Initiative Turns

Combat Distance

If it is not already known, to determine how far apart the combatants are at the beginning of combat, roll a D6 and multiply by 10; the two sides are that many feet or yards apart.

Surprise

Whether by chance or design, Errants and their foes will oftentimes get the drop on one another. If one side surprises the other, they get a free Initiative Turn in which the other side is unable to act.

Characters who are aware of their enemy’s position cannot be surprised. This generally means Errants who are not deliberately setting an ambush will be unable to surprise enemies unless they are in darkness, dim light, or opening a door. Bright light, therefore, usually negates the possibility of surprise.

If there is a chance for surprise, roll a D6.

Determining Initiative Turn Order

At the start of each Initiative Turn, one Errant is called upon to select either odd or even. That player and the Guide will each roll a D6, add them together, and see whether the result is odd or even. If the player called odd or even correctly, the Company may act first, otherwise the other side acts first.

An Initiative Turn proceeds in the following order:

1. Characters on the winning side act quickly.
2. Characters on the losing side act quickly.
3. Characters on the winning side act slowly.
4. Characters on the losing side act slowly.

Any ongoing effects expire at the end of an Initiative Turn.

Graphic: An Errant faces a monstrous spider on a circular staircase. The spider is as large as a man, and has the high ground. The Errant is armored, his face determined, holding a long curved sword in one hand, the tip of it already coated in blood. Both spider and man look ready to strike at the other.

Initiative Turn Actions

Each Initiative Turn, a character may choose to either act quickly or act slowly. Acting quickly allows a character to make one action, whereas acting slowly allows a character to take up to two actions.

These actions may be casting a Sorcery or Miracle, moving, making an Attack Roll, using an item, readying oneself to strike or defend, or any other significant action deemed reasonable by the Guide. However, a character may only either exclusively make an Attack Roll, cast a Sorcery, or cast a Miracle once per Initiative Turn.

Insignificant actions, such as talking and picking up or dropping something, are free actions and do not count as a full action, though a character can generally do only one or two of these things in an Initiative Turn.

Speed & Movement

An Errant’s speed (SPD) is equal to their skill minus their Encumbrance. For every 4 SPD an Errant has, they have 1 movement die, which is a D4.

To make a movement roll, a character rolls their movement dice and multiplies the result by 10 to determine how many feet (if indoors or other enclosed spaces) or yards (if outdoors or other open spaces) they may move (e.g. if an Errant rolled a 4, they may move up to 40’ in that Initiative Turn). This takes an action.

A character can move more than once per Initiative Turn, so long as they have available actions.

A character’s movement in an Initiative Turn need not be continuous (e.g. if an Errant can move 40’ in one Initiative Turn, they may run 10’ up to a foe and shove them to the ground, move a further 10’ to pick up a cursed amulet on the ground, and then run 20’ back to rejoin their comrades).

A character may also choose to make a shift, moving a distance equal to their number of movement dice multiplied by 10 in feet or yards (e.g. if an Errant has 2 movement dice, they could shift a distance of 20’). This does not take an action, but a character can only shift once per Initiative Turn, and may not shift in the same Initiative Turn they make a movement roll and vice versa.

A character with no movement dice cannot shift, and as an action can move 10 feet or yards.

Difficult terrain reduces the distance of any movement by an amount equal to its rating multiplied by 10 (e.g. any movement on an area of difficult terrain with a rating of 2 would be reduced by 20’), unless that character has a method of movement that obviates that particular terrain’s impediment.

Attacking

To make an Attack Roll, an Errant chooses a target within range and rolls their damage die. They deal that much damage to the target.

An Errant of The Violent Archetype can make multiple Attack Rolls as part of the same action as their Renown increases.

Attack Rolls with a ranged weapon are impaired 1 step if a foe is within melee range.

Whenever any die in an Attack Roll shows a result of 1, the target may immediately make an action; if this action is used to make an Attack Roll, only one Attack Roll may be made even if the target is capable of making more as part of a single action.

Graphic: Two Errants fighting two demons. The demons are cloven hoofed, with heads that are nothing but horned black silhouettes. The Errant on the left has their demon foe held fully above their head, and are about to slam them to the ground in a brutal wrestling maneuver. The Errant on the right has just bisected her demon foe shoulder-to-hip with a devestating slash of her sword.

