![[Rolling Dice.jpg|banner image]] The **9 TRAITS** are the heart of this game. Your Trait scores determine how many dice you can roll, and every action you'll take connects to one of these Traits. You can forgo rolling when it's blatantly unnecessary. *For example, if an enemy is standing in front of you in broad daylight with nothing obscuring them, then you don't need to roll Awareness to spot them.* - **AWARENESS** is your ability to notice what's around you. *For example, rolling Awareness could reveal a hidden door.* - **CHARM** is your social skills. *For example, Charm could be used to convince an enemy to stand down.* - **ENDURANCE** is how well you withstand physical and mental harm. *For example, after an explosion you can roll Endurance to stay on your feet.* - **MIGHT** is your raw physical strength. *For example, if your path is blocked by a heavy gate, you could roll Might to raise it enough to slip through.* - **POWER** is your command over magic or technology. *For example, you could roll Power to disarm a magical trap or hack into a security console.* - **SAGE** is your knowledge of the world. *For example, if you encounter an ancient inscription on a temple wall, you could roll Sage to decipher its meaning.* - **SUBTERFUGE** is your skill with stealth and subtlety. *For example, you could roll Subterfuge to sneak past patrolling guards.* - **SURVIVAL** denotes your ability to heal and manipulate the world. *For example, you could employ survival to treat yours or another’s injuries, or fashion a rope out of bedsheets.* - **SWIFTNESS** is your speed and agility. *For example, you could roll Swiftness to dodge an incoming attack.* This Trait will also be used when entering [[Rolling Dice#Combat|COMBAT FLOW]]. <br> ## A Game of Sixes Your actions are decided by a pool of six-sided dice (d6). Your Trait scores determine how many dice you roll when facing a challenge. *For example, if your character has an Awareness of 5 and you're trying to spot something hidden, you roll 5 dice. If you roll at least one 6 you succeed, and any extra successes might reveal additional details about what you found.* D6s are used for all rolls, though some Paths use d4s or d8s for specific actions. While a standard dice set includes d10s, d12s, and d20s, you won't need them for this game. Before rolling, describe what you're trying to do and how you plan to do it. Your Wayfinder might ask you to clarify if your plan is vague, or suggest a different approach if what you want to do isn't possible. When taking actions against another player or NPC (out of combat), both players will roll a relevant **Opposing Trait** (see table below). Whoever rolls more 6s wins and gets to describe what happens. *For example, a player attempting to deceive an NPC could roll Charm, while the NPC rolls Awareness to see through the lie.* | Example Trait | Example Opposing Trait(s) | | :------------ | :-------------------------- | | Awareness | Subterfuge | | Charm | Awareness/ Power | | Endurance | Might/ Power/ Swiftness | | Might | Endurance/ Power/ Swiftness | | Power | Endurance/ Power/ Swiftness | | Sage | Charm/ Power | | Subterfuge | Awareness/ Power | | Survival | Charm/ Power | | Swiftness | Might/ Power/ Subterfuge | <br> ## Overexertion Overexertion is a wager that pushes your character past their limits. If you've failed your roll, you can **OVEREXERT** to immediately try again by re-rolling all of the dice from your failed attempt. On a *successful* roll the scene progresses without penalty. On a *failed* Overexertion roll, you lose one die from the Trait used. This penalty lasts until the start of the next game session (_or for 1d4 days for asynchronous/ Play by Post games_). _For example, if you fail an Overexertion roll with a 5 in Might, you can only roll 4 dice for Might until the end of the penalty._ Players who wish to Overexert to gain additional successes may add the successes of their original roll to any gained while Overexerting. > **Wayfinder:** There's this huge cliff in your way. You'll need to scale it to keep going. Can everyone roll Might? > > (_Teddie's dice show 2, 3, and 5_) > > **Wayfinder:** Oof! No luck there. You can’t seem to find a grip. > > (_Teddie uses Overexertion for another try. This time he rolls 6, 3, and 6_) > > **Wayfinder:** Nice comeback, forget about what I said. You mustered all your strength and powered your way right up! <br> ## Combat You enter **COMBAT FLOW** by rolling a d6+ your Swiftness Score. The player with the highest number goes first, followed by all other allies and enemies in descending order. *For example, if your Swiftness Score is 5 and you roll a 4, your total for the turn order is 9.