody

illustration of Arlinac Town by Jereme Peabody

Playtesting thanks go to my wife and kids, and to Nathan Brown, Wyatt Waggoner, Jonah, and Andy Crawford. Thanks for other helpful feedback go to D.J. Mckenna, David Berg, Eero Tuovinen, and DinDenver.

The name Nine Powers: Tales of Adventure and Daring was suggested by Yasha and catty_big.

Nine Powers is written by David L. Van Slyke © 2010—2024. Artwork by various people is given credit individually, including linking to the artist's website or blog when that is available. This work is not public domain, but I will almost certainly grant permission to other game developers wanting to steal from my ideas if they promise to give credit to this and their other sources. That is how good RPG design works, and what I have endeavored to do!


Your Character

Skills

Brawn

Shoot/Throw

_____

Point blank range is ____

Gamble/Provoke

_____

____ runeblockery avoidance check

Acrobatics/Climb

_____

Dodging blocks ____ of opponents' 1s

Melee/Protect

_____

Skill ____ to stop adjacent foes' movement

Wrestle/Disarm

_____

After grappling ignore ____ fortitude

Brains

Perception/Escape

_____

Skill ____ to avoid some foes

Stealth/Track

_____

Sneak attacks cause ____ extra damage

Identify/Lore

_____

Skill ____ to find special treasure

Bargain/Wonder

_____

Wondrous feats have ____ rating

Disguise/Etiquette

_____

Ignore ____ opponent resilience

Build

Animals/Wilderness

_____

Skill ____ for animal control

Intuition/Hearthwork

_____

Fast talking lasts ____ hours

Alchemy

_____

Skill ____ to identify alchemical items

Machinery

_____

Reroll ____ dice when noticing traps

Musing

_____

Enchantments can have range of ____

In Nine Powers all characters have skills and talents rated between 1 and 4. As characters gain experience they increase in proficiency with these skills and talents.

(This is different from a role-playing game in which characters instead advance through "levels". These skills are used as general approaches to overcome obstacles, the same as in a role-playing game that calls them "actions".)

In the chart to the right, the skills are written in brown, and each skill has an associated talent written in italicized green.

New characters should have skill ratings that total 30. New characters have no talents.

There are only a few skills. This mimics the exaggerated prowess of protagonists in classic heroic pulp fantasy stories and films. In this genre, heroes and heroines demonstrate unrealistic expertise at broad categories of real-life skills. For example, Yu Shu-lien fights expertly with any melee weapon, James Bond uses all pistols with equal mastery, Benedict of Amber optimally leads any army on any battlefield, and Buckaroo Bonzai can expertly drive any vehicle.

Because characters are described with only a few small numbers, the GM can readily improvise NPCs. This helps the story go quickly and encourages a focus on creativity and adventure.

These rules sometimes refer to half of a skill's name when doing so aids contextual clarity. For example, these rules will sometimes discuss "the Wrestle skill" instead of "the Wrestle/Disarm skill".

In these rules skill names are always capitalized. This helps differentiate situations from skills. For example, a character bargaining while purchasing equipment will certainly use the Bargain skill, but could also use the Identify and Intuition skills to appraise the value of items, the Etiquette skill to earn favor with the merchant, or the Disguise skill to pretend the purchase is for a local noble.

The point of the previous paragraph deserves repeating. One situation can be approached with many skills!.

One Situation, Many Skill Options

Consider a PC who leaps off a ledge onto a monster. What is the hero trying to accomplish?

If the PC is trying to knock it over, that would use the Wrestle skill.

If the PC is trying to stab it with a weapon as he or she lands, that would use the Melee skill.

If the PC is trying to subdue it with the force of his or her personality, that would use the Wonder skill.

If the PC is trying to land unnoticed on a giant's backpack, that would use the Stealth skill.

If the PC is trying to ride it, that would use the Animals skill.

Nine Powers includes a sample fantasy setting named Spyragia. It is very easy to replace this sample setting with any other setting (even a modern or futuristic one). The dominant features of this setting are the nine Powers that oversee the world and the six fantasy races that live there. (There are no plain humans in Spyragia).

The rules about skills, talents, dice, and crafting are general rules and almost independent of setting. They can get trumped by setting-specific rules.

(Here is one example of a setting-specific rule that trumps a general rule. Characters do not start with any talents according to the rules below. However, the setting-specific rules about Spyragia's six fantasy races provide an exception to that general rule: members of each race start with one point in a certain talent as part of their racial heritage and expertise.)

Estimating Skill Ratings

Skills and talents are rated between 1 and 4.

The following table provides examples of who might have a certain skill rating, and an example of what that skill rating can reliably accomlish when using the Hearthwork skill to do some baking.

RatingExample CharactersExample Baking Task
1 Peons, pawns, flunkies, mooks, and expendable allies wearing red shirts who have minimal training and experience Following a recipe after someone else set out the ingredients and cookbook
2 Guards, thugs, laborers, and others who get occasional training and perhaps daily practice Making a crumb crust cheesecake
3 Veterans, diplomats, craftsmen, and others showing fine experience from daily use Making a cake with jam between the layers, patterned frosting, and pretty piped icing decorations
4 Guard captains, bandit chiefs, master craftsmen, and other experts and leaders in their fields Making the wedding cake for a noble family

Skills in SPECTRE

Consider the novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

The common SPECTRE agents employed at Piz Gloria were easily fooled and fought by Bond (skill raing 1 in most skills, perhaps 2 in Melee/Protect).

Blofield is far more clever, perceptive, dangerous, and even athletic than these men (skill rating 3 in most skills).

Since Blofield does not employ a mercilessly tough or trained bodyguard like Odd Job or Jaws, the story lacks a villain who can match Bond's skill rating of 4 in Melee and Shoot.

Tracy does match Bond's skill rating of 4 in driving, as well as proving his equal in courage both before and during their brief marriage.

Imagine Your Character

Remember the guideline that a new PC should have skill ratings that total 30, with every skill rated 1 to 4, and no talents. Those starting limitations allow a rewarding sense of progress as the PC adventures and grows stronger.

There are no rules for what a new PC is like. If you look at the character sheet file you will see that the sample starting characters are quite robust. They have features specific to their setting. They start with fun equipment that might even be magical. The fantasy race they belong to grants them one or more abilities. They have one or more wondrous feats and one or more extra talent points to enable using those wonderous feats. A new PC could also be the champion of a Power, questing to break a curse, or have great wealth due to an interesting backstory involving political intrigue.

Nine Powers is a storytelling game, not a "balanced" game. The GM and Players should create PCs and NPCs that are interesting and fun, and agree to add or remove rules to help create the kind of story they want.

With that preface behind us, let's discuss creating a new PC.

The Player needs to have a mental image of what his or her PC is like.

Some Players consider an archetypical protagonist or a character from another story.

Two Character Concepts from Others Stories

"My hero is like Robin Hood in the Errol Flynn film. He is energetic, physical, and charming. He is the best archer, and a very good swordsman. He is pretty observant. He is not an acrobat, but he can swing from chandeliers or safely jump down from a high place. He was wealthy, but was betrayed and is now an outlaw."

"My heroine is like Kerowyn from the Mercedes Lackey stories. Maybe she even has some kind of magic sword. She works as a mercenary. She is a dangerous swordfighter and a capable team leader. She values honor and fair play. She could teach and inspire people. She rides a horse very well. I want her to be good with all animals, not just horses."

Whether or not your character is based on another or completely original, the best next step is to answer questions as you decide on skill ratings.

Start with all skills rated 1. For the 15 questions below, answer the question and then choose a skill that fits that aspect of your character's background to increase by 1 (to the maximum of 4). When you are done you will have skill ratings that total 30 and be ready to start your adventure!

Character Background Questions

1. What is a short phrase that would describe the character?

2. Pick two unusual features of the character's appearance: two details of smell, sight, sound, feel, or temperature.

3. Who are are three characters that are very special to the character? Where do they live? What are their issues and problems?

4. Who is the character's friendly rival or antagonistic nemesis? Describe that person.

5. What is one thing about the character's home or birthplace that needs to change? What is one thing the character would fight to protect or keep the same?

6. Which of the character's possessions are most sentimental or beautiful?

7. Who taught the character to fight—or to survive without fighting? Where is this person now? Did they have any enemies?

8. What was the character's most memorable dangerous situation? Who died, or nearly died?

9. How has the character experienced sudden changes of fortune (quick gains or losses of wealth, status, or power)?

10. What was the character's greatest mistake? Is it secret? Does the character have other secrets to protect?

11. Does the character pursue any particular recreational activity or hobby? What are the character's favorite expenses? Which vice or virtue does the character use to unwind? With whom?

12. How has the character been hurt and/or helped by corruption? How does he or she cope with types of violence that are common in the story's setting?

13. Which imminent events does the character plan for? What are his or her immediate hopes, goals, worries or fears? What is an important upcoming event?

14. What is a significant or repeated misunderstanding that causes trouble for the character?

15. What is the character's source of income? Why is money tight? What are his or her inescapable needs for money?

These questions are intended to be deep enough to help make interesting heroes and heroines, but generic enough to fit any setting. Feel free to use other questions.

Here are some example responses. In this example, a Player is thinking about playing an adventuer named Nimsy who grew up as the daughter of adventurers and is now an alchemist starting her own professional life.

Example Responses Character Background Questions

1. What is a short phrase that would describe the character?

Nimsy looks like a sloppy alchemist. She wears a bandolier that holds glass bottles, many of which are the colorful potions and flasks she uses when adventuring. Her hair is up in a messy bun. Her leather apron has many stains and burn marks. (The Player increases the PC's Alchemy skill by 1.)

2. Pick two unusual features of the character's appearance: two details of smell, sight, sound, feel, or temperature.

She is well-spoken and uses careful diction. Her voice is musical. (The Player increases the PC's Etiquette skill by 1.)

3. Who are three characters that are very special to the character? Where do they live? What are their issues and problems?

Nimsy works at the zoo taking care of elderly monsters. She loves three geriatric bigbeast hamsters. They are the size of pigs. They and still very clever and curious, but naturally very tired. Her potions help them stay active enough to be happy. (The Player again increases the PC's Alchemy skill by 1.)

4. Who is the character's friendly rival or antagonistic nemesis? Describe that person.

When she was in school her rival was the other girl in her class who loved alchemy, named Viozet. But Viozet was always bigger and stronger. When bullied, Nimsy would run and climb a tree. Viozet still enjoys making trouble for Nimsy, but now in more subtle ways. (The Player increases the PC's Climb skill by 1.)

5. What is one thing about the character's home or birthplace that needs to change? What is one thing the character would fight to protect or keep the same?

The teachers at her school would hint that there some alchemy recipes were taboo or evil. Of course this made students more curious, and some students got into trouble trying to research what they were or invent a recipe that would be outlawed. Nimsy has a hunch there must have been some better way to handle that issue. (The Player increases the PC's Intuition skill by 1.)

6. Which of the character's possessions are most sentimental or beautiful?

Her father was a famous tracker. On her fifth birthday he gave her a book about learning to identify animal and monster tracks. He went missing that year. She treasures that book as the last gift her father gave her. (The Player increases the PC's Stealth/Track skill by 1.)

7. Who taught the character to fight—or to survive without fighting? Where is this person now? Did they have any enemies?

That would be her mother. She is a famous adventurer. When Nimsy's father did not come home, her mother went looking for him. Her mother still spends about a month each year searching. She once said that Nimsy should learn to defend herself, and that summer had fencing lessons. (The Player increases the PC's Melee skill by 1.)

8. What was the character's most memorable dangerous situation? Who died, or nearly died?

The last time her mother left to search for her father, Nimsy snuck after her mother. Nimsy managed to follow her mother onto a boat, but while aboard some men in dark blue cloaks started a fight. Nimsy almost died. Her mother saved her, and then sent her home. Those men did not seem like normal thieves or bandits. (The Player again increases the PC's Stealth/Track skill by 1.)

9. How has the character experienced sudden changes of fortune (quick gains or losses of wealth, status, or power)?

She recently inherited a mysterious magic sword from a distant relative. She is trying to work up the courage to quest in the Enchanted Forest to learn what it does and how to use it. (The Player increases the PC's Bargain/Wonder skill by 1.)

10. What was the character's greatest mistake? Is it secret? Does the character have other secrets to protect?

Nimsy spends too much time alone. She still goes out into the wilder-ness to get rare herbs. Someday she might meet a monster, or those men with dark blue cloaks. (The Player increases the PC's Wilderness skill by 1.)

11. Does the character pursue any particular recreational activity or hobby? What are the character's favorite expenses? Which vice or virtue does the character use to unwind? With whom?

Nimsy loves to spy on other alchemists. At night she likes to sneak across the city's rooftops and look in windows to see what other alchemists are doing. (For a third time the Player increases the PC's Stealth/Track skill by 1.)

12. How has the character been hurt and/or helped by corruption? How does he or she cope with types of violence that are common in the story's setting?

Her only contact with the seedy side of city life is when she sees other people on the rooftops at night. She stays away, hiding before they notice her. (The Player increases the PC's Perception skill by 1.)

13. Which imminent events does the character plan for? What are his or her immediate hopes, goals, worries or fears? What is an important upcoming event?

Nimsy is excited about a "practical household alchemy" contest that Lord Ronyld and Lady Jularna are putting on next week. She thinks her newest invention—a recipe for a an air freshener that neutralizes fishy smells—will win a prize, and perhaps help her start selling alchemy supplies privately to suppliment her zoo income. (For a third time the Player increases the PC's Alchemy skill by 1.)

14. What is a significant or repeated misunderstanding that causes trouble for the character?

Nimsy also likes tinkering with machinery. Some of it is practical: she could save money if she learned to blow glass, to make her own alchemical supplies. But she also likes cute devices with lots of moving parts. Some of her friends who are alchemists and who have seen disassembled devices in her workshop have convinced themselves that Nimsy is getting bored of alchemy, but she can't convince them that she is not. Maybe Viozet is spreading a rumor? (The Player increases the PC's Machinery skill by 1.)

15. What is the character's source of income? Why is money tight? What are his or her inescapable needs for money?

That zoo job is her only income. She really wants to start a side business, but is not yet well-known. There are always more alchemy recipes and equipment to buy! She has been practicing her salesmanship, and gathering information about what alchemy products she might make that would sell reliably. (The Player again increases the PC's Bargain/Wonder skill by 1.)

This type of background brainstorming might be too much for very young Players. They can just start the story, with the GM forming skill ratings by asking questions as the story develops. (For example, "You might be able to jump over that pit. How good is your character at jumping?") Limiting a new PC to skill ratings that total 30 means that if the Player consistently describes the PC as capable at everything, the PC will soon run out of available points and the GM will set the remaining undecided skill ratings to the minimum of 1.

Some players simply want to picking the character's initial starting skill ratings.

A Skill Based Character Conept

"My hero is great at fighting. All four Brawn skill ratings are 4. Hm. That leaves me with only 30 − 16 = 14 more points to spend. Let's do a 3 in Perception/Escape, a 2 in Animals/Wilderness, a 2 in Stealth/Track, and 1 everywhere else. Maybe I was a barbarian who came to the big city to work as a gladiator?"

This can work, tends to result in two-dimensional characters and less interesting and exciting stories.

Notice how many details of Nimsy's personal history could pop up in her story: her family, her job, her childhood rival, her inherited magic sword, her time alone in the forest and on rooftops, the mysterious men in blue cloaks, etc. In contrast a character that is merely "a barbarian seeking work as a gladiator" is a more shallow hero that will be doomed to more shallow stories unless the GM and Player can work together as the story develops to elaborate on that barbarian's history.

If you are a Player reading these rules, take a moment to imagine what type of character you would like to play. Do you have answers for the 15 questions above?.

As a Player, you will probably use a piece of paper called a character sheet to keep track of the PC's skill and talent ratings, wealth, advancement tokens, inventory, and known recipes.

The GM will also need to imagine characters. NPCs are like "partial PCs" and often described by a few dominant skills and talents, as well as other information important to the story. For the sake of brevity, everything else is improvised by the GM.

A short description of an NPC can be helpful for the GM.

Caul the NPC Merchant

Caul the merchant is capable haggler, but might still be no match for an experienced PC. He has a booth in the small market square near the port. He sells potions: primarily antidotes for seasickness, hangover, scurvy, and "deckhand's fever". It is a rough part of town, but he finds the people-watching there amusing and relaxing.

Caul recently aquired a treasure map pointing to a location in the nearby mountains, but is unsure how much to sell it for.

Skills: Melee/Protect 1, Wrestle/Disarm 2, Perception/Escape 2, Identify/Lore 3, Bargain/Wonder 3, Disguise/Etiquette 1, Alchemy 2

Talents: Identifying potions has 2 skill

This sample description shows that the adventure's designer is not expecting Caul to be very significant in the story. The merchant is described with just enough detail to help the GM improvise the rest of the character.

The GM should use NPCs to link locations in the story. In the example above, Caul's map links the port to the nearby mountains.

Locations in Star Wars

Consider the film A New Hope.

Obi-Wan links Tatooine to Alderaan. Vader links Alderaan to the Death Star. Leia links the Death Star to Yavin IV.

Increasing Skills and Talents

As the PC adventures, he or she develops greater skills and talents, and becomes capable of attempting greater challenges.

Adventures will contain many significant objectives: the PC uses an important clue, makes an important ally, reaches an important location, wins an important fight, etc. Whenever a PC successfully completes one of these accomplishments, he or she receives as a reward an advancement token. The GM may also reward unusually great moments of Player creativity or role-playing with extra advancement tokens.

Advancement tokens can be physical tokens or just a tally mark recorded on paper. They are used to increase skill or talent ratings. They may be saved up, spent during an adventure, or spent between adventures.

Increasing a skill or talent to the next higher rating costs as many advancement tokens as the new rating. A talent's rating can never exceed the corresponding skill's rating.


Skill Checks

During the story most situations have trivial difficulty. Skill use is automatically successful and not even mentioned by the GM or Player. A PC does not need to formally use the Acrobatcs skill to jump a short distance, use the Animals skill to calmly ride a pet horse, or use the Perception skill to notice obvious features and items in a room.

Appraising a Normal Sword

GM: The blacksmith shows Vroy a display case with swords for sale. Which does he want to inspect?

Player: Vroy looks at his second-favorite. What does he think it is worth?

GM: Although it looks nice, and the metal seems high quality, it has poor balance. Perhaps 200 coins.

The sword is not magical or unusual. Vroy is a warrior who has experience with swords. The appraisal automatical succeeds.

What happens when there is a chance of failure?