Gambits

When a character makes an Attack Roll, they may also attempt a gambit. A gambit is any combat manoeuvre that exceeds the purview of a basic attack, such as stunning, shoving, disarming, tripping, and so on. To do so, they reduce their rolled damage by a given amount (including 0). Their target then makes a Saving Throw with a DV equal to the amount their attacker’s damage was reduced by. If they fail, the gambit is successful; if they succeed, they may immediately make an action (unless the Saving Throw was made at dire Position).

Enhance & Impair

In ideal situations when an attack is more effective, it may be enhanced: for example, attacking a flanked or prone character, or using the ideal weapon against an enemy, such as striking a skeleton with a mace.

Conversely, in situations where an attack would be less effective, such as trying to swing a greatsword in a sewer or stabbing a skeleton with a dagger, it may be impaired.

When an Attack Roll is enhanced, the attacker rolls a larger damage die, indicated by how many steps it is enhanced. If an Attack Roll is enhanced 1 step, the attacker rolls a damage die one size larger (for example, a D8 would become a D10), if it is enhanced 2 steps, two sizes larger (D8 to D12).

If an Attack Roll is impaired, the attacker rolls a smaller damage die, also indicated by how many steps it is impaired (i.e., impaired 1 step, D8 to D6; impaired 2 steps, D8 to D4). Damage dice are enhanced or impaired along this scale:

1 - D4 - D6 - D8 - D10 - D12 - D20

Enhanced and impaired cancel each other out on a one-to-one basis. If multiple instances of enhanced or impaired would occur, add them together: two instances of enhanced 2 steps equals enhanced by 4 steps, and two instances of impaired 2 steps equals impaired by 4 steps, and so on.

An Errant using an improvised or makeshift weapon (a chair or a shovel) has their damage die impaired 1 step. An Errant fighting unarmed has their damage die impaired 2 steps.

Damage dice rolled as part of a Sorcery, Miracle, or other effect may also be enhanced or impaired, though these do not otherwise count as Attack Rolls.

If multiple damage dice would be rolled, for example from using poison, a Feat, maleficence, or sneak attack, enhance all damage dice.

Any damage dice impaired down to 1 is considered to have rolled a 1, for the purposes of Attack Rolls, reducing weapon Quality, and granting actions, and to have rolled maximum damage, for the purposes of reducing armour Quality.

Statuses

Over the course of play, various effects will inflict Statuses such as being frightened, blinded, or poisoned upon a character. Statuses alter a character’s capabilities in a variety of ways and can arise as a result of magic, a monster’s attack, or other effect.

A Status lasts either until it is countered (e.g. being poisoned is cured by taking the antidote) or for a duration specified by the effect that imposed the Status.

The effects of a Status are at the Guide’s discretion. In combat, Statuses may impair the afflicted’s Attack Rolls and enhance Attack Rolls made against them.

Mounted Combat

A character on a mount uses their mount’s SPD to move. They may make a free movement roll once per Initiative Turn.

Attack Rolls with an appropriate weapon made while mounted are enhanced 1 step, though they may be enhanced more if the mount is particularly large or ferocious.

Attack Rolls against mounted opponents are impaired 1 step, though they may be impaired more if the mount is particularly large or sturdy.

Attack Rolls made with heavy weapons against mounted opponents are enhanced 1 step (cancelling out the 1 step of impaired from attacking a mounted opponent), though they may be enhanced more if the weapon is particularly effective against mounted opponents.

Graphic: An armored knight wearing a conical feathered helm and riding a war-zebra charges towards the frame. Their sword is raised to strike an unarmored warrior on the ground, who holds their hand up in a defensive gesture. The unarmored warrior wears a leapord skin around their shoulders, and their Nguni cowhide shield is being trampled beneath the Zebra’s charging hooves.

Graphic: A naked woman kneels, supporting herself by leaning against a shovel with its spade in the air. She appears dirty, scuffed, and exhausted.

Hit Protection & Damage

As one finds themselves getting battered, bruised, bloodied, and broken, it is only natural to wonder just how much punishment one can withstand. For an Errant, this capacity to resist injury is represented by their hit protection, or HP. When an Errant takes damage, be it from a monster, the environment, or otherwise, that damage is subtracted from their HP.

