Character Generator
How to Play
Adventure: Out on a Limb
Adventure: Bone Idols
About

Game
Master

If this is your first time playing Story Mode

read the full rules before starting

Playing safely

Before the game begins, discuss with the group if there are any themes or topics which make you or them uncomfortable and which you don't want to come up during gameplay. These could be anything at all. Ensure you avoid these completely during the adventure and be prepared to change tack if something comes up unexpectedly.If a situation comes up during the game which makes you or another player feel uncomfortable, simply pause and move on with no questions asked. No one needs to give a reason for not wanting to discuss a topic.

Your First Adventure

The party has come to Enith, a small fishing town which sits on the cliffs at the end of a long and barren peninsula.Recently, several ships have been wrecked on the rocks beneath Enith's cliffs and no survivors have been found.The locals are too scared to investigate whatever is causing the problem, which they believe is residing in Kemph’s Cavern, a network of caves in the cliffs near the reef. They whisper rumours of pirates or ghouls.Brek, a fisherman in Enith, was the only person brave enough to pilot the party through the dangerous waters to the caves.

When you're ready to play, read the following aloud:

With a storm brewing in the distance, in the low evening light, you are coasting along in Brek's boat. Surfing up and down waves as you pass the jagged cliffs which tower above you. The boat turns slightly and you glide into a small cove.Rocks like teeth protrude above the swirling waves and cast eerie shadows against the cliff face in the light of the sunset. The spray is cold on your face and blinking salt water from your eyes, you notice the carcasses of several ships being raised and lowered on the tide, imprisoned behind the jagged rocks.Splintered boards, bits of rope and various other flotsam passes you. Who knows how many boats have been wrecked here.Before you can give it much thought, you catch sight of the gaping cave at the zenith of this cove. It yawns open forming a roof above a small shingle beach which will be your landing.Brek steers the boat up to the shingle and tells you that he will wait here till midnight, but no later.

The Cave

Characteristics

Stone walls. Slick, solid, worn by the sea in the entrance. Coarse and jagged with stalagmites and stalagtites deeper inside.
Dim. Moonlight creeps into the cave.
Stale. Smells of damp and salt.
Peaceful. Occasional noises of drips and constant roar of the waves lapping on the beach.

2

Tidal Barrier

A little further down the passageway, a 10ft ledge rises up from the shingle floor, providing a natural barrier for the sea water at high tide.The rock face is smooth, featureless and slippery. There are a few jagged rocks and small stalagmites on the upper level.

4

Goblin's Den

A large chamber - 30-40ft in diameter.4 goblins sit huddled around a fire.They look bedraggled, tired and hungry.On any noise or commotion, a Goblin Chieftain comes from the eastern passageway.The goblins were travelling around the coast and were attacked in their boat by the ‘horrible purple sea beast’. They have been cowering in here for days - they’re out of food and water.Among the goblins trappings are a few rusty tools and weapons, the remains of food wrappings, torn and damaged poor quality clothing plus a Sword of Blinding Light.

Goblin

Normally conniving and sly creatures, this group is reduced to emaciated shadows of themselves after their recent experience. Though they will appear vicious, they are likely to give up at the first hints of real trouble.Fearful and defensive. Upon noticing the party they will jump up and grab their weapons, but they will not attack unless provoked.

10 Health
Attacks: Bow/ Scimitar - D4 damageAmbush – Goblins act first in combat.

Goblin Chieftain

Just as bedraggled as the other goblins within this cave, but still retains its resolve and determination to survive.
This brutally ugly goblin, scarred and hardened from years of experience on these coasts.

15 Health
Attacks: Greatsword - D6 damageCharge – Action. Shouts rousing expletives. Other goblins' attacks ignore armour until the goblin chief's next turn.

6

Secluded Lagoon

Passageway slopes down to another sand and shingle beach on the edge of a large trapped pool within a space which is open to the sky. A narrow gap in the rocks opposite the cave exit looks out onto the ocean.The moon peeks out through occasional gaps in the storm clouds. Thunder rumbles overhead.Narrow boxes are stacked under the shelter of an overhanging rock.A Kraken lives in the pool, and leaves to the open ocean through a tunnel beneath.When anyone comes close to the water, it starts bubbling and the Kraken attacks the party, tentacles reaching out from the water to grapple and strike them.A section of rock overhangs the pool on one side, Lightning may strike it, loosening it slightly.

Kraken

A terrifying denizen of the deepest depths of the ocean which has made it's home within this secluded cave. Attacks anything which comes close enough to disturb it.