First the GM should affirm that a failure could be interesting in the story. The GM should ask the Player for help with brainstorming if needed. What could go wrong if the PC does not successfully impersonate a bandit when visiting their camp? When the PC visits several seedy taverns to ask about a smuggler, who might overhear and care? If the PC cannot open a certain door in the evil wizard's tower by breaking it down or picking the lock, where might the wizard have hidden a key?

Then the GM and Player roll dice to check if the action is successful.

Skill Check Difficulty and Dice

The GM secretly picks one of three difficulties for the action: easy, medium, or tough.

A single obstacle can have multiple difficulties based on which skill the PC uses. That door in the wizard's tower might be a very hard wood (tough to cut through with an axe using Melee), standard hinges (medium to break with a crowbar using Wrestle), and a simple lock (easy to pick using Machinery).

Nine Powers uses a traditional set of six polyhedral dice.

a set of six polyhedral dice

The Player rolls as many different dice as the appropriate skill rating. The hope is to roll low numbers, so the dice with the fewest sides are picked first.

This group of one or more dice is called the dice pool for that skill check.

dice pool for skill rating 1 dice pool for skill rating 2 dice pool for skill rating 3 dice pool for skill rating 4
Skill Rating 1
one die
Skill Rating 2
two dice
Skill Rating 3
three dice
Skill Rating 4
four dice

(The four pictures above are what happens normally. Special rules below can allow a Player to roll more than four dice for a skill check, or can make certain die sizes ineligible for a particular skill check.)

If any die rolls a 3 or less then the PC succeeds with a skill check of easy difficulty.

If any die rolls a 2 or less then the PC succeeds with a skill check of medium difficulty.

If any die rolls a 1 then the PC succeeds with a skill check of tough difficulty.

Notice that only one die needs to be low enough.

There is no arithmetic in skill checks! Simply pick an appropriate skill, roll the proper number of dice, and identify the lowest value rolled.

Appraising a Magic Sword

GM: The enchanter shows Vroy a display case with magic swords for sale. "Try holding this one, which has a simple enchantment that keeps it sharp and unbreakable."

Player: Vroy gently hefts the sword. What does he think it is worth?

GM: Vroy does not have much experience with magic swords. Make an Identify skll check.

The GM decides this skill check has easy difficulty.

Vroy's Identify skill rating is 2. So the Player rolls 2 dice: the four-sided and six-sided. The lowest number rolled is 3, which is low enough to succeed against weak difficulty.

GM: The metal seems high quality, and the sword has good balance. The enchantment is probably worth 100 coins. So a total price of 500 coins.

Some skill checks are reactive. Those types of skill checks are called avoidance checks.

Eluding a Dart Trap

Player: Loot! Vroy opens the treasure chest.

GM: The chest is trapped. A dart flies out from inside.

Player: Ack!

GM: Roll an Acrobatics avoidance check.

Vroy's Acrobatics skill rating is 3. So the Player rolls 3 dice: the four-sided, six-sided, and eight-sided dice. The lowest number rolled is 1, which would be successful at any difficulty.

GM: Vroy's quick reflexes save him. The dart flies past his ear and sticks into a wall.

The Wrestle skill can represent the bodily strength needed to avoid being knocked down. The Wonder skill can measure the mystical attunement needed to avoid being magically charmed. The Etiquette skill can show the social graces needed to avoid harm from a slandrous rumor. The Perception skill can rate the passive awareness needed to notice a trap before it is triggered.

Some dangers cannot be completely avoided, and a successful skill check only lessens the harm. For example, an avalanche might hurt all characters caught within it, but those with high enough Acrobatics or Escape suffer much less harm.

Bonus and Penalty

Characters can benefit from finding an approach that raises their chances.

Design Notes

What is the chance for success when each skill rating attempts a skill check?

At skill rating 1, easy is 75%, medium is 50%, and hard is 25%.

At skill rating 2, easy is 88%, medium is 67%, and hard is 38%.

At skill rating 3, easy is 92%, medium is 75%, and hard is 45%.

At skill rating 4, easy is 95%, medium is 80%, and hard is 51%.

These dice mechanics feel fun. Studies have shown that when people say they want a fifty-fifty chance to win in a recrational game, they really are happy with a two-thirds chance of winning. A skill rating of 2 attempting a medium skill check feels fair because it feels like a coin flip situation, but has the psychologically desirable chance to win.

Also note that the expected value of a skill check is usually highest for medium difficulty. But if a character has a dice pool of 5 or 6 dice then the tough difficulty becomes equally optimal.

Maybe the suspicious guard allows almost anyone wearing noble's clothing to pass. Maybe the novice minstrel's music is delightfully improved when she plays a magic lute. Maybe the sage cannot recall a needed piece of information from memory, but might find it in a certain rare book, or if he had access to the royal library. Maybe the machinist cannot repair the ancient device with her traveling toolbox, but probably could if she brought it back to her workshop.

A benefitial circumstance, item, or enchantment can make a skill check's dice pool include one more die than normal. This is called a small bonus. For example, if the appropriate skill rating was already 4, a small bonus would allow the dice pool to also include the twelve-sided die.

Multiple benefits that work together can make a skill check's dice pool include two more die than normal. This is called a big bonus. If the appropriate skill rating was already 4, a big bonus would allow the dice pool to also include the twelve-sided and twenty-sided dice.

Similarly, unfavorable circumstances or using improvised equipment can make a skill check's dice pool use one or two dice fewer than normal. This is called a small penalty or a big penalty.

Bonuses or penalties cannot make a dice pool smaller than one die, or larger than six dice.

Degrees of Success

Some challenges will have degrees of success, with harder difficulties representing superior results.

Degrees of Success

GM: As Siron approaches the rubble the slime on its surface flows together to form a humanoid shape that blocks his way.

Player: What does Siron know about this kind of creature? Roll using Siron's Lore skill?

GM: Yes.

Siron's Lore skill rating is 3. So the Player rolls 3 dice: the four-sided, six-sided, and eight-sided dice. The lowest number rolled is 2.

The GM's reply is based upon the difficulty achieved by the Player's die roll.

GM: The creature is an ooze of dangerous size. Oozes can be intelligent. Besides attacking, perhaps Siron can intimidate or appease it? Also, the five traditional ways to attack oozes are by cutting, bludgeoning, burning, freezing, or splashing with salt water. These might cause damage, do nothing, or cause the creature to split into two smaller oozes. For this particular ooze ou do not know which types of attack cause which results.

A character who fails a skill check need not give up and go home! Often the character can find another plan that allows success.

As mentioned above, the character might be able to try again using a different skill. For example, a character who could not pick a door's lock could next try to force it open with a crowbar or hack it down with an axe.

Set Up Well, Leverage, and Fate

Set Up Well and Leverage

Sometimes in a story the PC deserves a bonus to die rolls that is not due to circumstance, but due to how the PC has purposefully become prepared for a situation.

The first option is for the PC to become set up well. The Player should describe how the PC spent time to become prepared for the future. Did the PC talk to someone and gain useful information? Did the PC acquire the perfect tool or technique for an upcoming situation? Becoming set up well is marked on the character sheet. It can happen at any time or place, as long as the Player can justify it in the story. However, the PC's foes also gain something in that time. Their plans advance, or their numbers increase, or they gain an important resource, etc.

The second option is for the PC to gain leverage. This is a more dramatic benefit that means the PC has sente: the PC's forced to react to what the PC is doing instead of acting with the choices they would otherwise prefer. The Player can only choose for the PC to gain leverage by spending time in a safe location after a successful Wealth check. The Player should again describe what costly information, item, or resource the PC acquired to gain leverage. Having leverage is also marked on the character sheet. (The PC's foes gain nothing.)

The Player may have the PC stop being set up well or having leverage to gain a big bonus on any die roll. If the Player has not yet described what it looked like in the story to become set up well or gain leverage, that must be done now.

Dice that roll 1s for a PC's skill checks are special! Not only do they allow success with a tough skill check, but the Player can sometimes choose to use them for long-term potential instead of short-term success. When any die rolls a 1 in a skill check outside of a skill contest, the Player may choose to remove it from the dice pool to say that the PC is set up well. If the PC is already set up well, the Player may instead say that the PC has leverage. (The dice that remain in the dice pool are considered without the removed die to determine success or failure for that skill check. In this way the Player may trade short-term success for future potential.)

Checking Fate

Sometimes the GM or Player are unsure about a detail of the story. They can let the dice decide the answer to a yes-or-no question with a fate check.

A fate check involves normally involves rolling one four-sided dice. (As if it were a skill check for a skill rating of 1.)

If the PC is set up well, the fate check gains another die in its dice pool.

If the PC has leverage, the fate check gains another die in its dice pool.

The GM and Player should agree whether the chance of a "yes" answer should be likely, balanced, or unlikely. That determines if the difficulty of the fate check is easy, medium, or tough.

Fate checks do not "spend" being set up well or having leverage, unlike when those are used to give a big bonus to a skill check. The PC simply enjoys how his or her positive momentum affects fate. Perhaps the PC's good fortune can be described in the story, but that is optional.

Clues

As a third option, when any die rolls a 1 in a skill check outside of a skill contest, the Player may choose to remove it from the dice pool to say that the PC has found a clue. This is also marked on the character sheet. The dice that remain in the dice pool are considered without the eight-sided die to determine success or failure for that skill check. If possible, the Player should describe what happens in the story as the PC discovered or realized something significant.

At the start of a new scene in the story, roll a twelve-sided die if any PCs have clues. This die roll determines the possible benefit for spending a clue during that scene.

Die RollOption for Spending a Clue Now
1travel to a new location will be quick and safe
2a Perception skill check automatically succeeds
3a fate check automatically succeeds
4a helpful insight instills new hope or resolve: regain 1 point of heroism
5you may become set up well or have leverage
6you or an ally learn the location of a useful item
7you or an ally learn the location of a rival or foe
8you or an ally happen upon a serendipitous encounter
9a potential ally views you favorably and appears or sends aid
10a rival or foe may be safely and stealthily bypassed
11a rival or foe reveals their position without realizing it
12a rival or foe stumbles into danger or is unprepared when encountered

The GM and Player can also agree on other benefits for spending a clue that are tailor-made to fit to the story.

Monster Behavior

Monsters do monstrous things instead of becoming set up well, gaining leverage, or finding clues. All of the descriptions of example monsters include ideas for what that monster does when it rolls a 1 on the four-sided, six-sided, or eight-sided dice. Enjoy!

Stamina, Composure, and Wealth

Characters have three other ratings that are used similarly to skills. As with skills, these three other ratings can be used proactively or as avoidance checks. As with skills, the die roll will be easy, medium, or tough and the Player rolls a dice pool with as many dice as the rating to check for success.

Die rolls using these three ratings seldom get bonuses or penalties, but range from 1 to 6 without modifiers.

Stamina measures a character's current physical sturdiness and health. A stamina check can allow a character to travel farther than expected, win a long-distance foot race, push on despite being poisoned, or otherwise keep going when physical endurance is required.

Composure measures a character's current mental resilience and aplomb. A composure check can allow a character to resist being nauseated by something foul, shocked by the horrific, charmed by a magic spell, traumatized by loss, otherwise keep going when mental endurance is required.

Wealth measures a character's currently available financial resources. These include funds, favors, and influence. A wealth check can allow a character to purchase mundane or magical equipment to help them in the story.

Unlike skills, a character's stamina, composure, and wealth ratings are not picked by the Player designing a character, or changed by spending advancement tokens. Instead, they depend upon the character's skill ratings.

Unlike skills, a character's stamina, composure, and wealth change frequently.

In most stories the PCs will start with three values start at their maximum amounts, because the PCs are rested, healthy, and have not been financially reckless. During a story these three ratings change as the PCs get taxed physically or mentally, rest and recover, get injured, purchase mundane or magical equipment, find treasure, and so forth.

Wealth Checks

Wealth checks tie into the economic rules below, but can be briefly summarized here. The GM does not pick the difficulty level of a purchase. Instead the economic rules specify the difficulty, using prices categorized by what is called an impact rating (because more expensive equipment tends to be more impactful on the story).

If a wealth check is needed, and is successful, then PC can gather the resources needed to acquire the desired item. However, the PC's wealth rating decreases by 1 to show that the expense was significant enough to affect the PC's readily available resources at least temporarily.

If a wealth check is unsuccessful then either that particular item was not available or the PC was unable to afford it that day. Perhaps the PC has money in the bank, but other obligations and debts are also due. Perhaps the PC is owed favors by local nobles, but those nobles were out hunting today and their assistance was unavailable. Perhaps the PC's family members are having a crisis and need financial help. Perhaps the PC has religious financial obligations. Or perhaps the PC has wasted his or her money on vices or frivolous purchases. Try to make a failed wealth check as interesting in the story as a successful check!

Treasure

Impact Silver Coins Gold Coins Examples
0 2 120 wool belt pouch, arrow
1 10 14 cheap boots, wax candle
2 20 12 linen tunic, pick axe
3 80 2 short bow, cast iron pot
4 160 4 longbow, wool clothing
5 400 100 nice horse, one-handed sword, anvil
6 1,200 300 warhorse, chain mail
7 3,200 800 plate armor, noble's silks
8 8,000 2,000 warship, noble's estate

Adventurers will acquire silver and gold coins (or equivalent value in gems, jewelry, etc.) because they are paid by quest patrons and find treasure. Players should keep track of these coins!

To the right is a copy of the table from the economic rules that provides the coin value equivalent to each impact rating.

As a rule of thumb, a quest patron will pay the PCs with coins or an item worth the impact of the PC's highest important skill rating.

As a rule of thumb, a significant enemy will have equipment or treasure worth as many coins as the impact of that enemy's highest important skill rating.

During a story, when a PC's wealth rating has decreased below its maximum amount a Player can spend treasure with impact equal to 1 more than the PC's current wealth rating to increase that weath rating by 1. This is how PCs regain their readily available resources after those are depleted by making wealth checks.

Alternatively, coins can be spent to buy items without using a wealth check.

Group Actions

Sometimes it makes sense for a group of characters to share a single skill check.

Assuming that the character who is best at the relevant skill is able to help his or her allies, only that dominant character's die roll determines success or failure for the group action. However, all the other participants also attempt the skill check, and for each ally who fails the dominant character loses fortitude or resilence or craftiness (as appropriate to the situation).

"We all climbed over the wall, but you stepped hard on my hand as I helped you climb!"

"We all managed to sneak by the guard, but dealing with your noise really rattled my nerves!"

"Together we made the potion, but I had to supply most of the know-how and a bunch of precious ingredients!"

The lost fortitude or resilence or craftiness will recover fully the next time that dominant character rests in a safe location.

As always, if that dominant character has no more fortitude or resilence then he or she instead loses stamina or composure.

Defeat

During a story a character's stamina, composure, or wealth might be reduced to zero. Often this happens during a skill contest, as will be described below.

When a character has any of stamina, composure, or wealth reduced to zero then that character is defeated.

Usually there is a victor who chooses what that defeat looks like in the story.

For example, a wrestler who reduces his opponent's stamina to zero could say he securely pinned his foe, or that his foe was disarmed and became exhausted, or his foe was knocked unconscious by a blow to the head, or his foe was killed by asphyxiation.

A swordswoman who reduces her opponent's stamina to zero could say she backed her foe against a wall with the sword point touching her foe's neck, or struck down her foe until the opponent was too beat up to rise, or she slew her foe with a thrust through the heart.

An orator who reduces his opponent's composure to zero could say he politely won a debate, made his opponent an object or distrust or ridicule, or stirred up a crowd to chase his rival from town.

The winner of a crafting contest who reduces her opponent's wealth to zero could say she was slightly favored by the contest's judges, that her decisive victory humiated the other contestants, or that her creation overwhelmed those of the other contestants.

The GM always has the option of deciding most of what defeat looks like. The GM has more detailed plans for how the story will develop, and is therefore allowed to use defeats to guide the plot in a desired direction.

Siron's Defeat

Player: Siron fires an arrow at the bandit.

GM: The bandit screams as the arrow hits. Unfortunately he is not alone, and his friend is both sneaky and wielding an enchanted mace. Does Siron do or say anything as he slumps to the ground, losing consciousness?

The PC was defeated by a stealthy melee attack. Given that this happened, the GM has a strong preference for how the story should continune.

Player: Only "Oof!"

GM: Siron wakes up in a dark room. His feet are tied, and he has a huge lump on his head.

Perhaps Siron's circumstances would have changed if he had insulted, plead with, or sleep-gassed the nearby bandits as he lost consciousness.

A defeat should not abort or trivialize the story's development. It would be an awful story if the defeat of the first villanous minion let the PC learn all about the main villain's identity, plans, weaknesses, and secret lair. Similarly, it would be an awful story if the Player's first foolhardy decision caused the PC to die.

Memorable defeats make memorable stories.

When a PC is defeated, he or she usually acquires some enduring limitation that requires effort in the story to remove or cure. This happens even if that PC has allies that end up winning the skill contest. (If you are humiliated in a debate, or knocked unconscious during combat, there can be lasting consequences even if your friends do well in that situation.)

A defeated character might have lasting injuries after a fight, enduring ridicule from the townsfolk who saw her humiliated, chill after swimming in icy water, nausea after falling into sewer sludge, equipment taken away by the bandits who captured him, and so on. Such limitations can often be represented by penalties to die rolls in certain situations or by changes to the character's inventory.

In some situations the GM decides a skill contest ends before any participants have a rating reduced to zero. Perhaps the injured lizardfolk flee, the haughty noble realizes he should apologize for starting a public argument, the haggling merchant agrees to a compromise, or in some other way the situation resolves in favor of the PCs because their opponents recongize the inevitable.

Notice that contests may theoretically end in a draw. In skill contests characters can cause damage simultaenously, and thus can both reduce one another's rating to zero. Situations that end in a draw might look like mutual defeat or mutual victory, as fits the story.

Defeat with a Slightly Random Wound

If the GM and Player are having trouble inventing which enduring limitation fits a defeat, this optional system can help.

The Player follows a three-step process that is kept track of in the lower right corner of the character sheet:

A PC must heal each wound separately. This probably requires time and certain resources. The GM and Player should agree about the requirements for healing. In a high fantasy setting the heroes heal wounds amazingly quickly. In a survival horror setting the heroes often must brave trials to acquire the resources needed to heal their wounds.

Vroy's Wound

Player: Ouch! That Ogre hits hard, and my armor apparently could not withstand such a beating. Vroy is wounded. Let me see where...

The Player rolls an 5, which for a melee attack signifies the left arm. The Player picks the description "staggered" and marks the skill category "Brawn" as having a small penalty.