HP is not merely a measure of physical toughness, though that plays a part, but also of all the other factors that come into play when avoiding grievous injury: skill, luck, stamina, mental fortitude, and so on. Damage dealt to HP then does not necessarily reflect severe injuries, but rather near misses, grazes, bruises, scrapes, and glancing blows. As an Errant’s HP is whittled lower, these may become gashes, sprains, and other non-debilitating injuries (below 6 HP is a good threshold for this).

When an Errant reaches 0 HP, however, they have lost the ability to properly defend themselves. Any damage taken while at 0 HP causes wounds.

Drowning, Falling, Burning

The laws of nature themselves conspire to ensure an Errant’s demise.

If a character falls a distance of 10 feet or greater, they take damage according to the table below.

Attempting to break someone’s fall results in the faller and the catcher(s) distributing damage amongst themselves equally.

A character on fire takes 1D6 damage per Initiative Turn they have been on fire (i.e. the first Initiative Turn they take 1D6, the second 2D6, and so on). Taking an action to put out the fire removes 1D6 from the damage they will take.

An Errant can hold their breath for a number of Initiative Turns equal to their phys minus 10. After this, they take 1D6 damage per Initiative Turn until they can breathe again.

Death & Dying

When an Errant is reduced to 0 HP, they must make a phys Saving Throw, with the DV being the damage taken. If they fail, they are out of action.

An Errant who is out of action is unconscious or otherwise incapacitated; they cannot take any actions until the combat is over or their HP is brought above 0. After combat is resolved, they may act normally again, though their HP remains at 0 unless they were otherwise healed.

Any further damage taken while at 0 HP triggers further phys Saving Throws to avoid being put out of action.

Damage that would bring an Errant’s HP below 0 causes wounds. Consult the wounds table on the following pages for the amount of damage taken. If an Errant’s HP is higher than 0 when they receive a wound, only the damage in excess of what is needed to bring them to 0 is counted for determining what wound they receive (e.g. an Errant at 4 HP taking 7 damage only receives a 3 damage wound).

If an Errant would receive a wound they have already received or cannot physically take (e.g. losing a leg when both legs have been lost), take the next available lower wound.

Wounds without a stated duration are permanent unless seen to by a physician, though they cannot restore lost body parts.

An Errant on death’s door will die in a number of Initiative Turns equal to their Renown, unless a healer’s kit is used on them or their HP is brought above 0. Using a healer’s kit on an Errant on death’s door does not restore any HP.

An Errant who is consigned to the reaper will die in a number of Initiative Turns equal to their Renown. There is no way to save them.

If any of an Errant’s attributes are reduced to 0, they immediately die.

An Errant can also die of natural causes. To determine your lifespan, take the average lifespan of your Ancestry, add your phys, and subtract one year for every time you have reached 0 HP. When an Errant reaches the end of their lifespan, make a phys Check. If they succeed, they live for another year, at which point they make another phys Check, with a DV equal to the number of years past their lifespan they have survived.

An Errant’s child (biological, adopted, or otherwise), should they choose to become an Errant themselves, may inherit one of their parent’s attributes.

Graphic: An Errant at the moment of death. What killed him is not visible, but the effects are comically brutal: his sword shattered, his arm sliced into multiple segments, his posessions flung every which way, and his chest bursting open with such violence that blood and ribs are sent flying. His ghost is leaping out of his body, spiraling out from eyes, nose, and mouth. This grisly doom may or may not have been the result of the “Kick Me” sign taped to the Errant’s back.

Warbands

While mercenaries and men-at-arms are trained to fight on the field of war, they are less adept in the chaos-blasted wilds fighting against dread beasts of lore. As such, they do not take their own actions in combat, but rather increase the combat effectiveness of their leader by forming a Warband.

Warbands come in three categories, based on the number of combatants they contain (excluding the leader).

• A Warband containing one to five combatants is a small Warband.
• A Warband containing six to 10 combatants is a medium Warband.
• A Warband containing 11 to 20 combatants is a large Warband.

For battles involving larger numbers of combatants, see mass combat.

Warbands have 2 HP per combatant. Damage is dealt to the Warband before it is dealt to the leader. As damage is dealt to the Warband, it may change categories (e.g. a large Warband would become a medium Warband once it reaches 20 HP or lower).

If all members of your Warband are wearing mail, increase the HP of each combatant by 1. If they are all wearing plate, increase the HP of each combatant by 2.

Attack Rolls by individuals against a Warband are impaired 1 step per category of the Warband, unless that individual has a means of damaging all combatants in an area. Attack Rolls by Warbands against individuals are enhanced 1 step per category.