40 Health
Attacks: Many limbs - D8 damage - Two per action.Grappled – A character the Kraken hits is grappled by the tentacle unless it succeeds a skill check. The character can’t move other than to attack the tentacle until they use an action to free themselves. The Kraken must use its attack on creatures it is already grappling.Dealing 5 damage in a single turn to a tentacle will sever it.

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Player

Quick Start

Story Mode is a game for weaving awesome stories and exploring exciting new worlds.Adventurers explore the wild and dangerous parts of the world in search of fame, ancient treasure and powerful artifacts. Monsters haunt the shadows of long abandoned ruins and deadly threats hide around every corner.Story Mode is best played by 4-6 players who have some dice, a way of making notes and a longing for adventure.
Recommended: Snacks, Drinks, Atmospheric Music.One player is the Game Master (GM) who describes the environment, narrates the story and portrays non-player characters (NPCs).Each other player creates a character using the character generator below. These characters will form the Party.
Use their abilities and equipment to solve problems and drive the story forwards.The GM chooses an adventure to guide the party through. Spend a few minutes reading the overview of the adventure before you begin.The GM describes the environment and situation the adventurers are in.
The players ask questions from the GM and describe their adventurers' actions. The GM describes the outcome.When the outcome of an action is uncertain, make a skill check.When things get tense, track actions and movement in turns. Players roll a skill check to determine turn order. The GM acts for monsters and any NPCs on their turn.When a character takes damage from attacks or other effects, deduct it from their health. When their health reaches 0, they die.Armour negates damage equal to its defence.Spend willpower to change dice results. Characters have a penalty to future skill checks for each willpower spent. When they spend it all, they test their willpower.Resting restores willpower, health and other abilities.

Complete rules can be found here

When you're ready the adventure begins below

Create a character below to play

You will guide this character through the adventure

Character Generator

How To Play

The narrative should be at the forefront of gameplay, rather than the mechanics. These rules serve as tools to help propel the story forwards and create fun at the table.In instances where a rule is unclear, the GM has the final say and should make the decision based on what is most fun for the table as a whole.

Playing the Game

Story Mode is like most roleplaying games, in each scene a combination of the following may take place:
- The GM describes the environment and relevant NPCs.
- Players ask questions to the GM about the scene and environment.
- Player Characters converse with NPCs in the scene, with the NPCs portrayed by the GM.
- Players describe how their characters behave or react to the world around them, and take actions which are arbitrated with skill checks if necessary.

Characters

Each player creates a character using the Character Generator and uses their abilities and equipment to solve problems and drive the story forwards.

Abilities

Each character has abilities which grant them unique actions or augment their chance of success with specific skill checks.

Health

Health represents a character’s physical wellbeing.When characters take damage, points are deducted from their health. When it reaches 0, they die.
Health cannot drop below 0 or be replenished above the characters maximum health.

Willpower

Willpower represents a characters determination to go on adventuring. Each character starts with 3 willpower.
At any time, a character may spend 1 willpower to replace the result of a die roll with the highest value on that die. The roll does not count as a 'critical success'.
For each willpower a character has spent, they have a -1 penalty to skill checks and their inventory capacity is reduced by 1.
If they spend it all, they must test their willpower.

Testing willpower

When a character has no willpower left, they lose something. Roll on the following table to determine what it is.

Resolving Actions

Most actions are automatically successful and the GM narrates the outcome.
Any time the outcome of an action is uncertain, the player makes a skill check to determine what happens.

Advantage and Disadvantage

In some circumstances, when the chances of success or failure are particularly high, the GM may grant advantage or disadvantage on a skill check or other roll.Advantage:
Roll two dice and take the highest result.Disadvantage:
Roll two dice and take the lowest result.This can apply to any dice roll, including damage and out of action checks.Some abilities provide advantage or a numerical bonus or penalty to modify specific skill checks.

For attack actions, see Violence

Tracking Time

Story Scenes

Most gameplay will take place as story scenes, where there is no direct threat to the players and no time sensitive tension.There is no need to determine turn order during story scenes and players may take actions in any order they wish.

Action Scenes and Turns

Time sensitive problems and combat take place in action scenes where time is tracked as abstract turns lasting a few in-game seconds.At the start of the action scene each player rolls a skill check to determine the order turns are taken in.
Those that succeed act before the GM in any order and those that fail act afterwards.On the GMs turn, they move and take actions for any NPCs or enemies in the scene as well as describing any environmental effects or actions.During each turn, a character may move and take one action.

Delayed Action

A player may choose to defer their action or attack until later in the round. To do so, the player describes the action they’d like to take and the circumstances which will trigger their action.