* On your turn, you can take actions to move, attack, or otherwise contextually interact with the environment. When two or more players roll the same number, you enter **SHARED COMBAT**. Players in the shared turn can act in any order they choose. For each player sharing the turn, you gain a bonus d6 to all rolls you make. A player may also give some or all of their actions to another player in they are unable to take any actions themselves. ### Rotations & Sequences Combat plays out through **ROTATIONS**, where each player takes their turn in order. A Rotation ends when all players and any characters under the control of the Wayfinder have taken their turn. Multiple Rotations form a **SEQUENCE**: the entire battle from start to finish. A Sequence ends only when you (_or your enemies_) win, run away, or fall in battle. > **Wayfinder:** A bunch of bandits are blocking the road! They're drawing their weapons. Enter Combat Flow! > > (_The players roll for Combat Flow. Luis gets a 7, Claud lands a 9, and Audi rolls a 5. Claud's in the lead, so they act first._) > > **Wayfinder:** These bandits are coming in hot! What's your move? > > **Claud:** I'm gonna try to bash them back with my shield! > > (_Claud rolls their Might dice and gets two 6s._) > > **Wayfinder:** Alright, I’m going to roll the Bandit’s Swiftness to see if he can dodge that, and… nope, you send that bandit stumbling and deal two points of damage. Luis, your turn! > > **Luis:** Let me try sweet-talking them into backing down. > > (_Luis rolls his Charm dice and gets a 2 and a 3_.) > > **Wayfinder:** Tough luck, these guys aren't in a chatty mood. > > **Audi:** I'm gonna zip behind them so I can attack on my next turn. > > (_Audi rolls their Swiftness dice and nails a 6 and a 3._) > > **Wayfinder:** Sweet moves! You slip right behind them! ### Damage & Healing Your fighting style determines which Trait you'll use in combat: Might for melee attacks, Swiftness for ranged attacks, and Power for magical or technological attacks. Before you roll: declare your intent. Are you attacking to deal damage, or are you trying to impose a Tribulation? You must choose one. These effects are not interchangeable, and you cannot switch your intent after rolling. When **attacking to deal damage**, each 6 you roll deals 1 point of damage, regardless of your weapon. Since each success only deals 1 point of damage, brute force won't always win the day. Get creative with your tactics and use your environment! Impose Tribulations, set traps, or find clever ways to turn the battle to your advantage. Dual-wielding won't increase your damage, but carrying different weapon types gives you more tactical options. When you want to **impose a Tribulation** instead of dealing damage, you need to roll enough successes to overcome your target's resistance. Your target rolls their appropriate Opposing Trait to resist. If you roll more successes than they do, your attack succeeds and they gain the Tribulation you intended. A Survival roll can restore Life Points to yourself or an ally Close to you, adding the total number of 6s to your/ their Life Points. When attempting to attack or heal multiple targets, roll your Path Die. The face value tells you how many characters you can affect, with each taking the same amount of damage/ healing. ### Distance Distance isn't measured in exact feet or meters but in the simple terms of **CLOSE**, **NEAR**, and **FAR**. Outside of combat, you may move freely without calculating distance. In combat, you can move to anything Close without taking an action, reach anything Near in a single action, and reach anywhere Far with two actions. | Distance | Reference | | :---- | :---- | | Close | Roughly 5–15 Feet (*1.5-4.5 Meters*) | | Near | Roughly 20–40 Feet (*6-12 Meters*) | | Far | Roughly 45–60 Feet (*13.7-18.2 Meters*) | <br> ## Tribulations Tribulations are negative conditions that affect your character, limiting their abilities or causing ongoing harm until you shake them off or they fade. You might suffer Tribulations from Powers, Weapons, hazards in an environment, etc. Your Wayfinder might declare you have been afflicted by a Tribulation when: - You roll no successes on a roll where failure would logically hurt or hinder your character. *For example, failing an Endurance roll as debris crashes down upon you might inflict the Unconscious Tribulation.