Attack Rolls by Warbands against smaller Warbands are enhanced 1 step per category of difference. Attack Rolls by smaller Warbands against larger ones are impaired 1 step per category of difference.

Duels

A duel is a much more refined affair than a barbarous skirmish, and as such follows different rules.

First, of course, is that a challenge for a duel must be issued, and that challenge accepted. The etiquette around the issuance of duels in a given culture is left to the discretion of a Guide.

Second, the terms of the duel must be agreed upon; norms of conduct, weapons, starting distance, and ending condition (e.g. to the death, to first blood, to yield, etc.).

During a duel, a character may take actions as normal, though only one Attack Roll may be made, even if a character has abilities that would let them make more.

The order of an Initiative Turn, however, proceeds differently in a duel. Each participant in the duel is given three playing cards: a King, a Queen, and a Jack. They will place these cards face down in front of them in any order.

The character who issued the challenge for the duel will then attempt to guess what their opponent’s left-most card is; this card is then revealed. If they guessed correctly, they may immediately make an action, after which they may then attempt to guess what the next card in the line is.

If they guess incorrectly, their opponent may immediately make an action and then make a guess.

Once all three of any participant’s cards have been revealed, each will then pick up their cards, and then place them face down in front of them again. The participant who had the fewest cards revealed in the previous Initiative Turn begins guessing.

Each card also has an effect when it is flipped. If a King is revealed, the participant who acts has their next Attack Roll enhanced 1 step. If a Queen is revealed, the participant who acts impairs the next Attack Roll made against them by 1 step. If a Jack is revealed, the participant who acts can have the DV of the next gambit they perform increased by 2.

The effects of these cards can be modified depending on the type of duel; a joust or a wizard’s duel might have different effects. The basic template is that a King has an offensive effect, a Queen has a defensive effect, and a Jack has a tactical effect. The cards themselves, of course, can be replaced by anything else that achieves the same effect.

Graphic: Two figures duel with spears, depicted in a flat style reminiscent of medival iconography. Both are dressed colorfully, with the figure on the right wearing open faced helm with horse mane plume, chain mail armor, puffy pants patterned with flowers, and long toed shoes. Their shield has been knocked aside, and their opponent’s spear plunges into their chest. Their victorious foe wears a star-pattern robe over a tunic of scale armor which goes down below their knees. They have tattoos on their hands, eyeliner around their eyes, and long flowing hair. They wear an armored skullcap atop their head, with a flowing twist of hair dangling from its single spire. Their shield remains in proper defensive position.

Graphic: A chaotic scene of battle. Bodies encased in spiky plate armor press one another. Weapons and tattered banners rise up out of the mass of struggling bodies to mingle with smoke. In the background, archers stand atop a castle wall. It is uncear who is winning, or even which side fights to defend the castle and which to attack it.

Mass Combat

For dealing with large scale combat encounters or combat between ships, vehicles, or anything else where individual units are hard to quantify, a simplified mass combat system may be used.

In such an engagement, each side rolls 1D6, and adds the following modifiers.

• +1 if they outnumber the enemy at all; +2 if they outnumber the enemy 2 to one; +3 if they outnumber the enemy 3 to one, and so on.
• Add the Renown of the highest Renown Errant on that side, or the Threat of the highest Threat NPC.
• +1 for each significant tactical advantage, such as: cover, high ground, unbreakable formation, ambush, superior armaments, relevant Sorceries, Miracles, or other magic, traps, superior training or Morale, and so on.

The side that rolls the highest wins the engagement. Ties are treated as a draw.

Unless it does not make sense, the difference between the result of each side’s roll multiplied by 10 represents the percentage of casualties, losses, or severity of damage to the losing side of the engagement.

The number rolled by the losing side represents the percentage of casualties, losses, or severity of destruction to the winning side of the engagement.

Any Errants involved in the engagement make a Check with their best Attribute if they win or draw. If they succeed, they are unharmed; if they fail, they take damage equal to the amount they failed by.

If they lost, Errants use their worst Attribute for the Check. If they pass, they take damage equal to the difference between the result of each side’s roll; if they fail, they die.

