Core Procedures

Turns

There are four types of tracked time, known as Turns, in Errant. The kinds of actions Errants may take in each type of Turn and other relevant procedures are each detailed in their own chapter.

• Travel Turns - about four hours; used when travelling through the wilderness or other large distances. Errants generally take actions as a Company.
• Exploration Turns - about 10 minutes; used when exploring dungeons or other sites of adventure. Errants generally take actions as a Company.
• Initiative Turns - about 10 seconds; used during combat or other moments of intense action. Errants generally take actions as individuals.
• Downtime Turns - about one month; used in-between adventures when recovering at Settlements, or other long stretches of relative inactivity. Errants generally take actions as individuals.

Turn length is elastic; Turns are less a measure of time and more a measure of meaningful activity at a particular scale. For example, if the Company is exploring a city or an outdoor area instead of a dungeon, you can use Exploration Turns and treat them as lasting about an hour instead of 10 minutes.

Turn types can be nested inside each other. For example, if the Company is spending a Travel Turn to Initiative Turnmove from one hex on the map to another, and in the course of their travels encounter an abandoned cathedral of the Great Slime God Quazark that they wished to explore, the Turn type would “zoom in” to Exploration Turns. If, while searching a room in that cathedral they encountered an aggressive slime angel, the Turn type would “zoom in” to Initiative Turns.

When you “zoom out” of a Turn type, resolve any incomplete actions for that Turn before starting a new Turn: for example, after the Company defeats the slime angel, the Guide would resolve and describe any remaining outcomes of their search action before starting a new Exploration Turn.

Graphic: An Errant descends into a collapsed structure. They hold a lantern in one hand, and grip the with their other hand and between their legs. All around them are tilted and cracked statues built ten times life size. The scene is oppressively dark, the lantern providing a single bit of light in the center of the frame which fades back into complete darkness both above and below the hanging figure.

Event Die

The Event Die is a special type of die that is rolled each travel, exploration, and Downtime Turn. After the Errants declare their action(s) for a Turn, the Event Die, which is a D6, is rolled to determine what events or complications occur during that Turn (excepting Downtime Turns, where the Event Die is rolled before the Errants declare their actions). This ensures that every decision made by the Errants has meaningful consequences.

The results for the Event Die are specific for each Turn type, and are detailed on the following pages, but the general structure is shown below.

1. Encounter
2. Delay
3. Resource use
4. Local effect
5. Clue
6. Free from effect

It is up to the Guide to determine when during a Turn the result indicated by the Event Die will occur. If the Company declares that they are moving to a new room in the dungeon for an Exploration Turn and the Event Die indicates an encounter, perhaps that encounter occurs while they are en route to the new location (there was a Gravity Rat under the floorboards!), or just as the Company leaves the first room, or perhaps just as they arrive at the new location. Regardless, the Guide should make sure to resolve the outcomes of any player actions before moving on to the next Turn.

Certain conditions may add positive or negative Event Dice. For positive Event Dice, roll all the Event Dice and take the highest result; for negative Event Dice, take the lowest. Positive and negative Event Dice cancel each other out on a one to one basis.

Use the Event Die only as it makes sense to do so. If a result occurs that does not make sense for the circumstances, feel free to ignore it. If the Company is in a situation where they are safe from the possibility of threats, the Event Die may not need to be rolled (though the Guide may have the Company mark off resources at set Turn intervals).

Event Die – Travel Turns

1. Encounter
2. Rest (+1 negative Event Die) or gain 1 Exhaustion
3. Deplete all rations or lower all Supply by 1
4. Local effect
5. Encounter sign
6. Free

For each Company member who has an Encumbrance greater than 4, add +1 negative Event Die.

