AUTHOR'S FOREWORD

When I started working on this game back in 2017, one thing was already clear: in a time when tabletop roleplaying games seemed dominated by dark fantasy titles and gruesome, gritty tales of opportunistic characters steeped in nihilism, I felt the need for a refreshing alternative.

I wanted a game of magical worlds and optimistic stories, steeped in the wondrous aesthetics of the Japanese console RPGs that had left me speechless as a kid. There was an element of nostalgia, sure, but it was accompanied by a conscious need to write a game based on cooperation, hope, and mutual trust; both in the stories it was meant to tell and in its very ruleset.

For its working title I went with "Fabula Ultima" — a Latin phrase that could be translated as "Last Fable" or "Ultimate Story". Needless to say, this was a tongue-in-cheek homage to what is probably the most notorious JRPG saga in existence, and also my first encounter with the genre (Final Fantasy X, back in 2001).

During the spring of 2018, my health condition unfortunately plummeted, and the name "Fabula Ultima" took on a bit of an ominous ring. Luckily enough, this ended up being nothing too serious — but that title had accompanied me during those harsh months, so I decided to keep it for the final release. After all, the whole point of the game was to tell tales of heroes who achieve their goals by overcoming suffering and defeats, in the hopes of a better future.

Working on Fabula Ultima was neither easy nor quick, but dozens of people have given me the strength I needed over the years: some by supporting me via Patreon, others simply sharing the game and playing with me. Testing and experimenting, again and again, in a process of constant rebuild and transformation that ultimately resulted in the book you are reading today; speaking of which, my collaboration with Need Games was crucial. While the release was announced during 2020, our conversations about the game date back to 2018: Nicola has followed the project since its beginning, and sometimes I really think he's enamoured with it more than I am!

Anyway, I've definitely written too much already: now it's time for the game to speak on its own. All I ask of you is to let yourselves be swept into a heroic adventure rife with hope, adversities, rebellion and emotions — and to do so by trusting those who play with you, and being passionate about their ideas.

To fight for what you believe in, because this is your story.

W ORIGIN AND INSPIRATIONS

Fabula Ultima is partially based on the tabletop roleplaying game Ryuutama, written by Atsuhiro Okada and published in English by Kotodama Heavy Industries.

This game was written and produced under advisement of, with permission from, and with the complete final approval of, both Kotodama Heavy Industries and Atsuhiro Okada. Please visit http://www.kotohi.com for more information about Ryuutama.

Among the countless sources of inspiration for this game I want to mention:

• Jonathan Tweet & Rob Heinsoo's 13th Age; Alberto Tronchi's Aegis; Christian Giffen's Anima Prime; D. Vincent Baker's Apocalypse World; Takeshi Kikuchi & Studio F.E.A.R.'s Arianrhod; John Harper's Blades in the Dark (from which the Clock mechanic was directly derived); Luke Crane's Burning Wheel; Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins & James Wyatt's Dungeons & Dragons: 4th Edition; Fred Hicks & Rob Donoghue's Fate; Rikizō's Kamigakari; Junichi Inoue's Tenra Bansho Zero; and Ron Edward's Sword, Soul, and Sex collection of supplements for Sorcerer.

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My heartfelt thanks go to Davide Baravalle, Andrea Bergamelli, Gianluca Candiago, Gaia Cardinali, Francesco Castelli, Alberto Ceirano, Lorenzo Costamagna, Cryo, Nicola DeGobbis, Deshter, ExtantLily, Daniele Galliano, Alex Grisafi, Andy Kitkowski, Chiara Listo, Andrea Lucca, Chris MacLean, Luca Maiorani, Marco Munari, Enrico Orlandi, Alberto Orlandini, Marta Palvarini, Andrea Parducci, Domenico Politi, Claudio Pustorino, Alec Rezanka, Matt Sanchez, Aaron der Schaedel, Claudio Serena, Justin "Gyromitre" Solatges, Sara "Kurolily" Stefanizzi, Marco Tarasconi, Alena Tincher, Triex, Erica Viotto, and Giuseppe Vitale; to Lorenzo Magalotti, Moryo, Sascha Naderer e Catthy Trinh for gifting shape and color to Fabula Ultima;

to Lara "Phenrir Mailoki" Arlotta, Michele "Sabaku no Maiku" Poggi and Marcus "epicnamebro" Sanders for the excellent JRPG-themed content they tirelessly create;

to my parents; and to all those who made this impossible project possible through their support on Patreon!

PLAYTESTERS

• Beatrice Alinari
• Andrea
• Andrea Apperti
• Davide Ardizzone
• William Arnone
• Kohei Asakura
• Davide Baravalle
• Andrea Bergamelli
• Peter Bråss
• Dario Cavallone
• Alessia Caviglia
• Alberto Ceirano
• Matteo Cesari
• Davide Cester
• Lorenzo Costamagna
• Alessandro Costella
• Cryo
• Medesimo d'Alessandro
• Giulio D'Avella
• Daniel De Filippis
• Nicola DeGobbis
• Deshter
• Silvia De Stefanis
• ExtantLily
• Alessandro Fofi
• Marco Faccin
• Sabrina Faricelli
• Luca Fuoco
• Daniele Galliano
• Marco Grimaldi
• Alex Grisafi
• Aslak R. Hauglid
• Eric Hulfsson
• Mattia Lagonegro
• Marco Lazzaroni
• Juri Loi
• Andrea Lucca
• Andrea Lucenta
• Filippo Mammini
• Roberto Marcarini
• Nicola Marchi
• Leonardo "Svalbard86" Melis
• Edoardo Noris
• Roberta Nuvoli
• Matteo Pedroni
• Matteo Perego
• Domenico Politi
• Francesco Raimondi
• Alec Rezanka
• Roberto Rossi
• Justin "Gyromitre" Solatges
• Louis Spiegel
• William Tagliaferri
• Marco Tarasconi
• Alena Tincher
• Erica Viotto

Index / Table of Contents

• Actions
• Attack
• Equipment
• Guard
• Hinder
• Inventory
• Objective
• Spell
• Study
• Skill
• Teamwork
• Sample Goal Clocks
• Optional Conflict Rules
• Hit Points and Mind Points
• 0 Hit Points
• Sacrifice
• Surrendering
• Resting
• Damage
• Improvising Damage
• Status Effects
• Fabula Points
• Altering the Story
• Villains
• Ultima Points
• Escalation
• Inventory Points
• Journeys and Travels
• Dangers
• Discoveries
• Dungeons
• Magic
• Spells

1. Introduction

• The Eight Pillars
• Game Materials
• The Players
• The Game Master

2. Game Rules

• Scenes
• Interlude Scenes
• Game Master Scenes
• Sessions and Campaigns
• Important Rules
• Anatomy of a Character
• Checks
• Critical Success
• Fumble
• Opportunities
• Performing an Attribute Check
• Difficulty Levels
• Invoking a Trait
• Invoking a Bond
• Opposed Checks
• Open Checks
• Situational Modifiers
• Group Checks
• Frequently Used Checks
• Clocks
• Bonds
• Conflict Scenes
• The Structure of a Conflict
• Initiative
• Rounds and Turns
• Space and Distances

A ROLEPLAYING GAME

Roleplaying games (abbreviated RPGs) are a particular type of game — they originated as tabletop games, but are nowadays often played online as well.

In a roleplaying game, a group of people play together to create a story: they do so by talking with each other, and that conversation is accompanied by the use of rules and (typically) dice rolls, which help determine the outcome of uncertain situations and guarantee that the story created reflects the premises of the game — tension and fear for a horror game, adrenaline scenes for an action game, deep and heartfelt character interaction for a romantic game, and so on.

In Japan, this activity is also known as a "table talk role-playing game" (TTRPG), specifically, because it relies so heavily on the conversation at the table.

ROLES IN THE GAME

The people who play this game will fulfill different roles:

• Game Master. Often abbreviated as GM, this person's role is that of portraying the game world in which the protagonists of the story act and live. As the protagonists establish goals and make choices, the Game Master will challenge those goals and describe the consequences of their actions. You can find more about the Game Master's role on page 26!
• Player. Each of the remaining participants — two to five people — will create a heroic protagonist and then control that character's actions within the game world. Each protagonist is known as a Player Character, generally abbreviated as PC.

  Characters that are controlled by the Game Master, on the other hand, are called Non-Player Characters, or NPCs.

  You can find more about each Player's role on page 24!

While it is true that the role of the Game Master is to present obstacles and put the Player Characters in situations of risk and danger, their role is not that of an adversary, but rather someone who aims to make the protagonists shine throughout the story.

There is no "win condition" in this game: as long as you create a memorable story and enjoy each other's company, you're all winning.

The Basics of Play

In the conversation, Players describe their characters' actions and choices:

• "Isabelle raises her shield and guards your back!"
• "I step forward and speak to the queen!"
• "I run after the thief! Where did he go?"

Similarly, the Game Master describes what happens in the world and also portrays the actions of every creature and character around the protagonists:

• "The village looks calm, its white windmills turning lazily under the sun. "
• "The king appears tired and struggles to speak, as if not in control of his body. "
• "The dragon turns his smoldering gaze towards you!"

Together, this is all known as roleplaying, and these events will take place in your imagination — a space that is often called "the fiction".

THE RULES

This is also a game, and that's where the rules come into play: much like in a video game or board game, characters have scores and abilities representing their strengths and weaknesses, and dice rolls will often be used to make a situation's outcome a bit tense and unpredictable.

Unlike video games and board games however, the possibilities of a roleplaying game are endless: there is no single approach to a situation and the story will naturally emerge from your interactions and choices at the table.

This is a tale of heroes and darkness. Of great hope... and even greater sacrifice.

BUT WHAT IS THIS GAME ABOUT?

There are many roleplaying games in the world, and we play them for different reasons: many make us feel like heroes, some have us embroiled in dark investigations and tragic tales, others will challenge our skills and tactical mindset, and others make us reflect on heavy and important topics.

Fabula Ultima was designed to be a TTJRPG — a Table Talk JRPG, evoking the feel and stories that can typically be found in classic console Japanese roleplaying video games.

HEROIC AND FANTASTIC ACTION

In line with the genre that inspired it, this game doesn't concern itself with realism or verisimilitude — instead, it deliberately embraces a light-hearted, bizarre and "videogamey" feel, both in its tone and in its mechanics.

A GAME OF HEROES AND VILLAINS

This is a game about larger-than-life heroes and tragic antagonists. There is no predetermined plot, scenario, or "adventure" — the heroes' actions, motivations, and objectives will drive the story forward while the Game Master reacts to their choices and places obstacles on their path, often in the form of powerful villains with their own devious agendas, which will change time and time again as the protagonists manage (or fail) to thwart their plans.

HEROIC DESTINY

The heroes of Fabula Ultima are destined to accomplish great deeds, and they will only meet their end when the person who plays them deems it appropriate. That said, the price of defeat will often prove steeper than death — a major part of this game will be discovering how your heroes rise from their failures and learn to work together in order to accomplish what they could never do on their own.

Challenging Battles

Combat in Fabula Ultima is reminiscent of the console games that inspired it — each character will have a few tricks up their sleeve, and only by properly combining clever tactics and coordinating with your allies will you emerge victorious... especially when fighting against bosses!

Your World

Fabula Ultima has no default or "canonical" world, and that's on purpose! Your group will collaboratively create a custom world in which your tales will take place.

That said, the world and characters you create must adhere to eight core principles, known as the Eight Pillars — which you can find on the next page!

On the other hand, if you're not familiar with the classic tropes of Japanese console roleplaying games, you can find a useful collection of inspirational worlds starting on page 16!

"There is more than one side to each story..."

THE EIGHT PILLARS

The world in which your adventures will take place is not predetermined: its cities, kingdoms, deities, and cultures are something your group will create (take a look at World Creation on page 148). This fantastic land will grow organically as you explore and travel across it, adding new details and unraveling ancient mysteries!

What ties all Fabula Ultima worlds together are The Eight Pillars.

ANCIENT RUINS AND HARSH LANDS

The world is an ancient and dangerous place: cities and villages are separated by vast plains, scorching deserts, frozen peaks and impenetrable forests. The land is dotted with crumbling fortresses and shrines devoted to deities whose names have been lost to time. Past civilizations and ages of darkness have left behind a world of powerful artifacts and cryptic legends, as well as magical (and often dangerous) places.

A WORLD IN PERIL

Villages, castles, and city-states are among the few areas that aren’t literally crawling with monsters, brigands, and hostile creatures. Far more dangerous still are Villains, powerful antagonists casting their shadow over the entire land. Cruel sorcerers, evil gods seeking reincarnation, power-hungry emperors, perhaps even alien entities: there’s a single, unspeakable terror behind the dangers of the world, and our heroes are bound to cross its path sooner or later.

CLASHING COMMUNITIES

The world may be in danger, but its inhabitants are still divided by ancient grudges: religious schisms, memories of war crimes, and the conflict between magic and science are among the most common causes of enmity. Reuniting these communities will be key to defeating the great evils of the world; the protagonists should help them overcome their hostilities and see their differences as blessings instead of obstacles.

EVERYTHING HAS A SOUL

All matter that forms the world, including its creatures, the earth, sky, sun, and stars are part of a vast flow of spiritual energy. The origin, nature, and function of this energy may vary depending on the world you create, but its presence is undeniable and anyone possessing the ability to manipulate it (be it through magic or science) is a force to be reckoned with.

YOUR WORLD COULD BE... HIGH FANTASY

Great castles whose crystal spires reach the sky, fleets of ornate airships emerging from the clouds, vast stretches of enchanted forests, and ancient, sprawling ruins brimming with magical golems and powerful artifacts. A High Fantasy world is an ageless classic and the perfect fit for your Fabula Ultima story.

HIGH FANTASY THEMES AND PROTAGONISTS

High fantasy stories often revolve around themes such as hope, friendship, and fighting together against supernatural and world-ending threats.

Their protagonists often come from many different backgrounds:

• The princess who lost her kingdom to the antagonist's army.
• The veteran soldier who pledged to protect the people with her life.
• The young, inexperienced hero from a remote village.
• The dashing sky pirate with a heart of gold.
• The old wizard mentor who spent his life searching for a legendary spell.
• The dark knight seeking redemption for his crimes.

Together they must overcome their differences and disagreements, forging strong bonds that will allow them to save the world from a terrible fate.

HIGH FANTASY LOCATIONS

Every location in a high fantasy world has some magical element to it: a floating castle inside a volcano, a silver palace orbiting the moon, a forest populated by fairies and natural spirits, a great tower built to reach the gods and destroyed over a single night as a form of divine punishment. Everything is bizarre and wondrous.

HIGH FANTASY MAGIC

Magic is abundant, omnipresent, and employed in a variety of ways and by a variety of people, from powerful court wizards to traveling healers. Golems, airships, and elementally-infused weapons are a common sight. However, the most ancient and world-altering rituals have been lost to time, hidden within sunken ruins or guarded by centuries-old monsters.

HIGH FANTASY ANTAGONISTS

In a high fantasy world, antagonists are larger-than-life figures with armies and incredible magic at their disposal. Each of them is a dark and twisted reflection of one or more of the protagonists: they are shadows that must be confronted for the heroes to grow and eventually triumph. Towards the end of the story, driven into a corner by the protagonists' actions, high fantasy villains often resort to extreme measures and transform into divine or demonic entities that defy space and time.

YOUR WORLD COULD BE... NATURAL FANTASY

Natural Fantasy Themes and Protagonists

Floating amidst a lush expanse of verdant forests, snow-capped mountains, and crystal-clear lakes, small villages slumber peacefully, coexisting with the beasts and elemental forces of the wilderness. Underneath it all lie the ruins of mysterious past civilizations that once ruled this world of Natural Fantasy.

Tales of natural fantasy often revolve around warmth and community, harmony with nature and beasts, and the tragedy that befalls when the hearts of the people grow so dark that they twist and corrupt the very places they live in.

Their protagonists are often very young and come from the same village:

• The daughter of the village chief, seeking to prove her worth.
• The apprentice blacksmith who saw a terrible creature in the forest.
• The young hermit who stumbled upon the entrance to a magical ruin.
• The witch who knows of a prophecy dating back to the Ancestors.
• The wandering warrior who mistakenly angered a local spirit.

Together they must mend the hearts of their community and confront those who stir sentiments of hatred and mistrust, to prevent this darkness from corrupting the very balance of the world around them.

YOUR WORLD COULD BE... TECHNO FANTASY

Heavy rain falls from polluted clouds, clanking sounds over the brass and steel pipework spreading from one building to another. Casting its shadow over the rundown districts is the massive shape of an industrial chimney, the factory below draining energy and power from the depths of this Techno Fantasy world.

TECHNO FANTASY THEMES AND PROTAGONISTS

Stories unfolding in a techno fantasy world are often darker and more serious in tone; they revolve around the exploitation of natural resources, unchecked and ruthless scientific experimentation, and abuse of power from the wealthy elite.

Their protagonists are often people fighting against injustice:

• The scarred hero who had everything taken from her by the elite.
• The last survivor from a line of magic users who sought harmony with the world.
• The former mercenary disgusted by his past actions.
• The failed experiment who was abandoned by their cold-hearted creator.
• The wealthy heir who realized her prosperity was built upon the ruin of others.

Together, they engage a desperate struggle against those few who rule the world and the hearts of its people.

TECHNO FANTASY LOCATIONS

Techno fantasy locations often take the form of a literal "above and below," where the shining palaces of the wealthy steal the very sun from the vast majority of the people who struggle daily in the slums below. Outside the cities lies a barren world drained of all life and beauty, turned grey by human greed.

TECHNO FANTASY MAGIC

In a techno fantasy world, magic has largely been claimed by technology and turned into yet another source of power, wealth, and warfare supremacy. The stream of souls has been gravely wounded and corrupted, and the original ways of magic were forgotten or — more likely — suppressed.

TECHNO FANTASY ANTAGONISTS

The antagonists of a techno fantasy world should represent the darkness of modern society and the ruthlessness of industry and exploitation. Wealthy and influential, they simultaneously base their authority on brute military force and stolen magic or artifacts. But perhaps their most insidious quality is that many people still see them as ideal leaders and miraculously self-made saviors, and are willing to be exploited and oppressed every day in the vain hope of gaining their favor. Left unchecked, their egotistical ambitions will lead to magical cataclysms or full-scale war.

GAME MATERIALS

Among the best qualities of roleplaying games is that they generally do not require particularly expensive materials beyond the rulebook — and you already have that in your hands!

To play the game, you will need the following:

GAME SHEETS

These print-outs are used to keep track of important game information.

• Character sheets are used to track information about each Player Character. The first sheet contains most of the data, while the second sheet will generally be needed once your character grows in power — or if they learn to use magic.
• The group sheet is shared by all participants, and it is used to keep track of the characters, creatures, and locations they have encountered. It also features a list of consumable items you will often use during your travels, such as potions and antidotes.
• The world sheet is generally managed by the Game Master and used to record important information concerning your game world — kingdoms, powerful characters, historical events, and great mysteries yet unsolved.
• The map sheet features the map of your game world and is used to calculate travel distances and mark the position of important features such as cities, temples, fortresses, and ruins. You start the game with only one map sheet, but might end up using more if you explore uncharted territories.

If you have purchased this book, you probably already have a .pdf version of each sheet; in case you don't, you can find them at fabulaultima.com.

PAPER, PENCILS, AND ERASERS

Most of the time, you will want to write on your sheets in pencil — this will allow you to easily correct mistakes and update any information you have recorded.

You will also need a few pieces of blank paper for quick sketching and notes.

The Players

If you are a Player, here's how you should approach the game:

READ THIS BOOK

Make sure to read the Introduction — hey, you’re already doing that! — learn the Game Rules and familiarize yourself with the World Creation, Group Creation, and Character Creation processes in the Press Start chapter.

You might want to steer clear of the Bestiary chapter, since your Game Master will likely pit you against some of the creatures contained within it — spoilers!

GATHER THE PROPER TOOLS

To play the game you will need pencils, erasers, a character sheet for your hero, a shared group sheet, and your own set of polyhedral dice (d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20).

If you can, pick up a spare set of dice and share them with everyone else at the table.

CREATE THE GAME WORLD

Together with everyone else you will give birth to a fantastical setting, populated by bizarre monsters, great mysteries, and powerful magic (see page 148).

While doing so, you must adhere to the Eight Pillars discussed on the previous pages — but aside from that, you are free to come up with whatever regions, characters, and legends you want!

CHOOSE AN ARCHETYPE FOR YOUR GROUP

Once you have created a game world for your story, you must choose the kind of group your characters will form: will you be guardians of a miraculous artifact, revolutionaries fighting against a corrupt empire, or perhaps heroes who have been brought together by fate?

Talk with your Game Master and with the other Players and discuss the kind of story you all want to tell — then, choose an appropriate group type!

For more information on group types, see page 152.

INTRODUCTION

CREATE YOUR HEROIC CHARACTER

Keeping the unique characteristics of your group and world in mind, create the Player Character (PC) you will control during gameplay. Discuss each character’s role within your group, as well as any Bonds and relationships!

COOPERATE WITH EVERYONE ELSE

When playing the game, pay attention to what everybody else is saying and remember to leave room for everyone to shine: each hero should get their time in the spotlight. Do your best to cooperate with the other Players and make sure your table environment is enjoyable and welcoming. Be curious and enthusiastic, suggest goals for the group, and support each other!

CONTRIBUTE TO THE ONGOING STORY

Bring your energy and ideas to the table, creating a story by cooperating with everyone else. If you want your character’s emotions and flaws to be a living part of this shared tale, act accordingly: in Fabula Ultima, all participants are equally responsible for the quality of the game experience.

See your character as the tool with which you will shape part of the ongoing narrative.

PLAY AS A HERO

The protagonists of Fabula Ultima are heroes and adventurers, larger-than-life characters with unique abilities and an epic — sometimes tragic — destiny. When you play the game, keep this premise in mind: act heroically, don’t back down from challenges, and try to make the world a better place. Sometimes, it will make sense for your character to do something you wouldn't: this is part of the beauty of roleplaying games — allow your character to lead you on this journey of discovery!

PLAY TO CHANGE AND EVOLVE

Your character should be far from an immutable entity: while their past may be complex and tragic, the way they will change and grow during play is far more important.

Character evolution lies at the core of adventure: embrace it!

THE GAME MASTER

If you are the Game Master, here's how you should approach the game:

READ THIS BOOK

Make sure to read the Introduction — hey, you’re already doing that! — learn the Game Rules and familiarize yourself with the World Creation, Group Creation, and Character Creation processes in the Press Start chapter. You should also pay special attention to the Game Master chapter and learn how to consult the Bestiary.

GATHER THE PROPER TOOLS

To play the game you will need pencils, erasers, a world sheet for your game world and a variable amount of map sheets, depending on the size of your setting — you will likely only need one at the beginning, and then print some more as the heroes explore the world. You will also need one or more sets of polyhedral dice (d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20).

FOLLOW THE RULES

Learn the rules of the game and apply them as they are written. If you think one or more elements should be altered, discuss the matter with everyone else. Only change those elements if the entire group has agreed on how to do so.

TAKE PART IN WORLD, GROUP AND CHARACTER CREATION

Assist the Players during World Creation (page 148), Group Creation (page 152), and Character Creation (page 154). Use this time to ask lots of questions: what are the core themes of each protagonist? What experiences tie them together? Do they have a common enemy? Take note of everything — all of this will come back to help you create engaging situations during gameplay.

BREATHE LIFE INTO THE GAME WORLD

Regardless of the game world you have created together, it falls upon your shoulders to populate it with fantastic locations, dangerous monsters, and powerful antagonists. Stay true to the Eight Pillars and make sure you build on each Player Character’s personal themes and motivations. Whenever you think a Player Character might know about a place or event, ask the corresponding Player for creative input.

BREATHE LIFE INTO YOUR VILLAINS

Pay great attention when portraying the main antagonists of the game, and make sure you stay true to their goals and motivations. Just as Fabula Ultima’s protagonists are larger-than-life heroes, their adversaries are powerful and formidable individuals, who often conceal terrible secrets. Do your best to always portray their looming threat and keep the pressure high!

COOPERATE WITH EVERYONE ELSE

When playing the game, pay attention to what everybody else is saying and encourage everyone to play an active role: each participant should get their time in the spotlight. Do your best to cooperate with everyone else and make sure the play environment is enjoyable and welcoming.

PLAY TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS

Never force the Players’ hand, and make sure not to “push” them towards a specific event: let their actions and objectives guide you instead. Resist the temptation to create a predetermined plot — let the heroes’ choices and actions tell you what aspects of the story the Players really care about.

If you're used to other RPGs in which the Game Master controls the evolution of the story and prepares scenes ahead of time, let go of that when playing this game — here, you must only weave situations around what the Players decide to do and add details to the world as required by the circumstances. The game gives them plenty of tools to influence and shape the story, up to and including the ability to alter plot elements you had previously introduced. Embrace this creative flow!

ASK QUESTIONS, BUILD ON THE ANSWERS

Move the action forward by asking questions to everyone else. For example: What will you do now? Where can you find this information? How do you feel about what happened? Are you willing to risk your life for this? What will you tell your mother?

Ask plenty of questions, then build on the Players’ answers.

LOOK FOR INSPIRATION

Stories, ideas, pictures, characters, music, and maps: make sure to take advantage of all possible sources of inspiration.

GAME RULES

This chapter contains the core rules required to play Fabula Ultima.

This is probably the most important chapter in the book and one that should be read with great attention, regardless of if you are the Game Master or a Player.

Throughout this chapter the game’s mechanics are presented in the way that felt most intuitive; however, sometimes you will have to jump between pages in order to get the full picture of how things work. It won’t happen too often, promise!

USEFUL ADVICE AND CHANGING THE RULES

Along the way, you will find that a large part of this chapter contains advice on how to make the most out of this game's rules and mechanics. You will also find that sometimes the very same situation can be resolved through different methods — there’s some overlap between rules.

This is by design. Given the broad scope of the game and the many possible scenarios, the rules must be flexible — but this also means you will have to learn how and when to use them. That is why plenty of advice has been included wherever possible: because this book is meant to be understood in the easiest way possible so that the goals and intentions behind each rule are clear.

As you grow more familiar with the rules, you will probably want to change or tweak some of them, and that’s perfectly fine. Nothing in this book was written to be set in stone, but to be a functional game, whose components interact with each other and work together to bring an epic, heroic and fantastic tale to your gaming table. Because of this, make sure to think carefully about the changes you make: they might influence a greater number of elements than what you had anticipated. To make life easier, the book includes a variety of optional rules that can be used to safely customize your play experience.

Needless to say, whenever you want to change something, make sure to discuss it with your game group: you shouldn’t change anything unless everyone agrees.

SCENES

In order to play the game, you must first understand the concept of scenes.

A scene is a segment of gameplay with a beginning and an end, focused around a specific character, obstacle, or conflict.

Scenes are an easy way to split the game into manageable “time sections” and also act as a “stage”: characters who are not part of the current scene may not perform any kind of action to affect the story. It is the Game Master’s responsibility to declare the beginning and end of each scene, but the Players can ask the Game Master to set up specific scenes as well.

Generally, a scene flows like this:

Playing the Scene

Player Characters interact with what is present on the scene, and their actions and decisions push the story forward. The GM describes how the environment and Non-Player Characters react, and adds details to the scene as needed. Characters may also enter and/or leave the scene, provided the GM agrees.

Additionally, there will be times when the outcome of a character’s action needs to be determined by rolling dice (see Checks, on page 38).

Ending the Scene

The Game Master can end the scene at any point, often wrapping things up with a short description of what happens. You should generally end a scene when:

• The situation has been resolved (for better or worse).
• Gameplay has moved to a different time or location.

Once a scene has ended, another one will begin.

Once you start playing, you will find that scenes tend to flow naturally, so you will rarely have to check whether a scene has ended.

That said, some rules and effects rely heavily on the scene structure: many spells, for instance, last "until the end of the scene". Pay attention to these!

CONFLICT SCENES

When the heroes’ goals clash with those of another faction, things can get heated and the Game Master may declare the beginning of a conflict scene — be it a battle, a breakneck chase, or a tense audience with a king. During a conflict, the camera “zooms in” and the characters’ actions are tracked in greater detail.

You can find more about conflicts starting on page 58, but you should read the rules for Checks first — they’re on page 38.

INTERLUDE SCENES

There will be moments in the game where the story moves at a slower pace — a trek across the plains, the long descent down a cavern, a night of rest in town, or even a month spent waiting for an ally to recover. Instead of a moment-by-moment scene, we can describe these situations as a sequence of short frames that shows our heroes as they perform a variety of activities.

During an interlude scene (or "interlude"), each Player describes the general task their character performs, whether it's searching the village for someone or staying on the lookout for dangers in a dungeon. However, if a Player wants to have a detailed interaction with someone or something, you should switch back to a standard scene.

Interlude scenes are especially useful when characters want to pursue long-term objectives, such as Projects (see page 134), or to describe journeys (page 106).

GAME MASTER SCENES

If the Game Master wants, they may play a scene in which no Player Character is present, and in which the Players are simply spectators, separate from their characters.

These Game Master scenes can be used to foreshadow an event, introduce a future threat or show a Villain in action: they work just like cut scenes in a video game, or pre-title scenes in many movies and TV show episodes.

Game Master scenes are an excellent way to add depth to antagonists and provide a sense of narrative tension.

Sessions and Campaigns

Now that you know how scenes work, let’s talk about sessions and campaigns.

SESSIONS

When combined, multiple scenes form a session.

Simply put, a session starts when you sit down to play and ends once you decide to stop playing, usually because you have run out of time or think it is appropriate to “pause the story” — perhaps once you've reached a suitably dramatic cliffhanger!

A typical session of Fabula Ultima will last approximately four hours. The more people in your group, the longer each session tends to be.

The contents of a game session generally end up being close to what you would see in a single episode of a show: the protagonists explore a specific location or situation and alter it in some way; this, in turn, influences a larger overarching narrative — that of the campaign.

CAMPAIGNS

Just as multiple scenes form a session, multiple sessions form a campaign: this term indicates your group’s overarching story, the heroic tale you are all contributing to.

There is no set duration for a campaign: some people play a game for a couple of weeks, others commit to it for years. When you sit down to play Fabula Ultima for the first time, discuss how long you want to play — this will help you plan a schedule.

That being said, Fabula Ultima is designed to shine over the course of approximately twenty to fifty game sessions. If you want to speed things up, there are rules for faster advancement on page 230!

IMPORTANT RULES

ANATOMY OF A CHARACTER

In Fabula Ultima, all information pertaining to your character is tracked on a character sheet. In order to better understand the rest of this chapter, it is important that you familiarize yourself with the terms described below.

TRAITS

Each character has a total of three different Traits:

• Identity. This is a short sentence that sums up your character's general concept — something like "Sky Pirate" or "Queenless Knight". You will choose your Identity when you create your character, and may change it later on if you feel like your character has developed enough that it is no longer fitting.
• Theme. This is a strong ideal or sentiment that drives your character's actions, such as Anger, Justice, or Ambition. This too is something you will choose during character creation, and it can change as your character evolves during play.
• Origin. This is where the character comes from, their homeland.

While playing, you will be able to invoke your character's Traits to improve your odds when rolling dice.

Classes and Skills

Whenever your character gains a level, that level will be put in one of the fifteen Classes available in this book: either to develop an already obtained Class or start a new one. Each Class grants a variety of Skills and abilities, and you choose which ones you want to invest in — even if you and another hero share some Class choices, your characters will end up being very different in how they are built and played.

Some Class Skills can be taken multiple times, becoming stronger or more flexible whenever you do so. When the same Skill is taken multiple times, its Skill Level — abbreviated as 【SL】 — will also increase. For instance, if you take the Guardian's Fortress Skill twice (see page 197), its 【SL】 will be equal to 2.

If you want to take a look at the various Classes and their Skills, you can find them starting on page 176.

Attributes

A character's Attributes are an abstract representation of their training and aptitudes in four different fields:

• Dexterity (DEX) measures precision, coordination, finesse and reflexes. You will need it to move cautiously, defend yourself from attacks, craft objects, and fight using light weapons, bows, and firearms.
• Insight (INS) represents observation, understanding, and reasoning. It is important when investigating situations, casting spells, and defending yourself from magic.
• Might (MIG) is a measure of strength and fortitude. Most heavy weapons rely on Might, and your ability to withstand pain and fatigue is also tied to this Attribute in the form of Hit Points (see below).
• Willpower (WLP) represents determination, charisma, and discipline. You use your Willpower for diplomacy and persuasion, but it also directly influences your ability to cast spells and use special Skills, in the form of Mind Points (see below).

Each Attribute is represented by a die size, ranging from a six-sided die (d6) up to a powerful twelve-sided die (d12). Some effects will temporarily alter your Attribute die sizes: this is known as the current Attribute die size, while your default size is called the base Attribute die size.

HIT POINTS, MIND POINTS, AND INVENTORY POINTS

These pools of points represent three different "resources" available to a character:

• Hit Points (HP): Represent a character's ability to withstand pain and fatigue.
• Mind Points (MP): Represent a character's focus and concentration.
• Inventory Points (IP): Are an abstract resource that characters can spend to create consumable items "on the spot", such as potions and antidotes.

DEFENSE AND MAGIC DEFENSE

These two parameters are mostly used during conflicts:

• Defense: Represents a character's ability to avoid being hit. It may represent dodging blows (typically for characters with high Dexterity) as well as absorbing and deflecting them through a clever use of shield and armor.
• Magic Defense: Represents a character's ability to anticipate and resist offensive spells and similar magical attacks. It is mostly based on Insight.

INITIATIVE MODIFIER

This number indicates the character's ability to act quickly in a conflict scene.

EQUIPMENT AND BACKPACK

A character can equip a variety of items: weapons, shields, armor, and even powerful magical accessories. Everything that cannot be equipped — such as a second suit of armor or a different shield — will be stored in your backpack.

Consumables and single-use items such as potions and elixirs, on the other hand, are represented by your Inventory Points.

ZENIT

Zenit is the common currency used in the worlds of Fabula Ultima.

The hopes and fears of this land now rest on your shoulders. Ready or not, this is your fate.

CHECKS

The word “Check” indicates a die roll based on a character's core Attributes: Dexterity, Insight, Might, and Willpower.