Player: The Ogre's club smashes into Vroy's shield, forcing the shield hard against Vroy's left shoulder. This knocks Vroy to down to the ground. He is losing consciousness. I don't like giving a penalty to all of Vroy's Brawn skills, but that is the type of wound that I think fits the story best right now.

GM: That also makes sense to me. Even after Vroy's allies finish off the Ogre and rally Vroy his shoulder injury will continue to be problematic.

Ta da! With minimal bookeeping the story continues with an appropriate consequence for defeat.


Skill Contests

When important struggles, obstacles, complications, contests, and combats have uncertainty about the outcome, the story needs a slower and more suspenseful way to resolve what happens.

Skill Contests allows multiple characters to take turns using their skills to compete for their desired outcome.

Each skill contest happens in rounds. In each round:

A skill contest could be a combat where two characters duel with swords until one resigns.

A skill contest could be an argument where many characters plead with a queen to grant their request.

A skill contest could be a character trying to sneak past many bandits to get to the bandit leader's tent.

(We will soon see some detailed examples.)

Taking Turns

At the start of each round, before characters resolve their turns, they all declare what they will be trying to do.

When the PC is interacting with NPCs the Player should describes the PC's intentions, not actions. This intention should make clear which skill check the Player will attempt.

Then the GM and Players see the order in which characters take their turns that round

Often either the PCs or NPCs clearly initiated the skill contest. During the first round those characters go first. They started the haggling, leapt from ambush, etc.

In future rounds (and in the first round if no characters acted with initiative) the skill summary is ordered from quickest actions down to slowest actions. (Using the Shoot/Throw skill is slightly faster than using the Acrobatics/Climb skill.) Characters who are using the same skill act simultaneously.

Intentions, Not Actions

Why should a Player describes the PC's intentions, not actions?

Many times the PC's plans or desires are immediately successful: they could just as well have been phrased as actions. But assuming success is actually crowding out the GM's turn. Describing intentions provides the GM with opportunities to inject details and complications. Furthermore, intentions are easy to word in exciting and realistic phrasing with details that can make the story more interesting.

For example, during an archery contest the Player expects the PC will use the Shoot skill. But the GM has information that the PC lacks. That action gets interrupted.

A Crooked Archery Contest (Version 1)

GM: It is Boxley's turn in the archery contest.

Player: Boxley politely smiles at her opponent as she calmly looses an arrow at the target.

GM: As Boxley sets the arrow to the string she notices her opponent is attempting to switch arrows unnoticed.

Player: Boxley lowers her bow and frowns at the cheater.

The story would have more flow if the Player had described an intention, not a completed action.

A Crooked Archery Contest (Version 2)

GM: It is Boxley's turn in the archery contest.

Player: Boxley politely smiles at her opponent as she calmly aims her arrow at the target. This will be an easy shot.

GM: As Boxley sets the arrow to the string she notices her opponent is attempting to switch arrows unnoticed.

Player: Boxley lowers her bow and frowns at the cheater.

Similarly, the Player knows things about the PC that the GM does not. Since both the GM and Player have kinds of unique knowledge, they should both ask each other questions and be aware of speaking with intentions.

A Crooked Archery Contest (Continued)

Player: Boxley looks at the new arrow, to check if it seems unusual or enchanted.

GM: Does she have any experience with the different types of arrowheads used by the northern barbarians?

Player: She does not. So Boxley tries to look happily excited. "That looks like a neat arrow. May I?" She holds out her hand to accept it.

GM: Her opponent mumbles, "Sorry, only fiddling to pass the time" and begins to put that arrow back in his quiver.

Note that questions are not intentions. Players often ask the GM questions about the PC's observations, hunches, and knowledge of the game world. The GM might not answer these questions, but it cannot hurt to ask. Asking a question does not "use up" the character's turn.

"What does my character see?"

"Does my character remember if these creatures can climb trees?"

"What does my character think is a fair price for selling the gem?"

"Does my character think he could defeat both of them without getting injured?"

"Does this merchant seem trustworthy?"

"What does my character think are his best options?"

Similarly, the GM often asks the Player questions about the PC's background, clothing and equipment, bearing and demeanor, and other details that might influence how NPCs react to the PC.

Damage if No Armor

During a character's turn, a skill check is used to try to reduce an opponent's stamina, composure, or wealth.

The Player whose turn it is will pick whether the character makes a easy, medium, or tough skill check using the skill rating appropriate for how he or she described the character's intention.

Design Note

Notice this huge change!

When not in a contest, the situation determines whether the skill check is easy, medium, or tough. A higher degree of success might accomplish more.

But in a contest the Player picks the difficulty, and can only accomplishes that much.

Remember that only one die needs to roll a low enough number for skill check is successful.

We use the word damage to refer to the attempted reduction to an opponent's stamina, composure, or wealth. But this "damage" need not be violent, dangerous, aggressive, or unfriendly. Examples of skill contests in which "damage" represents more mellow progress include two friends arm wrestling, a merchant and customer bartering about a price, or two cooks trying to out-do each other in a kitchen.

Experienced GMs and Players have practice describing damage in interesting ways.

Damage during a combat can represent injuries, being breifly dazed or shaken or stunned, getting knocked down or pushed back, having equipment to crack or break, being disarmed or grabbed, or being forced into an unfavorable positioning.

During a social situation damage can represent speaking clumsily, getting distracted or disoriented, being caught using an exaggeration or lie or staw-man argument, getting caught going off on a tangent, or being ridiculed.

Design Note

These game mechanics provide a sanctuary for creativity. Want your PC to jump from a rooftop onto a guard, or swing from a rope to knock a monster to the ground? No one will challenge that idea, say it is unfair, or stop the storytelling to calculate how much damage happens. Your creativity is safe because the game mechanics frame it fairly: those ideas sound like tough die rolls that might cause maximum damage! Want your PC to consort with the city's gondoliers to learn the travel habits of the evil prince? The story will continue with a fast and fun pace, since your creative use of Etiquette need not be justified or defended.

During a contest, picking to attempt an easy skill check means you are very likely to succeed, but will not accomplish much. In contrast, picking to attempt an difficult skill check means you might accomplish a lot but your bigger effort telegraphs your intentions in a manner that your opponent might more easily avoid.

If the contest is about wearing down an opponent physically, your PC's damage hopes to reduce the opponent's stamina. But your damage will not decrease that rival's stamina until it first gets through a "buffer" layer protection called fortitude. All people have 4 points of fortitude. When the contest is over all contestants will immediately recover all of their fortitude, but recovering lost stamina might be trickier if it represents physical injuries.

Similarly, if the contest is about wearing down an opponent socially or mentally, your PC's damage hopes to reduce the opponent's composure. But your damage will not decrease that rival's composure until it first gets through a "buffer" layer protection called resilience. All people have 4 points of resilience. When the contest is over all contestants will immediately recover all of their resilience, but recovering lost composure might be trickier if it represents social disgrace or emotional drain.

Finally, if the contest is about winning a crafting competition, your PC's damage hopes to reduce the opponent's wealth. But your damage will not decrease that rival's wealth until it first gets through a "buffer" layer of protection called craftiness. All people have 4 points of craftiness. When the contest is over all contestants will immediately recover all of their craftiness, but recovering lost wealth might be trickier if it represents a depletion of available funds, favors, or influence.

The existence of two layers of defense helps characters know when it might be strategic to give up or run away. It also helps simulate getting your breath back after a stressful and strenuous conflict.

Fortitude can also be used to estimate the general physical strength of a character. As a rule of thumb, a character can comfortably carry a backpack and other equipment weighing at total of fifteen times his or her fortitude (in kilograms) without penalizing physical skills such as Acrobatics and Dodge.

Design Note

When playing with kids be especially clear that running out of fortitude or resilience can be a clear hint to try a different approach, run away, or give up.

So all characters participating in a skill contest have a total defense totalling 5 to 10 points, consisting of 4 buffer points (of fortitude, resilience, or craftiness) followed by 1 to 6 points of more high-stakes points (of stamina, composure, or wealth).

Example of Fast-Talking

Vroy wants to get into a castle. He knows the guards do not normally let in anyone who does not have an appointment with a member of the royal family.

(Notice that nothing inherent to fast-talking a guard means that a skill contest is needed. This example situation must be important to the story to deserve a skill contest instead of simply using a skill check.)

Vroy Fast-Talks a Castle Guard

GM: The guard watches Vroy approach. He says "Good day" without a smile.

Player: Vroy replies, "I wish it were. The prince summoned me to discuss the city's wererat problem. However, I lost his letter."

The first round beings. Vroy wants to enter the castle. The guard wants to require proof of an appointment. Both will use the Bargain/Wonder skill. Vroy will take his turn first since he initiated the conversation.

Vroy has a Bargain/Wonder skill rating of 2. The Player will roll two dice, saying Vroy decides to attempt an easy skill check. The dice roll a 4 and 3. This counts as success because one die rolled 3 or less. The guard's resilience is reduced by 1 (because of the easy skill check), from 4 to 3.

GM: The guard is slightly flustered, but frowns. "No entrance without the letter. Pay an official courier to ask for another. Or perhaps His Highness will hire a more responsible adventurer." The guard stands straighter, hoping the solidity of his presence causes Vroy to leave.

The guard also has a Bargain/Wonder skill rating of 2. The GM rolls two dice, and attempts a medium skill check. The dice roll 2 and 5. Success with at least one die 2 or less. Now Vroy's resilience is reduced by 2 (because of the medium skill check), from 4 to 2.

Player: Vroy pauses a moment to collect his thoughts, then continues talking...

The second round begins. Both characters continue using the Bargain/Wonder skill. The guard has caused more damage, so it goes first.

GM: The guard interrupts. "Really, sir. Please abide by the rules."

The guard rolls poorly. No damage.

Player: Vroy acts shocked. "Pay a courier? You want me to pay to risk my neck fighting wererats? Hmph. I think I will offer my blade to another city that takes its monster infestations more seriously! Perhaps tomorrow His Highness will ask his royal guards to explore the sewers?" (Hopefully that's a strong argument in my favor!)

Vroy has a Bargain/Wonder skill rating of 2. The Player once again rolls a two dice, this time attempting a tough skill check. Success, with at least one die rolling 1! The guard suffers three damage from the tough skill check, reducing his resilience to 0 and his composure by 1. The GM decides this is sufficient progress to end the contest.

GM: The guard looks abashed. "Sorry, sir. You speak truly. Go on in, sir. Better you than me in the sewers."

The contest is over. Both Vroy and the guard immediately regain all their lost resilience. But the guard's composure will be slightly rattled for a while.

As always, circumstances, items, and enchantments might change the size of the skill check's dice pool.

Perhaps Vroy had a magic hat of mesmerizing glibness? Perhaps the guard's best friend was recently slain by a wererat? Either might have influenced the contest favorably for Vroy and increased his dice pool with a small or big bonus.

Perhaps Vroy is inebriated? Perhaps the gate guards were recently reprimanded for lack of strictness? Either might have influenced the contest unfavorably for Vroy and decreased his dice pool with a small or big penalty.

Armor and Recovery

In most role-playing games combat is a special type of skill contest that is extra exciting and tactical. Nine Powers continues this tradition by adding a few quick rules about armor.

Armor

A character's armor rating is a number between 0 and 6 that is only used during combat, and represents how the armor worn by that character might block incoming damage partially or completely.

When a character with non-zero armor rating might suffer damage (to fortitude or stamina, since we are in a combat) that character makes a die roll named an armor check with as many dice as his or her armor rating.

Design Note

If you wield a shield, you are limited to a one-handed weapon and your attacks will less often penetrate your foes' armor. But you will have a much easier time relying on your own armor to protect you!

This explains the tropes in which characters who wear more armor also tend to use shields.

If this defender is not wielding a shield, the difficulty of an armor check is tough if the attacker is using a two-handed weapon, or medium if the attacker is using a one-handed weapon.

If this defender is wielding a shield, the difficulty of an armor check is medium if the attacker is using a two-handed weapon, or easy if the attacker is using a one-handed weapon.

If the armor check is successful, determined how much the incoming damage is reduced:

(This is often described as "only the attacker's dice that rolled 1s bypass the armor". But that paraphrase is not quite accurate. For example, an attacker attempting an easy attack can only do a single point of damage, no matter how many 1s that attacker rolled.)

The GM and Player can also agree use an equivalent to armor during social skill contests. Perhaps a character's reputation means that during an oratory contest the audience is very willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps a character's fame means that when haggling over prices the local merchants are less stubborn about getting the best deal. These can work exactly the same way as armor does during combat, which is why the character sheet has a place to mark "social armor rating" when appropriate.

Dice that roll 1s for attacks are special! Not only do they allow success with a tough skill check, but they can represent bypassing armor!

Vroy's Swordplay

GM: The zombie shambles towards Vroy. What does he do?

Player: No sense trying to talk to this thing. Vroy draws his sword and shield. He moves to attack, attempting a medium strike.

GM: You are quicker, and get the first blow.

Vroy's Melee skill rating is 4. The Player rolls 4 dice: the four-sided, six-sided, eight-sided, and ten-sided dice. The lowest number rolled is 2, which succeeds in a medium skill check.

The zombie's armor rating is 2. The GM rolls 2 dice: the four-sided and six-sided dice. The lowest number rolled is 2, which succeeds in the medium armor check that was needed because the zombie is not using a shield and Vroy is wielding a one-handed weapon.

GM: You connect, but the zombie's tattered haubergeon absorbs the blow. It tries to claw you...

The GM decides the zombie is attempting a medium strike. The zombie's Melee skill rating is 3. The GM rolls 3 dice: the four-sided, six-sided, and eight-sided dice. The lowest number rolled is 3, which fails a medium skill check.

GM: ...and misses.

The zombie missed, so Vroy does not roll an armor check.

Player: Vroy swings again. Another medium strike.

The Player again rolls 4 dice, and this time rolls a 1, 1, 2, and 5. The fact that the lowest number rolled is 2 or mess means Vroy succeeds in a medium skill check and dealt 2 damage. Moreover, rolling two 1s means both of those points of damage bypass the zombie's armor and reduce the monster's Fortitude.

Vroy did hit, so the zombie could roll an armor check, but no result will change the situation.

Player: Nice! Vroy manages to drive his blade through a joint of the zombie's armor. Take that!

GM: The zombie reels unsteadily. But it keeps coming...

Recovery

When does a character recover from damage?

The buffers of fortitude, resilience, and craftiness recover immediately after the skill contest ends. Everyone catches their breath, collects their thoughts, recovers from their adrenaline rush, put balm and bandages on small injuries, patches up their armor, etc.

Wealth only recovers during the story by finding treasure, as has already been described.

Stamina, composure, and heroism recover with sufficient rest in safety. The GM and Players should agree about what this means so it fits the setting of the story. Perhaps in a high fantasy setting the heroic PCs only need a few minutes without interruption. Perhaps in a swords-and-sorcery fantasy setting the bold PCs require a restful meal with hearty food and drink to refresh the body and spirit. Perhaps in a survival horror setting only certain buildings are secure enough to count as safety, and an entire night's sleep is needed.

(In most stories the GM does not need to keep track of NPC recovery. Minor NPCs are not recurring parts of the story, so if they survive combat they heal out of the limelight. Major NPCs that do have a recurring role in the story often have special resources to help them heal, or their significant injuries become important to their character arc.)

Heroism and the Armor Table

The rules above are for PCs. Monsters can cheat. Some huge monsters have dumploads of fortitude or stamina. Some stout monsters have thick scales sturdier than any warrior's armor. Some mighty monsters can do extra damage with each hit: easy skill checks do more than one damage for them!

But the PCs also have something special. They have heroism to spend on flashbacks or on avoiding dreadful monster attacks.

Note that only PCs have and use heroism: it is what sets them apart from NPCs. Heroism helps explain why some villagers would be justifiably terrified of a dragon's breath or a witch's cursed touch, but the PCs expect to be able to avoid such dangers.

See the monster descriptions for examples of how heroism can be used during combat to automatically avoid many special things monsters can do (breathing fire, trampling, etc.).

Heroism can also be used to provide a PC with a flashback about how the PC prepared for a situation. This flashback can explain why the PC has a certain item and/or allow a big bonus on a die roll. Flashbacks cannot rewind time and must make sense within the story.

Design Notes

I only learned about the RPG named Blades in the Dark in 2023. That game has a few examples of parallel invention.

As personal preferences, I like my interplay of fortitude, stamina, and bypassing armor more than the simple "clocks" used by Blades in the Dark. I also prefer my storytelling flow of taking turns describing intentions to the Blades in the Dark collaborative storyboarding that describes versions of a scene with the dice determining which version actualizes.

Skill checks in both games lack arithmetic. My skill checks are more kid-friendly because the percentages provide more successes, and because young GMs are not asked to frequently improvise consequences for a "mixed success". My setting is also more kid-friendly.

Blades in the Dark did make me realize I needed to formalize how often Players could use flashbacks, and what benefits flashbacks could provide. So I give credit where it is due!

A PC that wants to bribe a noblewoman could have a flashback about asking a servant about that noblewoman's favorite wine. A PC that wants to open a corrupt merchant's safe could have a flashback about an earlier conversation with the locksmith who sold that merchant the safe, justifying why the PC now has the very best lockpicks for the task. A PC who has been visiting a town for a few days and is about to fight the evil baron could have a flashback about paying one of the baron's servants to sabotage the straps on the baron's armor to make the baron more vulnerable during the fight.

Flashbacks allow young Players to start adventuring without needing to brainstorm and describe preparations that may be beyond their experience. Flashbacks allow Players who love action to get right into the action, knowing they can describe their earlier preparations when needed.

As the examples above show, flashbacks work best with when the story is set in a village, town, or city. A PC in an unexplored dungeon will have a more difficult time creating a flashback that sensibly describes how he or she prepared for its unknown dangers!

The Armor Table

PCs determine their armor rating and heroism from the table below. A sturdier armor type provides more armor rating, but its weight does not allow as much heroism. A heavily armored PC does better when fighting people like bandits and cultists, but worse when needing to avoid a monster's special abilities.

Use this table as a guideline for armor for a fantasy setting, knowing characters might use less traditional types of armor. (Feel free to create your own armor table for other settings!) The table's final column uses the term "impact" which will be described in the economic rules.

Armor TypeArmorHeroismImpact
no armor06n/a
gambeson153 (2 gold coins)
boiled and waxed leather244 (4 gold coins)
chain haubergeon244 (4 gold coins)
chain hauberk335 (10 gold coins)
brigandine shirt with pauldrons336 (30 gold coins)
add rerebraces and vambraces+1−13 (2 gold coins)
add tassets and faulds, cuisses and greaves+1−13 (2 gold coins)

A gambeson is a suit made of at least three layers of fabric. An inner layer of cotton is comfortable. Thick strips of wool are woven into a middle layer, much like a fabric version of kevlar. An outer layer of cotton or linen might be plain or fashionable. Some gambesons are shaped like a dress or tunic, with a skirt-like lower half. Other gambesons have legs and are shaped like a wetsuit. Gambesons do not restrict movement and are comfortable enough to sleep in, but can get waterlogged (a small penalty to extended swimming). The table above includes the fact that all other types of armor are assumed to be worn over a gambeson.