• Encounter - the Company encounters an NPC(s). The Guide may wish to have a list of random encounters prepared.
• Rest - the Company must spend the Turn Resting, forgoing their declared action and incurring an additional Event Die on the next Turn, or else each gain 1 point of Exhaustion.
• Deplete - the Company must Deplete rations (and animal feed) by 1 for every member of the Company; if there are no rations to be Depleted (or if food sources are plentiful), instead reduce Supply by 1 for every member of the Company. Any ongoing effects or conditions end, and perhaps other intangible resources, such as an NPC’s patience, dwindle.
• Local effect - an effect occurs that is particular to the region the Company is in. Perhaps they meet the witch who inhabits the swamp they are trekking through, or discover the ancient catacomb nestled at the foot of the mountain, or find themselves caught in a field of anti-gravity mushrooms. This result could also be used to advance any region-specific timers: the bounty hunters tracking you grow nearer, the maddening curse of the woods creeps deeper into your mind. Or perhaps, simply, the weather changes. The Guide may wish to have a table of local effects prepared.
• Encounter sign - the Company receives some clue as to what their next encounter might be: some footprints, the sound of beating wings, a figure spotted on the horizon. The Company may wish to track down whatever NPC(s) they have caught wind of here; otherwise the next time an encounter or encounter sign is rolled, it will be the one presaged by this sign.
• Free - nothing happens! The Company gains a much needed reprieve and are allowed to complete their actions in peace.

Graphic: Map drawn in a cute and simple style, depicting a variety of regions and biomes. Roads, pathways, and rivers cross the map at every angle, and little drawings of structures and animals are dotted throughout. There are mountains with faces, a great beast sleeping in the middle of a roadway, a skeleton fishing across the river from some stone ruins. Poking out from above the treetops of the forests are an observatory, a watchtower, a brick kiln, and a unicorn-giraffe. One region is filled with pineapples, square-corner structures, and happy beasts. Another shows a naked woman of titanic size sleeping among the hills.

Event Die – Exploration Turns

1. Encounter
2. Rest (+1 negative Event Die) or gain 1 Exhaustion
3. Burn all light sources or lower all Supply by 1. Deplete active Sorceries and Miracles by 1
4. Local effect
5. Encounter sign
6. Free

For each Company member who has an Encumbrance greater than 4, add +1 negative Event Die.

• Encounter - the Company encounters an NPC(s). The Guide may wish to have a list of random encounters prepared.
• Rest - the Company must spend the Turn, Resting, forgoing their declared action, and incurring an additional Event Die on the next Turn, or else each gain 1 point of Exhaustion.
• Burn - the Company must reduce the Burn on all lit light sources by 1; if there are no lit light sources, instead reduce Supply by 1 for every member of the Company. Lower the Depletion of all active Sorceries and Miracles by 1. Any other ongoing effects or conditions end , and perhaps other intangible resources, such as an NPC’s patience, dwindle.
• Local effect - an effect occurs that is particular to the area the Company is in. Perhaps a trap ahead activates, or a door swings open or shut, or the Company stumbles upon a mural depicting the history of the forgotten Eelfolk. Something dangerous might happen: a faulty mechanism or a burst pipe. This result could also be used to advance any site-specific timers: the water level in the treasure room rises higher, the guardian basilisk draws nearer, the torturer hidden at the centre of the maze removes another limb from his victim. Or perhaps, simply, a bit of atmosphere: some billowing fog or an eerie vision. The Guide may wish to have a table of local effects prepared.
• Encounter sign - the Company receives some clue as to what their next encounter might be; some footprints, the sound of beating wings, a figure spotted on the horizon. The Company may wish to track down whatever NPC(s) they have caught wind of here; otherwise the next time an encounter or encounter sign is rolled, it will be the one presaged by this sign.
• Free - nothing happens! The Company gains a much needed reprieve and are allowed to complete their actions in peace.

Graphic: A court jester cut in half at the waist. The two halves ‘stand’ next to one another, neither appearing distressed by their separation. The legs stand strong and proud, while the upper half’s arms hold on to it for support. The jester’s face is shadowed by their hair, and a grumpy crescent moon looks on from the sky above.