In general, characters must perform Checks:

• When required by the game rules. Striking a target, casting a spell, and using a Class Skill often requires a Check to determine success or failure. Effects that do not explicitly call for a Check always succeed automatically.
• When asked by the Game Master. The Game Master has the right to ask characters to perform Checks when attempting risky actions, facing opposition, or reacting to danger. For the game to run smoothly, the Game Master must learn when to ask for a Check and when not to do so (see next page).

Note that only the Game Master can ask for a Check; Players may never do so.

A Check is presented as a formula indicating which dice you have to roll and add up together. Checks always require you to roll exactly two dice.

Example: An 【INS + WLP】 Check performed by a character with d6 Insight and d10 Willpower will result in that character rolling a d6 and a d10 and adding them together, thus generating a total Result between 2 and 16.

Some Checks will also require you to add or subtract a certain number from the total you rolled:

Example: A Character performing a 【MIG + MIG】+5 Check will roll their Might die twice and then add 5 to the Result.

CHECK TERMINOLOGY

The following terms are key to understanding how Checks work:

Modifier

Any numerical value that is added to or subtracted from a Check. If you perform a <DEX + MIG> +2 Check, for instance, the modifier is “+2”. If the modifier is added, it is a bonus; if it is subtracted, it is a penalty.

Result

The final number generated by the Check, after applying any modifiers.

Difficulty Level (DL)

Abbreviated as DL. If the Result of the Check is greater than or equal to this number, then the action is successful. The Difficulty Level for a Check will either be set by the rules or chosen by the GM.

High Roll (HR)

Abbreviated as HR. It indicates the higher of the two dice rolled in a Check and will be used to calculate various effects (typically weapon and spell damage). For instance, if you roll d8 + d10 for a Check and the dice show a 6 and a 9, the HR for the Check will be 9.

CRITICAL SUCCESS

When both dice rolled during a Check show the same number, and that number is 6 or higher, the Result is a critical success. Another way to put this is that you will score a critical success on a double 6, double 7, double 8, double 9, double 10, double 11, or double 12. If you roll a critical success, your Check is automatically successful and you get to apply the effects of an opportunity (see next page).

FUMBLE

When both dice rolled during a Check show a 1, the Result is a fumble, which is the exact opposite of a critical success: no matter the modifiers, a fumbled Check is always a failure — not due to the character’s incompetence, but because of some unfortunate twist. When you roll a fumble, whoever controls your opposition in this scene gets an opportunity (see next page).

When a Player Character rolls a fumble, they immediately earn 1 Fabula Point (see page 96).

Opportunities

Opportunities are unexpected twists in the story — sometimes good, sometimes bad.

When you spend an opportunity, you may pick an option from the list below or come up with a different twist that fits the current scene. The Game Master has final say on whether an opportunity is appropriate to the current situation, and some spells and Skills will allow you to spend opportunities in new and powerful ways.

Example: Valea the thief is hopping from roof to roof in an attempt to shake off Count Eligor's mercenaries. The Game Master calls for a 【DEX + MIG】 Check and Valea rolls a 7 and a 7, a critical success! The Player controlling Valea describes how she loses her pursuers and chooses the Favor opportunity: her daring performance will earn her the sympathy of the villagers, who were already fed up with the Count's tyranny!

OPPORTUNITIES

DIFFICULTY LEVELS

A Check's Difficulty Level (DL) is a measure of how complex and risky a certain operation can be. It abstracts several elements into a single number:

• The amount of knowledge and expertise required to complete the operation.
• Any helpful or hindering circumstances such as harsh weather conditions, poor visibility, exhaustion, or supernatural influences.
• The lack or presence of important resources (time, space, materials, etc.) that are needed to achieve the character’s goal.
• The kind of impact the action will have on the story, be it now or later.

In summary, Difficulty is an abstraction of how the current situation is opposing or hindering the character. The true question you should ask yourself when determining the Difficulty Level for a check, as indicated by the table below, is “Who is likely to accomplish this?”

DETERMINING THE DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR A CHECK

GO WITH TEN

If you are the Game Master and find yourself stumped when choosing an appropriate Difficulty Level for a Check, use 10: it is neither too low nor too high, and it's easy to remember.

W CHECKS IN PLAY

Now that you know the mechanical process behind a Check, let's take a look at how it will work in play.

Our heroes have been allowed before the High Master of Relde, a village whose aid would prove invaluable in the struggle against Empress Almara's forces. Since Relde's people are well-versed in philosophy and magic, everyone agrees this negotiation should be handled by Brigid, the group's scholar.

Brigid's Player, Emil, describes her goal and approach: "Brigid doesn't like to beat around the bush, so... I'll simply stand before the High Master and explain that Almara's army is getting closer by the day. If the people of Relde forbid them from crossing the mountain pass, the army will be forced to take a longer route and we'll have more time to prepare for the battle and evacuate the locals."

The Game Master nods. "Okay. Is there anything else you think you can use to your advantage? This won't be easy, you're asking him to endanger his own people."

"I... not really. But I'll add this: if he refuses, we still plan on fighting the Empire, tooth and nail. Which means his village and the pass will probably become a base of operations for the Imperial forces, sooner or later."

"I see. I was thinking Insight + Willpower for the Check, but you are almost threatening him... so Willpower + Willpower seems better."

"Oh, I'm great at Willpower! So... thanks, I guess?"

"Yours is a bit of a risky play. If the Check fails, you'll probably be kicked out of Relde. Still, Reldeans are keepers to many secrets and wouldn't want them to fall into Imperial hands... because of that, the Difficulty Level is just 10."

Brigid has a Willpower of d10, so she rolls 2d10 and adds them together... only a 5!

It is normally the Game Master's role to describe the outcome of an action by taking into account the character's stated goals and the Result of their Check; however, taking a step back and asking for input can make for great roleplay moments.

"That doesn't look good," the Game Master raises their eyebrows. "How about you tell me where you messed up?"

"You know what? I think the problem is there's some bad blood between Relde's 'faculty' and my own. The High Master probably doesn't like that I'm implying his people wouldn't stand a chance against the empire..."

"Oh, I like that a lot! But he doesn't. You're quickly escorted outside the village."

SUCCESS AND FAILURE

Keep the following in mind when you describe the impact of a Check:

• Never subvert the outcome. No matter the premise, the outcome of the Check must be applied for what it is. No one at the table can turn a failure into a success and vice versa: otherwise, why would dice be rolled in the first place?
• Relevant success. If a character succeeds at a Check, they have confronted the odds and emerged victorious. The Game Master shouldn't call for further Checks to “confirm” their success: they have earned it.

  If you think an objective requires multiple Checks, use a Clock (see page 52).

• No do-overs. Just like a success should not require further confirmation, a failure means you can't "try again" unless the situation is drastically altered in some way.

OPTIONAL: SUCCESS AT A COST

This rule allows Player Characters to turn failure into success, but it comes at a steep price. When a character fails a Check, anyone may propose a success at a cost. The Game Master can make adjustments to the cost as they see fit, and then the Player who performed the Check can accept or refuse.

When determining whether a given cost would be appropriate, remember that it should put the character in a rough spot or take something important away from them. If a cost can be remedied with little effort, something is wrong.

Back to the previous example: The High Master might listen to Brigid's reasons, but only if she publicly apologizes and admits that Relde's scholars are better than her.

You cannot succeed at a cost if your character fumbled the Check. When you succeed at a cost, the Check's High Roll and Result remain the same.

Invoking a Trait to Reroll Dice

Player Characters can attempt to turn the tide in their favor by calling upon one of their core Traits: their Identity, Origin, and Theme.

For instance, a character might have Shadow Knight as their Identity, Gaonia Empire as their Origin, and Guilt as their Theme.

After performing a Check, a Player Character may spend 1 Fabula Point and invoke one of their Traits to immediately pick up one or both dice and roll them again, replacing the old roll with the new one. They may do so any number of times as part of the same invocation, but each new reroll (of one or both dice) will cost another Fabula Point.

You cannot invoke a Trait if your character fumbled the Check.

Example: Ricard the mage is rushing towards the docking platform of Sorcerer Antigles’ airship. His companions, Edgar and Valea, are held captive within the vessel. There are only a few seconds left before the airship lifts off; Nadia (the Game Master) asks Ricard’s Player, Mark, to perform a 【DEX + MIG】 Check with a Difficulty Level of 13: given that Ricard only has a d6 in both Attributes, the situation is pretty desperate.

Mark rolls the dice and gets a 6 and a 3, definitely not enough for him to succeed. However, Ricard has 2 Fabula Points left. “Ricard's Identity is that of a Young Traveling Mage, which isn't that useful here...” Mark frowns, “And his Origin is Malorn Village... which doesn't help either. But... I could still use my Theme!”

“Tell me more!” Nadia inquires.

“Well, Ricard's Theme is Belonging. He is terribly afraid of losing the companions he has found, of being on his own again. I think this will push him beyond his limits!”

“Okay! Makes sense. I imagine you're only going to reroll that 3, right?”

“Yeah, I'm hoping for a critical success here... oh wow! I just rolled another 6!!!”

"Which means you succeed automatically...! Care to describe the scene for us?"

Mark grins. "Sure! Oh, and by the way, here's the Fabula Point. So, the guards patrolling the area see a thin boy wearing a pointy hat plunge himself from the platform; but once the airship lifts off, there's someone clinging desperately to the landing gear!... Uhm, I mean, airships do have a landing gear, right?”

Players should describe their actions in a way that is coherent with their Identity, Origin, or Theme if they want to spend a Fabula Point. Basically, you shouldn't do this when it feels forced within the narration — but then again, you as a Player have final say on how and when you spend your Fabula Points.

INVOKING A BOND TO IMPROVE YOUR CHECK

Just like how a character's Traits can be used to reroll dice, Bonds — which is to say, the feelings they harbor towards others — allows them to increase the Result of Checks.

After performing a Check, a Player Character may spend 1 Fabula Point and invoke one of their Bonds to add the strength of that Bond to the Result. For more information about Bonds and their strength, see page 56.

This can only be done once per Check.

Back to the previous example: Let's say Ricard invokes his Theme to reroll, but the dice come up a 6 and a 5; unfortunately, this isn't enough. Mark has 1 Fabula Point left: he could spend it to reroll the 5 and hope for a critical success, but there's a safer alternative: he decides to invoke his Bond with Sorcerer Antigles himself. This is a Bond of inferiority (because Antigles is a stronger mage) and hatred (because he devastated Ricard's village when he stole the Dragonstone).

"I think I simply cannot allow him to take anyone else away from me. It won't be like the last time... I will be there and I will stop him, no matter the cost."

Nadia nods. "That's a strength 2 Bond, which means you get to 13 and succeed!"

A Bond should only be invoked when it makes sense — just like Traits, you shouldn't invoke them if it feels forced.

"Scared, Princess? I'm glad. Only when properly scared can we show some good measure of courage!"

Optional Rule: Invoking to Fail

If you use this optional rule, Players may invoke their character's Bonds and Traits to intentionally fail Checks and earn Fabula Points.

• Once per scene before making a Check, a Player may describe how the character's Bonds or Traits prevent them from achieving success — this is done instead of performing the Check itself.
• The Check is then treated as an automatic failure with a Result and High Roll equal to 0. Then, the character gains 1 Fabula Point.
• You cannot invoke to fail on Support Checks (page 50), and you cannot succeed at a cost (page 45) on a Check you already invoked to fail.

ACCURACY CHECKS

This type of Check works like a normal Attribute Check, but it is performed when a character wants to strike targets that are ready to defend themselves. Each weapon lists a specific Accuracy formula; a Steel Dagger, for instance, requires a roll of 【DEX + INS】 +1. The Difficulty Level is generally equal to the target's Defense score.

When performing an Accuracy Check, the High Roll (HR) will be used to determine how much damage you deal.

You can find more about attacks on page 68 and weapons on page 128.

MAGIC CHECKS

This type of Check works just like a normal Attribute Check too, but it is used when a character wants to cast an offensive spell or perform a Ritual. The Attributes will depend on the kind of magic used by the character.

When performing a Magic Check, the High Roll (HR) will sometimes be used to determine the effectiveness of the spell cast.

You can find more about magic starting on page 112.

OPPOSED CHECKS

This special kind of Attribute Check is the fastest way to determine the outcome of a competition between characters, such as a race, a chase or a debate.

Each character taking part in the Opposed Check performs the same Attribute Check, with no Difficulty Level: whoever gets the highest Result is the winner. In the case of a draw, the characters that rolled the same Result simply repeat the Check until one of them emerges victorious.

During Opposed Checks, fumbles are the lowest possible Result and critical successes are the highest possible Result. They generate opportunities as normal; if two or more characters roll a fumble or a critical success, these count as a draw and the Checks should be repeated.

Example: Montblanc the knight is struggling to free himself from the formidable grasp of a dragon. The GM declares this is an Opposed Check using 【DEX + MIG】.

Montblanc rolls d8 + d10, but the dragon boasts a powerful d12 + d12: when the dice hit the table: Montblanc gets 8 and 8, while the dragon rolls 9 and 12. Despite the dragon rolling a total of 21, Montblanc’s 16 is a critical success: against all odds, the brave knight manages to escape the monster’s deadly claws!

OPEN CHECKS

This particular kind of Attribute Check has no Difficulty Level: instead, the Result tells us how well the character performed. These Checks are often used when researching information, examining an area or recalling important lore.

When you perform an Open Check, simply compare the Result with the table below: rolling a 13 while studying an ancient painting means you manage to get information worthy of an expert archaeologist, while rolling an 8 would only net you basic hints of what the artist wanted to portray.

SITUATIONAL MODIFIERS

If a character performs a Check while in a strongly advantageous or disadvantageous position, the Game Master may impose a +2 bonus or -2 penalty to the Result. For example: Princess Camilla is attempting to persuade the Bandit Queen Remora to stop raiding the nearby village of Karsa; however, Remora's lieutenant T oris is arguing against her. This is an Opposed Check, but Camilla also offers Remora a single favor on behalf of her family.

Because of this, the Game Master grants Camilla a +2 bonus to her Check.

Most of the time you will not need to use situational modifiers — adjusting the Difficulty Level will be more than enough. However, they can prove useful when said Difficulty is established by the rules (such as with an Accuracy Check) or during Opposed Checks (as shown by the example above).

If you are the Game Master, use situational modifiers to reward approaches that take advantage of the opposition's Traits, personality and objectives.

GROUP CHECKS

Characters can choose to cooperate in order to increase their chance of success within specific situations.

Group Checks are performed as follows:

1. The characters nominate a leader: this is the character who will perform the final Check and determine the action’s outcome. Everyone else acts as a supporting character.
2. Each supporting character performs a Support Check identical to the one the leader will perform, but with a fixed Difficulty Level of 10. Fumbles and critical successes rolled during Support Checks generate no opportunities, but still count as automatic failures and successes.
3. Each supporting character that successfully performed their Check will grant a +1 bonus to the leader's Check.
4. If any of the successful supporting characters have a Bond towards the leader, the highest strength among those Bonds is also added to the leader's Check. Remember, only add the single highest Bond strength.
5. The leader performs the final Check, which works as normal and may generate opportunities in case of a fumble or critical success. The Check's outcome affects everyone who took part in the Group Check.

Group Checks are extremely useful when two or more characters are performing the same operation together; the Game Master always has final say on whether a Group Check is possible or should be performed.

Example:

Three heroes are trying to persuade the Great Owl to grant them access to her ancient library. The leader performs a DL 13 【INS + WLP】 Check, and the two supporting characters perform 【INS + WLP】 Checks with a Difficulty of 10. They both succeed, and one has a strength 2 Bond towards the leader. Thus, the leader's Check will receive a total bonus equal to +4.

FREQUENTLY USED CHECKS

The table below contains a list of circumstances that might require a Check and the typical Attributes that would be involved.

Optional Rule: Shared Attribute Choice

If you use this optional rule, Players can decide one of the Attributes involved in each Check they perform, while the Game Master decides the other (which can be the same Attribute or a different one).

This rule does not apply to Checks whose Attributes are already established by the rules, such as Accuracy Checks.

Beneath the Crystal Temple slumbers the Great Dragon God, who once turned the Babel Empire to ash.

CLOCKS

Also called timers, counters, trackers, or countdowns: Clocks are a useful tool for tracking an evolving situation, an approaching danger, or the characters' progress with a certain task.

Clocks are designed to handle complex activities that cannot be resolved with a single Check and are a great tool for Game Masters to manage pacing within a scene.

A Clock is a circle split into a number of sections, each of them representing a step towards an objective being completed or an event taking place:

• When the group infiltrates a guarded area and must not alert the surveillance, failed Checks might fill a “High Alert!” Clock.
• When the heroes realize they can't defeat a colossal foe in usual combat, they might choose to adopt a different tactic: striking the stone columns and causing the roof to collapse on top of the enemy! In this scenario, a Clock can be used to keep track of how weakened the ceiling's support is; once filled, the monster will be crushed under the debris!
• When a powerful sorcerer performs a world-altering ritual, a Clock named “arcane apocalypse” can be used to represent how much time is left to stop him!

A Clock normally features four to twelve sections, depending on its complexity. Clocks are generally created and managed by the Game Master, but should be visible to everyone: this makes for tense and adrenaline inducing play. They should also be tied to a specific obstacle, goal, or danger, but not to a specific method or approach: this will allow characters to interact with them in different ways. Let's take the collapsing ceiling described above: characters could accomplish that by striking the pillars, pulverizing them with magic, or even throwing an enemy against them!

CHAPTER ADVANCING A CLOCK

In general, Clocks advance through Checks:

• Fill one section for a successful Check.
• Fill an additional section if the Result of the Check surpassed the Difficulty Level (or the opponent's Result in case of an Opposed Check) by 3 or more, or two additional sections if it was by 6 or more.
• If the Check was a critical success, the corresponding opportunity may be spent to fill two additional sections.

Vice versa, Clocks that represent a threat gradually fill as characters fail Checks, especially if they fail them by a wide margin:

• Fill one section for a failed Check.
• Fill an additional section if the Result of the Check is lower than the Difficulty Level (or the opponent's Result in case of an Opposed Check) by 3 or more, or two additional sections if it was by 6 or more.
• If the Check was a fumble, the corresponding opportunity may be spent to fill two additional sections.

Example: While sneaking her way through the monster-infested corridors of an ancient castle, Valea rolls a 6 on a Check with Difficulty Level 10. The Game Master fills two sections on the "Ambushed!" Clock — one for her failure, and another because she failed the Check by three or more.

CLOCKS AND THE STORY

Clocks should always interact with what happens in the story. The Game Master should use situational modifiers and adjust the Difficulty Level to represent advantages or disadvantages derived from the Players' choices and the events that are taking place in the scene.

Bonds

Bonds are a source of power for our heroes. You already know that Bonds can help improve Checks (page 47) or aid allies during Group Checks (page 50), but some Class Skills and even equipment effects will also benefit from Bonds.

EMOTIONS AND STRENGTH

Each Bond may feature up to three emotions from the following six:

• Admiration. You believe you have much to learn from this person and deeply respect them for their efforts and achievements.
• Inferiority. You envy this person or feel like you would be powerless against them. Their very presence frustrates you, acting as a reminder of your failures.
• Loyalty. This person has won your trust, or you believe in their ideals. You are ready to endanger yourself to help or protect them.
• Mistrust. You don't believe the words of this person and doubt their intentions.
• Affection. You have tender feelings for this person, be they a love interest, a dear friend, or a member of your family.
• Hatred. You can scarcely control yourself in the presence of this person, and would do anything to see them broken and defeated.

The six emotions are combined into three pairings, and the same Bond may only be connected to one emotion from each pairing:

• Admiration or inferiority;
• Loyalty or mistrust;
• Affection or hatred.

For each emotion in a Bond, the strength of that Bond is increased by one (up to a strength of 3 if you have an emotion in each pairing).

If you have the Dark Knight Belphegor among your Bonds and you feel inferiority and hatred towards him, that Bond has a strength of 2.

CREATING A BOND

Bonds are generally created during resting scenes (page 91), through opportunities, or due to specific Skills. Whenever an effect in the game allows you to "create a Bond", you may add a new Bond to your character sheet and immediately tie a single emotion to it. This means that all Bonds start with a strength of 1.

You can have Bonds towards characters, nations, kingdoms, organizations, and even religions. You cannot have a Bond towards yourself.

STRENGTHENING A BOND OR CHANGING EMOTIONS

You can make your Bonds grow stronger by adding more emotions to them (up to a maximum of three emotions, one per pairing). This is generally done during resting scenes (see page 91), which will also allow you to shift emotions around and adjust them to the more recent developments in your story.

ERASING A BOND

If you already have six Bonds and want to create a new one, you must first erase one of your existing Bonds. You must explain how your feelings and perspective changed.

BONDS ARE STRONGER THAN DEATH

Even if a character dies or leaves your story, any Bonds other characters had with them will remain until erased.

The Role of Bonds

Bonds make your character stronger while reminding you of their ties with the rest of the world and its people.

Do not shy away from complex Bonds: feeling both affection and inferiority towards someone, or hatred and admiration, can and will make your story more memorable.

The best choice is often to let Bonds grow organically, while also reaping the benefits that come from having many high-strength Bonds.

1. Determine which characters will actively take part in the conflict (be they Player Charactesr or Non-Player Characters). Everyone else will be treated as an extra and mostly fade into the background.
2. Discuss the goals of each participant. Player Characters should also declare which items they have equipped at the start of the conflict.
3. Player Characters perform a {DEX + INS} Initiative Group Check to determine which side acts first. The Difficulty Level for this Check equals the highest Initiative among their adversaries.
4. If the Player Characters succeed, the first participant to act each round (see step 5) will be someone from their side. If they fail, the first participant to act during each round will be one of their foes.
5. The conflict is handled as a series of consecutive rounds: During each round, the Player Characters' side and the enemy side alternate taking turns, starting with one participant from the side who has the initiative.
   • Each turn allows for a single action.
   • You cannot choose to "pass" a turn.
   • If one side outnumbers the other, keep alternating turns as long as possible, then let the side with the numerical advantage take the remaining turns towards the end of the round.
6. Once all creatures have taken their actions, the round ends.
7. If the conflict continues, a new round begins: go back to step 5.
8. The Game Master may declare the end of the conflict scene whenever they deem it appropriate. This generally happens when one side achieves their goal or objective, when all sides except one are unable or unwilling to continue, or when the various factions find an acceptable compromise.

DETERMINE PARTICIPANTS

First, discuss which characters present on the scene will take on an active role during the conflict, and which ones will fade into the background. Player Characters are all generally expected to take part in the conflict, as are any important antagonists — but there might be times in which some prefer to stay away from the spotlight.

Example: The scholar Calliope has offered to help a young bandit by the name of Randolph — she will act as his defendant in the upcoming trial.

The Game Master decides to run the trial as a conflict scene: the participants will be Calliope and Randolph as well as the prosecutor, a man known as Orbek. Interestingly enough, only one other Player decides to have their character take an active role: Montblanc the knight will lend his reputation to help Randolph, while the thief Valea will avoid being seen on the scene — her presence could undermine Calliope's credibility, and she already did her part acquiring important evidence.

Everyone else — the bystanders, the guards, and even the judge herself — will not be active participants. While the Game Master still describes their reactions and behavior, those characters will not get to pursue their objectives or influence the conflict.

New participants may also enter a conflict while it is already underway: characters who wish to do so can join the scene at the end of a round (after step 5).

DISCUSS GOALS

Each character involved in the conflict will have their reasons: perhaps you want to steal a precious artifact, persuade the Queen of your good intentions, or avoid becoming a monster's mid-afternoon snack. Your antagonists will have goals of their own too, ranging from escaping unharmed to putting an end to your ceaseless meddling.

During this step, each participant should make clear what their general goal in the conflict will be, at least initially.

The Game Master is free to keep some of the antagonists' goals a secret — suffice it to say, if a conflict takes place it's because at the very least they don't want the heroes to achieve their own objectives!

INITIATIVE

A character's Initiative modifier indicates how likely they are to give their side an edge when a conflict begins.

• At the start of each conflict, the Player Characters perform an Initiative Group Check: this is a Group Check (see page 50) that relies on Dexterity and Insight.
• The Difficulty Level for the leader's Check is equal to the highest Initiative Score among the heroes' adversaries; supporting characters perform their Support Check against the standard Difficulty Level of 10.
• Whether you act as the leader or as a supporting character in this Group Check, remember to apply your Initiative modifier to your Result.

If the leader succeeds, this means the heroes seized initiative for this conflict and the first participant to act during each round will be someone from the Player Characters' side; if they fail, it means they have lost the initiative for this conflict and the first participant to act during each round will be one of their foes.

See the next page for an explanation of rounds and turns.

Example:

The warrior monk Silida and the mage Ricard are exploring the ruins of an old waterway when they come across a bronze golem (page 330) barring their way!

The Game Master calls for an Initiative Group Check, and Ricard is happy to have Silida be the leader. She only rolls a 6, but Ricard's Check is a 12 (even taking into account the -2 penalty caused by the armor he is wearing). Silida's total is now 7, which is enough to reach the golem's initiative score!

The Player Characters have seized the initiative, which means the first turn of each round will belong to either Silida or Ricard.

Note that even if a new participant joins an ongoing conflict scene, they will simply adapt to the existing initiative.

You can find more about actions starting on page 66.

You can find more about actions starting on page 66.

DYNAMIC TURN ORDER

Since turns do not belong to specific characters, you may switch the order of your actions from round to round. For instance, a sorceress who took the last turn during a round and found an enemy to be Vulnerable to her ice magic can go first and finish them off quickly! This is a fundamental aspect of Fabula Ultima's conflict gameplay, and groups that learn to coordinate their actions will perform much better than those in which everyone is focusing on an individual strategy.

THE ACTION ECONOMY

Much like any game that limits the amount of “moves” a character can perform before their opponents get a chance to act, Fabula Ultima rewards you for being clever in how resources are used.

• If you are the Game Master, don't stage conflicts where one side is vastly outnumbered: they will quickly be overwhelmed.
• Some powerful creatures have the ability to take several turns during each round — these are known as elites and champions (see page 295). These creatures still follow the normal rules for alternating turns, but take the place of multiple normal foes.

OPTIONAL: ENEMY INITIATIVE

If you are the Game Master, it can be hard to remember which adversaries still need to take their turn. An excellent solution is to have enemies take their turns in descending initiative order, from fastest to slowest — simply write that down and apply it to each round. This will make enemies slightly more predictable, but also allows you to focus on more important aspects of the conflict.

SPACE AND DISTANCES

In true console JRPG fashion, and in line with this game's cinematic approach, conflict scenes assume characters to be able to reach each other quite easily.

There are a few important things to say about this:

ACTIONS AND DESCRIPTIONS

Keep distances and movements abstract in your descriptions. If you want to rush past the golems and snatch a cursed grimoire from the wizard's hands, for instance, you can roll for that right away — it doesn't matter whether you were ten, twenty, or fifty steps away, all that matters is who, or what, is going to try and stop you.

ATTACKS

The big difference between melee and ranged attacks isn't in the distance they can cover, but in the various Skills they interact with and the ability (or inability) to target flying enemies and similarly elusive creatures.

When the martial artist in your group performs an attack that targets foes who are in wildly different locations, you shouldn't question the feasibility of it — if anything, the cool part is describing what the attack looks like!

If you're thinking that fragile characters are made even more vulnerable by this approach, you are partially right; but that's where the Guard action (page 70) and the Protect and Provoke Skills (pages 197 and 195) really shine — the ability to take a blow for your comrades becomes critical to victory in battle.

SPLIT SCENES

If the conflict scene involves locations that are far away from each other — say, if you are distracting the Pirate Queen with your conversational skills while your allies silently board her ship — you must first choose which characters will act in each location; then, proceed with the conflict scene and "cut" between the different locations as prompted by the initiative order.

Normally, characters in different locations will not be able to affect or interact with each other, but sometimes the two conflict scenes will merge into one as the characters eventually regroup.

OKAY , BUT...

There are situations in which distances and positions are supposed to play an important role: what if there's a sniper atop a tower? What if a terrible ritual tears open a chasm in the middle of the battlefield?

The advice boils down to the following:

• Don't overcomplicate things. Play to this game's strengths, and avoid situations in which suspension of disbelief becomes too strained.
• Sometimes, experiment. If you want to introduce distance as an important element in the game, treat it as a "puzzle" that can be solved in creative ways while the conflict progresses. For instance, you might make melee attacks useless in a battle between two flying galleons — at that point, engaging in close combat would require approaching and boarding the enemy ship... time for a Clock!

In the end, the most important thing to remember is that conflicts shouldn't be resolved through careful movement and positioning, but through clever use of the character's Skills and actions.

ACTIONS

The chart on the right summarizes the various actions available during a conflict; these are explained in detail over the course of this section.

There's something important that should always be kept in mind when performing an action: that action isn't just a simple gesture, it's the main focus of your turn and a precise tactical choice. When you Attack, you perform a full offensive maneuver; when you Study, you focus your attention and try to obtain critical information, and so on.

MINOR ACTIVITIES

There are a lot of minor gestures and operations that can be performed on your turn, alongside your main action; the Game Master has final say on what you can accomplish, but you'll generally be able to squeeze in at least one of the following:

• Pick up an item from the ground and/or drop something you are holding.

  When you pick up an accessory, a shield, or a weapon, you may immediately equip it — provided you have a free slot and are able to equip the item in question (for more information on this, see page 122).

  If you drop an equipped item, you will no longer have it equipped.

  If you want to properly rearrange your gear, you must perform the Equipment action.

• Quickly throw an item you are holding to another character.
• Perform a minor interaction with the environment: open an unlocked door, pull a lever, or kick down a wooden plank to bridge a gap.

All of these may be performed before, after, and sometimes during the main action of your turn — again, the Game Master is responsible for adjudicating what is feasible during a single turn. Be generous whenever possible.

If what you're doing requires a Check, then it's probably your main action for the turn.

Everything a character does to inject style and uniqueness in their actions will virtually take no time — complex blade choreographies, magical chants, the mixing of alchemical ingredients before throwing a potion and any similarly flavorful descriptions should be encouraged, not penalized!

Attack

A character may spend an action to perform an offensive maneuver using one of the weapons they have available.

1. Choose a target for your attack.

   You must know the position of the target and be able to see them.

   You must be able to reach the target with the weapon you are using; flying enemies, for instance, cannot be reached by melee attacks.

2. Perform an Accuracy Check using the formula indicated by the weapon you are attacking with. The Difficulty Level is equal to the target’s Defense score. If you succeed, you hit the target; if you fail, it means they managed to anticipate, evade or negate your offensive.

   • A fumble indicates an automatic failure and a critical success means you hit your target regardless of their Defense. They also generate opportunities.
   • The Game Master may apply situational modifiers (+2 or -2) to your Accuracy Check based on especially favorable or hindering circumstances.

3. If you hit the target, you deal damage based on the formula indicated by the weapon you attacked with. This will generally be a sum of your Accuracy Check's High Roll and a fixed value based on the weapon's power.

   For a list of common weapons, see page 132.

4. The target loses a number of Hit Points equal to the damage you dealt.

   This may be modified by their Affinity with the damage type (page 92):

   • A Vulnerable target loses twice the normal amount of Hit Points.
   • A Resistant target loses half the normal amount of Hit Points.
   • An Immune target loses no Hit Points.
   • An Absorbing target recovers Hit Points equal to the damage suffered.

Example: Our heroes are fighting a group of skeletons. Montblanc the knight charges towards the nearest undead and swings his powerful waraxe. The Accuracy Check requires a roll of 【MIG + MIG】, which in Montblanc's case means rolling two d10s: the knight gets a 6 and a 9, for a total of 15 — more than enough to hit the enemy’s Defense score of 11. The waraxe deals damage equal to 【HR + 14】; since the highest of the two dice was a 9, the total is 23 damage.

FREE ATTACKS

Some game effects allow you to perform free attacks. These follow the procedure on the previous page but generally take place as part of a different action.

A few Skills and effects might even let you perform a free attack with weapons that aren't part of your equipped items!

MULTI

When you perform an attack with the multi property, you may select as many different targets as the specific weapon or effect allows — multi (2) lets you target up to two different creatures, for instance. You perform a single Accuracy Check and compare it to the Defense of every target, determining which of them were hit.

• Rolling a critical success means you hit all your targets, while a fumble means you miss all of them.

Finally, apply the normal damage calculation to each target.

TWO-WEAPON FIGHTING

When you perform the Attack action, if you have two weapons of the same Category equipped (such as two swords or two firearms), you may declare that you are attacking with both.

You perform the two attacks in any order you prefer and they may both be aimed at the same target or different targets, but the following penalties apply:

• Both attacks lose the multi property (if they had it) and cannot gain it.
• When calculating damage for both attacks, the High Roll (HR) is always treated as being equal to 0.

You cannot use two-weapon fighting when performing a free attack.

EQUIPMENT

When you use this action, you may store any number of your equipped items in your backpack, and you may take any number of items from your backpack and equip them. The only thing you can't equip or put away is armor — there's simply not enough time for that during a single action. Still, the Game Master might allow you to remove or equip a suit of armor if you spend several turns on it.

Remember, equipped items are always at the ready: you don't need to perform this action to start a battle with your equipped weapon drawn, for instance.

For more information on equipping items, see page 122.

d GUARD

When using this action, you focus your attention on defending your teammates and thwarting enemy tactics.

You gain all of the following benefits until the start of your next turn:

• You gain Resistance to all damage types, regardless of their source (see page 92 to learn more about damage Affinities).
• Whenever you perform an Opposed Check against another character in the scene, you gain a +2 bonus to your Result (regardless of who initiated the Check).
• You may also choose to cover another creature present on the scene. If you do, that creature cannot be targeted by melee attacks until the start of your next turn — this effect will also end if you die, leave the scene, or are knocked unconscious. You cannot cover a creature that is already covering someone.

Even if you gain the ability to perform multiple actions during your turn (or to perform the Guard action for free as part of another effect), the Guard action can only be performed once per turn and its benefits never stack.

Hinder

You force an opponent into a disadvantageous position. This may represent a variety of actions: a feint, a diversion, or even a stinging remark.

Once you have described your approach, you perform a Check against your target, with a fixed Difficulty Level of 10 — the Game Master will determine the relevant Attributes based on your description.

Example: Princess Camilla has challenged the Death Knight Brandon to a duel. She circles the imposing warrior and attempts to put the light of the sun behind her, hoping to dazzle him — the Game Master calls for a DEX + INS Check.

• If your Check succeeds, you inflict one of the following status effects upon the loser: dazed, shaken, slow, or weak. Your choice.