Optionally, when an engagement is rolled, the Guide may choose to zoom into a flashpoint, a specific encounter on the battlefield where the actions of the Errants can make a difference. This is a run as a normal combat scenario, though it likely has a specific objective, such as capturing an enemy base or disabling a powerful siege weapon. If the Errants win the flashpoint, add a D6 to their side’s roll. If the Errants lose, add a D6 to the opposing side’s roll.

Chases

In the case where they are being chased through a dungeon or similarly defined area, or for a short pursuit, the hunt can play out using standard Initiative Turn rules. However, for longer pursuits, and ones that may take place in broadly abstracted spaces like the wilderness or in cities, the following Chase procedure can be used.

In a Chase, generally, the participants can be tracked in terms of what side they’re on (i.e. pursuers and fugitives), but some Chases may involve multiple parties or characters that need to be tracked separately.

Each Initiative Turn, the character with the lowest SPD or MV on each side makes a movement roll. If the characters are on mounts or vehicles, use the SPD of the mount or vehicle.

If the fugitives roll two 4’s, then they escape and the Chase ends. If the pursuers roll two 4’s, they have caught the fugitives. In case of a tie, both sides make a movement roll as a tiebreaker.

If either side rolls doubles that are not 4’s, then characters on that side may make melee Attack Roll, perform a Sorcery or Miracle, or any other actions they wish.

If any of the results on both side’s movement dice match each other, characters may make ranged Attack Rolls against the other side. So if the fugitives rolled a 3 and a 4, and the pursuers rolled a 2 and a 3, the 3’s match, and so characters on each side may make ranged Attack Rolls against characters on the other side.

Dropping items during a Chase is a free action. Dropping something the pursuers are interested in (food, money, etc.) may force a Morale roll to see if they continue the Chase.

Characters on either side may choose to sprint, rolling double their normal amount of movement dice, but they must make a phys Check with a DV equal to their Encumbrance to do so. If they fail, they may not make a movement roll this Initiative Turn.

Characters on either side can choose to split off from their group; they will make movement rolls separately.

At the end of the Initiative Turn, if the Chase has not yet ended, the side that rolled the lowest on their movement roll rolls a D10 for a Chase development that affects them.

Chase Developments

1. Hiding Spot - neither side has line of sight on the other. The character with the lowest SPD makes a Check to hide. If they succeed, they can’t be found and the Chase ends; if they fail, the pursuers immediately make a movement roll.
2. Throng - a crowd of people, a flock of animals, or some other group impedes progress. The characters on that side may attempt to convince the throng to assist them if possible, or else someone must make a Check to clear a path. On a failed Check, the opposing side immediately makes a movement roll.
3. Dilemma - the characters face a decision between two unfavourable options, such as having to choose to divert to a more difficult path or plough through a crowd.
4. Hazard – something threatens the side that rolled this result; they must make a Check to avoid damage, or some other unfavourable situation such as being knocked prone.
5. Obstacle - something impedes progress on the path; the character with the highest SPD must make a Check to bypass the obstacle, else the opposing side immediately makes a movement roll.
6. Opportunity - a character on the side who rolled this result can immediately take an extra action, though they must decide what to do quickly.
7. Paths Converge - a character on the side that rolled this result and a character on the opposing side cross paths momentarily, coming within a hair’s breadth of each other; they may each make an action before the trail separates them once more.
8. Risky Shortcut - a risky shortcut presents itself. Characters on this side may take this shortcut, but must make a Check to do so. If they succeed, they immediately sprint. If they fail, they are separated from the others on their side and taken out of the Chase.
9. Separated - a character on the side which rolled this result is separated from the rest of their side, and is tracked separately till they can reunite with their group. If the character was on the pursuing side, they must make a Check or be taken out of the Chase.
10. Twist - the situation changes in some way; perhaps a new group joins the Chase, or the side that is pursuing and the side that is being pursued switch; the environment might change, as might the conditions that end the Chase.

Morale

Only fools fight to the death. NPCs have a Morale score between 2 and

1. When an NPC ends up facing more danger than they were expecting, the Guide may roll 2D6; if they roll higher than the NPC’s Morale, that NPC will attempt to flee, retreat, surrender, or parley when next they act.

A Morale roll may be triggered if more than half of an NPC’s allies or their leader have been defeated, or if they are reduced to less than half their total HP, among other circumstances.