Event Die – Downtime Turns

1. Encounter
2. Complication
3. Expiration
4. Trend
5. Intimation
6. Free

• Encounter - the Company encounters an NPC(s). The Guide may wish to have a list of random encounters prepared.
• Complication - a negative issue affects the region; roll on the Downtime Complications table (p. 224).
• Expiration - any ongoing complications end. Any other temporary situations, arrangements, or benefits end.
• Trend - a positive or novel issue affects the region; roll on the Downtime Trends table (p. 224).
• Intimation - the Company receives some clue, perhaps relating to their next adventure, or to what the next encounter, complication, or trend may be.
• Free - nothing happens! The Company gains a much needed reprieve and are allowed to complete their actions in peace.

Graphic: A raucous tavern scene. An Errant with flailing pigtails and a whole roast chicken impaled on her sword is standing on a table, clinking mugs with a fellow who has a treasure map tattooed on their bald head. Another fellow falls backwards in their stool, tearing a leg off the sword-impaled chicken as they fall. A fourth figure lies unconscious on the ground, one leg up against the table as if they’ve just fallen off of it. Their hand is shackled to a locked chest, and a cut-open bag of treasure on the table is spilling onto their torso.

Player Roles

To ensure even distribution of labour, facilitate ease of play, and simply as a boon to the munificent Guide, whose tireless labour makes the game possible for the benefit of the roustabout players, certain responsibilities are entrusted to said wretches in the form of Player Roles.

• Caller - the caller mediates within the Company during decision making, and relays the final decision regarding Company actions taken to the Guide.
• Mapper - the mapper notes world details, making diagrams of locations as necessary.
• Note taker - the note taker records the events of a game session, noting what transpires, the names of important characters and locations, and so on.
• Quartermaster - the quartermaster is responsible for managing shared Company equipment and consumables (light, rations, and so on), as well as ensuring that everyone’s Item Slots are in order and Encumbrance is accurate.
• Timekeeper - the timekeeper keeps track of elapsed Turns and rolls the Event Die.

Graphic: Four figures sit around a table strewn with snacks, graph paper, dice, and miniatures. Two of the participants have their arms raised in excitement as they describe their actions. A third takes notes on graph paper, and the fourth references information on a tablet computer.

Reaction Rolls

If the Company encounters an NPC(s) whose reaction to the Company is uncertain or not obvious, the Guide may make a Reaction Roll to determine their disposition by rolling 2D6 and consulting the following table.

An NPC’s disposition adjusts the DV of any social Checks involving them (a pres Check to convince an unfriendly guard to look the other way would have its DV increased by 4, for example, while the same Check on an amicable guard would have its DV reduced by 2).

The Guide should feel free to add modifiers to Reaction Rolls based on the circumstances, but these should generally not exceed -3 or +3. Reaction Rolls can also be modified by an Errant’s Alignment.

Negotiations

Normally social encounters can be adjudicated through simple conversation, with reference to an NPC’s disposition, and calling for any pres Checks as necessary. For more involved conversations that explicitly involve two or more parties with conflicting wants or needs, such as legal trials, bartering, or Negotiating a treaty, the Guide may wish to run the encounter as a Negotiation.

To begin a Negotiation, the Guide makes a Reaction Roll to determine the disposition of an NPC. If a Reaction Roll was already made, the Guide can use the results of the previous roll.

An NPC’s disposition determines how many exchanges the NPC will tolerate before it tries to end the Negotiation (e.g. if an NPC’s disposition is 7, the NPC will tolerate seven exchanges). An exchange is roughly the amount of back-and-forth discussion needed to conclude a single, small topic of conversation (i.e. “How are you?” “I’m well, and you?” “Fine, thank you for asking.” is a single exchange).

If an NPC is forced to remain in conversation beyond this, their disposition will lower by 2 each exchange until it reaches 2 and they end the Negotiation in annoyance, hostility, or an outright assault. Note that changes in disposition do not affect the number of exchanges an NPC tolerates.