For more information on status effects, see page 94.

Back to the example above: Camilla gets a critical success and decides to inflict slow on the Death Knight. She also generated an opportunity — which she immediately spends to send Brandon's sword flying from his hand.

Inventory

You produce an item from your inventory and immediately use that item as part of the same action: you might give a potion to one of your allies or slip them a refreshing balm during a tense negotiation, for instance.

• If the item you want to use requires you to be close to the target and something or someone bars your way, the Game Master may ask for a Check.
• If you use an item whose effects include a free attack against one or more targets, you perform this free attack as part of the Inventory action.

The rules for Inventory Points are explained on page 104.

Note that you can perform this action even if you have items equipped in both hands.

Objective

You use this action when you want to make progress towards one of your goals within the conflict — either one you had established at the start of the scene, or one you just realized you want to achieve. You might make an attempt at negotiation, sneak past a group of guards, begin work on a magical Ritual, grab a target and try to immobilize them, pull a lever to activate a mechanism, and so on.

O W Describe what you want to accomplish and how you intend to approach it.

Needless to say, you can only pursue a goal if you have a reasonable way to achieve it — the Game Master has final say on which actions can be performed, but should do their best to allow a variety of different approaches.

1

If your goal is simple enough—such as leaping past a chasm or climbing a rope—you will likely accomplish it with a single successful Check.

O W Since Objective gets you closer to what you want to achieve within the conflict, it will always require a Check.

• If your goal is opposed by another participant in the conflict scene, the Check will be an Opposed Check against them. Even if multiple participants can oppose you, only one of them will perform the Check — this should be the most capable among your adversaries.
• Otherwise, it will be an Attribute Check.

2

O W If your Check is successful, you alter the Clock in your favor — which, based on the Clock in question, means filling or erasing a certain number of sections, as previously explained on page 53:

• One section for succeeding.
• An additional section for beating the Difficulty Level or the opponent's roll by three (3) or more, or two additional sections for beating it by six (6) or more.

3

Most of the time, your goal will be complex enough to involve the use of a Clock — especially if achieving it brings you closer to winning the conflict.

GOAL CLOCKS IN A CONFLICT SCENE

Example: In the depths of a magitech laboratory, the warrior monk Silida is busy keeping a rampaging stone golem away from her allies — the mage Ricard and the arcane fencer Nethis.

Seeing how Silida is having trouble withstanding the golem's powerful attacks, Nethis decides to work on a new goal for this conflict: there are a variety of magical crystals surrounding them, and she wants to channel their power into the golem and overload its core, shutting down most of its functions.

Since Nethis can wield magic, the Game Master is okay with the plan and establishes a six-section Clock: once completed, the golem's core will be properly fried — the Game Master says she will handle this by permanently decreasing all of the golem's Attribute dice by one size.

When you use Objective to intervene on a Clock, it is extremely important to describe what your character does — the Game Master has final say on which actions can influence the Clock.

Back to the previous example: The kind of effect Nethis wants to accomplish is definitely magical — but does this mean Silida, being unable to cast spells, cannot influence the Clock?

Absolutely not!

For instance, she might use Objective and strike at the golem's frontal plate, which houses its core, to expose it and increase the flow of magical energy. Maybe she won't fill as many sections (the Golem is pretty good at opposing physical Checks, and this isn't exactly an optimal strategy), but it will still help.

GOAL CLOCKS IN A CONFLICT SCENE

As the Game Master, you are responsible for assigning Clocks to goals and determining how many sections they should have — use the table below as a guideline.

For detailed examples of conflict goals and Clocks, see page 78.

For more information on magic and spells, see page 114.

For more information on magic and spells, see page 114.

22GAME RULES

SKILL

Some skills and effects require you to "use an action" to activate them; in these cases, the Skill action must be performed. If you ever decide to use one such Skill outside a conflict, it will generally require five to ten seconds.

OTHER

In addition to the ones listed above, characters might attempt all sorts of creative actions within a turn, provided these aren't particularly complex or time-consuming operations. The details and resolution of these unique actions must be negotiated between the Player and the Game Master; most of the time, the simple act of clearly stating what you want to accomplish and how you want to do it will lead you to realize that an existing action is already the best fit for it.

Conflicts generally represent fast-paced scenes in which characters have limited ability to speak and discuss a complex plan or course of action, but this shouldn’t apply to the Players who are controlling those same characters.

Always keep the following in mind:

• First, the characters are heroes and adventurers. This means they have likely discussed strategy and tactics before, perhaps around a campfire or while marching through the woods; not to mention the fact that movies and TV shows often portray heroes elaborating a strategy on the spot, as time seemingly freezes.
• Secondly, this approach makes for a more relaxed atmosphere at the table, in line with the general optimistic tones of the game.

Ultimately, the choice of exactly how much dialogue and strategizing is allowed during conflicts and similar situations rest on the shoulders of the entire group: a “sweet spot” needs to be collectively found.

DIALOGUE AND TACTICS

TEAMWORK

When a character performs a Check during a conflict scene, any other character that is able to help them and hasn’t already taken a turn during the current round may choose to lend the active character a hand.

If anyone does, the Check turns into a Group Check (see page 50), but with a few key differences:

• Each helper becomes a supporting character in that Group Check, while the active Player Character is treated as the leader.
• Every Support Check is automatically successful.
• Each character who supported the leader is then considered as having taken their turn within the round — in other words, you can only help if you haven't already taken your turn, and doing so will "burn" your ability to act during that same round.

Choose wisely.

Note that this option can apply to any kind of Check, including Accuracy Checks, Magic Checks, and Opposed Checks! This is a great way to represent characters working together to overcome a powerful opponent — when you can't strike a flying target with your sword, you might clear the path for your archer or help them anticipate the enemy's movements!

ENDING A CONFLICT

As with any scene in the game, the Game Master has the right to declare the ending of a conflict. This generally happens when one side has prevailed, when everyone is no longer able to oppose them, or when the participants negotiate some sort of truce.

• Remember: once people find an agreement, there's no conflict anymore — until they later regret or reconsider said agreement, at least.
• Sometimes, the end of a conflict scene might mark the beginning of a different one. It is not uncommon for a brutal battle to turn into a chase as the losing side retreats, or a failed negotiation might turn to violence. Some characters could even have this change as their conflict goal if they excel at a specific type of situation instead of the current one.
• When a conflict ends, all effects that last "until the end of the scene" will also cease to be. Keep this in mind when deciding whether you should switch to a different conflict or simply let the current conflict evolve in a different direction.

In the end, remember that conflicts should only be used for high-stake moments and aren't the default resolution method for every tense situation.

TURN-RELATED EFFECTS

Effects that concern themselves with "the start of a character's turn" or "the end of a character's turn" follow a set of specific rules:

• The effect ends automatically when the conflict scene reaches its conclusion.
• The effect also ends if you die, fall unconscious, or leave the scene.
• If an effect begins, ends or recharges at the start or at the end of a character's turn (such as the Guard action on page 70 or the Protect Skill on page 197), that effect also begins, ends or recharges immediately if you help another character through teamwork (see previous page).

If such an effect is somehow used outside a conflict scene (this doesn't happen often, but it's still a possibility), it will last for a few seconds – enough to influence the outcome of a single Check, generally.

CHAPTER CATCH THE THIEF

Heading towards their rooms in Caralon Castle, the heroes spot a suspicious figure at the end of a corridor — and in their hands is the powerful artifact known as the Skyglass, the most precious treasure of Caralon's royal bloodline! The group immediately jumps into action, and a chase scene begins!

The Player Characters want to reach and stop the thief, which is a resolutive goal; the Game Master sets this Clock at 10 sections. Possible actions would be...

• Use 【DEX + INS】 to anticipate the thief's movements and cut them off.
• Use 【DEX + MIG】 to bolt forward and grab the thief before they get too far.
• Use 【INS + INS】 to recall the layout of the palace corridors and tell the nearby guards where you think the thief might be heading.
• If capable of casting spells, use 【INS + WLP】 to summon a glowing orb that will follow the fleeing thief.
• Use 【MIG + WLP 】 to intimidate the thief and cause them to stumble or hesitate.

These Checks will be performed against the thief; once the Clock reaches 10, the group will have cornered the mysterious figure — but this might lead to a battle!

Similarly, the thief has a Clock of their own: thanks to a significant head start on the heroes, the thief's Clock has 8 sections only. If the thief manages to fill this Clock, they will flee the scene with the Skyglass!

CONVINCE THE QUEEN

The heroes need to persuade the Queen of Armorica that attacking the Imperial forces tomorrow would be a suicidal maneuver. For some reason, the Queen's advisor is stubbornly pushing for an immediate strike.

This is a resolutive goal and, given the importance of the scene, the Clock should have 12 sections. Possible actions would be...

• Use 【INS + WLP】 to present your reasons to the Queen. If you have witnesses or items that reinforce your position, they will grant you a +2 bonus.
• Use 【INS + MIG】 to present a possible strategy and offer your battle prowess to the Queen and her people, were she to reconsider tomorrow's attack.
• Use 【WLP + WLP】 to launch yourself into a passionate speech, attempting to win the hearts of the bystanders. If you helped the people of Armorica in the past, you will receive a +2 bonus.
• Use 【INS + WLP】 to lure the advisor into saying too much. To get a bonus on this Check, you might first Study the advisor and identify his Traits and motives.

The majority of these Checks will be performed against the advisor, but the third approach might also be made against the difficulty of "the room".

The advisor also has a Clock of his own which, once completed, will have the heroes banished! This Clock has 12 sections — the same size as the heroes'.

BATTLE SUPERIORITY

This optional rule adds another layer of strategy to battles and rewards the clever use of elemental attacks and Affinities.

If you use this rule, all participants in the conflict gain access to a special resource: Superiority Points. These points are shared by the entire team, which means any Superiority Points you gain may be spent by you or your allies.

Gaining Superiority Points

Characters can gain Superiority Points in four different ways:

• Whenever you deal damage to one or more enemies, if one or more of those enemies are Vulnerable to the damage you deal, your team gains 1 Superiority Point.
• Whenever you suffer damage, if you are Immune or Absorb that damage type, your team gains 1 Superiority Point.
• Whenever you roll a critical success, your team gains 1 Superiority Point.
• Whenever you roll a fumble, the opposing team gains 1 Superiority Point.

A character may spend one Superiority Point to perform an additional action on their turn, making this optional rule a dangerous addition!

Important Governing Rules

However, there are three important rules governing Superiority Points:

• A character may only spend 1 Superiority Point per turn, regardless of the number of Superiority Points available to their team.
• Whenever your team is about to gain a Superiority Point, if the opposing team has one or more Superiority Points, instead you will gain no Superiority Point and they will lose one Superiority Point.
• A team can never have more than 5 Superiority Points; any Superiority Points in excess will simply be wasted.

Note: This rule is more advantageous to the Player Characters than their enemies since Player Characters usually do not have damage Vulnerabilities.

You might want to employ a tracker such as the one shown below, and move a coin or token back and forth to remember how many points are available to each team:

0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5

A visual aid showing point tracking: 5 +5 +4 +3 +2 +1

Hit Points and Mind Points

In Fabula Ultima, a character’s general well-being is represented by two parameters: Hit Points and Mind Points. If you are familiar with video games, you will no doubt have encountered similar terms — but in this game, they work a bit differently than what you might be used to.

HIT POINTS

Abbreviated as HP, this number indicates a character’s vital energy, fighting spirit, and general body health, as well as their ability to take a beating and withstand physical pain and fatigue. You should not see Hit Points as a measure of a character's physical integrity, however — losing them does not directly translate into wounds or severe physical harm.

One could describe Hit Points as a “shield” that protects characters from suffering that final blow that would knock them out of a fight. Bruises, cuts, and burns are all ways to portray this in the game fiction — the moment HP gets to 0, however, is when we see the antagonist's blade find an opening and tear through the hero's armor.

HP States

• Current HP: This is how many Hit Points a character has at the moment. This number can never go below 0, nor can it go above the character’s maximum HP.
• Maximum HP: A character’s current Hit Points can never be brought above this value. If a character’s maximum HP value is 50 and they currently have 40 HP, an item restoring 60 HP will still leave them at 50 HP, not 100.
• Crisis: This number is equal to half of a character's maximum HP, rounded down. If your current HP is at or below this number, you are considered "in Crisis", which means you're having a bad day and it shows. For instance, a character with 65 maximum HP will be in Crisis if they have 32 Hit Points or less. Some game effects activate when you enter Crisis, and others remain active as long as you are in Crisis.
• 0 HP: If a character’s current Hit Points reach 0, their fighting spirit has broken. They will face different consequences depending on their role in the story — a Player Character, a Villain, or a normal Non-Player Character. For detailed information on what happens when a character reaches 0 Hit Points, take a look at page 86.

HIT POINTS AND MIND POINTS

MIND POINTS

Abbreviated as MP, this number measures a character’s inner force, magical potential, and ability to focus. In the game, Mind Points are often spent to fuel magic or to perform heroic feats that verge on the superhuman.

• Current MP. This is how many Mind Points a character has at the moment. This number can never go below 0, nor can it go above the character’s maximum MP.
• Maximum MP. A character’s current Mind Points can never be brought above this value.
• Spending MP. Spells require you to spend Mind Points to cast them, as do several other abilities. You can only do so if you have enough MP to pay for the full cost; for instance, you cannot cast a spell with a cost of 10 MP if you only have 9 MP left.
• 0 MP. If a character’s current Mind Points reach 0, they are mentally exhausted but suffer no other consequence — aside from being unable to use spells and abilities that consume MP.

When a character’s Hit Points fall to 0, the dangers and harm they endured have become unbearable. Will they break? Will they run?

Depending on their role within the story, defeated characters will have different options available to them.

NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS

When a Non-Player Character’s Hit Points reach 0, that character loses all will to fight. Whoever defeated them gets the right to determine their fate: they may be:

• Captured
• Forced to flee
• Knocked unconscious
• Slain

Example: Yezma lands her final blow against a magically tainted boar, reducing its Hit Points to 0. Now that the creature is defeated, Yezma must decide its fate — she knows, however, that the great beast had turned aggressive only because of the arcane corruption plaguing its mind and body. Because of this, Yezma decides to spare the creature and simply scare it off, in the hope of finding a way to restore its mind later on.

This being said, some creatures might simply be destroyed when reduced to 0 Hit Points — constructs such as golems and robots will cease to function, elemental beings will vanish or dissipate, and undead often crumble to dust.

0 HIT POINTS

CHAPTER VILLAINS

Some Non-Player Characters are a bit more important than others — these are Villains, the main antagonists in the story. You will find more information about them starting on page 100, but what you need to know right now is that they enjoy several privileges when compared to normal NPCs.

When reduced to 0 Hit Points, a Villain must choose one of two options: escaping or surrendering.

Escaping

Villains have a pool of special points, mirroring the Player Characters' Fabula Points: these are called Ultima Points (see page 101). When reduced to 0 Hit Points, a Villain may spend 1 Ultima Point and safely disappear from the scene; the Game Master describes how this happens.

Example: Held at gunpoint by the sky pirate Morgan, Commander Duna grins and leaps from the airship's deck, plummeting towards the ocean below. But when Morgan leans over the railing to see where the armored warrior fell, he's clinging to a large winged salamander. "You win this battle, pirate!" he shouts, before the powerful beast carries him away towards the capital.

If a Villain has no Ultima Points left, they may still escape by escalating into a more dangerous version of themselves (see page 102).

Surrendering

The Villain surrenders and is treated as any other Non-Player Character; their fate rests in the hands of those who defeated them. In general, a Villain will only choose this option if it's the only choice they have left; if the Player Characters show mercy to a Villain, they might even earn a new ally — this would also be a spectacular way to introduce a new Player Character in the group.

PLAYER CHARACTERS

Like Villains, Player Characters follow their own special rules. When reduced to 0 Hit Points, a Player Character must either Sacrifice themselves or Surrender.

SACRIFICE

When reduced to 0 Hit Points, a Player Character may give their life in order to accomplish a seemingly impossible deed, such as putting an end to a centuries-old curse, temporarily taking away a demigod's powers, or single-handedly holding off a small army to make sure their allies can flee.

You may only sacrifice yourself if at least two of the following are true:

• A Villain (see page 100) is present on the scene.
• Your sacrifice would benefit a character you have a Bond towards.
• You believe your sacrifice would make the world a better place.

The details of the sacrifice are negotiated between you and the Game Master — you should narrate your heroic demise together. There is no fixed limit on what a sacrifice may accomplish: you can and should go overboard with this, especially as you will permanently lose your character.

It is important to note that Player Characters who sacrifice themselves have accepted their death and normally cannot be brought back to life (see below), because they peacefully became one with the stream of souls. It isn't a bad way to go.

In the cosmology of Fabula Ultima, the spirits of the deceased generally return to the stream of souls that permeates the world — but some might be trapped by evil sorcery, transported to other dimensions, or even possess a will strong enough to retain their identity after death.

The mechanics of the game do not give you the option of bringing characters back to life for two main reasons: firstly, the death of a Player Character should be meaningful; and secondly, the mystery of the afterlife should be something you explore and shape together as part of your story.

RESURRECTION

GAME RULES

Chapter [Title implied by context]

Surrendering

Characters who surrender fall unconscious and become unable to act for the remainder of the scene, even if their Hit Points are restored above 0. The Game Master cannot kill a character who surrenders but may impose a narrative consequence chosen from the list below or a consequence that makes sense within the scene. If multiple characters surrender — or worse of all, if the entire group gets wiped out! — the Game Master may impose separate consequences or a single major consequence. They may also decide to bring the consequences of your surrender into play later on!

Example: As the last hero bites the dust, Commander Kelta grins. "I'd love to get rid of you once and for all, but I have a busy day. You will never make it to the village in time! The Skyglass will shortly be in the Empress' hands."

While surrendering will never kill your character, the Game Master can still impose heavy consequences. Given the general mood of Fabula Ultima, however, permanent or crippling injuries should be avoided.

Mechanics

• Player Character Gain: When a Player Character chooses to Surrender, they immediately gain 2 Fabula Points.
• Recovery: At the start of the next scene in which they appear, the Player Character regains consciousness and recovers an amount of Hit Points equal to their Crisis score.

Sample Consequences of Surrendering

Darkness

You must change your Theme to one of the following: Anger, Doubt, Guilt, or Vengeance — your choice.

Despair

The enemy gets to make a decisive move, or the heroes lose the faith and approval of an important person or group.

Loss

Something incredibly precious, such as a magical artifact, a loved person, or an ancient and important heirloom, is taken from you.

Resentment

You are forced to erase one of your Bonds and replace it with a Bond towards a character chosen by the Game Master. This new Bond must be of hatred, inferiority, or mistrust — your choice.

Separated

You are no longer with your allies. You might be captured, dragged away, lost, or stranded in some unknown location.

"At the time, I could not disobey. No... I chose not to.
But today, I shall no longer allow you to do as you please!"

The Heroic Life

The heroic life can take a heavy toll on Player Characters; they often need to rest and recover their energy. Depending on the location, characters have access to different options for resting.

RESTING IN THE WILDERNESS

When far away from the safety of cities and villages, traveling on the road or exploring a ruin, characters must have access to one of the following in order to rest:

• A magic tent (see page 104) created by spending 4 Inventory Points. One tent is enough for the entire group.
• Hospitality from someone friendly, usually in exchange for help or money.
• A safe location where they run no risk of being attacked; perhaps a consecrated temple, a secret room, the inside of an armored transport, or an area protected by a magic circle.

RESTING INSIDE SETTLEMENTS

While in a village, town, or city, characters must have access to one of the following in order to rest:

• A room inside an inn, which will cost money (see Town Services on page 125).
• Hospitality from someone friendly, usually in exchange for help or money.

The Effects of Resting

When a Player Character rests, they enjoy the following benefits:

• They recover all of their Hit Points and Mind Points.
• They recover from all status effects.

Generally, resting requires four to six hours of inactivity. See Rests and Pacing on the right for more information on the consequences of resting.

Resting

22GAME RULES

CHAPTER: BONDS AND RESTING SCENES

When the heroes rest, there is a chance for calmer, more intimate roleplaying — this is known as a resting scene. During this type of scene, Players can spend some time roleplaying conversations and describing what their characters do while sitting near the campfire or relaxing around town.

At the end of a resting scene, each PC may do one of the following:

• Create a new Bond towards someone or something.
• Add a new emotion to an existing Bond.
• Erase an emotion from an existing Bond and replace it with a different one.

When you add new Bonds or change their emotions, describe how and why your character's view of others has shifted.

NON-PLAYER CHARACTER RECOVERY

These rules only apply to Player Characters; the Game Master always has full control over Non-Player Character recovery times. In general, whenever an NPC appears on a scene they are assumed to be at their full Hit Points and Mind Points, and with no status effects.

While the rules for rests are very generous, spending too much time wrapped in the warm blankets of an inn will allow whatever danger is approaching to make the first move undisturbed.

Inactivity should never be without consequence. The Game Master may use Clocks to keep the Players on their toes and foreshadow incoming threats, filling a section at the end of each rest.

RESTS AND PACING

Damage Types

In Fabula Ultima, damage generally falls into one of the following types:

Physical

The most common damage, caused by weapons and impacts.

Air

Caused by supernatural winds and sky monsters.

Bolt

Caused by lightning and electricity.

Dark

Caused by undead and life-destroying magic.

Earth

Caused by supernatural tremors and earth spirits.

Fire

Caused by flames, magma or intense heat.

Ice

Caused by very low temperatures and frost magic.

Light

Caused by pure and untainted spiritual energy.

Poison

Caused by poison, infections and pollution.

Damage Affinities

Some creatures have a particular Affinity towards certain damage types, often due to their Species — for instance, undead creatures are Vulnerable to light damage.

Vulnerability

• If a creature is Vulnerable towards a damage type, they will lose twice the normal amount of Hit Points.

Resistance

• If a creature Resists a damage type, they will only lose half the normal amount of Hit Points.

Immunity

• If a creature is Immune to a damage type, they will lose no Hit Points.

Absorption

• If a creature Absorbs a damage type, they will lose no Hit Points and will instead recover an amount of Hit Points equal to the damage they suffered.

Some game effects may cause you to gain a variety of Affinities: if a character is both Vulnerable and Resistant to a specific type of damage, they are treated as having no Affinity towards it. Immunity, on the other hand, always supersedes both Resistance and Vulnerability: finally, Absorption supersedes all other Affinities.

Damage

EXTRA DAMAGE

Some game effects let you deal "extra damage". These effects do not apply to attacks or spells that deal no damage, only to those which already deal damage.

CHANGING DAMAGE TYPES

There are a variety of game effects that change the type of damage dealt by a spell or weapon. When this happens, the most recent effect “overwrites” any previous changes — and when such an effect ends, damage will return to its previous type.

Example: By default, a sword deals physical damage. If the spell Soul Weapon (page 209) is cast on that sword, it will deal light damage until the end of the scene. But if a Cyclone infusion (page 214) is applied to an attack, that attack will deal air damage — subsequent attacks will return to dealing light damage.

IMPROVISING DAMAGE

Damage is generally dealt by weapons, spells, or special abilities, but there can be other situations in which characters might be harmed, such as falling from a bridge or being buried under a pile of debris. The Game Master should use the table below to determine the amount of damage suffered in similar occasions. The damage type will vary depending on the circumstances, of course.

Sources of damage such as traps and hazards cannot kill a Player Character unless they choose to sacrifice themselves; this should be portrayed as a sudden stroke of luck or as a consequence of the character’s heroic resolve.

Example: Montblanc falls into a river of lava and is reduced to 0 Hit Points. He surrenders and manages to land on a floating rock, but passes out because of the heat. The current drags him away, separating him from the group.

Characters — be they PCs or NPCs — can suffer status effects during play. These will often be a consequence of attacks and spells.

Status Effect Description

• Dazed Temporarily reduces your Insight die size by one.
• Enraged Temporarily reduces your Dexterity and Insight die sizes by one.
• Poisoned Temporarily reduces your Might and Willpower die sizes by one.
• Shaken Temporarily reduces your Willpower die size by one.
• Slow Temporarily reduces your Dexterity die size by one.
• Weak Temporarily reduces your Might die size by one.

CUMULATIVE STATUS EFFECTS

Different status effects that influence the same Attribute will stack — for instance, being both dazed and enraged reduces your Insight die size by two.

That said, your Attributes cannot be reduced below a d6 size.

If a character is suffering from a status effect and receives that same status effect again, nothing happens.

RECOVERING FROM STATUS EFFECTS

Status effects can be healed through resting or via specific spells, Skills, or items.

STATUS EFFECT IMMUNITY

If a character is immune to a given status effect, they cannot suffer it — if they become immune to that status effect while they have it, then they immediately recover from that status effect.

Status Effects

W

Fabula Points

Fabula Points represent the Player Characters’ ability to influence destiny and stem directly from their heroic nature and the hardships they face.

FABULA POINTS AT CHARACTER CREATION

Each newly created character automatically receives 3 Fabula Points; any other Fabula Points must be gained during play.

GAINING FABULA POINTS

There are four main ways a Player Character can gain Fabula Points, plus a fifth optional method:

• If a Player Character has no Fabula Points at the start of a session, they immediately receive 1 Fabula Point.
• Whenever a Player Character rolls a fumble on a Check, they immediately receive 1 Fabula Point.
• Whenever a Villain makes an entrance during a scene — even if it is a Game Master scene, where the Player Characters are not present — each Player Character will immediately receive 1 Fabula Point. For more information on Villains, see page 100.
• Whenever a Player Character is reduced to 0 Hit Points and decides to Surrender, that character immediately receives 2 Fabula Points.
• Whenever a Player Character invokes one of their Bonds or Traits to automatically fail a Check (as per the optional rule on page 47), that character immediately receives 1 Fabula Point.

There is no upper limit to a character’s Fabula Points. In short, you are free to hoard them in preparation for an “important occasion” — however, spending Fabula Points is one of the main ways you will gain Experience Points and increase your level in the game (see page 226).

Thus, saving them up will slow down the growth of the entire group.

FABULA POINTS

ALTERING THE STORY

As a Player, you can spend 1 Fabula Point to make a statement about the story. You get to shape part of the world, its people, and its creatures, to fill in the "grey areas" and generate an opportunity for action, tweak a detail in your favor... or even introduce a convenient plot twist!

• If you want to change or add new details to a character, location, or item that has already been established — such as a character, location, or item the Game Master described or introduced — you will first need the Game Master's permission.
• If your alteration directly affects another Player Character — for instance, if you are establishing there is a bounty on the head of one of your companions — you will first need permission from the corresponding Player.
• You cannot use this option to contradict a statement previously made by yourself or by another participant.
• You cannot use this option to cause mechanical changes such as gaining or altering a Skill, switching a creature's Vulnerabilities, or inflicting a status effect on one or more enemies. The Game Master might decide that the element you introduced grants a mechanical advantage, but that's their call to make, not yours.
• If you introduce a new Non-Player Character this way, that character will still be under the Game Master's control.

As with any freeform tool, this option is very powerful and may be used in a variety of ways and "intensities" — some Players will just add a useful item on the scene, others will come up with entire new locations and place them on the world map.

When you sit down to play, discuss what you feel comfortable with — but do your best to embrace the adventurous (and sometimes over-the-top) nature of this rule.

Example 1

After defeating the Mirror Golem in the depths of the forest ruins, the heroes recover a strange ivory disc bearing mysterious inscriptions. No one among them knows how to read this ancient language; a Player decides to spend 1 Fabula Point to state his character knows of an elderly scholar living in the countryside nearby, who might be able to help.

Since this statement does not contradict anything previously stated by the Game Master or by another Player, it becomes automatically true — the Player marks the position of the scholar's tower on the map.

Example 2: Our heroes are searching for a massive dragon across the rocky hills surrounding Ildefort.

They finally track the monster down to a large cavern. At that point, a Player declares she wants to spend 1 Fabula Point to state that the creature is asleep — this will make it easier to get the drop on them.

The dragon is a creature introduced by the Game Master, which means the Player needs permission in order to make a statement about them. The GM is okay with this, but points out that this is no "magical sleep" and that the group will have to make Checks in order to avoid waking up the dragon.

Example 3: Seven years ago, the warrior-sorceress Daige deserted the imperial army.

Now Daige finds herself back in the imperial capital, leading an infiltration team determined to steal the Soul Crystal from the Empress' clutches.

While gathering information in the streets, Daige and her comrade Valincor realize they are being followed by a city guard: the Player controlling Daige, Hannah, spends 1 Fabula Point and reveals that their pursuer is actually a member of her former unit, Ramis. He was never a fan of imperial cruelties but remained in the army to feed his family. Since the city guard was a character introduced by the Game Master, Hannah needs permission — this is a huge change to the scene, but the GM is intrigued and agrees to it.

From now on, the Game Master will still control Ramis — but the heroes have gained a new and useful contact within the capital. However, Ramis still has a weakness: what will he do if his family is threatened?

There is more than one side to each story.

GAME RULES

ESCALATION

At any time during play, the Game Master may declare that a Villain has transformed into a new version of themselves — one with greater powers and darker ambitions. Narratively speaking, this is the moment in which the Villain rejects a chance at redemption and grows even more obsessive in the pursuit of their goal. The heroes forced them into a corner, and the results have proven catastrophic.

• A minor Villain can become a major Villain.
• A major Villain can become a supreme Villain.
• A supreme Villain cannot grow any more powerful.

Following this transformation, the character is treated as an entirely new Villain; the first time they appear during a scene, their Ultima Points will reset to a value appropriate to their new role in the story.

• If a Villain has no Ultima Points left and is reduced to 0 Hit Points, they may immediately escalate while still on the scene; this will allow them to recharge their Ultima Points and no longer be forced to surrender (page 87).
• If a Villain escalates while on the scene, they are immediately treated as a new Villain and thus award each Player Character 1 Fabula Point.

104

W

Player Characters have an abstract reserve of useful gear and consumable items, represented by Inventory Points (IP).

A character can normally carry a maximum of 6 Inventory Points; however, some Classes and special Skills will increase this limit.

SPENDING INVENTORY POINTS

Whenever you need a consumable item from the list below, you may spend an appropriate amount of Inventory Points to produce it from your bag and apply its effect — all Inventory Points spent this way must come from the same character.

Once created, the item must be used immediately and is destroyed in the process; you cannot create it and then "save it for later".

The table below lists the default inventory objects available in the game; this information is also present on your group sheet for easier reference. The sheet also features blank spaces where you can write custom inventory items that are unique to your world!

The Tinkerer Class (page 210) can use Inventory Points in a variety of ways.

INVENTORY POINTS

RECHARGING INVENTORY POINTS

Characters can recharge their Inventory Points when they are in a town, village, or other locations that allow them to purchase useful gear: the cost is 10 zenit for every Inventory Point they want to recharge.

At the Game Master’s discretion, characters may also recharge some of their Inventory Points in particular circumstances, such as stumbling upon an adventurer’s backpack or being rewarded by a village for their help with local troubles.

A character’s current Inventory Points can never go above their maximum Inventory Points — there is always a limit to how much can be carried comfortably.

SHARING INVENTORY POINTS

Characters are not allowed to redistribute Inventory Points among themselves.

GEAR AND TOOLS

All Player Characters are assumed to be carrying any gear and tools appropriate to their Identity or befitting their role as adventurers: there’s no need to keep track of torches, ropes, blankets and so on.

If a character needs a basic adventuring item, they will have it.

However, sometimes a character will need an item that is a bit uncommon or doesn't really fit their Identity. When this happens, the Game Master may allow the character to spend some Inventory Points (generally 2 to 4) in order to "miraculously" pull the item in question out of their backpack.

Example: A character whose Identity is “Princess of Thieves” will surely carry some quality lockpicks in her bag; on the contrary, a noble knight will probably have to spend a couple Inventory Points to pull them out of his backpack.

Items created this way are not immediately destroyed, but characters should not be allowed to sell them for a price higher than five times their IP cost. For instance, an item that costs 2 IP to create should sell for 10 zenit at most.

Note: While tools and similar gear might allow you to perform an otherwise impossible operation, they never grant any mechanical benefit.

While conflicts may be the most memorable moments of a game session, the exploration of the game world is another major aspect of Fabula Ultima. At the beginning of the game, your group will create the world together (see World Creation, on page 148); however, this does not mean you know everything about it. While you may be familiar with the main regions and cities, there are plenty of discoveries — and dangers! — awaiting our heroes.

TRAVELING ACROSS THE WORLD MAP

When a group embarks on a journey, the Game Master makes use of the map sheet to track their movements. The basic unit of this system is the travel day: it is the average distance covered during a single day on the map (assuming the characters are traveling on foot). The length of one travel day when using your map sheet must be established by the group during World Creation.

For each travel day required by the journey, perform the following steps:

JOURNEYS AND TRA VELS

For the sake of simplicity, travel days should always be rounded up to the next whole number — a journey taking two and a half days is rounded up to three days, for instance.

The Game Master always has final say on how many travel days a journey will take.

• W: The Game Master determines the threat level of the areas traversed by the group (see next page). If more than a single threat level is present, only apply the highest.
• 1W: Unless stopped by an encountered danger, the characters proceed to the next travel day (go back to step 1) or reach their destination.
• 3O: Perform a travel roll by rolling the die appropriate to the chosen threat level.
  • On a 6 or higher, the group encounters a danger!
  • On a 1, the group makes an unexpected discovery!

  The Game Master decides the location of each danger and discovery; if you need, mark its position on your map sheet.

Sample Areas Threat Level Travel Roll

Needless to say, a frequently patrolled area under enemy control will count as a High or Very High danger, just like a prairie overrun by hostile monsters.

The Game Master has final say on the threat level for a given travel day.

Example

A group of heroes are leaving the village of Relde for the Kanka Hills, where they must search for an old mining tunnel that supposedly leads to the lair of a wise water serpent.

Liz (the Game Master) takes a look at the map and determines that the characters will need one travel day to reach the hills, and another travel day to explore the surrounding area in order to find the tunnel entrance.

For the first travel day, the group will cross prairies (d8) and hills (d10). Since only the highest die has to be taken into account, Liz should roll a d10. However, there is talk of a gang of bandits roaming the prairie: she decides this should raise the threat level to High (d12). The die comes up a 7: a danger!

Liz has the group encounter a band of four brigands, accompanied by a Grey Howler (a wolf-like creature). Following a quick conflict, the Player Characters manage to fend off the attackers.

Before moving on to the next travel day, the heroes choose to use a Magic Tent and rest, regaining their energies.