An outfit of boiled and waxed leather is usually seen worn by the nobility or their bodyguards. Leather is easy to engrave, emboss, and tool: a choice that is the the least expensive way to look elegant while wearing armor. However, swimming is not only very difficult (increased to a big penalty) but a lengthy soak will ruin the armor. The bother of keeping the armor waxed is another reason few travelers wear this type of armor. Guards may admit that it is quite possible to sleep while wearing it.

A chain haubergeon covers a gambeson with a short-sleeve mail shirt. The links are heavy (a small penalty when climbing) but very easy to clean, maintain, and repair. Sleeping in a chain haubergeon is uncomfortable but possible. Many treasure-seekers consider the day they could finally afford their first chain haubergeon as they day their status rose to that of a "real adventurer".

A chain hauberk covers a gambeson with a hooded, long-sleeve, knee-length mail tunic. The weight now makes swimming and sleeping impossible, and causes a big penalty when climbing. But mail remains very easy to clean, maintain, and repair.

A brigandine shirt with pauldrons covers a gambeson with a plates of metal riveted under a thick cotton coat. (Some are elegantly colored, or even covered with a decorative layer of linen.) This is more expensive to craft than mail, but when custom-made is so form-fitting that sleeping is comfortable. The weight is much less than mail, but still swimming is impossible, and climbing has a big penalty. The pauldrons protect the shoulders, but their straps prevent lifting the arms above shoulder height (a small penalty to Shoot/Throw). Anyone wanting serious armor who can afford brigandine finds the expense justified.

So far all the armors have lacked adding protection for the arms and legs beyond what the gambeson offers. Arm protection comes from rerebraces and vambraces on the upper and lower arms. Leg protection comes from tassets and faulds, and cuisses and greaves on the hips and upper and lower legs. All of these can be made of boiled and waxed leather, or made of metal. They are small pieces of armor that do not require articulation, so they are not very expensive unless highly decorative. Adding arm protection makes sleeping unpleasant, and causes a small penalty to swimming and Shoot/Throw (or increases an existing small penalty to a big penalty). Adding leg protection makes sleeping impossible, and causes a small penalty to climbing (or increases an existing small penalty to a big penalty).

Example of Combat

Boxley has been hired to deal with a giant lizard that has been eating a village's sheep. After talking to a few villagers and tracking the monster into the forest, she has finally found the small cave that is its lair. She draws her sword and enters the cave, quietly stepping over the rocks and bones on the ground. The lizard was resting in the back of the shallow cave, but lifts its head as she enters.

Both Boxley and the giant lizard have 3 stamina. Boxley wears a chain haubergeon over her gambeson (armor rating 3). The giant lizard has thick hide (armor rating 2).

For the sake of simplicity, the giant lizard does not have any special monster abilities, and so Boxley never spends heroism to avoid those.

Notice that neither the GM nor Player need to describe aloud which skill they intend to use that round, nor the difficulty of the attack. They certainly could say those aloud, but do not need to.

The character sheet has places to help track current fortitude and stamina, and the difficulty of the current skill attempt. Dried lentils work great as small objects to use as trackers.

Boxley and the Giant Lizard

GM: As Boxley steps into the shallow cave the giant lizard lifts its head.

The first round begins.

Player: Boxley studies the beast. How thick is its hide? Does it appear to have any weak points?

Boxley has a Perception skill rating of 4, so the Player rolls 4 dice. The Player is attempting a medium difficulty skill check. At least one die rolls 2 or less, so she is successful. The skill check was medium, so for the next two turns the Player's dice that roll 2 will also bypass armor.

GM: The lizard's scaly hide looks thick but not especially hard, and is thinner under its neck. It stands and gets ready to charge you.

The second round begins. Both combatants decide to use the Melee skill with medium difficulty.

Player: Boxley yells as she rushes at the giant lizard, swinging her longsword two-handed. If only she still had her bow!

Boxley has a Melee skill rating of 3, so the Player rolls 3 dice. The dice roll 1, 4, and 6. At least one die rolls 2 or less, so she is successful with the medium attack. One die rolls a 1, so of the two points of damage from a medium skill check one will certainly bypass the lizard's armor.

The lizard attempts its tough difficulty armor check with 2 dice, which roll 2 and 3. Neither die rolls a 1, so Boxley successfully slices through its hide. The lizard's fortitude is reduced from 4 to 2.

GM: The lizard hisses as Boxley approaches. It tries to move past her, but her sword strikes it hard, piercing its hide.

GM: The lizard bites at Boxley's leg...

The GM rolls for the lizard's Melee skill check: a hit with a medium attack, but no 1s are rolled.

The Player rolls for Boxley's tough armor check: a success! The lizard did not roll any 1s on its attack, so her armor blocks all of the incoming damage.

GM: ...and grips her leg with its mouth, but the thick fabric of her gambeson protects her.

The third round begins. Both combatants continues to use the Melee skill with medium difficulty.

Player: If it is holding onto her leg, Boxley kicks at its head.

GM: Go ahead!

The Player again rolls 3 dice. The dice roll 2, 2 and 5. Because of the previously successful Perception skill check, both of the 2s represent damage that will bypass armor. The GM skips the lizard's armor check. It's fortitude has been reduced to zero.

GM: It shrieks as Boxley strikes it! She kicks very hard into the softness of its neck.

The GM rolls for the lizard's atack, which fails.

GM: It tries biting her, but is moving awkwardly and she easily steps back to safety.

The fourth round begins. Boxley continues to use the Melee skill with medium difficulty. The giant lizard will switch to using the Wrestle skill with easy difficulty.

Player: Does it look ready to charge at Boxley?

GM: Maybe. It seems to be trying to get past Boxley to leave the small cave. It might just be preparing to run past Boxley, or push her out of the way as it runs to the cave entrance.

Player: Boxley growls, "No running away!" as she swings again. "I am in no mood to track you again. Feel my steel!" She aims for one of its hind legs.

The Player again rolls 3 dice. The dice roll 2, 5 and 5. The benefit from the earlier Perception skill check has ended, so no dice bypass the lizard's armor. At least one die rolls 2 or less, so Boxley is successful with the medium attack, potentially causing 2 damage.

The lizard attempts its tough difficulty armor check with 2 dice, which roll 3 and 4. Neither die rolls a 1, so Boxley successfully slices through its hide yet again. The lizard's stamina is reduced from 3 to 1.

GM: She manages to lunge forward a stab it again. But the creature can still walk. The beast turns on her.

The GM rolls for the lizard's atack. The lizard has a Wrestle skill rating of 2. At least one die rolls 3 or less, so it is successful with the easy skill check and applies 1 wrestling effect. The GM picks reducing Boxley's movement rate.

GM: The giant lizard turns to face Boxley and with surprising speed lunges at her leg. It clamps down on her knee and twists, trying to pull her to the ground. Boxley will have trouble moving quickly for a while.

Player: Yikes! Boxley falls to the ground. That knee hurts! She is breathing heavily. She gets back to her feet, preparing to stab with her blade.

This combat is not over. Will Boxley slay the lizard or will it get away?

Notice how both the GM and Player contributed to describe the giant lizard's successful Wrestle attack.

Pacing

Both the GM and Players should be intentional with verbosity. They can include all sorts of details that do not affect a situation's outcome. This slows down the pace of the story, which can be done well to create a dramatic effect or done badly (which can be annoying).

Archery without Details

Player: Boxley cautiously fires an arrow at the highwaymen from her hiding place behind the wagon.

Succinct and sufficient. There is nothing especially right or wrong about using few words.


Archery with Steps

Player: Boxley cautiously fires an arrow at the highwaymen. She readies an arrow, leans from her hiding place behind the wagon, selects a target, aims carefully, shoots the arrow, and ducks back behind cover.

Verbose but not boring. When the situation is suspenseful the Player often slowly states a series of steps to provide the GM opportunity to interrupt if the bad guys do something unexpected.


Archery with Extra Actions

Player: Boxley quickly looks at the highwaymen from her hiding place behind the wagon, hollering, "Head down, Friar!" She touches her lucky rabbit foot and prays for luck before drawing her arrow. "Your mother stinks of gooseberry!" she yells as she fires an arrow at the nearest enemy.

Saying so many actions in one rush implies only the shooting can actually affect the situation. If rubbing the rabbit foot caused a magic effect, or if Boxley's insult could demoralize the enemy, the Player should slow down so each was resolved before the next is mentioned.

Note that outside of skill contests, the Player can carry the story forward without the GM when the PC is alone, in a familiar place, or doing trivial tasks. For example, the Player might talk at length about how the PC is at home alone, selecting equipment to take into a dungeon, working at an alchemy table to prepare some useful potions, and packing everything carefully.

Remember to only used skill contests when there is a meaningful situation that involves genuine competition, contest or struggle whose outcome could be victory or defeat.

A character who wants to kill an unconscious or bound prisoner with a weapon can almost always do so quickly and easily. A customer at the shop can buy a backpack without haggling. A witty and honey-tongued princess can insult uncharismatic visiting nobles all afternoon without effort.

Even combat does not always warrant skill contests.

The Player can keep talking without GM involvement when the PC doing tasks whose outcome is certain.

Icky Yet Trivial

GM: Vroy falls down the pit, and lands amidst a bunch of hungry giant snails.

Player: Has Vroy heard of such creatures? How dangerous are they?

GM: They are as long as his forearm, but move very slowly. He can easily avoid their bites.

Player: Ick. Vroy kills them all.

GM: Okay.

A good GM will use verbosity with purpose. The GM will slow down the pace by providing more detail when the PC has the luxury of slowly looking around and thinking. The GM will foster a sense of urgency when the action is rushed by sharing less detail and concluding with phrases such as "What is your character doing?" or "How does your character react?"

Combat Without a Skill Contest

Player: Siron smiles at the thug. "I mean no harm."

GM: The thug draws his sword and rushes towards Siron. How does Siron react?

Player: Siron can't question a corpse. He wants to subdue this thug but not kill him. So he moves into a compact stance, ready to disarm. He hopes to gague his opponent's strength and skill, then disarm.

GM: The thug's swings are forceful but not skilled. Siron parries two blows, and on the third has an opportunity to disarm.

Player: Siron knocks away the thug's sword. "Who sent you? Why did they not tell you that I am the finest swordsman in the city?" He shrugs, a bit slowly, to show he is so unafraid of the thug that he can make that gesture during a swordfight.

GM: The thug looks down at his blade, then up at Siron's eyes. He tries to grab at Siron's arm. The thug is definitely less skilled but stronger. What does Siron do?

Notice how the GM and Player both used details to make the story more fun. They both gave each other enough to build off of. The scene could be interesting and exciting without a skill contest.

Nine Powers is designed to excel as introduction to role-playing games, and as a kid-friendly storytelling game. So it puts the burden of carrying the story forward on the GM, who hopefully has experience and maturity. The GM and Player could instead more equally share of the burden of carrying the story forward, with the Player describing PC actions (not only intentions) and even NPC actions. This requires both to have flexibility, initiative, and comfort in trusting the story to flow synergistically.

A Player Carrying the Story Forward

Player: Siron smiles at the thug. "I mean no harm."

GM: The thug draws his sword and rushes towards Siron. How does Siron react?

Player: Is Siron a vastly better swordsman?

GM: Definitely. That is obvious just from how the thug moves and holds his sword.

Player: Siron's smile broadens. "Oh, please!" he groans. He parries one or two of the thug's swings, then knocks away the thug's sword. "Who sent you? Why did they not tell you that I am the finest swordsman in the city?" He shrugs slowly, showing a lot of teeth.

GM: Okay. The thug is about to grapple, foolishly trusting in his greater strength. Fanaticism shines in his eyes. What does Siron do?

Player: Siron sighs. He stabs the thug in one knee. "I am losing patience." He stabs the thug in the other knee. "I am out of patience." As the thug falls to the ground, Siron holds his sword lightly against the thug's throat. "Who sent you?"

The GM never resolved skill use. The Player knew enough information to make those decisions, and "stole" that role from the GM. This works fine if both the GM and Player want that type of story telling.

As a final note about story pacing, remember that the time it takes a character to use an item could span different amounts of GM and Player speech. Slow tasks that happen without any problem when the story is moving slowly could span several turns if the story switches to a hectic skill contest. Without urgency a character might have no worries while picking a tricky lock, repairing worn-out machinery, setting up a trap, climbing a high wall, bandaging a hurt ally, or crossing a large pile of rubble. But those actions might span several rounds of a skill contest.


Automating the Story

Many new, young, or tired GMs feel like the job of GM is difficult—especially in an urban fantasy setting—because of the need to create details of the setting.

What is the name of this shopkeep? Have they heard of anyone in town with a job for my PC?

Was this thug my PC defeated carrying anything intriguing?

Does anything interesting happen as my PC travels from one side of town to the other?

What if answering such questions took no work at all?

Foundation and Shape

Design Notes

No, the two aspects of a story that we need to talk about not story arcs and The Hero's Journey. Those concepts are for writers, not gamers.

Writers have a story to tell. Gamers play to discover a story.

Writers desire a finished product. Gamers desire exploration and wonder.

Writers get writer's block. Gamer's have adventures.

Before we can begin discussing how to automate a story we need to discuss the two main aspects of a story worth automating in a role-playing game.

Foundation

A building's foundation holds it up without putting too many constraints on what the building looks like. A good role-playing game story has a similarly helpful but not overly restrictive foundation.

What type of foundation do you want for your story?

The most reliable foundation is a flowchart of a living world. Use the tools below to randomly generate a few interesting NPCs, and one or two interesting items. Brainstorm how and where these would interact to cause conflict and disaster if the PCs stayed home all day instead of adventuring. Then when the story begins the PCs' activity will disrupt some plans, make some NPCs happy, and make other NPCs upset. The story will feel grounded in a vibrant setting.

example flowchart

When you make a flowchart of a living world, use NPCs and items as the nodes, and locations as the lines connecting them.

Think about MMORPGs like World of Warcraft. The flowchart nodes are the NPCs who stand around with an exclamation mark over their heads, or the things they send PCs to fetch. Locations are interesting and exciting places you pass through while going from node to node. (But just because memorable locations are important, it does not make them flowchart nodes.)

If you are used to playing dungeon crawl role-playing games you probably have the opposite habit: you will be tempted to make locations the nodes. After all, an old-school dungeon almost is a flowchart with rooms containing interested things being connected by passageways. But that does not work for an urban setting.

A simpler foundation is a skill contest in media res. Use the tools below to randomly generate a single interesting NPC. Let the story begins with action: the PCs starting a skill contest with that NPC.

Perhaps the heroes are walking through town when they are ambushed or hear the screams of people running from a monster. Perhaps the heroes are trying to convince a noble to fund an expedition to explore some ruins, or persuade the chief zookeeper into posting a bounty for the capture of an exotic monster. Perhaps a criminal slinks out of a dooway and the PCs must choose to confront him or attempt to follow him stealthily?

The third type of foundation is boring exploration. Avoid this! You may be tempted to have a story in which the PCs help their friends or family deal with their daily problems in a fantsy town, or the PCs travel through uncharted wilderness in search of adventure. But unless you adapt those ideas to one of the two good foundations above the PCs will not feel like the main characters in the story.

A good story foundation is like a headwater: the source of a river of action. It can be action between NPCs that the PCs soon get involved in, or action that directly and immediately involves the PCs.

Shape

A good story should not only start with action but also include initial expectations about where that action flows. The river needs not only a headwater but a dry streambed that will probably be filled with active current.

Design Notes

This thinking was inspired by The Big List of RPG Plots (website, PDF) by S. John Ross.

There are two different shapes for the streambed.

The simplest streams run linearly downhill. The action begins by providing the PC with a single, clear, feasible initial task. If the PC is repeatedly successful, each accomplishment leads to another goal. This sequence will only need to branch when the PC is unsuccessful, faces unexpected complications, or wants to backtrack.

Examples of Stories with Linear Action

Sequence of People - The PC is sent to check in with a distant scout, find a missing person, hunt an exotic monster, escort someone to a location they will discover has been wrecked, etc. The story develops as each goal's person reveals the next step in the chain.

The Chase - The villains are escaping and the PC must chase them. Start by going from Point A to Point B. Then learn what the villains did at Point B, while finding clues about Point C, etc.

Unavoidable Intermediate Steps - The PC's goal is to deal with a distant location. The route to get there is straightforward, although there may be surprises. Fetch an item from the back of a monster lair, rescue the prisoner from the castle's lowest dungeon, interrupt the cultists' ritual at the bottom of a windy cave complex, etc.

The Contest - A contest requires the PC to complete several tasks in several locations. Other teams are also trying to win the contest, more quickly and/or more heroically to impress the judges. The "contest" can be one of the above examples instead of a formal contest, as long as the PCs know about their rivals.

Peel the Onion - The PCs learn about some evil flunkies (a patron wants protection, a ship or village is hijacked by baddies, the PCs are mistaken from someone else and attacked, etc.). Clear clues reveal how those flunkies were sent by someone, who also reports to someone, etc.. As the PCs peels the onion's layers the true extent of the evil organization is revealed.

Tower Defense - The PCs need to guard a single vital spot. They set up defenses, organize local help, and wait. A sequence of enemies and problems tests the readiness and endurance of the PCs' preparations.

Other steams have distributary branches. The PCs begin with a single, clear, feasible initial task, but complete any task reveals multiple new options or goals. Multiple ways forward might even appear more quickly than the PCs can deal with them all.

Examples of Stories with Branching Action

Exploration - The PCs think a new location is shelter from a threat, a nifty place to investigate, or an interesting place to be transported to. But while exploring the location multiple secret, dangerous, or magical complications are encountered. Often an intelligent rival is already at or haunting the location, who wants to harm the PCs and/or prevent a report from reaching the outside world.

Everyone Wants the McGuffin - The PCs have found some item or information that everyone wants, but no one wants to legitimately pay for. The PCs must protect the McGuffin while learning who is optimal to give it to, or how to safely dispose of it. Yet more people and factions continually learn about it and want to claim it.