Allied NPCs, such as Retainers, may also make Morale rolls in unfavourable situations, such as when they aren’t compensated fairly, their employer dies, or they face extraordinary danger. A demoralised ally may flee immediately, or they may perhaps simply become disgruntled, afraid, or mutinous, seeking to betray their employer at an opportune moment.

Hit Protection for NPCs

HP represents something different for NPC than it does Errants. Since NPC die outright at zero HP rather than beginning to take wounds, HP is more or less reflective of actual damage being done to their body, especially since many monstrous creatures are much more capable of resisting and sustaining injury than humans are. Armour, evasiveness, or other forms of protection an NPC may have are reflected in their HP totals as well.

In the case of enemies that are more similar to humans than not, Guides may wish to apply the same principles when describing damage as the ones they use for Errants. It is up to the Guide to decide which method is most appropriate, dramatic, and engaging.

Graphic: Two figures depicted as busts side-by-side. The one on the left is a seasoned violent, armored in steel helm and chainmail. His face is scruffy with beard, and his eyes look off into the distance. On the right is a long haired Occult, with bags beneath her eyes. She holds a staff in hand, and wear a conical star-and-moon hat atop her head, with robes to match.

NPC Attributes

Since the Guide will have to keep track of several different NPC, the attributes an NPC has are far simpler than those of an Errant.

• Threat - an NPC’s Threat is a measure of how powerful they are, from 1 to 10; when an Errant makes a Saving Throw against an effect from an NPC, the Threat of the NPC is the DV for that Saving Throw. When an NPC needs to make a Saving Throw or some other Check, use their Threat + 8 as the value to roll equal to or below.
• Hit protection (HP) - an NPC’s HP is a measure of how much damage an NPC can take before being killed, subdued, or otherwise defeated.
• Attacks (ATT) - the Attack Roll(s) an NPC can make as an action and how much damage they deal.
• MV - determines an NPC’s movement dice. Two values separated by a ‘/’ indicate two different movement types (e.g. 2/4 walking/flying). When controlling multiple of the same NPC type, the Guide may find it expedient to roll for their movement as a group (e.g. there are six goblins, so the Guide rolls D4, which comes up as a 3; all six goblins may move up to 30’ this Initiative Turn), excepting any members of that group whose movement may differ from the rest.
• Morale (ML) - how likely an NPC is to stay in a dangerous situation.
• Alignment (AL) - Whether the NPC is aligned with the forces of Law or Chaos, or if they are Neutral.
• Special - any other effects or abilities an NPC might have.

Graphic: Two figures depicted as busts side-by-side. The one on the left is a hooded zealot, with a sigil on their tunic. The one on the right is a short and grubby deviant. He wears a skullcap that doesn’t cover his ears, and a sneer on his stubbled face.

Bestiary

Goblin

Threat 1, HP 6, ATT 1 × weapon (D6), MV 1, ML 7, AL Chaotic

Fight Dirty - any gambits made by a goblin have their DV increased by 2, and any Saving Throws made by the goblin against gambits have their DV decreased by 2.

It Burns! - if the goblin is in full daylight, all its Attack Rolls are impaired 1 step and all Attack Rolls against it are enhanced 1 step.

Graphic: A well dressed, middle-aged woman gasps, hand to her breast, as the dinner table she’s sitting at tips over. Four goblins—depicted as naked toddlers—are wreaking havoc. One stumbles drunkenly with a bottle of wine held above their head, one rides down the sloping tabletop in a bowl of soup. Another goblin reaches up to catch a chain of sausage links sent flying by the tipping table, while the fourth, wearing a tiny antlered skull on its head, is creeping up on a tasty slice of cake.

Gnoll

Threat 2, HP 14, ATT 1 × claws (2D4) or bite (2D6), MV 1, ML 8, AL Chaotic

Rabid - if the gnoll deals unblocked damage with its bite, it must make a Morale roll with a penalty equal to the amount of damage dealt. If they fail, they go rabid: they roll an extra die on all their Attack Rolls, and will attack the nearest target indiscriminately.

Graphic: An anthropomorphized hyena person wearing a loin cloth. They squat on the ground, counting coins into a small satchel.

Graphic: A scarred veteran sits resting on a rock. Aside from her top-knotted head, her entire body is plated in heavy studed armor. A massive two-handed zweihander sword is thrust into the ground in front of her, in easy reach if it is needed.