* - You face harsh conditions or take heavy damage. *For example, traveling through extreme heat can make you Tired, or taking 5+ damage in one hit might cause Bleeding*. - An enemy lands an attack meant to cause a specific condition. *For example, a venomous snake bite might Poison you, a hypnotic gaze could Charm you, or an ice spell might leave you Frozen.* Most Tribulations fade naturally after **FIVE ROTATIONS**, except for Tired and Unconscious, which last until addressed. You cannot take the same Tribulation twice while the first instance is still active, but different Tribulations can stack. To remove a Tribulation, roll the **Recovery Trait** at the start of your turn. This uses an action. If another character's actions caused your Tribulation, including those under the control of the Wayfinder, treat this as an Opposing Trait roll. | TRIBULATION | AFFLICTION | RECOVERY TRAIT | | :---- | :---- | :---- | | Bleeding | You lose 1 Life Point when your turn starts. Any action not spent trying to stop the bleeding causes 1 more Life Point of damage. | Survival | | Burning | Take 1d4 damage at the start of each turn while actively on fire. Any action not spent trying to extinguish yourself causes 1 more Life Point of damage. | Swiftness | | Charmed | You cannot attack your charmer. Each rotation, you must follow one reasonable command they give you. | Awareness | | Enfeebled | You can only roll half your Might dice (*rounded up*). | Endurance | | Frozen | You cannot move or take any actions (*including speaking*). | Endurance | | Grappled | You're caught in a vice-like grip and are unable to Dodge, Counter, or take any action (other than Recovery Rolls). | Might/ Swiftness | | Impaired | You're either Blinded, Deafened, Muted, or in extreme circumstances afflicted by all three. If Blinded, you can't see. If Deafened, you can't hear. If Muted, you can't speak. Any roll relying upon the impaired sense/ faculty automatically fails. | Endurance | | Intimidated | You can't attack what frightens you. The source of your fear gets two extra dice for every roll made against you until your Tribulation ends. | Endurance | | Poisoned | You can only roll half your Endurance dice (*rounded up*), and your Current Life Points are halved while poisoned. You lose 1 Maximum Life Point every session (*or 1d4 days for asynchronous/ Play by Post games*) until cured or killed by the poison. | Survival | | Tired | You can only roll half your dice (*rounded up*). To recover, you must rest for 1d6 Rotations. During these Rotations, you can only take defensive actions (Dodge, Endure) but no offensive or movement actions. Once you've completed this rest time, the Tribulation ends. Outside of combat, you must rest for one entire scene or significant group task. | N/A | | Unconscious | You cannot take any action. Another character can try to wake you, giving you an extra Awareness die to roll per assisting character. | Awareness | <br> ## Death When your Life Points are reduced to 0, you gain the Unconscious Tribulation and are considered **DYING**. At the start of each of your turns while in this state, you must make a roll to determine if you survive. First, roll a d6 to set the **Death Target** for the turn. Next, roll a number of dice equal to your Endurance score. If you roll fewer successes than the Death Target, you lose 1 Life Point. If your successes match or exceed the target, you gain 1 Life Point. This process continues until you either stabilize or perish. You stabilize if you reach 1 Life Point, at which point you regain consciousness but gain the Tired Tribulation. If your Life Points fall to -5, you die permanently. Allies can use their action to make a Survival roll to help a dying character. > **Wayfinder:** That last hit slams you against the wall, and you slump to the ground. You're at 0 Life Points, Unconscious, and dying. You need to see if you can fight off death. First, roll a d6 to set the Death Target. > > (_You roll a d6 and get a 4._) > > **Wayfinder:** The target is 4. Now roll your Endurance and try to get more successes than that. > > (_You roll your Endurance dice and get one 6._) > > **Wayfinder:** Only one success. You slip a bit closer to the edge, losing 1 Life Point. You're at -1.