Flee! - The PCs are forced in one direction because of dangers, monsters, blackmail, etc. There is initially no time to do anything but react! How can the PCs make time to gather resources and information while being pursued? The PCs are being attacked by pirates while not initially realizing that a book they found is a pirate captain's journal containing hints about the missing pieces of a famous treasure map. The PCs are transported to a dangerous place and must fight off that place's monsters while acquiring the components needed to repair their vehicle or portal.

Violate the Prime Directive - The PCs are asked to explore/scout/spy without making contact or letting themselves be known. But the problems they discover are so numerous and urgent that the PCs are willing to get involved.

Sir Bunnykins is Not Receiving Visitors Today - To solve a mystery the PCs must speak with many witnesses and gather clues. But not all those people are initially available and ready to cooperate.

Please be aware that the shape of a flow of action is about momentum, which can be very different from the routes traveled by the PCs which are about position. If you must turn one of the shapes of action into a flowchart, please remember to use NPCs and items as the flowchart nodes. Locations can label the arrows connecting the nodes.

Tools for Brainstorming

The pencil-and-paper role-playing game community has jargon to describe tools that help with brainstorming.

Muse

Nine Powers Setting Automation Spreadsheet A muse is a way to randomly generate descriptive words. Nine Powers has something even better: the Nine Powers Setting Automation Spreadsheet that can do most of the work of bringing an urban fantasy setting to life by generating both specific and general ideas.

(After opening the spreadsheet, in the "File" menu pick "Make a Copy" to save an editable version, and then play around! The spreadsheet focuses on a urban fantasy setting, but can easily be edited to create other types of settings. Have fun with it!)

Oracle

An oracle is a way to answer yes-or-no questions.

Nine Powers already includes this as the fate checks described above.

Most oracles provide not only a "yes" or "no" answer but also, optionally, how mild or extreme to interpret that answer. The Nine Powers Setting Automation Spreadsheet includes that.

Scene Structure

A scene structure is a way to map the PCs' position and momentum. Nine Powers purposefully limits itself to rules about "being set up well" and "having leverage", combined with the prior discussion about foundation and shape.

Some role-playing games with specific settings use additional scene structures. A dungeon exploration game might use distinct "dungeon levels" to determine how both risk and rewards ramp up as the story develops. A zombie survival game might track the PCs' food and medical supplies, as well as a "chaos factor" that determines the likelihood an especially fierce foe will appear.

Some role-playing games (most famously Ironsworn) track how much positive or negative momentum the PCs have built up, and allow the PCs to spend positive momentum for die roll benefits. This can make better drama, but it is less kid-friendly to make recovering from setbacks a hard and lengthy process.

When playing a role-playing game solo (as both GM and PC) an additional aspect of scene structure is required. What happens when the story stalls? What if the PC has no idea what to do next? The Nine Powers Setting Automation Spreadsheet also helps in this situation with suggestions for how an NPC can add momentum (at that moment, or seen in a PC flashback) or how a fun complication can happen.

Journey Rules

Rules about how a journey fares have two purposes. They help with brainstorming, and make it so that the PCs do not arrive at every new scene fully rested and feeling in control.

The Nine Powers Setting Automation Spreadsheet includes results that look like these:

Examples of How a Journey Fares

an overlooked hazard might do small harm to you (1 fortitude or stamina lost) → if a medium Acrobatics or Perception is successful you do not lose 1 more fortitude or stamina, but failure means something thought to be understood is actually not what it seems

you might notice an opportunity (1 resilience or composure recovered) → if a medium Lore or Intuition is successful your next skill check has a small bonus, but failure means a new danger is revealed

First the spreadsheet describes something that does or might happen, which reduces or restores a bit of fortitude, resilience, or craftiness to all PCs. (Or stamina, composure, or wealth if the buffer is already depleted.)

Then the spreadsheet requests a skill check. The result of this skill check can help or hinder the PCs.

Together this information can really aid brainstorming, and help make the setting feel alive.

Please not that in an urban fantasy setting, a "journey" might be nothing more than walking a few blocks from one building to another. Which friend, rival, or notable do you meet along the way? What interesting thing do you see happening in the street?

(A beautiful game with more extensive journey rules that fit its setting is Free League's The One Ring 2e. Long travels are an important part of Tolkien's setting!)

Countdown Timer

The rules above allow a PC to become "set up well", as long the PC's foes also gain something in that time.

The Nine Powers Setting Automation Spreadsheet helps that happen. Each time the PCs spend time to become "set up well" or to take a journey, put a marker in the place on the character sheet named "Fun Complication Approaches". Then roll a six-sided die. If the die roll is equal or less than the number of checkmarks, remove all the markers and then refer to the spreadsheet for what fun complication might happen.

Example NPCs

Nine Powers has rules that make it easy to improvise NPCs, and includes a lengthy page of example monsters.

Additionally, the chart below translates NPCs from Appendix B of the fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. This can help a GM who borrows from his or her favorite D&D 5e adventures to use in Nine Powers stories.

For the sake of efficient notation only skill ratings of 3 or 4 are included, with talent ratings are written as superscripts above the corresponding skill ratings.

A few of these NPCs have special abilities that resemble the wondrous feats of Spyragia, with links provided.

Shoot/Throw Acrobatics/Climb Melee/Press Wrestle/Disarm Perception/Escape Stealth/Track Identify/Lore Bargain/Wonder Disguise/Etiquette Animals/Wilderness Intuition/Hearthwork Alchemy Machinery Musing Runeblockery
Acolyte 3 3 3 3 runeblocks include Silence,
Floating Lantern, Misfortune,
Aura of Doom
Apothecary 3 4 3 3 44 3 carries healing herbs and potions
Assassin 4 3 4 32 3 44 3 3 an elite killer who uses poisons
Bandit/Cultist/Guard 3 3 3 might know Fortunosity or Raging
Cavalier 3 42 4 3 3 4 3 uses good armor, rides griffon or warhorse
Cult Fanatic 3 3 3 4 3 4 runeblocks include Feral Fighting,
Spy Eyeball, Spy Tether
Gladiator/Veteran 42 32 43 42 4 3 runeblocks include Mystic Armor,
Block Immunity, Protective Sphere
Knight/Noble/Thug 3 42 31 3 3 knows Touristry (Dauntless)
Mage 32 3 4 3 4 4 runeblocks include Useful Hand,
Invisibility, types of direct damage
Priest/Chaplain 3 4 3 3 4 3 runeblocks include Detection,
Mystic Armor, types of hindering
Scout 42 43 3 4 4 3 4 might know Touristry
Spy 31 32 3 32 4 42 3 3 42 4 might know Rewinding
Scoundrel 3 4 32 3 3 3 3 reduces damage for Wrestling effect,
might know Emptiness (Empty Palm)
Urban Ranger 3 42 4 3 4 42 3 3 3 4 might know Touristry and/or Forensics,
can sense chaos with Intuition

Skill and Talent Descriptions

The rules so far have described how skills and talents work without really describing what they are. Let's get into the details.

Skills measure how capable a character is at the most common actions in a fantasy story. Talents are advanced ways to use skills differently, achieving a distinct kind of benefit that can never be acquired through normal skill use.

Because talents provide characters with such special flavor and abilities, the benefits of talents should not made availble from other means such as magic items.

Certain skills mention distances, such as when Acrobatics is used for jumping. These distances can be meters or yards, or squares on a battlemap such as this classic vinyl version manufactured by Chessex.

Tangentially, these rules never mention how far a character can move during one turn of a skill contest. The GM and Players should aim for relaxed reasonableness with these decisions. If a battlemap is used, they should decide how many squares of movement each characters is allowed each turn, which might be based partially on that character's Acrobatics/Climb skill rating. (Hint: for most battlemaps 4 squares per turn works great.)

Skill Descriptions

Shoot/Throw

This skill is used for distance attacks. Shoot is used for bows, crossbows, and handheld devices created with Machinery. (Seige weapons are operated with Machinery instead of Shoot.) Throw is used for throwing either sharp or blunt objects.

As a rule of thumb, the distance a character can shoot a projectile without penalty is ten times his or her skill rating. The distance for throwing without penalty is four times the skill rating. Beyond this distance the attacker suffers a penalty.

Normally a character uses Shoot while stationary. Moving while shooting causes a penalty.

Gamble/Provoke

Gamble measures knowledge and experience with the rules and strategies of games of chance, and the social cues and techniques of reading people and subtly nudging them to accept or avoid risk.

During a skill contest, Provoke attempts to force one opponent to focus their attention on you (instead of any of your allies) during their next turn. To resist, the target must succeed in a composure check of the same difficulty that you chose for your Provoke skill check.

Acrobatics/Climb

This skill is used to safely and successfully jump, fall, roll, climb, etc. Acrobatics is used when moving along or onto horizontal surfaces. Climb is used when moving along or onto vertical surfaces.

Characters with greater skill rating can jump farther, fall safely from higher distances, and climb trickier surfaces. As a rule of thumb, at higher values a character can:

This skill is also used (actively and passively) to avoid threats or obstacles, such as diving away from an explosion, avoiding harm in a rockslide, or leaping from an out-of-control mount.

Compare Acrobatics skill ratings to find the victor in a short foot race through a forest heavy with underbrush and branches, when coordination and strength are both required.

During physical skill contests, the Acrobatics/Climb skill can be used to devote energy to defensive movement. A successful skill check does not cause damage, but instead provides this character with a big bonus to armor checks. It is harder to hurt someone ducking and leaping around the room! The armor check bonus lasts one to three rounds, depending upon if the character who is dodging attempted an easy (1 turn), medium (2 turns), or tough (3 turns) skill check.

Melee/Protect

Melee involves up-close combat focused on causing damage. The skill can be used with punches, kicks, claws, bites, or stings as well as with sharp or blunt weapons.

Protect is used to intercept danger. When a character uses Protect, a successful skill check does not cause damage, but instead provides an ally within melee reach with a big bonus to armor checks. The armor check bonus lasts one to three rounds, depending upon if the character who is protecting attempted an easy (1 turn), medium (2 turns), or tough (3 turns) skill check.

Wrestle/Disarm

Wrestle and Disarm are for attacks not focused on causing damage, but instead attempting to restrain, reposition, or inconvenience an opponent. This usually requires having at least one hand free, but can also used with weapons that ensnare, such as a net, whip, mancatcher, or bolo.

When using the Wrestle/Disarm skill during combat, successful die rolls do not cause damage. Instead, the wrestler may choose one of five wrestling effects:

The chosen wrestling effect lasts one to three rounds, depending upon if the wrestler attempted an easy (1 turn), medium (2 turns), or tough (3 turns) skill check.

These effects represent how the wrestler can grab the opponent, hinder or control their movement, establish a dominant position, tire them out, and even use the opponent as a shield.

Please note that the Wrestle skill does not allow one character to reposition another. If you want to push your foe off a roof, or heave your foe over the edge of a bridge, then win the skill contest against that foe and describe its defeat in that way.

Compare Wrestle skill ratings to find the victor in a short foot race on a clean track, when strength is much more important than coordination.

Perception/Escape

Perception measures alertness, awareness, and attention to detail. It is almost always used passively to determine if a character who is not actively searching still notices something. Perception applies to all types of noticing, whether a tiny item carefully hidden in a room or a mystical plant growing somewhere in a large forest.

A character that is actively looking for an item is normally able to find it. A situation that would prevent success, such as a key hidden within the false bottom of a drawer, is better handled through role-playing than by consulting a numeric skill rating.

A character can use Perception during a skill contest to notice weaknesses in an opponent's defenses. For the next one, two, or three rounds of the skill contest (corresponding to a weak, medium, or tough attempt with Perception) any dice that roll 2s also count as bypassing the armor of the designated opponent.

Escape refers to noticing how to gain freedom from a diffiuclt situation. It could be escaping a physical confinement such as a trap or net. It could be escaping pursuit while fleeing down a busy street by noticing a timely opportunity to duck under a cart or through a doorway.

Some sources of confinement are not appropriate to the Escape skill. For example, a character stuck in locked manacles or a well-maintained wrestling hold cannot gain freedom simply by noticing something opportune.

The difficulty an Escape attempt is often the difficulty used in the skill check that created the source of confinement: Wilderness for a snare, Machinery for a mechanical trap, Wrestle for a thrown net, Etiquette for a conversational trap, etc.

A character may use the Escape skill to flee a skill contest, but only if he or she suffered no damage that round and the previous round.

Stealth/Track

Stealth is used to hide, move quietly, walk tracelessly, use a disguise, or be physically sneaky in other ways. Stealth is also used for sleight of hand and pickpocketing.

The difficulty chosen for Stealth skill use determines the difficulty of passive Perception skill checks to notice the sneaking character, or Track skill checks to follow the sneaking character.

It is harder to be stealthy while moving. As a rule of thumb, moving at crawl is a big penalty, and creeping with barely any movement is a small penalty.

Track attempts to follow someone's trail, which often involves the same knowledge and tricks as Stealth. Trackers can follow a recent trail at one-fourth normal walking speed. A trail is "recent" for one day in relatively quiet places (such as a forest during a hot, dry week) or one hour in frequently distrubed places (such as a town square or a forest during a rainstorm).

As a rule of thumb, for each point the tracker's Track skill rating is higher than the target's Sneak skill rating, either double the tracking speed or add one more day or hour to the possible age of tracks that can be followed.

Identify/Lore

Identify refers to appraising valuable items, recognizing famous cultural artifacts, recalling which nobility owns certain jewelry, verifying the authenticity of a signature, and other situations of recalling information about a particular item.

Lore refers to knowledge of general helpful facts and cultural information: details about history, society, laws, notable families, religious practices, and so forth.

Either can help a character fabricate reasonable-sounding falsehoods.

A character may use Identify/Lore during a skill contest to recall useful information. If successful, all future dice pools used against that type of opponent include a twenty-sided die (weak Identify/Lore success), twelve-sided die (medium Identify/Lore success), or both (tough Identify/Lore success). The inclusion of these dice might mean the character gains no additional benefit from a small or big bonus.

Bargain/Wonder

Bargain is used to haggle over prices or otherwise steer a conflict of interests to a workable compromise. Usually the price is changed by 5% for each point the seller's skill rating is higher or lower than the buyer's.

Wonder measures the ability to produce practical attitudes and understandings through feeling the grandeur and drama inherent in a situation. Awe and amazement can be a form of thinking, and insight and wisdom can spring from encountering the indescribable.

Wonder also measures how resistant a character is to harmful magical mental influences.

A character may use Wonder during a skill contest to startle, intimidate, or awe an opponent using impressive solidity, energetic charisma, and stunning force of presence. For the next one, two, or three rounds of the skill contest (corresponding to a weak, medium, or tough attempt with Wonder) the designated opponent cannot use the four-sided dice in its dice pools. For example, if it was allowed to use three dice then the best it could do is use the six-sided, eight-sided, and ten-sided dice.

Disguise/Etiquette

Disguise measures a character's ability to impersonate someone else using a costume and mannerisms. This difficulty chosen for this skill use determines the difficulty for other characters to notice the disguise passively with their Perception skill.

Impersonting a general type of person can provide a bonus or penalty. It is easier for a Therion to disguise itself as a generic Therion merchant than the specific merchant who owns a popular shop. It is harder for a Therion to disguise itself as Kobalt.

Etiquette is used to successfully navigate social situations. It includes clarity in conversations, ease in making a good impression, smoothly dealing with unfamiliar cultures, skill at getting attention at parties, and success when oration.

Animals/Wilderness

Animals applies to training, riding, taming, misdirecting, or caring for any animals, as well as maintenance of a riding animal's tack and other gear. Compare skill ratings to find the victor when racing on mounts of similar speed.

Wilderness applies to swiming, fishing, locating food, setting snares, navigation, and other tasks related to surviving in the outdoors, both above ground and underground.

As a rule of thumb, the skill rating in Wilderness measures the number of people for which that character can provide decent food and shelter.

Intuition/Hearthwork

Intuition refers to confidently reaching correct conclusions despite having neither the facts for logical deduction nor an encounter with sublime grandeur to provide awe-inspired wisdom. A practiced intuition includes both experience with accurate hunches and well-developed habits of calming the mind, looking at the big picture, and acting purposefully instead of reacting to circumstances. The skill of Intuition can also be used to instill a false sense of intuition in someone else by subtly planting ideas that the victim will mistake for his or her own insights and hunches.

A character may use Intuition during a skill contest to gain a useful hunch. Until your next turn one foe's armor rating is reduced by an amount dependent on the difficulty of your Intuition skill check: 1 (easy), 2 (medium), or 3 (tough). A single character may only suffer this reduction once, no matter how many opponents attempt using Intuition against them in a round.

Hearthwork refers to skill in domestic situations, including cooking, sewing, child care, gardening, farming, and basic home repair and construction.

Crafting Descriptions

The final three skills are crafting skills used to make magic items. (In a modern or futuristic setting these "magic" items might instead be high-tech.)

Often the three crafting skills can create functionally equivalent items. A character that wants to fly could drink a flying potion, use a backpack-helicopter machine, or expend one charge of an embroidered enchanted cape.

Functionally equivalent magic items will have an identical monetary cost per use. However, the crafting skill used to create them will make the items distinct in many ways.

Here is a summary of the differences, before we look at details. (For now ignore the parenthetical remarks about ratings.)

Alchemy Machinery Musing
Costly Materials alchemical ingredients lots of fragile springs, gears, and tubes expensive artwork (that can be artistic tools or weapons) to be enchanted
Duration 30 minutes up to 8 active hours a charge will last until midnight
Area of Effect radius 2 per skill rating
(potions/goo have area rating 0)
(flasks have area rating 1)
radius 4 per skill rating none
(area rating 0)
Range Option flasks may be thrown to splash liquid or release a gas cloud machines can launch projectiles equal to talent rating
Multiple Uses duration may be shared among a batch of 6 items with 5-minute duration run-down machines may be rebuilt inexpensively artwork becomes magic items with charges
Crafting Time 5 minutes per impact, needs a laboratory 1 hour per impact, needs a toolbox 10 minutes per impact, crafter enters a trance
Source of Delay after exposure 1 minute to take effect
(convenience rating 1)
devices need to be set up at the location
(convenience rating 0 or 1)
no delay, can have immediate effect
Other Issues effects can be resisted with avoidance checks machines can be bypassed or destroyed item vanishes after last charge used
(never victory rating 5)

With a recipe, a crafter can create a magic item if the magic item's total impact (minimum 1) is equal or less than the crafter's skill rating. No die roll is needed.

A die roll is required if the crafter does not have a recipe. Only items of impact 1, 2, or 3 may be improvised, with corresponding difficulty of easy, medium, or tough. This die roll suffers a big penalty. The penalty is reduced to a small penalty if the crafter has a prototype to reverse engineer. Success creates both the desired item and the new recipe. Failure often causes complications (anything from an explosion that requires hours to clean up to an animated object that attacks everyone!).

