Guides are driving forces and strong connections for the character. They provide strength and a reason to get into trouble.
Create three Guides for your character. Two Bonds and one Curse from the options on following pages.
Guide Challenges
Guide Challenges follow the normal rules of a Challenge, specifically there has to be Stakes involved. If Stakes cannot be established there is no Challenge. Adventurers should give their ideas for fitting Stakes.
In place of a Challenge significant risk or sacrifice are also fitting.
Sacrifice is willingly giving up something significant. This can be something an adversary seeks, an especially valuable item or their own safety.
To Gain Strength Challenge has to be faced and Stakes have to be accepted. Success is not necessary.
Bond
Bonds are strong connections, values and ambitions that fuel the character.
• Gain Strength to Bond by facing a Challenge in line with the Guide
• Draw Strength from a Bond to immediately recover Mastery Hit-points and reduce Burden by Mastery for each dot. This does not require an Action
| Bond | Gain Strength | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Companions | Engage in friendly competition, make new friends. Sacrifice for a companion, community or guild. |
| 2 | Daring | Face a Great Adversary or unfavorable odds in battle, gamble with high stakes. Risk your safety (Subject yourself to a risk that is certain to cause a Wound or Affliction). |
| 3 | Discovery | Go to a new place, discover new knowledge, uncover lost knowledge. Take a great risk to gain information. |
| 4 | Faith | Deny the easier path due to your faith. Perform rites and sacrifices of your faith. |
| 5 | Freedom | Break free of restraints or control. Help others gain their freedom, physical or otherwise. Sacrifice to maintain or gain freedom, for yourself or another. |
| 6 | Glory | Ensure news of your exploits spread as far as possible. Be recognized for your exploits. Take a risk for fame or sacrifice to gain station. |
| 7 | Oath | Help others to keep their oath. Convince someone to keep a promise. Sacrifice or accept danger to keep your oath. |
| 8 | Rival / Vengeance | Learn plans of your rival, undermine your rival or challenge your rival openly. Help another achieve vengeance. Sacrifice or risk to lure out your rival. |
| 9 | Secrets | Learn a secret, find a hiding place or hidden passage, uncover a plot, decipher a message. Sacrifice or risk to keep a secret. |
| 10 | Treasure | Find named treasure, gain or spend great wealth (100 Coin). Sacrifice or risk for business or wealth. |
Curse
Each character starts the game with a Curse. This Curse will attempt to take over the character but also provides an unique Boon.
• Curse will Gain Strength when Curse is Compelled
• Draw Strength from a Guide to activate the Bond or Boon of the Curse. This may require an Action. Drawing Strength will Stir the Curse
| Curse | Curse Boons | Compulsion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ravening: Rage and hunger boil under your skin, pleading you to tear your flesh apart and set it free. | Monstrous Strength: As an Action Draw Strength to increase Strength, Vigor and Armor by dots used until Significant Time passes. | Kill. Eat raw meat. |
| 2 | Possession: There is another soul within you, wrestling for control. | Knowledge of the Other: As an Action Draw strength to increase Mastery by dots used. This lasts until Significant Time passes. | Dont fall asleep. Make a Will Burden Test to avoid this whenever Long Time passes. |
| 3 | Doppelganger: Your face shifts like a river and your memories float away. | Shapeshifter: As an Action Draw Strength to shapeshift into a different mortal form and increase Presence and Will by dots used until Significant Time passes. You will retain your new form even after other effects vane. | Lie about your name or your past. |
| 4 | Experiment: You were filled with strange magics and concoctions twisting your blood. | Altered Body: As an Action Draw Strength and choose one for each dot used. Effect lasts until Significant Time passes. – Immune to poison. – Ability to see in the dark. – Increase Awareness and Reflex by one. | Fail to medicate yourself. You have Medicine (5). You need one each Rest and Downtime to avoid compulsion. Medicine can be created by a Healer on Downtime. |
| 5 | Ill Omen: An occult omen follows your step. | Invoke Ill Omen: As a Response Draw Strength to impose Disadvantage on a Test for a being within sight. You can do this even after their roll. | Gamble or resolve an issue with coin toss or other game of chance. |
| 6 | Geas: You are bound by an occult pact that will take all you are. | Choose a Boon. This Boon is Cursed. Boons can be found in the Boons section. Special: Your Patron may grant dots for good service without Stirring the Curse. | Refuse your Patron. |