Veteran

Threat 3, HP 24, ATT 2 × weapon (D8), MV 1, ML 9, AL Any

Battle-wise - veterans have a randomly determined Feat (smite, grit, and dash are excluded from the possibilities) and 1 combat die.

Gelatinous Cube

Threat 4, HP 20, ATT 1 × touch (2D4 + paralysis), MV 1, ML 12, AL Neutral

Translucent - surprises on a roll of 1-4.

Paralysis - if the gelatinous cube deals unblocked damage, the target is paralysed for 2D4 Initiative Turns.

Gelatinous - takes no damage from cold or lightning.

Graphic: In a grey, dead-end corridor, two Errants are trapped by the advance of a gelatinous cube. One kneels in prayer while the other, who wears a robe and clutches a cross, holds out their hand in blessing over their companion. Within the mass of the gelatinous cube is the skeleton of an already digested victim. Its finger points mockingly at the cornered Errants.

Graphic: A cockatrice—looking much like an oversized chicken—moves with an unsteady wobbling walk. Its serpentine neck curls and weaves as if the creature is perpetually off-balance. Its beak is open, tongue extended mid-squawk.

Cockatrice

Threat 5, HP 30, ATT 1 × beak (D6 + petrification), MV 1/3 (flying), ML 7, AL Neutral

Petrification - if the cockatrice deals unblocked damage, the target is turned to stone.

Gosbear

Threat 6, HP 42, ATT 2 × claw (D8) and either 1 × bite (D8) or honk, MV 2, ML 10, AL Chaotic

Bear Hug - if the gosbear deals unblocked damage with two claw Attack Rolls against the same target in one Initiative Turn, the target is grappled in a bear hug and takes an extra 2D8 damage.

Honk - all within earshot must make a pres Saving Throw or become terrified of the gosbear; a terrified target’s Attack Rolls are impaired 2 steps when attacking the source of its fear.

Graphic: The body of a bear and the head of a goose. Its long, heavy neck rests on the ground, slithering serpent-like towards the frame. Its beak is filled with sharp little teeth.

Remorhaz

Threat 7, HP 56, ATT 1 × bite (6D6), MV 2, ML 10, AL Neutral

Swallow - if the remorhaz rolls a 6+ on any of its dice as part of an Attack Roll, the target is swallowed whole, causing them to be incinerated instantly within the creature’s stomach.

Living Furnace - when attacking the remorhaz, rolls of 1 cause that weapon to lose 2 points of Quality instead of 1.

Graphic: A massive monster whose head is like that of an insect with moose’s antlers, but whose body is like a long sea serpent with fins pointed upward. It is standing threateningly with its lower body on the ground, like a snake, and with its upper body upright. It has two sets of six legs on its upper body. One set supports the creature’s weight, while the other set are held up in a threatening posture. Its radial mouth is full of teeth and little appendiges.

Graphic: The Brainsquatter appears to be a human wearing elaborate clothing with an octahedral motif. The human’s head is enclosed within a transparent octahedron, and narrow tendrils writhe out from their mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. Their face appears to be in great distress, while their body is placid. The Brainsquatter’s feet, clad in curly-toed shoes, float several inches off the ground. Its hands reach out to each side, one of which is manipulating a small floating disk which appears to be melting beneath its hand. The edges of the frame fade into haze on every side of the Brainsquatter.

Brainsquatter

Threat 8, HP 56, ATT 4 × tentacles (D4 + brainsquat) or brain beam or brainwash, MV 2 (levitation), ML 11, AL Neutral

Brainsquat - if the brainsquatter deals unblocked damage with its tentacle, the tentacle will attach to its target’s face, penetrate into its brain, and begin pumping it with protoplasmic fluid. After D4 Initiative Turns, it will complete its injection, and the Initiative Turn thereafter, the fluid will coalesce into a parasite that devours that target’s brain, turning it into another brainsquatter. If the tentacle is removed from the target before the brainsquatter has completed its injection, the fluid will drip harmlessly from the target’s nose. While a brainsquatter is attached to a target, it may not move or use brain-beam or brainwash, but it may still make tentacle attacks. A brainsquatter can be attached to multiple targets at once.

Brain-beam - all within a 30’ radius of the brainsquatter must make a mind Saving Throw or be stunned for 2D4 Initiative Turns and unable to take any action.

Brainwash - the brainsquatter targets a creature within 60’, which must make a mind Saving Throw or be brainwashed by the brainsquatter. This effect lasts until the brainwashed target takes damage.