For all types of magical crafting some recipes are carefully guarded secrets, and a few recipes have effects considered illegal or taboo.

Characters should keep track of which recipes they know. Most new PCs with crafting skills know only a few common, inexpensive recipes. During adventures the PC will find new recipes. Thus the Player slowly gains options as the PC gains a different type of power than measured by skill or talent ratings.

(Most GMs and Players do not find it fun to actually detail the recipes and keep track of required ingredients. We want nifty magic powers, not mundane bookkeeping chores!)

If you are using these rules with a different setting, create other columns for the above table. What type of duration, area, and range would items have when created with the spaceship's nano-tech fabricator?

Consider that certain stories might focus on a crafting task. For example, a very powerful recipe might be too tricky to create without a rare location that is the goal of a quest, or a potent alchemical gas can only be made in the royal alchemy laboratory, or a uniquely powerful musing item can only be made where research and obscure equipment have proven three ley-lines converge.

Alchemy

Alchemy is an old, diverse, and widely-studied art whose history and recipes have flowed together from many cultures. Helpful potions are well-accepted everywhere. Healing potions have helped almost every family. Professional potion makers are respected unless their business practices are unethical or their prices are unusually high. Amateur potion makers are common.

The magic items created using the Alchemy skill are either bottled potions to drink, flasks thrown to release gasses, or goo spread on items to enhance or damage them. The alchemist must prepare them in a lab and store them in glass bottles. Throughout the adventure's perils the glass bottles must be kept intact.

A potion only affects its drinker. A flask releases a cloud of gas where it breaks. A goo only affects one item. After the drinking of a potion, breathing of a gas, or spreading of a goo the alchemical magic needs one minute to take effect. Harmful effects can be eluded with an avoidance check using one or more appropriate skills, such as using Acrobatics to move away, Wrestle to shrug off a poison, Perception to avoid entering a cloud of gas, or Wonder to resist being charmed.

Although flask making is as old and diverse as potion making, flasks are more threatening, so most places have laws that restrict or prohibit the crafting, purchasing, and/or owning of flasks. Amateur flask makers are rare.

Potions and flasks that heal or cure do so immediately after their one minute delay. Alchemical items that cause an ongoing effect have a duration of 30 minutes. Skilled alchemists can divide this duration among a batch, so the same cost of materials can create 6 smaller potions with a 5 minute duration. These short-duration versions must be used by their own crafter instead of being bought and sold.

Machinery

The magic items created using the Machinery skill are clever clockwork and steam-powered devices and vehicles. The Machinery skill is also is used to bypass both mundane and magical locks and traps.

Trap building is as old as using tools to ensnare animals for food. Laws restricting the construction or sale of traps are very rare. The more general laws about public safety suffice to punish people who set up traps in places that threaten the public. Amateur trap makers are common, and many children learn a little Machinery as their first magical crafting skill.

Most mechanical devices can wait indefinitely in a dormant state. Once triggered, they become active for up to 8 hours. A device that has expended its active time no longer functions, but can be repaired for half its original crafting cost.

(The half cost for repairs combines with how crafters pay half the retail cost to create magic items. So repairing a device yourself costs only one-quarter the retail price of that trap.)

Building a machine requires a toolbox. If the machine is portable, no toolbox is needed to set it up in its intended location.

More complex mechanical devices remain unintelligent. They can sense and react to their environment, and make rough comparisons involving size, weight, or color. But they only do what they were instructed to do when designed. No machine can use other equipment, nor act cleverly enough to benefit from a small or big bonus.

Some machines that cause harmful area effects can be deadly if the target is already slowed, weakened, or distracted.

The use of large clockwork or steam-powered machines is common in some places and taboo in others.

Musing

Characters use musing by holding completed pieces of artwork during a magical trance to enchant them.

The legal restrictions on musing can vary widely from place to place. Some cultures view musing as a natural redirection of flows of magical energy. Other cultures see musing as channeling greed and materialism to corrupt pieces of art.

Enchanted artwork can be made to do just about anything. However the magic of musing only affects a single target (no area of effect option is avaialble). With talent, effects can happen at a distance. Magic wands are a popular type of enchanted artwork.

All enchanted artwork crafted using musing has "charges". Each charge creates an effect that lasts until the next midnight. (Or the effect is instantaneous, like causing a lightning strike.) The piece of enchanted artwork vanishes after the final charge ends.

The artwork must have a value equal to its impact multiplied by its number of charges.

In some cities the criminals are especially bold shortly before midnight because law enforcement will be hesitant to inefficiently use expensive magic effects.

Talent Descriptions

Shoot/Throw

Talent in the Shoot/Throw skill allows making incredibly accurate point blank distance attacks. This talent's rating shows the maximum range of point blank shots (in either meters or map squares).

A point blank shot never suffer small or big penalties. It no longer matters how fast the target is moving, what cover the target is attempting to hide behind, how windy it is, etc.

Gamble/Provoke

Talent in the Gamble/Provoke skill represent the deft hands and unflinching will needed to most safely use runeblocks. With this talent a character may attempt an avoidance check to remove the extra drain associated with casting spells using red or yellow runeblocks.

This talent rating determines the skill rating of that avoidance check.

Acrobatics/Climb

Talent in Acrobatics/Climb allows armor to even avoid damage when attackers' dice roll 1s. This talent rating shows how many 1s can be negated each round.

This talent does not negate 2s that bypass armor because of successful Perception skill checks.

Melee/Protect

Talent in the Melee/Protect skill allows a character to guard a location by becoming "sticky" to adjacent opponents. When an adjacent opponent attempts to move away, this character gets an extra Melee attack. If that extra attack causes damage, the opponent not only suffers that damage but is also prevented from moving away.

This talent's rating determines the skill rating of that extra attack.

Wrestle/Disarm

Talent in the Wrestle/Disarm skill represents techniques of grappling and weapon grip that allow the character to ignore an opponent's fortitude.

Each turn that this character continues causing a Wrestle effect, this character may ignore as much fortitude as this talent's rating. This can allow more of this character's attacks to affect stamina.

Perception/Escape

Talent in the Perception/Escape skill shows defensive habits of positioning and evading that allow a character to better focus on a single opponent at a time when dealing with an enemy group. This character can physically or socially position a primary opponent in between himself or herself and the non-primary opponents, so the latter have a harder time being effective.

The character designates one opponent as his or her primary opponent each turn of a skill contest. All other opponents have a big penalty when using skill checks to damage this character. The penalty lasts one to three rounds, depending upon if this character attempted an easy (1 turn), medium (2 turns), or tough (3 turns) Perception check.

Stealth/Track

Talent in the Stealth/Track skill represents attunement with shadows that has become so advanced that "shadow stepping" is possible: teleportation from one shadow to another, with locations in line of sight. Each meter of stepping takes one round of preparation while remaining stationary in a shadow. This talent's rating measures the maximum number of meters traveled.

Additionally, this talent's rating determines the amount of extra damage caused by a successful attack against a target unaware of this character. An attack with this benefit is called a sneak attack.

Identify/Lore

Talent in the Identify/Lore skill represents knowledge of items with historic significance or sentimental importance to notable people.

When a character with this talent finds a notable amount of treasure, he or she attempts a skill check using this talent's rating. The degree of success determines the value of an extra item (impact 3, 4, or 5). The PC will be rewarded with that amount of coins/gems/etc. for that item's safe return to a person who especially cares about it.

Bargain/Wonder

Talent in the Bargain/Wonder skill shows development of wonder so advanced that the character can perform wondrous feats of physical prowess. These wondrous feats allow character concepts that do not otherwise fit into the Nine Powers rules.

In the sample setting of Spyragia, there are nine flavors of wondrous feats, each corresponding to one of the nine Powers.

The Player and GM can also work together to create new flavors of wondrous feats.

This talent's rating determines how well a character uses wondrous feats.

Disguise/Etiquette

Talent in the Disguise/Etiquette skill allows a character to use wit, charm, and deceit to take rivals by surprise and say the right thing. This character has "social armor" that works in social situations the way normal armor works during combat.

When attempting to damage someone's composure, this character may ignore as much resilience as this talent's rating. This helps this character's promptly affect his or her opponents' composure.

Animals/Wilderness

Talent in the Animals/Wilderness skill allows a character to control tame animals. The rating measures three factors: the maximum length of a sequence of steps the animals will perform, the numer of animals that can be simultaneously controlled, and the maximum difficulty of any requests.

How difficult are requests? The optimal situation would have six characteristics:

An optimal situation has a difficulty of 1. The difficulty increases by one for each of the above six items missing from the situation.

For example, with a talent rating of 1, a character could ask his or her own pet mouse to go eat a visible piece of cheese in an empty, safe room. (The instruction has only one step. There is only one animal. The situation is optimal.)

With a talent rating of 4, the character could ask his or her friend's four pet mice (whom the character knows well) to each go to an empty and safe room, pick up some cheese, bring it back instead of eating it, and drop it in front of the character even though the mice will not get an immediate reward of food or positive attention from their owner. (The instruction has four steps. There are four animals. The situation has a difficulty rating of 4 because it is not optimal for three reasons: the animals have not done similar tasks for the character, are asked to do the unnatural behavior of giving up potential food, and will not receive an immediate reward.)

Intuition/Hearthwork

Fast-talking might use the Etiquette, Bargain, Intuition, Hearthwork, or Wonder skills. It normally fools someone for only a few minutes.

Talent in the Intuition/Hearthwork skill represents the kind of interpersonal intuition that allows more effective fast-talking, with the beneficial result that people who are fast-talked remain duped for a much longer time.

In other words, the fundamental technique of fast-talking is a skill. But it is a talent to have the right hunch about whether the target will respond best to a rushed excuse, a call to honor and duty, an emotional plea, a haughty aristocratic attitude, an appeal to nostalgia or sentimentality, a request for a favor that enables saving face, a promise of future compensation, etc.

This talent's rating shows how many hours successful fast-talking lasts.

Alchemy

Talent in Alchemy allows the alchemist to identify magical potions and flasks.

Those potions and flasks are immediately seen to be magical. After a minute's inspection, the talented alchemist might learn what the magic item does and may reverse engineer the alchemical recipe.

The character makes a skill check using this talent rating. An easy check suffices to identify items with impact 1 or 2. A medium check is required for an item with impact 3 or 4. A tough check is required for an item with impact 5 or greater.

Machinery

Talent in the Machinery skill aids in noticing mechanical traps. When this character might (actively or passively) discover a mechanical trap, as many dice as this talent rating may be rerolled to try switching from failure ot success.

Musing

Most artwork enchanted with musing affects the individual using or touched by the item. However, with talent in the Musing skill a person can learn to create enchantments that can affect a distant target. This talent's rating measures the maximum range, in either meters or map squares.


Runeblocks

In the sample setting of Spyragia, people use magic by stacking runeblocks that are shaped and colored like pattern blocks. But these are magic blocks, and each has a rune on it.

pattern block shapes

In Spyragia, normal spellcasters do not have a spellbook—but they do carry a pouch of runeblocks.

Different spells are built by which blocks are used and how they are stacked.

In Spyragia, anyone can use a rune blocks, but some people are much better at it than others. Effect runeblocks for the second layer can be rare and valuable. Runeblocks from the other three layers are interchangeable and not expensive. Defeating a villain who owns runeblocks means you get those as part of the treasure. If that villain owned blocks your PC did not, now your PC can cast new spells!

If you are using these rules for a different setting, please keep reading! The runeblock system is awesome, and you might find a use for it in your game. Owning physical blocks is not necessary, but adds a pleasing tactile experience.

Runeblock Basics

Layers

A stack of runeblocks can be up to four layers tall. Each layer contributes differently to how the spell is built.

Each layer is limited in size to be equal or less than one hexagonal block. As examples, a layer of maximum size could be one yellow hexagonal block, two red trapezoidal blocks, three blue parallelogram blocks, or six green triangular blocks.

Each layer above the bottom layer must have size equal or smaller than the layer below it. Only nice, stable stacks!

The bottom layer may have more than one block, and determines the spell's targeting. Mixing colors is allowed. When spell effects fill a shape instead of a certain number of touched creatures, that shape may not be moved after the spell begins. An effect filling a shape, whether beneficial (perhaps invisibility) or hindering (perhaps being charmed) no longer affects creatures who move out of the area.

BlockBottom Layer Meaning (Targeting)
green triangleeither the caster or a touched creature (multiple green blocks affect that many creatures, as long as all are touching)
blue parallelograma thin path 5 meters long, which may either be a straight line or a "ribbon" that bends as the caster desires (multiple blue blocks create other paths emanating from the caster)
red trapezoida cone equal to one-quarter of a circle of radius 5 meters, with the caster at the cone's apex (a second red block creates a second cone)
yellow hexagona circle of radius 5 meters, with the caster at the circle's edge

The second layer may have more than one block, and determines the spell's effect. Mixing colors is allowed. There are many examples of effect blocks below.

BlockSecond Layer Meaning (Effect)
green triangleeffects that change how spells work
blue parallelogramhelpful effects
red trapezoidhindering effects
yellow hexagondamaging effects

The third layer has at most one block and determines the difficulty for resisting a harmful spell. This layer will be empty for a benefical spell.

BlockThird Layer Meaning (Difficulty to Resist)
green triangle
or blue parallelogram
easy avoidance check
red trapezoidmedium avoidance check
yellow hexagontough avoidance check

The top layer has at most one block and counts the damage the spell could cause. This layer will be empty for beneficial or hindering spells. This damage applies to every target that does not avoid the spell.

BlockTop Layer Meaning (Damage)
green triangle1 damage
blue parallelogram2 damage
red trapezoid3 damage
yellow hexagon4 damage

Casting

When runeblocks are stacked to cast a spell, the spell effect always happens. No die roll is needed!

However, the magical energies channeled by runeblocks causes a mental fatigue called drain.

All spells cause 1 point of drain, which works like mental damage to reduce the caster's resilience or composure. If the runeblock stack contains red or yellow blocks then drain is increased by the number of red blocks plus twice the number of yellow blocks.

A caster with the Gambling/Provoke talent may attempt an avoidance check to reduce drain to only 1 point of composure. (In other words, a successful avoidance check will eliminte that extra drain associated with the red or yellow runeblocks.) The avoidance check is easy if the stack has a single red or yellow block, medium if the stack has only two red or yellow blocks, and tough if the stack has three or more red or yellow blocks.

Stacking runeblocks to cast a spell requires having both hands free. It is possible to cast a spell while wearing armor, but the armor's gloves or gauntlets give a small penalty to all Gambling/Provoke talent avoidance checks to reduce drain.

It is not possible to use runeblocks while also wielding a shield, torch, lanetern, etc.

Drain is slightly more enduring than some more minor types of mental fatigue that might happen in a skill contest. A caster regains the resilience he or she lost to drain after about hour of normal activity, or ten minutes of calmly eating and drinking in a safe location.

Runeblock Effects

The only runeblocks that need special explanation are those for the second layer that create the different magical effects. The descriptions below are phrased as if affecting multiple targets, but spells can be constructed so they only affect one target.

Note that spells do not discriminate between friend and foe. Be careful who you target!

These examples are not intended to be exhaustive! The GM and Player should create new effect runeblocks appropriate to their stories.

Examples of Metamagic Effect Runeblocks

Metamatic effect blocks are green triangles. More than one can be used in the second layer of a runeblock stack.

Ongoing - Without this effect block the spell will happen quickly. With this effect block the spell can be sustained by the caster's concentration. Maintaining an ongoing spell does not take time (the caster may use a skill or cast another spell in subsequent rounds) but each round the spell repeats its drain cost and the caster must continue carefully holding the runeblock stack in one hand. An unwilling target effected by an ongoing spell may attempt a new avoidance check each round to break free of the spell. A caster's ongoing spell ends if the caster suffers damage or loses consciousness. A caster may only sustain one ongoing spell at a time.

Outline - With this effect block the targeting blocks for a cone or circle only occur at the shape's border. Combined with the Ongoing effect block, this can create a magical trap that is triggered whenever creatures touch that border.

Large - Each copy of this effect block adds 5 meters to the distance of a spell's path or the radius of its conical or circular area.

Fill - Without this effect block a spell targeting a path, cone, or circle will target all the creatures in that shape. With this effect block the spell will fill the area, allowing spells to also affect inanimate objects.

Examples of Helpful Effect Runeblocks

Helpful effect blocks are blue parallelograms. Helpful effect blocks can be comined in the second layer of a runeblocks stack to cause a spell to create two or three helpful effects. Duplicating the same helpful effect block does nothing.

Blink Step - The targets immediately teleport to an unoccupied safe location up to 20 meters away. The caster must be able to see the targets and the destination location. If cast with concentration, the caster repeats a teleport each turn. An avoidance check using the Wonder skill allows unwilling targets to resist.

Mystic Armor - Each target is surrounded by a protective aura of glistening magic. Each round they recover 1 missing fortitude.

Copies - Two illusionary copies of each target appear near them. Anyone who attacks one of the targets instead attacks and destroys an illusion, unless the attacker succeeds with a Perception avoidance check.

Quick Reflexes - Each target receives a small bonus to its avoidance checks.

Block Immunity - The targets cannot be affected by runeblock spells. An avoidance check using composure allows unwilling targets to resist.

Feral Fighting - Each target grows claws and fangs. Now people other than Therions can have fun fighting tooth and nail. Or cast this on furniture for really bad feng shui. An avoidance check using the Animals skill allows unwilling targets to resist.

Fly - The targets can fly. Willing targets fly independently with their normal Acrobatics skill at running speed. Unwilling targets and inanimate objects are moved by the caster, and the fourth layer's damage counts is how much they get banged around and how many meters each round they are moved against their will. Unwilling targets may make several avoidance checks: using the Wonder skill allows unwilling targets to completely resist the spell, or failing that using the Escape skill to completely avoid suffering damage, or also failing that perhaps the Acrobatics or Protect skill to grab hold of something and avoid suffering damage.

Useful Hand - The targets each control a spectral, floating hand. The hand can manipulate objects but cannot use skills. A useful hand disappears if it suffers damage or moves a distance greater than 30 meters. This spell only makes sense with the caster concentraining to make it ongoing. When the spell ends, each target spends additional composure equal to the heaviest object his or her hand manipulated: one composure per kilograms. (During the spell's duration this future cost limits the weight of objects each hand can manipulate.)

Floating Lantern - The same as Useful Hand but the spectral hands are replaced by floating lanterns. If something is tied to the lantern, the lantern can carry it using the same composure cost as Useful Hand.

Invisibility - The targets become invisible until the spell ends or they (independently) move more than 20 meters. An avoidance check using composure or the Wonder skill allows unwilling targets to resist.