During a Negotiation, exchanges are classified into five categories: banal, giving, taking, convincing, and bribe. When an Errant says something, the Guide considers which category that exchange most aligns with.

Different NPCs will react differently to these exchanges. A vain and haughty princess, for example, may be receptive to compliments but easily offended, and so the Guide sets the base DV of giving exchanges at 4 with dire Position and strong Impact.

Graphic: Two companies of Errants depicted in a flat style, reminiscent of medieval iconography. They stand beneath a flowering vine, and the rays of a calm-faced sun. To the left is a heavily armored tusk-toothed figure wielding a long mace, a short person wearing fanciful jester’s clothing and a wide brimmed feathered hat while wielding a heavy crossbow, and a long-bearded wizard with a tome in one hand, extending a pouch with the other. To the right, a rabbit wielding a shield accepts the pouch from the wizard. Behind the rabbit stands an octopus in a globe of water, operating a robotic body that wields a long staff. Behind the octopus is an amorphous creature with many sharp mouths, bulging eyes, and grasping tentacles.

A banal exchange is simple, trivial conversation, small talk, and other such minutia. It requires no Check, but launching into another type of exchange without first indulging in banalities is, depending on the context, likely to raise eyebrows, and may alter the DV, Position, or Impact of later Checks.

A giving exchange involves ingratiating oneself with an NPC, whether by giving gifts, paying compliments, or simply laughing at a joke. It requires a Check.

• On a failure, or success with weak Impact, the NPC is unimpressed by the effort.
• On a success, the NPC enjoys what was given, and their disposition increases by 1.
• On a success with strong Impact, the NPC is touched, and their disposition increases by 3.

A taking exchange involves attempting to get something from an NPC, generally something they may not want to give. This includes requesting aid, asking a personal question, intimidation, and so on. These exchanges are often difficult and risky. It requires a Check.

• On a failure at dire Position, you have upset the NPC, and their disposition decreases by 3.
• On a failure, the NPC refuses and their disposition decreases by 1.
• On a failure at risky Position or success with weak Impact, the NPC agrees to a compromise.
• On a success, the NPC agrees to what you want.
• On a success with strong Impact, the NPC agrees, and offers to do more than asked for!

A convincing exchange involves attempting to get an NPC to agree to a viewpoint that is different from the one that they currently hold, such as making an argument or telling a lie. These exchanges are often difficult and risky. It requires a Check.

• On a failure at dire Position, you have offended the NPC, and their disposition decreases by 3.
• On a failure, the NPC is insulted, and their disposition decreases by 1.
• On a failure at risky Position or success with weak Impact, the NPC is unconvinced, but not insulted.
• On a success, the NPC is receptive, but requires proof.
• On a success with strong Impact, the NPC accepts what you said wholeheartedly.

A bribe exchange involves attempting to give an NPC something of value, usually money, in an attempt to change their disposition. Whether or not an NPC will accept a bribe, how they will react to it, how large of a bribe is appropriate, to what degree it will affect disposition, and so on is the purview of the Guide, though they should give some indication of an NPC’s inclinations to the Company, perhaps pending a successful Check.

Graphic: An Errant in the center of the image, facing away, walks towards an expansive forest. They have a walking staff and a sword at their hip. In the foreground pine tree branches frame the adventurer, and they walk between two large stones, the shape of them rough and conical. Ahead of them sprawls the darkness of the forest they walk towards. The treetops indicate a massive stretch of woods, and a hill rises in the far background.

Items & Equipment

Item Slots

What an Errant carries with them can be the difference between life and death. There must therefore be strict limitations on exactly how much they can carry, so as to even the odds for death somewhat.

An Errant has a number of Item Slots equal to their phys. These Item Slots represent how many items an Errant can carry.

Most items take up 1 Item Slot, but some may take up 2 or more Item Slots, or only take up ½ or ¼ of an Item Slot.