Finally, Liz rolls for the second travel day, spent exploring the hills in search of the fabled mine: this time, the die rolled is only a d10... and she rolls a 1! After giving it some thought, Liz describes the PCs finding an entrance to the ancient tunnels... but they are not alone! They meet a traveling merchant by the name of Lily, who wishes to be escorted through the mine: she seeks an audience with the serpent herself, and will reward them with goods or information for it!

DANGERS

Characters should generally be able to overcome a danger through a series of Checks or a conflict scene.

Examples of Dangers

• An area plagued by extreme weather conditions, such as sandstorms or bitter cold.
• A polluted swamp filled with toxic miasma and ravenous undead.
• A ferocious and territorial monster, or a group of hostile creatures.
• A sudden, unfortunate encounter with a rival or antagonist.
• The risk of losing an important item.

If you need to determine damage dealt by a danger, use the table below:

Status effects are another good consequence for dangers: for instance, the polluted swamp mentioned above might inflict poisoned.

World Map Management

While playing, the Game Master is free to add new landmarks, settlements and similar features to the map sheet whenever they feel appropriate. This usually happens when the group encounters a new point of interest or dangerous area, or when they learn about it from someone.

Players can also add new features and locations to the map by spending a Fabula Point to add a new story element, as explained on page 98.

Attribution

UPDATING THE WORLD MAP

DISCOVERIES

Discoveries don’t happen that often, so the Game Master should make sure each and every one of them is unique and useful.

• The entrance to an ancient ruin: is it guarded? What treasures are hidden here?
• A merchant caravan or a group of helpful creatures.
• A secluded village or safe haven unknown to most.
• A precious item or piece of information.

Remember that a discovery is always a good thing: even if it’s a dangerous location, the reward it conceals should more than make up for it.

The first airship pilot, Oona Sabine,

vanished during a flight over the Whisperwoods.

The concept of a “dungeon” is a common trope in any type of RPG, tabletop and digital alike. Generally, a dungeon is frequently — but not always! — a labyrinthine environment, inhabited by hostile creatures... and often concealing valuable treasures and powerful magical items, or acting as an evil antagonist's lair.

In Fabula Ultima, the term “dungeon” is used to indicate a somewhat complex location that is worthy of being explored. It could be an abandoned mill turned into a brigand hideout, a witch’s castle, or a network of waterways guarded by ancient golems.

Most of the time, the dungeon itself won’t be that important: why the heroes are there and what can be found within it is what really matters. Other times, a dungeon can be a powerful way to tell a story about those who inhabited it — and maybe hint at some obscure truths or provide an answer to some of the game world's mysteries.

EXPLORING DUNGEONS

Depending on the size and importance of the dungeon in question, the Game Master may adopt any of the following methods:

• Dungeon scenes. The exploration is run as a succession of key moments rather than an inch-by-inch search of the dungeon. This works best when the layout of the dungeon is mostly irrelevant and all that matters is what lies in its depths. This approach is identical to default gameplay: the heroes discuss their actions and describe what they do, the Game Master describes what goes on around them, and Checks and conflicts take place as normal.
• Detailed exploration. The entire dungeon can be explored in its every nook and cranny. This approach can be quite time-consuming and should only be used if the structure and details of the place tell an important story. For this method to work, the GM should carefully prepare the layout of the dungeon beforehand — reserve it for locations that you're sure the PCs will explore.
• Interlude. The exploration is narrated as an interlude scene, with maybe a single Group Check establishing whether the Player Characters encounter any obstacles or dangers before they reach the depths of the dungeon. Use this approach if you are short on time and if the dungeon isn't particularly important — the typical occasion would be a minor location discovered while traveling.

Additional advice on how the Game Master should prepare material for dungeons can be found starting on page 258.

DUNGEONS

DANGER CLOCKS

The Game Master can use Clocks to keep track of incoming threats in the dungeon. These Danger Clocks should feature a number of section based on the urgency of the threat they represent:

• Eight sections for a threat that isn't immediately obvious and will only come true with time — something like "crumbling temple" or "magitech system failure".
• Six sections for a threat that is quite obvious and likely to happen after a while — such as "wandering monsters" or "poisonous fog".
• Four sections for a threat that is urgent and very likely to happen — something like "surrounded" or "high alert" in a dungeon brimming with hostile creatures.

The Game Master may fill a Danger Clock as a consequence of failed Checks, as well as when an event would make the threat more likely, such as when the PCs spend time searching a room, make noise, rest inside the dungeon or draw unwanted attention.

Different Danger Clocks will be triggered by different actions and events, of course — casting a spell might fill an "arcane overload" Clock, while searching a room is unlikely to affect it.

As the Clock fills, the Game Master should foreshadow the incoming danger: once it is completely filled, that threat will become active in full, and the heroes will be forced to deal with it one way or another.

The worlds of Fabula Ultima are innately magical, bound together on an atomic level by a stream of eternal souls. Because of this, many creatures can wield magic, manipulating soul energy to create supernatural effects.

SPELLS AND RITUALS

Magic in Fabula Ultima falls within one of two categories: spells or Rituals.

• Spells represent codified magic formulas developed to protect warriors and travelers: their applications are primarily offensive or defensive. They can be learned easily and only require a brief gesture to cast, but lack flexibility.
• Rituals, on the other hand, are complex magical effects designed to overcome a specific obstacle: whenever a Ritual is performed, it will always be started from scratch and take several minutes to complete.

While powerful and extremely flexible, Rituals consume large amounts of Mind Points and require difficult Magic Checks; additionally, failing a Ritual will cause the magic to spiral out of control. While these downsides can be mitigated through time, effort, and complex procedures, the truth remains that Ritual magic is a powerful resource... but one that should be used sparingly.

The mechanics governing spells and Rituals can be found in the next pages.

MAGIC DISCIPLINES

This book features a total of six disciplines: Arcanism, Chimerism, Elementalism, Entropism, Ritualism, and Spiritism. Five of these correspond to a specific Class: Arcanist, Chimerist, Elementalist, Entropist, and Spiritist, whilst Ritualism is available to all of these Classes, except for Arcanists.

ARCANISM

Arcanists can project a large portion of their soul outside their bodies, forcing it to resonate with the power left behind by ancient divine entities known as Arcana, and manifest a fragment of their power. To access an Arcanum’s power, one must first earn their favor: this often involves completing some sort of trial, quest, or mission.

Arcanism is a peculiar discipline that does not feature spells, but instead follows its own unique mechanics (see the Arcanist Class on page 176). Arcanism Rituals are also possible through the Arcane Rituals Skill.

MAGIC

Chimerism

Chimerists gain their powers from the souls of beasts and monsters; they search for creatures able to cast spells and attempt to mimic the same effects.

Chimerism features both spells and Rituals. However, Chimerist spells must be learned from creatures (see the Spell Mimic Skill on page 183).

Elementalism

Elementalists can control the stream of souls that binds the four core elements of creation: air, earth, fire, and water. They can also influence any of their combinations and manifestations, such as magma, blizzards, deserts, or clouds.

Elementalism features both spells and Rituals.

Entropism

Entropists go beyond the stream of souls found in the world and reach for the vast expanse of nothingness between stars. Their chaotic magic defies logic, twisting time and space and dissipating souls, matter, and magical energy.

Entropism features both spells and Rituals.

Ritualism

Contrary to most other magical disciplines, Ritualism features no spells and can only be used in Ritual form. It is a catch-all term for Rituals performed to manipulate, sense, bind or unleash magical energy present within a location, item, mechanism, or relic.

From a certain point of view, magitech could be considered a combination of Ritualism and technology.

Spiritism

Spiritists can manipulate the raw energy found within the souls of living creatures, influencing their emotions and manipulating their vital force: a power both miraculous and frightening.

Spiritism features both spells and Rituals.

Spells can belong to any of the following disciplines: Chimerism, Elementalism, Entropism, and Spiritism. The remaining two disciplines, Arcanism and Ritualism, do not feature any spells.

Spell Format

Each spell description uses the format below and contains a variety of information:

Example Spell Metadata

Ignis rr 10 × T | Up to three creatures | Instantaneous

You unleash a searing barrage against your foes, conjuring flames out of thin air. Each target hit by this spell suffers 【HR + 15】 fire damage.

Opportunity: Each target hit by this spell suffers shaken.

Spell Components

• The Name and Type: The name of the spell, and whether it is an offensive spell (rr).
  See page 116 for more information on offensive spells.
• Mind Point Cost: The cost of the spell in Mind Points. To cast a spell, you must have enough MP to pay its cost; additionally, some spells allow you to spend more MP to increase the number of targets or strengthen the effect. For instance, a spell with a cost of 10 × T will cost you 10 Mind Points per target; the final amount of Mind Points required to cast a spell is known as the total MP cost.
• Targets: The targets that can be affected by the spell. Most spells can target a certain number of creatures, but others may affect different targets (such as weapons).
• Target Specification: A target of "Self" means the caster will use the spell on themselves, while a target of "Special" indicates that the spell functions in a unique way described in its text, usually affecting a variety of creatures or elements present on the scene.
• Duration: The duration of the spell. Either "Instantaneous", meaning that the spell takes effect immediately and then dissipates, or "Scene", meaning that the spell creates an ongoing effect lasting until the end of the scene it was cast in.
• Effect Description: The effect of the spell, often preceded by a flavorful description. This description has no mechanical relevance, but can help you understand the concept behind the spell and customize its appearance in order to fit your character.
• Opportunity Effect: Spells that require a Magic Check often feature an opportunity effect. If you roll a critical success on your Magic Check, you may spend the corresponding opportunity to trigger this effect.

Spells

Casting a Spell

To cast a spell, you must fulfill the following prerequisites:

• You must be free to move your body. You can be holding items in your hands, as long as you can move your arms.
• You must be able to speak and pronounce the invocation.
• You must have enough Mind Points to pay for the spell’s total MP cost, including any additional MP used to enhance its effect.
• Unless you are casting a spell with a target of Self or Special, you must be able to see your targets.

If all of the above are true, you may cast the spell.

1. Declare which spell you want to cast among those your character has learned, and what its effect will be.
2. If required, choose the targets for your spell.
3. Perform the magical gestures and pronounce the formula — remember that any nearby creatures will see and hear you.

Magic Checks

If the spell is an offensive spell, you must also perform a Magic Check. Elementalism, Entropism, and Spiritism Checks rely on 【INS + WLP 】, while Chimerism may choose between 【INS + WLP】 or 【MIG + WLP】.

Non-offensive spells are automatically successful and require no Check. Fumbles and critical successes on Magic Checks generate opportunities as normal.

4. Spend the required amount of Mind Points.

5. Apply the effects of the spell.

While the effects of spells and disciplines are defined by the rules of the game, the way they manifest in your world is something that can vary from one character to another, and another great opportunity to inject personality into each of your heroes.

• A druid or witch might conjure magical branches blossoming into fruits or flowers that produce the effects of the spell.
• A spellblade might channel magic through precise blade movements.
• A sorcerer might summon a swarm of imps or pixies to torment their enemies and assist their allies.

If you can use magic, spend some time during each session describing what your spells look like!

DESCRIBING YOUR MAGIC

By acquiring specific Classes and Skills, characters may gain the ability to use Ritual magic belonging to different disciplines.

Each branch of Ritual magic grants you influence over different aspects of the world:

Discipline Magic

Arcanism

【WLP + WLP】 Produce a magical effect based on the Arcana you have bound.

Chimerism

【INS + WLP】 or 【MIG + WLP】 Enhance your senses, see through the eyes of an animal, quell the fury of a monster.

Elementalism

【INS + WLP】 Walk on water, shape rock, snuff out fires, cause a rainstorm or summon powerful cyclones.

Entropism

【INS + WLP】 Cause the decay of physical matter, twist the flow of time, teleport creatures or items.

Ritualism

【INS + WLP】 Extract magic from an object, activate a soul circuit, sense the presence of magic.

Spiritism

【INS + WLP】 Sense the presence and feelings of creatures, put someone to sleep or embolden their heart.

The full process for casting Rituals is described on the next page. Remember that Ritual magic should never be able to accomplish any of the following:

• Causing direct damage. The Ritual can still deal collateral damage — if you open a chasm below your enemies' feet, they are bound to suffer some kind of harm. When establishing collateral damage dealt by a Ritual, use the table on page 93.
• Inflicting or removing status effects.
• Causing characters to lose or gain HP , MP , IP , Fabula Points or Ultima Points.
• Replicating the mechanical benefits of an existing spell or Skill (however, narrative effects such as teleportation of flight are okay, even if some Skills do grant them).
• Generating creatures or equipment, or granting them permanent abilities.

Aside from these, most Rituals are fair game — but the stronger the effect you seek, the more tragic the consequences will be if your Ritual goes wrong.

RITUALS

22GAME RULES

The Ritual

The Ritual is cast following the normal procedure for a spell (page 115), but it always requires a Magic Check which must meet or exceed a Difficulty Level based on the Ritual's potency (see below). The Check will rely on the Attributes indicated by the Ritual's discipline (see page on the left).

If you succeed, the Ritual has the desired effect; if you fail, the Game Master will describe how its effects have been twisted in a catastrophic way.

Procedure for Casting The Ritual

1. Determine Goal: Describe what you want to accomplish with your Ritual and declare which area or creatures you want to affect.
2. Game Master Ruling: The Game Master has final say on whether a given effect can be accomplished, as well as which Ritual discipline it falls within.
3. Calculate Cost: By consulting the Area and Potency tables below, the Game Master determines the Ritual's total cost in Mind Points (MP).

Potency Table

Area Table

GAME RULES

Potency Clock

The following describes the attributes associated with different levels of magical potency:

• Minor: Potency 4, Clock 20, MP 7, DL Individual ×1
• Medium: Potency 6, Clock 30, MP 10, DL Small ×2
• Major: Potency 6, Clock 40, MP 13, DL Large ×3
• Extreme: Potency 8, Clock 50, MP 16, DL Huge ×4

RITUALS DURING CONFLICTS

Ritual magic can certainly be attempted during a conflict scene, but you will first need to gather enough magical energy.

The process is as follows:

Regardless of which fantastic world your adventures take place in, your heroes will likely find themselves purchasing and selling items. This section covers the basics of the economy and provides you with useful lists of items and prices.

ZENIT

The common currency of all Fabula Ultima worlds is zenit, a gold coin whose shape and size may vary from region to region. While prices may rise and fall depending on where you are, zenit is universally accepted.

On average, 5 z pays for a decent meal, 10 z will be enough to rent a room for the night in town, and 100 z can fetch you a bronze shield.

EQUIPPED ITEMS AND ITEMS IN YOUR BACKPACK

As shown on the character sheet, a Player Character can equip a limited number of items on their body:

• You have one equipment slot for your armor.
• You have a main hand equipment slot, where you can equip a one-handed weapon or a two-handed weapon. While you have a two-handed weapon equipped here, that weapon will also take up your off-hand slot (see below).
• You have an off-hand equipment slot, where you can equip a one-handed weapon or a shield.
• You have one equipment slot for your accessory.

Any item you have that is not equipped goes in your backpack. There is no set limit to how many items you can carry this way, as long as it makes sense. The Game Master has final say on what you can and cannot carry this way.

If you ever find yourself in need of transporting large and heavy items over long distances, consider purchasing a transport (see page 125).

It takes a few moments to find items stored inside a backpack: during a conflict, for example, you will need to spend an action searching for them. On the other hand, items you have equipped are readily accessible, but also more exposed to the risk of being damaged or stolen.

An item stored in your backpack does not grant you any of its properties. If you want it to “work”, you must equip it!

ECONOMY AND ITEMS

22GAME RULES

HOW TO GET NEW ITEMS

There are plenty of occasions for characters to acquire gear and equipment: villages and towns will always have one or more stores dedicated to weapons, armor, and useful accessories. This doesn’t mean a character can simply walk into a shop in the middle of nowhere and expect to purchase a magical crossbow, however: while basic weapons, armor, and shields should be available in most settlements, rare items should only be found in unique stores, hidden within the most dangerous of ruins, guarded by powerful monsters or offered as a reward for heroic deeds.

If you are the Game Master, see page 266 for rules and guidelines on how to create rare items, as well as several lists of premade items. A list of basic items can be found starting on page 130.

There are three main ways treasure and magical items can be handled during a Fabula Ultima campaign.

When you start playing, you should discuss which of the methods below you want to adopt; you can always change your decision later on after a few sessions.

Methods for Handling Treasure

• Classic. The GM hands out rewards as they see fit. This is probably the most common solution, but it puts a lot of responsibility on the GM's shoulders.
• Survey. The Game Master asks everyone about the kind of items they'd like their characters to find or use — perhaps the ninja would like to wear an intimidating han'nya mask (page 286), or the brawler can't wait to get her hands on a pair of fuel knuckles (page 272). Using this method, the GM has a useful list of items they can pick from when handing out rewards.
• Wishlist. This is an uncommon approach, but it can be interesting. Each Player writes a list of items they would like their character to find over the course of their career — these can be chosen from the lists of rare items in the Game Master chapter, or designed from scratch following the guidelines presented there. Then, whenever the group finds some kind of treasure or receives a reward, the Players themselves can pick from those lists and narrate what the item is — as well as why it was there.

REWARDS

Selling Items

Provided you can find someone willing to buy it, an item will sell for roughly half its original price. This amount may be modified by the item’s quality and condition: none will want the rusted, mud-caked axes picked up in the old tunnels.

The Game Master always has final say on whether you are able to sell a given item and how many zenit you can make from it; sometimes it will also be possible to barter or carry out duties in exchange for goods.

Artifacts

Player Characters will sometimes come into possession of incredibly powerful magic items, known as artifacts (see page 288). Given their nature, artifacts should never be purchased or sold: no amount of riches can do them justice. Entire kingdoms could go to war for a chance to obtain them.

Services and Transports

Prices and availability for animals, vehicles, lodging, and such may vary depending on your game world. The following lists are meant to be a guideline for the Game Master when establishing prices.

When it comes to transports, the list includes generic entries for mounts, cars, vessels, airships and such. Each transport can carry a certain number of passengers and increases the distance you can cover within a single travel day.

Transport Rules

• Terrestrial transports can only travel on land.
• Aquatic transports can travel on water surfaces.
• Submarine transports can travel above and underwater.
• Flying transports can travel in the skies.

Vehicle Costs:

• If you purchase a vehicle hauled by animals, their cost is included in its price.
• There is no need to keep track of animal fodder or fuel.
• Mounts acquired this way have no stats and will not fight. If you want to ride a creature into battle, take a look at the Wayfarer's Skill Faithful Companion (page 217).

SERVICE COST DESCRIPTION

Town Services

Recharge Inventory 10 z: Recharges a character's Inventory Points by one.

Full Rest (village) 5 z: Allows one person to rest for one night.

Full Rest (town) 10 z: Allows one person to rest for one night.

Full Rest (city) 20 z: Allows one person to rest for one night.

Travel Services

Land Transportation 10 z: Allows one person to travel for one day.

Water Transportation 20 z: Allows one person to travel for one day.

Air Transportation 40 z: Allows one person to travel for one day.

TRANSPORT COST PASSENGERS DISTANCE

Mounts

• Terrestrial 200 z: One or two ×2
• Aquatic 500 z: Approximately six ×2
• Submarine 1000 z: Approximately six ×2
• Flying 2000 z: Approximately six ×3

Vehicles

• Terrestrial 600 z: Approximately six ×2
• Aquatic 2000 z: Approximately ten ×2
• Submarine 4000 z: Approximately ten ×2
• Flying 8000 z: Approximately twenty ×3

There are four categories of items that can be equipped: accessories, armors, shields and weapons. Each item can be basic or rare (with the exception of accessories, which are always rare).

MARTIAL ITEMS (E)

Items marked with the (E) symbol can only be equipped by characters who have acquired certain specific Classes.

• Darkblade allows you to equip martial melee weapons and martial armor.
• Fury allows you to equip martial melee weapons and martial armor.
• Guardian allows you to equip martial armor and martial shields.
• Sharpshooter allows you to equip martial ranged weapons and martial shields.
• Weaponmaster allows you to equip martial melee weapons and martial shields.

Characters who do not have the appropriate Classes can still carry a martial item, but they are unable to equip it and enjoy its benefits.

ACCESSORIES

Accessories are useful magical items that bestow special abilities upon those who wear them. Accessories are always considered rare items.

Each accessory entry uses the format below and contains a variety of information:

ACCESSORY COST

You gain a +1 bonus to your Accuracy Checks.

The general structure includes:

• The accessory's name.
• The accessory's cost in zenit.
• Any special abilities the item bestows while equipped.

The Game Master can find a list of sample accessories starting on page 285.

ARMORS

Armor offers improved protection to its wearer.

Armor Entry Format

Each armor entry uses the format below and contains a variety of information:

Example Structure:

Sage Robe | 200 z | DEX die +1 | INS die +2 -2 | No Quality.

Brigandine E | 150 z | 10 | INS die -2 | No Quality.

Field Descriptions

• The Name and Type: The armor's name, and whether it is a martial armor (E).
• Cost: The armor's cost in zenit.
• Defense/Magic Defense Calculation: The formula used to calculate the wearer's Defense and Magic Defense. This will either be a fixed number, such as 10 for the Brigandine above, or a bonus that must be added to your current Dexterity die size (for Defense) or Insight die size (for Magic Defense). For instance, if you have a Dexterity of d8 and an Insight of d10, wearing a sage robe will give you a Defense score of 9 and a Magic Defense score of 12.
• Base Stats Rule: If you are not wearing any armor at all, your Defense will simply be equal to your Dexterity die size and your Magic Defense will simply be equal to your Insight die size.
• Initiative Penalty: The penalty to Initiative Group Checks caused by the armor. Martial armors usually impose heavier penalties. If you are not wearing any armor at all, your Initiative will suffer no penalty.
• Special Abilities: Any special abilities the item bestows while equipped.

Examples

For a list of all the basic armors available in the game, see page 132.

W SHIELDS

Shields must be equipped in a character's off-hand slot and further enhance defenses.

Each shield entry uses the format below and contains a variety of information:

• SHIELD COST DEFENSE M. DEFENSE INITIATIVE
• Runic Shield E 150 z +2 +2 -

No Quality.

Understanding Shield Information

• The shield's name, and whether it is a martial shield (E).
• The shield's cost in zenit.
• The increase to Defense and Magic Defense granted by the shield. This is in addition to any benefits granted by the armor you may have equipped.

For a list of all the basic shields available in the game, see page 133.

Armor Concepts

Martial and non-martial armors influence a character's Defense and Magic Defense scores in different ways.

Remember that regardless of which armor you are wearing, shields always add to it — if you have a free slot, it's never a bad idea to equip a shield.

• Lighter armors give you Defenses based on your current Dexterity and Insight die sizes plus a small bonus. They are great if your Attributes are already high, but can become less effective if you suffer status effects.
• Martial armors set your Defense score to a fixed value, regardless of your current Dexterity die size. They offer reliable protection, but also take a heavy toll on your Initiative.

ARMOR AND DEFENSES

Weapons are divided into ten Categories: arcane, bow, brawling, dagger, firearm, flail, heavy, spear, sword, and thrown.

Weapon Entry Format

Each weapon entry uses the format below and contains a variety of information:

Example: Rapier E 200 z 【DEX + INS】 +1 【HR + 6】 physical

One-handed w Melee w No Quality.

Components Explained

• The weapon’s name, and whether it is a martial weapon (E).
• The weapon’s cost in zenit.
• The Attributes and formula used for Accuracy Checks when performing attacks with the weapon.
• The formula used to calculate damage dealt by the weapon, and the type of damage it deals — generally physical, but rare weapons might deal special types of damage such as fire or dark. Remember that HR stands for High Roll — the highest of the two dice you rolled during the Accuracy Check.
• Whether the weapon requires one hand or two hands; if you can equip the weapon in one hand slot, you can use your other hand slot to equip another one-handed weapon or a shield.
• Whether it is a melee weapon or a ranged weapon.
• Any special abilities the item bestows while equipped.

You do not have to keep track of ammunition for ranged weapons: once you purchase the item, you're simply assumed to have enough on your person to fight with.

For a list of all the basic weapons available in the game, see the next page.

A NOTE ON UNARMED STRIKES

Among the various weapons available in the game, one is the unarmed strike (see next page). These are the character's empty hands, and while they do count as one-handed weapons, they are automatically "equipped" whenever a hand slot is empty. Basically, an empty hand slot also counts as an unarmed strike.

Legends tell of a sword capable of striking fear in the hearts of Dragons and Wyrms.

22GAME RULES

Heavy Category

Spear Category

Sword Category

Thrown Category

132 W BASIC ARMOR AND SHIELDS

BASIC ARMORS

ARMOR COST DEFENSE M. DEFENSE INITIATIVE

Armor Listings

Contextual Information

Chapter Info: W | CHAPTER

BASIC SHIELDS

Bronze Shield

Cost: 100 z | Defense: +2 | M. Defense: - | Initiative: -

No Quality.

Runic Shield

Cost: 150 z | Defense: +2 | M. Defense: +2 | Initiative: -

No Quality.

The most massive shield in the world is the Adamantower, forged with the hide of an extremely rare and dangerous beast.

Much like how spellcasters gain access to Ritual magic, characters with the Tinkerer Class (page 210) may start Projects and work on a variety of custom inventions — love potions, walking magitech shields, or even majestic airships.

Projects

Projects work as follows:

1. Describe the invention's effects, how it operates, what kind of energy it requires, and the specific benefits it provides. The Game Master has final say on whether a given invention is feasible in your circumstances.
2. By consulting the area, potency, and uses tables (see next page), the GM determines the invention's total cost in materials, to be paid immediately. For inventions of medium or higher potency, the Game Master also describes a necessary special ingredient or material. This item cannot simply be purchased and should become the focus of one or two sessions.
3. To complete the Project, you must reach an amount of progress equal to one for every 100 zenit of material costs (minimum one progress required).

At the end of each day, the Project will advance as follows:

• +1 progress for every Player Character who worked on the Project today.
• +1 extra progress for every Player Character with one or more levels in the Tinkerer Class who worked on the Project today.
4. Once the required amount of progress is reached, the invention is created! If you can generate more progress in a day than what is currently needed to complete the Project, you may have it ready within a few hours instead.
5. If an invention is complex enough — such as a magitech motorcycle equipped with a cannon, acting as both a vehicle and a weapon — the Game Master is free to split the Project into two or more separate inventions, each requiring its own individual development process.
6. You may negotiate a terrible flaw with the Game Master — perhaps the invention must be recharged at regular intervals, is unreliable, cumbersome, or extremely loud. This flaw reduces the total cost of the Project by 25%.

22GAME RULES

CHAPTER

Potency Base Cost

The invention can...

Minor (100 zenit)

Provide light, transport people or cargo on land or water, obtain some limited form of protection.

Medium (200 zenit)

Travel underwater, contain a spell, relay sound or speech, perform a specific operation in place of the inventor, provide short-term energy.

Major (400 zenit)

Fly, alter the nature of an area for a short time, cancel the effects of a spell, possess minor intelligence, fight alongside the inventor, provide long-term energy, capture or immobilize the target.

Extreme (800 zenit)

Alter the nature of an area for a long time, contain the power of a demon, prevent a catastrophe, possess a full intelligence and personality.

Area Multiplier

The effects of the invention may affect...

• Individual ×1: A human-sized creature, a door, a tree, or a weapon.
• Small ×2: A group of human-sized creatures, a large creature, a small clearing, a room, a railway car, or a hut.
• Large ×3: A crowd, a small forest, an airship or galleon, a castle hall, a house, or a giant creature.
• Huge ×4: A fortress, a lake, the top of a mountain, a village, or a city block.

Uses Multiplier

Once activated, the invention...

• Consumable ×1: Can never be used again unless the inventor creates a different copy of it.
• Permanent ×5: Remains available for multiple uses in different situations.

Remember that the Game Master has the right to split any particularly complex or powerful inventions into several Projects, each with its own costs and requirements.

SAMPLE PROJECTS

INVENTION POTENCY AREA USE

GAME RULES

GROUP DYNAMICS

A SAFE PLAY ENVIRONMENT

In line with the JRPG genre that inspiration has been drawn from, Fabula Ultima’s tones are heroic and optimistic, despite the occasional presence of tragic or darker scenes — especially when Villains are involved. The general expectation is that scenes will not be particularly gritty or morbidly described, even when death is involved — but since you never know what might hurt the sensibility of the people playing, here is a list of tools and “good practices”.

• Mutual trust and respect. This should go without saying, but respecting the people you are playing with is key to a good experience — and the same applies to putting your trust in them. Roleplaying games are a highly social activity, and it is perfectly normal for people to get a bit tense and emotional during dramatic moments, but mutual trust and respect are the main foundation for good play. Whatever happens between characters in your story, the people at the table must be good to each other.
• The game and its fiction must not replace human interaction. If someone's behavior bothers anyone, that issue must be solved outside the game. There’s nothing wrong with pausing a session to get things sorted and going back to it once you’ve found an agreement. Do not, under any circumstance, use the game as a tool for proving your point or influencing someone's behavior.
• Lines and Veils. These terms were coined by Ron Edwards in Sex and Sorcery, and they are practical safety tools with a history of good results. Before or during the game, you may declare that you are drawing a line or veiling a situation or action.

  When you draw a line, you are saying that you don't want this element in the game. It won't happen, it didn't happen, and your shared story will never talk about that.

  When you veil, you are saying that while the element is present, you don't want it to be expressly depicted or brought into the spotlight. It's still a part of your world and will influence your character's actions, but it will take place "behind the scenes".

These tools are especially useful if you’re playing with people you’ve never met before, but keep them in mind even when you’re with old-time friends. Every single person has something that makes them uncomfortable, sometimes to an unbearable degree — overly detailed descriptions of violence, portrayals of unhealthy relationships, or even something you believe is commonplace but somehow left a scar on them.

When playing the game, one of your duties is to create a safe environment — don’t insist on asking why something made someone uncomfortable: instead, ask them how they’d prefer this type of scene or situation to be handled from now on.

Secrets

It is not uncommon for a Player Character to hide secrets from their companions, be it their past misdeeds or their burning love for an antagonist.

While it's perfectly fine for characters to have secrets, Players should instead keep things transparent and work together to get the most out of the situation.

By telling your group "My character looks like they want to be friends with you, but she actually hates you because of what happened in Galatea" you are empowering everyone at the table, including yourself: now that this facet of your hero is known, it will be possible to build upon it and create drama.

Never forget that this game relies on a collaborative storytelling effort: disclosing your character's secrets means giving your fellow Players a chance to make things interesting — do not think of it as "letting your guard down".

Leaving the Group

There might come a moment when you feel like your character has been fully explored; they have faced their fears, achieved their goals, and found who or what they were looking for, with the campaign not yet reaching its end.

When this happens, you are free to announce that your character will be leaving the group — you should do so between sessions and also come up with a replacement character. Then, at the beginning of the following session, describe your character's epilogue and agree on how and why your new character joins the group.

• If you want to temporarily retire a character but retain the ability to bring them back later on during the campaign, you should discuss it with the rest of your group.
• Whenever a new character (or a previously retired character) joins the group, they should have the same level and XP as the character they are replacing. If the character is a returning character, the Player should briefly describe what they did while away from the rest of the group.
• Regardless of how many Player Characters are owned by a Player, that Player may only control a single PC at once. The Game Master has final say on when you can "switch characters"—generally between sessions or after resting in town.

Needless to say, you can only switch to a different character if that character is somewhere nearby or has the means to reach the rest of the group.

ABSENT PLAYERS

We all have busy lives, and sometimes this means one or more people will be unable to take part in a session.

When this happens, the simplest option is often to reschedule the session for a different date. Just pick another day to meet — in the meantime, you can play another game with whoever is present!

On the other hand, if you are determined to run a session even if one or more participants are absent — and you should do this only if whoever's missing is okay with it — each absent Player chooses one of the following for their character:

• I'll join you later. Your character will remain in town (or somewhere safe) and carry on some kind of task. This is a good chance to gather information, purchase items, and work on Projects. Discuss what your character does with the Game Master.
• Your character will join the rest of the group at the beginning of the next session; describe how you got there.
• I'll be in your care. For this session, your character will be controlled by the rest of the group as a whole (excluding the Game Master). While controlled by the group, your character cannot spend Fabula Points and will automatically surrender if reduced to 0 Hit Points. The Game Master should be cautious when applying consequences to characters belonging to absent Players, and everyone else should do their best to protect them.

Regardless of which option you choose for your character, the following apply:

• Your character will not gain Fabula Points while absent from a session.
• Your character will gain Experience Points as normal at the end of the session. This might cause your character to level up (see page 226).

As soon as you take part in a session again, you will be able to gain and spend Fabula Points as normal.

The nature of this world is not one of absolutes.

144

W

W

CHAPTER

This chapter contains the rules for starting your Fabula Ultima game. Within the following pages you will discover how to create your game world, give your group a core theme, build your very own characters, and finally, begin play with a prologue.

SESSION ZERO

While reading this chapter on your own is an excellent idea, the steps require everyone in your group to be present. This meeting, also known as session zero, is meant to establish the basics of the setting in which your adventures will take place, along with the themes you want to explore and the heroes you will portray.

• For the Game Master: This is a great time to learn about the Player Characters and start thinking about interesting scenarios, locations, and antagonists. Make sure to ask lots of questions and take plenty of notes.
• For the Players: This is where you cooperate with everyone else to create your very own world and characters. It is a chance to inject it with your own fantasy ideas, be it a particular aesthetic, a magical technology, or a terrifying danger.

Needless to say, there will be many occasions to leave your mark on the world you will create; however, think of this moment as the root of your play experience, from which everything else will grow, evolve, and blossom.

WAIT, I’VE CHANGED MY MIND!

The sections of this chapter are presented in a specific order, but you are free to go back to any step and revise the choices whenever you feel the need. For instance, when creating your character, you might come up with an idea for a cool location and mark it on the world map. Or you could end up with a band of heroes that suits a different type of group from the one you had previously selected.

You are building the foundations of your campaign... take your time!

Now that you've gathered together, there are a few things to discuss before you begin creating your world and characters. For each topic, read the questions and discuss your choices as a group.

COMMITMENT AND EXPECTATIONS

The first thing you should discuss is the amount of time and effort everyone will be able to dedicate to the game. This will help set expectations and avoid issues later on during play.