Movement

Characters may move to somewhere nearby during their turn.
If they wish to move towards a faraway or distant location, they can move one range band closer within their turn.

Range

Abstract range bands convey how close or far apart things are during action scenes:Close
Within 2m
A character must get close to another to touch them or make a melee attack against them.Nearby
~10m
Nearby characters can clearly speak to and make thrown weapon attacks against each other.Faraway
~30m
Faraway characters can shout to and shoot at each other.Distant
More than 30m
Distant characters can’t make out details, shoot or communicate easily.

Armour

Each piece of armour grants an amount of defence.
Each instance of damage from attacks and spells is reduced by your total defence.
Each piece of Armour takes up a number of inventory slots equal to its defence.A character may deduct 1 from the defence of a piece of armour to negate all damage from a single attack or effect. When a piece of armour's defence becomes 0, it is broken beyond repair.Characters may only benefit from one piece of each type of armour at a time. (Armour, Helmet, Shield)

Equipment

Each character may carry 12 items.
Characters have the means of supporting themselves including a bedroll and basic rations, not included within their item count.

Resting

Take a breather - 1 hour
Restore up to 1 willpower (may not increase above 5). Roll d6 and regain that much health.Sleep - 8 hours
Replenish all willpower, health, mana and limited daily abilities.If an adventurer does not sleep for a day, they lose 1 willpower.

Morale

When the tide of battle turns in the party's favour, their enemies may flee or surrender if their morale fails.
Roll 1d12 when one of the following occurs:
- The enemy group's leader is killed.
- The enemy group is reduced to half numbers.
- A single enemy is reduced to half health.
If the result is higher than the total combined level of remaining enemies, they will flee or surrender. Fleeing on an even result and surrendering on an odd one.

Magic

As the forces that bind the material planes weaken, power bleeds through from the void, seeping into every corner and soaking into the atmosphere.
Some have discovered how to tame this power, to bend it to their will and create strange effects which can only be described as Magic.Some abilities allow characters to cast spells. Otherwise, spell scrolls and magic items can grant limited uses.Unless specified otherwise, all spells require an action to cast.

Spell Scrolls

Characters may have in their inventory, or find in their adventures, spell scrolls - magic imbued onto a page and ready to be cast by the reader.
Any character may attempt to cast a spell from a scroll or magic item as an action.When attempting to cast a spell from a scroll, make a skill check.
On a success, cast the spell as normal.
On a failure, the spell is cast but the scroll is destroyed.
On a result of 1 or less, the spell fails catastrophically. Roll on the Miscast table below or use the miscast button in the character sheet tools to determine an effect which occurs instead of the intended spell.

Characters

Equipment

If you roll lower than 10 for your weapon, roll again. Gain a Shield on even results.