Trumpet Fanfare - From the air around the heads of the targets comes the inspiring noise of a trio of trumpets playing up to a dozen notes. Announce your famous guest at your party, spotlight yourself at a sporting event, or demoralize your opponents after an ally strikes a strong blow! An avoidance check using the Etiquette skill allows unwilling targets to resist.

Air Bubble - A bubble of air appears around the targets' heads, allowing them to breathe underwater.

Spy Eyeball - The caster creates a spectral, floating eyeball that moves at walking speed. The caster may choose anywhere within 1 meter for where the eyeball appears. The caster can choose to close his or her eyes and see what the eyeball sees. It cannot pass through or manipulate physical objects. If it suffers damage it disappears. Because the eyeball is itself the "target creature" of this spell, any spell with this runeblock must include one green triangle in the second layer of its stack. (The spy eyeball can be surrounded with air using an Air Bubble effect block. It is not intelligent, and thus cannot control a Useful Hand if given one.)

Detection - There is a large variety of types of this effect rune. The rune might detect poison, metal, illusions, invisible things, secret doors, runeblock magic, crafted magic, etc. The targets get enhanced eyesight up to 10 meters away.

Silence - The targets cannot be heard by any creatures or machinery nearby. However, creatures or machinery farther than 10 meters away can hear them normally, as if this spell was not happening. An avoidance check using the Perception skill allows unwilling targets to resist.

Examples of Helpful Spell Stacks

runeblock example stack

A stack with one blue effect block above two green blocks allows the caster to put a momentary helpful effect on two people.

This stack lacks any red or yellow blocks, so the drain is 1.

runeblock example stack

A stack with a blue and green effect blocks above six green blocks allows the caster to put an ongoing helpful effect on six creatures who are touching.

This stack lacks any red or yellow blocks, so the drain is 1 (per round).

runeblock example stack

A stack with two blue and one green effect blocks above six green blocks allows the caster to put two ongoing helpful effects on six creatures who are touching.

This stack lacks any red or yellow blocks, so the drain is 1 (per round).

runeblock example stack

A stack with blue and green effect blocks above a red block allows the caster to put an ongoing helpful effect on everyone in a cone-shaped area.

This stack has one red block, so the drain is 1 + 1 = 2 (per round).

runeblock example stack

A stack with two blue and two green effect blocks above a yellow block allows the caster to put two ongoing helpful effects on everyone in an extra-large circular area.

This stack has one yellow block, so the drain is 1 + 2 = 3 (per round).

Examples of Hindering Effect Runeblocks

Runeblocks that hinder targets are red trapezoids. Hindering effect blocks can be comined in the second layer of a runeblocks stack to cause a spell to create two hinderances. Duplicating the same hindering effect block does nothing.

Butterfingers - Targets must drop one item of their choice that they are holding in their hands. An avoidance check using the Gambling or Acrobtics skills allows unwilling targets to resist.

Repeat - Targets must use the same skill on their next turn that they used on their previous turn. An avoidance check using the Provoke skill allows unwilling targets to resist.

To the Rescue - Targets must spend their next turn trying to assist an injured ally, if one exists within 5 meters. An avoidance check using composure allows unwilling targets to resist.

Command - Targeted people attempt to spend their next turn obeying one order spoken aloud by the caster. The command cannot include anything obviously risky or harmful to the targets. An avoidance check using the Provoke or Etiquette skills allows unwilling targets to resist.

Slipperiness - The floor becomes very slippery under the targets or in the target area. There is no immediate avoidance check when the spell is cast. Anyone who tries to move along the floor will fall down unless they succeed (each turn) with an Acrobatics skill avoidance check using this spell's threshold. (Versions of this effect rune exists that create webs or a pit, instead of making the ground slippery.)

Charm - Targeted people regard the caster as a kind acquaintance until the spell ends or the caster acts in a way that a kind acquaintance would not act. When the effect ends, the people are aware they were charmed. An avoidance check using the Intuition skill allows unwilling targets to resist.

Misfortune - Targeted creatures suffer a small penalty to their dice pools until the effect ends.

Aura of Doom - Everyone trying to damage the targeted creatures receives a small bonus to their dice pools until the effect ends.

Wrestling Trap - This effect block only works in a runeblock stack that also contains the Ongoing and Outline metamagic effect blocks, and the targeting blocks for a cone or circle. The caster picks one wrestling effect. The first creature to cross the outline triggers the trap and suffers that wrestling effects until the end of its next turn.

Spy Tether - You reach into the minds of targets and create mental connections. An avoidance check using composure or the Etiquette skill allows unwilling targets to resist. For targets who fail, you know their location. This means they gain no benefits against you from sneaking, hiding or becoming invisible. If you speak a common language and succeed in a Disguise/Etiquette skill check you may either implant a phrase into all target minds or while concentrating cause them to adopt one of your own habitual mannerisms. You can choose to hear what a single target a time hears, but if their hearing works differently from yours this might cause disorientation or even insanity.

Examples of Hindering Spell Stacks

runeblock example stack

A stack with one red effect block above a blue and green block, and below a green block, allows the caster to put a momentary hindering effect on a specific creature and every other creating along a thin path, with an easy avoidance check.

This stack has one red block, so the drain is 1 + 1 = 2.

runeblock example stack

A stack with one red effect block above a red block, and below a green block, allows the caster to put a momentary hindering effect on all targets in a cone-shaped area, with an easy avoidance check.

This stack has two red blocks, so the drain is 1 + 1 + 1 = 3.

runeblock example stack

A stack with two red effect blocks above and below three blue blocks and below a yellow block allows the caster to cause two momentary hindrances to all targets along three thin paths, with a tough avoidance check.

This stack has two red blocks and a yellow block, so the drain is 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 5.

runeblock example stack

A stack with one red and green effect block above a yellow block, and below a red block, allows the caster to put an ongoing hindering effect on all targets in a circular area, with an moderate avoidance check.

This stack has two red blocks and a yellow block, so the drain is 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 = 5 (per round).

That cost is high enough that sustaining such a spell for more than two rounds requires more composure than most people have, and also succeess with a Gamble/Provoke avoidance check to reduce the drain to 1 point per round!

runeblock example stack

A stack with one red and three green effect blocks above and below yellow blocks allows the caster to create a magical trap: an ongoing hindering effect on all targets who cross the border of a large circular area, with a tough avoidance check.

This stack has a red block and 2 yellow blocks, so the drain is 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 6 (per round).

That cost is high enough that sustaining such a spell for more than two rounds requires more composure than most people have, and also succeess with a Gamble/Provoke avoidance check to reduce the drain to 1 point per round!

Examples of Direct Damage Effect Runeblocks

Runeblocks that directly deal damage to targets are yellow hexagons. These effect block descriptions include not only which skill(s) the targets use for avoidance checks, but also how the effect differs from simply dealing the damage appropriate to the top layer block. Very few effects bypass armor.

Rushing Wind - Wind might knock people, bipeds, and objects over. Any creature damaged by this spell might be knocked to the ground. Unwilling targets may make two avoidance checks: using the Wrestle skill to completely resist this effect, or failing that using the Acrobatics skill to avoid falling down after suffering the damage. Creatures that fail both avoidance checks also drop one object of their choice they were holding.

Eldritch Lurching - Cloudy tendrils of sickly energy extend from the caster's hands towards each targeted creature. An avoidance check using composure or the Acrobatics skill allows unwilling targets to fully avoid the tendrils. Creatures damaged by this spell move unsteadily. The damage also counts the number of turns in which they can move or use a skill, but not both.

Entanglement - Ropes appear and wrap around the targets, cause a wrestling effect selected by the caster in addition to the damage. An avoidance check using stamina or the Wrestle skill allows unwilling targets to move away from the ropes in time.

Nausea - This spell works like Entanglement. However the avoidance checks and use stamina or the Etiquette skill (instead of stamina or the Wrestle skill).

Hypnosis - This spell works like Entanglement. However the avoidance checks use composure or the Escape skill (instead of stamina or the Wrestle skill).

Fear - Targets are terrified of the caster. The damage also counts the number of turns on which that target will doing nothing but attempt to hide (break line of sight with the caster) or flee (move as far away as possible). On each turn each target may choose whether to hide or flee. An avoidance check using composure or the Wonder skill allows unwilling targets to resist. A target may close its eyes to automatically succeed with the avoidance check, but then suffers a big penalty on most skill checks that turn.

Corrupt Flesh - Targets that take damage from this spell gain one mutation from the random list that affects the monsters called Reivers. This mutation lasts until midnight. An avoidance check using composure or the Wonder skill allows unwilling targets to resist.

Firebolts - Bolts of fire leap from the caster's hands to each targeted creature. Targets may attempt an avoidance check using the Acrobatics or Escape skills to dodge. Each target that does not avoid this effect suffers one extra point of damage.

Lightning Touches - The caster's hand crackles with electricity. This spell works like Firebolts. However, the caster attempts additional skill checks that turn, trying to use an easy Wrestle skill check to touch each target within arms' reach. The spell's damage bypasses the armor of touched targets (who failed their avoidance check).

Frost Chill - Freezing cold assault the targets. An avoidance check using stamina or the Wrestle skill allows unwilling targets to resist. This spell causes only half the usual damage (rounded down). However, no targets gain any benefit from cover, and its damage bypasses armor.

Sleep - Targets who suffer damage from the spell fall asleep. They will be woken by being roughly touched, suffering any damage, or hearing loud noises. An avoidance check using composure, the Provoke skill, or the Wonder skill allows unwilling targets to resist.

Examples of Direct Damage Spell Stacks

runeblock example stack

A stack with one yellow effect block above three blue blocks and below stacked blue blocks allows the caster to do 2 points of direct damage along three thin paths, with an easy avoidance check.

This stack has one yellow block, so the drain is 1 + 2 = 3.

runeblock example stack

A stack with one yellow effect block above a yellow blocks and below a yellow block topped by a blue block allows the caster to do 2 points of direct damage to all creatures in a circular area, with a tough avoidance check.

This stack has three yellow blocks, so the drain is 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 7.

If the caster cannot reduce the composure cost, he or she will be knocked out by the mental fatigue!

runeblock example stack

A stack with one yellow effect block above six green blocks and below a stack of two yellow blocks allows the caster to do 6 points of direct damage to six specific creatures, with a tough avoidance check.

This stack has three yellow blocks, so the drain is 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 7.

If the caster cannot reduce the composure cost, he or she will be knocked out by the mental fatigue!


Economic Rules

The sample setting of Spyragia uses two types of coins. Most common is a silver coin that weighs 2.5 grams. Merchants and nobles also use a gold coin that weighs 5 grams and is worth 40 silver coins.

Gems are also used for trade. Jewelcutting has not yet been invented in Spyragia, so all traded gems are nicely polished cabochons (and pearls). The standardized weight is 24 carats. Most gems weight less, and have proportionately less value.

Without using the Bargain skill, a PC can sell items for about half their retail cost.

Impact Silver Coins Gold Coins Examples
0 2 120 wool belt pouch, arrow
1 10 14 cheap boots, wax candle
2 20 12 linen tunic, pick axe
3 80 2 short bow, cast iron pot
4 160 4 longbow, wool clothing
5 400 100 nice horse, one-handed sword, anvil
6 1,200 300 warhorse, chain mail
7 3,200 800 plate armor, noble's silks
8 8,000 2,000 warship, noble's estate

For the sake of simplicity, the costs mundane objects are generalized. Prices are sorted into nine categories called impacts that describe how impactful that purchase would be for a PC in the game. The actual cost of a specific item is usually within 30% of the generalized price for its impact.

An exceptional quality item that provides a bonus of 1 to appropriate skill use costs more: price it using the next higher impact.

Similarly, a low quality item costs less. It might be a shield or bladed weapon lacking durability, with a chance to break after use. Or might might work poorly, penalizing skill ratings by 1. Price those using the next lower impact.

(Historical records do show such dramatic price differences between normal and exceptional swords for knights, and for the swords used by peasants! In Spyragia, golem labor makes coal and metal ores less expensive than otherwise, and magical heat sources explain the early development of cast iron and drawn iron wire.)

The prices listed are for an item's retail price. For crafted goods, the crafter need only pay half that amount as a material cost.

Tangentially, a year in Spyragia has 400 days. Each lunar month has eight 5-day weeks that mark the eight phases of the moon. Ten of these 40-day lunar months make a year.

Impacts

Impact Zero items cost about 2 silver coins, which is also 120 of a gold coin.

The least skilled laborers earn 2 silver coins in two days. An adventurer visiting any settlement can assuredly find a job with only slight danger to do in exchange for 2 silver coins.

The items that can be purchased in this price range are commonplace and cheap. Goods at this price range include a kilogram of garden produce, flax, hemp, flour, or cheap wine. A few silver coins also buys a day's prepared cheap food, a chicken or gander, a wool belt pouch, a pillow, a tallow candle, an arrow, or a crossbow bolt. This price range can also buy a small tool such as an awl or small hammer. The most commonplace cabochons, such as tourmaline or amber, cost 2 silver coins for a nice 24-carat stone.

Impact One items cost about 10 silver coins, which is also 14 of a gold coin.

The least skilled laborers earn 10 silver coins in two five-day work weeks. An adventurer visiting almost any settlement can probably find a job with some danger in exchange for 10 silver coins.

The items that can be purchased in this price range are commonplace and inexpensive. Goods at this price range include a kilogram of copper, zinc, brass, bronze, sugar, honey, almonds, rice, most spices, or good wine. This price range can buy a day's prepared common food, a goose or ram or wether, nice shoes or cheap boots, or a wax candle. This price range can also buy a medium-sized tool such as a knife, shovel, or hoe. The dullest rare cabochons, such as topaz and citrine, cost 10 silver coins for a nice 24-carat stone.

Impact Two items cost about 20 silver coins, which is also 12 of a gold coin.

The least skilled laborers earn 20 silver coins in four weeks (half a month). An adventurer visiting a large town or city might find a job with significant danger in exchange for 20 silver coins.

The items that can be purchased in this price range are commonplace but getting expensive. Goods at this price range include a kilogram of cast iron, dried tree fruit, milk, or butter. This price range can buy a day's prepared lordly food, a ewe, boar, or billy goat, a hat, a hemp apron, a wool vest or gambeson, a linen tunic, or a quiver. This price range can also buy a large tool such as a pick axe, crowbar, or spinning wheel. Pearls cost 20 silver coins for a nice 24-carat one. Enrolling a child as a crafter's apprentice costs 20 silver coins.

Impact Three items cost about 80 silver coins, which is also 2 gold coins.

The least skilled laborers earn 2 gold coins in two months. An adventurer would need some fame in a large city to find a job with enough danger to pay in gold coins.

The items that can be purchased in this price range are expensive. Goods at this price range include a kilogram of salt, tree fruit, or dried berries. This price range can buy a week's good food for a traveler, a sow or nanny goat, a cart, a nice set of linen clothes, a cheap set of wool clothes, a backpack of waxed linen canvas, a dagger with a leather sheath, a shortbow, or soft leather armor. This price range can also buy well-crafted metal tools such as steel lockpicks or a cast iron casserole pot. Attractive cabochons such as garnets cost 2 gold coins for a nice 24-carat stone. Enrolling a child as a merchant's apprentice costs 2 gold coins.

Impact Four items cost about 160 silver coins, which is also 4 gold coins.

The least skilled laborers earn 4 gold coins in four months. An adventurer would need fame and luck in a large city to find a job with enough danger to pay 4 gold coins.

The items that can be purchased in this price range are getting rare and too expensive for some people. Goods at this price range include a kilogram of pepper or vivid red carmine dye. This price range can buy a commoner's wedding feast, a cow or ox or poor quality horse, a nice set of wool clothes, a longbow, a knight's shield, or hard leather armor. This price range can also buy very well-crafted tools such as a brass lantern, polished tin mirror, or thick wool blanket. Diamond cabochons cost 4 gold coins for a nice 24-carat stone. Joining a crafting guild costs 4 gold coins.

Impact Five items cost about 400 silver coins, which is also 10 gold coins.

The least skilled laborers earn 10 gold coins in one year. An adventurer would need to work for nobility to earn 10 gold coins for one assignment.

The items that can be purchased in this price range are rare and too expensive for most people. Goods at this price range include a kilogram of silver or saffron. This price range can buy a merchant's wedding feast, a nice horse, a cart, a fur-lined robe, a chain shirt, a one-handed sword, an anvil, a vise, or a small cottage. Amethyst cabochons cost 10 gold coins for a nice 24-carat stone. Joining a merchant guild costs 10 gold coins.

Impact Six items cost about 1,200 silver coins, which is also 30 gold coins.

The least skilled laborers earn 30 gold coins in three years. An adventurer would need to work for royalty to earn 30 gold coins for one assignment.

The items that can be purchased in this price range are rare and too expensive for almost all people. Goods at this price range include a kilogram of silk, a common family's annual food budget, a warhorse, a war chariot, a two-handed sword, a brigandine tunic, a suit of lamellar armor, or a craftsman's house. Emerald cabochons cost 30 gold coins for a nice 24-carat stone. A year's stay (board, instruction, and clothing) at a university costs 30 gold coins.

Impact Seven items cost about 3,200 silver coins, which is also 80 gold coins.

The least skilled laborers earn 80 gold coins in eight years. An adventurer would need to be a royal's right-hand agent to earn 80 gold coins for one assignment.

The items that can be purchased in this price range are rare and too expensive for even some nobles. Goods at this price range include a kilogram of vivid purple shellfish dye, a noble's funeral expenses, a small merchant's ship or large barge, a fancy set of silk clothing, a knight's plate armor, or a merchant's row house. Sapphire cabochons cost 80 gold coins for a nice 24-carat stone. A year's stay for a noble (board, instruction, and clothing) at the leading university university costs 80 gold coins.

Impact Eight items cost about 8,000 silver coins, which is also 200 gold coins.

The least skilled laborers earn 200 gold coins in twenty years. For almost everyone this seems an amount of money difficult to imagine.

The items that can be purchased in this price range are owned or gifted by royalty. Goods at this price range include a kilogram of gold, the annual cost to feed an entire merchant's estate, a large merchant's ship, a warship, a royal set of clothing, the best plate armor for a noble, or a noble's estate with a courtyard. Ruby cabochons cost 80 gold coins for a nice 24-carat stone. A noblewoman's dowry costs 200 gold coins.

Magic Item Impact

A magic item is a fun piece of equipment with nifty powers.

Some magic items merely provide a bonus to skill use. Others dramatically change a scene and decisively determine how the encounter resolves.