Item Slots abstractly represent both the weight of an item and how cumbersome it is (therefore, even light but unwieldy items may take up more than 1 Item Slot), but as a general Guideline, 1 slot is about five pounds and/or the size of a human head.

Items such as a normal set of clothes, a few cheap rings, a handful of pebbles, or other such insignificancia do not fill an Item Slot.

100 coins can fit in an Item Slot.

Hand, Handy & Worn

On an Errant’s character sheet, 6 Item Slots are marked differently from the rest.

2 Item Slots are marked for hands, to represent what an Errant is carrying in their hands. This does not need to be painstakingly and laboriously updated every time an Errant picks something up or puts something down, but merely helps to orient the players and the Guide in the fiction by giving a general idea of, say, who is carrying the torch and who is dragging the decapitated head of Dread King Draemon.

Up to 4 Item Slots may be marked as handy. These represent the items an Errant has stowed on easily accessible locations on their body and can access instantaneously as a free action.

Attempting to retrieve items in non-hand or handy Item Slots in time-sensitive scenarios such as Initiative Turns takes an action and has a 1-in-4 chance of successfully retrieving the correct item, with the chance increasing by one for each subsequent attempt (so, on the second attempt, 2-in-4, etc. By the fourth attempt, they have retrieved the item they wanted, though they may have emptied out the contents of their backpack doing so).

Finally, any items taking up slots that an Errant is wearing, such as armour, jewellery, or other vanities, may be marked as worn slots.

Containers

Implicit in the idea of Item Slots is that Errants have an appropriate place to store all this junk. All Errants start with a backpack, so it is safe to assume that is where most items that are not placed in worn, hand, and handy slots are being stowed.

If an Errant, however, has no suitable container to carry all their items, they are limited only to their worn, hand, and handy slots.

Also, as common sense should dictate, containers can only fit items of appropriate size: an entire suit of plate armour a backpack cannot contain.

Backpacks, sacks, pouches, and other such containers do not fill Item Slots themselves, though larger containers such as barrels and treasure chests do; these larger containers, however, can be used to carry items too large to fit in a standard backpack.

Exhaustion

Fatiguing actions such as forgoing Rest or being deprived of food and drink will cause characters to accrue points of Exhaustion.

1 point of Exhaustion fills an Item Slot.

If an Errant accrues Exhaustion equal to their phys, they die immediately.

Graphic: A soldier kneels exhausted in the dirt, supporting themselves by gripping the hilt of a longsword they’ve plunged into the ground in front of them. They hang off it as if unable to support themselves without it. They’re clad in a visored helm, and a breastplate over a chain undershirt.

Encumbrance

Greed is a slow and insidious killer. The more Item Slots an Errant has filled, the more Encumbrance they have.

An Errant gains 1 Encumbrance for every 25% of their Item Slots they have filled.

For example, when an Errant with 12 phys has less than 3 Item Slots filled, they have 0 Encumbrance; once 3 Item Slots are filled they will have 1 Encumbrance, 2 when 6 are filled, 3 when 9 are filled, and 4 when all their Item Slots are filled.

In the case that an Errant’s phys is not divisible by four, Encumbrance thresholds can be counted with ¼ Item Slots.

For example, an Errant with 13 phys gains 1 Encumbrance when 3 and ¼ Item Slots are filled, 2 Encumbrance when 6 and ½ Item Slots are filled, 3 Encumbrance when 9 and ¾ Item Slots are filled, and 4 Encumbrance when 13 Item Slots are filled.

Beyond this point, each additional Item Slot that is filled increases Encumbrance by 1.

An Errant with an Encumbrance of 8 or greater is incapable of doing anything.

Each point of Encumbrance increases the DV of Checks for physical activities such as climbing, sneaking, or swimming, as well as stabilise Checks by 1.

Encumbrance also reduces an Errant’s speed (SPD).