• Will you play for a set amount of sessions, or are you simply going to start playing and see where the story leads you?
• How often will you play? Weekly, monthly, twice per month?
• The game is designed around sessions of approximately four hours, but how long do you expect your sessions to be? If your sessions are shorter or longer, remember to check for Experience Points approximately every four hours (see page 226).
• If there are missing Players, will you reschedule the session, or will you play nonetheless? Which solution will you adopt for the missing Players' characters?

See page 143 for suggestions.

TONE AND THEMES

This is a game with a relatively broad scope: depending on the kind of world and characters you create, the campaign's tone and themes can vary quite a bit. Because this is a shared storytelling experience, you need to be on the same page or at least lay a solid foundation — you can always discuss changes later.

• What kind of tone do you expect during the narration? Would you prefer a heavily dramatic tale dealing with complex situations and emotions, or would you rather tell a fantastical story where good and evil are easily told apart?
• Are there any themes you strongly wish to explore during play?
• Will the heroes be best friends from the start, or are you okay with moments of crisis and disagreements within the party? How will you resolve these contrasts?
• When describing scenes and actions, are you okay with over-the-top anime descriptions or would you prefer a heroic but more fable-like approach?

See page 141 for suggestions.

BEFORE YOU START

RULES AND CHALLENGE

Much like tone and themes, this game allows you to customize its rules and play it with a varying degree of mechanical challenge and optimization.

• Are you adopting any of the optional rules presented in the book? Pay special attention to optional rules for conflicts (page 82) and advancement (page 230).
• How "hardcore" do you expect your game experience to be? Are you aiming for mechanical optimization with your characters? Do you expect the Game Master to design extremely challenging adversaries? Or are you here for a relaxing experience that takes minimal focus?

SAFETY

Roleplaying games tend to get us emotionally and personally involved. It's their beauty, but it also leaves us vulnerable. Make sure to discuss whatever descriptions, situations, scenes, and story elements might make you uncomfortable. Everyone should indicate any lines and veils (page 140) that they want to apply during sessions; it can be a good idea to handle this anonymously to preserve the privacy of the participants.

In particular, you should make sure to discuss:

• The depiction of violence. By default, Fabula Ultima expects little elements of gore and blood: much like in classic JRPGs, death is portrayed as a character kneeling or vanishing in a cloud of spiritual particles — but still talk about the kind of scenes and descriptions people are okay with.
• The nature of evil. Story elements such as mind control, the persecution of a minority, or violent imperialism are all common tropes in tabletop games, but for some, they are very real and tangible threats. Strive to make sure the game is a safe space.
• Romances, relationships, and sexuality. These elements are another trope of JRPG stories, which often feature romances between main characters. Discuss if people are comfortable with this and exactly to what degree.

As you play the game, you will probably reconsider some of your previous decisions. When this happens, talk about it with the group and find a new agreement.

Remember: you win roleplaying games by creating a memorable story and having a great time together!

WORLD CREATION

Your first step is the shared creation of the game world (also known as a “setting”) in which your characters’ adventures will take place. This process involves both the Game Master and the Players and provides everyone with a strong foundation for heroes, antagonists, creatures, and events.

You will need the world sheet and the map sheet.

The flowchart on the next page describes the world creation process. If you want, give your setting a name: even something as simple as Earth, Gaia or The Planet will work fine... we do the same in our real world, after all!

As explained on page 14, all Fabula Ultima worlds share some core elements — the Eight Pillars. When creating your setting, keep those elements in mind! Pay special attention to the following:

• Souls. Everything living and unliving is connected by the stream of souls. Some worlds might feature machinery fueled by soul energy, while in other settings, spiritual corruption might give birth to monstrous creatures.
  Discuss what people generally know about souls in your world.
• Conflicts and struggles. The cultures populating your world haven’t been able to unite themselves under a single banner. Their motives can range from centuries-old rivalries, ideological or religious strife, misunderstandings, perhaps even the cruelties of one nation against the other. Drawing inspiration from the real world can be a good idea, as it is (unfortunately) rife with turmoil and injustice.
• A fantastical, diverse world. When creating your setting, you shouldn’t concern yourself with realism, verisimilitude, or historical accuracy. A city-state inspired by ancient Greece might be bordering with a flying fortress, guarded by warriors clad in Song Dynasty-style armor and practicing a form of alchemy similar to that of the Italian Renaissance.
  What really matters is for each location's appearance to reflect the themes and emotions it will embody within your story.

The flowchart presents the world creation steps in a more intuitive order, but you’re always free to go back and make adjustments when needed.

The most important part is that everyone can share ideas freely. Whenever a step states that “each person should contribute an element”, that doesn’t mean they must come up with it entirely on their own: as with any other aspect of this game, dialogue and communication are key to a good experience!

World Building Prompts

1. Create the major kingdoms and nations of your world, mark their borders on the map and discuss their relations: mutual trust, strained alliances, or open conflict?

   Each person at the table should contribute at least one kingdom or nation during this step, providing some details about their customs, beliefs, industry, denizens, and creatures.

2. Choose a shape for your world: is it round, flat, or are the regions floating amidst the clouds? Could it be donut-shaped, in typical JRPG fashion?

   You might even decide that the shape of your world is yet to be discovered!

3. Grab a map sheet that fits your concept (or draw a custom map; just make sure to leave plenty of blank space for settlements and locations). Your world can span more than one sheet, of course — but let’s keep things simple for now. Remember to establish the length of a travel day on the map (see page 106).

4. What is the role of magic and technology in your setting? Are you living in an age of industrial development, or is it more Renaissance-like?

   • Is magic seen as a form of science, or mostly as a great mystery?

5. Discuss the major historical events that shaped your world into what it is. Each person at the table should contribute at least one important event that dramatically altered the history of your setting.

6. What are the great enigmas and mysteries of the world? The questions left unanswered, and the truths that are now indistinguishable from legend?

   Each person at the table should contribute at least one mystery of the world that they want to explore over the course of the group’s adventures.

7. What terrible threats cast a shadow over your world? Environmental disasters, furious deities, power-hungry empires, or perhaps even clouds of corrupting miasma that are enveloping and consuming the land?

   Each person at the table should contribute a threat, preferably something that is endangering the future of entire nations. The Game Master will base a majority of their villains and antagonists on these worldwide threats.

World Creation Tables

Feel free to use the tables on these pages whenever you're running short on ideas during world creation.

Magic and Technology (roll a d20 or choose)

Below are 20 potential concepts for magic and technology that can influence your setting:

• 1. Magitech disturbs the natural balance.
• 2. Those who can wield magic carry a unique brand on their bodies.
• 3. Magic is inherited through bloodline.
• 4. The advent of magic is very recent.
• 5. The Ancients lived in harmony with magical creatures.
• 6. All magic in the world comes from a single sacred location.
• 7. The world is kept together by some ancient and powerful magic.
• 8. Technology is an offense to the gods.
• 9. The world is a science-fiction dystopia where magic is experimented on.
• 10. Magic is a gift from the gods.
• 11. Magic comes from another dimension.
• 12. There are parts of the world where no people are born who can use magic.
• 13. Airships revolutionized travel and war.
• 14. Magic is largely a forbidden art.
• 15. Spellcasters are trained in academies and then hired by nobles.
• 16. Steam engines are commonplace and great golems join armies in battle.
• 17. In the past, the world was almost destroyed.
• 18. Magic was taught by dragons.
• 19. Monsters are born from the restless souls of the dead.
• 20. Magic comes from ancient crystals.

All these options can be applied to the entire world or to a specific nation or region. For instance, steam engines might be a common sight in one continent and reviled as heresy by a neighbouring country, or magic might be an ancient art in one region and a recent discovery somewhere else.

Kingdoms and Nations (roll a d8 or choose)

Use these concepts to define the political structure of your setting:

• 1. Empire
• 2. Kingdom
• 3. Villages
• 4. City-state
• 5. Union
• 6. Holy Kingdom
• 7. Tribes
• 8. Protectorate

Location Names

• Acheron
• Agartha
• Alexandria
• Alfheim
• Aquileia
• Argus
• Asteride
• Avalon
• Babel
• Beregand
• Burgo
• Calibar
• Ceren
• Colvand
• Crescentia
• Cymur
• Dagda
• Delos
• Doma
• Dunova
• Edessa
• Endell
• Entigea
• Ertha
• Feror
• Galatea
• Garaphis
• Ghizal
• Harkell
• Holne
• Ildefort
• Ittia
• Jeriva
• Kemes
• Koga
• Korinth
• Lacria
• Londinium
• Luxor
• Malaba
• Megara
• Megido
• Nara
• Nethis
• Olcressia
• Oskara
• Platea
• Pirithia
• Pemble
• Quivira
• Regalia
• Relde
• Rimea
• Roston
• Salazar
• Samitra
• Silea
• Sotera
• Tartarus
• Terisia
• Thule
• Torren
• Ulyan
• Ur
• Valica
• Veleia
• Xanadu
• Yade
• Yssira
• Zepro

Historical Events, Mysteries and Threats (roll a d20 or choose)

1. The death of an important figure.
2. Monsters are restless and aggressive.
3. A meteor will hit the planet.
4. The ocean levels are rising.
5. The discovery of uncharted lands.
6. An ancient evil is being reborn.
7. The world is transforming.
8. The destruction of the moon.
9. Visitors from another world.
10. People have grown apathetic.
11. The rise of a new military power.
12. Gods are forsaking the world.
13. A legendary monster appears.
14. The world is plunged into darkness.
15. The discovery of uncharted lands.
16. Technological advancement.
17. A dimensional gate opens.
18. The loss of important knowledge.
19. A new religion is spreading.
20. The world is dying.

Each of these options can work as an event, mystery or threat — it's up to you how you want to use it!

This is a world that teeters on the verge of tragedy.

Its hope must be rekindled.

Group Creation

Unlike the creation process for your game world, group creation isn't particularly structured — in fact, it’s mostly about establishing the fundamental themes of your early adventures. When you select a group type, you are saying “Hey, this is how we want to explore the world we just created — we’d really like our shared story to mostly focus on these aspects of it.”

Additionally, your choice of group will inform the kind of heroes you will make during the next step of session zero. Don’t take it as a restriction: instead, see it as a useful reference to go back to whenever you are unsure about your character concepts.

You can even give your group a name — such as the Brotherhood of the Griffin or the Queenshields.

If you are the Game Master, treat this step as a precious opportunity to learn what kind of situations, stories, and antagonists everyone is excited about!

BROUGHT TOGETHER BY FATE

You find yourselves working together because of the circumstances. Despite this being a common trope in classic fantasy tales, it is actually the most difficult to pull off since your group will lack a precise goal: you must work with each other during play to build a web of relationships (Bonds become incredibly important).

If you choose this premise, it may be a good idea to switch to a different type of group once your characters have developed a common goal.

• What emotional or familial connections exist between your characters?
• Have your characters met in the past? Are there any tensions or rivalries?
• What do you have in common? Beliefs, enemies, past experiences?

GUARDIANS

One of the Player Characters is a Chosen One, a person tasked with a mission that could change the very fate of the world. Everyone else in your group has sworn, by duty or by choice, to protect the Chosen One during their travels.

• What bonds, ties or rivalries exist between each guardian and the Chosen One?
• What is your mission? Who gave it to you? Do the authorities approve of it?
• Why does the Chosen One need protection? Who or what threatens their mission?

CHAPTER HEROES OF THE RESISTANCE

You are the last line of defense against a terrible power, a darkness that threatens to envelop the known world — such as a power-hungry kingdom or an oppressive empire. The fate of many lies within your hands.

• Why is this daunting task up to you? Have you fought against this enemy before?
• Which factions helped you, and which ones betrayed or opposed you?
• Who are the most infamous among the enemy leaders and followers?

REVOLUTIONARIES

You form a small force that fights tooth and nail against a dominant power: it might be a tyrannical government, a military occupation, or even a ruthless industrial company. Society and security forces probably consider you criminals or terrorists.

• What is the price your character paid for their insubordination?
• Which factions promised you their help? Which factions might oppose you?
• What are your enemies’ crimes, and why is no one else opposing them?

SEEKERS

You are desperately searching for someone or something — a powerful witch, an ancient relic, a legendary location, or even a long-lost technological marvel. What you seek is the world’s last hope, or at least, you think it is.

• What is it you are trying to prevent or remedy? What are you looking for?
• What do you know of your mission? Who or what gave you this information?
• Who doesn't want you to find what you seek?
• What prompted each of you to join this mission?

CHARACTER CREATION

Grab some blank character sheets because it is time to create Player Characters!

While this might look like something you can do on your own, it is actually better for all participants (Game Master included) to go through this step together: while each hero belongs to the person controlling them, these characters are destined to be adventuring together, which means they should have some “chemistry” from the very beginning!

Character Creation is presented as a series of steps, similarly to World Creation; you are not, however, bound to take these steps in this exact order. You can go back and modify your choices anytime during the process.

Characters are normally created at level 5; see page 229 for higher-level PCs.

Character Creation Steps

1. Identity: Choose or create your character's Identity: a short sentence that briefly summarizes how they see themselves at the moment.
2. Theme: Choose or create your character's Theme: a strong ideal, emotion or feeling that dominates your character's actions.
3. Origin: Choose or create your character's Origin: the place they hail from. You may select a location on your world sheet or add a new one.
4. Classes and Levels: Choose two or three Classes and distribute your initial five levels among them. Take note of the free benefits and Skills gained.
5. Attributes: Determine the base die size of your character's four Attribute scores: Dexterity, Insight, Might, and Willpower.
6. Calculations: Calculate your starting Hit Points, Mind Points, Inventory Points, Defense, Magic Defense, and Initiative modifier.
7. Equipment/Savings: Use a starting budget of 500 zenit to purchase equipment, then add any leftovers to a roll of 2d6 × 10 to determine initial savings.

Describe your character and choose their name and pronouns!

CREATE YOUR IDENTITY

This is your first step, and to say it will influence each and every following choice would be an understatement. Your character’s Identity is a short sentence that quickly summarizes how they currently see themselves.

When you create your Identity, keep an eye on the list of available Classes (see page 160) and make sure there is a combination of two or three Classes that fits your Identity. If you really can’t find what you need, try adjusting your Identity and adapting it to fit one of the available combinations.

Here are a few examples of good identities:

• Royal Knight.
• Queen of the Desert Thieves.
• Battle Priestess of the Old Faith.
• Warrior Princess of the Moon People.
• Elderly Amnesiac Sorcerer.
• Former Imperial Strategist.
• Freedom-fighting Brawler.
• Magitech Scientist.
• Tormented Veteran.
• One-eyed Samurai.

Keep in mind that you can invoke your Identity to give yourself an edge when making Checks: pick something that will prove useful in play.

Over the course of your adventures, you will be able to change your Identity: a Captain of the Crimson Reapers might redeem herself and change her Identity to that of a Knight of the White Flame, for instance. This is a good thing: it means your character has grown into someone different!

Example: Robert is creating his first character.

Previously, he and the rest of her group worked on their game world: a land in early industrial development, where magic is tied to family bloodlines.

They are going to be heroes of the resistance, fighting against a technological empire that seeks to imprison anyone who can channel magic. Robert’s character, Camilla, is going to be the (supposedly) last surviving member of Platea's royal dynasty.

Contrary to her older brothers and sisters, Camilla never developed any magical ability: however, she has been trained as a knight and diplomat.

Camilla's Identity is going to be “The Last Princess of Platea”.

While talking with the rest of her group, Robert points out that he’s open to Camilla discovering her “latent magical powers” over the course of the game.

IDENTITY CREATION TABLES

You may roll a d6 and d20 or choose entries from these tables to create your Identity.

Core Concept (roll or choose; up to two)

CHOOSE OR CREATE YOUR THEME

Each Player Character in Fabula Ultima is defined by a primary Theme, a strong ideal or emotion driving their actions and choices. If you had to build an entire scene around your character, their Theme would be its dominant focus.

If this is your first character, it is strongly suggested that you pick your Theme from the list below. Otherwise, you can create something new and unique: discuss this choice with the rest of your group and make sure it creates interesting situations.

When you choose a Theme, describe how it applies to your character — what is their Ambition? What Duty are they bound by? Who will be the target of their Vengeance?

Suggested Themes

• Ambition: You strive to prove your worth to yourself and/or others.
• Anger: You are a ticking bomb, always on the brink of rage.
• Belonging: You are afraid of being alone, forgotten or abandoned.
• Doubt: You need to find the answer to a burning question.
• Duty: You live to fulfill a promise you made or obey an order you received.
• Guilt: You wish to atone for your past mistakes.
• Hope: You seek a better world for yourself and/or others.
• Justice: You always side with the weak and defenseless.
• Mercy: You wish to help others, regardless of their past misdeeds.
• Vengeance: You seek to bring retribution upon someone or something.

Just like with your Identity, pick something that will prove useful in play, and remember that you will be able to change your Theme over the course of the game.

Vengeance could be a fitting Theme for Camilla, but Robert doesn’t want her to be consumed by bitterness and a grudge. The young hero's true goal is to create a land where her people can live in accordance with their customs and traditions, which the Empire has outlawed: therefore, Camilla's Theme will be Hope.

CHOOSE OR CREATE YOUR ORIGIN

All heroes come from somewhere: this is their Origin. It might be a humble village, a great city, or even something more fantastical such as a palace in the depths of the ocean, the Moon’s surface, or an entirely different solar system.

You may pick a location that is already present on the map sheet or create a new one. Just like your Identity and Theme, your Origin may be invoked to reroll one or both dice during a Check. However, you will normally be unable to change your Origin in play — unless you suddenly discover you come from an entirely different place and your memories are fake, which is a fantasy trope as well.

Robert came up with the concept for Platea while creating Camilla; because of this, Platea must be added to the map sheet. Robert chooses an area in the South and describes Platea as a once-peaceful and bright citadel atop a cliff overseeing a vast lake. Right now, the city has been seized by the Empire.

In Fabula Ultima, your character's species and heritage has no mechanical impact unless you want it to — perhaps their Identity is that of a Fallen Elven Prince, or some of their Class Skills can be explained as a consequence of their unique anatomy or bloodline.

FANTASY SPECIES

CHOOSE TWO TO THREE STARTING CLASSES

Your character begins play at level 5. This means you will have five levels to distribute among any of the fifteen available Classes. Your character must have at least two Classes when they begin play, and no more than three.

Entries describing each Class can be found starting on page 176, but the table below offers a quick summary of their individual focus.

Classes

• Arcanist Summon magical avatars of ancient, godlike entities.
• Chimerist Learn spells from creatures and speak with beasts.
• Darkblade Unleash dark attacks and draw power from Bonds.
• Elementalist Wield the destructive power of the elements.
• Entropist Channel the dark energy of the Cosmos.
• Fury Provoke enemies and hit harder when damaged.
• w Allows you to equip martial melee weapons and armors.
• Guardian Protect your allies and fight clad in heavy armor.
• w Allows you to equip martial armor and shields.
• Loremaster Be a master of knowledge and support your allies.
• Orator Use your words to gain allies and influence conflicts.
• Rogue Seize opportunities and steal unique items from enemies.
• Sharpshooter Excel at ranged combat and negate ranged attacks.
• w Allows you to equip martial ranged weapons and shields.
• Spiritist Support your allies with magic and cast light spells.
• Tinkerer Craft inventions and use Inventory Points in new ways.
• Wayfarer Be a master explorer and join forces with a loyal companion.
• Weaponmaster Excel at melee combat and counter melee attacks.
• w Allows you to equip martial melee weapons and shields.

Attribute Dice Mechanics

Each of a Player Character’s main Attributes (Dexterity, Insight, Might, and Willpower) is represented by a die size, from a minimum of d6 to a maximum of d12.

Bigger die sizes indicate a more trained Attribute or a stronger natural talent.

Attributes Defined

• Dexterity measures precision, coordination, finesse and reflexes.
• Insight represents observation, understanding and reasoning.
• Might is a measure of strength, resilience and physical fortitude.
• Willpower represents determination, charisma and the ability to influence others.

Character Profile Selection

Choose one of the following profiles for your hero, then distribute the corresponding die sizes among their four Attributes (on your character sheet, these should be written in the “base size” column).

• Jack of All Trades: d8, d8, d8, d8
• Average: d10, d8, d8, d6
• Specialized: d10, d10, d6, d6

Example Application:

Camilla is very insightful (Insight d10), fairly agile and determined (Dexterity d8 and Willpower d8), but not particularly imposing (Might d6).

When allocating Attribute dice, you should take into account your choices of Classes and Skills!

CHAPTER CALCULATE YOUR HIT POINTS AND MIND POINTS

Your maximum Hit Points and Mind Points are calculated as follows:

• Your maximum Hit Points are equal to your total character level + five times your character’s base Might die size.
• Your Crisis score is equal to half your maximum Hit Points, rounded down.

Your maximum Mind Points are equal to your total character level + five times your character’s base Willpower die size.

Your character begins the game with full Hit Points and Mind Points.

These values may be further modified by your character’s choices of Class, Skills and equipment.

Note that while some game elements might temporarily alter the die size of your Attributes, this will never increase or decrease your Hit Points and Mind Points.

Example Calculation

Camilla has 40 maximum Hit Points (level 5 + five times her Might of 6 + an additional 5 Hit Points granted by the Weaponmaster Class) and 50 maximum Mind Points (level 5 + five times her Willpower of 8 + an additional 5 Mind Points granted by the Orator Class).

Camilla's Crisis score is 20.

CALCULATE YOUR INVENTORY POINTS

Your maximum Inventory Points are calculated as follows:

• Your maximum Inventory Points are equal to 6.

Your character begins the game with full Inventory Points.

Note that this number may be further modified by your character’s choices of Class, Skills and equipment.

Since neither Orator nor Weaponmaster increase maximum Inventory Points, Camilla has 6 maximum Inventory Points.

CALCULATE YOUR DEFENSE, MAGIC DEFENSE AND INITIATIVE

Your Defense and Magic Defense scores are calculated as follows:

• Your Defense is equal to your current Dexterity die size.
• Your Magic Defense is equal to your current Insight die size.
• Your Initiative modifier is equal to 0.

Your defenses will be further influenced by the armor and shields you are wearing; your Initiative modifier will also be influenced by your choice of armor.

Note that some game elements might temporarily alter your Attribute die sizes, which will affect your Defense and Magic Defense (since these are based on the current Attribute die size, not your base Attribute die size).

Camilla has a Defense score of 8, a Magic Defense score of 10 and no Initiative modifier. Later on, her equipment choices will modify these numbers.

PURCHASE STARTING EQUIPMENT

You get a total budget of 500 zenit to purchase equipment with. By default, you can only purchase basic weapons and basic armor and shields; these items are listed on the next four pages for easy reference. If you want to purchase rare items (page 266) or transports (page 125), discuss it with the rest of your group.

To purchase a martial (E) item, you must first be able to equip it — a benefit granted by specific Classes:

• Darkblade allows you to equip martial melee weapons and martial armor.
• Fury allows you to equip martial melee weapons and martial armor.
• Guardian allows you to equip martial armor and martial shields.
• Sharpshooter allows you to equip martial ranged weapons and martial shields.
• Weaponmaster allows you to equip martial melee weapons and martial shields.

Write any items you purchase on your sheet and take note of their effects; remember that ranged weapons do not require you to track ammunition.

33PRESS START

W

CHAPTER

The Weaponmaster Class

The Weaponmaster Class allows Camilla to equip martial melee weapons and shields.

Robert spends 200 zenit on a rapier (which relies on Camilla's Dexterity and Insight), 150 zenit on a runic shield (a +2 bonus to both defenses is very good!) and another 100 zenit on a travel garb.

Robert writes all these items on Camilla's sheet, noting how her armor and shield increase Defense and Magic Defense by three points (Defense 11 and Magic Defense 13) but also give her an Initiative modifier of -1.

Needless to say, you are free to alter the name of any item that doesn't fit your character's concept — for instance, your bronze sword might become a scimitar or your silk vest might become a kimono.

If none of the basic weapon options fit your character concept and your group is okay with it, you may use the rules for creating rare weapons found on page 268. However, remember that by default, starting weapons don't have any Quality and always deal physical damage. You may ignore one or both limitations as long as the rest of your group agrees on it (and you have enough zenit to afford the improvements).

ROLL FOR INITIAL SAVINGS

Your character begins play with an amount of zenit equal to 2d6 × 10 (for instance, rolling an 8 on the dice means you begin with 80 zenit).

Any left-over zenit from the previous step is added to these initial savings!

Robert rolls 2d6 × 10 and gets 60 zenit, which are added to the 50 zenit left from the previous step — for a total of 120 zenit in initial savings.

GAIN YOUR STARTING FABULA POINTS

Each Player Character enters play with 3 Fabula Points.

WEAPON COST ACCURACY DAMAGE

BASIC WEAPONS

33 PRESS START

Equipment List

Heavy Category

• Iron Hammer: 200 z 【MIG + MIG】 【HR + 6】 physical

  One-handed w Melee w No Quality.

• Broadaxe E: 250 z 【MIG + MIG】 【HR + 10】 physical

  One-handed w Melee w No Quality.

• Waraxe E: 250 z 【MIG + MIG】 【HR + 14】 physical

  Two-handed w Melee w No Quality.

Spear Category

• Light Spear E: 200 z 【DEX + MIG】 【HR + 8】 physical

  One-handed w Melee w No Quality.

• Heavy Spear E: 200 z 【DEX + MIG】 【HR + 12】 physical

  Two-handed w Melee w No Quality.

Sword Category

• Bronze Sword E: 200 z 【DEX + MIG】 +1 【HR + 6】 physical

  One-handed w Melee w No Quality.

• Greatsword E: 200 z 【DEX + MIG】 +1 【HR + 10】 physical

  Two-handed w Melee w No Quality.

• Katana E: 200 z 【DEX + INS】 +1 【HR + 10】 physical

  Two-handed w Melee w No Quality.

• Rapier E: 200 z 【DEX + INS】 +1 【HR + 6】 physical

  One-handed w Melee w No Quality.

Thrown Category

• Improvised (Ranged): 【DEX + MIG】 【HR + 2】 physical

  One-handed w Ranged w Breaks after the attack.

• Shuriken: 150 z 【DEX + INS】 【HR + 4】 physical

  One-handed w Ranged w No Quality.

BASIC ARMORS

ARMOR COST DEFENSE M. DEFENSE INITIATIVE

No Armor - DEX die INS die -

No Quality.

Basic Armors

Silk Shirt

100 z DEX die INS die +2 -1

No Quality.

Travel Garb

100 z DEX die +1 INS die +1 -1

No Quality.

Combat Tunic

150 z DEX die +1 INS die +1 -

No Quality.

Sage Robe

200 z DEX die +1 INS die +2 -2

No Quality.

Brigandine E

150 z 10 INS die -2

No Quality.

Bronze Plate E

200 z 11 INS die -3

No Quality.

Runic Plate E

250 z 11 INS die +1 -3

No Quality.

Steel Plate E

300 z 12 INS die -4

No Quality.

Basic Armor and Shields

BASIC SHIELDS

Remember: A starting character gets 500 zenit to purchase equipment with.

The weapons, armors, and shields you choose during character creation will accompany you for quite a few levels, so make sure they work well with the way you built your character.

Useful Tips

• Choose a main weapon that complements your choice of Attributes. Ideally, you want to be able to roll at least 1d10 + 1d8 for Accuracy. More accurate weapons, such as swords and daggers, can compensate for low Attributes.
• Even if your character tends to rely on spells, purchase a weapon for them to use when low on Mind Points — a dagger, a staff, or a tome.
• While lighter armors increase your Defense score (which would otherwise be equal to your Dexterity size), martial (E) armors replace that score with a fixed value. This can make quite the difference: even if you have a low Dexterity or suffer a status effect, your Defense score will not be affected.

The bonus to Defenses granted by shields still applies, of course: a character with d8 Dexterity wearing a brigandine and wielding a bronze shield will have a Defense score of 12, for instance.

SHOPPING ADVICE

NAME AND FINISHING TOUCHES

Give your character a name, note their pronoun(s), and briefly describe what they look like to the rest of the group!

It may seem counterintuitive for this step to be the last one, but there’s a good reason: it’s easier to choose a name once you have a good grasp of your character's appearance and abilities.

On the next page, you can find a chart with a variety of names that work particularly well for a Fabula Ultima game; however, if your world is inspired by specific folklore or mythology, you should research fitting naming conventions and come up with something more appropriate!

Now that Camilla is ready, Robert describes her to the rest of the group: she has greyish brown hair and deep blue eyes, and her demeanor showcases her strong will — it's almost impossible to be around her and not feel inspired!

Her clothes are light and comfortable, perfect for traveling, and she fights with an elegant rapier and a small elbow shield inscribed with a circle of defensive runes.

Character Names

• Abel
• Adalbert
• Agnes
• Aiko
• Alberic
• Albin
• Almond
• Andreas
• Angela
• Ashe
• Astor
• Aya
• Azel
• Azura
• Baern
• Belka
• Berenice
• Biel
• Blair
• Blanche
• Bow
• Bram
• Brandon
• Bryde
• Cale
• Camilla
• Cassandra
• Celeste
• Cetra
• Cinder
• Clarimonde
• Clarissa
• Clemence
• Conner
• Croma
• Cross
• Crow
• Cynthia
• Daige
• Dale
• Daphne
• Denys
• Divel
• Edel
• Edgar
• Edna
• Eko
• Eleanor
• Elise
• Emet
• Eric
• Etrian
• Fabian
• Fedra
• Felicia
• Fenis
• Finn
• Fionne
• Forrest
• Fraan
• Francisca
• Frederick
• Galatea
• Garlan
• Garm
• Gilpher
• Gizal
• Glenn
• Gray
• Gregor
• Grimm
• Gyle
• Halia
• Hanna
• Hanzel
• Harper
• Hera
• Hope
• Ilyen
• Inja
• Isabella
• Izanne
• Jabari
• Jeanne
• Joel
• Jun
• Kallan
• Kaspar
• Lara
• Langa
• Lansel
• Laurence
• Lazom
• Leanna
• Leda
• Liam
• Locke
• Logan
• Loren
• Lucian
• Lulu
• Lumi
• Maha
• Mako
• Markus
• Maribel
• Minerva
• Miranda
• Momo
• Monica
• Montblanc
• Morgan
• Nadia
• Neela
• Neto
• Nibel
• Nico
• Noah
• Noor
• Nyles
• Ode
• Olivia
• Oona
• Orion
• Orne
• Osira
• Owen
• Pharia
• Prim
• Pyre
• Remora
• Ricard
• Riza
• Robin
• Rolan
• Rosa
• Royce
• Runo
• Sabine
• Sabra
• Sarah
• Selene
• Silas
• Silida
• Solomon
• Sonya
• Talon
• Tamara
• Tharja
• Therese
• Thomas
• Tika
• Toris
• Tristan
• Uma
• Undine
• Usher
• Valea
• Veronica
• Vikes
• Vincent
• Vosca
• Winter
• Xenia
• Yado
• Yin
• Ylua
• Yuri
• Zen
• Zima

WANDER RANGER

Stats: Dexterity d10, Insight d8, Might d8, Willpower d6

• Sharpshooter (3 levels): Ranged Weapon Mastery, Warning Shot (SL 2)
• Wayfarer (2 levels): Resourceful, Well-traveled

Equipment: Steel dagger, shortbow, silk shirt, 120 zenit.

RED SORCERER

Stats: Dexterity d8, Insight d10, Might d8, Willpower d6

• Elementalist (3 levels): Elemental Magic (Iceberg), Spellblade (SL 2)
• Spiritist (1 level): Spiritual Magic (Heal)
• Weaponmaster (1 level): Melee Weapon Mastery

Equipment: Rapier, combat tunic, runic shield, 70 zenit.

SAGE

Stats: Dexterity d6, Insight d10, Might d6, Willpower d10

• Elementalist (3 levels): Elemental Magic (SL 3: Fulgur, Glacies, Ignis)
• Loremaster (2 levels): Flash of Insight, Focused

Equipment: Tome, sage robe, 270 zenit.

SAMURAI

Stats: Dexterity d8, Insight d8, Might d8, Willpower d8

• Guardian (2 levels): Defensive Mastery (SL 2)
• Spiritist (1 level): Spiritual Magic (Soul Weapon)
• Weaponmaster (2 levels): Counterattack, Melee Weapon Mastery

Equipment: Katana, runic plate, 70 zenit.

SOLDIER

Stats: Dexterity d8, Insight d6, Might d10, Willpower d8

• Guardian (2 levels): Bodyguard, Protect
• Weaponmaster (3 levels): Bone Crusher (SL 2), Breach

Equipment: Bronze sword, brigandine, runic shield, 70 zenit.

Arcanist

ALSO: Avatar, Chosen, Summoner

Definition / Description

Some fates are not easily avoided.

Abilities & Concept

Arcanists can fall into a deep trance and temporarily project a considerable portion of their soul outside the body, giving it physical form. Surrounded by this magical shroud, the Arcanist gains a variety of supernatural abilities; these summoned forms are said to be manifestations of the ancestral souls belonging to mythical entities of legend, known as the Arcana.

In some worlds, the Arcana are even worshipped as deities.

Attribution

The Arcana

MERGING WITH AN ARCANUM

When you summon an Arcanum, you gain its merge benefits; those benefits last until the Arcanum is dismissed (see below).

You cannot summon an Arcanum while already merged with one; you must first dismiss the current Arcanum.

DISMISSING AN ARCANUM

An Arcanum can be dismissed in several ways:

• Once the current scene ends, all Arcana are automatically dismissed.
• If you die or fall unconscious while merged with an Arcanum, they are dismissed.
• If you leave the scene while merged with an Arcanum, they are dismissed.
• You may willingly dismiss your Arcanum: this doesn't require an action, but during a conflict it can only be done on your turn, before or after an action.

DISMISS EFFECTS

Most Arcana have a powerful dismiss effect, which may only be activated when you willingly dismiss the Arcanum as described above — if the Arcanum is dismissed for any other reason, the dismiss effect cannot be triggered.

• If the dismiss effect of an Arcanum deals damage, it will deal 10 extra damage if you are level 20 or higher, or 20 extra damage if you are level 40 or higher.

You are also free to ignore the dismiss effect if you don't want to use it.

DOMAINS

Each Arcanum is associated with a few key concepts or domains. The Game Master should use these to establish the trials needed to bind the Arcanum, and to adjudicate Rituals performed through the Ritual Arcanism Skill.

If you create new Arcana for your world, make sure to associate them with domains that allow for interesting Rituals.