Telepathic - the brainsquatter communicates telepathically, and can read the thoughts of any creatures nearby.

Hell Knight

Threat 9, HP 72, ATT 4 × weapon (D10) or magic, MV 2, ML 12, AL Chaotic

Undead - not affected by anything that affects living creatures; immune to mind control.

Evil Presence - any creature within 10’ of the hell knight must make a pres Saving Throw or flee in terror.

Not of This Earth - the hell knight can see the souls of creatures, and its attacks count as magical damage.

General of Hell - all Chaotic creatures within 60’ of the hell knight have their Attack Rolls enhanced 1 step.

Spellshield - any Sorcery or Miracle targeting the hell knight has a 2-in-10 chance of failing, and a 1-in-10 chance of being reflected back onto the caster.

Abjure Magic (magic) - once per day, the hell knight can designate an area 20’ in diameter where no magic can be performed; this effect lasts until the hell knight chooses to end it or is killed. Any existing magical effects in the area are ended, and magical items will not function.

Hellfire (magic) - once per day, the hell knight hurls hellfire at a point within 240’. All within a 20’ radius of that point suffer 8D6 damage unless they successfully make a skill Saving Throw, which will reduce the damage by half.

Lake of Ice (magic) - once per day, the hell knight freezes the ground in a 150’ radius from itself. All non-Chaotic creatures caught in this area must make a phys Saving Throw or be frozen to the ground, unable to move, as well as taking D6 damage; if successful, they only take damage and are not frozen. A creature frozen to the ground may attempt to break out by using an action to make a DV 6 phys Check; if they are successful they break free but suffer a further D6 damage. The frozen ground counts as difficult terrain 3 for all non-Chaotic creatures.

Graphic: The Hell Knight looms, moving towards the viewer out of the frame. It is a heavily armored figure wearing the tattered remains of a robe over heavy plate. White hair flows through the sharp spires of a crown atop its skeletal face. In one hand it holds a long sword adorned with spikes and runes, in the other hand it carries a shield which twists and curls like fire around its edges, as if the shield is warping reality around itself.

Dragon

Threat 10, HP 100 (body)/20 (per limb, wing, and tail), ATT 2 × claw (D8) and 1 × bite (4D8) or tail (3D8), or breath (HP), or wing (2D6 + prone), MV 1/4 (flying), ML 10, AL Chaotic

Colossal - treat as a large Warband. Damage dealt to limbs, wings, or tail cripples.

Underbelly - damage dealt to the dragon’s soft underbelly is treated as damage to an individual.

Breath - the dragon deals its current body HP in damage to all within a 90’ cone. A Saving Throw is allowed for half damage.

Wing - all creatures within 20’ of the dragon must make a skill Saving Throw or be knocked prone and take 2D6 damage. The dragon may then move at its flying SPD.

Arcane - the dragon knows 9 Sorceries, each of which it can cast once per day as if it were a Renown 10 Errant of The Occult Archetype. Roll for essence and sphere only when creating Sorceries.

Graphic: A large dragon spans two pages, breathing fire onto the text that describes it. The dragon has a long serpentine neck, broad bat’s wings, and muscular humanoid arms and legs. It is striped like a tiger, and many spikes protrude dangerously from shoulders, elbows, and spine.

Converting NPCs

NPCs from other old-school role playing games may be used as is with little modification.

To convert HP, take half an NPC’s ascending armour class and multiply it by their hit dice.

To determine their Threat, use their hit die value. If their hit die is higher than 10, take their converted HP total and divide it by 12 to get their Threat; if this value is still higher than 10, simply treat their Threat as 10.

To determine movement dice, treat every 20’ of encounter movement rate as granting 1 movement die.

Graphic: A humanoid figure with butterfly wings and no head. Its lack of head doesn’t seem to be the result of violence, but simply its natural state. The figure holds its arms out, palms up, revealing an eye looking out from each palm. There are also eyes at the creature’s ankles, and what appear to be several eyes on its wings.

Initiative Turn Procedure

1. If combat distance is not known, determine distance.
2. If surprise is possible, determine surprise.
3. Determine Initiative Turn order.
4. Winning side acts quickly.
5. Losing side acts quickly.
6. Winning side acts slowly.
7. Losing side acts slowly.
8. Effects or conditions expire.
9. Repeat steps 3-8 until combat is resolved.