It is advisable for an Errant to record what their Encumbrance is both with their backpack on and off (in which case only items that are in worn, hand, and handy slots count towards Encumbrance) in case a situation warrants expeditious jettisoning of unnecessary weight.

Depletion

Consumable items such as rations and ammunition have a value called Depletion, which tracks how many uses those items have remaining.

When an item is used, or when the Event Die calls for it, lower its Depletion value by 1.

Sorceries, Miracles and other effects also have a Depletion value, which tracks how long the effect will last.

When the Event Die calls for it, lower the Depletion of any ongoing effects, Sorceries, and Miracles by 1.

Burn

Light sources such as candles, torches, and lanterns have a special form of Depletion called Burn.

Burn not only tracks the duration of a light source, but also its level of illumination.

Each point of Burn represents enough illumination for one person.

If exact measurements are required, perhaps in combat, each point of Burn illuminates an area 10 feet in diameter, centred on whomever is holding the light source.

Burn is reduced via the Event Die or other factors that may cause light sources to dim or go out. If a torch or candle is deliberately snuffed, its Burn becomes 0, and it cannot be relit. A lantern can be snuffed and relit at will.

Graphic: A dark dungeon scene in which two figures stand at a fountain embossed with images of sex and violence, while two others explore in the background. One of those at the fountain is lifting a goblet of thick dark liquid from the basin, while both turn to look back at what one of their companions has uncovered. A cleric holding a spell of light has illuminated a tangled mass of unnaturally long arms reaching towards them.

Supply

Supply represents how many torches, rations, healing kits, and so forth an Errant has brought on an adventure. Each point of Supply costs one copper penny and takes up a ¼ of an Item Slot.

When an item’s Depletion value reaches 0, an Errant may spend Supply equal to how many ¼ of an Item Slot the item takes up to restore that item’s Depletion value up to its maximum. For example, an item which fills ¼ of an Item Slot takes 1 Supply to replenish; an item that takes up ½ an Item Slot takes 2 Supply to replenish; an item that takes up 1 Item Slot requires 4 Supply to replenish. If they do not have the requisite Supply, that item is used up and removed from the Errant’s inventory.

Supply can only be used to replenish an item already in an Errant’s inventory; it cannot be used to create new items.

At the start of the next Downtime Turn, any remaining Supply in an Errant’s inventory is removed.

Armour

Each armour piece an Errant wears grants them a certain number of Blocks. When an Errant takes damage, if it makes sense to do so, they may choose an armour piece with which to Block that damage. Each Block they use from that piece of armour impairs the damage by 1 step, and is then removed.

An Errant can only use one armour piece to Block at a time (e.g. if an Errant had both a helmet and a small shield, they could choose to Block the damage from a rock falling on their head with either their helmet, which has 4 Blocks, or their large shield, which has 6 Blocks. If an Errant chooses to use 2 Blocks from their shield, impairing the damage by 2 steps, the shield then has 4 Blocks left).

Blocks can also be used to negate non-damaging harmful events if appropriate. For example, an Errant pricked with a poison needle from a trapped lock may use a Block from a glove to save themselves. If taking damage would incur an additional negative effect such as a spider’s poisoned bite or a ghoul’s paralysing claws, using a Block negates that effect in addition to impairing damage.

When an Errant Rests, they may use an armour repair kit to restore all their Blocks.

Weapons

Weapons fit into one of three categories.

• Heavy weapons are melee weapons that require the use of two hands, such as polearms and longswords, or missile weapons such as longbows or heavy crossbows. They fill 2 Item Slots and do 1 extra damage.
• Medium weapons are standard sized melee weapons, such as an arming sword or a hand axe, or missile weapons such as composite bows or light crossbows. They fill 1 Item Slot and receive no bonuses or penalties to damage.
• Light weapons are small melee weapons such as daggers or hatchets, or missile weapons such as darts, blowguns, or hand crossbows. They fill ½ an Item Slot and reduce damage by 1 (to a minimum of 1).