ARCANUM OF THE FORGE

Domains: fire, heat, metal.

• You have Resistance to fire damage.
• Any fire damage you deal ignores Resistances.

When you dismiss this Arcanum, choose Forge or Inferno:

• Forge. You create a basic armor, shield or weapon of your choice (see pages 130 to 133). If you select this option again, the previously created item vanishes. If you create a weapon this way, it deals fire damage instead of physical.
• Inferno. Choose any number of creatures you can see: each of them suffers 30 fire damage. This damage ignores Resistances.

ARCANUM OF THE FROST

Domains: cold, ice, silence.

• You have Resistance to ice damage and are immune to enraged.
• Any ice damage you deal ignores Resistances.

Ice Age. Choose any number of creatures you can see: each of them suffers 30 ice damage. This damage ignores Resistances.

ARCANUM OF THE GATE

Domains: space, travel, void.

• You have Resistance to dark damage.
• You gain a +1 bonus to your Magic Defense.

When you dismiss this Arcanum, choose Oblivion or Warp:

• Oblivion. Choose any number of creatures you can see: each of them suffers 30 dark damage. This damage ignores Resistances.
• Warp. You teleport yourself and up to five other nearby willing creatures to a location you previously visited, if that location is within 1 travel day.

cc Work with your group and create custom Arcana for your world!

MERGE DISMISS MERGEDISMISS MERGEDISMISS

180 W

ARCANUM OF THE SWORD

Domains: conquest, heroism, leadership.

Your attacks deal 5 extra damage, and all damage dealt by your attacks is treated as having no type (thus being unaffected by damage Affinities). Damage dealt by your attacks cannot gain a type as long as you are merged with this Arcanum.

When you perform an attack, you may have that attack gain the multi (any number of targets) property. If you do, this Arcanum will be automatically dismissed after the attack is resolved (this is not considered a willing dismiss).

ARCANUM OF THE TOWER

Domains: judgment, protection, sacrifice.

When you summon this Arcanum, choose a damage type: air, bolt, dark, earth, fire, or ice. Until this Arcanum is dismissed, each of your allies present on the scene has Resistance to the chosen damage type (you do not gain this Resistance).

Judgment

Choose any number of creatures you can see: each of them suffers 30 light damage. This damage ignores Resistances.

ARCANUM OF THE WHEEL

Domains: destiny, speed, time.

• You are immune to slow.
• You gain a +1 bonus to your Defense.

Time Freeze

Choose any number of creatures you can see: each of them suffers slow. If a creature chosen this way is already slow, that creature will instead perform one fewer action during their next turn (to a minimum of 0 actions).

The Merge

Legends tell of a long-lasting passion between the Sword and the Tower... a passion that often erupted into war.

CHIMERIST FREE BENEFITS

• Permanently increase your maximum Mind Points by 5.
• You may perform Rituals whose effects fall within the Ritualism discipline.

CHIMERIST SKILLS

CONSUME (çç5)

After you deal damage to one or more creatures with a spell, if you have an arcane dagger or flail weapon equipped, you recover 【SL × 2】 Mind Points.

FERAL SPEECH

You can communicate with creatures of the beast, monster and plant Species.

PATHOGENESIS

When you deal damage to one or more creatures with one of your Chimerist spells, each of those creatures that share their Species with the creature you originally learned that spell from suffers poisoned.

RITUAL CHIMERISM

You may perform Rituals whose effects fall within the Chimerism discipline. When you acquire this Skill, choose 【INS + WLP】 or 【MIG + WLP】. From now on, your Chimerism Rituals will use the chosen Attributes for the Magic Check.

SPELL MIMIC (çç10)

When you see a creature belonging to the beast, monster or plant Species cast a spell, you may immediately choose to learn that spell as a Chimerist spell of your own: if you do, record the Species of the creature you learned it from.

When you first acquire this Skill, choose 【INS + WLP】 or 【MIG + WLP】. From now on, your offensive (rr) Chimerist spells will use the chosen Attributes for the Magic Check, regardless of the Attributes used by the creature you learned the spell from.

You may have up to 【SL + 2】 different Chimerist spells memorized this way. If you want to memorize a new Chimerist spell but are already at your limit, you must forget one of your old spells and replace it with the new spell.

Story Prompts

• Who taught you the art of Chimerism? Is your mentor human or monstrous?
• Can people and monsters live in harmony, or are they bound to threaten each other?
• What does your magic look like?
• Are there many practicing your art, or are you the exception?

DARKBLADE

Today you shall know the full extent of my suffering.

Darkblades

Darkblades are somber and powerful warriors who hide a sorrowful past. Due to tragic experiences on the battlefield or in personal life, their souls have developed an affinity for pain and shadow energy.

An unlikely hero to say the very least, a Darkblade may now sacrifice their lifeforce to unleash mighty attacks and is able to draw resolve, power and even knowledge from the suffering they experience.

Details

• Name: DARKBLADE
• Power Level: 184

ALSO Associated With

• Avenger
• Black Knight
• Death Knight

File Metadata

DARKBLADE FREE BENEFITS

• Permanently increase your maximum Hit Points by 5.
• Gain the ability to equip martial melee weapons and martial armor.

DARKBLADE SKILLS

Character Reflection Prompts

• What tragic experience awakened your abilities?
• Many would regard your powers as evil. How do you feel about them?
• What do your weapons and fighting style look like?
• Are there many practicing your art, or are you the exception?

"Today you shall know the full extent of my suffering."

Elementalist

ALSO: Battle Mage, Geomancer, Sorcerer

ELEMENTALIST

Ignore the warnings of this World at your own risk.

An Elementalist has learned to channel the souls that flow within the basic elements of creation: Air, Earth, Fire and Water. Some of them develop complex spells to contain the powerful energies of nature; others seek its protection in harmony and communion.

Elemental magic can be highly destructive, causing damage and inflicting negative status effects. Due to this, there are many who would covet an Elementalist’s abilities... often for nefarious purposes.

ELEMENTALIST FREE BENEFITS

• Permanently increase your maximum Mind Points by 5.
• You may perform Rituals whose effects fall within the Ritualism discipline.

ELEMENTALIST SKILLS

CATACLYSM (çç3)

When you cast an instantaneous spell, if you have an arcane weapon equipped, you may increase the spell's total MP cost by up to 【SL × 10】 Mind Points. If you do so and the spell deals damage to one or more creatures, it will deal 5 extra damage to each creature for every 10 Mind Points by which you increased its total MP cost.

ELEMENTAL MAGIC (çç10)

Each time you acquire this Skill, learn one Elementalist spell (see next two pages).

Offensive (rr) Elementalist spells use 【INS + WLP】 for the Magic Check.

MAGICAL ARTILLERY (çç3)

When you cast an offensive ( rr) spell, if you have an arcane weapon equipped, you gain a bonus to your Magic Check equal to 【SL × 2】.

RITUAL ELEMENTALISM

• You may perform Rituals whose effects fall within the Elementalism discipline.

Elementalism Rituals use 【INS + WLP】 for the Magic Check.

SPELLBLADE (çç4)

When you cast an offensive ( rr) spell targeting a single creature, if the spell has a total Mind Point cost of 【SL × 10】 or lower and you have one or more bow, brawling, dagger, flail, spear or sword weapons equipped, you may choose one of those weapons. If you do, your Magic Check for the spell will use the chosen weapon's Accuracy Check formula; for instance, the Magic Check for an Elementalist spell cast through a bronze sword (page 131) will be 【DEX + MIG】 +1 instead of 【INS + WLP】.

Questions

• Who trained you in the way of the Elements?
• Your magic can be devastating... are you afraid of yourself?
• Elemental magic is often used in war. Did you serve in the military?
• What does your magic look like?

Option: Ignore the warnings of this World at your own risk.

ELEMENTALIST SPELLS

SPELL

Entropist

Also related: Astromancer, Chaos Mage, Gambler

Description

High above the stars, where their lights do not shine, lies a bottomless void where life and souls wither and transform in unfathomable ways. This realm is a non-reality, an endless expanse of chaos impervious to the laws of time, space, and probability.

Lore

Entropists refer to this realm as the Cosmos, the Heavens, or quite simply as Lady Luck: they are among the few gifted with the ability to channel its reality-bending energies.

Quote

The cold between the stars... it does not frighten me.

CHAPTER

ENTROPIST FREE BENEFITS

• Permanently increase your maximum Mind Points by 5.
• You may perform Rituals whose effects fall within the Ritualism discipline.

ENTROPIST SKILLS

LUCKY SEVEN

You have a lucky number; at the beginning of each session, that number is 7. Once per scene after you perform a Check, you may replace the value shown on one of the dice you rolled with your lucky number (even if this would give an impossible Result, such as a value of 7 on a d6). If you do, the replaced value becomes your new lucky number.

RITUAL ENTROPISM

You may perform Rituals whose effects fall within the Entropism discipline. Entropism Rituals use 【INS + WLP】 for the Magic Check.

Background Questions

• Who taught you to channel the reality-bending powers of the Cosmos?
• What do you know of the Cosmos? Are they the end of reality, or a new beginning?
• What does your magic look like?
• Are there many practicing your art, or are you the exception?

Spell List

Gamble up to 20

Type: Special

Target: Instantaneous

You summon a vortex of chaotic energy. Roll your current Willpower die once for every 10 Mind Points spent while casting this spell, then keep the single die you prefer: the number on that die determines the effects of this spell.

1. 1: You lose half of your current Hit Points and half of your current Mind Points.
2. 2-3: Each creature present on the scene, including yourself, suffers poisoned.
3. 4-6: Each creature present on the scene, including yourself, suffers slow.
4. 7-8: Choose up to three creatures you can see: each of them recovers 50 Hit Points and also recovers from all status effects.
5. 9+: Choose any number of creatures you can see: each of them suffers 30 damage. The damage type is determined randomly by rolling a d6:
• 1. air
• 2. bolt
• 3. dark
• 4. earth
• 5. fire
• 6. poison

Mirror 10

Type: One creature

Scene Duration: Until this spell ends

You twist the laws of magic. Until this spell ends, if an offensive spell is cast on the target, the creature who cast that offensive spell will be targeted in their stead (any other targets of the offensive spell will be targeted as normal). Once that happens, this spell ends.

Omega rr 20

Type: One creature

Duration: Instantaneous

You invoke doom on your foe, turning strength into frailty. The target loses an amount of Hit Points equal to 【20 + half the target's level】.

Stop rr 10

Type: One creature

Duration: Instantaneous

You trap a foe inside a circle of altered time and space. The target will perform one fewer action on their next turn (to a minimum of 0 actions).

Umbra rr 10 × T

Type: Up to three creatures

Duration: Instantaneous

A storm of dark energy turns matter into ash. Each target hit by this spell suffers 【HR + 15】 dark damage.

Opportunity: Each target hit by this spell suffers weak.

Notes

• Spells marked with rr are offensive spells and require Magic Checks!

FURY FREE BENEFITS

• Permanently increase your maximum Hit Points by 5.
• Gain the ability to equip martial melee weapons and martial armor.

FURY SKILLS

ADRENALINE (çç5)

As long as you are in Crisis, you deal 【SL × 2】 extra damage (be it with attacks, spells, Arcana, items or any other method).

FRENZY

Your Accuracy Checks with brawling, dagger, flail and thrown weapons trigger a critical success if both dice show the same number (and the Check is not a fumble).

INDOMITABLE SPIRIT (çç4)

When you spend one or more Fabula Points, you get an additional benefit — choose one option: you recover 【SL × 5】 Hit Points; or you recover 【SL × 5】 Mind Points; or you recover from a single status effect of your choice.

PROVOKE (çç5)

You may use an action and spend 5 Mind Points to perform an Opposed 【MIG + WLP】 Check against a creature you can see — describe how you taunt them! If you succeed, the target suffers enraged and is compelled to focus their attention on you (their attacks and offensive spells must include you among the targets if possible). This compulsion ends if you fall unconscious or leave the scene, if the creature is no longer enraged, or if they are successfully provoked by someone else.

You gain a bonus equal to 【SL】 to your 【MIG + WLP】 Checks for this Skill.

WITHSTAND (çç5)

When you perform the Guard action, if you choose not to provide cover to another creature, you recover Hit Points equal to 【SL, multiplied by the highest strength among your Bonds】 and choose Might or Willpower: you treat the chosen Attribute as being one die size higher (up to a maximum of d12) until the end of your next turn.

— Character Prompts —

• Do you rely on your burning passion, or do you strive to keep it under control?
• There’s that one thing that always makes you lose it. What is it?
• In the past, your lack of control had tragic consequences. What have you lost?
• What do your weapons and fighting style look like?

I'll just have to become stronger than you!

CHAPTER GUARDIAN FREE BENEFITS

• Permanently increase your maximum Hit Points by 5.
• Gain the ability to equip martial armor and martial shields.

GUARDIAN SKILLS

BODYGUARD

If you perform the Guard action and choose to provide cover to another creature, that creature gains Resistance to all damage types until the start of your next turn.

DEFENSIVE MASTERY (çç5)

As long as you have a shield or a martial armor equipped, all damage you suffer is reduced by 【SL】 (applied before damage Affinities).

DUAL SHIELDBEARER

You may now equip a shield in your main hand slot. As long as you have two shields equipped, you gain the benefits of both items and may treat them as the following combined two-handed melee brawling weapon:

FORTRESS (çç5)

Permanently increase your maximum Hit Points by 【SL × 3】.

PROTECT

When another creature is threatened by an attack, spell or other danger, you may take their place (any Checks that are part of the danger will be performed against you; you may declare the use of this Skill before or after the Checks have been made). If the danger already affected you, it affects you twice (resolve both instances separately); you also cannot protect multiple creatures from the same danger. If you use this Skill during a conflict, you cannot use it again until the start of your next turn.

Optional Quests/Interrogation Points

• Who or what is it you would gladly give your life to protect?
• Are you, or have you ever been, the servant of a Lady or Lord? What were they like?
• What is it you were unable to protect? What have you lost?

Equipment Detail: Using what as your armor and/or shield?

LOREMASTER FREE BENEFITS

• Permanently increase your maximum Mind Points by 5.

LOREMASTER SKILLS

FLASH OF INSIGHT (çç3)

When you roll a 13 or higher on a Check performed to investigate a creature, item or location — this includes using the Study action during a conflict — you may ask the Game Master up to 【SL】 questions concerning the subject of your investigation. You may ask these questions immediately or save them for later; whenever you ask one of these questions, the Game Master will answer truthfully and you will describe your character's deductive process.

This Skill may only be used once on the same creature, item or location.

FOCUSED (çç5)

• Permanently increase your maximum Mind Points by 【SL × 3】.

When you perform an Open Check using 【INS + INS】, you gain a bonus equal to 【SL】 on that Check (this only applies to Open Checks).

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

When you perform an Accuracy Check, you may replace one of the Attribute dice with Insight (such as 【INS + INS】 for a pistol or 【INS + MIG】 for a waraxe).

QUICK ASSESSMENT (çç6)

At the start of a conflict, you may spend up to 【SL × 5】 Mind Points. For every 5 Mind Points you spend this way, choose one option: choose a creature you can see and the GM reveals one of their Traits; or name a damage type and choose a creature you can see, and the GM reveals that creature's Affinity towards that damage type.

TRAINED MEMORY

You may perfectly recall the details of any scene you have visited within the past week. You can "go back in time" within your mind in order to examine and investigate such scenes again — your Flash of Insight Skill will apply to these memories as well.

Character Background Exploration

• Who is (or was) your mentor? What is (or was) your relationship with them?
• Did you attend an academy or college? What kind of people did you meet there?
• There is this centuries-old mystery you’re obsessed with. What is it?
• Is it true that some things are better left buried beneath the sands of time?

"Ah, I knew this was going to happen."

ORATOR

Some are graceful and ever-smiling, others are subtle and witty: Orators are as good at reading someone’s heart as they are at rounding up allies for their cause, sometimes unintentionally.

The words of an Orator may rekindle spirits or plunge their opponents into despair: over the centuries, some Orators' talents have brought entire nations to ruin... and just as many have granted fallen kingdoms a chance to rise from their very ashes.

"Words are only as good as the actions that follow them."

ORATOR FREE BENEFITS

ORATOR SKILLS

CONDEMN (çç4)

You may use an action and spend 5 Mind Points to perform an Opposed [INS + WLP] Check against a creature that can hear and understand you — describe your accusations! If you succeed, the target loses [SL × 10] Mind Points and suffers dazed or shaken (your choice).

You gain a bonus equal to [SL] to your [INS + WLP] Checks for this Skill.

ENCOURAGE (çç6)

During a conflict, you may use an action and spend 5 Mind Points to choose another creature that can hear and understand you. That creature recovers [SL × 5] Hit Points and chooses Dexterity, Insight, Might, or Willpower: they treat the chosen Attribute as being one die size higher (up to a maximum of d12) until the start of your next turn.

MY TRUST IN YOU (çç2)

After another Player Character who is able to hear you performs a Check, you may spend 1 Fabula Point and invoke one of their Traits or Bonds in order to let them reroll dice or improve the Result of the Check (following the normal rules). Then, if you have a Bond towards that character, they recover [SL × 10] Mind Points.

PERSUASIVE (çç2)

When you successfully perform a Check to fill or erase sections of a Clock, if your approach relied on charm, diplomacy, deception or intimidation, you may spend up to [SL × 20] Mind Points. If you do, fill or erase an additional section of that Clock for every 20 Mind Points you spend this way.

UNEXPECTED ALLY

You may use an action and spend 1 Fabula Point to choose a non-hostile creature able to hear and understand you. If you do, that creature becomes helpful towards you so long as you are kind and respectful to them and your requests are reasonable.

Reflections

• Do you think everyone can be persuaded? Is it true that everyone has a price?
• You thought someone was on your side, but they betrayed you. Who are they?
• How do you feel about manipulating people, even if it is for a good cause?
• In the past, your words ended up putting you in trouble. What happened?

Words are only as good as the actions that follow them.

Rogues: The Archetype

Be they criminals, rebels or spies, Rogues are more than willing to play dirty in order to get what they want. Rogues are generally quick, witty and elusive: while a few of them are infamous for being mostly concerned with their personal wealth and profit, many see themselves as fighting against injustice, tyranny, or social exclusion.

Tragically, it is quite common for Rogues to end up being painted as threats by those same people they fight for.

Related Archetypes

• Bandit
• Ninja
• Thief

I will find my own justice.

CHAPTER CHAPTER

ROGUE FREE BENEFITS

• Permanently increase your maximum Inventory Points by 2.

ROGUE SKILLS

CHEAP SHOT (çç5)

When you hit a creature with an attack, if the attack only targeted that creature and they are suffering from one or more status effects, you may have it deal extra damage equal to 【SL + the number of status effects on the creature】.

DODGE (çç3)

As long as you have no shields and no martial armor equipped, your Defense score is increased by 【SL】.

HIGH SPEED (çç3)

At the start of a conflict, you may spend 10 Mind Points. If you do, choose one option and apply it before the start of the first round: perform a free attack with a weapon you have equipped; or perform a Hinder or Objective action. You also gain a bonus equal to 【SL】 to all Checks you perform as part of the chosen option.

SEE YOU LATER

You may use an action and spend 1 Fabula Point to vanish from the current scene, reappearing whenever you want during a different scene in which another Player Character is present. Describe how you escaped and miraculously got here!

SOUL STEAL (çç5)

You may use an action to perform a 【DEX + WLP】 Check against the Magic Defense of a creature you can see. If you succeed and the target is a soldier, you recover 【SL】 Inventory Points; if they are an elite or champion, the GM gives you the target’s soul treasure, an item worth an amount of zenit equal to or lower than 【the target's level multiplied by 30, or by 50 if they are a Villain】. This soul treasure will appear inside your backpack; a creature can be successfully stolen from with this Skill only once.

You gain a bonus equal to 【SL】 to your 【DEX + WLP】 Checks for this Skill.

CHARACTER BACKGROUND

• What drives you? Is it desire, vengeance, or a burning need for freedom?
• Are you part of a criminal gang or guild, or do you work on your own?
• Is there a place you can call home? Or is it true that, in the end, we all die alone?
• What is the most important rule in your personal code?

SHARPSHOOTER

A majority of Sharpshooters are exceptionally good at dealing with threats from a carefully calculated distance; others are brave, skilled or reckless enough to engage their foes at point-blank.

While many of these skilled snipers are battle-hardened soldiers, some have turned to a life of piracy, bounty hunting or banditry. A few have put their abilities at the service of the people, or use them to protect a sacred or forbidden site from intruders.

Related Classes

• Archer
• Gunslinger
• Sniper

"Flee to the other end of the world; my arrow shall find you."

Spiritist

SPIRITIST BENEFITS AND SKILLS

Free Benefits

• Permanently increase your maximum Mind Points by 5.
• You may perform Rituals whose effects fall within the Ritualism discipline.

SPIRITIST SKILLS

HEALING POWER (çç2)

When you cast a spell that targets one or more allies, if you have an arcane weapon equipped, you may have each of those allies recover an amount of Hit Points equal to 【SL, multiplied by the number of Bonds you have】. This healing is separate from any healing caused by the effects of the spell.

RITUAL SPIRITISM

You may perform Rituals whose effects fall within the Spiritism discipline. Spiritism Rituals use 【INS + WLP】 for the Magic Check.

SPIRITUAL MAGIC (çç10)

Each time you acquire this Skill, learn one Spiritist spell (see next two pages). Offensive Spiritist spells use 【INS + WLP】 for the Magic Check.

SUPPORT MAGIC

When you cast a spell that targets one or more allies, if you have an arcane weapon equipped, you may choose one of those allies you have a Bond towards. If you do, that ally gains a bonus to the next Check they perform during the current scene; this bonus is equal to the strength of your Bond towards them.

VISMAGUS

When you cast a spell, if you don't have enough Mind Points to pay for its total cost, you may choose to spend twice as many Hit Points instead. You cannot use this Skill if doing so would reduce you to 0 Hit Points. If a spell cast this way would cause you to recover Hit Points, you instead recover no Hit Points (the spell functions normally on any other target).

Background Prompts

• Where does your magic come from? What are your beliefs concerning life and death?
• How do you feel about manipulating other people’s emotions and vital energy?
• What do you think of religion? Are you part of a specific cult, church or institution?
• What does your magic look like?

Show me the truths of your heart.

SPIRITIST SPELLS

Aura

Cost: 5 × T | Targets: Up to three creatures | Duration: Scene

You project your soul outside your body and direct it to surround the targets, shielding them from dangerous magic. Until this spell ends, each target may treat their Magic Defense as being equal to 12 against any effects that target it (they are still free to use their normal Defense score if higher than 12).

Awaken

Cost: 20 | Targets: One creature | Duration: Scene

You allow a creature to focus their vital energy into accomplishing what they previously could not. Choose one Attribute: Dexterity, Insight, Might, or Willpower. Until this spell ends, the target treats the chosen Attribute as if it were one die size higher (up to a maximum of d12).

Barrier

Cost: 5 × T | Targets: Up to three creatures | Duration: Scene

You project your soul outside your body and weave it into a barrier to protect the targets from attacks. Until this spell ends, each target may treat their Defense as being equal to 12 against any effects that target it (they are still free to use their normal Defense score if higher than 12).

Cleanse

Cost: 5 × T | Targets: Up to three creatures | Duration: Instantaneous

You strengthen and purify the soul energy coursing through your companions. Each target recovers from all status effects.

Enrage

Cost: rr 10 | Targets: One creature | Duration: Instantaneous

You cause a creature to lose any semblance of temper and act brazenly. The target suffers enraged and cannot perform the Guard or Spell actions during their next turn.

Hallucination

Cost: rr 5 × T | Targets: Up to three creatures | Duration: Instantaneous

You alter the senses of your enemies, causing them to experience bizarre or frightening hallucinations. Choose dazed or shaken: you inflict the chosen status effect on each target hit by this spell.

Tinkerer

Associated Roles: Alchemist, Magitech Engineer, Mechanic

Description

I like to think that what we have today was not a gift from the Gods.

Tinkerers possess exceptional ingenuity and are known for their eccentric and marvelous inventions. They travel the world in an endless search for lost theories and ancient machinery, eyes glimmering whenever they witness the wonders of architecture and engineering.

In a way, Tinkerers could be seen as the ultimate dreamers and rebels, challenging the very rules of nature and society in their pursuit of a better future.

TINKERER FREE BENEFITS

• Permanently increase your maximum Inventory Points by 2.
• You may initiate Projects.

TINKERER SKILLS

EMERGENCY ITEM

Once per conflict scene, if you are in Crisis, you may perform an additional action on your turn. This action must be the Inventory action.

GADGETS (çç5)

• When you first acquire this Skill, choose a gadget type: alchemy, infusions or magitech (see next four pages). You gain its basic benefits.
• Whenever you take this Skill again, choose one option: you gain the basic benefits of a new gadget type; or you gain the advanced benefits of a gadget type whose basic benefits you already obtained; or you gain the superior benefits of a gadget type whose advanced benefits you already obtained.

POTION RAIN (çç2)

When you create a potion that restores a single creature's HP and/or MP, you may have it affect up to 【SL】 additional creatures. If you do, the potion only restores half the normal amount of HP and MP to each creature.

SECRET FORMULA (çç5)

• When you create a potion or magisphere whose effects restore HP and/or MP, each restored amount is increased by 【SL × 5】.
• When you create an elemental shard, potion or magisphere that deals damage, that item deals 【SL】 extra damage.

VISIONARY (çç5)

When you work on a Project, up to 【SL × 100】 zenit of material costs are automatically paid; additionally, you generate an additional 【SL】 progress every day. If multiple characters with this Skill work on the same Project, the effects will be cumulative.

Character Inspiration Questions

• Did you learn your craft from someone? What is your relationship with them?
• What have you lost in the pursuit of progress and innovation?
• Is your craft something revolutionary, or is it an established field of work?
• When an item or effect is created through your abilities, what does it look like?

I like to think that what we have today was not a gift from the Gods.

ALCHEMY

Also: Chemistry, Bombs, Mutations.

You may perform the Inventory action to rapidly craft a potion with powerful but somewhat unpredictable effects. When you do so, choose one type of mix among those you have unlocked (basic, advanced or superior) and spend the appropriate amount of Inventory Points.

MIX

When you create a mix, roll the amount of twenty-sided dice indicated by that mix, then assign one of those rolls to the target table (below) and one to the effect table (on the right). Discard all remaining dice, then describe the effects of the mix!

Example:

You spend 5 Inventory Points for a superior mix and roll four twenty-sided dice. You roll 3, 14, 9 and 4. You might assign 14 to target and 9 to effect to grant yourself and all allies Resistance to air and fire; or you could go on the offensive and assign 9 to target and 4 to effect to deal bolt damage to a single enemy; or even assign 9 to target and 14 to effect to inflict four status effects on that foe!

Whatever your choice, the two dice you don't assign will be discarded.

The two effects marked with "Any" on the effect table are always available and can be chosen if none of the available effects appeal to you.

TARGET

1-6

... you or one ally you can see that is present on the scene.

7-11

... one enemy you can see that is present on the scene.

12-16

... you and every ally present on the scene.

17-20

... every enemy present on the scene.

INVENTION TYPES

W INFUSIONS

Also: Arcane Ammunition, Blade Coatings, Combat Runes.

When you successfully hit one or more targets with an attack, you may spend 2 Inventory Points to produce a special infusion and apply the corresponding effect to that attack (if the attack had the multi property, apply the effects of the infusion to each target).

You cannot apply more than one infusion to the same attack; producing and using an infusion are both part of the action you used to attack with the weapon.

INFUSION EFFECT

Basic Infusions

• Cryo The attack deals 5 extra damage, and its damage becomes ice.
• Pyro The attack deals 5 extra damage, and its damage becomes fire.
• Volt The attack deals 5 extra damage, and its damage becomes bolt.

Advanced Infusions

• Cyclone The attack deals 5 extra damage, and its damage becomes air.
• Exorcism The attack deals 5 extra damage, and its damage becomes light.
• Seismic The attack deals 5 extra damage, and its damage becomes earth.
• Shadow The attack deals 5 extra damage, and its damage becomes dark.

Superior Infusions

• Vampire

  Choose one option: you recover an amount of HP equal to half the HP loss suffered by the target of the attack; or you recover an amount of MP equal to half the HP loss suffered by the target of the attack.

  This infusion can only be used if the attack targeted a single creature.
• Venom The attack deals 5 extra damage, its damage becomes poison, and each creature hit by the attack suffers poisoned.

MAGITECH

Also: Engineering, Golemcraft, Robotics.

This invention type grants a variety of different benefits.

d MAGITECH OVERRIDE (Basic)

You may use an action and spend 10 Mind Points to perform an Opposed [INS + INS] Check against a nearby soldier-rank construct you can see (the Game Master must tell you who is a valid target). If you succeed, you gain control of the creature until the end of the scene (the Game Master gives you its profile). You may only control one construct at any given time, but may set it free whenever you want; the construct is also set free as soon as it is harmed by you or by one of your allies. Once free, the construct is again in control of its actions and might turn against you.

d MAGICANNON (Advanced)

You may perform the Inventory action and spend 3 Inventory Points to create a firearm weapon known as a magicannon (see below). The magicannon will crumble to pieces as soon as you use create a new magicannon. When you create a magicannon, choose the type of damage it deals (air, bolt, earth, fire, ice, or physical).

d MAGISPHERES (Superior)

You develop three magisphere prototypes; each of them can replicate a spell chosen from the following lists: Elementalist, Entropist and Spiritist. The spells you choose may come from the same list or different lists.

You also develop two more prototypes upon reaching level 20, and another two upon reaching level 40 (the same applies if you already reached those levels).

You may perform the Inventory action and spend 2 Inventory Points to create a magisphere and immediately perform the Spell action for free, casting one of the spells you have developed a prototype for. The spell follows the normal rules (including MP costs and Magic Checks) and the magisphere is destroyed upon use.

Wayfarer

ALSO: Adventurer, Explorer, Treasure Hunter

W A YFARER

Borders are a trick of the mind.

Nomads searching for a fabled continent, explorers braving the wilds, grizzled hunters and travelers have one thing in common: they are Wayfarers.

While a majority of heroes travel the world during their adventures, Wayfarers live for the journey. They are always eager to visit new places and learn from others.

In the eyes of a Wayfarer, the wilderness is neither foe nor an ally, but rather a stern teacher who can reveal many forgotten truths.

WEAPONMASTER

Associated Disciplines: Fighter, Rōnin, Warrior

Weaponmasters spend years upon years honing their close combat arts. Most of them display remarkable skill with a variety of weapons; others have trained to become one with a specific armament.

Many Weaponmasters follow and protect someone out of love or loyalty, but there are also those who tirelessly wander the world seeking worthy opponents, legendary magical weapons, or capable teachers.

The wiser blades remain unsheathed.

WEAPONMASTER FREE BENEFITS

• Permanently increase your maximum Hit Points by 5.
• Gain the ability to equip martial melee weapons and martial shields.

WEAPONMASTER SKILLS

BLADESTORM

When you perform a melee attack, you may spend 10 Mind Points to choose one option: the attack gains multi (2); or you increase the attack's multi property by one, up to a maximum of multi (3).

BONE CRUSHER (çç4)

When you hit one or more targets with a melee attack that would deal damage, you may have the attack deal no damage. If you do, choose one option: inflict dazed on each target hit by the attack; or inflict weak on each target hit by the attack; or each target hit by the attack loses 【SL × 10】 Mind Points. Describe your maneuver!

BREACH (çç3)

You may use an action and spend 5 Mind Points to perform a free attack with a melee weapon you have equipped. This attack must target a single creature. If the attack is successful, it deals no damage and you choose one option: you destroy one shield equipped by the target; or you destroy the target's equipped armor; or whenever the target suffers damage from a source before the start of your next turn, that source deals 【SL × 2】 extra damage to them.

COUNTERATTACK

After an enemy hits or misses you with a melee attack, if the Result of their Accuracy Check was an even number, you may perform a free attack against that enemy (after their attack has been fully resolved). This attack must be a melee attack and must have that enemy as its only target; treat your High Roll (HR) as 0 when calculating damage dealt by this attack.

MELEE WEAPON MASTERY (çç4)

You gain a bonus equal to 【SL】 to all Accuracy Checks with melee weapons.

Character Background

Relationship Prompts:

• What is your relationship with weapons? Are they mere objects, or something more?
• Is battle something you seek, or something you strive to avoid?
• Are you, or have you ever been, the servant of a Lady or Lord? What were they like?
• What do your weapons and fighting style look like?

PROLOGUES

Now that you have built your world together, chosen the focus of your group and created a cast of heroes, it is time for you to begin play!

The early part of your first session will be dedicated to a prologue — a few scenes that introduce the protagonists and tells us where their story begins. It is also a great moment to answer some of the questions posed by your Class and group choices.

Once you get past the prologue, your adventures are supposed to evolve in a natural way: the Player Characters choose objectives and make choices, and the Game Master presents obstacles and challenges for them to overcome while also populating the world with new creatures and characters. When you sit down to play for the first time it's easy to be unsure of where to begin. To help, there is a list of tables that generate some context for a starting scene appropriate to your group choice.

THE QUESTIONS

You will notice that each entry on the prologue tables lists a few questions designed to help you paint the initial scene. Said questions can be answered by anyone at the table — whoever has a cool idea should simply go ahead and suggest it. Once you have built the starting premise together, you can all slip into your roles — each Player takes control of their character, and the Game Master takes control of the rest of the game world.

Optional Rule: Starting Bonds

Sometimes it will make sense for a Player Character to already have strong feelings towards someone else — perhaps they hate the Avalonian Empire or are loyal to their family. If you use this optional rule, each Player Character begins play with one Bond (with a single emotion).

• This optional rule is excellent for shorter campaigns since these generally give you less time to build Bonds between characters;
• it is also perfect for groups in which two or more heroes already know each other, share some form of rivalry, or belong to opposite factions — this is the kind of dramatic relationships you want to see in play!

OPTIONAL: STARTING BONDS

BROUGHT TOGETHER BY FATE

Roll a d6 or choose one option that appeals to your group:

1. You are all traveling aboard the same vessel or transport, or as part of the same caravan, when suddenly you are attacked!
   
   Why are you traveling as part of this group? Who or what is attacking you? What do they seek?

2. You have been summoned before a figure of authority or great power.
   
   Who sent for you? Why were you chosen? Were you brought here against your will? Do any of you already know this person?