Abilities

Agile
Nimble, deft, quick - you have a control over your body which is unmatched.
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to:
- Balance
- Acrobatic stunts
- Moving across difficult terrain or obstacles
- Dodging something which may cause physical harmAlways Prepared
Always thinking ahead, always considering the corner cases, you are never without what you need to complete the job.
If the party is in need of an item during the adventure, you will just happen to have one in your pack with a successful skill check. Describe how you came to have the item.Athletic
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to physical skills such as climbing, jumping or swimming.Animal Friend
You may communicate simple concepts with animals.
You can summon a nearby animal with a successful skill check.Assassin
When you hit a creature with an attack while they are unaware of your presence, the attack deals an additional 1d6. When you attack, you are no longer hidden.Battle-hardened
The first time you are reduced to 0 health each day, instead of dying, you gain 1d6 health.Beast Form
You may transform into an animal as an action once per day. Spend a willpower for additional uses.
- Small animal forms do 1d4 damage and have a +2 bonus to skill checks relating to being nimble and quick.
- Large animal forms do 1d8 damage and have a +2 bonus to skill checks relating to being strong.
You may not use other abilities whilst in animal form.Bloodthirsty
If you kill a creature with a melee attack, you may make another melee attack this turn.Bodyguard
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to intimidation.
You may choose to take damage for creatures who are close to you, damage taken this way is halved.Born Survivor
You can always find somewhere safe and comfortable for the party to sleep.Brute
Advantage on damage rolls with two-handed weapons.Cantrip
Learn a level 0 spell which you may cast once per day. Spend a willpower to cast it additional times.Charismatic
+2 bonus to skill checks to impress, persuade or charm other characters.Deadly
Your damage dice become one size larger. i.e. D6 becomes D8Determined
Restore 2 willpower instead of 1 when taking a breather.Devout
You have given your life in service of a god. They teach you, guide you, their values are your own.
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to religion and the divine.
Advantage on out of action checks.
You may spend ten minutes praying once per day. Make a skill check, if you succeed your god will answer a single question. The answer will be provided by the GM.Dextrous
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to delicate tasks.Disguise
You have the equipment and skills needed to change your physical appearance. Putting on a disguise takes 1 hour and once you are finished, you cannot be recognised as your true self.Dungeoneer
You can never be lost in a dungeon and you always know the quickest way out.
+2 bonus to skill checks related to perceiving your surroundings and searching for hidden or secret things when in a dungeon.Fast Hands
You may take an additional action on one of your turns once per day. Spend a willpower for additional uses.Genius
Once per day, you can work out a useful piece of information or hint about the current situation. (The GM will give this to you.)
Spend a willpower for additional uses.Gourmet
While resting, you can cook delicious food for the party.
Anyone who eats it gains 1d6 temporary health until the next rest. When this health is deducted, it cannot be regained as normal health.Handy
You have a knack for understanding how objects are made and how they work.
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to understanding or repairing objects.
You may repair an additional point of defence during a rest. This may be for another character's armour.Hardy
+2 bonus to skill checks to resist poison or similar physical effects and temperature extremes.
When you gain this ability, roll a D6 and add the total to your maximum health.Healing Hands
Restore 1d6 health to a character as an action once per day. Spend a willpower to use this ability additional times.Hunter
+2 bonus to skill checks when performing the following tasks in the wilderness:
- Listening
- Tracking
- Moving silently or undetected
- Finding foodInfrared Vision
The power of the void has warped the way you perceive the world and now colours have faded to grey while temperature extremes stand out in vivid colour.
You can see objects or creatures which generate heat, even when on the other side of a wall.Insightful
Your read of people is uncanny. Whether in body language or facial expressions, you see a persons true feelings.
+2 bonus to skill checks to discern another characters true intentions, or whether they are telling the truth or withholding information.Investigator
You have a knack for finding the hidden, the secret, the obscure.
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to searching for hidden objects or clues.Lucky
It's gone beyond coincidence. You are blessed with unexplained luck which keeps you alive and guides your actions to success.
Reroll the result of a skill check or damage against you once per day. Spend a willpower for additional uses.

Medic
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to physiology and the diagnosis of illness.
You have a medical kit with 3 uses. Use it to restore 1d4 health to a character as an action.Mimic
You can perfectly imitate someone else's voice, or a simple sound with a successful skill check.Monster Slayer
You may choose a creature you can see as your target. Attacks you make against that creature deal an additional 1d6 damage.
You have advantage on skill checks to find or track that creature.Navigator
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to navigation and piloting vehicles.
You cannot be tracked by non-magical means.Naturalist
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to knowledge of plants, animals and terrain.Night Vision
You can see in the dark.Observant
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to perceiving your surroundings.
You and anyone you are with cannot be surprised in action scenes.Parry
When a creature rolls 1 or 2 on a damage roll against you, you may make an attack against them.Peacemaker
As an action, you may attempt to bring an end to hostilities. Succeed on a skill check and fighting around you will stop for the time being.
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to calming or befriending hostile creatures.Perfect Memory
You always know the time and which way is North.
You can remember in perfect detail anything which you have seen or heard in the last month.Performer
You are an artist, able to capture and hold an audiences attention.
As an action, you begin a performance and may not take other actions whilst performing.
You may affect nearby creatures in one of the following ways for as long as the performance lasts. If damaged, succeed a skill check or the performance ends.
• Inspiration: Nearby allies gain a +2 bonus on skill checks and attacks.
• Charm: Make a skill check, if you succeed, one nearby creature falls under your influence. They will obey one simple command or perform one simple action for as long as the performance continues. If you fail, the creature is immune to this ability for the rest of the day.
• Bane: Nearby opponents have a -2 penalty to attacks and skill checks.Scholar
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to history and science.Seer
You meditate for ten minutes and ask the GM a question about the near future, you recieve an answer by way of strange visions.
The GM rolls a d6 in secret, on a 1 or 2, the visions are misleading.
One use per day. Spend a willpower for additional uses.Sense Power
You can sense all nearby magical objects and enchantments and loosely discern their effect.Sharpshooter
Advantage on damage rolls for ranged attacks.Shield Master
Shields you are using grant an additional 1 defence.Smuggler
You can effectively hide an object on your person so that it cannot be found.Stealthy
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to hiding and moving undetected.Street Smart
When in an urban environment, you have a +2 bonus to skill checks related to percieving your surroundings and detecting danger.
You always know where to find the type of area, or service you're looking for in a town.Strong
+2 bonus to skill checks to move heavy objects.
Your inventory capacity is increased by 6.Swift Recovery
Advantage on dice rolls to recover health.Sword Master
Advantage on damage rolls with swords.Telepath
When you touch a creature, you can discern their surface level thoughts.Temporal Influence
You can exert limited control over the flow of time, allowing you to affect the outcome of a creatures actions.
After a nearby creature you can see makes a damage roll or skill check, you can force the creature to reroll. The target must use the result of the second roll.
One use per day. Spend a willpower for additional uses.Tough
Years of being battered and bruised have made you hard and given you a natural resistance to pain.
You gain an additional 1 defense which is lost and restored in the same way as armour you are wearing.
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to resisting physical damage which cannot be dodged.Vicious
+2 to damage rolls for melee attacks.Warrior
Your life has been spent training for the battlefield and you are a master of your deadly craft.
You may make an additional attack each turn.Well Connected
You are always able to find an associate or someone willing to help you in the nearest settlement.Well Travelled
+2 bonus to skill checks relating to:
- Understanding languages and communicating with people regardless of language barriers
- Recalling information about geography, history and foreign cultures