An Errant may wield a melee weapon in each hand so long as one weapon is medium or light and the other is light. When doing so, light weapons do not receive the normal 1 point damage reduction.

Missile weapons can be fired at the following ranges, measured in either feet or yards depending on whether combat is occurring in a confined area or an open one. The first number gives a weapon’s normal firing range, and the second gives its extended firing range. Targeting something within a weapon’s extended firing range causes the damage to be impaired 1 step.

Graphic: A dragon sleeps curled up like a cat. Three swords protrude from its body.

• Thrown - 20/40
• Light - 30/60
• Medium - 80/160
• Heavy – 150/300

When a missile weapon rolls a maximum damage on a damage die as part of an Attack Roll, lower the Depletion of its ammunition by 1. This may only happen once per Attack Roll.

Though no mechanical distinction is made between different types of weapons other than which category they fall into, the Guide should consider the benefits and drawbacks of weapons in different circumstances. For example, polearms and whips have extended range; thrusting weapons are effective in tight quarters; daggers are easy to smuggle; firearms are loud; spears and whips are effective at tripping. At the Guide’s discretion they may rule that, based on the weapon and the circumstance, damage may be enhanced or impaired, a Status may be inflicted, or the Position or Impact of a gambit may be changed.

Graphic: A trio of skeletons stand around the frame. Two are holding fancy glowing weapons in triumphant posture, while the third rests with hands on knees as if exhausted. A horned woman stands behind the central skeleton, sword held over her head ready to strike at it from behind.

Magic Weapons & Armour

While all arcane arms and armaments will bear unique effects, there are some commonalities to be found amongst them.

All magic items are masterwork Quality.

Weapons that confer a plus bonus (e.g. +1 to +3) have that many True Strikes, which can be used to deal maximum damage across all damage dice. A True Strike can be used after damage has been rolled. True Strikes replenish after a Downtime Turn. Using a True Strike does not lower the Depletion of ammunition.

Armour pieces that confer a plus bonus (e.g. +1 to +3) have, in addition to their normal amount of Blocks, that many Deflects. One Deflect can be used to completely negate any incoming damage or other harmful negative effect. A Deflect can be used after damage has been rolled. Deflects replenish at the start of a Downtime Turn.

Settlement Types

The scope of truck and barter that can occur is dependent on the size of a given area’s economy, which is indicated by its Settlement Type. The criteria for determining Settlement Type is dependent on your campaign world and its relative level of population, but the following may serve as a general rubric:

• Tier 1 (Hamlet) - 10 or so souls.
• Tier 2 (Village) - 100 or so souls.
• Tier 3 (Town) - 500 or so souls.
• Tier 4 (City) - 1,000 or so souls.
• Tier 5 (Metropolis) - 10,000 or so souls.

Rarity

Items and Retainers have a Rarity rating between 1 and 5, corresponding to Settlement Types; 1 is hamlets, 2 is villages, 3 is cities, 4 is towns, and 5 is metropolises.

Items and Retainers of a certain Rarity can be freely bought and sold in the Settlement Type they correspond to and all larger Settlements (e.g. Rarity 3 items can be found in towns, cities, and metropolises). Rarity also determines the resale value of used or previously owned mundane goods: a Rarity 1 item carries 10% of its original worth, while a Rarity 5 item carries 50% of its original worth.

Rarity can also be used to determine the availability of a given item. Even in a Settlement where items of a given Rarity are available, not all items will be equally available, nor present in unlimited quantities. If the Guide feels it appropriate, they may have an Errant test the availability of an item when they attempt to purchase it. To test the availability of an item, roll a D100: a Rarity 1 item has a 90% chance of being available, whereas a Rarity 5 item has a 50% chance of being available. If an item is unavailable, its availability cannot be tested for again until the next Downtime Turn.