3. In the aftermath of a terrible battle, an unknown menace appears. Heroes on both sides must face this new and powerful entity.
   
   Were you fighting on opposite sides? Have any of you encountered this entity before? Will you work together?

4. You are confined within a prison or dungeon — you will be executed tomorrow.
   
   Why were you imprisoned? Are you innocent or guilty? Can you escape on your own, or will you need someone's help?

5. Some of you are here to steal someone or something precious. The rest were hired to protect that very same "treasure". But there is something weird going on...
   
   Who hired you? Who or what is the treasure? Was this all a setup?

6. People from a variety of countries and organizations have set out to investigate a bizarre phenomenon. You are among them.
   
   Why are you here? Were you sent by someone else? What are your theories and beliefs concerning this phenomenon?

GUARDIANS

Roll a d6 or choose one option that appeals to your group:

1. During a ceremony before your departure, a dark force suddenly reveals itself. The life of the Chosen One is in danger!
   • What is this dark power?
   • Why was the Chosen One left unprotected?
   • Did someone betray you?
2. On your way to the first destination of your long pilgrimage, you find yourselves under attack! Someone clearly wants to stop you...
   • Where are you headed to, and why?
   • Who or what is attacking?
3. You stand before the entrance of a centuries-old network of tunnels, a dark and dangerous path leading past the mountains.
   • What lies beyond the mountains?
   • What is forcing you to take this path?
   • Do you know anything about those who dug these tunnels?
4. You are guests of a longtime, wealthy friend of the Chosen One when suspicious tales about your host reach your ears.
   • Who can be trusted?
   • Who is this friend, and what do the rumors say about them?
   • Who gave you this information?
   • What makes it at least partially believable?
5. You are moments away from fulfilling your mission when a powerful entity appears before you — your chance is gone and you must fight to protect the Chosen One.
   • Who or what is this entity, and how can they be here?
   • Were you betrayed?
   • Who can help you find another way?
6. The people of a town or village are in need of help — and the Chosen One might be the only person capable of providing it.
   • What threatens these people, and why is the Chosen One the only person that can help?
   • Should you focus on your mission instead?

HEROES OF THE RESISTANCE

Roll a d6 or choose one option that appeals to your group:

1. You were the last hope of a town or village — but unfortunately, the enemy is overwhelming you. Fire and smoke rise towards the sky. Who or what is attacking the town? Does anyone you know live here? How can you save these innocent lives?
2. It was supposed to be an easy mission, but now the enemy has surrounded you! What is this place, and what was your mission here? Did someone betray you?
3. You are attending the speech of a notorious official. Surrounding you is a large crowd, including several armed soldiers. Who is this person, and what are they saying? Are they a possible ally, or a threat to your already desperate efforts?
4. You find yourselves in the aftermath of a crushing defeat, broken and without hope. What happened? How can the enemy be so strong? What are your plans now?
5. You have managed to secure an audience with an influential figure. Who is this person, and how can they help your cause? Who gave you their name?
6. You are organizing the defense of a small village and preparing the locals as best as you can — the enemy will be here tomorrow. Why is the enemy headed here? What is it that they want? And can these people really put up a fight against their forces?

EXPERIENCE AND LEVELS

In Fabula Ultima, a character’s power is measured by their level: starting characters enter the game at level 5, and the upper limit for a character is level 50.

GAINING EXPERIENCE POINTS

In order to increase their level and grow in power, a Player Character must earn Experience Points, abbreviated as XP.

At the end of each game session, your character will gain a variable amount of Experience Points, as summarized on your character sheet:

• Your character will automatically gain 5 XP. This ensures you achieve some progress regardless of what happened during the session.
• Your character will also gain an amount of XP equal to the amount of Ultima Points spent by Villains during the session. If the Villains spent lots of these, it means they didn't pull their punches — and adversity will make you grow. Because of this, it is a good idea to keep track of spent Ultima Points by placing tokens inside a bowl or cup.
• Finally, your character will gain an amount of XP equal to the amount of Fabula Points spent by the group during the session, divided by the number of Player Characters that took part in the session. Whenever you spend Fabula Points, you are making both yourself and your companions grow stronger! Just like Ultima Points, you should keep track of spent Fabula Points by placing the corresponding tokens inside a bowl or cup — and remember, you don't have to keep track of which character spent them.

Additionally, a list of optional rules for advancement can be found on page 230. Use them to customize your game!

• Adopting the blitz, embodiment, or MVP optional rules will cause characters to grow faster. You might want to no longer award the automatic 5 Experience Points per session. Discuss this with your group.
• When the game refers to "a session", it means a segment of gameplay lasting approximately four hours. If your sessions are shorter or longer than that, you might want to "check for Experience Points" every four hours of play.

CHAPTER TRACKING EXPERIENCE AND GAINING LEVELS

When you gain Experience Points, keep track of them on your character sheet:

After gaining XP at the end of a session, you have a chance to increase your level: If you have 10 or more Experience Points, you must spend ten of those points and increase your character level by one — you keep any Experience Points in excess. Note that regardless of how many Experience Points you have, even if they are multiples of ten, you may only gain one level per session this way.

GAINING A NEW CHARACTER LEVEL

For each new level your character gains, they receive several benefits:

• You may change your character's Identity and/or Theme.
• Increase your maximum Hit Points and Mind Points by one point each. Note that this does not affect your current Hit Points and Mind Points.
• If you just reached level 20 or 40, choose one of your Attributes and increase its base die size by one step, up to a maximum of d12.
• You increase the level of one of your character’s Classes by one, or you gain your first level in a Class you didn’t already have (see next page).

This is the only way you can ever increase your Attributes; whenever you do so, some of your other statistics might change (see next page).

Important Limitations

There are, however, two important limitations when leveling up:

• You can never have more than ten levels in a Class. Once you put the tenth level in a Class, that Class has been mastered (which grants you a Heroic Skill, as explained on the next page) and you can no longer invest levels into it.
• You can never have more than three non-mastered Classes. If you want to further diversify your character, you must first master some of the Classes you acquired.

EXPERIENCE POINTS

INCREASING YOUR ATTRIBUTES

When you increase one of your four Attributes, keep in mind it might influence your maximum Hit Points, maximum Mind Points, Defense and Magic Defense:

• Your maximum Hit Points are equal to your total character level + five times your character’s base Might die size. Your Crisis score is equal to half your maximum Hit Points, rounded down.
• Your maximum Mind Points are equal to your total character level + five times your character’s base Willpower die size.

• Your Defense is equal to your current Dexterity die size.
• Your Magic Defense is equal to your current Insight die size.

Note that these numbers may further be modified by your character’s choices of Class, Skills and equipment.

PUTTING LEVELS IN CHARACTER CLASSES

Just like when you created your character, putting a level in a Class allows you to acquire one of its Class Skills — either a Skill you don’t have, or one that you have but may be acquired multiple times (çç).

• Your level in any given Class can never exceed 10. When you bring a Class up to level 10, you have mastered it: acquire one Heroic Skill of your choice (see page 232).
  Note that this Heroic Skill will be in addition to the Class Skill you normally acquire by investing the tenth level in that Class.
• If a Skill can be acquired multiple times, it will also indicate how many times you can acquire it, such as (çç5) for a Skill that can be acquired up to five times, or (çç10) for a Skill that can be acquired up to ten times.
• If you put a level in a Class you didn’t previously have, you also gain the free benefits granted by that Class. Mixing and matching a variety of Classes can be useful — just don’t forget to master some of them!

OPTIONAL ADVANCEMENT RULES

[Note: The following rules are optional additions for campaign play.]

BLITZ

Player Characters will gain additional Experience at the end of each battle in which all enemies fled or were reduced to 0 Hit Points. The amount gained by each character will be equal to 【5 minus the number of rounds elapsed during the battle 】; this means that any battle concluded during the sixth round will grant no additional Experience, while a battle that was completed during the first round will award five XP to each participant.

• These additional Experience Points are gained by all characters who took part in the battle (even if they surrendered or fled at a certain point).
• Combine this with Superiority Points (page 83) for a highly tactical game!

It's good if: You like your battles to be intensely tactical, and you're okay with your campaign mostly revolving around combat. If you choose this optional rule, the Game Master will have to spend some more time making sure each encounter is challenging but also allows for clever strategies.

BOOSTER

Each Player Character will automatically gain a level at the end of each session (in addition to normal advancement).

It's good if: Your campaign will be relatively short, if the Players like to have plenty of new tricks every session, and if you don't mind turning your game into a quickly escalating spiral of mayhem.

Depending on the campaign, you might want to use one or more of the optional rules. You can also introduce new advancement rules halfway through the campaign, or stop using them if you realize they are doing more harm than good.

What's important for you to understand is that the optional XP rules you apply will inevitably shift the focus of your game: after all, people generally tend to do what they're rewarded for.

33PRESS START

CHAPTER EMBODIMENT

Embodiment

The group will vote for the Player who better embodied their character's Identity and/or Theme during the session — the chosen Player's character gains an additional 2 XP. If two or more Players are tied, they will each gain this bonus Experience!

A few rules apply however:

• You cannot be awarded this bonus XP twice in a row.
• You cannot vote for yourself or for the Game Master.

If you are using this optional rule as well as MVP (see below), the two rewards must go to different Players. Vote for Embodiment before you vote for MVP.

It's good if: You like to roleplay intense scenes and you don't run the risk of a single person outshining everyone else or making things uncomfortable by stealing the spotlight all the time. If you see this happening, you should stop using this option.

CHAPTER MVP

MVP

The group will vote for a Most Valuable Player at the end of each session — the chosen Player's character gains an additional 2 XP. If two or more Players are tied, they will each gain this bonus Experience!

Just like with Embodiment, you cannot be awarded this bonus XP twice in a row, and you cannot vote for yourself or the Game Master.

If you are using this optional rule as well as Embodiment (see above), the two rewards must go to different Players. Vote for Embodiment before you vote for MVP.

It's good if: Your group wants to reward proactive Players who take a hit for the team or turn the tables on their adversaries.

LEVEL GAPS

If you use the Embodiment or MVP optional rules, some characters might end up being a few levels above others. The system won't suffer unless this gap is five or greater, but you should carefully discuss whether the optional rules are fostering a healthy play environment.

If someone is frustrated by these rules, even if it's only one person, you should stop using them.

COMET

Requirements: You must have mastered the Entropist Class.

You learn the ultimate Entropist spell: Comet.

MP:

50

Target:

Special

Duration:

Instantaneous

You rip open a large portal to the Cosmos, calling down astral debris from the gaping void. Choose one option: one creature you can see suffers 60 damage; or you choose any number of creatures you can see, and each of them suffers 40 damage. These amounts increase by 5 if you are level 20 or higher, or by 10 if you are level 40 or higher.

Damage dealt by this spell has no type (thus being unaffected by damage Affinities).

DEEP POCKETS

Requirements: You must have mastered the Tinkerer Class.

When you spend Inventory Points, you spend 1 less Inventory Point (minimum 1).

DISARMING RHETORIC

Requirements: You must have mastered the Orator Class.

During a conflict scene, you may use an action and choose a soldier-rank creature that can hear and understand you (the Game Master must tell you who is a valid target). If that creature is shaken or in Crisis, you may spend an amount of Mind Points equal to 【20 + half that creature's level】 to have them peacefully leave the conflict.

Describe how you convince them to desist.

EXTRA HP

Permanently increase your maximum Hit Points by 10. The amount of additional HP increases to 20 if you are level 40 or higher.

EXTRA IP

Permanently increase your maximum Inventory Points by 4.

HOPE

Requirements: You must have mastered the Spiritist Class.

You rekindle the flames of courage and hope within a defeated hero. Choose a Player Character who surrendered but is still present on the scene: that Player Character immediately regains consciousness and recovers an amount of Hit Points equal to their Crisis score. Note that this spell will not undo the consequences of the character's surrender and is of no use if the character left the scene as part of their surrender — such as if they were captured and dragged away, or if they were trapped in a parallel dimension, and so on.

A Player Character may only be affected by this spell once per scene; if a character is brought back into the conflict by this spell and is subsequently reduced to 0 Hit Points again, they must sacrifice themselves or surrender as per the normal rules (including a new consequence and 2 more Fabula Points if they surrender).

MATHEMAGIC

Requirements: You must have mastered the Loremaster Class.

When you cast a spell with a target of "One creature", you may double the spell's total MP cost. If you do, choose an Attribute (Dexterity, Insight, Might, or Willpower) and a die size (d6, d8, d10 or d12). The spell now targets all creatures present on the scene whose current Attribute die size matches your choice, regardless of whether they are friends or foes (you might even end up targeting yourself). The effects of the spell are fully applied to every target.

If the spell is an offensive spell, it follows the normal rules: you perform a single Magic Check and confront it with the Magic Defense of each target to determine who is hit by the spell.

238

W

MONKEY GRIP

Requirements: You must have mastered the Fury Class.

You may equip two-handed weapons belonging to the flail, heavy, spear, or sword Categories in a single hand slot. This allows you, for instance, to enjoy the benefits of two-weapon fighting (page 69) while wielding a pair of two-handed weapons, or to equip a two-handed weapon in your main hand slot and a shield in your off-hand slot.

PERFECT AIM

Requirements: You must have mastered the Sharpshooter Class, and must have acquired the Warning Shot Skill.

When you hit one or more creatures with a ranged attack and choose to deal no damage in order to gain the benefits of the Warning Shot Skill, you may choose two options instead of one (for instance, you could inflict both shaken and slow on each creature, or inflict a status effect on each creature while also lowering their Mind Points).

PILLAGE

Requirements: You must have mastered the Rogue Class, and must have acquired the Soul Steal Skill.

When you use the Soul Steal Skill, you may target any number of creatures at the same time (you perform a single Check and compare it to the Magic Defense of each creature you are attempting to steal from).

POWERFUL SHOT

Requirements: You must have mastered the Sharpshooter Class.

When you hit one or more creatures with a ranged attack, that attack deals 5 extra damage to each creature. The amount of extra damage increases to 10 if you are level 40 or higher.

POWERFUL SPELL

Requirements: You must have mastered one or more Classes among the following: Chimerist, Elementalist, Entropist, or Spiritist.

When you cast a spell that deals damage to one or more creatures, that spell deals 5 extra damage to each creature. The amount of extra damage increases to 10 if you are level 40 or higher.

POWERFUL STRIKE

Requirements: You must have mastered one or more Classes among the following: Fury or Weaponmaster.

When you hit one or more creatures with a melee attack, that attack deals 5 extra damage to each creature. The amount of extra damage increases to 10 if you are level 40 or higher.

PREDICTABLE!

Requirements: You must have mastered the Loremaster Class.

During a conflict, you may use an action and spend 20 Mind Points to anticipate the upcoming moves of a creature you can see, as long as you know two or more of that creature's Traits. If you do so, choose one type of action among the following:

• Attack
• Guard
• Objective
• Spell
• Skill

Until the start of your next turn, the creature must spend 20 Mind Points whenever they wish to perform that action. If they can't, they must perform a different action.

RAMPART

Requirements: You must have mastered the Guardian Class.

During the first round of each conflict scene, you have Resistance to all damage types and cannot suffer status effects (you do not recover from preexisting status effects, however). These benefits only last until the end of the first round.

"Rest now, sister. For too long I asked you to protect me.
Today, it is I who shall be strong for the both of us."

REPETITION

Requirements: You must have mastered the Orator Class.

Once per turn during a conflict, after you use the Condemn Skill or the Encourage Skill, you may immediately perform that same Skill again (on the same target or a different one). You must still pay the Mind Point cost for the second use of the Skill.

REVELATION

Requirements: You must have mastered the Arcanist Class.

You make contact with an unknown Arcanum and bind it to your soul. This Arcanum must be something you design together with the rest of the group; as long as you live, no one else in your world will be able to bind that Arcanum.

Once per scene while you are merged with an Arcanum, you may use an action and spend 2 Fabula Points to trigger that Arcanum's dismiss effect (if any) without dismissing them. Doing so does not trigger the Arcane Circle Skill (page 177).

STATUS IMMUNITY

Requirements: You must have mastered the Wayfarer Class.

You become completely immune to a single status effect of your choice.

TEMPEST STRIKE

Requirements: You must have mastered the Weaponmaster Class.

When you perform a melee attack with the multi property, if you choose to target only one creature, the attack deals 5 extra damage if the attack had multi (2), or 10 extra damage if the attack had multi (3 or higher).

UNBREAKABLE

Requirements: You must have mastered the Guardian Class.

Once per scene when you are about to be reduced to 0 Hit Points, you may instead choose to withstand the pain and be reduced to exactly 1 Hit Point.

UPGRADE

Requirements: You must have mastered the Tinkerer Class.

Once per rest, you may choose one option:

• Add a Quality to a single weapon, armor, or shield that doesn't have one;
  or
• Replace the current Quality of a single weapon, armor, or shield with a different Quality.

When you use this Skill, you must select a Quality from the default list for that item type as long as the cost modifier associated with that ability is +1000 zenit or lower. Then, you must spend an amount of zenit equal to twice the cost modifier of the chosen ability. The modified item will be ready at the end of the rest; you may only modify one item per rest.

The default list of weapon abilities can be found on page 269, while the default list of armor and shield abilities can be found on page 280.

VANISH

Requirements: You must have mastered the Rogue Class.

When you hit one or more creatures with an attack, you may spend 1 Fabula Point. If you do, each of those creatures will be unable to perform any action that requires them to be able to see you until the start of your next turn.

VOLCANO

Requirements: You must have mastered the Elementalist Class.

Ultimate Elementalist Spell: Volcano

MP:

40

Target:

Special

Duration:

Instantaneous

You channel the fury of the planet into a powerful wave of fire and magma. Choose one option:

• One creature you can see suffers 50 fire damage;
  or
• Any number of creatures you can see, and each of them suffers 30 fire damage.

These amounts increase by 5 if you are level 20 or higher, or by 10 if you are level 40 or higher.

Damage dealt by this spell ignores Resistances and Immunities.

242

W

W

GAME MASTER

This chapter contains advice and procedures for Fabula Ultima Game Masters.

Your main job as a Game Master is breathing life into the world your group has created. Together, you have planted the seeds of your campaign: now you must tend to those seeds and help everything blossom.

While the Players are responsible for portraying heroic characters and steering the direction of the story by establishing goals and making decisions, your duty is to portray the rest of the world and challenge the protagonists: the resulting conflicts and struggles are what makes the game memorable.

NO ONE IS BORN A GM

When it comes to being a capable Game Master, experience is key. No amount of painstakingly precise notes and preparation can save you from mistakes or experiencing a lackluster game session — and that’s okay. Even the most experienced Game Masters and Players make mistakes, and sometimes there will be issues outside the game that prevent your group from having a good time.

Take those mistakes and learn from your experiences, get the entire group involved in the creative process, and combine all of this with the advice provided throughout this chapter. By doing this, it will help everyone both enjoy playing the game and developing an incredible story.

HOW TO USE THIS CHAPTER

What you will find in the following pages is a variety of tools designed to make your life as a Game Master easier. Read this chapter carefully before playing the game, and come back to read it again after one or two sessions.

Many things will be clearer once you have experienced how the game works in play.

DURING PLAY

During each session, adhere to the following principles:

• Portray a wondrous world. Give your NPCs unique quirks and add memorable touches to every location, but don't get bogged down by details. Keep the descriptions short and then let everyone ask questions.
• Manage information. A big part of your job during each session has to do with information — you will be asked plenty of questions, from the shape of a room to a person's behavior. You decide whether the characters know such information (based on simple observation or on who they are) or if a Check is required — the dice will determine how much the character knows about someone or something, or if they at least know where they could find that information.
• Seek input from others. If something is relevant to a character's role in the story (especially their Classes and Identities), you should ask for the Player's input — let them establish facts about the shared game world.
• React to the heroes' choices. Be ready to adapt to the heroes' actions and goals; leave them free to adopt whatever strategy they choose, but apply the consequences of those strategies and don't pull your punches.
• Enforce transparency. Make sure everyone at the table knows what's at stake when they perform Checks or choose a specific course of action.
• Keep the pressure high. Whatever the Player Characters want to achieve, someone or something will block their path. Heroes should never have enough time to do everything — put them in front of hard choices. Use Clocks to show impending threats and make sure Villains play an active role in the story.
• Think cinematically. Describe situations and actions as if they were cutscenes from a videogame — keep things moving and make sure everything feels vivid and dynamic. This is especially important during conflict scenes, when the strategic aspect of the game is at its peak: mechanics and descriptions go hand in hand.
• Start and end scenes. When you feel like a scene has been resolved, propose to end it. If anyone still wants to do something, they should tell you — otherwise, move on with the story.
• Design interesting battles. Avoid "filler battles" and focus on intense and dramatic confrontations with powerful antagonists. See page 292 for more.

CHAPTER BETWEEN SESSIONS

When preparing for the next session, you should:

• Think about the heroes' choices. Reflect upon the actions and choices made by the Player Characters during the previous sessions and come up with a variety of possible situations, threats and antagonists. Keep the heroes' objectives in mind and think about how you can build interesting conflicts and struggles around them. This is less about writing tons of scenes and dialogue, and more about going for a walk with some cool music and envisioning amazing sequences in your head.
• Think about what the Villains are doing. Villains are the most powerful forces opposing the Player Characters' actions, and you should spend some time considering what their short and long-term plans are. You should also make sure to update a Villain's level and abilities so that they can properly challenge the Player Characters during conflict scenes.
• Ask the Players what their goals and objectives are. As you prepare for the next session, contact the Players and ask them about their plans. Will they storm the Emperor's palace? Are they going to search the depths of the Azure Cave? Or do they plan to gather clues to prove someone's innocence? Knowing the general focus of the coming session will help you save time and make the most out of your preparation; ask these questions at the end of a session, when recent events are still fresh in everyone's memory.
• Design new creatures. Sooner or later, the creatures in the Bestiary will no longer suit your needs — whenever you have time, use the rules on page 302 to create new creatures and adversaries for your campaign, mainly focusing on the kind of territory the group is currently traversing. This will become increasingly easier as you play the game: not only will you grow more familiar with the rules, but you will also better understand the Player Characters' abilities. If you don't get any immediate use out of a creature you designed, don't worry too much — you can always tweak it a little bit and bring it back later when the occasion arises!
• Look for inspiration. Watch movies and TV series, read comics and books, play video games and search for inspiring artwork online. Exposing yourself to a variety of different stories and aesthetics is a great way to make each session feel unique — you'll never run out of ideas.

The Prince of Megara has fallen gravely ill.

Rumor has it he was aiding the Olcressian Rebellion.

See page 302 for the rules concerning creature design.

See page 302 for the rules concerning creature design.

DARKBLADE

If someone picks the Darkblade as the core concept for their character, the tragedy that awakened their powers should play a major role in the story. Have the Player talk about it, then create scenes that bring back echoes of that dark past.

• Due to their ability to negate dark damage, undead are extremely resilient to a Darkblade's Shadow Strike. Keep this in mind when designing battles.
• There might come a time when the Darkblade can finally leave their past behind. When this happens, you might have their Skills "flipped" — maybe they can now create Bonds of affection with Heart of Hope and unleash light damage with Celestial Strike. Discuss this option with the Player and see if it's something that interests them.

ELEMENTALIST

• Elemental magic is mostly focused around dealing damage of several types: when you design battles, make sure this ability gets to shine. Create adversaries that absorb certain elements and are vulnerable to others, so that the Elementalist’s contribution may be key to victory.
• Given its raw power, elemental magic is often used in battle. If this type of spellcaster is common in your setting, it probably contributed to shaping the history of warfare. This is something you should discuss with your Elementalist Player.

ENTROPIST

• Entropic magic is deeply tied to death, chaos and oblivion. It can be easily seen as "villainous” magic, but the Player Characters are heroes. Create situations in which this contrast becomes important!
• Entropists are among the few characters capable of dealing damage with no type, causing direct HP loss, limiting enemy actions, and granting allies additional turns. Create conflicts where these abilities can prove vital.
• Ritual Entropism can achieve incredible effects, such as altering time and space. These Rituals are expensive and dangerous, but a Player Character is still free to attempt them; just remember that failure will be proportionally devastating.

FURY

Anger and passion are the core elements of a Fury. Build scenes in which acting upon instinct can be detrimental, and always show the consequences of violence or recklessness. There’s a reason Furies are seen as ticking bombs by most people around them, and some might feel unsafe when a Fury is present.

• In battle, hit the Fury hard — they are quite resilient and can deal serious damage when in Crisis. Hurt them, and they will hurt you back twice as hard.
• Given their temper, Furies are generally well-known in their land of origin... they do tend to cause trouble, after all. Discuss the Fury’s “reputation” with the Player.

GUARDIAN

• Create occasions for heroism and situations in which a Guardian must choose between themselves and others. Particularly interesting are the moments in which a Guardian has the ability to protect someone who was once their enemy — what will they do?
• Keep in mind the Protect Skill only works on one target at a time — a threat affecting an entire area will force the Player to make difficult decisions. Build on this.
• A Guardian adversary risking their life to protect a Villain (out of loyalty or even love) can make for an especially tragic figure — one the heroes may respect.

LOREMASTER

• When a Loremaster Player asks you a question, remember — they are supposed to know a little bit about everything. Be generous when handing out information to them, and remember to often involve them in the description of a scene or location. Let them showcase their knowledge by adding details to a place, item, or person.
• If a Loremaster acquires the Quick Assessment Skill, make sure to reveal useful Traits when they use it. Revealing the "winged" Trait on a dragon feels like a cheap move, while Traits like "coward" or "loyal" are much more interesting and useful.

GAME MASTER GUIDE

CHAPTER ORATOR

Orators are assumed to draw attention. Maybe they look good, maybe they’re naturally charismatic, or maybe there’s some other reason — you should ask the Player.

• Words are powerful. They can save people just as much as they can bring ruin. Never forget to show an Orator the consequences of their threats and promises, and remember that some will be envious or wary of their charm and popularity.
• When an Orator uses Condemn, ask them what they say. If their argument is especially strong or weak, apply a situational modifier to their Check (+2 if they have some leverage, -2 if they're in over their head).
• Unexpected Ally is a powerful Skill, but it's no "mind control". If the character abuses the target's loyalty and trust, the benefit will quickly be lost. Make it clear to the Orator if they're asking too much of their newfound ally.

CHAPTER ROGUE

Whatever ideals spur a Rogue into action can often be twisted and manipulated. It is dreadfully easy for a rebel to turn into an oppressor, and the heroes of the past were often treated like criminals during their own time.

• Most people will be wary of helping a Rogue, especially if they belong to a criminal guild or organization. Discuss these details of the setting with your Rogue Player — perhaps they have their very own secret language and hideouts!
• The Rogue’s Soul Steal Skill allows them to gain precious items that embody the essence of their adversaries. Said items should tell a story about the creature they originated from: for instance, a particularly spiteful and envious adversary might have a flesh eater sword (see page 278) as its soul treasure, since it represents how their sentiments are gnawing at their very spirit. On the other hand, a ruthless person that only cares about wealth might harbor a cold yet valuable diamond.

Remember that items acquired this way are in addition to normal game rewards (page 264). Because of this, the group will inevitably gain access to more options and wealth than normal — but that’s part of what makes a Rogue special. Don’t be afraid to give the Player Characters some new toys!

"Goddess of Law? How fitting! As a thief, I'll defend my right to disobey until the very end!"

TINKERER

Technology can be powerful and terrifying. Build situations related to the dangers of ruthless and unethical progress and challenge the Tinkerer to prove why their view of science is different.

• Tinkerers excel at crafting inventions and are an amazing Class for the more creative Players. Be ready to work with your Tinkerer when coming up with inventions, and work with them to establish unique Inventory Items available in your world!
• Tinkerer are very flexible: they have access to all damage types and can provide excellent support with healing items. Remember this when designing battles.

WAYFARER

• Given how frequent discoveries can become if your group includes a Wayfarer with the Treasure Hunter and/or Well-traveled Skills, it may be a good idea to prepare a quick list of interesting discoveries that may come useful in a pinch.
• When short on ideas, turn to the Wayfarer Player and ask them to tell you more about the local area, the terrain, and the creatures that live there. Then, build on their answers during the session!
• The Faithful Companion Skill is a powerful option that brings a whole new character into the party. Design the creature together with the Player, and don't be afraid to adjust its stats along the way if you see that it's too underwhelming or if it outshines the rest of the party. The best companions are those that support the group!

WEAPONMASTER

In times of war, capable warriors are an asset. In times of peace, they are a threat. The feats of a Weaponmaster will surely earn them respect... and attract trouble.

• Consider introducing a rival Weaponmaster in the campaign — a recurring foe with their own beliefs and peculiar combat style.
• Most Weaponmasters learned from an exceptional mentor. Creating this figure in collaboration with the Player and giving them a role in the story, as an ally or an unexpected antagonist, can add depth to the character.

THE ART OF VILLAINS

If the Player Characters represent a heroic and positive force in the world, Villains are the opposite. Being the Game Master, it is your responsibility to create, introduce, and portray these characters.

You already know about what differentiates a Villain from a typical Non-Player Character in terms of rules: that is to say, the access to Ultima Points. This section, on the other hand, contains advice on what you should focus on when creating and portraying an antagonist within the story.

So, let’s get to it: what makes a good Villain?

GOALS

This is the most important aspect of any antagonist: they want to accomplish something. Be it reshaping the world, exacting revenge upon those who made them suffer, or conquering a neighboring region, Villains must have goals.

Goals are extremely useful for you as a Game Master: when you don’t know how a Villain would act or react to a given situation, look at their goals and you will most likely find an answer.

• Minor Villains generally have simple or at least very personal goals, such as saving someone's life, stealing a magical artifact, or seizing control of a village.
• Major Villains should have complex goals that can affect a large number of people, such as conquering a kingdom, or destroying a divine being.
• Supreme Villains have goals that can affect the entire world and change the laws of reality: rewinding time, erasing soul energy, or even becoming a deity.

Remember that Villains can also escalate: perhaps a young wizard (minor Villain) suddenly realizes he must steal magical energy from an entire country to revive a loved one, thus becoming a major Villain. Then, when the attempt fails — likely due to the Player Characters’ intervention — the desperate wizard seeks a way to merge with the deities of time and space, erasing reality and creating a timeline that never was... a fitting and tragic goal for a supreme Villain.

Having some Villains turn into allies throughout the campaign is just as important: this encourages Players to seek dialogue with their adversaries and to consider both sides of a situation, instead of simply assuming that everyone is either good or evil.

GAME MASTER

PRESSURE

Your Villains should actively work towards their goals. If the Player Characters spend an extended amount of time resting or taking care of issues that are not related to an antagonist’s plans, then that antagonist will not sit idly and wait for the heroes to do something: they will get closer to their objective.

When a Villain’s plans advance, you must always clearly communicate it to the Players — perhaps with an appropriate Game Master scene, or through rumors and conversations the heroes have with NPCs in the game world. Don’t just surprise them with a casual “Oh yeah, did I mention this guy you didn’t know about has successfully rewritten reality?”

If you plan on having multiple Villains in your campaign at the same time — or if you play at very irregular intervals and it's hard to remember everything — consider using Clocks to track the progress of each Villain’s goals.

The more complex or dramatic objectives will require larger Clocks:

• Minor Villains should have Clocks with 4 to 6 sections.
• Major Villains should have Clocks with 8 to 10 sections.
• Supreme Villains should have Clocks with 10 to 12 sections.

If the Player Characters manage to foil the Villain’s plans, the current Clock will reset to 0 or possibly be replaced with an entirely different one, representing how the antagonist is now seeking to achieve the same end through a different method.

AN UNEXPECTED SIDE

Never create one-dimensional antagonists. Villains should have a deeper layer, a tragic or at least unexpected side to them: perhaps they genuinely think they are doing the world a favor, they have their own reasons for forsaking everyone else, or they feel trapped in a path of ruin and are simply waiting for someone to stop them. Maybe an antagonist is so honorable that they will fully heal the heroes before a battle!

This doesn’t mean the PCs should necessarily sympathize with all Villains — a few will be beyond redemption. But even then, dark emotions must come from somewhere... and upon discovering those tragic roots, Player Characters will see that antagonist under a different light, and perhaps even find a way to help them realize that what they're doing is harmful.

THE DARK MIRROR

If you think about the most memorable villains in movies, comics, and games, you will soon find that many of them share a peculiar quality: in one or more ways, they are polar opposite to the hero(es) of the tale.

• Where the heroes are a group, the antagonist feels alone and abandoned.
• Where the heroes fight for justice, the antagonist now believes that justice is an illusion, and that the world belongs to those strong enough to take it.
• Where the heroes are willing to give up their life for the cause, the antagonist is frightened by death.
• Where the heroes believe in second chances, the antagonist has been denied one.
• Where the heroes represent hope, the antagonist represents despair.

When you create a Villain, try to think about at least one aspect of their character that makes them the dark reflection of one or more Player Characters.

As you introduce that antagonist and whenever they are part of a scene, focus on portraying that they are a negation of what the heroes stand for, or as a grim warning to what they might become if they ever lose their way.

STYLE AND MANNERISM

Spend a few minutes thinking about how a Villain speaks, acts, moves and dresses. Are they dashing and refined, or do they care little for appearances? Do they wear a specific uniform? Do all of their henchmen emulate them?

Please note that “mannerism” has nothing to do with acting Skills or the ability to do different voices — it means that each Villain should behave in a peculiar and recognizable way, and you should describe that. Then again, if you’re good at coming up with unique accents and your group enjoys it — and provided those accents do not mirror harmful stereotypes — then feel free to take advantage of that Skill!

CHAPTER CONFLICT ABILITIES

When you create an antagonist, consider how they will behave during conflicts.

• Each Villain has one or more preferred conflict types: some might favor social occasions; others may prefer to engage the heroes in battle. The most obnoxious antagonists are the ones that avoid conflict scenes at all costs — but even then, Ultima Points aren't an infinite resource.
• To properly challenge the heroes, Villains should be elites or champions (see page 295) or be accompanied by some allies: this is to ensure they can perform multiple actions during each conflict round.
• Because of their importance, a battle against a Villain should be treated as a boss fight (see page 300 for details on how to design one).

Powerful antagonists might also be protected by a “plot armor” that prevents Player Characters from fighting them unless they have a specific item, spell, or other assets at their disposal. Generally you don’t want to overdo this — one or two such “tricks” over the course of the entire campaign are more than enough.

AND FINALLY, A DRAMATIC ENTRANCE

A Villain’s entrance should be an intense moment that sets the tone for their role in the story. Think of it as a video game cutscene: you get a few seconds to show your audience what this Villain looks like and hint at the kind of forces and weapons at their disposal — soldiers, forgotten technology, powerful magic, or a healthy dose of supernatural strength.

During your preparation stage before a session, it may be helpful to focus on the reveals key moments — you have to condense everything important in a couple of sentences. It should be something like this:

Approaching with heavy footfalls, the figure rests a hand on a sword the likes of which you’ve never seen... a delicate gesture, but her grip is steady.

“It appears we are here for the same reason,” she says. “Unfortunately, I cannot let you have that which I need. Stand back, and no one shall be injured.”

With a few words, you have communicated that this is likely a proud and honorable adversary who is also very determined. That sword of hers? That’s bad news!

"When you chose to fight not to protect your people, but to prove them wrong... that is what made you a villain."

Dungeons

Page 110 provides guidelines on how to manage dungeon exploration while playing — but what about preparing those dungeons? How much information will you need? Should you have a map of the location ready?

To make sure this is clear from the beginning: dungeons aren't necessarily a thing in Fabula Ultima, and you might run an entire campaign without the Player Characters ever entering one.

A dungeon generally covers one or more of the following functions:

• Slowly eroding the heroes' resources before an important confrontation by having them face several weaker enemies.
• Telling more about a character, place or people.
• Rewarding careful exploration with hidden treasures that may prove useful in the dungeon itself or a future situation.

If a dungeon isn't doing any of these, you probably shouldn't have it in your game: "dungeons for the sake of dungeons" is never a good idea.

Prepared and Improvised

The first distinction we should make is between prepared dungeons (the ones you thought about before the session started) and improvised dungeons (the ones that were introduced as part of the current session).

While prepared dungeons can be more complex, the ones you have to improvise on the spot will necessarily be simpler — but simple doesn't mean boring.

• A prepared dungeon allows for all three modes of exploration; most of the time you will rely on dungeon scenes or detailed exploration (page 110), but if the layout of the place isn't important you might even get it done with an interlude scene.
• An improvised dungeon, on the other hand, will rarely allow for detailed exploration (unless you have a dungeon archive ready; see page 261) and generally fall in the middle between dungeon scenes and interludes.

Note that this distinction has nothing to do with the importance of the dungeon: a key strategic location might be unexpectedly introduced halfway through a session, and you might know about a minor ruin along the road with no plot relevance weeks before you play through its exploration. Don't worry, we'll deal with this too.

IS THIS DUNGEON IMPORTANT?

Some locations in your game will naturally be more important than others. The evil sorcerer's tower in which he hides the Crystal of Balance? That's certainly more important than the sewers connecting the capital to the countryside, and yet both might be turned into dungeons.

• If a location will be a key part of your session and you know about it in advance, simply decide the style of exploration (scenes, detailed, or interlude) and prepare accordingly (see next page).
• If a location is important and you have to improvise it, only mention the most important details and cut to the chase. Interlude scenes are your best friend, and you should focus on the core reason the Player Characters are here: if there are obstacles in their way, ask for a Group Check and use it to determine whether the PCs reach their objective unhindered or must overcome a challenge. Keep things short and maybe end the exploration with a challenging battle against a Villain!

Still, if you feel like this location deserves more attention, you can pause or end the session and explain that you need some time to prepare.

• If a location isn't particularly important and you have time to prepare it, carefully consider whether you should do so. You will often be fine describing how the heroes traverse the location (a) and maybe calling for one or two Checks — failure might mean getting lost (especially important if the heroes are in a hurry) or encountering some hostile creatures.
• Finally, if a location isn't important and you have to improvise, you should keep things as simple as possible. Just describe the place and have the heroes confront a challenge — a mechanism, a negotiation, or a battle — in order to reach whatever is hidden here.

As you might have noticed already, the core elements of a dungeon are:

• Its style and aesthetics — what it looks and feels like.
• What can be found inside — an objective or a threat.
• What obstacles must be overcome in order to traverse the dungeon.

This is true regardless of the chosen exploration style; the difference lies simply in the level of detail and complexity.

Preparing a Dungeon

If you have time to prepare a dungeon and know that the Player Characters will explore it, the following process generally works well:

1. Think about the general look and mood of the dungeon: Is it a spooky ruin, a lavish castle, or perhaps a network of ancient tunnels?
2. Sketch a rough map of the dungeon: This doesn't need to be pretty, but does need to be functional. You're the only person that will use it, so make sure your notes are clear (especially if you plan on using the dungeon weeks or even months from now). If you're short on ideas, the internet is filled with awesome dungeon designs — there's nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from them.
3. Place rewards (see page 264) in your dungeon: These may be magic items, currency, or even Inventory Points. Try to avoid placing most of the rewards in the same room (you should encourage exploration).
4. Place obstacles and threats (traps, puzzles, hostile creatures) in your dungeon, preferably so that they guard or prevent access to rewards.
   • When you prepare an obstacle or threat, do not determine in advance how the Player Characters might approach it. That's for them to decide.
   • Avoid swarming the heroes with a large number of weak enemies; instead, focus on two or three challenging encounters (see page 292 for more).
   • If the reward is an item, the creature guarding it might use it in battle.
5. Think about one or two Danger Clocks appropriate for your dungeon, their size and what will happen if they are filled — will the heroes be ambushed? Is there a magical surveillance system? Will the tunnels be flooded by lava?
6. Determine the focal point of your dungeon (an antagonist, a precious artifact, a vital piece of information) and choose its location. Most of the time you will want to place this element far away from the entrance, but you might also make it relatively easy to reach (in this case, the rest of the dungeon will feature "optional content").

THE DUNGEON ARCHIVE

If you and your group are particularly fond of detailed dungeon exploration, and if your schedule allows for it, you might want to prepare your own dungeon archive.

This is straightforward: whenever you have some time, jot down a few notes about potential dungeons — a notebook is fine, but you might also choose to keep them on your device or inside the cloud storage. Then, whenever you need to "improvise" a dungeon, you can instead grab one from your archive. You'll probably need to make a few adjustments on the fly, but it's easier than having to come up with everything on the spot.

When preparing dungeons for your archive, keep the following in mind:

• Flexibility. Make sure your prepared dungeons can fit a variety of situations and environments. This will largely depend on your group's campaign world, but each dungeon should be appropriate for at least two or three areas in your world map.
• Internet is your friend. Download, print or save a variety of dungeon maps from videogames and other tabletop games (but make sure you only do so for your personal use).

You can of course draw your own dungeon layouts: an activity some find very relaxing, but one that can prove quite time-consuming as well. Be mindful about how you spend your effort!

• Connections. One of the advantages when preparing several dungeons ahead of time is that you can tie some or all of them together in many ways. You could design a set of four temples, each tied to a natural element, and place them all over the map; or you could have one dungeon contain clues to the position of another.

The biggest risk when relying on the dungeon archive is to "shoehorn" a dungeon you prepared into a location, or to refrain from an otherwise cool and unique improvised design just because it feels safer to use a prepared dungeon instead.

As the Game Master, it is your responsibility to find a balance between prepared and improvised dungeons — both have their pros and cons.

DUNGEON GENERATION TABLES

If you're in need of inspiration when creating a dungeon (whether improvising or preparing it in advance), you may roll d20s or choose options from the tables on the following pages!

Example Entry

A millenary presence ensures the dead buried within the Necropolis of Basitrale rest undisturbed.

Dungeon Concept Ideas

44 GAME MASTER

REWARD FREQUENCY

On average, the chart is based on the idea that a group will receive approximately one reward per session (as in, every four or five hours of play). This is not a hard rule and more of a guideline: there will be some sessions in which characters do not receive rewards in the form of fancy items, but instead develop connections or retrieve a powerful artifact. That table is there to help you, not to constrain you.

CREATING INTERESTING REWARDS

Here are a few things you will want to keep in mind when creating rewards:

• Learn what your Players want. If you catch a Player saying they’d like a specific item for their character, take notes — you can include that item in a future reward.
  Consider a Survey or Wishlist, as explained on page 123.
• Items that tell a story. When placing a given item among the rewards found by the characters, consider what it says about the surrounding area and its inhabitants. Who brought the crystal rod to this shrine? Why did the ancient wyvern guard a ring with no apparent value?
• Here and there. When the occasion arises and it doesn't feel forced, split your reward into smaller mini-rewards tied to different places, creatures, or threats. The Classic example would be a dungeon with several hidden treasures.
• Foreshadowing. This is a classic in JRPGs, and something you will either love or hate. What you could do is hand out rewards that will prove useful in future battles, such as a silver talon (page 272) in a dungeon crawling with undead creatures that are Vulnerable to its light damage.

Adopting this method will surely make your sessions feel more “videogamey”, but it's a matter of taste. Discuss this choice with the rest of your group.

ROGUES AND SOUL STEAL

Player Characters who put levels in the Rogue Class will likely acquire the Soul Steal Skill, which allows them to extract items from powerful enemies. Items obtained this way are in addition to normal rewards.

DESIGNING RARE ITEMS

Over the course of the game, you will often need to come up with a rare item—perhaps it’s part of a reward, a lost treasure, an arcane weapon extracted from the soul of a demon or monster, or even a peculiar object sold by a merchant. In such instances, you may:

• Choose an existing Rare Item. This is the simplest solution! Pick one of the sample items presented in this section. Make sure to choose something appropriate to the situation, such as a mjolnir hammer for a storm demon.
• Create a new Rare Item. Follow the guidelines presented in this section to create a new rare item. Sometimes you can take an existing item and simply change the type of damage it deals, or have it grant a different bonus, but it's encouraged that you try to come up with items that resonate with how and where they were found.

Rare items can and should tell their own story!

BE CAREFUL WITH BONUSES

Items that grant a bonus to a specific type of Check, as well as items that grant an increase to Defense or Magic Defense, are especially powerful: that is because Fabula Ultima features a relatively "flat" math progression when it comes to Checks. Even an innocuous-looking +1 bonus can make a huge difference; because of this, avoid granting characters too many rare items whose special abilities enhance Accuracy Checks, Magic Checks, Defense or Magic Defense.

In general, a character should not be given the opportunity to equip more than two such items at any given time. Feel free to give out more, but make sure these are mutually exclusive options: should you equip the Crested Helm that gives a +1 bonus to Accuracy Checks, or the Pointy Yellow Hat that gives a +1 bonus to Magic Checks?

AVOID COPYING EXISTING SPELLS OR SKILLS

When you create a Quality for a rare item, try to avoid copying the effects of a Skill or spell that is unique to a specific Class. Instead, look at which Skills the Player Characters have acquired and give them items that synergize well with those, or that provide useful (if pricey) alternatives when those same Skills would otherwise be ineffective.

CHAPTER

44GAME MASTER

WHAT TO DO IF YOU MESSED UP

If you realize an item is much stronger than you had anticipated, do not worry. Resist the temptation to take the item away from the group; you should also avoid simply making the item useless by creating situations in which it never makes a difference. Instead, talk with the Players and explain what you did wrong, then adjust the effects of the item together.

With this optional rule, Player Characters may pay a blacksmith or artisan to add a Quality to armor, shields, or weapons that doesn't have one, or to replace an item's Quality with a different one (remember, an item can only have one Quality).

The Player selects a Quality from the default list for that item type as long as the cost modifier associated with that ability is +1000 zenit or lower. Then, the character must spend an amount of zenit equal to twice the cost modifier associated with the chosen ability: once this is done, the process generally takes one day per item. Multiple characters may of course pool their money together to purchase the more expensive abilities.

Example: T o replace a weapon's current Quality with Multi (page 269), you must spend 2000 zenit. To replace it with Resistance, you must spend 1400 zenit.

The default list of weapon abilities can be found on page 269, while the default list of armor and shield abilities can be found on page 280.

If a Player Character acquires the Upgrade Heroic Skill (page 237), they will gain access to this optional rule by default.

OPTIONAL: BUYING QUALITIES

44GAME MASTER

QUALITY COST EFFECT

The Elves at Smolderheart Peak are rumored to craft weapons capable of banishing demons.

SAMPLE RARE ARCANE WEAPONS

SAMPLE RARE BOW WEAPONS

SAMPLE RARE BRAWLING WEAPONS

SAMPLE RARE DAGGER WEAPONS

SAMPLE RARE FIREARM WEAPONS

SAMPLE RARE FLAIL WEAPONS

SAMPLE RARE HEAVY WEAPONS

Sample Rare Spear Weapons

Sample Rare Sword Weapons

SAMPLE RARE THROWN WEAPONS

DESIGNING RARE ARMORS AND SHIELDS

Creating a rare armor or shield is much simpler. Pick one of the items from the lists on pages 132 to 133 and add a single Quality to it, which will increase its price by a variable amount, as shown by the table below.

Once again, feel free to come up with new and unique special abilities for rare armors and shields, using these as a reference.

QUALITY

Defensive Qualities

• Antistatus +500 z: You are immune to a single status effect.
• Resistance +700 z: You have Resistance to a single damage type (not physical damage).
• Dual Resistance +1000 z: You have Resistance to two damage types (not physical damage).
• Swordbreaker +1000 z: You have Resistance to physical damage.
• Immunity +1500 z: You have Immunity to a single damage type (not physical damage).
• Perfect Health +2000 z: You are immune to all status effects.

Enhancement Qualities

• Initiative Up +500 z: You gain a +4 bonus to your Initiative modifier.
• Accuracy Up +1000 z: You gain a +1 bonus to your Accuracy Checks.
• Magic Up +1000 z: You gain a +1 bonus to your Magic Checks.
• Vitality Up +1000 z: When you recover HP, you recover 5 extra HP.
• Healing Up +1500 z: Spells you cast that whose effects restore Hit Points will restore 5 extra Hit Points.
• Spell Up +2000 z: Spells you cast deal 5 extra damage.
• Weapon Up +2000 z: Your attacks with (choose one: melee, ranged) weapons deal 5 extra damage.

44GAME MASTER

Chapter CHAPTER

SAMPLE RARE ARMORS

Item Equipment Listings

Page 282 | ITEM COST DEFENSE M. DEFENSE INITIATIVE

CHAPTER SAMPLE RARE SHIELDS

Available Shields

DESIGNING ACCESSORIES

When you create an accessory, simply decide on which ability it will grant — you can pick from the list below or come up with one that seems appropriate.

The price of the item is determined by its Quality. When creating accessories, experiment with a variety of custom effects that reflect the item's nature and origin. You will see that many of the sample accessories in the following pages have unique abilities that are not present on the table below — that is because the best accessories are the ones that give slightly quirky benefits or encourage unconventional strategies.

QUALITY COST EFFECT

Defensive Qualities

• Antistatus: 500 z - You are immune to a single status effect.
• Resistance: 700 z - You gain Resistance to a single damage type (not physical damage).
• Amulet: 800 z - You gain a +1 bonus to Magic Defense.
• Bulwark: 800 z - You gain a +1 bonus to Defense.
• Dual Resistance: 1000 z - You have Resistance to two damage types (not physical damage).
• Swordbreaker: 1000 z - You have Resistance to physical damage.
• Immunity: 1500 z - You have Immunity to a single damage type (not physical damage).
• Omnishield: 2000 z - You gain a +1 bonus to Defense and Magic Defense.
• Perfect Health: 2000 z - You are immune to all status effects.

Enhancement Qualities

• Damage Change: 300 z - All damage dealt by your weapons, spells, and Skills becomes of a specific type.
• Initiative Up: 500 z - If you have this item equipped at the start of a conflict, you gain a +4 bonus to your Initiative modifier.

ACCESSORY COST

ARTIFACTS

While rare items allow you to customize your character, artifacts are the objects your entire campaign will revolve around. They don’t just grant you a bonus to Checks, improved damage or a way to ignore status effects: no, artifacts are so powerful that they draw the attention of the major factions in your world.

Artifacts cannot be sold or purchased, except for truly ludicrous prices — and even then, there aren’t many who are willing to part with such powerful objects.

ARTIFACTS IN YOUR GAME

There are no rules for designing an artifact: its fantastic effects should go way beyond those of typical spells and magical items, and are only limited by what you as the Game Master think would be appropriate. Needless to say, you can’t have a new artifact pop up every other session — each story arc should feature one or two at most.

Make sure your artifacts are important elements of the ongoing story at the table, and not just “super powerful magical toys”.

ASTROSCOPE

A large globe filled with stars and swirling clouds.

Anyone who rests their hand atop this powerful artifact and gazes upon the swirling energy within can manipulate the cycle of day and night within a range of 1 travel day; they may also modify weather conditions in the same area (wind, blizzards, snow, clouds, and so on). This functions identically to an Entropism (for day and night) or Elementalism (for weather conditions) Ritual, but this artifact does not consume Mind Points and the user does not need to have mastered any of the magical disciplines in question.

Artifact Descriptions

W ROD OF RISING EARTH

A forearm-sized staff made of brass-like metal.

This powerful artifact comes from an era of lost technology. Its core body is made of a nigh-indestructible and extremely light metal known as orichalcum, encasing a gem formed by crystalized earth spirits. When placed in the center of a structure known as "an orichalcum ring", whose nature and construction is yet unknown, the rod may lift entire landmasses from the ground and cause them to float and move.

SOULREND

The hyper-sharp edge glows with ominous light...

Resembling the lower portion of a shattered greatsword, this artifact is almost useless in an actual fight: its true power lies somewhere else. If the correct sequence of stances and movements are performed, the wielder may isolate a single consciousness present in the stream of souls and sever it from the flow. This is a Ritualism effect of extreme potency, made easier if the soul in question belongs to someone who recently passed, if they were of especially strong character, or if the wielder of Soulrend had a deep personal bond with them.

Depending on the outcome of the Check, the soul might only be temporarily severed or even become unable to return to the spiritual stream, doomed to gradually vanish into oblivion or trapped in eternal torment.

TOME OF THE GATE

A hefty grimoire. Sometimes, the crimson eye on its cover seems to move...

The pages of this ancient-looking book are filled with unreadable gibberish and unsettling pictures, portraying nightmarish creatures in their adoration of the sky.

If bathed in the light of a full moon, the ink begins to glow a reddish hue and rises from the pages, twisting into a network of writhing tendrils that tear at reality. This artifact opens a path to the cosmos, which will close at daybreak.

DESIGNING BATTLES

As the Game Master, your role is to create battles that challenge the Player Characters and enrich the story. The following pages will provide you with a variety of tools and guidelines that will help with the mechanical side — but first, there are a few important points you should try to remember.

• Relevant battles. A battle takes place when two sides are at odds and resort to violence in order to achieve their goals. Battles should be meaningful: they should build upon what previously happened in the story, add new interesting characters or plot elements and move things forward in some important way.
• People, not numbers. Characters are more than their stats. They have emotions, a personality, their own lives and goals — when they fight, they do so for a reason. Even the ones that aren't the focus of your story should be treated as more than disposable, faceless pawns.
• More than the sum of its parts. There are a variety of elements that can alter the threat posed by a situation — the options available to Player Characters, for instance, or the particular synergy between two monsters. Once you add the environment, the whim of the dice and the occasional use of Ritual magic into the mix, you can see that there is no way to foresee the outcome of a battle — and that’s okay. Being the GM has nothing to do with being “in control”, but rather with your ability to react to unexpected situations. Battles are just like that — sometimes, things will get weird, or the heroes will steamroll their foe. Don’t sweat it too much.
• Balance. While the advice in the coming pages is geared towards building a somewhat balanced challenge, remember that there’s nothing wrong with an easy battle every once in a while, or the occasional super-hard boss fight. Just don’t make those the norm, or they'll lose their charm!

More importantly, respect the Players' expectations and what you discussed during session zero (see page 147), and design battles in accordance with what you agreed upon in terms of challenge and complexity.

• Take your time. When the heroes decide to fight an enemy for which you don’t have any combat stats ready, it’s perfectly okay to pause the game and take your time to design those creatures. The rules on page 302 have been designed specifically to make this process as smooth and fast as possible; once you have familiarized yourself with them, creating new adversaries will only take a few minutes.

And there’s always the Bestiary, of course!

HOW MANY BATTLES?

In Fabula Ultima, battles will often take a heavy toll on the characters' resources. On average, a group of Player Characters can face any one of the following before needing to rest or recharge Inventory Points:

• Three easy battles.
• Two normal battles, or one normal battle and one easy battle.
• One hard battle.

See the next page for easy, normal, and hard battles.

PARTY LEVEL AND ENEMY LEVELS

When designing a battle, you should start by considering which Player Characters are present on the scene and calculating their Party Level.

The Party Level is equal to the highest character level among the Player Characters that will take part in the battle. For instance, a group that includes two level 10 PCs and one level 12 PC will have a Party Level of 12.

Enemy Level Guidelines

If an enemy's level is... Then that enemy...

• Lower than the Party Level: Is probably too weak.
• Within 5 levels of the Party Level: Should make for an easy fight.
• Within 10 levels of the Party Level: Should make for a challenging fight.
• Greater than the Party Level by 11+: Is probably too strong.

The creature profiles in the Bestiary (page 319) are organized in five-level increments, which should give a good range of enemies for your battles.

CREATURE RANKS

Adversaries in Fabula Ultima may be soldiers, elites, or champions.

SOLDIERS

A soldier-rank foe is roughly on par with a Player Character of its level. Creatures in the Bestiary are all soldiers — for instance, a level 15 Cactroll (page 348) would approximately be as strong as a level 15 Player Character.

Creatures designed following the rules found on page 302 are also soldiers.

The basic assumption is that, when putting together a battle, you should involve a number of enemy soldiers based on the following guidelines:

Challenge

Number of Soldiers

Easy Battle

Equal to the number of Player Characters minus one.

Normal Battle

Equal to the number of Player Characters.

Hard Battle

Equal to the number of Player Characters plus one.

If the PCs are accompanied by helpful NPCs who get their own full turn during the conflict, each of these allies should be counted as an additional Player Character.

To spice things up, soldiers can be strengthened into elites and champions.

44GAME MASTER

CHAPTER

CREATING AN ELITE

Elite creatures count as two soldiers of the same level.

If you want to turn a soldier into an elite, do the following:

• Hit Points: Double the creature's maximum Hit Points.
• Skills: The creature gains one Skill of your choice. This may be an NPC Skill (see page 306) or a Skill taken from a character Class.
• Turns: During conflict scenes, an elite performs two turns per round.
• Initiative: The creature increases their Initiative score by 2 points.

CREATING A CHAMPION

Champion creatures can replace any number of soldiers of the same level.

If you want to turn a soldier into a champion, do the following:

• Hit Points: Multiply the creature's maximum Hit Points by the number of soldiers they are replacing.
• Mind Points: Double the creature's maximum Mind Points.
• Skills: The creature gains a number of additional Skills of your choice equal to the number of soldiers replaced. These may be NPC Skills (see page 306) or Skills taken from a character Class.
• Turns: During conflict scenes, a champion performs a number of turns per round equal to the number of soldiers they are replacing.
• Initiative: The creature increases their Initiative score by 1 point for every soldier they are replacing.

Remember that while elites and champions can perform more than one turn per round, they must still do so while alternating with the Player Characters — that is, they will not perform back-to-back turns if at least one Player Character has yet to act during the round.

Story Snippet

The Petrified Woods are the Great Behemoth's hunting grounds.

And yet, some who encountered it were strangely spared.

LEVELS AND RANKS

Use levels and ranks as "sliders" to adjust the challenge posed by a battle.

Example: When designing a battle involving three level 10 Player Characters, two level 10 soldiers would make for an extremely easy encounter, while a level 20 champion replacing four soldiers would be feasible but particularly challenging. Anything between those two extremes would be fair game — with a battle against three level 15 soldiers being the most “average” option.

IDEAL LENGTH

In Fabula Ultima, a conflict should ideally last three to four rounds. Keep this in mind when you design your battles.

If you want to think in terms of damage, this means that on average, a successful enemy attack should do damage equal to one third of an average Player Character's Hit Points. Similarly, a PC's average attack should do damage equal to one third of an average soldier-rank enemy's Hit Points.

DAMAGE TYPES

When designing a battle, consider what types of damage the group has access to:

• Combine adversaries with different Vulnerabilities and Resistances.
• Grant powerful adversaries the ability to alter their Vulnerabilities and Resistances.
• If a creature has a Vulnerability that two or more characters in the group can exploit, balance this out by enhancing their Defense, Magic Defense, or Hit Points.
• If a creature has a large amount of Hit Points (as champions often do), give them at least one Vulnerability that the party can use to their advantage.

Make it so that Player Characters cannot simply apply the same highest-damage option over and over during battles — that can get boring fast.

GAME MASTER

CHAPTER INFORMATION AND HINTS

Even if the heroes face a powerful foe, it is incredibly important for the battle to be transparent. It is your job as GM to communicate the following clearly:

• Crisis. Always make sure to tell the Players if an enemy is in Crisis, and give hints if this caused it to gain new abilities or change its damage Affinities.
• Damage Affinities. If a creature takes damage, tell the Players what the corresponding Affinity is — Vulnerable, Resistant, and so on. Inform the Players again if they use the same damage type and the creature's Affinity has changed.
• Changes in attacks and abilities. When a creature uses an ability, if its effects have changed during the scene, make sure the Players know.
• "Charged attacks". If an enemy is about to use a powerful attack — the kind that the Player Characters should Guard against! — you should describe them charging their energy at the start of the round, and only unleash the attack later so that the group can prepare for it.

Always allow the group to make informed tactical choices.

RANDOM TARGETING

This is the default method of choosing targets in Fabula Ultima, and it frees you from the responsibility of picking targets for enemy attacks. Simply assign a number to each member of the Player Character's side, and determine the targets of attacks, spells and Skills by rolling dice.

SWARMS

If the Player Characters find themselves battling a great number of identical creatures and you want them to feel powerful, treat all those creatures as a single swarm.

Examples of swarms may be a horde of drooling zombies, a cloud of deadly insects, or even an entire unit of trained magitech gunners.

If you want to turn a creature into a swarm, just do it — mechanically the creature will be the same, it is simply “described” as a multitude of smaller beings within the narrative of the scene.

OBSTACLES AND GIMMICKS

You may add extra complexity to your battles by including:

• Defenders. Some creatures might completely shield an ally from attacks; characters must either defeat these defenders or find a way to circumvent them (probably through a Clock of some kind, generally eight to ten sections).
• Limited options. Some adversaries might only be susceptible to specific actions until the heroes manage to alter the situation in some way.
• Gimmicks. Some battles might require characters to perform actions in a certain order or use specific damage types to disable their enemies' most powerful attacks. For instance, a golem might be unable to unleash its lightning beam if struck by bolt damage while charging its elemental coils.
• Waves. This is a common situation in video games. Each wave consists of a group of about three to five enemies; defeating one wave causes the following wave to arrive on the scene, turning the battle into a war of attrition. If you want to make things easier for the Player Characters, give them a round to regroup and recover between each of the waves.
• Reinforcements. You might have new enemies join the battle at the end of each round. These enemies should have simple attacks and be relatively easy to defeat. You should establish a limit beyond which no new enemies will be added to the scene until some have been defeated.

Regardless of which options you choose, you should design battles to challenge the heroes' ability to work as a team: don't shut down any of their Skills completely, but rather push them towards experimenting with what their characters can do in ways that are different from the strategies they previously adopted.

OBSTACLES AND GIMMICKS

You may add extra complexity to your battles by including:

• Defenders. Some creatures might completely shield an ally from attacks; characters must either defeat these defenders or find a way to circumvent them (probably through a Clock of some kind, generally eight to ten sections).
• Limited options. Some adversaries might only be susceptible to specific actions until the heroes manage to alter the situation in some way.
• Gimmicks. Some battles might require characters to perform actions in a certain order or use specific damage types to disable their enemies' most powerful attacks. For instance, a golem might be unable to unleash its lightning beam if struck by bolt damage while charging its elemental coils.
• Waves. This is a common situation in video games. Each wave consists of a group of about three to five enemies; defeating one wave causes the following wave to arrive on the scene, turning the battle into a war of attrition. If you want to make things easier for the Player Characters, give them a round to regroup and recover between each of the waves.
• Reinforcements. You might have new enemies join the battle at the end of each round. These enemies should have simple attacks and be relatively easy to defeat. You should establish a limit beyond which no new enemies will be added to the scene until some have been defeated.

Regardless of which options you choose, you should design battles to challenge the heroes' ability to work as a team: don't shut down any of their Skills completely, but rather push them towards experimenting with what their characters can do in ways that are different from the strategies they previously adopted.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS

Any battle can be made more interesting by adding environmental effects. You should try to introduce such features after one or two sessions to grow familiar with the combat rules before experimenting with them!

Here are some examples of environmental effects; the damage they deal should be based on the table on page 93.

ELEMENTAL AURA

This effect grants all creatures a Resistance or Vulnerability to a specific type of damage (such as a cursed cathedral granting everyone Resistance to light damage, or ocean water granting Resistance to fire but Vulnerability to bolt).

RISING DANGER

This effects adds one or more elements of increasing danger to the scene; perhaps the site of the battle is cursed and causes a new penalty at the end of each round (such as MP loss, a status effect, or direct HP loss). This puts a timer on the battle and forces the heroes to take risks in order to defeat the enemy quickly.

TRAPS AND HAZARDS

A natural danger or a mechanical contraption might deal damage to some creatures at the end of each round, or to any character that performs a specific action. Typical examples are poisonous fogs, lightning storms, or magical anomalies.

UNSTABLE AREA

The battlefield might react to specific actions, dealing damage to all participants or to randomly selected characters. For instance, explosive barrels might detonate whenever a fire-based spell is cast or a fire-based attack is performed.

When you introduce an environmental effect, you should allow Player Characters to find ways to disable it or turn its effects against their adversaries. This will normally require filling a Clock through the Objective action.

GAME MASTER GUIDANCE

CHAPTER

MULTIPLE PHASES

You might design a boss fight where the main enemy, once reduced to 0 Hit Points, transforms into a more powerful version that is a completely new creature, with its Hit Points and Mind Points fully restored.

The creature will only be considered "defeated" (and thus choose between escaping and surrendering) once all phases have been reduced to 0 Hit Points.

When you design a battle with multiple phases, the first one should be more of a warm-up (generally a normal or even easy challenge) and the “true” fight should only begin once the villain has transformed. If you want to go for the ultimate challenge, you could build a three-phase battle that goes from easy to normal and then culminates with a hard fight!

If you do this, it can be a good idea to give the heroes a free round of actions to prepare themselves between one phase and the other.

Just be mindful that a multi-phase battle can take a long time — plan accordingly and make sure you have time for it during the session!

ROUTINES

You can give the boss battle a routine: the creatures perform actions in the same order, round after round. This option makes the battle slightly easier to manage as the Game Master, while also making it feel very video game-y.

It's not for everyone, but it can be an interesting solution to experiment with.

BE PREPARED

One final piece of advice: since crafting an interesting and challenging boss fight can take up to half an hour of work, prepare stats for your Villains and potential bosses in advance.

Updating an enemy to match the level of your group is much quicker than having to come up with the whole battle on the spot.

DESIGNING NPCs

While running the game, you will sometimes find yourself in need of an NPC whose statistics aren't already provided by the bestiary. When this happens, you have two possible choices:

• Reskin. The process known as “reskinning” consists of taking an NPC of the appropriate level and simply describing them as something different, with minor modifications. For instance, if you need a dragon for your session but your group is level 9, you could use a drake (which is level 10) and grant it the ability to fly since the rest of the monster's profile is already fitting.
• Create from scratch. The alternative is to build your own NPC. This process normally takes ten to fifteen minutes, and possibly longer at high levels.

Over the course of this section, you will learn how to build a soldier-rank NPC from scratch; please keep in mind that, while this system gives you clear guidelines, the challenge posed by a given NPC will vary greatly depending on the Player Characters' Skills, equipment, and current resources!

Character Concept

Think about the NPC's role in the world and pick four Traits that make them unique: a personality, a need or instinct, or even a specific quirk of their nature. Much like a Player Character's Identity, Theme and Origin, an NPC's Traits help you portray them as a three-dimensional being. Villains may also invoke their Traits to reroll Checks (page 46).

Building the Profile

1. Distribute one of the following arrays among the NPC's Attributes:
   • Jack of All Trades: d8, d8, d8, d8
   • Standard: d10, d8, d8, d6
   • Specialized: d10, d10, d6, d6
   • Super Specialized: d12, d8, d6, d6

   Upon reaching levels 20, 40, and 60, the NPC chooses one of its Attributes and increases it by one die size (to a maximum of d12).

2. Choose the NPC's level: From a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 60.
3. Choose the NPC’s Species: beast, construct, demon, elemental, humanoid, monster, plant, or undead. Each Species has its own rules. You can find more information about Species on the upcoming pages.

NPC Character Sheet Mechanics

Calculate the NPC's Secondary Scores

• Initiative equal to {base Dexterity die size + base Insight die size}, divided by 2. Remember to apply penalties due to armor.
• Maximum HP equal to {twice the NPC's level} + {five times the NPC's base Might die size}.
• Crisis score equal to half the NPC's maximum HP.
• Maximum MP equal to {the NPC's level} + {five times the NPC's base Willpower die size}.
• Defense equal to the NPC's current Dexterity die size.
• Magic Defense equal to the NPC's current Insight die size.

Basic Attacks

The NPC may have any number of basic attacks—these can be melee ($) or ranged (aa). Basic attacks start with the following profile: (Attack Name) {Attribute + Attribute} {HR + 5} (type) damage.

The Accuracy Checks for these attacks may rely on any Attributes you choose, such as {INS + WLP} or {MIG + MIG}, and you are free to choose whatever damage type seems more appropriate.

Basic attacks may also be modified by Skills (see below); if an NPC can equip weapons, these too will count among the creature's basic attacks.

Choosing the NPC’s Skills

Each NPC receives a basic number of free Skills based on their Species (see next page), plus:

• They gain an additional Skill every ten levels.
• They may gain any number of extra Skills by taking an equal number of Vulnerabilities. Vulnerability to physical damage grants two Skills.

Skills may be NPC Skills (page 306) or come from character Classes.

Level Bonuses

NPCs gain a bonus to Accuracy Checks and Magic Checks equal to {their level, divided by ten and rounded down to a minimum of 0}.

Furthermore, all NPCs that are level 20 or higher deal 5 extra damage with their attacks and spells. This bonus increases to 10 extra damage for NPCs level 40 or higher, and 15 extra damage for NPCs of level 60.

NPC SPECIES

An NPC must belong to one of the following eight Species.