In a fantasy setting a magic item might be a magic potion, flying carpet, or dancing sword. In a science fiction setting a "magic" item might be a nanotech restorative, a personal levitation belt, or an electrified net launcher.

The same rules for pricing and crafting these items can be used whether or not the setting justifies their effects with magic, technology, or some other narrative hand-waving.

Magic items have four factors that determine how much they can impact the world. These are color-coded in their descriptions below, and in the following section with sample magic items. Possibility is pink, area is avacado, convenience is crimson, and affect on victory is violet.

With these rules the GM and Players can design any magic item they can imagine! Simply see how the four factors describe its effect and then total its impact.

Magic items cost as much as other items with the same impact. Remember the guideline for haggling: for most purchases change the price 5% for each point one character's Bargain skill rating exceeds the other's, and for a purchase especially important to the story use a skill contest.

Magic items that people create have a cost per use. Details about range and duration depend on which type of crafting skill is used to create the item, as explained below. As two quick examples, the same effect could have a slightly greater range if made with machinery, but would be much quicker to craft with alchemy.

(In the sample setting of Spyragia, only the Powers create magic items that never run out of uses.)

As always, the crafter of a magic item need only pay half that retail amount for materials. This means that characters who craft their own magic items only spend half as much for the benefts.

Note that a normally priced magic item does one thing. A magic item that does multiple things is equivalent to multiple magic items merged together, and its crafting time and price should be equal to the totals for its components.

For example, a pair of magic glasses might allow the person wearing them to detect poison, or criminals, or Ogres. But if those glasses detected all three things, with separate color-coding for each, then that magic item is clearly doing three things. To be fair, that combination item should be crafted and priced as if it were three different magic items.

Magical Possibility

Add to Impact Possibility
0 inexpensive equipment
1 expensive equipment
2 paid labor
3 mundanely impossibe
1 small bonus (1 more die)
2 big bonus (2 more dice)

The first quality of a magic item is its possibility.

The smallest effects only duplicate what inexpensive mundane equipment can do, but perhaps do it more rapidly or conveniently. These items might be used to quickly kindle a fire, befriend a domestic animal, spin wool into yarn, season firewood, provide a meal's nourishment, etc. Or these items might have an ongoing effect such as radiating as much light as a torch, whistling like the sound of blowing on a blade of grass, obscuring vision like a smoky campfire, or making a room smell like roses. These effects add 0 to the impact.

Other magic items duplicate what expensive mundane equipment can do, but again perhaps more rapidly or conveniently. The magic item heals as well as the best mundane herbs or medicines, heats or cools as well as a stove or block of ice, protects someone as well as the best armor, or makes an area deadly like a spilled vat of boiling oil. Those effects add 1 to the impact.

Other magic items duplicate what not what equipment can do, but what labor could accomplish: lifting, carrying, searching, removing disguises, mimicking noises people make, delivering a message, etc. Again magic can allow these effects more rapidly or conveniently. These effects add 2 to the impact.

Effects that are mundanely impossible are the most dramatic, wondrous, and fun: levitation, flight, invisibility, telekenesis, shared sight, etc. These add 3 to the impact.

A different manner of affecting possibility to to make a tool or weapon easier to use, or have it simply work better than a mundane counterpart. Magic items that provide a small bonus (one more die) add 1 to the impact. Magic items that provide a big bonus (two more dice) add 2 to the impact.

Magical Area

Add to Impact Area
0 no area
1 set up the area
4 immediate area

The second factor that determines impact is the effect's area.

Many effects only affect the character using the magic item, or a single object. These add 0 to the impact. (All alchemy potions and goos are of this category. All musing effects are also of this category.)

Some magic items effect an area, but only after the character using the item personally sets up the area. This could be assembling a device, arming a trap, drawing a magic circle, waiting for a flask's gas cloud to spread, etc. That adds 1 to the impact. (All alchemy flasks are of this category.)

A few, expensive magic items effect an area immediately. That adds 4 to the impact.

The maximum radius of the effect depends upon the type of magic item and the crafter's skill.

Magical Convenience

Add to Impact Convenience
0 not portable, no range
1 portable, delay or touch
3 portable, immediate, range

The third factor that determines impact is the effect's convenience, which is a combination of range, improvisatoinal potential, and speed of use.

The least convenient magic items must be created in advance and are not portable. Their effects have no range. These effects add 0 to the impact. (This category includes traps that must be built in their location.)

Magic items of medium convenience are portable but lack either immediacy or range. Often these must be created in advance at a laboratory, workshop, magic shrine, or other noteworthy location. Perhaps the effect starts immediately but only affects what the item or its user touches. Or perhaps the effect can reach away from the item and its user, but has a delayed start as a glue dries, a gas spreads, a crossbow trap is installed in its new location, a handheld machine warms up, a piece of enchanted artwork is activated with a song or a long chant, etc. These effects add 1 to the impact. (All alchemy items are of this category, as are portable traps.)

The most convenient effects can be created anywhere, have range, and have an effect that begins immediately. Effects like these add 3 to the impact.

Magical Victory

Add to Impact Affect on Victory
0 no damage, or skill dependent
1 special twenty-sided die
2 also special twelve-sided die
2 speed
skill rating acts independently
5 determine victory

The fourth factor that determines impact is how the item effects victory.

Effects that do not involve victory add 0 to the impact.

Some effects can cause damage, but only based upon the same skill use as mundane equipment. These also add 0 to the impact. If someone prefers not to use a bow and arrow but wishes to craft or buy a wand that shoot icicles to the same effect, it is inexpensive to do so.

Some tools or weapons are more dangerous than their mundane counterparts. These allow the user to include a special twenty-sided die in the dice pool. (This is in addition to the usual twenty-sided die potentially provided by a bonus or by success with the Identify/Lore skill.) Use a different color die if possible. If this die succeeds during a skill contest, it causes an extra point of damage. These magic items add 1 to the impact. (If the wand of icicles was more threatening than a mundane bow and arrow, either because it chilled whomever it hit or caused more damage, then it would have a higher impact.)

Similarly, some magic items allow the user to also include a special twelve-sided die in the dice pool. These magic items add 2 to the impact.

Items that grant their wielder speed also add 2 to the impact. This effect allows the wielder to go first during each turn of a skill contest.

Some items attack independently, such as traps and turrets. This adds impact equal to the item's skill rating.

The most potent effects decisively win the conflict themselves, and add 5 to the impact.

Tangentially, it is advised that Nine Powers stories do not include "divinations". Many fantasy stories include objects or rituals that predict the future, or in other ways learn what is not normally knowable. Wizards scry with crystal balls, sages read the future in tea leaves, and necromancers make corpses answer questions. Although divination magic can work well in a story we read, it is difficult to do well in a two-person role-playing game. Plots about solving a mysteries or gathering information from an enemy stronghold get ruined by this kind of magic. It makes no sense to limit the kind of adventures the GM and Players can enjoy just because the PC has become highly skilled with magical crafting.

Magic Item Examples

Here are some sample fantasy magic items. Within an adventure most would have more interesting and fun names. But simple names are best for making text searchable.


Impact Zero — 2 silver coins retail price

Fancy Fire Pit (Impact 0 = 0 possibility + 0 area + 0 convenience + 0 victory)

This fire pit has some mechanical augmentation. When active, it emits large sparks to help kindle a fire. It is not portable, but it is still an affordable convenience because its 8 hours of active use can be spread out over months or years.


Impact One — 10 silver coins retail price

Energizing Potion (Impact 1 = 0 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This potion invigorates the drinker. It can restore stamina lost due to exertion, such as needing to flee for a long time or to swim in frigid water.

Domestic Animal Friendship Potion (Impact 1 = 0 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This potion is given to a domestic animal, often by mixing it in food. For the potion's duration the animal becomes very fond of the person who fed it the potion, as if that person had been a kind and caring pet owner for many years.

Cooking Disk (Impact 1 = 0 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This practical device causes items placed on top of it to be heated. The change in temperature is not quick enough to harm a creature mobile enough to move away.


Impact Two — 20 silver coins retail price

Silent Shoe Soles (Impact 2 = 1 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This alchemical goo is spread on the soles of a pair of shoes. It hardens into a material that allows silent steps.

Pressure Plate Dart Trap (Impact 2 = 0 possibility + 1 area + 0 convenience + 1 victory)

This trap is intended to be a warning to scare away burglars. It shoots darts when a pressure plate is triggered. The darts are small, and their attack only has skill rating 1.

Alarm Wire (Impact 2 = 0 possibility + 1 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

When a creature steps on or across this wire device, a noise happens. Guards set up alarm wires to monitor seldom used doorways, and some adventurers use these devices to sleep more safely in a dungeon. These magical wires are much more difficult to notice than a mundane wire and noise-maker.

Alchemist's Undervest (Impact 2 = 1 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This under-vest has internal pockets lined with hinged metal plates. It is designed to store flasks safely, yet enable smashing one against the body when needed.

Imperishable Sack (Impact 2 = 1 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

Fancy embroidery and colorful drawstrings show this sack is special. When the drawstrings are tied a certain way, the enchantment activates and food within is prevented from spoiling. There is no temperature change, so the food need not be thawed like food stored in a normal icebox.

Linked Earrings (Impact 2 = 1 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

Two pair of enchanted earrings are magically linked. When two people each wear a pair, the enchantment activates a minute after the first time either person says the other's name. Then they can telepathically communicate while in range of each other. The sounds "heard" in the mind are distorted, as when talking across two tin cans linked by a taught wire of the appropriate length.

Minor Weapon Enhancement (Impact 2 = 0 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 1 victory)

This is the classic example of a weapon that has a small chance to do a little extra damage each time it hits, because of the special extra twenty-sided die described above in the "victory" section.

Sparkly Searchstone (Impact 2 = 1 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

A ring with a gemstone is enchanted to sparkle with a radiant light after the gemstone is squeezed. The gleams of radience sometimes appear to bend if the wearer is looking for something, as if pointing the way. The effect grants the wearer a small bonus to Perception/Escape and Track.

Tempest Leaves (Impact 2 = 2 possibility + 0 area + 0 convenience + 0 victory)

A serving of magical tea leaves that makes a teapot of boiling water release a cloud of steam (as well as a tiny bit of lightning in the teapot). Above the teapot, the steam shapes itself into a clue about the location of a nearby commotion that was created on purpose to cause bother or stress. Most often the steam forms the shape of someone's face or an image of a building. Each serving of tempest leaves only works once for the magical property, but the tea is high quality and can be enjoyed for several infusions. (The only clues revealed are those that could have been learned from spending several hours investigating. The magical tea leaves can sense auras in the neighborhood, but they do not read minds.)


Impact Three — 80 silver coins retail price

Automated Butler (Impact 3 = 2 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This primitive robot can fetch and carry.

Acidic Gas Flask (Impact 3 = 0 possibility + 1 area + 1 convenience + 1 victory)

The chemicals in this flask react with air after the flask breaks. The gas speads for a minute, then turns into a pink fog that harms to any creature in its area (as if attacking with a skill rating of 1).

Flask of Blinding Cloud (Impact 3 = 1 possibility + 1 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

After this flask breaks the area fills with dense, fragrant smoke. After a minute the smoke has become so thick that it interferes with sound as well as sight, smell, and taste. Within the smoke, all ranged perception and combat skill use automatically fails.

Footstep Faker (Impact 3 = 2 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

Black market machinists prepare these devices wrapped in thick wool. A minute after being shaken, they begin to flex and crack. This causes taps and creaks that sound remarkably like footsteps. Burglars and spies use footstep devices to distract people. They drop them from the rafters into a shadowy corner, or throw them under or behind furniture. Few guards have enough experience with these items to recognize that the noise is not footsteps.

Linked Gloves (Impact 3 = 0 possibility + 0 area + 3 convenience + 0 victory)

Two pairs of enchanted gloves are magically linked. The wearers activate their magic by flexing the fingers in certain motions. Then the gloves immediately become useful for secretly signaling. While in range, when one pair is used to make intuitive certain gestures, the wearer of the other pair feels gentle taps on the hands in an understandable code.

Major Weapon Enhancement (Impact 3 = 0 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 2 victory)

This is the classic example of a weapon that has a notable chance to do more extra damage each time it hits, because of the special extra twelve-sided and twenty-sided dice described above in the "victory" section.


Maleable Mickey (Impact 3 = 2 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 2 victory)

This alchemical potion is slipped into a victim's drink. After a minute the drinker becomes more agreeable to any reasonable request he or she hears. (A big bonus to persuation skill checks against the drinker.)

Musing Sensing Miniature Settlement (Impact 3 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 0 convenience + 0 victory)

This table-sized replica of a town or city, made with colorful clay, is not portable after being constructed. When the proper phrases are spoken, the buildings on the replica begin to glow if their corresponding actual buildings contains one or more items crafted with musing.

Spy's Glass (Impact 3 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 0 convenience + 0 victory)

This mirror, permanently affixed to a wall, can be entered as if it was a doorway. A minute later a temporary, invisible copy of yourself steps out. Your real self is trapped until/unless the copy returns.

Super-Stumbler (Impact 3 = 0 possibility + 1 area + 1 convenience + 1 victory)

Guards tasked with protecting an entryway can set up this device to cause anyone crossing the threshold to fall down and bruise their hand or knee (as if attacking with a skill rating of 1). It works like a tripwire, but is not broken by the first person to trigger it.

Treasurehunting Compass (Impact 3 = 2 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This compass was made by a pirate to help find his buried treasure. When activated, it points the way to the most valuable other item it has ever touched.

Wellness Zone (Impact 3 = 1 possibility + 1 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This noisy device slowly fills the area with ethereal vibrations that make people rested and healthy (healing small injuries and restoring stamina).

Impact Four — 160 silver coins retail price

Anti-Magic Zone (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 1 area + 0 convenience + 0 victory)

No magic will function inside this circle. Some are made by spreading alchemical goo in a circle on the floor. Others are constructed with wires that emanate from a special device. Others are drawn with chalk and artistic symbolism.

Cloud Climbing Crampons (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

These crampons radiate a soft blue glow. When attached to any shoes or boots, the glow intensifies and the wearer can walk on air.

Cummerbund of the Careful Tongue (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

Some nobles use musing to enchant a piece of their young children's clothing to help the children remember their manners while being introduced at parties. If the child is about to make an egregious mistake in etiquette, the piece of clothing constricts slightly as a reminder. The effect provide a big bonus to the Etiquette.

Fair Dueling Enforcer (Impact 4 = 2 possibility + 1 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This banner, once unfurled and waved, causes a big penalty to all nearby ranged attacks, whether mundane or magical.

Honest Mirror (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

After a mystic phrase is uttered, this this ornate mirror begins to reflect people's true faces. It is appreciated by guards for its ability to penetrate both mundane and magical disguises, as well as to reveal shapechangers such as Ogres or Therions. It is hated by vain noblewomen who do not want their face seen without its makeup.

Inquisitor's Watch (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

After this watch is wound a special way, the hour hand will point to the closest person telling lies and the minute hand to the closest person telling the truth, while the second hand ticks normally.

Invisibility Potion (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

There are many versions of this potion. Many towns and cities have laws limiting their use, to help prevent crime. Most potions of invisibility also affect what the drinker is wearing. Some cause a limited invisibility that ends if the drinker is touched by sunlight or moonlight, attacks anyone, etc. All invisibility potions provide a big bonus to Sneak skill use.

Liaison's Lantern (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This ornate lantern only sheds light for the person holding its handle.

Purifying Stove (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

An expensive but practical kitchen device is this stove whose machinery will remove from food placed within any parasites and diseases, quickly and without needing to change the food's temperature.

Rocket Boots (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

Whee!

Shared Sight Potion (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

This potion is shared by two people or animals. After a minute they can close their eyes and concentrate to see what the other is seeing.

Telepath's Tiara (Impact 4 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

Fancy jewelry that, starting immediately after activation, lets you hear thoughts of anyone with whom you are shaking hands.


Impact Five — 400 silver coins retail price

Pointy Hat of Protection (Impact 5 = 3 possibility + 1 area + 1 convenience + 0 victory)

After activation with a long chant, this pretty pointy hat causes a big penalty to all nearby magical attacks.

Telekenetic Gloves (Impact 5 = 2 possibility + 0 area + 3 convenience + 0 victory)

This pair of gloves allows its wearer to pick up and manipulate objects anywhere in range.


Impact Six — 1,200 silver coins retail price

Glasses of Forced Sharing (Impact 6 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 3 convenience + 0 victory)

After this pair of glasses is activated, you can switch your point of vision as if seeing from any other glass in range (windows, mirrors, glasses).

Targeted Tiny Potion of Sleep Gas (Impact 6 = 0 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 5 victory)

Small vials of sleep gas can be thrown or used as arrowheads. Because they contain such a small amount of chemical, they only cause sleep with a well-placed hit to the face, represented by a successful tough Shoot/Throw attempt.

Deadly Pit Trap (Impact 6 = 0 possibility + 1 area + 0 convenience + 5 victory)

The ultimate trap, falling into this pit causes the intruder to die, impaled on sharp wooden stakes while instantly cooked in deadly scalding steam.


Impact Seven — 3,200 silver coins retail price

Untargeted Flask of Sleep Gas (Impact 6 = 0 possibility + 1 area + 1 convenience + 5 victory)

Breathing more than one breath of the cloud of soothing gas released when this flask breaks puts any creature to sleep. Sometimes these are crafted so the gas is invisible, to capture tresspassers. A Wrestle avoidance check allows creatures to hold their breath and resist the gas that turn.


Impact Eight — 8,000 silver coins retail price

Ultimate Handcuffs (Impact 8 = 2 possibility + 0 area + 1 convenience + 5 victory)

Once these warm up, the person they are put on is paralyzed for their duration.

Evil Portal (Impact 8 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 0 convenience + 5 victory)

A doorway that grants terrible power, but only after you lure someone else to touch it and be forever lost into its pocket dimension.

Life Insurance Sarcophagus (Impact 8 = 3 possibility + 0 area + 0 convenience + 5 victory)

An immobile marble sarcophagus with the image of its creator carved in bas relief on the lid. If someone living is inside when that creator dies, the creator's mind replace the other person's.

Non-Crafted Magic Items

What about magic items that are not crafted and priced per use?

The sample setting of Spyragia certainly includes those! They are created by the Powers. You can read about them in the next page of rules.

Those are the items that adventurers go on quests to obtain, that villains use to make people fear them, that nobles plot to steal from each other, and that are special delights to find in a town's magic item store. Those items help make stories happen!

In contrast, the crafting economy is about the PC preparing for an adventure. What should he or she make? Does anyone know the recipe? Does the PC have time to make it? Is it really worth the cost? Must the PC spend double for the retail price because crafting it is beyond their skill?