Items and Retainers of a higher Rarity than the Settlement Type one is in or that are otherwise unavailable may potentially still be bought, sold, or hired, though it will take effort, time, and money on the part of the Errants. Items will likely have to be commissioned, bartered, or haggled for, and skilled Retainers specifically sought after.

Graphic: A solitary hand holds an eyeball between thumb and forefinger. Lines of magic radiate in the direction the eye is looking.

Quality & Breakage

The measure of a weapon or armour piece’s durability is known as Quality. Buying items at the listed prices assumes that items are of average Quality. For weapons and armour, an Errant can choose to pay either half the price to purchase an item of shoddy Quality, or double the price to receive an item of masterwork Quality.

A shoddy item has 1 Quality, an average item has 2 Quality, and a masterwork item has 3 Quality. Shoddy items have 1 fewer Rarity, and masterwork items have 1 additional Rarity.

When an Errant rolls a 1 on their damage die as part of an Attack Roll, the weapon used has its Quality reduced by 1. If the Attack Roll involves multiple dice, reduce the Quality by 1 for every 1 rolled. Note that if the damage die is impaired to 1, this still counts as rolling a 1.

When damage is rolled against an Errant and the highest number on the die is rolled, reduce the Quality of an armour piece by 1 (if an Errant uses an armour piece to Block, reduce the Quality of that armour piece, else determine as makes the most sense). If the damage being rolled against an Errant consists of multiple dice, reduce the Quality of an armour piece (or pieces) for each die that rolls its highest result. Note that if the damage is impaired to 1, this still counts as rolling maximum damage.

When an item reaches 0 Quality, it is destroyed. The Quality of an undestroyed weapon or armour piece can be restored by hiring an armourer during a Downtime Turn.

All other items can be assigned a Breakage value, represented as a chance in six, to measure how likely they are to break when damaged or subject to situations where they are liable to break (say, if a lamp is dropped on the ground, a flask falls out of one’s backpack, a backpack is crushed against a wall, and so on). For example, delicate items might have a Breakage of 5-in-6, hardy items a Breakage of 1-in-6, and normal items a Breakage of 3-in-6.

Currency

The standard trade coin is the copper penny. The prices for all items listed below are given in pennies. 10 copper pennies makes a silver shilling, and 10 silver shillings makes a guilder. The average peasant household earns about a hundred shillings a year. Large transactions are often paid for with bonds, issuances of credit, assets, oaths of fealty, or favours.

Graphic: A purse of coins full to overflowing. They spill out the top into a heap.

Inflation

Accounting for the intricacies of a fantasy economy involves far too many variables to model with a simple set of rules. The Guide is encouraged to be aware of the resources, productive capabilities, and trade relationships of any given Settlement should it become important to game play.

The following rules, however, provide a framework for modelling the kind of inflation that occurs when a rabble of roustabouts descends upon a Settlement and consumes all the torches, rations, and other essential supplies they can get their dirty paws on. How this changes a Settlement’s trade relationships and opinion of the Company is left for the Guide to judge.

Each Settlement has a set amount of Supply that can be purchased in between Downtime Turns, based on its Settlement Type. When this amount has been reached, no further Supply nor any item requiring Supply to replenish can be bought.

When Errants buy a certain amount of Supply, inflation occurs; first prices double, then they quadruple, then sextuple, and so on.

Supply Available per Downtime Turn

Inflation affects adjacent areas; areas one hex adjacent to the source of inflation have prices one level lower, and hexes adjacent to those have prices one level lower still. So if a city had prices sextupled, then in all the hexes adjacent to that city, prices would quadruple, and in the hexes adjacent to those doubled; beyond that, prices would be normal.

So long as Errants do not increase the inflation level, it drops by 1 level per Downtime Turn.

Graphic: Two armored figures locked in battle as the sun sets between them. A skeleton in mail armor is thrusting a lance into its foe, penetrating their armor and coming out the other side of their torso. The impaled figure, a goose person in plate, holds a longsword above their head with one hand, and grips the base of the lance that impales them with the other.