It’s the end of an era and your doom is at hand. Your hated foes have infiltrated the city from below; even now set the watchtowers and barracks aflame while the city sleeps. If there is to be any chance, you must run the gauntlet of the streets and ring the alarum bell, rousing the city to battle.
Playing the Game
Saving Throws
If you have a) the right tools b) plenty of time, and c) no distractions, you just do it. Else, roll equal or under the appropriate Ability Score to pass. A 1 is always a pass, 20 is always a fail.
Looking around doesn’t need a saving throw, I’ll honestly describe whatever you can see. You’re welcome to ask follow-up questions; I’ll either tell you, or say what you need to do to find out. (It’s boring if you walk right into an ambush or death-trap without warning, so unless your character is distracted or you decide to just blunder into the darkness, I’ll warn you first.)
Luck Throw
Where a saving throw isn’t appropriate but some kind of roll is, you make a luck roll (1d6). A 1 is a very bad result; a 6 is a very good result; a 4 is somewhere in between.
Attacking
Roll the die noted by your weapon, and cause this much damage to your target. If the target has armour (d), ignore this much damage from the attack. Attacks can be enhanced (2d6 damage) or impaired (d3 damage) depending on the situation.
Damage
Damage comes off your HP score. Excess damage comes off your STR. When you take STR loss, take a STR save or suffer Critical Damage. Critical Damage will, at the least, leave you unconscious and bleeding out. Nastier enemies may kill you outright.
Damaging enemies works the same way as damaging PCs, except critical damage is always fatal.
Spells
Spells (~) are like any other weapon or ability, except they’re temperamental if over-used. Casting the same spell twice or more requires a short rest or a successful WIL check. A failure invites WIL loss, the eye of the gods, or worse.
Ammo
After dealing maximum damage with a ranged weapon, you run out of ammo. Ammo can be found in lock-boxes or similar around the city. When you find one, make a luck roll; a 1 means it’s empty, a 4 means it’s locked, a 6 means it’s unlocked and there’s enough for everyone.
Ability Score Loss
At 0 STR you die. At 0 DEX you’re paralysed. At 0 WIL you go catatonic or crazy, an easy mark for deadly things and dark gods.
Recovery
Taking a short rest (five minutes of peace and quiet) restores lost HP, but no ability scores. Taking a long rest of (a week or more, in safety) restores everything short of missing limbs or PTSD.
Potions
Drinking a healing potion only takes a second and restores your HP. Drinking a potion of Str, Dex or Wil increases the score by 10 (maximum 20) for maybe a minute.
Rolling your character
Choose your kin: longshank, manling, or stoneheart. Roll 3d6 for each of Strength, Dexterity and Willpower. Cross-reference your kin with your highest stat to see your starting equipment.
| d## | Longshanks | Manlings | Stonehearts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-9 | 1hp Arcane blast (d10)~ Sense nearby evil Staff (d6) Fine robes | 4hp Greatsword (d8) Repeater Pistol (d6) Holy book City map Whetstone | 6hp Grudgeraker Shotgun (d8) Brace of Pistols (d8) Fire oil (d6, firey) Can smell ammo |
| 10-11 | 1hp Longbow (d8) Acid arrows Potion of strength Sword (d8) | 4hp Hochland Longrifle (d8) Hatchet (d6) Animal trap Small flute Kindling | 6hp Handgun (d8) Boltcutters Can smell gold Treasure map Bugle |
| 12-13 | 1hp Bow (d6) Ether Dagger (d6) Potion of dexterity | 1hp Halfling Cleaver (d6) Hotpot helmet (d) Shortbow (d6) Bandages Aromatic Spices Dead rabbit Grease | 6hp Crossbow (d8) Bomb (d12) Hatchet (d6) Clockmakers kit Nasty scars |
| 14-15 | 2hp Sword & Dagger (d8) Throwing Knife (d6) Caltrops Immune to poison Missing eye | 4hp Duelling rapier (d6) Brace of Pistols (d8) Badge of office Manacles Small but vicious dog (d6) | 5hp Mattock (d6) Bomb (d12) Hard Hat (d) Lantern Cask of strong ale |
| 16-17 | 2hp Axe (d6) Falcon (d6) Net | 3hp Morningstar (d8) Bell Prophesies of doom | 5hp Hammer (d6) Shield (d) Drakefire pistol (d6, firey) Cigars |
| 18 | 2hp Glaive (d8) Scalemail (d) 20ft rope Ships warrant Untrustworthy | 3hp Fireball (d12, firey)~ Hidden dagger (d4) Heretical tattoo | 5hp Giant axe (d10) Spare axe (d6) Other spare axe (d6) Never quiet Death wish |
Rolling monsters
While everyone’s rolling their characters, agree who or what your hated foe is: cunning rat-things, tentacled monstrosities, the living dead, or something else. Don’t overthink this, keep it to something everyone will get. Whatever you choose, it (and its followers) are flooding from the city sewers to kill the cityfolk while they sleep.
When you (the GM) need a monster on the fly, roll 3d6 for it’s Strength and 2d6 for its HP. Cross reference the strength with hp to see the monster’s tactics and abilities (if any). Equip and describe as you see fit, using what it is as a guide.
| STR/HP | 2 – 6 | 7 – 9 | 10 – 12 |
| 3 – 6 | Overwhelm them (Appears in great numbers) | Drive them apart (Charge amongst them) | Tempt into danger (Lots of loot) |
| 7 – 12 | Steer them into trouble (Blind them) | Make one a target (Curse or confuse one) | Entrap one (Webbing, glue etc.) |
| 13 – 15 | Break them up (Poison the ground) | Summon more (Hornblower, annoyance) | Big and scary (Attacks from any range) |
| 16 – 18 | Rip one to shreds (Pin one to the ground) | Be in the way (Vicious if alarmed) | Hard to kill Immune (to fire, ice, blades, etc.) |