Magic

Monsters

The world is full of strange and dangerous creatures. This bestiary contains just a sample.Each monster has a level to determine how dangerous an encounter is.
Add up the total levels of all monsters in an encounter and compare to the number of characters in the party:

Monsters and NPCs have health determined by their level. Roll a number of d8s equal to their level to determine their health when it becomes relevant.
Attacks are listed with the number of targets and possible range.Consult the table below when creating your own monsters for guidance on health and attack damage:

Example Monsters

Banshee

Appearing as a gruesome spectral visage, the banshee is a victim of a curse, bound to a location and unable to die. It will attempt to lure unwitting creatures in a bid to have them share its grizzly fate and as such, a large group of Banshees can colonise an area.

L3
Actions:
Claw - 1d4 damage
Mournful wail - The banshee lets out a deafening wail which cuts through any creature which hears it. Each creature affected must succeed a skill check or be unable to move or take actions on it’s next turn.

Golem

Beings constructed of clay, stone, steel or lead; bound together by magic and fire. Usually made to serve a singular purpose and destroyed when their duty is complete.Immutable purpose - The golem cannot be caused to disobey its masters’ instruction.
Magicproof - This creature cannot be affected by spells, other than those which cause damage.

L4
Actions:
Fists - 1d6 damage - The Golem may make two attacks each turn.

Gremlin

Labelled as pests by much of society. You will often find these creatures on the edge of urban sprawls, scrounging in waste piles and animal pens for morsels to eat. They delight in wreaking havoc by sabotaging machinery and equipment.
Gremlins can magically lock or unlock doors, padlocks or other mechanisms.

L1
Actions:
Bite - 1 damage

Griffon

Ancient guardians of divine items and sacred places. Half-lion, half-eagle in appearance, they are as majestic as they are trustworthy. Once charged with a duty by a higher being, their faithfulness will never waver.

L5
Flying - The Griffon can fly
Actions:
Claws - 1d10 damageRapid - When not flying, the Griffon may instead make two Claw attacks which deal 1d6 damage each.

Minotaur

Part-man, part-bull. No one knows if the Minotaur is a natural creation, or the result of a curse or transfiguration gone awry. Nor has anyone been able to ask the creature, owing to it's erratic temper and inability to speak.

L5
Actions:
Charge - 2d6 damage

Treant

Ponderous and peaceful creatures which roam forests, wildlands and plains tending to the land and keeping in check the natural order.

L4-10
Pacifist - Treants will not engage in combat.

Overview

Duration: 2 hoursWhen desert gnomes die, their bodies do not rot and perish and return to the earth like those of humans. They are dehydrated, the moisture removed by the sands and sun, leaving a leathery husk. Those husks are then placed in burial mounds. This is the greatest of those mounds, created as the final resting place of the desert monarchy. Gnome Kings and Queens have been buried here for centuries.A generation ago, the last and greatest of the gnome Kings died. The remaining gnomes still worship the late King Tyrrel and wish to return him to life, and their colony to glory.The party have arrived here following the discovery that the tomb is the epicentre of a sudden, extreme and unnatural local drought. The nearby town of Trockenvale has sought the party’s help to end it.

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• Encounters
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Ready if you need them: