TEXT: Game Master's Guide
   
  
  Game Master's Guide
  Project Lead: 
  Mattias Johnsson Haake
  Writers: 
  Mattias Johnsson Haake 
  Mattias Lilja 
  cover: 
  Martin Grip
  Layout: 
  Mattias Johnsson Haake 
  Christian Granath
  iLLustrations: 
  Martin Grip 
  Gustaf Ekelund
  GraPhic desiGn: 
  Johan Nohr
  transLation: 
  Niklas Lundmark 
  ProofreadinG: 
  Brandon Bowling
  isBn:
  978-91-88805-53-9
  version:
  1.00
  coPyriGht:
  Fria Ligan AB 2019
  Symbaroum is a registered trademark of Fria Ligan AB.
  SYMBAROUM
   
  
  a hearty WeLcome... 
  6
  as this is Written, four years have passed since the 
  roleplaying game Symbaroum was released in Sweden, 
  and since then its world and rules have slowly been 
  developed and refined. The refinement will of course 
  continue for years to come, but with this book we have 
  reached a kind of milestone: together with the Core 
  Rulebook, the Advanced Player’s Guide, and the Symbaroum 
  Monster Codex, the Game Master’s Guide completes the 
  Symbaroum collection of Core Books.
  This Game Master’s Guide evolved based on three 
  main tracks. On the one hand we have listened to 
  you, the players, and tried to serve your needs and 
  answer your questions; on the other we have asked 
  ourselves what we want to develop further when it 
  comes to supporting and inspiring you Game Masters, 
  both in the creation of adventures and in leading 
  the gaming sessions. Our third ambition with this 
  book was to compile and build on some of the essen-
  tial rule elements introduced in various adventure 
  supplements over the years.
  We obviously hope you will like the Game Master’s 
  Guide as much as we do, but also that you will voice 
  your opinions about its content in a way that helps 
  keep the game’s development alive. Symbaroum is still 
  but a youngster – she needs nurturing and care from 
  both us and you to grow big, strong and magnificent!
  Happy Gaming! 
  free LeaGue PuBLishinG
  The first version 
  is complete!
  T H E  A D V E N T U R E
  1 
  BuiLdinG Game WorLds 
  10
  Primary Building Blocks  ........................................11
  Secondary Building Blocks ..................................... 14
  The Process ..............................................................16
  2 
  adventure chronicLes 
  18
  What Characterizes a Chronicle? ........................... 18
  The First Adventure  ................................................19
  The Course of the Chronicle  .................................. 22
  The Climax of the Chronicle ................................... 24
  3 
  adventure LandscaPes 
  25
  Plot .......................................................................... 26
  Location .................................................................. 26
  Non-Player Characters ............................................27
  The Inciting Incident .............................................. 28
  Developments ......................................................... 28
  4 
  trouPe PLay 
  29
  Getting Started with Troupe Play .......................... 29
  Troupe Play in Practice ........................................... 30
  5 
  adventures for heroes 
  31
  Disagreement About the Purpose of the Game .......31
  Imbalanced Player Characters ................................32
  Imbalance Between Characters and Adventure .....33
  Classic Heroes and Their Weaknesses ................... 34
  6 
  under, aBove and Beyond 
  37
  The Underworld .......................................................37
  The Yonderworld .................................................... 41
  The Spirit World...................................................... 45
  7 
  GoaL oriented roLePLayinG 
  47
  Establishing an Outpost ......................................... 47
  Conquest .................................................................49
  Holy Mission ............................................................51
  Monster Hunt ..........................................................55
  Staging an Expedition ............................................ 57
   
  
  T H E  C H A L L E N G E S
  T H E  R E WA R D S
  8 
  advanced traPs 
  62
  Traps as Challenges ................................................ 62
  Traps .......................................................................64
  9 
  Pitched BattLe 
  67
  The Phases of Pitched Battle ................................... 67
  The Player Characters as Commanders ..................71
  10 manaGinG a domain 
  76
  The Domain in Play ................................................. 76
  Example Domains ................................................... 77
  Management and Development .............................. 78
  Mercenaries in the Domain .................................... 81
  11 sociaL chaLLenGes 
  82
  Scheming ................................................................ 82
  Additional Modifications .......................................84
  The people of Ambria and Davokar ........................ 85
  12 exPeditions in davokar 
  87
  Missions  ................................................................. 87
  Movement in Davokar ............................................89
  Planning the Expedition ......................................... 95
  Events  ..................................................................... 97
  The Treasure of the Ruins  ................................... 100
  13 exPLorinG ruins 
  104
  14 ceremonies
  108
  Rules for Ceremonies ............................................ 108
  Mystical Ceremonies  ............................................ 112
  15 LeGendary creatures
  118
  Basic Principles ......................................................118
  Living Legends .......................................................120
  16 enhanced reWards 
  126
  The Relative Value of Rewards ..............................126
  Enriching Optional Rules ......................................128
  Traditional Treasures............................................130
  17 Greater artifacts 
  131
  Creating Greater Artifacts .................................... 131
  Artifacts ................................................................. 132
   
  
  A Hearty 
    Welcome…
  … to the Game master’s Guide. 
  This book is for you who will lead the sessions around the gaming 
  table; you who will portray the game world, provide its inhabitants 
  with voices and personalities, and design or improvise entertaining, 
  thrilling, unforgettable adventures in Ambria, Davokar and beyond.
  WhiLe the third section of the Symbaroum Core 
  Rulebook covers the basics, this book is an attempt to 
  capture the scope, depth and nuance of the rewar-
  ding and sometimes a bit intimidating, or at least 
  overwhelming, role of Game Master. The book is 
  structured into three sections – The Adventure, The 
  Challenges and The Rewards – each focusing on a 
  different aspect of what makes roleplaying games 
  the most enjoyable pastime in the world. All rules 
  and guidelines are meant to inspire rather than 
  to instruct. Nothing is mandatory; it is up to you 
  and your gaming group to decide what to adopt, 
  reject, or use as inspiration in creating your own 
  house rules. Only you know what makes Symbaroum 
  appealing to you.
  After this introduction you will find a section cal-
  led The Adventure, which begins with a chapter on 
  worldbuilding. There we describe our thought and 
  work process when developing the Davokar region, 
  in the hope that it will be useful to you in creating 
  your own adventures, adventure landscapes, or 
  even game worlds.
  Next up are two chapters on designing adven-
  ture chronicles and limited adventure landscapes, 
  with references to previously published Symbaroum 
  supplements. This is followed by two more specialized 
  chapters – one concerning so-called Troupe Play, where 
  each player plays multiple characters over the course 
  of the adventure or chronicle, and one that is more 
  rules related, where we offer some advice on how 
  adventures can be designed to challenge even highly 
  experienced player characters. The sixth chapter 
  of the section deals with the places known as the 
  Underworld, Yonderworld and Spirit World, and how 
  to set some portion of the adventure in these strange 
  environments. The Adventure section concludes with 
  an expanded version of the chapter titled Goal Oriented 
  Roleplaying from Thistle Hold – Wrath of the Warden.
  The Challenges section consists of seven chap-
  ters covering a wide variety of topics. The first one 
  6
   
  
  describes how advanced traps can be used to make 
  the player characters’ adventures more exciting 
  and includes a set of mechanisms that can present 
  them with unexpected problems. The second chapter 
  offers rules and guidelines on how to handle large 
  battles in Symbaroum, while the third describes what 
  challenges might arise if the player characters own or 
  manage their own Domain – for example a stronghold, 
  an estate, an outpost, or perhaps a small town.
  This is followed by three chapters from previous 
  publications, all revised and developed to varying 
  degrees: Social challenges from Karvosti – The Witch 
  Hammer, Expeditions in Davokar from Symbar – Mother 
  of Darkness, and Ceremonial Magic from Yndaros – The 
  Darkest Star with lots of new ceremonies. The section 
  ends with a chapter on designing Legendary creatu-
  res – monstrosities that are technically classified as 
  Legendary resistance.
  The final section of the Game Master’s Guide covers 
  various forms of rewards that the player characters 
  can receive, in the form of items found or payment 
  from quest givers. This naturally includes traditional 
  treasures such as coins and gems, but most of the 
  content concerns other forms of rewards. It could 
  be knowledge, contacts, pacts, (monstrous) traits, 
  properties, or custom-made greater artifacts – things 
  that leave their mark on the player characters while 
  making their life stories more compelling. 
  The final two chapters of the book focus on arti-
  facts and their creation; first a chapter with guidelines 
  on creating greater artifacts and finally a chapter 
  describing no fewer than 27 artifacts, each with a 
  unique adventure set-up.
  We hope this Game Master’s Guide will help make 
  your gaming sessions even more entertaining and 
  memorable. And not only that, we hope that being 
  the Game Master for Symbaroum will feel more 
  inspiring and rewarding, in the planning phase as 
  well as when running adventures with your friends 
  at the gaming table.
  Other Core Books 
  The content of the Game 
  Master’s Guide assumes 
  that the reader has access 
  to the Core Rulebook, and 
  the previously publis-
  hed Monster Codex and 
  Advanced Player’s Guide. 
  Sure, you will have use for 
  this book even without the 
  latter two, but in that case 
  you will have to develop 
  the content with adjust-
  ments and additions of 
  your own making.
  7
   
  
  he mood was tense, the silence deafening. 
  Father Iona’s request to gain entrance into 
  what was obviously the remains of an ancient 
  sun temple had been met with lies about 
  spider symbols and a slumbering darkness. 
  The elves and the Iron Sworn were clearly 
  outnumbered but seemed truthfully ready to 
  die, to fulfill their duty.
  “Duty?” Father Iona hissed without breaking eye contact with his 
  counterpart. “You realize that it is my duty to combat the darkness you 
  speak of, along with all who safeguard the evil, who protect it?”
  The autumn elf returned the hateful gaze with a calm that could 
  be read as both condemning and condescending. “You have heard it 
  before, I think. But for the sake of your young followers’ education: the 
  darkness is already vanquished, by my sisters and brothers; it rests now, 
  in harmless sleep. We are not protecting the dark. We are protecting you. 
  Our world.”
  “Never shall the sleeping sinner awake,” Iona replied with a sneer. 
  “Excuses and lies – if you wanted to destroy evil, there is no better way 
  than to kill it in its sleep, with fire and steel!”
  “What can steel do against darkness? And fire, it may be able to 
  banish, never vanquish. But both will undoubtedly awaken. You should 
  know this.”
  After another moment of breathless silence, Father Iona slowly 
  began shifting a hand towards the hilt of his sword. The Iron Sworn did 
  not move a muscle, though they probably realized that the conversation 
  was over. If they didn’t, our brave leader dispersed all doubts as he 
  drew his sword and lit up like a sun in the shadow of the ruin:
  “For Prios, the One!”
  t
  8
   
  
  T H E  A D V E N T U R E
  S E C T I O N  1 :
  9
   
  
  Building    
  Game Worlds
  there are many different ways to go about creating worlds for 
  roleplaying games, or geographically limited areas within already 
  established worlds. Consequently, this chapter must not be seen 
  as a step-by-step guide, but rather a set of tips and inspirational 
  ideas based on how we who have written Symbaroum usually 
  work. If you take an active and reflective approach to the text, 
  we hope that it will help you hone your skills as a worldbuilder, 
  while at the same time providing insight into how the Symbaroum 
  game world was designed.
  as an initiaL note, we would argue that the 
  construction of a world well-suited for roleplay-
  ing is in many ways similar to the design of the 
  game’s rule system. If the rules set the framework 
  for combat, problem solving and character crea-
  tion, the world becomes a kind of social playing 
  field, with individuals, groups, organizations, and 
  factions, all connected in a structure of conflicts 
  and collaborations, history and future plans, moral 
  principles and practical ideals. Each individual 
  element inevitably interacts with the rest of the 
  system’s components, and every time something 
  new is introduced, that individual, group or phe-
  nomenon must be suited to the system as a whole. 
  This may sound a bit cryptic, but what it means 
  will hopefully become clearer as you keep reading.
  This chapter is divided into three sections – two 
  focusing on what we (for lack of a better term) call 
  building blocks, followed by a discussion on what the 
  creation process itself might be like. The examples 
  and references are mainly to Symbaroum, but we also 
  refer to other roleplaying games we have worked on, 
  as well as to our experiences from other industries, 
  particularly computer games and fiction literature. 
  The Ambrian Sun Church  
  and the Iron Pact 
  represent the extremes 
  in Symbaroum’s main 
  conflict.
  10
   
  
  Primary Building Blocks 
  the division into primary and secondary buil-
  ding blocks has to do with the procedure we try to 
  follow when creating new game worlds. We will 
  come back to the process later in the chapter, but 
  at this point it is worth noting that what we call 
  Theme, Main Conflict, Stories and Tone ought to 
  be discussed and established (even if only in a 
  preliminary fashion) before the building blocks 
  presented in the next section.
  theme
  The theme is what the game is fundamentally 
  about. Symbaroum’s theme could be described as 
  “the struggle between civilization and nature” – it 
  is about (mainly) mankind’s efforts to cultivate, 
  structure and exploit nature, and how nature is 
  affected by and reacts to this. The fact that the 
  game belongs in the fantasy genre allowed us to 
  clarify the theme by giving Symbaroum’s nature 
  an obvious ability to respond to what is done 
  to it – in the form of corruption, blight marks, 
  darkening, etcetera.
  Other games we have developed and worked on 
  have also had a more or less explicit main theme. 
  The game world of Mutant: Heirs of Doom was in 
  many ways about social injustice, while Coriolis: 
  The Third Horizon was characterized by the meet-
  ing of (or struggle between) different cultures. 
  And the reasons we want to keep working this 
  way, are what we see as three important elements 
  of interesting and functional game worlds: the 
  world should be recognizable, consistent and 
  marked by clear conflicts.
  Recognition is important for making us who 
  “inhabit” the game world find it interesting, rel-
  evant, and worth fighting for – whether we are 
  writers, illustrators, Game Masters or players. For 
  us to feel engaged, the game world must touch on 
  subjects, problems and situations we can identify 
  with and even relate to, if only on a symbolic level, 
  perhaps without even being fully aware of the simi-
  larities between the game world and our own. It can 
  be more or less explicit, but if the game is built on a 
  theme which is important to many Game Masters 
  and players, it is more likely that they will find the 
  setting appealing as well.
  That the world should be consistent means that 
  there must be a common thread through the creation 
  1
  B U I L D I N G  G A M E  W O R L D S
  11
   
  
  process, which can later be seen in all aspects of 
  the game, preferably from the Core Rulebook to even 
  the tiniest one-shot adventure. Not only does this 
  give the game a distinctive character compared to 
  other games; it also creates a feeling that people 
  and things are connected. Another benefit is that 
  this thread helps game designers set priorities and 
  boundaries. No matter its geographical size and 
  population, it is impossible to offer a nuanced and 
  varied description of an entire world, and the theme 
  can help you decide what to embrace and what to 
  leave out (at least for the time being).
  Last, but perhaps most important, is what is 
  described in greater detail under the next heading, 
  namely the game world’s conflicts. A well-defined 
  theme will point to one or several clear lines of 
  conflict, which in turn can guide you in developing 
  everything from history to geography, religions 
  and ideologies, nations, factions, and finally, par-
  ticularly important individuals. 
  main confLict
  Conflicts are the backbone of the game world, or 
  perhaps its engine. Or both: its backbone engine.
  Conflicts tell the worldbuilder what factions 
  and groups exist in the world, and what they are 
  negotiating and/or fighting for. In other words: 
  the conflicts precede the creation of ideologies, 
  organizations, and other forms of communities. 
  In Symbaroum the theme is (as already men-
  tioned) the struggle between civilization and 
  nature. In its most basic form, this points to a 
  conflict between those who value civilization 
  over nature, and those who take the opposite view; 
  you know these factions as the Ambrians and the 
  elves of the Iron Pact. The conflict also has room 
  for those who seek balance, believing that both 
  extremes are equally important – in the case of 
  Symbaroum, this is represented by the barbarian 
  clans and particularly the Witches.
  But those wishing to design a world that is 
  nuanced and believable can hardly stop there: there 
  are just as many conflicts within said groups as 
  there are between them. The Iron Pact’s members 
  may all stand for the sanctity of nature, but they 
  can have different ideas about what is and is not 
  included in the concept of “Creation,” and they 
  can have different views on which methods are 
  justified when defending nature. The Ambrians 
  are even more heterogeneous in how they relate 
  to the world around them – from the Sun God 
  worshippers who claim humanity’s purpose is to 
  “cultivate God’s creations” (that is, exploit nature as 
  much as possible), through those who see nature as 
  a gift to be nurtured and managed, to those who for 
  various reasons have joined the Iron Pact’s more 
  uncompromising stance.
  The next section, which is about secondary 
  building blocks, will provide further examples 
  on how the main conflict can be used as a backbone 
  engine while the game world is developed and set 
  in motion, but first we should mention a thing or 
  two about what kind of stories the worldbuilding 
  is meant to facilitate.
  stories
  As a worldbuilder it is important to early on consi-
  der what kind of stories the setting should support. 
  Some games are clearly focused on one type of 
  narrative, while others allow for many different 
  stories. Another difference can be seen between 
  games meant to support stories of a certain format 
  (from one-shot scenarios to epic campaigns) and 
  those that open the way for multiple formats. In 
  both cases, Symbaroum belongs in the latter cate-
  gory – it is designed for different kinds of stories 
  in different formats.
  Sure, in its simplest form, the theme of 
  Symbaroum points to stories about Ambrians vio-
  lating nature and facing resistance from the Iron Pact, 
  Other Conflicts
  Note that the existence 
  of a main conflict 
  does not necessarily 
  exclude other potential 
  lines of conflict. For 
  example, there is of 
  course a struggle for 
  power and influence 
  within all societies and 
  organizations, which 
  is why two groups or 
  individuals who agree on 
  the relationship between 
  civilization and nature 
  can still be at odds with 
  one another, competing 
  for higher positions 
  within their faction.
  12
  Table 1: Examples of Conflicts
  confLict
  descriPtion
  Nature vs Civilization
  Groups/individuals have different views on how civilization should relate to nature.
  Individualism vs Collectivism
  Groups/individuals have different opinions on what should be prioritized – individual rights or the 
  collective good.
  Openness vs Isolationism
  Groups/individuals have different opinions on strangers in general, particularly their ability to 
  contribute to society.
  Tolerance vs Dogmatism
  Groups/individuals have different opinions and/or lifestyles, but also differ in how accepting they 
  are of people not part of one’s own group.
  Progress vs Tradition
  Groups/individuals who think everything is great the way it is (or used to be) are pitted against 
  people who desire change/progress without regard for the past.
   
  
  possibly with the barbarian witches as a mediating/
  complicating factor. But such a plot can be molded 
  into lots of different stories, large and small – a 
  treasure hunt or exploration mission; a whodunit 
  where a representative of one of the drama’s 
  three parties is found murdered; an adventure 
  landscape centered around a logging outpost; a 
  rescue operation or a diplomatic mission aimed at 
  bringing back some captured Ambrians; and so on.
  The stories do not necessarily need to be directly 
  linked to the main conflict. Among already pub-
  lished Symbaroum adventures, The Mark of the Beast 
  and Fever of the Hunt are two examples of stories 
  in which the plots are clearly linked to the game’s 
  theme. In other cases, this link is more implicit, 
  with key characters belonging to factions that were 
  founded based on the conflict between civiliza-
  tion and nature. Two clear examples of this are 
  the adventures included in Adventure Pack 3, The 
  Howling of Damned Gods and What’s Bred in the Bone, 
  both of which are based on situations caused by 
  the schism within the Ambrian Sun Church. The 
  Chronicle of the Throne of Thorns is also primarily 
  about the game world’s factions and the struggle 
  between them, though the game’s theme is the 
  basis on which these factions were created and 
  the episodes are obviously set in a world marked 
  by the game’s central conflict.
  tone
  As a final primary building block, we would like to 
  briefly touch on the game world’s tone or style. With 
  the above points and reasoning in mind, the world 
  of Symbaroum could easily be painted in black and 
  white, perhaps portraying the representatives of 
  civilization as greedy and ruthless, and the defen-
  ders of nature as kind-hearted heroes. Symbaroum 
  can certainly be played that way, but we have opted 
  for a different tone.
  Treasure hunters plundering ruins, explorers 
  investigating old tombs, nobles establishing log-
  ging outposts, or alchemists refining crops are 
  not evil. The individual or group in question may 
  not be strictly speaking good, but in most cases, 
  they at least perceive themselves as righteous, 
  well-meaning folk. However, their actions can 
  certainly have both “good” and “evil” conse-
  quences. A treasure hunt might save the fortune 
  hunter’s village from the brink of starvation, 
  but might also cause outbreaks of corruption 
  or attract a vengeful monster from the forest. 
  Similarly, the alchemist’s refined crops might 
  contribute to better harvests and fuller bellies, 
  at the cost of darkened soil that becomes infertile 
  or even deadly. The game’s stories must take this 
  into account; they must make clear what is at 
  stake and show that the actions of those involved 
  (including the player characters) have both pos-
  itive and negative consequences.
  In addition to the moral gray area that char-
  acterizes the game world as a whole, Symbaroum 
  contains elements that most people would 
  associate with pure evil. We are not referring 
  to cultists, sorcerers, or Dark Lords – whatever 
  we may think of their actions, the vast majority 
  of them would probably claim to be doing what 
  is right, based on their (twisted) world view 
  and the belief that the end justifies the means. 
  No, in Symbaroum, the unquestionable evil is 
  represented by the Abominations – altogether 
  destructive and ruthless creatures who live only 
  to slaughter and devour. On the other hand, one 
  might ask to what extent these creatures are 
  responsible for their bloody deeds. Perhaps the 
  blame should be put on the individuals, groups 
  or factions who (more or less deliberately) woke 
  and provoked them?
  Whatever your answer to this question may 
  be, and no matter how amused you are by such 
  philosophical dilemmas, Symbaroum is meant to 
  facilitate the creation of such thought-provoking 
  problems, though you can of course go with sim-
  pler, more direct stories if that is your preference. 
  To put it another way, Symbaroum is more about 
  the questions than the answers. And above all, 
  we personally think that game worlds where not 
  everything is either black or white are more inter-
  esting and entertaining to visit, at least as players 
  around a gaming table.
   Further Reading
  The method of building 
  social structures based 
  on conflicts/relations 
  rather than objects is 
  based on post-struc-
  turalist theory and 
  method, especially the 
  work of French sociol-
  ogist Pierre Bourdieu. 
  Those who want a fairly 
  accessible introduction 
  to the framework can 
  look up his collection of 
  essays titled Practical 
  Reason – On the Theory 
  of Action.
  Genre
  Some of you may wonder why we have not yet touched on the subject of the 
  game’s, and therefore the world’s, genre. The reason is that we just do not 
  find genres particularly useful when it comes to creating game worlds, at 
  least not initially. Simply put, genre is more about presentation than content; 
  the theme, main conflict, and stories we associate with Symbaroum could 
  easily be clothed in the garments of other genres.
  Now, someone will probably object that genre usually covers more 
  than just the surface, and that is certainly true – science fiction often 
  addresses existential questions, post-apocalypse deals with the matter 
  of human worth, while fantasy is often about the struggle between light 
  and dark, good and evil. But in our opinion, that is not a good reason to 
  let genre guide you in designing a game world – it can provide inspiration 
  and serve as a sounding board, but at a later stage, when creating the 
  secondary building blocks.
  1
  B U I L D I N G  G A M E  W O R L D S
  13
   
  
  Secondary Building Blocks
  so, symBaroum is meant to offer nuanced and varied 
  stories of different formats that address the conflict 
  between civilization and nature. The question is then 
  how the game world should more specifically be 
  designed to achieve this – what is its history, its 
  nature, its cultures and population?
  history
  The history of a world is impossible to grasp. 
  Period! The question of whether an objective 
  historiography can even exist is irrelevant; as 
  no one will ever be able to experience or describe 
  the past in its entirety, we must content ourselves 
  with perspectivist portrayals of limited regions, 
  cultures, eras, and so on. This insight is of course 
  highly relevant in the creation and presentation 
  of game worlds, as the worldbuilder most likely 
  cannot design, let alone describe, the history of 
  her creation in exhaustive detail.
  Here the theme can help you set boundaries 
  for both thought and text. No matter what game 
  world we are working on, we are initially content 
  with setting out some loosely worded milestones, 
  linked to the game’s theme and easy to move 
  around and reshape. In the case of Symbaroum, 
  these milestones were historical examples of 
  civilizations that perished after awaking the 
  retaliating powers of nature; with Coriolis they 
  were periods when various factions/cultures in 
  the three horizons collided, causing a shift in the 
  balance of power.
  Only when we have to put the milestones 
  in writing do the details emerge, even for us. 
  It may become necessary when describing the 
  background of an adventure, or a faction or single 
  non-player character’s motives for acting a certain 
  way. But we still do not try to provide exhaustive 
  accounts, as it is both impossible and demystifying, 
  and often less relevant than subjective impressions 
  – the present is usually shaped by cultural beings’ 
  perception of the past, rather than by objective
  historical facts.
  The section The Return of the Queen on page 16 
  in the Symbaroum Core Rulebook is one example of 
  this: it provides a brief account of the background 
  to one of the game world’s most obvious conflicts 
  between civilization and nature. The text could 
  well be fleshed out with more details, other per-
  spectives, and in-depth discussions; it could grow 
  into a separate book in itself, or even a whole series 
  of hefty tomes. But it already serves its purpose of 
  establishing the game’s theme and main conflict 
  in a clear and concise way.
  nature
  Nature and its properties are essential to all forms of 
  game worlds. What matters most is not what it looks, 
  smells, or sounds like, but what resources it contains 
  and in what concentrations. The history of our own 
  world can (at least from a certain perspective) be 
  understood as a struggle for natural resources – 
  land, mountains, water, and what they provide.
  Again, we would advise the worldbuilder to 
  make decisions about her creation’s nature based 
  on the game’s theme and main conflict. A game like 
  Mutant: Year Zero would not be the same if the 
  world was rich with natural resources and fresh 
  water; Symbaroum would be something completely 
  different without the vast wilds of Davokar and the 
  corruption generated by cultural beings’ violence 
  against nature. Nature is of course particularly 
  important in Symbaroum – the theme requires it 
  to be lush and florid, but also able to “fight for its 
  cause” in various ways, even though the Ironsworn 
  are committed to helping on that front.
  Aside from the theme, the world’s nature should 
  be designed according to the stories that will 
  take place there. If Symbaroum were only meant 
  for treasure hunting and exploring the forests, 
  its world could have focused solely on Davokar 
  and Thistle Hold – without Ambria’s towns and 
  farmlands, the rolling plains of the west, and the 
  wild mountain ranges of the south and east. The 
  fact that the Davokar region is landlocked was 
  also a deliberate decision. Although long distance 
  travel is also possible on land, we hope that this 
  design makes the game world feel more isolated 
  and intimate, with less inflow of people, goods, and 
  news from distant shores. Perhaps it also dampens 
  the player characters’ (and the players’) desire to 
  fantasize about what lies “beyond the sea” or out 
  there on the big blue, so the story can focus on the 
  fates of Ambria and Davokar.
  cuLtures
  By “cultures” we mean realms, clans, and other 
  clearly defined peoples and communities charac-
  terized by shared values and a dominant lifestyle. 
  It has been said before but bears repeating that 
  all such societies are heterogeneous – they con-
  tain lots of deviations and variations in terms 
  of lifestyles, values and norms. Nevertheless, in 
  order to describe a world we must stoop to certain 
  simplifications and generalizations, while being 
  aware that this is the case.
  With the theme and main conflict as a basis, it 
  can be wise to create two cultures that together 
  14
   
  
  describe both extremes of the central conflict. In 
  Symbaroum, these are the Ambrians and the Iron 
  Pact; in Coriolis, the Zenithians and the Firstcome 
  are presented as the two dominant, and quarreling, 
  cultures. In contrast to these factions, both worlds 
  contain groups that, while linked to the main con-
  flict, are more nuanced in their stances – for exam-
  ple the Witches and Reformists in Symbaroum, or 
  The Legion and the Free League in Coriolis.
  Another piece of advice is to create a clear cul-
  tural center for each respective culture, a place 
  where that culture holds a dominant position and 
  where one can (at least sometimes) encounter its 
  leading officials. The Zenithian Hegemony reigns 
  on the planet Kua, where its leader Abarren Quassar 
  can be found. Similarly, the Iron Pact and its Prince 
  are based in the Halls of a Thousand Tears, and 
  the Witches with the Huldra and her helpers on 
  Karvosti. This gives these places a distinct char-
  acter, which is also linked to the game’s theme.
  PoPuLation
  Finally, a few words on the members of the afore-
  mentioned cultures, the game world’s individual 
  inhabitants. Even if they are, formally or infor-
  mally, allied to one or several of the groups, these 
  people can be very different from each other in a 
  number of ways – they can be more or less orthodox, 
  loyal to and invested in the group or faction’s cause. 
  And, of course, things happen in life that have short- 
  or long-term effects on their motivations. A person 
  whose family member becomes seriously ill, who 
  is threatened, blackmailed, indebted, or addicted, 
  can quickly turn from loyalist to traitor. The same 
  thing can happen if they are mistreated by their 
  superiors, or if their side in a vital conflict appears 
  to be losing.
  When creating an individual non-player char-
  acter, we usually consider four main questions: a) 
  what does the individual want to achieve?, b) what 
  resources/means does she have at her disposal?, 
  The game world’s nature 
  is both enchantingly  
  beautiful and terribly 
  dark, and also full of 
  desirable resources.
  1
  B U I L D I N G  G A M E  W O R L D S
  15
   
  
  c) what compromises is she willing to make?, d)
  what risks is she prepared to take? Group affiliation 
  is central to answering these questions, but it is
  far from everything – the faction/culture at large 
  fights for a common cause; the individual fights
  mostly for herself and her loved ones, and if the
  group’s cause becomes a threat to the individual,
  her convictions and loyalties can quickly start
  to fall apart. Note that the same logic (albeit in a
  simpler form) can be applied to the game world’s
  more bestial inhabitants, with the exception of the 
  raging abominations who essentially lack any sense 
  of self-preservation or herd instinct.
  Since Symbaroum is meant to be played as a 
  campaign, over a long period of time, we should 
  also point out how important it is for non-player 
  characters to change. Allowing individuals to 
  develop over time makes the world come alive, 
  which is important enough. It is also a great way 
  to mirror the world’s development in general, to 
  give face and voice to the changed relations within 
  and between the major factions. The Templars 
  seceding from the Curia and establishing the 
  Church of Dead Prios (see Karvosti – The Witch 
  Hammer, page 44) can for example be reflected 
  in a knight choosing to join the vengeful quest of 
  the First Revenger, or leaving the group to join the 
  Black Cloaks or the Reformists instead, or even 
  hanging up her sword once and for all. A group 
  of player characters who encounter the knight 
  in question, before and after the Templars’ break 
  from the Curia, will then gain a clear insight into 
  the overall development of the game world and 
  how it is affecting individual people. 
  The Process
  We readiLy admit that we who work on Symbaroum 
  have never formulated any clear strategy for how to 
  develop new game worlds – perhaps because we have 
  known each other and roleplayed together for more 
  than three decades and thereby developed some 
  form of instinctive work process. Consequently, 
  this section will be something of an afterthought, 
  but we hope the reasoning below will still offer 
  some concrete advice and tips, whether you wish 
  to create your own world or a limited adventure 
  landscape in Ambria or Davokar.
  concePt
  It is not easy to understand or explain where the 
  idea for a game comes from, nor why some ideas 
  take root and others do not. One of our primary 
  starting points is always to create games we would 
  like to play ourselves, which is why we often build 
  on past roleplaying experience we have shared 
  together. Mutant: Heirs of Doom was based on our 
  way of playing previous versions of Mutant, and 
  that was also the case with Symbaroum – we wanted 
  to make a game that focused on our way of playing 
  older versions of the Swedish fantasy RPG Drakar 
  och Demoner (“Dragons and Daemons”).
  But what should the game be about, and what 
  should it look like – in other words: how should 
  we turn the idea into a concept? After many long 
  and sprawling discussions, we devoted a full day 
  to gathering inspiration in the form of images – 
  images that were discussed, discarded, or saved 
  for future reference. During this process, the 
  game’s graphic style started to take form, but not 
  only that; the theme was defined, the main conflict 
  was clarified, different types of stories came up 
  in our conversations, and both the style and the 
  theme suggested what tone we wanted to adopt. The 
  secondary building blocks were addressed as well, 
  and what would eventually become the Ambrians, 
  the Iron Pact, and the barbarian witches started 
  to take form.
  If memory serves, we had probably started 
  writing and painting a bit before then, but the 
  inspiration from that day gave a clear direction to 
  our work. We kept bouncing drafts off each other, 
  discussing and critiquing each other’s work, and 
  our initial ideas changed and developed. But in 
  many ways that day of inspiration marked the birth 
  of Symbaroum – the moment when the presentation 
  started to take form.
  Presentation
  As stated in the preface of the Advanced Player’s 
  Guide, the process of creating a game (or other 
  cultural artifacts) is as painful as it is pleasurable. 
  Every act of creation is as much about chastening as 
  it is about generating – about prioritizing, limiting 
  and choosing what to leave out. Leaving aside the 
  rules for a bit and focusing on the game world, we 
  had to decide how much of its history, culture, 
  geography and population should be described, 
  and what should be given priority. And in this 
  decision-making process, the theme – the conflict 
  between civilization and nature – was an invaluable 
  pillar to lean on.
  For every event, faction, location and individual 
  we asked (more or less consciously) the question: 
  are you necessary in establishing the game’s theme, 
  main conflict, narrative style, and tone? Some ele-
  ments may have gotten off lightly in the elimination 
  Representation
  Regarding the game 
  world’s population, we 
  strongly recommend that 
  the worldbuilder is ever 
  vigilant about differences 
  and power relations 
  from our own world 
  spilling over into his or 
  her creation. A common 
  example has to do with 
  gender power structures, 
  such as those that exist 
  in our own world, slipping 
  into that of the game. 
  The game’s theme may 
  of course justify such a 
  world order, especially 
  if it is specifically about 
  shedding light on pro-
  blems inherent with that 
  kind of power structure 
  (like in the tv-series 
  The Handmaid’s Tale). 
  But we fundamentally 
  believe that game 
  worlds should challenge 
  stereotypes rather than 
  reinforce them – they 
  should feel open and 
  welcoming to as many 
  people as possible!
  16
   
  
  Contrasts
  We humans perceive the 
  world around us in the 
  form of differences. We 
  see items because they 
  stand out from other in-
  distinguishable objects 
  in the environment; we 
  hear a specific sound 
  because it differs from 
  the rest of the sounds-
  cape; the same goes for 
  our other senses – smell, 
  taste and touch. A game 
  world that is completely 
  dark and gloomy risks 
  being perceived as gray; 
  in a world where everyo-
  ne is cruel, no one is in 
  fact cruel – we need light 
  to perceive the dark, 
  happiness to perceive 
  misery, and mercy to 
  perceive cruelty. As far 
  as the presentation is 
  concerned, contrast 
  is the game designer’s 
  best friend. 
  process, because they were particularly close to 
  our hearts. To be fair, one should probably not be 
  completely rigid or unforgiving when picking and 
  choosing; at the end of the day, it is about creating 
  a solid base that we as game designers, as well as 
  future Game Masters, can manage and build on in 
  order to create engaging roleplaying experiences 
  for all involved.
  Before moving on to the issue of management 
  and expansion, we would like to pause for a moment 
  to consider the importance of always thinking in 
  terms of differences – to, in line with the reason-
  ing regarding theme and main conflict, design 
  (and describe) different phenomena in relation 
  to one another. The social playing field consists 
  of contrasts; what may seem like an individual 
  element always gains its characteristics in relation 
  to everything else. This may sound vague, but it 
  simply means that a person who is tall in one social 
  group can be short in another, or that what is a 
  fancy tavern in one town can be a mediocre old 
  kitchen in another.
  In practice, it is of course impossible to 
  describe every detail in relation to “everything 
  else.” It is more about a mindset and approach 
  that can only have a modest impact on the pre-
  sentation. One example of how we try to apply 
  this focus on contrasts in writing is the descrip-
  tions of different people and establishments in 
  the episodes that make up the Chronicle of the 
  Throne of Thorns. When deciding which eating 
  and drinking establishments to describe, we 
  always create four or five that are distinctly 
  different from each other, like on page 16–20 in 
  Yndaros – The Darkest Star. When writing about 
  these places we then try to set them in relation 
  to other, similar establishments, as exemplified 
  by the first sentence in the description of the 
  tavern called The Croft: “If the Town Hall’s Loft 
  and the Davokar Feastery are described as upscale 
  taverns, the Croft must be placed at the other end of 
  the scale.” This hopefully conveys a feeling that 
  people and places are connected, that they are 
  what they are in relation to one another. Such 
  comparative descriptions also add some depth 
  to the world they are in.
  On a related note, we must mention the impor-
  tance of thinking in nuances. Viewed from the 
  outside, the inhabitants of one of Davokar’s troll 
  communities may seem very similar, but if asked 
  about it, one of them could immediately point out 
  a large number of groups whose collective mem-
  berships differ greatly from each other. Take a 
  closer look at one of these groups and the same 
  thing happens again, and so on, down to individual 
  level. And it does not stop there, as the individual’s 
  characteristics (as mentioned earlier) change over 
  time, depending on the environment she is in.
  In addition to making the individuals more 
  interesting and less predictable, such nuances 
  also make the game world as a whole feel more 
  alive, perhaps even more “real.” It becomes a world 
  populated by people rather than stereotypes, 
  with unique and changing locations rather than 
  stage sets. While this may be desirable in itself, 
  it also fits nicely with the tone we think should 
  characterize Symbaroum. 
  manaGement
  The following truth will be repeated many times 
  in this book: the world of Symbaroum does not 
  belong to us, but to you, to everyone! The same is 
  true for other games we have worked on. The great 
  thing about roleplaying games is that, unlike video 
  games, novels, and movies, they are characterized 
  by collective storytelling and creation. The fact that 
  we have designed a world based on certain building 
  blocks does not mean the whole world will collapse 
  just because the blocks in question are replaced, 
  reshaped or rearranged.
  Our ambition is to keep discovering and pre-
  senting the world of Symbaroum little by little, 
  as new adventure modules and supplements are 
  published. We are building one region at a time 
  and developing their secondary building blocks 
  when we get there, tailoring the presentation to 
  the needs of that particular place and its stories. 
  And it is important to achieve variation between 
  the regions, within the framework laid down by 
  the game’s primary building blocks. The theme 
  can be more or less prominent, the power balance 
  between the parties involved in the main conflict 
  can vary, and the environments can be suited for 
  different kinds of stories – urban adventures, forest 
  expeditions, mysteries, action, rescue operations, 
  stories focused on revenge and violent confronta-
  tions... the options are limitless.
  And you are free to do the same. You can even 
  go one step further and create regions that follow 
  an entirely different theme, characterized by a 
  main conflict you personally are passionate about 
  exploring. As soon as our adventure modules and 
  other supplements leave the presses and begin 
  their journey to stores and retailers, they cease to 
  describe our worldbuilding and become toolboxes 
  for you to use in any way you like – some choose 
  to follow our instructions, while others ignore 
  them completely. This is the way it is, and the way 
  it should be. This is what makes roleplaying the 
  greatest leisure activity in the world!
  1
  B U I L D I N G  G A M E  W O R L D S
  17
   
  
  Adventure 
  Chronicles
  a WhoLe Book, if not two, could be written about the creation of adventure 
  chronicles. In this chapter we will nevertheless attempt to summarize what we 
  believe are important lessons we have learned from working on Heirs of Doom, The 
  Throne of Thorns, and to a certain extent Mercy of the Icons for Coriolis. We will 
  also make references to The Copper Crown, as an example of how chronicles do 
  not always have to span hundreds of pages and hundreds of thousands of words.
  What Characterizes a Chronicle?
  none of us are particularly interested in dis-
  cussing semantics, trying to clear up what this 
  or that term “actually” means – it can go on for 
  days without leading to a common understan-
  ding, as the words used in the discussion are 
  themselves subject to interpretation. For this 
  reason we will simply try to explain what we 
  mean by “adventure chronicle.”
  a series of adventures
  A chronicle consists of a series of thematically 
  linked adventures, which all foreshadow the 
  chronicle’s finale. The adventures must be at 
  least three in number, but do not have to be played 
  back-to-back. On the contrary, we recommend that 
  each of the chronicle’s episodes be designed with 
  an open ending that points the way to the next 
  episode, but leaves room for the player characters 
  to pursue other interests in between. Sure, if you 
  create the chronicle for personal use and have the 
  whole thing finished before the game begins, it 
  is perfectly possible to create a more direct link 
  between the episodes. But if your episodes (like 
  ours) are written or published some time apart, 
  it may be wise not to leave the player characters 
  hanging until the next book comes out.
  a narrative structure
  Chronicles follow a structure similar to that 
  of classic adventures (page 191–192 in the Core 
  Rulebook), but on a larger scale. In the build-up 
  to the turning point, the story is largely about 
  18
   
  
  getting to know the chronicle’s cast of characters, 
  understanding their relationships and conflicts, 
  and realizing what is at stake. After the turning 
  point, the player characters know what must be 
  done, and so the journey toward the more or less 
  bombastic conclusion begins, and turns out to be 
  lined with many difficult challenges. For more on 
  this, see The Course of the Chronicle below.
  a fatefuL theme
  On this point there may of course be certain vari-
  ations, but the outcome of a chronicle should have 
  serious consequences for a large number of cultural 
  beings – the stakes are high, in terms of life or death, 
  suffering or relief, starvation or abundance. It could 
  affect the fate of the whole world, or the future of 
  a specific nation, region or people. Whatever the 
  scale, the players should feel that their characters 
  have a considerable responsibility, and that their 
  actions have a real impact on the world/region/
  people’s living conditions.
  a chanGinG WorLd
  During the chronicle, the player characters cannot 
  be everywhere at the same time, but that does not 
  mean the rest of the world is standing still. Think 
  about how different groups are acting, internally 
  and toward each other, and compile a list of 
  important events and changes in the balance of 
  power or the groups’ internal composition. 
  How you later convey this to the players and 
  their characters may vary: some things can be told 
  in an introductory narrative before a game session, 
  other things can be learned from non-player char-
  acters they encounter, and in other cases they may 
  see the effects of what happened directly – streams 
  of refugees, burnt-down villages or thoroughly 
  corrupted woods.
  recurrinG roLes
  Who does not love to hate an archenemy? Who 
  is not happy to be reunited with the person who 
  once saved one’s life or helped solve an impossible 
  problem? Any chronicle of merit needs recurring 
  characters to help tie the episodes together and 
  add depth to the story. 
  Or should we say “recurring individuals”? That 
  these individuals, and their roles in the chronicle, 
  are allowed to change is something we strongly 
  recommend. It could be everything from a cheerful 
  innkeeper whose mind is darkened by a personal 
  tragedy, to a sworn enemy who sees the error of 
  her ways and suddenly offers to join the player 
  characters’ cause. Or vice versa. Few things stir 
  up more emotion than a dear friend and confidant 
  suddenly being revealed as an enemy agent… 
  The First Adventure 
  the first ePisode of the chronicle must introduce 
  the players to the story in a way that makes them 
  hungry for more – more to know, more to do. If 
  you are writing your own chronicle for personal 
  use, you probably know your players well enough 
  to understand what they find entertaining and 
  engaging, and if you are Game Mastering a prede-
  signed adventure series it is important to adjust it 
  with that knowledge in mind.
  estaBLish the PLot
  Besides the fact that the first episode must have 
  a plot that is interesting and engaging in and of 
  itself, it should also establish what the chronicle as 
  a whole is about. It should not reveal exactly how 
  and/or where the climax of the final episode will 
  take place; it is important to maintain the suspense 
  that comes from suspecting but not knowing, to 
  have an idea but not fully understand. A guideline 
  could be that, after completing the first adventure, 
  the players and their characters should have a clear 
  picture of the chronicle’s main conflict and know 
  the story’s most important operators well enough 
  to imagine how the story might end.
  In Wrath of the Warden, the first episode of the 
  Throne of Thorns, we tried to accomplish precisely 
  this. The adventure’s plot is directly linked to 
  the game’s theme: an Ambrian who in search of 
  power uses violence against a nature spirit, which 
  causes the forces of nature to retaliate and rouses 
  the Iron Pact’s agents to action. But in order to 
  identify and neutralize this threat, the player 
  characters must interact with several of the fac-
  tions involved in the chronicle’s main conflict: the 
  struggle for dominance over the Davokar region 
  and its inhabitants.
  This becomes particularly clear when the 
  Queen’s representatives hire the player charac-
  ters to steal a politically sensitive copper plate 
  from the agents of the Sun Church, but it shines 
  through in other places as well – in meetings with 
  victims of Ambria’s conquests (the Beast Clan); in 
  conversations with the living Lightbringer Deseba 
  the Old, which hints at the schism within the 
  Church of Prios; during the visit to the Halls of a 
  Thousand Tears, where the player characters get 
  a glimpse of what dark forces the power struggle 
  might awaken.
   Make the World 
  Your Own
  Before we move on, we 
  would like to reiterate 
  the importance of 
  making the game world 
  your own. Whether 
  you create your own 
  Symbaroum chronicle 
  or use the episodes of 
  the Throne of Thorns or 
  the Copper Crown, you 
  should always assume 
  the right to change, 
  add and remove as 
  you see fit. In the latter 
  case, this could cause 
  information in future 
  episodes of the chroni-
  cle to deviate from how 
  things have developed 
  in your particular 
  game world. But such 
  problems are easily 
  remedied by changing, 
  adding and removing.
  2
  A D V E N T U R E  C H R O N I C L E S
  19
   
  
  antaGonists
  The first adventure should introduce all groups who 
  will come to play important roles in the chronicle. If 
  there are many different factions, some may be less 
  prominent in the story than others, but it should 
  still be possible to encounter all of them, if only 
  in passing. Furthermore, we recommend that the 
  player characters are initially introduced to the 
  groups’ less prominent representatives, but learn 
  the names of their leaders and top agents. Some 
  exceptions can be made, so the players feel early 
  on that their characters have a role to play in the 
  forthcoming struggle.
  It is essential that these encounters give the 
  player characters an idea of what the factions 
  want to achieve, how they relate to each other, 
  and what their internal power balance is like. The 
  information obtained does not have to be true – the 
  minions could lie, express hopes rather than facts, 
  or simply be uninformed about the political game 
  being played above their heads. The important 
  thing is to make it clear that the factions have 
  very different ambitions and that the future might 
  therefore look very different depending on who 
  emerges victorious from the power struggle.
  Wrath of the Warden involves all factions featured 
  in The Throne of Thorns. The Witches can even serve 
  as the player characters’ quest givers, while House 
  Kohinoor, the Priesthood, the Sun Knights, and the 
  Iron Pact appear in different missions. The Sacred of 
  the Old Blood are behind the adventure’s plot, without 
  revealing themselves to the players other than in 
  rumors and speculations, and the Sovereign’s Oath 
  plays an even smaller part – they only appear in the 
  adventure seed The Blood Daughter, and it is up to the 
  Game Master to decide whether the representatives 
  of the Sovereign’s Oath should be introduced to the 
  players before they take center stage in the chroni-
  cle’s second adventure, The Witch Hammer.
  In Wrath of the Warden the player characters are 
  only able to encounter underlings of the factions’ 
  most prominent leaders, with two shining excep-
  tions. When dealing with the Witches they will not 
  meet the Huldra herself, but a pair of her closest 
  advisors, Gadramon and Eferneya. The second 
  exception is Deseba the Old and Father Sarvola – two 
  characters who at the time of the meeting have a 
  toned-down role within the Sun Church, but who 
  will grow in power and esteem over the course of 
  the chronicle.
  And speaking of recurring roles, we have also 
  taken the opportunity to plant a couple of future 
  antagonists in Wrath of the Warden: Kullinan Furia 
  who is the main antagonist in Yndaros – The Darkest 
  Star, and Agramai Kalfas (a.k.a. the Prince) who 
  steps out of the shadows in Symbar – Mother of 
  Darkness. The player characters have a chance to 
  encounter both of them during their adventure 
  in Thistle Hold, and in the former case carry out a 
  mission alongside their future foe. 
  foreshadoW the Grand
  We think it may be unwise to roll out the big 
  guns straight away and let the player characters 
  experience the game world’s grand events and 
  phenomena in the very first adventure. Sure, the 
  beginning should also evoke feelings of wonder and 
  grandeur, but we still recommend holding back a 
  bit – otherwise the epic elements may not affect 
  the players as strongly the second time around.
  Our guiding principle is usually to put the 
  player characters in situations that foreshadow 
  the mysterious and the wondrous. They could hear 
  about it, read eyewitness accounts from the place or 
  from encounters with the person/creature, maybe 
  find maps or mosaics depicting the phenomenon 
  Design Premise 1: Incentives
  When designing adventures and chronicles to be played by others, the 
  challenge is to make them flexible enough to be playable in many different 
  ways – particularly in a game world such as Symbaroum, where it is diffi-
  cult to know in advance what goals and alliances the player characters will 
  have – they may just as well be aligned with the Queen of Ambria as with 
  the Iron Pact. Our solution is to have our adventures provide the gaming 
  group with a number of different incentives/motivations to choose from, 
  but as Game Master with a given group of player characters you are always 
  free to tailor the adventure to their specific goals and ambitions.
  From a Game Master’s perspective it can sometimes, despite our best 
  efforts, be a challenge to provide all characters (and players) with solid 
  incentives for engaging in premade scenarios. Our primary suggestion on 
  this issue is to make the incentives into the concern of the entire gaming 
  group, not only the Game Master.
  Once you have familiarized yourself with the adventure or chronicle, 
  bring up the topic with the players. If the discussion takes place before 
  player characters have been created, the incentives can provide a point of 
  departure in the creation process and be reflected in their goals, individu-
  ally and as a group. And should you already have a party of characters, the 
  respective players will surely have some thoughts on what will motivate 
  them to take on a certain problem or solve a specific mystery.
  Note that the incentives do not always have to be personally and directly 
  grounded; the important thing is that taking part in the adventure moves the 
  character closer to his or her goal. A character whose aim is to seek revenge 
  on a particular faction, family or person, may not be given an opportunity 
  for this in every scenario – instead the adventure may offer information, 
  contacts and other resources that indirectly contribute to the main goal.
  Wyrtha, Wielda 
  and Wratha
  The barbarian legend 
  recounted to the right 
  gives voice to an allegory 
  describing the basic 
  design of the world. As 
  such, it also mirrors the 
  theme and main conflict 
  of the Symbaroum game 
  world – the struggle 
  between civilization  
  and nature.
  20
   
  
  1
  B U I L D I N G  G A M E  W O R L D S
  THUS SPOKE AROALETA
  "… and at the dawn of days was Wyrtha, the power that creates. 
  Where Nothing had reigned supreme, Wyrhta gave life to All;  
  shaped here and there, spawned now and then,  
  formed the one and in chorus the other.  
  And where attraction arose,  
  the wild thrived and multiplied…
  … but out of the untamed Wielda appeared, the power that rules: 
  the power of willful violence, that bends here and there,  
  that curves now and then according to ideals and cravings;  
  that harvests the one and rejects the other.  
  With time, Wielda’s appetite grew,  
  and the birth was inevitable…
  … because violence begets hate begets Wratha, the power that reacts.  
  Born of Wielda’s hunger for Wyrhta’s design, Wratha is everywhere and 
  nowhere, 
   always close where mother meets mother,  
  always mounting in strength with the force of the violence.  
  The arrival of the black fruit is fated,  
  as inescapable as terrible…
  … and it happens, has happened, will happen again,  
  that Wratha grows boundless, furious, blind in her hunger.  
  It happens that the blackness grows flesh and spirit and the sharpest of claws, 
  that the fruit sheds seeds that poison the first,  
  in the aim to suppress the second.  
  Then dies All…”
  21
   
  
  in question, without actually facing it themselves. 
  Presented correctly, this gives the players some-
  thing to look forward to, to long and strive for – or 
  something to fear and try to avoid.
  A large sinkhole opening in central Thistle Hold, 
  with twisted Beast Clan warriors storming up from 
  the deep, may of course be considered a grand event, 
  as could the sight of the Huldra’s closest associates 
  approaching the town on their enormous colossi. 
  Perhaps the visit to the cells underneath Thistle 
  Hold’s sun temple will also fill the player characters 
  with a sense of wonder, but these situations are 
  still relatively modest compared to what happens 
  in later episodes.
  The clearest examples of situations in Wrath 
  of the Warden that foreshadow the grander events 
  are of course the visits to the Halls of a Thousand 
  Tears and the limited part of the Underworld 
  that can be reached through the sinkhole. In the 
  former case, the player characters find a sketch 
  map with cryptic notes, and later get to visit what 
  is best described as the halls’ antechamber. As for 
  the Underworld, they are introduced to its exis-
  tence, its blight, and its nature with both water 
  and vegetation. Naturally, the player characters 
  will have reason to return to both of these places 
  later in the chronicle and experience them in all 
  their splendor.
  The Course of the Chronicle 
  aside from the rising grandeur and deepened 
  understanding that have already been mentioned, 
  there are a number of points we usually bear in mind 
  when it comes to the chronicle’s middle section, 
  whether it consists of one or multiple episodes.
  The first and most important thing is of course 
  to progress toward the chronicle's conclusion, step-
  by-step, as the player characters learn more and 
  more about the main conflict, the parties involved, 
  and what is at stake. Here it may be a good idea to 
  outline a rough course of events at an early stage, 
  laying out when and how the characters can obtain 
  information that allows them to approach the sit-
  uation in a new way, from a different perspective, 
  or that leads to a new place or trail.
  Each such point can mark the end of an adven-
  ture, or (if they are numerous enough) be divided 
  into groups of two or three when creating scenar-
  ios with multiple turning points. In Symbaroum’s 
  great chronicle, the middle adventures’ points 
  are directly related to the Throne of Thorns and its 
  (assumed) location, the ruined city of Symbar. 
  The Witch Hammer ends with the trails leading to 
  the ruins of the city state Lindaros underneath 
  Yndaros; at the end of The Darkest Star, the player 
  characters (and others) obtain directions to 
  Symbar, and so on.
  Aside from all this, we believe that the following 
  is important to keep in mind.
  dynamics
  Some gaming groups may always want lots of 
  action and a fast pace, and others might want 
  every scenario to be a whodunit-style mystery, 
  but we would still suggest that you try to make 
  the story dynamic in several senses. We always 
  opt to alternate fast-paced scenes with periods 
  of rest, discussion, and reflection; action with 
  less stressful problem solving or information 
  gathering; linear stories with open, player- 
  driven landscapes.
  As mentioned earlier, regarding contrasts, 
  there is a significant risk that your gaming sessions 
  will feel like a big gray mass unless the dynamics 
  change from time to time. Perhaps it would be best 
  if all adventures contain a bit of everything, but 
  have a different focus. Mark of the Beast is mostly a 
  linear, slow-burning murder mystery focused on 
  problem solving, but also has elements of action 
  and room for the player characters to take their 
  own initiatives. Tomb of Dying Dreams can be 
  described as its opposite: an adventure landscape 
  with lots of potential for action and combat, but 
  with possibilities to slow down during negotiations 
  and investigations.
  Also remember to leave some room for recovery 
  between adventures, so both the players and their 
  characters get a chance to reflect on and learn from 
  what has happened. This adds further weight to 
  our suggestion that the player characters should 
  not be forced to go directly from one adventure to 
  the next. Sure, so called “cliffhangers” have their 
  dramatic uses, but are perhaps best employed 
  within the framework of an adventure, between 
  one encounter and another. 
  thematic variation
  Another good technique for designers is to 
  strive for variation with regard to antagonists 
  and theme. Try to find different angles on the 
  chronicle’s main conflict, where each of the game 
  world’s factions have a more or less prominent 
  role. This gives the player characters a chance 
  to learn more about the parties involved – their 
  resources, methods, willingness to compromise, 
  etcetera – but also means that, because of the 
  The Throne of Thorns 
  – Campaign Overview
  Those who want to 
  know more about the 
  Chronicle of the Throne 
  of Thorns can download 
  the eBook The Throne 
  of Thorns – Campaign 
  Overview free of charge 
  from the Symbaroum 
  page on the Free League 
  website [www.freelea-
  guepublishing.com].
  The Chronicle’s Title
  The chronicle’s title is 
  important when it comes 
  to foreshadowing its 
  main plot. With the title 
  “The Throne of Thorns” 
  we wanted to signal that 
  the adventure chronicle 
  is about a power 
  struggle, for which we 
  laid the groundwork all 
  the way back in the Core 
  Rulebook, where the 
  legendary high seat is 
  presented as a symbol 
  of power and influence 
  over the region and 
  its people. Hopefully, 
  this will help direct and 
  fuel the players’ ideas 
  about what is to come.
  22
   
  
  differences inherent to each faction, they will 
  probably have to learn how to handle different 
  types of tactical challenges.
  In the Throne of Thorns we have mainly tried to 
  give all factions their share of the spotlight within 
  the framework of the chronicle’s episodes, but also 
  left things relatively open in terms of who could be 
  standing in the player characters’ way. The reason 
  for this is, again, that we cannot assume that the 
  characters will have certain friends and enemies, 
  or that their alliances will stay the same throughout 
  the chronicle.
  For example, in Karvosti – The Witch Hammer it 
  is up to the Game Master to decide (randomly or 
  strategically) which factions appear in the various 
  adventure landscapes, while Symbar – Mother of 
  Darkness leaves it to the players to form alliances 
  or try to make it on their own. In cases where the 
  adventure involves a clearly defined enemy, the 
  Throne of Thorns introduces people that are indepen-
  dent from the factions, such as Erlaber Ambreagos 
  in Wrath of the Warden and Kullinan Furia in The 
  Darkest Star.
  turninG Point
  For chronicles spanning more than three normal- 
  length adventures we recommend that the story 
  reaches at least one crescendo (or climax) on the 
  way to the conclusion – an epic turning point when 
  the player characters think they have achieved 
  an important objective, only to realize that their 
  problems are far from over; a great victory or ter-
  rible defeat that only turns out to give them a new 
  chance to prove their mettle.
  The Throne of Thorns’ turning point occurs in its 
  fourth episode, when the player characters finally 
  reach the legendary city of Symbar. What they learn 
  in the ruined capital of the fallen empire is probably 
  best not to reveal in this book, but it is safe to say 
  that the story does not end there. 
  The trail leads back to Lindaros and onward 
  to the former nemesis of Ambria: the Dark Lord’s 
  native land of Lyastra – there are still many adven-
  tures to be had!
  WorLd deveLoPments
  One thing you must never forget over the course 
  of the chronicle is what happens in various parts 
  of the game world while the player characters 
  are absent. The events that occur during their 
  adventures will likely cause ripples, at least in 
  places where the factions have some degree of 
  influence. Furthermore, it is likely that rumors 
  and news will reach common folk in villages, sett-
  lements and outposts. If a faction should suffer 
  a crushing defeat or achieve a glorious triumph, 
  the news would undoubtedly spread to many 
  parts of the world, and if the player characters 
  had a hand in what happened, they might very 
  well gain a reputation.
  Our suggestion, whether you are game master-
  ing The Throne of Thorns or some other campaign, is 
  that after every major world event you take some 
  time to consider what short- and long-term conse-
  quences it will have. Perhaps a leading figure is fired 
  from her position; perhaps that person decides to 
  take revenge on those responsible? Perhaps there 
  is a shift in a specific faction’s internal relations, 
  so the success/defeat in question leaves it more 
  divided or united than before? And how will the 
  general public react to what is happening? Under 
  the right circumstances even losers can become 
  winners, if the defeat results in greater support 
  from the public.
  These considerations should include the 
  player characters and their part in the drama. 
  On page 108 in the Advanced Player’s Guide there 
  is a section specifically about reputation, which 
  can offer some guidance in this regard. But even 
  for gaming groups who would rather not immerse 
  themselves in the social game, it can be good for 
  the characters’ actions to have consequences – 
  perhaps something as simple as being banned from 
  an inn because they oppose a faction represented 
  by the innkeeper, or being offered a discount if the 
  opposite is the case.
  On Downtime
  When designing (or leading) an adventure chronicle, it is always 
  important to leave room for so called downtime, that is, time for the 
  characters to engage in other activities besides adventuring. This 
  gives the players a chance to develop their characters, rules-wise and 
  in other respects.
  Concerning the rules, there are for starters some abilities that are 
  meant to be used during downtime, in the form of Alchemy, Blacksmith 
  and Artifact Crafting. Moreover, it is not until the character has time to 
  relax (during or between adventures) that accumulated Experience can 
  be exchanged for new (or higher levels in) abilities, powers and boons – 
  something which in all likelihood requires time spent with a teacher or in a 
  dusty old archive. It is also possible for a player character to be employed 
  by a person or organization, own an establishment of their own (see the 
  boon Enterprise on page 53 in the Advanced Player’s Guide) or have a 
  family that require attention and effort. And within this book, you will find 
  guidelines on the management of a Domain (page 76), which can turn into 
  a very time-consuming business.
  2
  A D V E N T U R E  C H R O N I C L E S
  23
   
  
  The Climax of the Chronicle
  hoW do you give your adventure chronicle a worthy 
  climax? There are probably as many answers to that 
  question as there are gaming groups in the world, 
  or close to it.
  When discussing this, we are often in complete 
  agreement about certain things. The first and 
  most important is that the player characters 
  should bear significant responsibility for, and 
  influence over, the outcome – they should be the 
  ones who decide how the whole thing ends, or at 
  least have a real chance of steering the outcome in 
  a desirable direction. Secondly, no one questions 
  how important it is for the climax to take place 
  in a marvelous place and involve opponents and 
  potential allies who are a) powerful in every 
  sense of the word, and b) well known to the 
  player characters, ideally sharing a more or less 
  checkered past.
  Additionally, we would like to give you the 
  following pieces of advice.
  keeP it simPLe
  You would do best to make sure that the social 
  playing field is not too complicated in the run-up 
  to the final confrontation. The chronicle can fea-
  ture a large number of groups, many of which 
  want roughly the same thing but serve different 
  leaders, with different methods and resources. 
  But more and more of these should drop away the 
  closer you get to the ending – they could simply be 
  wiped out, band together, or decide to put their 
  ambitions on hold. 
  This has the benefit of making the main conflict 
  particularly clear; suddenly the battle is between 
  two or three combatants with clear and distinct 
  goals. The player characters could be one of these 
  or act as a wild card, with the power to tip the 
  scales one way or the other (or in a different 
  direction altogether).
  In the Chronicle of the Throne of Thorns, the 
  Game Master will be given influence over which 
  groups will participate in the ultimate struggle 
  for power over the Davokar region, and the player 
  characters’ actions will likely have a certain 
  impact as well. But no matter which factions are 
  left standing to take part in the final showdown, 
  each of them should represent a different side of the 
  main conflict: one fighting for civilization’s right 
  to dominate nature, one striving to liberate nature 
  from the yoke of civilization, and one who believes 
  that a balance can be struck and maintained – three 
  mutually exclusive positions that leave no room 
  for compromise!
  ePic scenery
  Perhaps it goes without saying, but it is too impor-
  tant not to highlight: the chronicle’s conclusion 
  deserves an epic scene, or maybe a whole series 
  of them. 
  We are not saying they have to be a certain 
  way, but that the setting should be significant – it 
  should symbolize the main conflict of the chro-
  nicle, be historically linked to the conflict, and 
  feel impressive. The latter is of course a matter of 
  taste, but you have to admit that The Lord of the 
  Rings’ climax would not be the same if the Ring 
  of Power had been forged in a small smithy in the 
  idyllic countryside of the Shire.
  At the time of writing, it is not entirely clear 
  where The Throne of Thorns will reach its epic finale. 
  We have a fairly good idea, but want to keep it to 
  ourselves for now. Unfortunately, the same applies 
  to the Coriolis campaign, Mercy of the Icons. So 
  unless you are versed in Swedish and have read 
  about the final battle of the Mutant: Heirs of Doom 
  campaign, set on the roof terrace of the Dawn Palace 
  in Hindenburg, we are unable to point you towards 
  a specific example.
  consideraBLe risk
  The chronicle’s climax should involve a life-or-
  death struggle where both outcomes are just as 
  likely, or where the risk of dying is even greater 
  than the chance of survival. There are two points 
  to this – first, few things will ruin the experience 
  and memory of a chronicle more than a final battle 
  that is too easy to win; second, the players will feel 
  a greater sense of triumph if they succeed in the 
  face of tremendous adversity.
  The latter is not only a matter of providing 
  the opponents with high stats and powerful arti-
  facts. Rather, it is about staging a series of simple, 
  strategic challenges combined with appropriate 
  resistance. It is a difficult balancing act – too easy 
  and there is a considerable risk of an anticlimax 
  (as above); too complicated, and immersion may 
  be broken by prolonged discussions about tactics 
  and how to interpret the rules.
  This all takes a great deal of mental effort, 
  but also a good understanding of the players and 
  their specific characters – what abilities, items and 
  stats they have; which tactics they normally use. 
  It is therefore hard to offer blanket advice on this 
  matter, other than by referring to the guidelines 
  for Balanced Combat Resistance on page 178 in the 
  Symbaroum Monster Codex and the Adventures for 
  Heroes section in this book (page 31).
  24
   
  
  Adventure 
   Landscapes
  in the Game Master’s section of the Core Rulebook, we describe two ways 
  of designing adventures for Symbaroum: Classic Adventure and Adventure 
  Landscape. In hindsight we feel that the introduction to classic adventures 
  should suffice in its present form, but there is more that can be said about 
  adventure landscapes. Hopefully, this chapter will also offer further examples 
  of how the game world’s building blocks (from Chapter 1) can be helpful in 
  creating captivating adventures.
  this chaPter can be described as a kind of temp-
  late for designing and writing adventure lands-
  capes. According to the template, the landscape 
  consists of an overview (referred to below as Plot) 
  that broadly introduces the adventure, followed by 
  a setting (Location), a few individuals with their 
  own personal ambitions (Non-Player Characters), 
  and a dramatic event (Inciting Incident) that sets 
  the plot in motion. After that it is up to the players 
  to act based on their characters’ goals and values.
  As support for future gaming, we would also urge 
  the Game Master to outline a number of ideas for 
  what happens after the adventure (Developments), 
  but whether this is necessary or even desirable is for 
  the Game Master to decide – some probably prefer 
  to let go of the reigns once the basic framework has 
  been introduced to the players. The same goes for 
  the recommendation to add “that little extra” in the 
  form of a new rule, artifact, ritual, elixir, etcetera; 
  something unique for the player characters to take 
  with them from the adventure.
  Before addressing the design components, 
  we should mention that adventure landscapes 
  in general (and this template in particular) can 
  be particularly suitable for one-shot adventures, 
  which is why we have chosen the scenario Blight 
  Night as a recurring example. However, this is a 
  guideline worth challenging or at least discussing, 
  as adventure landscapes may just as well function 
  as parts in huge chronicles – as, for instance, the 
  vast adventure landscape opening up to the player 
  characters in Symbar – Mother of Darkness. 
  3
  A D V E N T U R E  L A N D S C A P E S
  25
   
  
  Plot
  the first question is of course what the lands-
  cape should be about. Should it be directly linked 
  to Symbaroum’s theme, perhaps involving a ruin 
  abundant with treasures and darkness, under 
  the protection of the Iron Pact – a ruin the player 
  characters can seek out as treasure hunters or to 
  stop another expedition from awakening its dark-
  ness? Perhaps a more indirect link is preferable, 
  for example a village or outpost terrorized by an 
  elusive predator that has been attracted to the place 
  by returning fortune hunters?
  Either way, we recommend that you write a 
  broad overview of the adventure – its conflict and 
  involved parties. Also, make a few notes about how 
  the player characters could become involved and 
  engaged in the scenario. Perhaps a friend or relative 
  is in urgent need of their help; perhaps they are 
  formally hired by someone to investigate the place; 
  or maybe they end up there by coincidence and are 
  drawn into the plot more or less against their will.
  examPLe: BLiGht niGht
  The plot of the adventure Blight Night is indirectly 
  linked to the struggle between Civilization and 
  Nature. It is about a person (the robber baron 
  Nightblade) who has plunderd ruins in Davokar and 
  become increasingly tainted by corruption, so much 
  so that she is close to turning into a howling abomi-
  nation: her blood red eyes already glow unnaturally 
  in the dark, and she is constantly surrounded by a 
  stench of brimstone and doom. In her desperation, 
  Nightblade hopes to find some Water of the Dusk 
  (see the Core Rulebook, page 186) to cleanse her body 
  of corruption, and she is prepared to go very far to 
  reach her goal!
  The player characters are drawn into the story 
  when they happen to come between the blight-
  stricken knight and the Water of the Dusk – they 
  must decide whether to stand and fight or to flee 
  and thereby leave a large number of innocent people 
  to a slow and painful death.
  Location
  an adventure LandscaPe takes place in a 
  single location. It can span a whole town, like 
  in The Bell Tolls for Kastor; it can be a limited 
  forest area, like in Tomb of Dying Dreams; but it 
  can just as well be a solitary castle or a cluster 
  of palisaded buildings, like Jakad’s Heart in our 
  example adventure (see below).
  Besides being a suitable setting for the story 
  that will unfold there, the location should also be 
  given unique features in terms of structure and 
  history – things that makes it a more interesting and 
  memorable place. Perhaps it was the scene of a great 
  battle, or the place where the battle was planned, 
  and maybe there are still items around (authentic 
  or counterfeit) to prove it? Perhaps legends say the 
  landscape was an important outpost, market or 
  meeting place hundreds of years ago, with remnants 
  (real or otherwise) that give life and nourishment 
  to the stories?
  Although the location should almost be a 
  character in itself, its features do not necessarily 
  have to be linked to the theme/plot. Adventure 
  landscapes work best when they are relatively 
  simple in design, and if the plot is becoming too 
  complicated, the Game Master should consider 
  leaving the location’s features and history as an 
  atmospheric backdrop.
  Finally: it might go without saying, but just to 
  be on the safe side we will take the risk of stating 
  the obvious – the designer should draw a map of 
  the landscape; maybe even multiple ones, if the 
  area is vast and contains elements such as ruins or 
  buildings that need to be mapped in detail.
  examPLe: BLiGht niGht
  The adventure Blight Night takes place at the palisa-
  ded inn called Jakad’s Heart, and consists of three 
  buildings, a pond and a garden. The choice of loca-
  tion was based on a desire for the player characters 
  to be drawn into the plot by accident, and then find 
  it difficult to escape as the robber baron and her 
  minions come to claim the Water of the Dusk.
  What makes this setting unique is a legend 
  directly related to the adventure’s plot – the legend 
  Secondary Themes
  Adventure designers seeking to add further depth to their creation may 
  well incorporate a secondary theme into the plot. It could be jealousy, 
  greed, oppression, or other forces that players can easily recognize and 
  relate to. Or why not positive phenomena such as love, generosity, and 
  justice, in contrast to the game’s fateful main theme?
  The secondary theme may connect to the primary one, like in the 
  case of Gorak and Alahara in Mark of the Beast, or serve to spice up the 
  adventure by making the place or some of the non-player characters 
  more interesting.
  Blight Night
  The adventure Blight 
  Night is included in the 
  booklet Adventure Pack 
  1, which accompanied 
  one of the earlier 
  versions of the Game 
  Master’s Screen and 
  can still be purchased as 
  an eBook from (among 
  others) DriveThruRPG. 
  The scenario itself can 
  also be downloaded for 
  free, as it is included as 
  an example adventure 
  in Symbaroum – Quick 
  Start, available as a 
  PDF at the Free League 
  webstore [frialigan.
  se/en/store].
  26
   
  
  of the Black Cloak Jakad who was lured to the place 
  by visions and inner voices, and on arriving found 
  a natural spring of holy Water of the Dusk. The 
  spring is still there, in the form of a stone-lined 
  pond that has made the inn a famous pilgrimage 
  site for the Sun God’s followers. 
  Non-Player Characters
  the Way We see it, the adventure landscape’s 
  cast of non-player characters can be divided into 
  three categories: lifegivers, potential allies and 
  adversaries. But before creating any characters 
  we would first suggest that the designer return to 
  the four questions mentioned under Population in 
  the chapter titled Building Game Worlds (page 10).
  As for the categories, the adversary is usually 
  the most important, followed by potential allies 
  and, finally, lifegivers. In a world like Symbaroum, 
  where the game designer rarely knows in advance 
  which side the player characters will be on, one 
  must often create two (if not more) mutually hostile 
  groups who are presented to the players as potential 
  allies or adversaries – which group becomes what 
  is ultimately decided by the player characters’ 
  choices. But in their purest form, the categories 
  can be defined as follows:
  Adversaries are characters who in all likelihood 
  will end up in conflict with the player characters. 
  The most interesting adversaries have motives 
  they themselves consider rational and that the 
  players/player characters can understand, even 
  if their methods are reprehensible. Like the 
  location, they should be given specific features 
  that make them memorable, particularly if the 
  designer plans on having the same enemy appear 
  in future adventures.
  Potential allies are people or creatures who 
  may be persuaded to help out if the player char-
  acters share their goals. The difference between a 
  Potential Ally and a Lifegiver is that the former has 
  some sort of ability, knowledge or resource of value 
  to the player characters. Successfully persuading 
  such individuals should make a difference; it might 
  enable new approaches to a problem, or simply tilt 
  the odds in the player characters’ favor.
  Lifegivers are characters who, simply put, give life 
  to the setting, and who give the players a connection 
  to the place in question; people to care about, who will 
  The Inciting Incident: 
  the event that stirs the 
  conflict and agents into 
  motion, forcing the PCs 
  to act.
  3
  A D V E N T U R E  L A N D S C A P E S
  27
   
  
  probably suffer unless the player characters handle 
  the situation. Lifegivers can be described very briefly 
  and normally require no stats or abilities.
  examPLe: BLiGht niGht
  Blight Night is a simple landscape with a clear con-
  flict and an equally clear-cut antagonist in the form 
  of the blight-stricken robber baron Nightblade – she 
  is close to being thoroughly corrupted, and her 
  desperate wish to avoid this fate is what drives 
  her to violence. She is not a likable person, and her 
  methods are bloody, but most players can probably 
  sympathize (to some extent) with her goal – to avoid 
  the cruel fate of blight birth.
  The house-ogre Mangold is a potential ally, 
  but mostly interested in protecting the innkeeper 
  Koldra and her family, rather than participating in 
  attacks on the enemy – unless the player charac-
  ters put forward convincing arguments! Another 
  potential ally is the rebellious goblin Shuggludd, 
  who wants nothing more than to free his people 
  from the drug addiction that is causing them to 
  follow Nightblade.
  Most of the other non-player characters are 
  lifegivers. Innkeeper Koldra and her family 
  are only mentioned in passing, and their sole 
  function is as victims if the player characters 
  should fail to repel the attack. The drunken min-
  strel Blackhawk is primarily a lifegiver as well, 
  although he also serves to provide information 
  about the legendary Water of the Dusk. Otherwise 
  he is of little use to anyone.
  The Inciting Incident
  no matter the landscape’s design, and no matter 
  how the player characters end up there, it can be a 
  good idea to come up with a clear inciting incident 
  that sets the plot in motion, introduces the conflict, 
  and forces everyone involved to take action. In Fever 
  of the Hunt, which is included in Adventure Pack 2, 
  this incident is the murder of Handelo; in Lord of 
  the Bog (from the Adventure Locations PDF) it is 
  the awakening of Skaramagos. The inciting incident 
  can occur shortly after the player characters’ arri-
  val to the landscape, or later on when the conflict 
  has become clear and any alliances have already 
  been formed.
  Although the plot of an adventure landscape is 
  largely shaped by the player characters’ actions, the 
  inciting incident is an event that cannot be avoided 
  and inevitably forces a reaction. It is what brings 
  the conflict to a head. When used correctly, it means 
  the players and their characters are confronted 
  with a situation with at least two options to choose 
  from – taking sides in the conflict, getting involved 
  or trying to stay out of it, attacking or focusing on 
  defense, and so on.
  examPLe: BLiGht niGht
  An arrow hitting the shutters of the inn, followed 
  by a hysterically ringing alarm bell, marks the 
  beginning of Blight Night. The player characters find 
  the palisade surrounded by frenzied goblins on the 
  warpath. A bit further away, in the field south of 
  the inn, a larger group of goblins are performing 
  a rousing war dance; in the middle of them rises 
  a single robed figure (Nightblade) who directs the 
  goblins toward the inn with her black sword raised 
  to the night sky.
  The player characters are faced with a difficult 
  choice: to stay and organize the resistance or try to 
  run away. Either way, the event forces them to act.
  Developments
  cominG uP With and writing down possible 
  developments is not strictly speaking necessary, 
  but it is often wise to consider what might happen 
  once the adventure landscape’s conflict has been 
  resolved. This is mostly about making educated 
  guesses, based on the conflict’s background and 
  the parties involved. If the landscape is designed 
  for a specific group of players/player characters, 
  the designer’s knowledge about these people should 
  of course be taken into account as well.
  Developments can pick up where the main conflict 
  left off – the enemy could turn out to have employers 
  or allies who do not want the player characters to 
  get away, or who want to see their lackey’s mission 
  completed. Other options are to build on some poten-
  tial ally who has other problems to deal with, or turns 
  out to have been lying about his/her intentions. 
  examPLe: BLiGht niGht
  Blight Night provides a couple of suggested develop-
  ments centered around the goblin tribe Varraguldru 
  whose members have been enslaved by Nightblade 
  and her alchemist Ashfaru. 
  One of these developments involves a way for 
  the player characters to fend off the goblins’ attack 
  – if they can be freed from their extensive drug
  addiction, Nightblade will lose her robber band
  and be easier to defeat.
  That Little Extra
  It does not hurt if the 
  adventure landscape 
  adds something extra. It 
  could be a new artifact, 
  ritual, rule, etcetera – 
  something that makes 
  the adventure more 
  memorable, not least 
  by being recalled every 
  time the new item 
  or rule is used. More 
  traditional rewards such 
  as gold coins or other 
  valuables are also an 
  option, but they rarely 
  contribute much to 
  the feeling of a living 
  and engaging game 
  world. In Blight Night, 
  that little extra consists 
  of three artifacts and 
  as many new elixirs.
  28
   
  
  Troupe Play
  an aLternative to traditional play where each player controls a single character 
  is that the players take on multiple characters, often connected by a common 
  place, organization or theme. This way of playing is known as “troupe play.”
  trouPe PLay aLLoWs you to play on multiple 
  levels at the same time. For example, the schemes 
  of princes (a set of influential player characters) 
  can be alternated with direct actions (a physically 
  capable but less socially distinguished group of 
  player characters), perhaps rounded off with a 
  group of young servants taking their first faltering 
  steps into the world as adventurers. Every player 
  inhabits one character from each of these groups, 
  switching between roles as they go from palace 
  intrigues in Yndaros to dirty work in Davokar or 
  local adventures in their home village.
  The advantage of troupe play is that it allows 
  for a great deal of variation, in terms of both social 
  standing and adventure locations, while still being 
  thematically coherent. The variation lets the 
  players experience many characters, places and 
  adventures that are all connected by a larger story. 
  The theme is also a strong reason for the player 
  characters to be working together – regardless of 
  position, they all have something to gain from the 
  group’s collective success, and much to lose from 
  their failure. Because Experience is granted to all 
  player characters that are part of the same troupe 
  (see the text box Experience in Troupe Play), the fact 
  that you may not get to play your favorite character 
  in a certain scenario does not adversely affect his 
  or her progression.
  Troupe play is often played in a certain location 
  (a principality, a witch circle, a temple, or one of 
  Ordo Magica’s chapter towers), but it is also possible 
  to play a mobile unit – a company of sellswords, a 
  merchant caravan, or why not members of a large 
  expedition into the depths of Davokar? Troupe play 
  can even let you play a whole clan or an entire nation 
  and experience its eventual fate.
  Getting Started with Troupe Play
  the foundation of troupe play is a discussion 
  within the gaming group; it is such a different form 
  of gaming that it requires enthusiasm, or at least 
  consent, from all participants. Since it is not a stan-
  dard part of roleplaying games, the game form must 
  also be explained so that everyone is on the same page. 
  For troupe play to work, each player must have 
  characters in all groups, meaning that all players 
  must buy into the idea of inhabiting multiple char-
  acters rather than just one. One way of presenting 
  this is to view the game as a TV series: it involves 
  lots of characters, organized into several groups, 
  instead of a few people in a single group.
  When everyone agrees that troupe play is appro-
  priate, it is time to let the game begin.
  from the Ground uP 
  If you decide to begin a game of troupe play, the players 
  create multiple characters right from the start. An 
  option is to first create one group and play a session 
  with it, and then create another group. However, there 
  are advantages to creating all groups before the first 
  Playing in 
  Different Eras
  An attractive version 
  of troupe play (at least 
  to us) is to play two or 
  three gaming groups 
  in the same location, 
  but during different 
  times in history. This 
  becomes particularly 
  exciting if set in a region 
  where many dramatic 
  and tumultuous events 
  have taken place 
  over the decades, 
  or even centuries.
  4
  T R O U P E  P L A Y
  29
   
  
  Table 2: Setups for Troupe Play
  Location
  trouPe 1
  trouPe 2
  trouPe 3
  Border fortress
  Officers and senior officials
  Competent soldiers
  New recruits or servants
  Order chapter
  Masters
  Adepts et al.
  Novices and servants
  Sun temple
  Temple leadership
  Competent problem solvers
  Members of the congregation
  Barbarian village 
  The chieftain’s council  
  (incl. keepers)
  Guard Warriors 
  Common villagers
  Treasure hunters’ camp
  Founders/owners
  Ambitious treasure hunters
  Losers and beggars
  Traveling jester group
  Owners
  Performers/problem solvers
  Children or helpers
  Goblin village
  Chieftain with advisors
  Prominent goblins
  Common goblins
  gaming session begins. It will give the players a sense 
  of scale. The drawback to this method is of course that 
  it takes more time before the game can begin.
  deveLoPinG onGoinG Games
  Introducing troupe play into an ongoing game, is fully 
  possible and often rewarding. The first generation of 
  characters might be very successful and establish the 
  place or organization in which the second (and third) 
  generation’s adventures will take place. 
  This organic way of developing the game is often 
  appreciated by the players, since they themselves 
  have built the most prominent characters and some-
  times get to go back and play them. Once again it is 
  important that everyone agrees on the game form, 
  as it fundamentally changes the rhythm of the game.
  Troupe Play in Practice
  trouPe PLay is based on the same fundamentals 
  as regular roleplaying, but introduces a couple of 
  additional elements. These are described below.
  suPeriors and suBordinates
  The most common form of troupe play is based on 
  a clear hierarchy between the groups of player 
  characters. One group has social or other kinds of 
  power over a certain place or organization, and the 
  other group/groups are subordinates of the first. 
  Normally the groups consist of a) the leaders, b) a 
  bunch of competent agents, and possibly c) a third 
  group that is often very ordinary or down-to-earth, 
  in contrast to the more competent and powerful 
  groups above them. 
  There can be no serious conflicts between the 
  groups; it does not work well in the context of troupe 
  play. Grumbling about unsympathetic princes is a fun 
  part of the game form, but outright revolts are not.
  infLuence BetWeen the GrouPs
  Troupe play works best if one group’s decisions and 
  experiences affect the others. For example, the leaders’ 
  decisions become orders for a subordinate group to 
  obey, and the latter’s degree of success (or failure) 
  becomes new information for the leaders to act on. 
  A third, less powerful group will suffer the 
  consequences, and possibly discover something 
  that can help solve the problem.
  meetinGs BetWeen the GrouPs
  It is desirable that the groups meet, and one way 
  of having this happen is to let a subordinate group 
  encounter a member or two from a superior group 
  in a meeting where all characters are played by 
  their players. Such a scene might occur when some 
  of the subordinate player characters report to one 
  or two of their superiors – who are then controlled 
  by their players during that scene.
  joint adventurinG
  It is certainly possible for characters from different 
  groups to have adventures together, though one 
  may have to deal with great disparities in social 
  standing and Experience between them. 
  Many stories from books and movies are about 
  such groups: an experienced mystic leading a 
  bunch of less experienced individuals on amazing 
  adventures. This becomes a bit difficult for gaming 
  groups whose members have different ambitions 
  concerning game balance, and some players may 
  find it boring to play less influential characters. 
  But if you talk it through and reach a consensus 
  on how and why this is fun, it can really enrich 
  your experience. 
  At the next gaming session it is recommended 
  that you play another mixed group and let the 
  players switch from powerful to subordinate or 
  vice versa.
  Experience in 
  Troupe Play
  During Troupe Play, 
  Experience is granted to 
  all player characters who 
  are part of the troupe, 
  whether they were 
  used in play or not. The 
  reason for this is mostly 
  pragmatic: the question 
  of which player cha-
  racters participate in a 
  certain adventure should 
  not be clouded by 
  discussions about who 
  is close to obtaining a 
  certain ability or similar.
  30
   
  
  Adventures 
  for Heroes
  symBaroum has an open system of rules, with lots of possible rule combinations, 
  and this is entirely deliberate. One core idea behind this system is to let the 
  players explore and build their characters as they please – mastering the 
  system is indeed part of the game’s intended charm. A possible downside to 
  this is of course that not all players are inclined to do that, and suddenly the 
  Game Master might have a player or two who really want to max out their 
  characters’ combat abilities while others do not. There are three variants of 
  problems that can arise from this.
  one such ProBLem is that the gaming group’s 
  members are looking for very different gaming 
  experiences; they disagree about the purpose of 
  the game. The second is that the players want the 
  same thing, but the act of mastering the system 
  turns certain player characters into overwhel-
  ming combatants and others into spectators – in 
  other words, there is an imbalance between the 
  characters. A third potential problem is that the 
  Game Master has trouble presenting the player 
  characters with interesting challenges, meaning 
  that there is an imbalance between the player 
  characters and the adventure.
  In this chapter we will try to address these 
  potential problems, and offer suggestions on how 
  to handle them.
  Disagreement About the Purpose of the Game
  a fairLy common cause of friction and disag-
  reements within gaming groups is unspoken 
  expectations about why you are playing – at all, 
  or why you are playing a particular game, since a 
  gaming group might have several different games 
  running at the same time. 
  5
  A D V E N T U R E S  F O R  H E R O E S
  31
   
  
  Here are some ways to remedy such a (often 
  unspoken) tug-of-war within a gaming group.
  aGreeinG on the PurPose 
  It is important to discuss why you are playing 
  together, and what each participant wants to get 
  from the game. Sure, there are ways to handle 
  groups who have different ideas about this, but 
  it will be much easier and more rewarding if a 
  consensus is reached regarding the purpose of the 
  activity. Even if that is not possible, the discussion 
  will at least make these differences clear, and then 
  it might be possible to alternate between servicing 
  the different expectations by varying the focus of 
  the adventures and gaming sessions.
  handLinG muLtiPLe PurPoses
  If the gaming group agrees on – or, in practice, 
  has – multiple purposes for playing, the Game 
  Master must try to reach a balance between them. 
  The preferred playstyle of each player/character 
  must take center stage with reasonable frequency, 
  ideally every session; “one scene per session for each 
  player” seems like a good rule of thumb. Players 
  who want to learn more about the world, create 
  elixirs, etcetera, are of course free to do so between 
  gaming sessions.
  Imbalanced Player Characters
  symBaroum’s ruLes are designed as an open 
  system, with the intention of creating a game 
  where system mastering is not only possible, 
  but encouraged. But problems may of course 
  arise if all the players are not equally interested 
  in learning how to exploit the rule system to 
  create powerful characters. Below we describe 
  a number of ways in which the Game Master 
  can address the issue of imbalance between the 
  player characters.
  hiGhLiGht other chaLLenGes/
  PLayer characters
  One-sided gaming, where combat, problem solving 
  or social scheming dominates at the expense of 
  the other styles, becomes a problem in that some 
  player characters are never given a chance to shine 
  in a desirable way. Ideally, every gaming session 
  should give all player characters their moment in 
  the sun. The same applies if a player has mastered 
  the system to such an extent that her player cha-
  racter turns everyone else into witnesses, while 
  her own character sweeps through a certain type 
  of challenge; usually combat, as that is where the 
  Symbaroum rule system is deepest in its pursuit of 
  tactically interesting challenges.
  The Game Master’s primary countermeasure 
  against such overpowered player characters is 
  to identify and analyze the character’s greatest 
  strength, and then let enemies behave in a way 
  that makes that tactic less viable – or rebuild 
  enemies if tactical changes will not do the trick. 
  Do not be afraid to also change the terrain of 
  adventure locations in a way that favors the other 
  player characters – this is precisely the point: not 
  spoiling things for players who have spent time 
  and effort on understanding the system (which 
  should be encouraged!), but helping other char-
  acters shine as well.
  Many of the options available to Game Masters 
  are mentioned and discussed below, under 
  the headings Imbalance Between the Player 
  Characters and the Adventure and Classic Heroes 
  and Their Weaknesses.
  have system masters heLP the 
  other PLayers
  System masters can be of great help to the Game 
  Master by helping other players, who are less 
  familiar with the system, to hone their characters. 
  That way the system master is recognized for her 
  competence, while other players gain a better 
  understanding of the system, which results in 
  more potent player characters who work better 
  as a group. 
  A brave Game Master can also leave it to sys-
  tem masters to design the enemies; this tends to 
  be in the system masters’ interest as they usually 
  appreciate more challenging resistance! At the same 
  time the Game Master learns more about how the 
  system works, which is always welcome. In our 
  experience, such alliances between players, and 
  between players and Game Master, will elevate 
  the game for everyone involved.
  Design Premise 2: Standard Distribution
  The Symbaroum rule system works best if both player characters and 
  non-player characters are created with attribute values according to the 
  standard model. With the distribution 5, 7, 9, 10, 10, 11, 13, 15, each individual 
  will have both strengths and weaknesses, which will come into play during 
  combat, problem solving and/or social challenges.
  32
   
  
  Imbalance Between Characters and Adventure
  an imBaLance BetWeen the adventure and player 
  characters can arise at any point in the player charac-
  ters’ career – since the players are free to build their 
  characters any way they please, it is often difficult to 
  create a balanced resistance for all gaming groups. On 
  an abstract level, it can be said that tactical thinking 
  is generally about using one’s own strengths against 
  the enemy’s weaknesses; that is what tactical players 
  will try to do, and the Game Master must respond in 
  kind to maintain the balance.
  adaPt enemy tactics
  The quickest way of countering overpowered player 
  characters is to have their opponents act differently 
  to what is written in their respective adventures 
  or monster descriptions, which take no account of 
  the player characters’ abilities – the monsters are 
  assumed to use their strengths against their oppo-
  nents. But as Game Master you know your players’ 
  characters well and have a chance to exploit their 
  weaknesses rather than employing the monsters’ 
  default tactics (which are based on their strengths). 
  The most obvious method is to look at what the play-
  ers normally do and let the monsters act in ways 
  that makes such a strategy less effective – if the 
  characters favor melee combat, their enemies will 
  try to avoid it; if the characters send forth a heavily 
  armored warrior, the enemy tries to go around or 
  above that person to quickly advance deep into the 
  group of lightly armored player characters.
   Another approach to tactics is to consider com-
  bat an extension of the game Rock-Paper-Scissors. 
  A typical gaming group is composed of at least one 
  warrior (melee), one ranger (ranged weapons), one 
  mystic (often attacks Resolute or deals damage from 
  a distance), and a thief (crafty/elusive). The same 
  often goes for enemy groups. A classic strategy is to 
  have mystics attack warriors (who often have lower 
  Resolute), rangers attack mystics (who have little 
  armor); warriors target hostile mystics, but most likely 
  end up facing the enemy’s warriors in order to stop 
  them from reaching the gaming group’s more fragile 
  members. Thieves usually fight alongside a warrior, in 
  order to flank the enemy and gain Advantage. The latter 
  is important in Symbaroum – focusing one’s efforts 
  on a single enemy and making use of Advantage is an 
  effective strategy. Once the enemy’s strongest melee 
  fighter has been vanquished, the warrior and thief 
  proceed to go after the enemy’s mystics.
  The main benefit of adjusting the resistance 
  this way is that it does not take a lot of time for the 
  Game Master; the monsters simply act in a way 
  that is different to what their tactics suggest. The 
  drawback is that it has relatively little effect; in 
  Symbaroum monsters are usually focused on doing 
  one thing well, with few backup plans.
  For Game Masters who need something more 
  effective, we will now move on to other, more potent 
  and time consuming, possibilities.
  adjust the enemy’s numBers or 
  comPosition
  In light of the reasoning about tactics, it is relatively 
  easy to draw conclusions regarding the enemy’s num-
  bers and composition: a larger number of monsters 
  is often more difficult to handle than a few stronger 
  ones; a mix of many weak and a few strong enemies 
  usually works best. If a gaming group is able to focus 
  on a single enemy, it will usually be a very short fight. 
  The Symbaroum Monster Codex (page 178 and onwards) 
  provides guidelines for what might be a suitable group 
  of enemies (in terms of numbers and resistance level) 
  for a group of player characters with a certain amount 
  of Experience, which can be helpful in this context.
  Tactical considerations can also mean that it is 
  better to adjust the composition of enemies rather 
  than adding more of them; it is usually more diffi-
  cult with more enemies who can attack the player 
  characters’ weaknesses rather than striking at their 
  strengths. Replacing an enemy warrior with a mystic 
  can be a great way of making things harder for player 
  characters specializing in melee combat – suddenly 
  a high Resolute becomes more important, as more 
  enemies start to attack the player characters’ minds.
  PLan the terrain
  Another way of drastically changing the course of the 
  battle is to alter the terrain in a way that makes the 
  player characters’ favorite tactics difficult to pull off. 
  It is of course important that the player characters 
  still have a chance to succeed, but they may have to 
  adapt their tactics or let characters who normally 
  keep their distance spearhead the attack instead. 
  There are many ways of doing this, for example:
   
  ◆ Melee combat is made more difficult by 
  chasms or traps, enemies attacking from the 
  sky or from elevated positions.
   
  ◆ Ranged attacks and many mystical powers 
  are made more difficult by pillars, side 
  passages, or darkness/fog.
   
  ◆ Enemies attacking from several directions 
  (including from above or from underground 
  tunnels) make it difficult to maintain a classic 
  battle line with warriors at the front and 
  mystics safe in the back.
  Design Premise 3:
  Offense is Favored
  Symbaroum’s abilities 
  are designed so that 
  offensive ones are 
  always more powerful 
  than the defensive 
  ones – in other words, it 
  is easier to increase the 
  damage (or equivalent) 
  inflicted than to become 
  better at Defense or 
  absorbing damage. 
  The reason for this is 
  that better Defense, 
  more Armor, and higher 
  Toughness all prolong 
  combat scenes in an 
  undesirable way, without 
  having a corresponding 
  effect on the outcome.
  5
  A D V E N T U R E S  F O R  H E R O E S
  33
   
  
  modify the adversaries’ 
  aBiLities
  A very effective countermove is to adjust the 
  enemy’s abilities, type and level. This obviously 
  requires preparations from the Game Master, but 
  it may be worth it: it will quickly make challenges 
  more fun for players with powerful characters.
  For this to work, the Game Master must do 
  two things at the same time. The basic idea is to 
  counter the player characters’ strengths with 
  other abilities and/or monstrous traits, while 
  at the same time providing the monsters with 
  weaknesses that the player characters can find 
  and exploit – if they use other abilities or tactics 
  than they normally do. In most cases it is quite 
  clear what the monsters can do to counter the 
  player characters’ strengths – for example, if the 
  characters are capable of inflicting heavy dam-
  age, you could increase the monsters’ Armor or 
  Toughness, or their ability to evade attacks. But 
  sometimes it gets a little bit tricky...
  Table 3: Abilities and Countermoves lists some of 
  the trickier abilities and describes how to counter 
  them. If you have questions about other abilities, 
  or suggestions to share, you are welcome to raise 
  the topic in any of our social forums.
  Classic Heroes and Their Weaknesses
  the symBaroum ruLe system allows for the cre-
  ation of many types of players characters. Some 
  are more common than others as the system favors 
  them, and because many gaming groups have a 
  playstyle that suits those kinds of heroes. The Game 
  Master should not punish players for creating 
  powerful or otherwise heroic player characters, but 
  instead present them with daunting challenges – 
  sometimes by pitting them against tough opposition 
  (monsters’ strength vs heroes’ strength); sometimes 
  by having them face other challenges than they are 
  made for (monsters’ strength vs heroes’ weakness). 
  This section describes a handful of the game’s 
  more common hero types, along with suitable 
  counter-strategies for the Game Master. We will 
  not say anything more about how to increase/
  strengthen the resistance; as described above, it 
  is easily done by using more and stronger adver-
  saries. Instead we will now provide some examples 
  of challenging enemy types and enemy tactics.
  the Giant Berserker With 
  tWo-handed WeaPons
  Building blocks: The Robust trait and the abilities 
  Berserker, Exceptional Attribute (Strong), Iron Fist 
  and Two-handed Force.
  Game Master’s Countermoves: 
   
  ◆ Ranged enemies.
   
  ◆ Enemies using abilities/mystical powers that 
  target Cunning or Resolute.
   
  ◆ Enemies with Man-at-arms (master) which
  can counteract attacks that ignore Armor.
   
  ◆ Monsters with traits that bind or hinder 
  movement, such as Enthrall, Gravely Cold or Web. 
  Typical Enemies:
   
  ◆ The armor-piercing marksman.
   
  ◆ The flying and will-bending mystic. 
   
  ◆ The dancing backstabber alongside an enemy 
  who can take a lot of damage.
   When is Enough 
  Enough?
  A group of characters 
  that includes several of 
  the hero types described 
  here will (as a group) 
  have very few weakness-
  es. No matter what the 
  Game Master throws at 
  them in terms of resis-
  tance, tactics and terrain, 
  such a gaming group will 
  always be able to power 
  through by sheer force 
  – they have attained 
  superhero status within 
  the framework of the 
  Symbaroum rule system. 
  In this case, the only 
  question that remains 
  is whether the gaming 
  group wants to continue 
  playing, or whether it is 
  time to start over with a 
  new group and possibly 
  another purpose for the 
  game. There is no right or 
  wrong, but nevertheless, 
  the question needs to be 
  discussed and answered.
  34
  Table 3: Abilities and Countermoves
  PLayer character’s aBiLity
  Game master’s countermove
  Bend Will
  Multiple enemies; no particularly powerful warriors with low Resolute; provide enemy mystics with 
  Anathema
  Berserker/Robust
  Enemies who strike hard once per turn, rather than making several weak attacks
  Dominate
  The enemy has a commander with a high Resolute and the ability Leader (master)
  Backstab (master)
  Enemies with high Armor (and/or Berserker/Robust) and the Regeneration trait, or possibly one of 
  the abilities Recovery or Quick Draw (master, in order to quickly consume elixirs)
  Marksman (master)
  Replace traits like Armored with Sturdy to increase Toughness; give the enemy Man-at-arms 
  (master)
  Strangler
  Enemies with the Regeneration trait, or one of the abilities Recovery or Quick Draw (master, in 
  order to quickly consume elixirs)
  Polearm Mastery (master)
  Provide enemies with long weapons or Natural Weapon III
  Two-handed Force (master)
  Replace traits like Armored with Sturdy to increase Toughness; give the enemy Man-at-arms 
  (master).
   
  
  1
  B U I L D I N G  G A M E  W O R L D S
  The dancing backstabber,
  the mind-bending mystic and
  the giant berserker – a trio
  that is difficult to handle!
  35
   
  
   
  ◆ Monsters such as Arach (exalted), Autumn 
  Elf, Cryptwalker, Death Prince, Glint, 
  Late-Summer Elf, Lindworm, Necromage and 
  Nightmare.
  the armor-PiercinG 
  marksman
  Building blocks: The abilities Arrow Jab, Exceptional 
  Attribute (Vigilant), Marksman and Sixth Sense.
  Game Master’s Countermoves: 
   
  ◆ Enemies who can quickly enter melee range.
   
  ◆ Enemies using abilities/mystical powers that 
  target Cunning or Resolute.
   
  ◆ Enemies with Man-at-arms (master) which
  can counteract attacks that ignore Armor. 
  Typical Enemies:
   
  ◆ The dancing backstabber.
   
  ◆ The will-bending mystic with mystical 
  protection.
   
  ◆ Monsters such as Death Prince, Dragon Fly, 
  Gobble Gnome, Gwann, King Toad, Skullbiter, 
  Spite, and Violing. 
  the fLyinG and WiLL- 
  BendinG mystic
  Building blocks: The abilities Bend Will, Exceptional 
  Attribute (Resolute) and Levitate.
  Game Master’s Countermoves: 
   
  ◆ Ranged enemies.
   
  ◆ Flying enemies.
   
  ◆ Mystics with Anathema which cancels
  Levitate.
  Typical Enemies:
   
  ◆ The armor-piercing marksman.
   
  ◆ Monsters such as Bestiaal (winged hunter), 
  Dragon Fly, Ettermite Swarm, King Toad, 
  Managaal, Marlit, Night Swarmers and Violing.
  the dancinG BackstaBBer
  Building blocks: The Shapeshifter (II) trait and 
  the abilities Acrobatics, Backstab, Exceptional 
  Attribute (Discreet), Feint and Mystical Power 
  (Unnoticeable)
  Game Master’s Countermoves:
   
  ◆ Enemies wielding weapons with the quality 
  Long
   
  ◆ Mystics with Anathema and/or True Form, 
  which counteract Shapeshifter and/or 
  Unnoticeable
   
  ◆ Enemies and Monsters with abilities/traits 
  that bind or hinder movement, such as 
  Enthrall, Marksman (adept) and Web. 
  Typical Enemies:
   
  ◆ The flying and will-bending mystic.
   
  ◆ The untouchable pile driver.
   
  ◆ Monsters such as Choking Undine, Darkling, 
  Dragoul, Kanaran, Lindworm, Living Thorns, 
  Marlit, Necromage and Sly River Hunter.
  the untouchaBLe PiLe driver
  Building blocks: The abilities Exceptional Attribute 
  (Accurate), Polearm Mastery (master), Staff Fighting
  Game Master’s Countermoves: 
   
  ◆ Enemies with long weapons/Natural 
  Weapon III.
   
  ◆ Ranged enemies.
   
  ◆ Monsters with the traits Tunneler or Leap (see
  text box). 
  Typical Enemies:
   
  ◆ The giant berserker with two-handed wea-
  pons, with the ability Two-handed Finesse*.
   
  ◆ The armor-piercing marksman.
   
  ◆ Monsters such as Arch Troll, Gobble Gnome, 
  Guard Warrior, Gwann, Scorner, Ire Sylph, 
  Ravenous Willow and World Serpent.
  * See the Symbaroum Monster Codex, page 136
  Leap*, monstrous trait
  The creature has strong, explosive leg muscles that allow it to 
  jump several times the length of its own body, both vertically 
  and horizontally.
  I 
  Movement. The creature can make a huge leap and land one movement 
  action away from the starting point (about 10 meters). It suffers no free 
  attacks from enemies it passes by or lands next to, but free attacks caused 
  by the creature leaving melee combat are triggered as usual.
  II Movement. Like I, but the jump is made with such precision that 
  the creature can land on an enemy. The attack counts as a free attack 
  with +5 damage, and the target is knocked prone unless it passes a 
  [Strong←Strong+5] test.
  III Movement. Like II, but the creature can jump up to two movement ac-
  tions horizontally (about 20 meters), with such suddenness that it evades 
  free attacks even when leaving melee combat.
  * The Leap trait was introduced in Symbar – Mother of Darkness, and is 
  copied here for those who are yet to acquire that book.
  36
   
  
  Under, Above 
  and Beyond
  is the reaLm of Ambria and Davokar not enough? Do you want to offer your 
  players something more spectacular than excursions to the Land of the Order, 
  the First Realm or the western plains? If that is the case, it may be a good idea 
  to have one or a number of gaming sessions take place in what in Symbaroum 
  is called the Underworld, the Yonderworld and the Spirit World – planes of 
  existence that lead to new experiences and perspectives, as well as other 
  kinds of challenges.
  this chaPter shouLd not be seen as an exhaus-
  tive account of these game environments, but 
  rather as a set of guidelines for creating diffe-
  rent adventures, or rather campaign episodes. 
  We recommend that Game Masters make visits 
  to these worlds short, but eventful – partly to 
  maintain their mystique and distinctive cha-
  racter, partly because we intend to delve more 
  deeply into at least the Under- and Yonderworld 
  in future modules. There is no need to worry about 
  your portrayals of these places clashing with our 
  visions, at least if you follow the guidelines below. 
  All these worlds are vast enough to allow for great 
  variation and considerable contrast, which is why 
  it should not be a problem for your own ideas to 
  co-exist with ours.
  To further flesh out the three worlds, you will 
  find event tables at the end of their respective 
  sections. These can be used to generate random 
  encounters and incidents characteristic of these 
  settings, but can also serve as inspiration for the 
  Game Master’s own ideas.
  The Underworld
  the underWorLd is a vast system of caves, cham-
  bers, tunnels and crevasses that extends beneath 
  the roots, fields and cobblestones of the game world. 
  It is a dark world in a double sense, a world that is 
  6
  U N D E R , A B O V E  A N D  B E Y O N D
  37
   
  
  at most illuminated by fluorescent vegetation or 
  rays of sunshine beaming through cracks from the 
  surface, a world dominated by monstrous predators, 
  where the corruption of the surface world trickles 
  down to infect its inhabitants or form stagnant 
  pools of sickly blackness.
  But there are also good reasons for heading 
  down into the dark. Some expeditions search for 
  the sunken remains of ancient civilizations waiting 
  to be explored and plundered, while others hope to 
  find the troll realms supposedly located there, or 
  even the legendary dwelling of the Iron Pact – the 
  Halls of a Thousand Tears. Moreover, brave groups 
  of people occasionally set off for the Underworld in 
  search of unique monster trophies, missing people 
  or expeditions, or in the hope of gathering rare 
  medicinal herbs.
  history
  The Underworld is as old as the surface world, and 
  its history is just as eventful. The difference is that it 
  is more regional and clearly linked to events on the 
  surface – mighty realms, clans or tribes will rarely 
  allow the world beneath to develop unchecked, 
  particularly if they feel threatened by something 
  down there.
  The Game Master can therefore assume that 
  no person, creature or culture has ever claimed 
  to rule or dominate more than limited parts of the 
  Underworld, mainly in areas where the world above 
  has been wild, without strong social formations.
  Another assumption should be that domi-
  nance, with few exceptions, is a temporary state; 
  Crypt Lords, goblin tribes or packs of predators 
  who consider themselves rulers of a certain area 
  can quickly and unpleasantly be driven away 
  (or destroyed) by something bigger, stronger 
  and more brutal than themselves – a group of 
  World Serpents, a drifting blight mist, a rival 
  conqueror, or maybe even a larger expedition 
  from the surface world, composed of competent 
  warriors and mystics.
  nature
  The Underworld is so huge and diverse that it has 
  room for all kinds of cave structures – from laby-
  rinthine tunnels and smaller systems of caves, 
  to vast underground halls the size of Ambrian 
  baronies. You should be equally bold when it 
  comes to vegetation and water courses: forests 
  of overgrown, luminous lichens and fields of 
  (edible, poisonous, or corruption oozing) fungi 
  can extend around underground lakes whose 
  tributaries consist of immense waterfalls or 
  fast-flowing streams.
  Remains from past cultures or from the civiliza-
  tions of the surface world can be found anywhere, 
  in the form of anything from statues to great pal-
  aces, or even entire temple cities. One might also 
  find caverns chiseled out by the tools of cultural 
  beings – dwelling sites that show signs of past goblin 
  settlements, or even places where exiled trolls have 
  stayed hidden. Many of these are still inhabited, 
  as are the ruins – by new rulers or predators who 
  have claimed the place as their territory.
  Virulent corruption is everywhere, in water, in 
  rocks, and in treacherous vegetation – sometimes 
  hidden, sometimes terrifyingly obvious in the 
  form of mist, sparkling black flakes dancing in 
  the air, or rust-colored rain from a cave roof far 
  above. In contrast to the darkness, the fortunate 
  can also find power nodes, often centered around 
  crystalline structures of different colors, located 
  in surprisingly healthy areas free of corruption 
  – places much appreciated by predators and prey
  animals, but shunned by abominations and undead.
  In short, you are free to design the Underworld 
  as you see fit, with the restriction that the place 
  described and visited by the player characters is 
  fairly limited, possibly to the area surrounding a 
  sinkhole or the winding path down from a ruin 
  on the surface.
  cuLtures
  There are cultural beings living in the Underworld, 
  but they are scattered and usually have more con-
  tact with settlements on the surface than with 
  each other. Most of them are trolls, in realms 
  ranging from ten or so individuals cowering under 
  a single liege troll, to thousands of members – often 
  gathered around an aged ruler close to entering its 
  third hibernation. Like humans, the trolls are a 
  heterogeneous group, but with a clear tendency to 
  despise weakness in all its forms. The information 
  presented in the Advanced Player’s Guide (page 44) 
  should be inspiration enough to design different 
  underground troll realms.
  Goblins prefer to live under the sky, but a few 
  tribes live out their short lives in the Underworld, 
  by tradition or out of necessity. In the former 
  case they may be vassals of a larger troll realm or 
  have managed to defend their right to a clean and 
  lifegiving “oasis” in the subterranean dark. As for 
  necessity, it is not uncommon for a tribe to fall out 
  of favor with some force of the forest – another 
  tribe, an arch troll, or a domineering Drakworm. 
  Escape might then be the only alternative, which 
  leads to the tribe members becoming fearful 
  and unusually aggressive compared to other 
  woodland goblins.
  38
   
  
  Ambrian expeditions never stay very long 
  underground, but if the Game Master so desires, 
  it is possible that Ordo Magica or some foolish noble 
  might have financed a real outpost on the shore of 
  some night black lake. It is also possible that undead 
  and severely blight-marked humans have come 
  together and found a home beneath the feet of their 
  former brothers and sisters, where they can live 
  without constantly being met with fear and hate, 
  without having to watch out for witchhunters and 
  hateful lynch mobs.
  creatures
  The Symbaroum Monster Codex introduces a num-
  ber of creatures described as residents of the 
  Underworld: Gwann, Spite, World Serpent, Chasm 
  Stag and The Wily, to name a few. But of course 
  there are also abominations and ghouls, as well 
  as occasional packs of predators, reclusive King 
  Toads and crestfallen arch trolls. Not to mention 
  various forms of Corrupted Nature and Vengeful 
  Terrain. As long as the Game Master can explain 
  why a certain beast or monster horde has decided 
  to abandon the surface, the player characters can 
  encounter just about any monster in the depths of 
  the Underworld.
  There is also potential for fiddling with already 
  existing creatures so that they offer different kinds 
  of challenges. For starters, they could of course look 
  differently – pale, emaciated, staring and eerily 
  quiet. But they can also be given additional abilities 
  and traits: they might carry the dark diseases of the 
  Underworld (Infectious), exude corruption (Harmful 
  Aura), develop the ability to act unhindered in the 
  dark (Night Perception) or accumulate corruption 
  and use it in combat (Corruption Hoarder). In 
  short, the dark recesses of the Underworld and 
  its unsound living conditions can spawn the most 
  heinous creatures.
  adventure set-uP
  An expedition sent by Ordo Magica, the Sun Church, 
  or some similar faction has gone missing during an 
  excursion to a ruin on the border between Bright 
  and Wild Davokar. One of the porters, the goblin 
  Iloul, is found roaming near the edge of the forest, 
  exhausted and emaciated, rambling about “the gap 
  to the Great Blackness,” about “blind eyes watching 
  all, deaf ears hearing all, voiceless throats groaning 
  with hunger, toothless jaws grinding and grinding.” 
  The satchel he carries is heavy with black rocks 
  flecked with sparkling diamonds.
  Perhaps it is the player characters who run 
  into Iloul at the edge of the forest, or maybe they 
  are contacted at a later stage by the expedition’s 
  initiator, who in turn has gotten hold of the goblin. 
  Either way, they eventually reach the ruin and 
  find it darkened – the vegetation covering it has 
  shriveled and blackened, and the blight appears 
  to be spreading through the surrounding forest, 
  in all directions. Something must be done, quickly!
  It turns out that the expedition, deliberately or 
  otherwise, opened a crack in the ruin’s catacombs 
  and tracks suggest that the entire group has fol-
  lowed that crack into the Underworld. Exactly 
  what awaits down there is for the Game Master 
  to decide, but it should probably be possible to 
  find the source of the blight. Perhaps it is a world 
  wound or a simmering pool of pure corruption, 
  something the player characters must close/
  cleanse with a sanctifying ritual, while being 
  attacked by blight born expedition members and 
  the creatures that have made a home near the 
  blight source.
  Table 4: Events in the Underworld
  1d20
  event
  variants/descriPtions (1d6)
  1–3
  Carvings in the rock wall
  1–2: The Loremaster ability or elf: directions to a troll forge, either active or long burnt-
  out and abandoned.
  3–4: The Loremaster ability or goblin: warning of some nearby danger, still present or 
  long gone. Use a threat from this list or create your own.
  5–6: The Loremaster ability or troll: directions to a “song cliff,” which could either be a 
  name for an ancient assembly site for trolls, a magic node, or both. Whether it is still 
  being used or has any power left is up to the Game Master.
  4–6
  Vigilant test; a hidden door leading 
  to a deserted hideout.
  1–2: Ambrian expedition: a week's worth of food for five people, 1D6 blankets, 1D4 lan-
  terns and lamp oil, and 1D6 herbal cures.
  3–4: Monster hunter: various trophies on drying racks, together worth 1D6×100 thaler.
  5: Iron Pact: waybread for 1D10×10 days, 1D6 quivers with 20 arrows each, 1D4 fur be-
  drolls, 1D4 lanterns with lamp oil, and 1D4 doses of moderate antidote.
  6: Goblins: food for 1D10+10 people in the form of dried insects, mushrooms and pieces 
  of obscure meat. Leaves to sleep on for 1D10 goblins, 1D4 daggers, and a large jar of 
  foul-tasting, but strong, liquor.
  6
  U N D E R , A B O V E  A N D  B E Y O N D
  39
   
  
  7–8
  Mushroom patch (bracketed ability 
  can be used to understand what the 
  specific mushroom is and what it 
  does).
  1: Healing mushrooms, equivalent to 1D6 herbal cures (Medicus).
  2: Poison mushrooms, 1D4 doses of moderate poison (Medicus, Poisoner).
  3: Antidote mushrooms, 1D4 doses of moderate antidote (Medicus, Poisoner).
  4: Hallucinogenic mushrooms, 1D4 doses, causes wild daydreams which are paralyzing 
  unless the consumer passes a Strong test (Poisoner, Witchcraft).
  5: Corrupting mushrooms, 1D4 doses, inflicts 1D4 temporary corruption (Poisoner, 
  Theurgy).
  6: Corruption cleansing mushrooms, 1D4 doses, removes 1D4 temporary corruption 
  (Medicus, Theurgy)
  9–10
  Collapsed ruin. A sinkhole has lived 
  up to its name and pulled a building 
  down into the Underworld. The sky 
  can be seen high above, and mighty 
  trees lean alarmingly far over the 
  hole.
  1–2: Rune-carved monolith. The Loremaster ability: pre-Symbarian remains. A group 
  who studies the runes carefully for 1D4 hours gains 1D4 Experience from their insights 
  into the world prior to the rise of Symbaroum.
  3–4: Monster temple. The Loremaster ability: Symbarian cult site. Those who study the 
  temple carefully for 1D4 days gain 1D12 Experience and 1 permanent corruption for their 
  insight into Symbaroum’s dark history. They also find cult items worth 1D10×100 thaler. 
  At some point during the search, one of the old “gods” slumbering underneath the temp-
  le wakes up; choose any strong monster – it does not have to belong in the Underworld.
  5: Barbarian tower. The Loremaster ability or barbarian: the tower is a barbarian creation 
  carved with protective witch symbols. Those who spend a day studying the tower and 
  its protective symbols gain 1D4 Experience, and find arm rings and other barbarian 
  ornaments worth 1D6×10 thaler. However, they also attract (PC+1) predators of weak or 
  ordinary resistance.
  6: Village of Ambrian freethinkers. Obvious to everyone: a number of log houses and a 
  palisade have collapsed and been completely demolished. Those who spend 1D4 hours 
  searching the rubble find 1D6 Ambrian settlers of different ages, all dead and carrying 
  1D10 ortegs each. A successful Vigilant test also reveals a hidden cache containing 
  1D10 thaler and a journal detailing the settlers’ exploits in the depths of Davokar. Stu-
  dying the books grants the gaming group 1D4 Experience through their understanding 
  of the hard life in the woodland gloom. The journal is also worth 1D10 thaler to scholars 
  in Ambria.
  11–12
  Outpost. An established and reaso-
  nably thriving colony down in the 
  dark.
  1: Base camp for an Ambrian expedition. 1D6 Ambrians and 1D10 helpers in a crude log 
  house. Roll 1D4 to see who leads the expedition; 1 – Ordo Magica, 2 – Sun Church, 3 – 
  Ambrian noble family, 4 – Treasure hunters
  2: Initiation site for witches. 1D4 witches have gathered in this cave to initiate 1D6 future 
  witches into the mysteries of witchcraft.
  3: Goblin settlement. 1D10×5 goblins of various ages occupy this stalactite, which hangs 
  like an inverted tower from the cave ceiling. A rope ladder is lowered whenever the 
  goblins want to go up or down.
  4: Troll dwelling. A sturdy door, guarded by a Gwann, leads to half a dozen cave chambers 
  where 1D10+10 trolls live under the leadership of a liege troll. They are reserved, but not 
  hostile, and willing to trade thaler for quality metalworks.
  5: Refuge for the blight marked. A village made up of simple huts huddled in a cave 
  chamber. It is inhabited by 1D6+10 blight marked humans and goblins, led by a severely 
  stigmatized woman named Akulina. They are afraid of everyone, and terrified of being 
  blight born. Villagers who come alarmingly close to that fate are burned in a nearby cave. 
  6: Undead. A small settlement with 1D4+2 undead humans (both Ambrians and barbari-
  ans). They are led by the undead theurg Tamas, who stubbornly clings to Prios’ forgive-
  ness, despite the fact that sunlight burns his puss-filled eyes so bad that he never goes 
  outside during daytime. At night he brings his flock to the surface to pray and lament 
  their bitter fate.
  13–14
  Monster encounter
  1: Chasm Stag (Monster Codex, page 154)
  2: Pale Crawler (Monster Codex, page 155)
  3: The Wily (Monster Codex, page 157)
  4: Spite (Monster Codex, page 102)
  5: Gwann (Monster Codex, page 50)
  6: World Serpent (Monster Codex, page 114)
  15–16
  Source of corruption
  1–2: Pool of bubbling blackness sometimes shooting up like a pitch black geyser (roll 
  1D6 per turn, 1 = eruption). Whoever touches the blackness suffers 1D6 temporary 
  corruption, as does anyone present in the cave when the geyser erupts unless they pass 
  a Quick test. On success the individual only suffers one point of temporary corruption.
  3–4: Black flakes whirling in the dark, often chaotically, sometimes almost like a coordi-
  nated dance. Anyone walking through the cave suffers 1D4 temporary corruption. 
  40
   
  
  The Yonderworld
  the so caLLed Yonderworld has already been 
  glimpsed in previously published Symbaroum pro-
  ducts – particularly in the Advanced Player’s Guide 
  (for example in the descriptions of the mystical 
  power Teleport and the ritual Summon Daemon) and 
  in the adventure Yndaros – The Darkest Star, whose 
  climax takes place in one of its dusty deserts. Still, 
  we have to admit that we are as uncertain about it as 
  Ambria’s intellectual elite, especially when it comes 
  to the most contentious issue: whether it consists 
  of a single world or multiple ones. And perhaps it is 
  mostly an academic matter, as no one will likely stay 
  in this (or these) world(s) long enough to map it all.
  Venturing into the Yonderworld is to expose 
  oneself to immense danger – anyone who knows 
  anything about the subject agrees on that much. 
  Going there blind, without some form of anchor 
  or reference point on the other side, is even more 
  reckless, or even suicidal. But in some cases the 
  circumstances might leave the player characters 
  without a choice, that the risk of the journey is 
  outweighed by the potential reward, or that they 
  expose themselves and/or others to even greater 
  danger by not going. 
  history
  Previously published supplements have already 
  established that the Yonderworld is the cradle of 
  humankind, from which they escaped in giant 
  ships of stone powered by mystical ceremonies. 
  The reason for this escape should quickly become 
  clear to anyone visiting the world in question: it is 
  dead, ravaged by the monsters which the witches 
  call blight beasts and the Ambrians abominations 
  or daemons.
  This world was not destroyed overnight, nor 
  because of any one event. It was worn down over 
  time; the humans violated nature to fight the 
  corruption they had already awoken, which only 
  fed nature’s wrathful reactions to the point where 
  the corruption became overwhelming – you could 
  say that the Yonderworld exceeded its corruption 
  threshold. And at that point, the development 
  became irreversible; the world was doomed and lost.
  The history of the original human homeworld 
  will be described further in future modules, not 
  least in the final episodes of the Throne of Thorns. 
  But this should not stop anyone from using the 
  Yonderworld as an adventure location, if that seems 
  desirable – it is an absolutely massive world (or 
  possibly several worlds!), so even if your ideas 
  should deviate from ours, it will almost certainly 
  be possible to bridge such differences.
  nature
  Miles-long plains of sand and dust, in rolling 
  dunes or accumulated into towering mountains, 
  sometimes storm-swept, sometimes turned into 
  mud by thunderous rain – as far as anyone can 
  see, this is all that remains. The corruption is ever 
  5–6: Throbbing boils in the rock wall that crack open whenever something living passes 
  by, splashing them with sticky corruption. Those walking through the cave must pass 
  three Discreet tests or trigger one boil per failure. For each boil that cracks, the affected 
  must pass a [Quick +3] test or suffer 1D4 temporary corruption.
  17
  Rune-covered gate. To open the 
  gate one must first solve its riddle 
  [Cunning –3].
  The gate leads to a Cryptlord’s court, active or abandoned. If the Cryptlord is still 
  around, so are 1D10 Dragouls resting in their alcoves. In that case there is also an artifact 
  in here, as well as minor treasure worth 1D10×10 thaler. If the place is abandoned one 
  can only find the treasure.
  18
  The tunnel of a World Serpent. It is 
  10 meters in diameter with a large 
  risk of collapse.
  1D20 is rolled every hour; if the result is less than or equal to the number of hours one has 
  been following the tunnel, a collapse occurs. Quick tests are needed to avoid 1D12 damage 
  (ignores Armor). Those who take damage must roll over the damage on 1D20 or get stuck 
  in the rubble. It takes 1D4 hours to clear the rubble and free those who are stuck.
  19
  The remains of an Ambrian expedi-
  tion, scattered over the cave floor. 
  1D10×10 thaler can be found on the bodies, as well as a handwritten letter describing 
  how well the expedition is going. Someone with the Beast Lore ability can determine 
  what kind of monster wiped out the expedition – choose from the Monster Encounter 
  event or whatever else seems appropriate.
  20
  Crystal column, ice blue with 
  streaks of purple light. Loremaster 
  or Mystical Tradition: it is a smaller 
  magic node not yet completely 
  destroyed by corruption.
  This node devours all temporary corruption generated in its vicinity, and grows increasingly 
  dark as a result. Once it becomes utterly black (relevant ability and a successful Cunning 
  test: the node can take another 100+1D20 corruption), the crystal cracks and everyone 
  in the cave chamber gains 1D10 temporary corruption. As long as the node exists, beasts 
  (both predators and prey) will be attracted to the area and abominations and undead are 
  prevented from entering. Thoroughly corrupted creatures can enter, but take 1D4 damage 
  per turn (ignores Armor), and these points affect the node as temporary corruption.
  6
  U N D E R , A B O V E  A N D  B E Y O N D
  41
   
  
  Table 5: Corruption in the Yonderworld
  1d20
  corruPtion*
  1–3
  No corruption
  4–6
  1D4 temporary corruption per hour
  7–9
  1D6 temporary corruption per hour
  10–12
  1D8 temporary corruption per hour
  13–15
  1D12 temporary corruption per hour
  16–17
  1 permanent corruption per hour
  18–19
  1D4 permanent corruption per hour
  20
  1D4 permanent corruption  
  per half-hour
  present, in the dust stirred up by your footsteps 
  and constantly radiating in the background. The 
  Game Master can use Table 5: Corruption in the 
  Yonderworld to get an idea of just how much 
  corruption is present. It might also be worth 
  consulting the table Events in the Yonderworld 
  in Yndaros – The Darkest Star (see page 75) for 
  additional inspiration.
  However, for those with enough time to fur-
  ther explore the wasteland, or who know what 
  to look for, there are interesting discoveries to be 
  made. Hidden beneath the surface are the ruins of 
  several great civilizations that rose and fell over 
  the millennia. Some of these might even have 
  been exposed by rain and wind, made visible to 
  the naked eye and available for further investi-
  gation. But one must then have the courage and 
  strength to defy the famished inhabitants of the 
  Yonderworld, and possess some kind of antidote 
  for the corruption, or it will quickly turn the find 
  of a lifetime into a nightmare.
  cuLtures
  It would be misleading to say that any cultures exist 
  in the Yonderworld. And as for the ruins which 
  the player characters might be able to explore, 
  the Game Master is free to design them any way 
  he or she pleases.
  Some may be tempted by the thought of making 
  the Yonderworld very similar to our own Earth 
  – that there are buildings of glass, metal and
  concrete (much like the ones in our cities) hidden 
  underneath the sand and dust. That will not be the 
  case in our version of the Yonderworld, so in this 
  instance you should be prepared to later use the
  idea that there is more than one world beyond the 
  Davokar region. The level of civilization we have 
  in mind is more similar to Ambria, or rather the 
  ancient Symbarian Empire.
  creatures
  There is nothing living in the Yonderworld, inclu-
  ding its inhabitants. Sure, the daemon princes 
  ruling the devastation are often powerful eno-
  ugh to rise above the pure, instinctual hunger of 
  other abominations. Sometimes they even display 
  something similar to rationality and cunning, but 
  only those who were once human. Most creatures 
  in the Yonderworld are just as furiously unreaso-
  nable as the primal blight beasts brought to life in 
  humanity’s new homeworld.
  Speaking about the new world, the daemon 
  princes, the “exalted” humans, would like nothing 
  more than to go there. They try to trick cultists 
  and sorcerers into letting them do just that, but 
  are often themselves tricked or prevented from 
  breaking free from the rituals’ control. Humans 
  who make it to the Yonderworld and somehow find 
  a way back out will often do so with daemonic com-
  pany (intentionally or otherwise). It is therefore 
  not surprising that dimensional travelers quickly 
  attract the interest of the deserts’ rulers…
  adventure set-uP
  A demonologist performs a teleportation, and on 
  the way through the Yonderworld she glimpses a 
  rectangular structure poking out of the otherwise 
  rolling dunes of the desert. Shortly thereafter, she 
  uses Dimension Walk to go back there. As she enters 
  the ruin’s antechamber she is overwhelmed by 
  fear and anxiety causing her to turn back, but not 
  before grabbing a strangely shaped metal object 
  – one that she proudly displays to her colleagues
  upon her return.
  A little later the demonologist contacts the 
  player characters, directly or through an inter-
  mediary. The metal object has been stolen, probably 
  by some envious rival. The problem is that the thief 
  will be able to use the item to get to the ruin, and 
  thereby become the first person to explore it – that 
  must not happen!
  The player characters are offered the job 
  of escorting the quest giver to the ruin in the 
  Yonderworld. The rival and her ruthless expe-
  dition is already on site, and will likely serve as 
  a complication as the player characters explore 
  the location. Perhaps the rival has already been 
  kidnapped by a daemon prince; maybe one of her 
  companions witnessed the abduction and reveals 
  that the prince intends to force the poor human to 
  bring him along on the journey back to Ambria.
  42
  * Note that suffered temporary corruption does
  not fade away until the victim arrives at a place
  without corrupting nature
   
  
  Table 6: Events in the Yonderworld
  1d20
  event
  variants/descriPtion (1d6)
  1–2
  Dead node of crack-
  ed black crystal, 
  with corruption 
  oozing from the 
  gaps. 
  The corrupted node no longer absorbs any temporary corruption, but mystics can choose to accept 
  corruption from the node’s smoking cadaver and gain one of the following advantages as a free action per 
  turn.
  •
  +1 on one success test per accepted corruption (max +3 on a particular test).
  •
  +1 level on an effect die per accepted corruption (from 1D6 to 1D8, up to 1D12).
  •
  Recover 1D4 Toughness per accepted corruption (max 3D4 per turn).
  3–4
  Human corpses
  1–2: Circle of worshippers, all but one with their throats cut. In front of the last person lies a dagger and an 
  empty bowl of poison. The bodies are completely petrified, and mineralized tears shine like pearls on their 
  cheeks. 1D10 of these tear pearls can be picked loose. They are worth 1D10×10 thaler each, and can be 
  used to activate a mystical power, ritual or artifact power without gaining temporary corruption. Each use 
  consumes one tear.
  3–4: A line of humans who were first walking, then crawling, toward some distant refuge. This is as far as 
  they got. Their bodies are mummified, resembling ancient wood.
  5: A family huddled together in a shallow hole in the ground, incinerated in the middle of a final, everlasting 
  embrace. Their bodies are ash, and the slightest touch will send them crumbling into dust.
  6: Scattered bodies, trapped by death in various unnatural positions, covered by gently falling dust. Actual-
  ly a group of PC+7 waiting Dragouls.
  5–6
  A find in the was-
  teland. Whoever 
  passes a Vigilant 
  test finds one of the 
  following:
  1–2: A memory cube containing an ancient man’s memories from a happy or sad occasion, a baptism, a 
  wedding or a funeral. Those who share the experience gain 1D4 Experience.
  3–4: A blackened cranium still whispering prayers to long dead gods. Whoever listens to its prayers for 1D4 
  hours either gains 1D12 Experience or loses one point of permanent corruption.
  5–6: An artifact from the section on artifacts (page 132)
  6
  U N D E R , A B O V E  A N D  B E Y O N D
  43
   
  
  7–8
  The great throne of 
  a daemon prince, 
  alone in the desert
  1–2: The throne stands alone in the desolate wasteland, its prince long gone. It is made from parts of a 
  capsized stone ship. Those who study the throne for 1D4 hours gain the same amount of Experience from 
  their new understanding of ancient human ingenuity. 
  3–4: The throne is empty, but surrounded by daemonic supplicants awaiting the prince’s return. The throne is 
  made of living bodies – pact-making humans who displeased their master. Those who talk to the supplicants 
  and study the throne gain dark insights worth 1D12 Experience, and one point of permanent corruption.
  5–6: A daemon prince holds court, surrounded by dancing daemons. Humans nailed on black monoliths 
  provide the music. All who hear the lamentations of the tormented humans must pass a Resolute test or 
  gain 1D6 temporary corruption. Player characters without permanent corruption are not affected. The dae-
  mon prince demands a pact with at least one of the player characters, or else he will unleash the daemons 
  on them – see Pact-making in the Advanced Player’s Guide (page 104). The throne is roughly made from 
  the linked remains of human buildings; beams of rusty steel, a huge and highly patinated brass bell, a rose 
  window of multi-colored glass. A gaming group who studies the throne gains deep insights into humanity’s 
  origin and early history, which grants 1D12 Experience.
  9–10
  Monster encounter
  1: Black plague termites (Monster Codex, page 148)
  2: Vengeful terrain (Monster Codex, page 110)
  3: Blight Born Human (Core Rulebook, page 226)
  4: Blight Worm (Monster Codex, page 145)
  5: Glimmer (Monster Codex, page 42)
  6: Primal Blight Beast (Core Rulebook, page 228)
  11
  Teleporting  
  demonologist.
  A demonologist is engaged in combat in the normal world when she vanishes, using the parallel landscape 
  of the Yonderworld to traverse the battlefield unhindered, before returning to the fight at a strategically 
  advantageous location. The demonologist has stats as a Necromage, if the player characters join the fray.
  12
  Blackened temple.
  A once white and shiny temple dedicated to long since forgotten gods is now blackened and haunted 
  by daemons. A gaming group who searches the temple for 1D4 hours gains 1D12 Experience from dark 
  insights, as well as 1D4 temporary corruption. They also find an artifact. Furthermore, their search awakens 
  a daemon or abomination of challenging resistance who attacks the player characters.
  13
  Shipwreck of stone.
  A stone ship has run aground and capsized in the sea of dust. Everyone on board is either dead or blight 
  born. A gaming group who searches the giant vessel gains insights worth 1D12 Experience and finds strange 
  and valuable items worth 1D10×100 thaler. They are also attacked by two waves of thoroughly corrupted 
  sailors, stats as Dragoul (PC+5 in each wave).
  14
  A sandstorm app-
  roaches. PCs must 
  find shelter from the 
  wave of corruption.
  Finding a cavity that offers enough shelter takes a successful Vigilant test; the characters then take 1D4 
  temporary corruption as the storm blows by. Those trapped in the storm gain 1D8 temporary corruption 
  and take 1D4 damage from the suffocating sand.
  15
  The ground has 
  turned into treache-
  rous mud
  It takes a successful Vigilant test to notice this; the person who goes first and fails the test gets stuck in 
  the mud. Pulling him/her up requires three successful Strong tests. If all three fail, the victim sinks into the 
  mud and drowns. Powers or abilities that enable movement through the ground or underwater can save 
  one’s life, but the blighted mud still inflicts 1D4 temporary corruption.
  16
  Pointy rooftops of 
  copper protrude 
  from the ground
  The player characters find themselves on the roof of a huge building, buried in deep and thick mud. Those who 
  spend 1D4 hours digging finally reach the top floor and find an artifact. Frescoes provide clues about human 
  history worth 1D12 Experience. Anyone digging this way inside the building gains 1D6 temporary corruption.
  17
  Doomsday clock of 
  rusty iron
  The mechanical clock has stopped at two minutes to midnight. A player character with the ability Artifact 
  Crafting or Blacksmith can salvage the clockwork from the clock itself and make it tick again. It then works 
  as a mechanical version of the artifact Xtala’s hourglass (see page 150).
  18
  Interrupted aque-
  duct that no longer 
  carries water, but 
  thick, blighted mud.
  With a successful Vigilant test, the player character finds a raft of glass up on the aqueduct, covered with 
  dust. The character can use it to ride the river of mud at double walking speed, but the course is set by the 
  aqueduct.
  19
  A beach of skulls 
  and bones by a vast 
  sea of fuming acid.
  As the player characters approach the beach, something moves underneath the surface, creating ripples on 
  the acid’s otherwise mirror-like surface. The Alchemy ability: a melee weapon or projectile for a ranged weapon 
  dipped in the lake will forever deal –2 damage, but gains the quality Acid Coated (see the Advanced Player’s 
  Guide). A person who disturbs the calm surface of the lake (e.g. dipping a weapon into it) is attacked by an abo-
  mination with stats as Hammer Eel (see the Monster Codex, page 150), but thoroughly corrupted).
  20
  A glass pyramid 
  protrudes from the 
  ground, its interior 
  teeming with move-
  ment.
  Further investigation reveals that the pyramid is full of blight born humans, fighting to break free from 
  their glass prison. Seeing the player characters increases their frenzy, and a famished roar is heard ever so 
  faintly through the thick glass.
  44
   
  
  The Spirit World
  Whether or not Symbaroum’s Spirit World can be 
  visited is for the Game Master to decide – it will not 
  be used as a setting in any of the products currently 
  on our drawing board. However, there is no doubt 
  that the world in question really exists – evidence 
  of this is seen in the mystical powers and rituals 
  that allow people to communicate with the dead 
  and call upon their help.
  Those wishing to use the Spirit World as an 
  adventure location would probably be well-advised 
  to accept the sorcerer Katrandama’s theories as 
  reality (see the Advanced Player’s Guide, page 26). 
  In that case, it is a barren land of windswept ashes 
  that borders on Eternity, where the dead find the 
  eternal rest of oblivion. It isn't necessary for you 
  to decide if it is a world in the ordinary sense of 
  the word, set on a celestial body which in turn is 
  located somewhere in the universe. What matters is 
  the border – it is a materially existing place which 
  is possible to visit, but where those who more or 
  less consciously cross over to the other side are 
  lost forever.
  history
  The fact that cultural beings die does not mean that 
  they are gone completely, except for their previous 
  physical needs. The conflicts plaguing the world of 
  the living can therefore be found in the Spirit World 
  as well – in the wake of a great battle, the spirits of 
  the fallen keep fighting in the afterlife, until they 
  have made peace with the situation and passed on 
  to Eternity; a murder victim whose killer perishes 
  shortly after the bloody deed may well seek out the 
  assailant’s spirit in search of revenge.
  Thus, the history of the Spirit World follows 
  that of the living, but in the form of snapshots 
  that take place during short periods of time while 
  the dead still linger in the ashen expanse. It is 
  a world where nothing lasts, where no realms 
  or traditions survive more than a few Ambrian 
  days. It might therefore be misleading to even 
  speak of the world of the dead as having a history 
  in its own right.
  nature
  Visitors to the Spirit World are met by gray-white 
  plains of windswept ash under a constantly hazy 
  sky. Perhaps the few dead who are still strong 
  enough to materialize will be sweeping the ashes 
  into piles, in a confused and vain attempt to 
  build a home for themselves. But they never 
  grow very big before they are leveled by the 
  constant winds.
  It should be said that the existence on the border 
  of Eternity is completely free of corruption, since 
  its power is linked to the world of the living and its 
  nature. The spirits who arrive here are untainted 
  as well, even if their living bodies were not. 
  creatures
  Considering what has already been said about 
  the Spirit World, it seems reasonable to skip the 
  Culture subheading and go straight to its indivi-
  dual inhabitants.
  The Spirit World is populated by disembodied 
  entities, and its population turnover is quite rapid. 
  The question is who they really are – what creatures 
  in the world of the living have a soul? One might 
  also ask whether they only come from the world 
  where Ambria and Davokar are situated, or from 
  other places as well.
  This can only be decided by the Game Master, 
  but given the overarching theme of Symbaroum, 
  we would recommend a generous approach. That all 
  deceased cultural beings pass through there goes 
  without saying (possibly except for the dwarves; 
  see the Earth Bound trait). But we would propose 
  that beasts and undead also pass through the Spirit 
  World on their way to Eternity, in the latter case 
  when they are finally destroyed or banished from 
  the world of the living. Perhaps insects, fish and 
  even plants can be seen as tiny, flickering flares 
  as they drift over the border to Eternity without 
  pause? Abominations, however, have no place in the 
  Spirit World – whatever soul they may or may not 
  have consists of pure corruption, and is destroyed 
  along with their physical forms.
  A few words should be said about the select spir-
  its who for various reasons remain in the material 
  world east of Eternity. It may simply be that they 
  do not wish to lose themselves, but more often they 
  stay because of unfinished business from the time 
  before their death. The former can turn into strange 
  loners, hyper social types seeking contact with 
  remarkable newcomers, or into aggressive ghosts 
  regularly lashing out in wild attacks against the 
  Spirit World’s inhabitants and visitors (such as the 
  player characters).
  Spirits with unfinished business spend the 
  afterlife trying to contact their homeworld. Most 
  of them never succeed, some might at most move or 
  nudge objects telepathically, but some do actually 
  develop powers that allow them to communicate 
  through dreams, visions or what a living person 
  would perceive as an inner voice. Should living 
  creatures come to visit, these can expect to be 
   Journeying to the 
  Spirit World
  Visits to the Spirit World 
  should be extremely 
  rare, with only a very 
  limited number of 
  individuals aware of how 
  to perform such a ritual. 
  Easy access to the ash-
  blown realm of the dead 
  would demystify the 
  afterlife; it would also 
  raise troubling question 
  about why mysterious 
  deaths and murders are 
  not routinely solved, 
  since all it would take 
  is traveling to the Spirit 
  World and interviewing 
  the victim! We therefore 
  recommend that it takes 
  very special circum-
  stances to enable such 
  an attempt – unique 
  items, ceremonies that 
  will only work under 
  specific conditions, or 
  creatures with certain 
  properties. It should 
  also require, as a form 
  of anchor, a recently 
  deceased individual 
  (former PC or an NPC) 
  with whom one of the 
  travelers can relate. But 
  as always, it is the Game 
  Master’s decision; all 
  we can offer are tips and 
  advice.
  6
  U N D E R , A B O V E  A N D  B E Y O N D
  45
   
  
  contacted, in the hope that they will carry out the 
  spirit’s final request and bring it peace – it could be 
  everything from murdering someone to eliciting a 
  declaration of love from a loved one who is still alive.
  adventure set-uP
  A small town or large village is shaken by a long 
  series of strange and seemingly unconnected 
  incidents – a brutal murder, a theft, a fire, mixed 
  with positive things such as a childless widow 
  finding an abandoned, swaddled baby on her 
  doorstep, and the insufferable son of an ailing 
  widow suddenly disappearing. What has happened 
  is that a group of young initiates at the local temple 
  have learned to walk over to the Spirit World and 
  decided that it is Prios’ will that they bring peace 
  to the community’s dead.
  The player characters could themselves have 
  relatives or acquaintances in this place, or be 
  summoned there as freethinking problem solv-
  ers. As they start digging into these cases, they 
  soon discover that they are all linked to deaths 
  that occurred in the last six months; perhaps there 
  are other clues that they are connected, indications 
  that also point to the Sun Temple.
  By the time the player characters figure out who 
  is behind these incidents, the initiates have already 
  fled to the Spirit World, hoping to find a new place 
  where they can resume their “sacred” quest. The 
  player characters must pursue them, find them, 
  and catch them before they complete the ritual that 
  will take them to a new home in the world of the 
  living – something that may prove difficult as they 
  are likely defended by a bunch of grateful spirits.
  Table 7: Events in the Spiritworld
  1d10
  event
  1
  A lonesome soul walks sadly, but resolutely, toward the edge of Eternity. Whoever interrupts the wanderer must pass a Resolute 
  test or start walking with him. Others must pass a Persuasive test for the player character to come to her senses and stop seeking 
  eternal oblivion.
  2
  A group of souls, large and small, are walking together. The large ones wait for the little ones to catch up and take their hands befo-
  re stepping into Eternity together. Whoever witnesses the harmonious event loses one point of permanent corruption.
  3
  A solitary soul is waiting for someone that never comes. It turns listlessly around and goes alone into the void. Whoever disturbs 
  the wanderer must defend themselves against a Wraith.
  4
  A swarm of tiny flares drift toward the edge of Eternity. Perhaps they are the spirits of a flock of beasts or a cloud of insects? Those 
  who take a moment to reflect on the event gain 1D4 Experience. 
  5
  A spirit is searching around the border to the world of the living, looking for someone who did it harm. A person who knows the 
  ritual Necromancy can now communicate with the spirit without using the ritual. The spirit tells the character who it is looking for, 
  and asks for her help in seeking revenge. A person who helps the spirit – slaying the offender in the living world – either gains 1D12 
  Experience or loses one point of permanent corruption once the deed is done.
  6
  A dreamer in the world of the living has lost her way and stands, surprised and amazed, in the borderland between life and death. 
  Then the vision flutters and dissipates as the dreamer wakes up. Anyone present who witnesses the dissipation can try to Possess 
  the dreamer’s body in the living world, as if using the ritual with the same name.
  7
  A spirit is shouting silently across the boundary between life and death; a hand reaches in from the side of the living, and for a brief 
  moment the two lovers touch each other’s fingers. Then the deceased is pulled back into the Spirit World, and the cycle begins 
  anew. Anyone witnessing this may try to help the two lovers hold hands a little longer; it requires a successful Resolute test. On 
  success the deceased relaxes, kissing its lover’s hand. Before wandering off into Eternity, the spirit kisses the cheeks of everyone 
  who helped. Those who helped either lose a Burden, gain 1D10 Experience, or lose one point of permanent corruption.
  8
  A spirit is obsessively building a structure of ashes, only to see it collapse again and again. A person who helps the spirit finish 
  the structure must pass a Quick test. In that case, the spirit gives its creation a satisfied nod, bows to the player characters, and 
  begins its walk to Eternity. The characters gain 1D4 Experience.
  9
  A spirit is digging in the ashes for some lost item. Player characters who decide to help out must pass a Vigilant test, in which case 
  they find an artifact in the ashes. The deceased throws itself at the item, and anyone trying to stop the spirit must fight a Necro-
  mage. If the undead is defeated, the characters may keep the artifact.
  10
  Monster encounter (1D6)
  1: Frostlight (Core Rulebook, page 230)
  2: Lostling (Monster Codex, page 143)
  3: Wraith (Monster Codex, page 148)
  4: Necromage (Core Rulebook, page 232)
  5: Nightmare (Monster Codex, page 78)
  6: Cryptwalker (Core Rulebook, page 233)
  46
   
  
  Goal Oriented 
  Roleplaying
  this chaPter BuiLds on a section with the same heading in the book Thistle 
  Hold – Wrath of the Warden, and includes parts of a chapter from the Symbaroum 
  Monster Codex. We will revisit the previously published texts in order to gather 
  everything in the same place, this time with the addition of two new goals: 
  Conquest and Holy Mission.
  What they aLL have in common is a close con-
  nection to the game’s central conflict, and the 
  fact that they are written with Ambrians in mind 
  as the active party. But the guidelines should be 
  general enough to work well in other contexts as 
  well – based on other lines of conflict and with other 
  cultural beings as active parties in the drama.
  The point of goal-oriented play is basically that the 
  players are steering the narrative toward a common 
  goal they have set for their characters. The player 
  characters develop strategies and act, while the Game 
  Master assumes an almost reactive role. Sure, some 
  degree of planning and reflection is still required 
  before the game begins, but the Game Master’s main 
  function is to turn the player characters’ initiatives 
  into exciting, varied and appropriate challenges on 
  their way towards achieving the goal.
  Each of the chapter’s five sections begins with a 
  brief introduction, which is followed by five phases 
  which together provide tips and advice about what 
  challenges need to be faced and what problems must 
  be solved for the goal to be fulfilled. The number 
  of phases can be increased or decreased, they can 
  be played for a long or short time, and be more or 
  less challenging – all depending on your, and your 
  gaming group’s, preferences.
  Establishing an Outpost
  in the southern part of Davokar, called Odovakar 
  by the clans, there are plenty of natural resources to 
  harvest. Most obvious are of course different kinds 
  of trees – some for construction works, others for 
  making furniture and bows, still others for making 
  cheap variants of blackbrew. Other resources can 
  be valuable herbs, mushrooms and berries; caves 
  close to the surface filled with lichen or bugs with 
  7
  G O A L  O R I E N T E D  R O L E P L A Y I N G
  47
   
  
  special properties; and ponds or streams whose 
  waters have mystical qualities.
  Anyone who gets wind of a sought-after resource 
  and wants to establish an outpost nearby has a long 
  walk ahead, but may eventually be richly rewarded 
  in both thaler and fame. Simply put, the wannabe 
  entrepreneur has five challenges to handle, every one 
  of which may be turned into several gaming sessions. 
  Also, nothing says that the phases align like knots on a 
  string – on the contrary, they are likely to intermingle 
  and challenges that you thought were dealt with will 
  often reemerge, when you least expect it.
  Phase 1: the cLaim
  All who wish to establish an outpost in Davokar must 
  have the Queen’s permission to do so. Practically this 
  is done by buying an Explorer’s License covering the 
  number of people needed to run the outpost and all 
  the amendments you will qualify for (see page 34 in 
  the Core Rulebook). Now, this is the easy part. 
  A bigger problem stems from the fact that all 
  interesting sites between the forest's edge and 
  River Eanor are much coveted. If competing for 
  a rich spot, you will have to convince the Queen’s 
  representative, for instance Suria Argona in Thistle 
  Hold, that you are the best candidate, or try and find 
  a way to persuade other stakeholders to revoke their 
  bids. Trying to bribe the agents of the realm will 
  likely get you nowhere. However, they are often 
  in need of someone to perform services for them, 
  which in turn can affect the decision-making. 
  Competitors can be threatened, bribed or pos-
  sibly scared away. But the characters may also be 
  required to find a partner (an influential nobleman, 
  fortune hunter or merchant) who can provide them 
  with support and thaler – naturally in exchange 
  for a share in future earnings.
  Phase 2: construction
  Many outposts are built in or close to different kinds 
  of ruins, simply because this shortens the construc-
  tion time significantly. No matter if you choose to go 
  that way or start building from the ground up, you 
  first have to secure the area – drive local beasts away, 
  identify and clear away dangerous plant life, cut 
  down all trees near the headquarters and mark out 
  the territory, for instance by coloring or scent-mar-
  king tree trunks along the circumference of the site.
  When this has been done, building materials and 
  provisions must be transported to the site. The jour-
  ney itself may be a challenge, but even more so since 
  robbers and barbarians are happy to raid caravans 
  on the move. Additionally, the caravan guards you 
  hired may decide that they would rather lay claim to 
  your goods than work and wait for a miserly wage.
  Then there is the construction itself. If you 
  depart from Thistle Hold, the usual is to employ 
  goblins from Karabbadokk or daythalers from 
  Blackmoor – both groups having a tendency to make 
  trouble if they consider themselves to be treated 
  unfairly. A strike can be handled in various ways, 
  with carrots or the stick. The former can lead to 
  continued refusal to work, in the hope to raise the 
  pay even more, while the latter can result in a bad 
  reputation or even in the making of real enemies 
  among the goblins and/or the people of Blackmoor. 
  Oh, and as if that were not enough, the risk of being 
  attacked by robbers, barbarians or elves is of course 
  much greater until the palisade is in place.
  Phase 3: harvestinG
  A lot of things can happen to an outpost in the wil-
  derness. Normally, the resource is spread out across 
  a vast area, meaning that those who harvest it must 
  leave the safety of the headquarters for most of the 
  day – making them attractive prey for beasts and 
  human antagonists. Additionally, there are forces in 
  the woods that do not hesitate to attack a fortified out-
  post, be they elves, rage trolls or barbarian raiders.
  There are also threats from other sources. Maybe 
  you won the site in some kind of bidding contest, and 
  maybe the loser decides to do all in its might to make 
  you suffer. Or a newly interested party may hear about 
  your “gold mine” and become intent on acquiring it 
  for themselves – first by offering reasonable pay, but 
  if that does not suffice by employing intrigues, lies 
  and manipulation in order to get the Queen’s Legation 
  to revoke the license and pass it on to them instead.
  Finally, it should be mentioned that the harvest 
  itself is risky. Maybe it is revealed that the resource 
  you are after is more or less contaminated by the 
  powers of corruption? Or you can happen upon 
  something, or someone, plagued by corruption 
  instead. And even if it is not something related to 
  the blight of Davokar, the outpost can be afflicted 
  by other kinds of contaminants, which require you 
  to seek medical aid. The wilds are treacherous and 
  have a troubling tendency to transform the most 
  beautiful pipe dream into the worst of nightmares.
  Phase 4: vendinG
  No matter what the player characters are harvesting 
  there are plenty of potential buyers in Ambria’s towns 
  and villages. That said, there are also competitors in 
  the region, competitors who shun no means when 
  it comes to winning over customers to their side.
  You may come up against rivals who lower their 
  prices to the extent that they sell at a loss. Others 
  dilute the resource with similar substances and 
  materials, and are thereby able to set their price much 
  48
   
  
  lower. And then there are of course those who do not 
  hesitate to use violent methods to sabotage others, for 
  example by attacking warehouses and transports.
  At other times, you may get involved in feuds 
  between two or more customers who are prepared 
  to do whatever it takes to acquire your product. It 
  has actually been known to happen, that the ped-
  dler of an especially coveted ware has been accused 
  of being an accomplice to everything from murder 
  to public endangerment because an avid bidder took 
  it upon herself to eliminate other potential rivals.
  Phase 5: GroWth
  Last but not least, if the characters have the ambi-
  tion to see their enterprise grow – maybe to set 
  up more outposts and strive to reach markets in 
  other parts of the realm – all challenges described 
  above will multiply and grow harder to handle. To 
  compete with some other group of entrepreneurs 
  is something entirely different from being the 
  rival of businesses financed by counts, dukes or 
  senior commanders in Queen Korinthia’s army. 
  With enemies like that you would likely do best 
  sleeping with one eye open and always making 
  sure to watch what happens behind your back.
  If you are to keep your enterprise running for 
  years and years, you must have hard hands and a 
  thick skin; probably also access to protectors in 
  the form of leading representatives of Ambria’s 
  power factions. If you are not prepared to take risks 
  and work very hard, you should probably sell your 
  business to the first bidder!
  Conquest
  in davokar, as well as on the plains in the west 
  and in the surrounding mountains, there are still 
  areas not yet claimed by Queen Korinthia. In many 
  cases there are of course local rulers in the form of 
  a clan chieftain or the leader of a settlement, but 
  the wilder parts of the mountains and forests have 
  territories exclusively inhabited by wild beasts, 
  goblins, arachs, and other non-humans.
  Ambitious player characters may want to claim 
  a certain area for themselves, but most likely the 
  conquest will take place on someone else’s initia-
  tive. It could be the Queen who views the region as 
  central to Ambria’s continued expansion, or a noble 
  or wealthy merchant prince who has decided to 
  establish and build a realm of his/her own. Whether 
  the player characters act on their own account 
  or on behalf of someone else, they have a host of 
  challenges ahead of them.
  Phase 1: GatherinG inteLLiGence
  The first step for those seeking to conquer new 
  territory is always to learn as much as possible 
  about its current rulers – their character, resources, 
  potential allies, and not least what fortifications 
  are in place. Such information can be obtained in 
  a number of ways.
  Ambrian archives can be a good place to start, 
  and clanfolk living in the area should also have 
  important knowledge to offer – the more successful 
  the player characters are in searching the archives 
  and questioning people, the more plentiful and 
  important the information will be. Perhaps the 
  territory has previously been engaged in a conflict 
  with some other ruler or faction, who in that case 
  will have important knowledge to sell or offer in 
  exchange for a favor or future trade deals? One must 
  always be on guard, however, in case the informer 
  has a reason to spread disinformation or go behind 
  the characters’ backs and sell information about 
  their meeting to the enemy (who will then be 
  alerted to what is going on).
  It would of course be even more interesting if 
  the player characters personally go to the loca-
  tion for reconnaissance. In that case, they will 
  probably have to use false identities, disguises, 
  and stealthy maneuvers (possibly combined with 
  mystical rituals) to infiltrate the enemy’s territory 
  and centers of power – a fort, a fortified village, or a 
  large camp in a secluded valley. The Game Master 
  can prepare a number of important discoveries 
  that can be made, which in turn affect the success 
  of the characters’ conquest. It may even be the case 
  that highly skilled/fortunate player characters can 
  obtain information that makes military means 
  unnecessary, something that allows them to extort 
  or otherwise force the enemy ruler to accept defeat?
  Phase 2: musterinG trooPs
  Not until one has taken full stock of the ene-
  my’s capabilities is it possible to determine the 
  49
  7
  G O A L  O R I E N T E D  R O L E P L A Y I N G
  Information and Degrees of Success
  If the Game Master wishes, the characters can obtain more and/or more vital 
  information depending on how well they succeed with their Cunning, Vigilant 
  and Persuasive tests when gathering information – a higher difference yields 
  better results. As for conquering new territories, a great success could mean 
  that the characters learn about the enemy’s special weakness or find out 
  about a secret hideout to which the leader retreats in times of danger.
   
  
  composition of the force necessary for the conquest 
  to succeed – in terms of numbers and resistance 
  level. See Table 20: Hiring Troops in the chapter 
  Pitched Battles (page 73) for guidelines on recrui-
  ting sellswords and freelance warriors.
  In the Davokar region there are plenty of com-
  manders to turn to for people wishing to build an 
  effective combat unit. If the conquest takes place 
  on someone else’s behalf, that person can probably 
  provide a considerable chunk of the force, otherwise 
  one must seek out barons, counts, clan chieftains, 
  or owners of sellsword companies with troops to 
  spare. Payment can be made in the form of thaler, 
  writs of debt (see page 185 in the Core Rulebook) – or 
  in the case of nobles and barbarian chieftains, a 
  share in the spoils, a future trade agreement, or a 
  military pact against a third party. Either way the 
  negotiations will likely be tough, and if the player 
  characters behave badly there is a risk that whoever 
  they are talking to will offer his/her services to the 
  enemy instead.
  Oh yes, one must be very careful when building 
  an army! Both commanders and individual soldiers 
  might turn out to be spying for the enemy, or be 
  willing to betray their superiors if they are mis-
  treated and the price is right. Perhaps the player 
  characters obtain information that identifies one 
  or multiple suspicious recruits, which compels 
  them to look into the matter and seek to prove the 
  treacherous activities before the culprit can be 
  brought in for questioning. Perhaps it eventually 
  turns out that both the information and the “proof” 
  were fabricated – something that might cause 
  serious problems with morale if the victims of the 
  conspiracy have already been punished…
  Phase 3: the march
  Leading an army of hundreds or even thousands 
  of soldiers, scouts and mystics through the wilder-
  ness is an adventure in itself. How things develop 
  depends largely on where the desired territory is 
  located, at least with regard to challenges related 
  to nature and provisions. Guidelines and rule 
  suggestions regarding how to keep an unruly 
  army in check can be found under the heading 
  The Player Characters as Commanders on page 71, 
  including a list of Misfortunes that might occur 
  on the journey.
  Other challenges have to do with the army’s 
  members. No matter where the men come from, 
  there can always be internal conflicts, based on past 
  grievances, varying loyalties or events on the road. 
  50
   
  
  An inventory could show that some vital supply, 
  such as medicine, or a personal item of great value 
  has been stolen or sabotaged by someone who is 
  probably an enemy agent. One can also imagine an 
  outbreak of disease forcing the player characters 
  to react promptly and decisively to stop the mal-
  ady from spreading to the entire force. All such 
  incidents could bring the march to a halt until 
  the danger passes – which in turn causes other 
  problems: supplies running out, the timing of the 
  attack plan getting ruined, the stationary army 
  becoming a tempting target for predators or enemy 
  surprise attacks.
  Phase 4: the BattLe
  When it comes to the battle itself, the Game Master 
  is referred to the chapter in this book that covers 
  precisely that (see page 67). But it is possible that the 
  player characters will want to take on one or several 
  specific tasks to handle during the course of the battle, 
  out of necessity or according to previous plans.
  Perhaps it falls on them to deal with the true 
  leaders of the place/region, who are staying away 
  from the fighting – in the safety of a fort, behind 
  an iron ring of capable bodyguards, or hiding 
  in a nearby ruin, cave or smaller fortification 
  camouflaged by mystical means. Or perhaps the 
  player characters decide to penetrate the enemy’s 
  stronghold and open the gates from inside, raze the 
  wall/palisade or set fire to its buildings. Getting 
  across, under or past the wall would only be the first 
  of several challenges; it will be at least as difficult 
  to carry out the mission itself, while remaining 
  undetected until allied troops are ready to advance.
  Other reasons to go behind enemy lines, or 
  even into their fortified stronghold, could be to 
  free a prisoner, or kidnap or steal some means of 
  leverage. The former case might concern an allied 
  spy or warrior whose freedom will have a positive 
  effect on the player characters’ plans, because of 
  the insights she possesses or because she raises the 
  army’s morale to new heights.
  It could also be a relative of a potential ally 
  refusing to take up arms until the kidnapped 
  individual has been freed. And speaking of kid-
  nappings, perhaps the abduction of the enemy 
  leader’s child, husband or elderly mother would 
  be leverage enough to prevent bloodshed, so the 
  conquest can take place around the negotiating 
  table instead? 
  It does not even have to be a person at all – an 
  item of great importance for the area’s most senior 
  commander might be enough: an artifact, a family 
  heirloom or some form of legal document. 
  Phase 5: estaBLishinG dominance
  Conquering an area has often been described as 
  easier than establishing dominion over its lands 
  and particularly its population. The first step is to 
  clean up after the battle – tending to the wounded 
  (on both sides?), rebuilding fortifications and 
  infrastructure, and mustering (and, if necessary, 
  reinforcing) one’s army.
  But the trickiest part is always what comes next: 
  winning over the locals. Even if the previous ruler 
  was a vicious tyrant, there will probably be some 
  who are opposed or hostile to the new power – 
  expecting it to be as despotic as the old one, or seeing 
  a chance to take control of the region themselves. 
  Local leaders of different factions must be handled, 
  with either stick or carrot, and the general public 
  must be persuaded that a brighter future lies ahead 
  after the battle that probably claimed the lives of 
  many of their sons and daughters.
  At this point there is an endless source of chal-
  lenges for the player characters to face. Perhaps 
  some key figure from the overthrown government 
  managed to escape and immediately tries to orga-
  nize a resistance from her hideout? Perhaps parts 
  of the population rebel in some peripheral part of 
  the conquered region? Perhaps some discharged 
  members of the player characters’ former army 
  feel unfairly treated and remain in the area as 
  brigands? The chapter titled Managing a Domain, 
  beginning on page 76, can provide the Game Master 
  with inspiration when it comes to the challenges 
  of establishing and maintaining dominance over 
  a specific territory.
  Holy Mission
  there are Lots of humans and other cultural 
  beings who have not yet come to know the love 
  and laws of Prios. We are primarily referring to 
  the barbarian clans, particularly the margina-
  lized groups who for various reasons do not feel 
  (or are not considered) part of the community. 
  Other examples include the goblin settlements 
  of Ambria and Davokar, the troll realms of the 
  Underworld, and the mountain passes where 
  the Bestiaals are growing in strength and num-
  ber. There have even been attempts to convert 
  members of the Iron Pact, though most Prios 
  worshippers consider such efforts pointless and 
  bordering on heretical.
  Perhaps the player characters are a group of 
  missionaries bent on spreading the Lawgiver’s 
  Leading troops on the 
  battlefield is not easy; 
  leading them during 
  a month-long march 
  through the wilderness 
  is no less of a challenge.
  7
  G O A L  O R I E N T E D  R O L E P L A Y I N G
  51
   
  
  blessing to those still stumbling in spiritual 
  darkness. Alternatively, they could be hired 
  as bodyguards to escort a group of sun priests 
  from Thistle Hold, Kastor or some other border 
  town. In that case they will find the challenge 
  of educating and converting the heathens just 
  as difficult as the journey to their godforsaken 
  corner of the world.
  Phase 1: the sun march
  The term Sun March has historically referred to 
  actual heretic persecutions, often carried out by 
  the Templars and resulting in the total destruction 
  of “dark” settlements, outposts or villages. But 
  more recently the word has also come to describe 
  peaceful missionary tours to remote villages in the 
  wilderness of the Davokar region, primarily in the 
  mountains or forests. Besides the hardships that can 
  befall those traveling through such areas (see page 
  89–99), a group of missionaries might encounter 
  more specific types of challenges.
  Table 8 describes a number of events or situa-
  tions that may arise during the sacred Sun March. 
  How often you roll on (or pick events from) the 
  table is up to the gaming group to decide, but once 
  every three to five days of travel can be a good 
  benchmark – the shorter the trip, the more frequent 
  the intervals. 
  Table 8: Events During Sun Marches
  1d20
  event
  descriPtion
  effect
  1–3
  Cursed
  A missionary claims a deer gave him the evil eye, 
  causing concern among the whole expedition.
  All participants make a Resolute test; those who fail 
  suffer –1 to all success tests for 24 hours.
  4–5
  Punished
  A missionary claims to have dreamed that 
  another member’s thoughts have displeased Pri-
  os, overwhelming everyone with shame and guilt.
  All participants make a Resolute test; those who fail 
  suffer –2 to all success tests for 24 hours.
  6
  Infected
  A missionary gets an impulse to pick berries from 
  an unknown bush and offer them around – likely 
  not from Prios, but from some false god.
  Everyone is exposed to a Weak disease (see the 
  Symbaroum Monster Codex, page 169).
  7
  Unlucky
  It is as if the sun no longer shines on the group; 
  nothing seems to be going right.
  During the next scene, an odd result on a success 
  test means failure, except if the result is 1.
  8
  Prios’ Judgment
  The expedition leader sees the fingers of Prios 
  (sunrays) pointing at a body of water and en-
  courages everyone to drink from it.
  Everyone is exposed to a Strong disease (see the 
  Symbaroum Monster Codex, page 169).
  9–11
  Nothing happens
  12–14
  Blessed
  A missionary hears Prios' voice whispering words 
  of love in the wind rustling through the trees.
  All participants make a Resolute test; a success adds 
  +1 to all success tests for 24 hours.
  15–16
  Sanctified
  An expedition member wakes up with a never- 
  before-heard hymn to Prios stuck in her head.
  Singing the hymn grants everyone +2 to all success 
  tests for 24 hours.
  17
  Sun Temple
  The expedition comes across an ancient, over-
  grown ruin; there is a sun symbol carved above 
  the entrance.
  It takes a full day to explore the ruin (see Ruin, page 
  98), which turns out to be a nest of hungry spiders 
  (of suitable resistance).
  18
  The wellspring  
  of the One
  The group passes a wellspring where a few points 
  of light glitter despite it being in the shade.
  1D8 drops of natural Water of the Dusk are drifting 
  around in the spring; collecting them requires one 
  successful Vigilant test per drop; failure causes the 
  drop to burst and mix with the water.
  19
  Revelation
  A dazzling golden-white figure descends through 
  the foliage and touches all missionaries (but no 
  companions) on the forehead with a finger.
  Those it touches may choose one of the following: 
  Gain 10 Experience; Lose 1D4 permanent corrup-
  tion; Lose one Burden (see text box); Gain +1 to all 
  success tests or effect tests for one month; Gain a 
  sacred protection that lasts for one month and al-
  lows the person to ignore 1 damage from all attacks, 
  or 2 damage from the natural weapon of abomina-
  tions or undead.
  20
  Divine Gift
  The group stumbles upon the decayed remains of 
  an arach; all equipment has long been destroyed, 
  save for a single object.
  Prios has left a gift for the missionaries, in the form 
  of an artifact (the Game Master chooses one from 
  page 132–150).
  52
   
  
  Phase 2: arrivaL 
  Whether the missionaries’ destination is a human 
  settlement or a community of goblins, trolls, or 
  something else, it is often difficult to know in 
  advance how their arrival will play out – the recep-
  tion could be anything from peaceful or hesitant 
  to downright hostile.
  Being warmly welcomed to a wilderness 
  community is certainly nice, and its people may 
  actually be open and favorably disposed toward 
  strangers. But experienced missionaries know 
  not to let their guard down! All of a sudden the 
  locals turn out to be man-eaters just waiting for 
  the main course to fall asleep in their assigned 
  hut. They might also be in need of new slaves, or 
  sacrifices to their imaginary (or very real) god. No 
  matter the nature of the reception, the first day 
  will greatly affect the mission’s outcome: if the 
  player characters manage to fend off an attack, or 
  behave in a way that earns the heathens’ respect 
  or sparks their curiosity, they will most likely get 
  a chance to explain why they have come and what 
  they have to offer, in the form of truth and salvation 
  and possibly a worldly gift or two.
  If the settlement they visit is already under 
  the control of some other power in the area, the 
  missionaries’ arrival will be very different. The 
  power in question could be a neighboring com-
  munity, a powerful beast, or a long dead ruler who 
  has risen from the grave and resumed his former 
  position. Such situations could cause problems, 
  like the player characters being welcomed at first, 
  only to later be imprisoned and brought before the 
  local leader. But they also present opportunities. 
  If the missionaries figure out what is going on 
  and manage to defeat or expel the tyrant, they 
  will probably have an easier time convincing the 
  sinners of Prios’ greatness!
  Phase 3: saLvation
  Converting heretics is usually a test of patience; it 
  can take weeks or months for the sermons to bear 
  fruit. It is always easiest if the target has never heard 
  of Prios before and their lifestyle is such that they 
  are impressed by the missionaries’ appearance, 
  equipment and problem-solving skills – that is, if 
  the player characters with a few quick suggestions 
  (“inspired by the Sun God”) can make the inhabitants 
  safer and better fed. The most difficult scenarios 
  would probably be to convert Ambrians who have 
  deliberately turned their backs on Prios, and obvio-
  usly members of the Iron Pact who believe the Sun 
  God’s laws call for the pillaging of Creation.
  The optional rule Group Indoctrination (see 
  textbox) can be used to determine how the work 
  proceeds. An impressionable group starts out as 
  Welcoming (–5), while an isolated settlement of 
  pagan worshippers begins at Hateful (–50). A new 
  roll is made for every week the missionary effort 
  progresses, but there is also reason to roleplay a 
  number of scenes where the player characters are 
  tested, or where they themselves take the initiative 
  to influence the settlement.
  Staging a miracle is a tried and tested way of 
  setting unbelievers on the right path – something 
  that is best achieved through the use of mysti-
  cal abilities such as Lay on Hands, Prios’ Burning 
  Glass, or Sanctifying Rite; one can also resort to 
  illusions or downright trickery. Another success-
  ful method can be to attack an “overwhelming” 
  threat in the area and use one’s victory as proof 
  of Prios’ greatness.
  Naturally, there are more brutal methods 
  as well. If the settlement already has a shaman 
  or some other spiritual leader, perhaps a duel 
  between the champions of the respective gods 
  can be a route to success – preferably a fight to the 
  death so the problem gets a permanent solution. 
  There have also been occasions when missionar-
  ies have staged “accidents” that killed the most 
  ardent skeptics, to show that Prios always pun-
  ishes heretics. Last but not least are the methods 
  employed by the Whip of Prios, meant to expose 
  ungodly individuals who displease the Lawgiver. 
  The most famous of these methods is the so called 
  Trial of the Sun – it is not for the faint of heart, 
  but worth knowing about if the heretic crowd is 
  difficult to convince!
  Revelation & Burdens
  We suggest that the 
  revelation can free a 
  player character from 
  the following burdens: 
  Addiction, Bloodthirst, 
  Epileptic, Impulsive, 
  Nightmares and 
  Sickly. Others could be 
  appropriate as well, if 
  the players and Game 
  Master are in agreement
  53
  7
  G O A L  O R I E N T E D  R O L E P L A Y I N G
  The Trial of the Sun
  The Trial of the Sun is a ritual that can be performed, willingly or otherwise, 
  by an accused heretic wishing to prove her innocence. The heretic undres-
  ses his upper body and washes himself with water blessed by a sun priest, 
  before being shackled in a place bathed in sunlight. If the person really is a 
  heretic, the skin starts to redden and sting after about ten minutes; within 
  an hour there will be blisters on the heretic’s head, torso and arms; in the 
  following hour the symptoms are exacerbated and the pain gets worse and 
  worse. If left in the sunlight, the heretic will lose consciousness after 1D4+2 
  hours and spontaneously ignite after yet another hour.
  It should be duly noted, that this method requires the water to be bles-
  sed in a particular way, with a combination of Prios’ word and a few drops of 
  extract from the Graymilk Root. And the sun priest must of course be sure 
  that the person on trial is in fact a heretic, as the symptoms can affect even 
  the most pious of Sun God worshippers...
   
  
  Phase 4: the temPLe
  When the entire, or at least a critical mass of, the 
  population (including its worldly leader/s) has 
  professed their faith in the Lawgiver, it is time to 
  start building the settlement’s sun temple. The 
  size and building material may vary, depending 
  on the size of the congregation and the natural 
  environment in the area; ideally the dome should 
  of course be made of copper, but yellow-painted 
  stone or wood will also suffice. The most important 
  things are the sun podium and the windows or 
  openings that allow the evening sun to shine down 
  on the preaching liturgy.
  As a rule there is always at least one faction 
  among the locals that wishes to stop the construc-
  tion, because they disapprove of the “outsider’s” 
  influence, because the new order strengthens the 
  current chief’s/leader’s position, or perhaps because 
  they refuse to abandon their heretical ways. The 
  resistance could take place openly, in the form of 
  protests and occupation of the construction site, 
  but it is not uncommon for the heretic minority to 
  act in secrecy – trying to sabotage the construction 
  effort or even eliminate the new god’s prophets: the 
  player characters.
  Other challenges will result from the accidents 
  (real or orchestrated) that inevitably occur during 
  major construction projects. Heretics in the area 
  will probably point to these incidents as proof that 
  the temple is an abomination in the eyes of the old 
  gods; the player characters must get their loyal 
  followers to see them instead as wicked powers 
  struggling against the supremacy of Prios, and then 
  show them that the Sun God cares for the families 
  of the killed or wounded.
  Finally, the construction might also attract 
  external threats. The constant hammering and 
  clattering can attract flocks of predators or agitate 
  larger beasts roaming the region. But the worst case 
  scenario would probably be if the Iron Pact realizes 
  what is going on – the elves do not want the Queen’s 
  Table 10: Miracles and Wonders
  activity
  descriPtion
  saLvation Points
  Healing
  Using Inherit Wound or Lay on Hands
  1
  Unmasking
  Using True Form to see through illusions
  1
  Foretelling
  Using Oracle to make a prediction that comes true
  1
  Blessing
  Using Sanctifying Rite to heal Corrupted Nature
  1–2
  Banishing
  Using Exorcism to banish a spirit from a possessed individual
  1–2
  Duel
  Defeating a Challenging or Strong champion of the opposing faction
  1–2
  Heroic Deed
  Defeating a Strong, Mighty or Legendary monster
  1–3
  Liberating
  Destroying or driving away an external power plaguing the target group
  2–3
  Table 9: Initial Attitude
  attitude
  saLvation vaLue
  resistance
  Welcoming
  –5
  –
  Neutral
  –10
  –1
  Apprehensive
  –15
  –1
  Disapproving
  –20
  –3
  Distrustful
  –30
  –3
  Hateful
  –50
  –5
  54
  Group Indoctrination
  Converting a group of cultural beings to the church of the One is a lengthy 
  process that requires patience and persistence, especially if the target 
  group is initially averse to the idea. Table 9: Initial Attitude provides sugges-
  tions on possible starting values, and only once the Salvation Value reaches 
  0 has a critical group been saved in the name of Prios.
  The missionary work itself is conducted through a combination of mani-
  pul… sorry, conversations about Prios’ greatness and bold action. Table 10: 
  Miracles and Wonders offers suggestions on the latter, including how many 
  salvation points such efforts can yield. We propose that a respective effort 
  only give points the first time it is performed; furthermore, performing won-
  ders can only give points once per week – if miracles happen too frequently, 
  they may seem less impressive to the target group.
  As for the daily conversations and sermons, the missionaries can make 
  one Persuasive test per week, with the modifier indicated in the Resistance 
  column in Table 9: Initial Attitude. A successful test increases the salvation 
  value by 1; if it succeeds with a difference of five or more, the value increases 
  by 2. On failure nothing happens, but if it fails with a difference of five or 
  more, the value decreases by 2.
  Note that these principles can be applied in other contexts as well, when 
  convincing a group of people to accept a new ruler, ideology or deity.
   
  
  people to increase their influence in the forests and 
  mountains. If the player characters are lucky, the 
  first threats will come from a diplomatic faction. 
  But no matter the makeup of the warband, it will 
  definitely end in bloodshed unless the construction 
  stops and the missionaries leave the area at once – 
  possibly the most common cause of death among 
  Ambrian missionaries, at least in Davokar. Here 
  the groundwork is put to the test; will the converts 
  take up arms against the Iron Pact or abandon the 
  player characters in their hour of peril? 
  Phase 5: maintaininG the 
  conGreGation
  When the temple is finished and all internal and 
  external threats have been addressed, it is time 
  to start thinking about the journey home. But no 
  matter how convinced the missionaries are that 
  Prios has taken the settlement under his heavenly 
  wings, it is important to prepare the population for 
  a life without the Lawgiver’s prophets. “Prios” must 
  appoint a worthy high priest and a group of associ-
  ates who can carry the Sun God’s banner through 
  years, decades, even centuries. In the future these 
  select few must also be presented with privileges 
  and gifts – to prevent them from being seduced by 
  dark forces, but also to make them seem favored 
  and respectable in the eyes of the populace.
  No matter how well they succeed in appointing 
  their successors, the player characters must keep 
  an eye on what happens in the area. They should 
  provide the high priest with a bunch of homing 
  pigeons, a mind stone (see Thistle Hold – Wrath of 
  the Warden, page 111), or some similar means of 
  conveying news and periodic reports. Perhaps 
  situations will arise that force the player charac-
  ters to revisit the settlement. For instance, they 
  could hear about wavering faith and growing 
  doubt among the populace, or about missionaries 
  from a nearby heretic nest having come to spread 
  their erroneous beliefs. Reports of a fire at the 
  temple, or about a priest (or several) dying under 
  mysterious circumstances, would make matters 
  even more urgent. The most worrying scenario 
  would of course be if all communication with the 
  settlement suddenly went silent…
  Monster Hunt
  the WiLderness must be tamed, if not outright 
  beaten into submission. One way of demon-
  strating the superiority and dominance of the 
  Ambrian people is through monster trophies 
  – proof that not even the mightiest King Toad,
  Drakworm or World Serpent is safe in the world 
  of humans! Suitable game is everywhere, in the 
  forests, mountains and waters. Such creatures
  are sometimes difficult to find, and often even
  harder to kill, but those who manage to drag home 
  a magnificent specimen can often expect great
  amounts of glory, wealth and fame.
  Perhaps the player characters are members 
  of a monster hunting society, as described in the 
  Symbaroum Monster Codex – a book which also pres-
  ents three different types of monster hunting (page 
  183)? They could also be offering their services to 
  some rich individual seeking a majestic trophy for 
  the wall, or to the residents of an outpost or border 
  town who want to get rid of the fiendish creature 
  terrorizing their lives. Whatever their motivation 
  may be, the monsters of the wild will present the 
  characters with great challenges.
  Phase 1: the Prey
  How the player characters decide which prey 
  to pursue can vary considerably. Perhaps they 
  themselves have strong opinions on the matter? 
  Perhaps they receive a specific request from some 
  quest giver? In towns like Kastor and Thistle Hold 
  they may also seek out or run into various hun-
  ters, explorers and others who like to tell wild 
  stories about their past exploits. This can be a 
  valuable source of knowledge even if the prey 
  has already been decided on – why chase after 
  some half-wounded young Manauit if someone 
  can point the way to a fully grown, magnificent 
  King Toad; why target a Scorner “living” in some 
  corruption-oozing blackland when another is said 
  to be haunting an easily accessible burial mound?
  Also, one cannot rule out the possibility that the 
  player characters’ monster hunt is just a brief guest 
  appearance, prompted by the pleas of some vul-
  nerable village or accepted as a paying assignment 
  from someone who wants a specific beast dead – to 
  avenge a loved one it devoured or to decorate the 
  throne room with the trophy of a famous beast. 
  Phase 2: the tooLs
  Before the hunt begins it is important to study the 
  targeted prey. Perhaps there are people who have 
  actually encountered the monster in question; 
  perhaps there are written sources to consult, or 
  legends to be heard? Whatever the characters 
  decide to do, they must try to learn as much as 
  possible about the strengths and weaknesses of 
  the individual beast and the species as a whole. But 
  such insights rarely come for free, and there might 
  7
  G O A L  O R I E N T E D  R O L E P L A Y I N G
  55
   
  
  be others who seek the same exact information – 
  which can lead to everything from bidding wars 
  to violent confrontations.
  The knowledge gathered will prove useful when 
  it is time to purchase equipment for the journey. 
  Perhaps the assumed weaknesses of the prey make 
  it particularly vulnerable to mechanical traps, a 
  certain type of poison or weapons with the quality 
  Long? Perhaps the characters’ insights indicate that 
  they should favor a certain means of protection, or 
  buy a large number of hunting dogs to distract the 
  monster while the hunters try to kill it? Having the 
  right tools can be just as important for monster 
  hunters as for craftsmen and artists.
  Finally, the characters must prepare for the 
  journey itself. They must acquire an Explorer’s 
  License, the right equipment, and possibly a guide 
  who is familiar with their destination. There will 
  no doubt be maps for them to buy, from people 
  claiming that their particular route is the fastest 
  and safest way to the beast’s habitat. But whom 
  should they trust, and how much are they prepared 
  to pay? It is always safest to compensate others 
  in the form of future shares (see page 185 in the 
  Core Rulebook), but on the other hand, that means 
  someone else will claim a large piece of the profit 
  – often as much as 30–50%.
  Phase 3: the hunt
  Journeys through Davokar are always dangerous 
  and eventful. First the player characters must 
  make their way to the area where the prey is 
  When hunting mons-
  ters, understanding 
  one’s prey and getting 
  the right sort of equip-
  ment is pivotal.  
  Or else...
  56
   
  
  supposed to be, and that alone can be challeng-
  ing. Elven warbands, ardent rangers and packs 
  of prowling predators are always a threat. Or 
  perhaps the player characters are in a race with 
  one or multiple rival hunting parties, who seek 
  to sabotage any competitors by attacking them in 
  their camp, destroying their supplies or running 
  ahead to set nasty traps.
  Once they have arrived, the real work begins. 
  Some prey can be found in a specific location, such 
  as a ruin, a cairn, a sinkhole or a cave. In that case 
  the place must be reconnoitered, the entrances 
  located, and potential dangers identified – tasks 
  which become particularly interesting if other 
  hunting parties have also arrived in the area. 
  Other prey are constantly on the move and must 
  either be tracked or lured into a trap. The risk of 
  such a hunt is that the prey may have already left 
  for some other pasture or hunting ground, which 
  poses challenges the player characters may not be 
  prepared for. Another risk is that the prey might 
  realize it is being hunted, and set a trap or lay an 
  ambush for the player characters…
  Phase 4: the deathBLoW
  When engaged in a monster hunt, the hunters’ 
  confrontation with their prey should of course 
  be a climax, particularly if this is something 
  the gaming group occupies themselves with for 
  several sessions in a row. Try to create some vari-
  ation between the adventures, in terms of setting 
  and enemy strategies. Regarding the former, the 
  great ruins of Davokar may seem like the obvious 
  choice, but even that can become tiresome unless 
  varied with overgrown valleys, open glades, wet 
  marshes or underground vaults. As for strategies, 
  the traits presented in the Symbaroum Monster 
  Codex (page 164–173) can be combined in lots of 
  ways, which (mixed with the chosen battlefield) 
  will force the player characters to use the full 
  range of their capabilities in order to succeed in 
  their hunt. 
  Also, it would not hurt if each confrontation 
  offers at least one unpleasant surprise. If the 
  player characters are well-prepared and have 
  carefully surveyed the area, the Game Master 
  should of course reward them by not changing 
  the circumstances completely. But the forest of 
  Davokar is capricious, and its inhabitants unpre-
  dictable! Perhaps the prey has abilities they do 
  not know about? Perhaps there are other threats 
  nearby; threats that do not reveal themselves 
  until the player characters attack? Even the 
  weakest prey can be difficult to kill if it turns 
  out to be protected by a so far invisible spirit, 
  or if a blight mist suddenly comes drifting in on 
  imperceptible winds.
  Phase 5: the return
  Regardless of whether the player characters return 
  with a slain prey or a live captured monster, the 
  journey back should transpire without any serious 
  difficulty. Exceptions can be made, however, if only 
  to maintain the suspense – a rival hunting party 
  lies in ambush; a group of Iron Pact agents comes 
  to avenge or free a captured prey; the stench of the 
  trophy or noise of the captive attracts trolls, preda-
  tors or swelling abominations. But otherwise we 
  suggest that the real challenges present themselves 
  on the characters’ return to civilization. 
  At this point, any envious competitors become 
  a serious problem, as do the Ironsworn who (what-
  ever the purpose of the hunt) view the characters’ 
  actions as a crime against Creation. And unless 
  they are hunting for sport or to mount the trophy 
  on their own wall, the characters will probably 
  face other challenges as they finally deliver the 
  captured/dead creature. A quest giver may very 
  well refuse to pay the agreed price, or claim that 
  the reward was paid in advance. Perhaps agents of 
  the local ruler show up, asserting that the trophy 
  or the living beast is “the property of the Queen” and 
  demanding that it immediately be handed over to 
  its “rightful owner?”
  Staging an Expedition
  many are those who have arrived at the edge 
  of Davokar hoping to win wealth, glory and fame 
  by plundering the ruins of the long lost empire of 
  Symbaroum. Most will never leave town or are so 
  ill prepared that they quickly have to turn back; 
  most of the rest will reach their targeted site but 
  never return. Despite this, the stream of fortune 
  hunters never seems to dry up, probably because 
  the few who actually make it all the way in and out 
  often do so lugging a veritable fortune.
  For the group of characters dreaming about stag-
  ing an expedition into Davokar, a long and perilous 
  journey awaits, starting long before they even set 
  foot under the trees. And for the Game Master it 
  should not be a problem to provide the players with 
  exciting and testing challenges – on the contrary: 
  adventures and campaigns dealing with treasure 
  hunts are precisely what Symbaroum is built for!
  Rules and guidelines for journeys through 
  the wilderness can be found in the chapter 
  7
  G O A L  O R I E N T E D  R O L E P L A Y I N G
  57
   
  
  Expeditions in Davokar, starting on page 87. There 
  you can also find tables to randomly decide the 
  challenges of the excursion.
  Phase 1: seLectinG the site
  First of all, the player characters have to pinpoint 
  the target of their endeavor. In the Core Rulebook 
  several persons with knowledge about ruins in 
  the forest are described, and adding to that there 
  are plenty of both false and true rumors circling 
  the taverns in town. There is also the option to get 
  in touch with organizations like Ordo Magica or 
  adventurous nobles, in the hope that one of these 
  knows of a promising site and is in need of assis-
  tance exploring it.
  No matter how you find your target, you can be 
  sure that other groups of explorers also have the 
  same target in sight. It may come to bidding wars 
  or even physical fights over the right to a credible 
  treasure map, so that you will have to resort to 
  lies and manipulation or maybe even use force to 
  lay claim to the piece of cloth, leather or paper. Or 
  the seller may decide to take money from several 
  different groups, which then are left to compete in 
  a race for the treasure.
  If you reach out to one of the major factions, 
  it is likely that they already have one or more 
  groups of freelancing explorers just waiting for 
  the next expedition to start. In that case, the player 
  characters need to find a way to come off as more 
  competent than the rivals, while those rivals prob-
  ably will come after them in force. Maybe two or 
  more freelance groups even join up to sweep the 
  newcomer off the field.
  Phase 2: financinG
  Of course, anyone can put their boots on and wander 
  off into the forest, but to have a reasonable chance 
  at success the player characters must be prepared to 
  spend a considerable sum of thaler. The cost of the 
  Explorer’s License for a month alone, covering five 
  persons aiming to mine the soil of Davokar, can be 
  as high as between seventy and a hundred thaler. 
  Added to that are the cost of equipment and the 
  salaries for any fellow companions, for example a 
  guide and some extra sellswords.
  For a group that has yet to secure the travel 
  funds, there are numerous ways to earn thaler 
  in Thistle Hold and other towns. The paragraph 
  on page 51 in the Core Rulebook gives a hint, and 
  in Thistle Hold – Wrath of the Warden you can 
  find lots of people and organizations in need of 
  contractors, or who can be blackmailed. Another 
  option is to find a wealthy partner who can fund 
  the project in exchange for a share in any future 
  profit (see page 185 in the Core Rulebook). The 
  Ambrian nobles, retired fortune hunters and 
  prominent antique dealers are all conceivable 
  options. In the end, maybe you would do best 
  talking to several candidates and attempting 
  to pit them against each other to reach the best 
  possible agreement.
  When it comes to negotiating the cost of the 
  Explorer’s License, that can be an adventure in 
  itself. There are thaler to earn by convincing the 
  Queen’s lackeys that you possess the competence 
  needed for the expedition and that your activities 
  will not disturb the forest very much. And if 
  you do not work hard to come off as pleasant and 
  forthcoming (for instance by performing some 
  small personal errands for the licensors) you'll 
  most likely find your costs arbitrarily rising. 
  Great recommendations from other treasure 
  hunters or prominent individuals – honest ones 
  or skillfully fabricated – can prove to be very 
  valuable in this context.
  Gaining hold of trustworthy companions can 
  also lead to some interesting challenges. What do 
  you do if all skilled guides are already on missions? 
  Well, either you ask around the local fortune- 
  hunter’s district or you dare turn to some nearby 
  goblin village in search of both guides and workers. 
  What sellswords can you trust, after having heard 
  stories about mercenaries ganging up on and killing 
  their employers in their sleep?
  Phase 3: the journey
  Lots of expeditions must abort their mission 
  before even reaching the destination, others dis-
  appear without a trace. In a forest like Davokar, 
  the reasons behind such tragedies can be many. 
  Packs of predators, Elven warbands, roving bar-
  barians, rampaging rage trolls, hidden sinkholes, 
  corrupted nature surrounding the carcass of a 
  dead abomination – the list of dangers goes on 
  and on.
  58
  Readymade Ruins
  In the first and fourth episode of the Chronicle of the Throne of Thorns 
  (Wrath of the Warden and Mother of Darkness), a total of four ruins are 
  described, complete with maps and non-player characters. These will 
  do great as a basis for goal oriented playing. Adding to this, single ad-
  venture sites can be found in other products – as King Hurian's crypt 
  in Tomb of Dying Dreams, or the isle Yeferon and the palace Farah 
  Moroun in Karvosti – the Witch Hammer.
   
  
  And if the forest and its inhabitants are not 
  enough to cause trouble, there are plenty of other 
  possible threats. The directions you follow may 
  prove to be misleading or vague. Treasure hunting 
  competitors may very well trail the expedition, 
  hoping to steal away with your loot. Or it can be 
  that there are two, three or even more groups that 
  are already racing to arrive first and that are not 
  afraid to sabotage each other.
  Also, problems may arise within the expedi-
  tion. Infectious outbreaks, lack of discipline and 
  outright mutinies have caused as many failures as 
  threats from outside the group. If you, for instance, 
  get lost or if it is revealed that what you are search-
  ing for cannot be found where you thought it to 
  be, the risk for internal conflict increases dramat-
  ically. All of a sudden you are short on supplies, 
  which can be disastrous if you are in a region 
  contaminated by corruption. Quarrels may arise 
  about whether the party should return to Ambria 
  or keep going, and in the latter case regarding 
  what area to head for next.
  Finally, even if we would suggest that the player 
  characters who manage to reach the target and 
  harvest its treasure get a chance to breathe easy, 
  everything written above is just as true when it 
  comes to the journey back home.
  Phase 4: the treasure hunt
  After reaching the alluring destination of the 
  expedition, the next series of challenges begins. 
  The ruins may be difficult to survey or be totally 
  overgrown. The area can be the habitat of a flock 
  of predators, a goblin tribe or a group of rage 
  trolls led by an unwelcoming liege troll. Or you 
  may discover that one or more other expeditions 
  have already found their way to the site, and 
  they are extremely reluctant to accommodate 
  any competition. Irrespective of which, you 
  first need to gain an easily defended foothold 
  and then use force or negotiate in order to take 
  control of the area.
  Once this is done, it is time to take on the ruin 
  or ruins. There awaits treasure in the form of art 
  objects, artifacts and arcane knowledge that the 
  right buyer will gladly purchase for a handsome 
  sum. But there are also fiendish traps, the risk 
  of collapsing floors and ceilings, labyrinthine 
  tunnels and well-hidden pathways. And to add 
  to the troubles, there is always the risk that 
  the ruin’s former inhabitants linger – in the 
  form of a famished pack of Dragouls, as blight 
  born abominations or as a long dead family of 
  Cryptwalkers that are opposed to any intrusion 
  into their private sphere.
  In the end, it is all about surviving and leaving 
  the place with as many of its valuables as possible. 
  Maybe the showpiece of the ruin is extra hard to 
  reach – hidden beyond a cruel trap, surrounded 
  by a hoard of undead or standing on a rock in an 
  underground lake infused with corruption. If so, 
  the players must decide if they are to settle for more 
  accessible loot or risk their lives trying to reach the 
  showpiece. Or maybe they are not happy with their 
  initial finds and agree to stay at the ruin, hoping 
  to unearth richer loot behind rubble or some yet 
  uncovered passage – all the while being attacked 
  by a never ending flood of Dragouls or while some 
  external threat closes in on the site (rival treasure 
  hunters, attracted abominations or vindictive rel-
  atives of the group which was pacified when the 
  player characters arrived to the area).
  A totally different kind of challenge may arise for 
  those who have scored the mother lode – deciding 
  what to bring along and what to leave behind. No 
  matter how many are involved in the expedition 
  there is a limit to how much they can carry and 
  still survive the journey home.
  Phase 5: returninG home
  If the player characters manage to get back to 
  Ambria with their loot, they must find a way to 
  turn the valuables into the biggest earnings pos-
  sible. First, the finds must be registered at one of 
  the Queen’s Legations, and when that is done the 
  problems usually appear. Whichever precautions 
  are taken, there is a risk that rumors start spreading 
  about their catch, and suddenly the characters are 
  transformed from treasure hunters to prey.
  All who are occupied in trading with antiq-
  uities and treasures of knowledge will try to get 
  their attention. Other fortune hunters will grow 
  jealous and decide to pick a fight, or even worse: 
  they will band together hoping to steal both 
  treasures and lives from the player characters. 
  A financial partner may suddenly put forth a 
  falsified contract by which he or she is entitled 
  to an even greater cut of the loot than what was 
  decided before departure. In such a situation, the 
  group who early on managed to engage a loyal and 
  influential partner will have all the reasons for 
  thanking their lucky star!
  However, there are alternatives to the legal 
  way. The character may for instance hide their 
  loot and sell the objects one at a time, in some 
  town or outpost. That way, they can avoid most 
  of the hysteria, but will on the other hand have 
  to worry about the secret leaking out and that 
  someone will try to locate and attack the hiding 
  place of the valuables.
  7
  G O A L  O R I E N T E D  R O L E P L A Y I N G
  59
   
  
  atch it, a trap!” Alina cried out and threw 
  herself backwards, a hair’s breadth from 
  being impaled on a rusty iron spear.
  I hurried over to help her up while my 
  gaze swept along the walls of the throne 
  room. Due to the vegetation that had 
  replaced the structure’s collapsed roof, they 
  lay in night black shade.
  “Ha, no worries, all’s good,” Alina grinned, confident as always and 
  boldly indifferent about the dangers waiting in our path. “But very 
  strange, a trap here, in the middle of the hall?”
  “Right in front of the podium,” Uriel muttered, as if to explain. 
  “There, to the right,” the mystic continued, pointing towards a dark 
  opening.
  The stairway corkscrewed deep into the ground, more than 
  ten meters. Judging by the accumulation of dirt and rotting leaves 
  underfoot, no one had walked there in decades, possibly centuries. 
  Alina stopped on the final stair, raising the lantern above her head, 
  partially illuminating a chamber so large that the walls of the room 
  opening before us remained swathed in darkness. 
  “Hm, not good,” she whispered to herself, more thoughtful than 
  worried.
  I poked her shoulder, gave her an inquisitive glance.
  “Wait, no worries.” She gave me the lantern and started exami-
  ning the walls on both sides of the opening, with eyes and fingertips. 
  “There has to be a latch, some form of…”
  Alina interrupted herself as a loud click echoed through the dark-
  ness. Before walking out on the floor, she turned around with a smile:
  “Ha, told you so!”
  Those were the final words that ever passed across her lips…
  W
  60
   
  
  T H E  C H A L L E N G E S
  S E C T I O N  2 :
  61
   
  
  Advanced 
  Traps
  the treasures hidden in the ruins of Davokar are often 
  guarded by advanced machinery; many tombs and treasure 
  chambers of Ambrian nobles are also fitted with deadly traps. 
  Passing them undetected and unharmed is a challenge worthy 
  of even the most experienced treasure hunter. Constructing 
  such advanced traps requires the combined effort of engineers 
  and trappers, and plenty of time and money. There are 
  magical traps as well, woven by patient ritualists or carved 
  by diligent runemasters. Such traps are particularly devious 
  and difficult to avoid, even for a master thief.
  Traps as Challenges
  aLL advanced traPs reset after being triggered 
  or passed; they are not disarmed, but ready to 
  trap or maim whoever comes next. Encountering 
  and dealing with an advanced trap counts as 
  a challenging scene in its own right and thus 
  grants Experience.
  A trap’s difficulty level determines how challeng-
  ing it is to handle. The values listed in the Modifier 
  column in Table 11: Difficulty of Advanced Traps are 
  used when detecting and circumventing, as well 
  as defending against, each respective mechanism.
  All mechanisms described in the next section 
  can be of any level; the level of the specific trap 
  encountered by the player characters is determined 
  by the Game Master, either by rolling on or choos-
  ing from the table. All advanced traps have three 
  features in common, which are described according 
  to the following template:
  The treasure hunter 
  who has not survived 
  the encounter with a 
  spike floor… well, she is 
  probably dead.
  62
   
  
  Clue: Vigilant or Cunning individuals can notice that 
  something is wrong, and have a chance to detect 
  the danger.
  Mechanism: What happens if someone fails to 
  detect the trap and triggers its effect – i.e. the way it 
  deals damage. Avoiding the damage usually requires 
  a successful [Defense –Difficulty] or [Quick –Difficulty] 
  test. A trap that affects a victim usually makes mul-
  tiple attacks at the same target, all of which must 
  be evaded separately.
  Solution: The correct way of handling the trap in 
  order to pass it safely. The players must try to figure 
  it out based on the clue; a player character with 
  the Trapper ability can work out how to get past 
  the trap with a successful [Cunning –Difficulty] test.
  63
  8
  A D V A N C E D  T R A P S
  Table 11: Difficulty of Advanced Traps
  1d20
  difficuLty
  modifier
  1–7
  Weak
  ±0
  8–12
  Ordinary
  –1
  13–16
  Challenging
  –3
  17–19
  Strong
  –5
  20
  Mighty
  –8
   
  
  Traps
  the traPs Presented below may of course be 
  used as-is, but hopefully they can also serve as 
  inspiration for homemade creations. If you enjoy 
  designing death-dealing mechanisms with (more or 
  less) tricky solutions, you are perfectly welcome to 
  share your inventions on any of the forums where 
  Symbaroum is discussed, for instance at [https://
  forum.frialigan.se/].
  LiGhtninG Gate
  Clue: [Vigilant –Difficulty] The air in the room or 
  corridor buzzes with power and makes the hair 
  on one’s head and arms stand on end. The focus of 
  this energy is the closed door at the far end of the 
  room. There are two waist-high copper rods stick-
  ing out of narrow furrows in the floor just inside 
  the entrance to the room/corridor; the furrows run 
  straight across to the far wall.
  Mechanism: Stepping inside without grabbing 
  both rods with one’s bare hands triggers a lightning 
  bolt that hits everyone in the room/corridor. The 
  discharge deals 8 damage (ignores Armor); a suc-
  cessful [Quick –Difficulty] test reduces the damage 
  by half. The lightning bolt dances between the walls 
  and hits a random target a second time with the 
  same effect, before it disappears and the lightning 
  gate recharges.
  Solution: A person gripping the copper rods will 
  not trigger the trap. The rods can be moved through 
  the furrows in the floor, all the way to the door; 
  that will deactivate the trap for one minute. Then 
  the rods either return to their original position or 
  stay where they are, depending on the trap’s design 
  (i.e. the Game Master decides).
  coLLaPsinG ceiLinG
  Clue: [Vigilant –Difficulty] A faint bubbling sound 
  comes from the walls, which seem to have some 
  form of vertical trenches or rails built into them. 
  There are stains on the floor and matching stains 
  on the ceiling. Some of the stone floor tiles look 
  more worn than others.
  Mechanism: Stepping on one of the less worn floor tiles 
  sends the ceiling crashing down, dealing 15 damage to 
  everyone in the room. A successful [Quick –Difficulty] 
  test reduces the damage by half and allows the victim 
  to get out of the room. Anyone who takes full damage is 
  trapped under the crushing ceiling and takes another 
  2 damage per turn (ignores Armor).
  A person outside the room can walk in over the 
  collapsed ceiling and pull a lever to reset the trap; 
  it happens quickly so it takes a successful Quick 
  test to get away and not be crushed as the water 
  pressure returns the ceiling to its original position. 
  64
   
  
  A successful Quick test allows the person to escape 
  unharmed; on failure the person manages to get 
  out, but takes 3 damage.
  Solution: Walk on the worn floor tiles when cros-
  sing the room – no success test required. Running 
  through the room requires a successful Quick test 
  to avoid stepping on the wrong tile.
  summoninG traP 
  Clue: [Vigilant –Difficulty] The walls of the room are 
  covered with mystical symbols that seem to have 
  withstood the ravages of time alarmingly well… 
  Reading the runes requires either the Loremaster 
  or Ritualist ability, or training in a mystical tra-
  dition; such a person can detect which one of the 
  following mechanisms awaits those who enter 
  the room.
  Mechanism: Anyone entering the room must either 
  be, do, or refrain from doing, something – otherwise 
  a monster of Challenging resistance is summoned 
  (choose a type of monster that fits the location). 
  Only one monster is summoned, and it will not 
  leave the room. It vanishes if defeated or after one 
  minute. Then a new monster can be summoned by 
  careless adventurers.
  The criteria for triggering the trap can vary, but 
  possible options are:
   
  ◆ A person entering the room with a drawn 
  weapon triggers the trap.
   
  ◆ A person entering the room without paying 
  homage to the specific higher power of 
  the place (i.e. saying positive things about 
  Wyrtha/nature, Wielda/civilization, Wratha/
  corruption, etc.) triggers the trap.
   
  ◆ A creature with or without corruption 
  entering the room (a holy or unholy place); the 
  trap can be tricked by rituals and elixirs that 
  affect corruption or the way it manifests itself.
  Solution: Understanding exactly what it takes 
  to trigger or avoid the trap requires Loremaster, 
  a mystical tradition, or Ritualist, and a success-
  ful [Cunning –Difficulty] test. The mystical power 
  Anathema dispels the trap for one minute; the Break 
  Link ritual shuts it off for a full day.
  net traP
  Clue: [Vigilant –Difficulty]. The stone tiles of the floor 
  (or the leaves on the ground) have ropes hidden 
  between them, which seems rather strange.
  Mechanism: Each creature who enters the room 
  rolls 1d6, one after another; if the result is lower than 
  or equal to the number of creatures already in the 
  room, the trap is triggered – a large net is pulled up 
  and traps everyone high in the air, 10 meters above 
  the floor. At the same time alarm bells are rung to 
  alert the guards, who arrive after 1d6 turns. Breaking 
  free requires a sharp weapon and three successful 
  Quick tests (one attempt per turn); if anyone succeeds, 
  everyone falls 10 meters to the ground.
  Solution: The trap can be triggered by throwing 
  heavy objects into it (which sets off the alarm) or 
  cutting threads so that people can walk through the 
  net trap without triggering it [Cunning –Difficulty]. It 
  takes three successful attempts – a failure triggers 
  the trap and the alarm.
  Poison ProjectiLe WaLL
  Clue: A successful Cunning test reveals that the 
  room’s mosaics depict some form of musical notes. 
  [Vigilant –Difficulty] shows irregular holes here and 
  there in the wall mosaics; they do not look like a 
  random effect of aging. The room is full of blowing, 
  whistling sounds, like what might come from a 
  bunch of hoarse flutes.
  Mechanism: When any of the air currents 
  between the walls is broken in an incorrect 
  8
  A D V A N C E D  T R A P S
  65
   
  
  fashion, a poisoned projectile is fired – it takes a 
  successful [Defense –Difficulty] test to avoid getting 
  hit. Anyone who gets hit rolls Armor against 5; 
  the attack itself deals no damage, but if it pierces 
  a victim’s armor, that person is afflicted with a 
  moderate poison.
  Solution: The safest way forward is to treat the 
  left wall like a flute and play the melody shown in 
  the mosaics while walking through the room. That 
  way the trap will not go off.
  The air currents can be avoided, at least by an agile 
  person. It takes three successful [Quick –Difficulty] 
  tests to get through the room that way; each failure 
  releases a poisoned projectile.
  sPike Pit
  Clue: [Vigilant –Difficulty] The floor looks uneven, and 
  footprints in the dust suggest that those who walked 
  through here followed a certain path across the floor.
  Mechanism: Those who fall through the hatch in 
  the floor plunge toward a set of spikes. Roll Defense 
  four times to avoid getting hit by spikes dealing 6 
  damage each (ignores Armor). Player characters 
  with the Acrobatics ability have a second chance 
  of avoiding each spike.
  Climbing out of the hole requires a successful 
  Quick test, but failure sends the climber crashing 
  down again, with the same result as the first time. 
  Those who receive help, in the form of a rope or 
  similar, have a second chance to pass their Quick 
  test. A player character with Acrobatics automati-
  cally climbs out of the hole, no success test required.
  Solution: Follow the tracks in the dust. Walking 
  slowly requires no test, but anyone who runs must 
  pass a Vigilant test to stay on the right path – other-
  wise they will fall down a trapdoor.
  sPike fLoor
  Clue: [Vigilant –Difficulty] There are odd, worrying 
  holes in the floor, between certain stone tiles that 
  look less worn than the others.
  Mechanism: Spikes burst up from the floor; eve-
  ryone in the room must pass four [Defense –Difficulty] 
  tests or take 8 damage per hit.
  Solution: Walk on the worn stones, which requires 
  a successful [Vigilant –Difficulty] test in order to 
  cross the room safely.
  acid shoWer
  Clue: [Vigilant –Difficulty] Odd, worrying holes are 
  found here and there in the ceiling, and the floor looks 
  badly corroded. Half a dozen glass spiders have been 
  placed in cracks in the walls; they are dirty, except for 
  at the middle of the back, where they are sparkling 
  clean. Spider webs cover the path forward, half a dozen 
  in total. It seems almost impossible to cross the room 
  without tearing down at least a couple of the webs.
  Mechanism: The silk threads are pulled by mecha-
  nical spiders, and breaking more than one of them 
  triggers a devastating acid shower. Everyone in the 
  room takes 6 damage for 6 turns; both the damage and 
  the duration are reduced by half if the affected passes 
  a [Quick –Difficulty] test. Armor protects, but drops one 
  point of protection every turn the acid is in effect (can 
  be repaired by someone with the Blacksmith ability).
  Solution: One can safely pass the room by walking 
  through a thread and rubbing the back of the nearest 
  spider, which then starts spinning a new thread. When 
  it is done, one simply walk through the next thread 
  and repeat the procedure so that no more than one 
  of the six threads is broken at the same time.One can 
  try to cross the room with the Acrobatics ability, but it 
  takes no less than five successful Quick tests out of six 
  attempts to succeed: one failure (i.e. tearing down one 
  web) is alright, but a second failure triggers the trap.
  66
   
  
  Pitched Battle
  Both amBria and Davokar are scenes of large-scale battles in which the player 
  characters can play a direct role or even lead one side’s troops. For many gaming 
  groups it is enough for the Game Master to describe the major developments while 
  the player characters act as usual in specific scenes, with the larger battle as a 
  dramatic background with no impact on the player characters’ fight. For other 
  groups it is more relevant that the overarching battle is also governed by rules, 
  and that the player characters’ actions echo in the wider context.
  Presented BeLoW are rules for situations where 
  the player characters participate on a battlefield, 
  or lead their own combat unit during larger batt-
  les. Note that the rules are not about managing 
  battle as a whole, but about the player characters 
  taking part in the fighting and thus experiencing 
  dramatic scenes. The pitched battle should be 
  viewed as a “combat scene generator” where the 
  player characters’ success, or lack thereof, mirrors 
  the overall course of events. The larger battle is 
  divided into a number of combat scenes which the 
  player characters experience first-hand, and the 
  outcome of these smaller skirmishes affects the 
  major developments – and vice versa. 
  The Phases of Pitched Battle
  With our system, a pitched battle is broken down 
  into five phases. First you calculate or estimate the 
  odds of the battle as a whole; this is only done once 
  per battle. Then the player characters decide their 
  conduct in the coming battle (heroic, moderate or 
  cautious). They can change their conduct for every 
  combat scene. By fighting aggressively they can 
  contribute more to their side’s success, at higher 
  personal risk; heroes live dangerously, but can more 
  or less decide an entire battle by fighting their way 
  to – and taking out – the enemy’s leader. 
  The odds and conduct determine what level of 
  resistance the player characters will face in the 
  upcoming combat scene; then, when the outcome of 
  their fight has been decided, it is time to determine 
  how it affects the battle as a whole. Phases 2 to 4 
  are repeated until the pitched battle has reached 
  one of four outcomes: victory, defeat, desertion or 
  player characters eliminated. 
  Battle Phases
  1. Calculate the odds (once per pitched battle).
  2. The player characters choose a conduct for the
  coming combat scene (before every combat scene 
  of the pitched battle).
  3. Roll to determine enemies of the combat scene.
  4. Determine the outcome of the combat scene.
  5. Calculate the outcome of the pitched battle. If
  any of the four outcomes are reached, the battle is 
  over, otherwise you start over at phase 2. 
   Soldier Types 
  and Terrain
  Symbaroum’s rules 
  for pitched battles are 
  deliberately abstract, to 
  encourage fast-paced 
  gaming. For that reason 
  we make no distinction 
  between soldier types 
  (archers, infantry, 
  cavalry), and the terrain 
  of the battlefield also 
  makes no difference. 
  Gaming groups who 
  want such factors to 
  be taken into account 
  are free to develop 
  (and share?) their own 
  system for doing so.
  9
  P I T C H E D  B A T T L E
  67
   
  
  odds of the Pitched BattLe 
  The first order of business is to calculate the odds of 
  the battle by determining the relative strength of 
  the forces involved. The possible odds are 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 
  1:4, 1:5, 1:10. Anything in between is rounded down.
  The method for determining the odds may 
  vary from battle to battle, from gaming group to 
  gaming group, but we suggest that you pick one of 
  the following.
  Intuitive Method: The odds are determined based 
  on gut feeling rather than calculation. You simply 
  choose whatever odds seem reasonable from the list 
  and start the battle. This is particularly appropriate 
  when the player characters do not have a lot at stake, 
  for example when they are participating in a battle 
  without leading it, or when a defeat would not rob 
  them of anything important. 
  Simple Method: Count the number of warriors 
  on each side of the conflict, regardless of their 
  strength/capacity; a defending army entrenched 
  behind fortified walls has its number multiplied by 
  3. This method is well-suited for battles between
  human armies, where the difference between
  the individual warriors is not that big (Weak to
  Challenging resistance, with the majority of the
  warriors at Weak). 
  Advanced Method: Each person participating in 
  the battle – not including the player characters! 
  – is assigned a point value based on their level of
  resistance according to Table 12: Combat Points in 
  Pitched Battle, after which you compare the sum
  of both sides. This advanced method is suitable
  for battles where one side has several (or consists 
  almost entirely of) monsters and warriors of Strong 
  or even Mighty resistance). 
   No matter what method is used, the calculated 
  value is rounded down to the nearest level in Table 
  13: Battle Odds. The Modification column shows 
  what value should be used when rolling to decide 
  the course of the battle, which is done after every 
  combat scene.
  PLayer characters’ conduct 
  Before every combat scene the players jointly decide 
  whether their characters should take a Heroic, 
  Moderate or Cautious approach, which will affect 
  the resistance they face during the combat scene. 
  Heroic: The player characters actively seek out 
  the most heated part of the battle, challenge the 
  enemy’s leaders, and try to win the battle as quickly 
  as possible – or lose in a way that will make people 
  sing songs about their valiant demise. 
  Heroic conduct adds +3 to the roll on Table 14: 
  Resistance Per Combat Scene. 
  Moderate: The player characters follow orders 
  and do not back down, which sometimes places 
  them in the heat of battle and sometimes in less 
  dangerous situations. 
  Moderate conduct adds no modifier to the roll 
  on Table 14 Resistance Per Combat Scene.
  Cautious: The player characters keep clear of 
  dangerous areas and seek out less explosive situ-
  ations instead. Their actions may be considered 
  tactical or cowardly, depending on what they 
  did during the previous combat scene. Few allies 
  will view the group as cowards if they regroup 
  after a heroic effort, while a group consistently 
  avoiding hot spots will gain a reputation for being 
  spineless curs. 
  Cautious conduct results in a –3 penalty to the 
  roll on Table 14: Resistance Per Combat Scene. 
  68
  Table 12: Combat Points in Pitched Battle
  resistance LeveL
  Points 
  Weak Resistance
  1 per warrior or monster 
  Ordinary Resistance
  2 per warrior or monster 
  Challenging  
  Resistance
  5 per warrior or monster 
  Strong Resistance
  10 per warrior or monster 
  Mighty Resistance
  20 per warrior or mons-
  ter 
  Behind Temporary 
  Fortifications
  x2 
  Inside Permanent 
  Fortress
  x3 
  Table 13: Battle Odds 
  aLLies:enemies
  modifier
  10:1
  +10
  5:1
  +5
  3:1
  +3
  2:1
  +2
  1:1
  ±0 
  1:2
  –2
  1:3
  –3
  1:5
  –5
  1:10
  –10
   
  
  Desertion: The characters might decide that the 
  battle is lost and flee. Deserting is against the law 
  and traditions of Ambrians and clanfolks alike, 
  and punishable by death. Characters who run 
  away will become wanted criminals and should 
  expect to be hunted as deserters. Desertion also 
  gives –1 Reputation if those rules are applied (see 
  the Advanced Player’s Guide, page 108), resulting in 
  insults like “gutless scoundrels” or “deserter scum” 
  being thrown their way. 
  Note that the mass escape taking place when 
  your side loses a battle does not constitute desertion. 
  resistance Per comBat scene 
  The player characters’ conduct modifies the roll 
  for determining the resistance during the combat 
  scene. This is done by rolling on Table 14.
  Note that the resistance is not meant to be 
  adjusted based on how experienced the player 
  characters are – whether rookies or veterans, the 
  characters will face the same type of resistance 
  at the different levels. The difference is that more 
  competent characters can take greater responsibil-
  ity (act heroically) and thus expose themselves to 
  tougher resistance – while at the same time having a 
  greater chance of affecting the outcome of the battle.
  outcome Per comBat scene 
  Every combat scene in which the player characters 
  participate can have one of three outcomes: Victory, 
  Retreat or All Player Characters Eliminated. 
  Victory: The player characters defeat or route all 
  enemy troops. The characters can search fallen 
  enemies for loot before deciding how to conduct 
  themselves in the next combat scene. 
  Victory adds the specified victory modifier to 
  the roll on Table 16: The Course of the Battle. 
  Retreat: All player characters withdraw from 
  the combat scene. They suffer free attacks from 
  remaining enemies as usual, and must also drag 
  any fallen comrades along. A fallen player charac-
  ter who remains on the battlefield stops making 
  regular death tests and instead rolls on Table 15: 
  Fate Table for Pitched Battles. 
  Retreat adds the specified defeat modifier to the 
  roll on Table 16: The Course of the Battle. 
  All Characters Eliminated: All remaining player cha-
  racters are eliminated during the combat scene and 
  must roll on Table 15: Fate Table for Pitched Battles. 
  Their fates are no longer in their hands, but in those 
   Ransom
  As a guideline, the 
  ransom sum depends 
  on the individual’s com-
  petence level, according 
  to the table on page 179 
  of the Monster Codex. 
  The amount would then 
  be 50 thaler per level, so 
  that it costs 150 thaler 
  to free a Veteran. The 
  amount should be dou-
  bled for captives with 
  the Privileged boon,
  Negotiations require a 
  [Persuasive←Resolute] 
  test. Failure increases 
  the amount by ×1.5; 
  success reduces it by 
  ×0.75.
  9
  P I T C H E D  B A T T L E
  Table 14: Resistance Per Combat Scene
  1d20 
  +mod
  descriPtion
  resistance
  effect
  –5
  Out of battle
  There is no combat scene, and the player characters get a moment to 
  recuperate – drinking elixirs, using healing powers, and so on. All tempo-
  rary corruption the characters have accumulated (previously or during 
  this scene) wears off before the next combat scene.
  Gives –3 to the roll on 
  Table 16: The Course of the 
  Battle.
  6–10
  On the fringe of battle
  The player characters encounter [PC number of] Weak opponents.
  Winning does not modify 
  the roll on Table 16: The 
  Course of the Battle; losing 
  gives –1.
  11–15
  In the midst of battle
  The player characters encounter [PC+1] Weak opponents led by an 
  Ordinary enemy.
  Winning gives +1 to the roll 
  on Table 16: The Course of 
  the Battle; losing adds no 
  modifier.
  16–20
  Critical point of the 
  battle
  The player characters encounter two waves of enemies; the first wave 
  consists of [PC+1] Weak opponents led by an Ordinary enemy. The 
  second wave follows immediately, with no rest in between, and consists 
  of [PC] Ordinary opponents led by a Challenging enemy. The player 
  characters may choose to retreat after the first wave, in which case the 
  scene counts as a defeat.
  Winning gives +3 to the roll 
  on Table 16: The Course of 
  the Battle; losing adds no 
  modifier.
  21+
  The moment of truth
  The characters encounter three waves of enemies; the first wave 
  consists of [PC] Ordinary opponents. The second wave follows imme-
  diately, with no rest in between, and consists of [PC+1] Ordinary oppo-
  nents led by a Challenging enemy. Then there is a short break to use 
  healing powers and drink elixirs. The final wave consists of an experien-
  ced officer/general plus bodyguards: [PC+1] Challenging enemies and 
  one Strong enemy. The player characters may choose to retreat after 
  the first or second wave, in which case the scene counts as a defeat.
  Winning adds +5 to the roll 
  on Table 16: The Course of 
  the Battle; losing adds no 
  modifier.
  69
   
  
  of their allies, the enemy, Prios or the dark gods of the 
  world. Each player rolls for their character, and the 
  character can do nothing to affect the others’ rolls. 
  If all characters are eliminated during a combat 
  scene, the Game Master decides how the battle 
  ends – that is, which side wins and which side loses, 
  or whether the battle rages on after the fate rolls 
  have been made. 
  the course of the BattLe 
  At the end of every combat scene a roll is made to 
  determine the course of the battle. 
  First you roll to determine how many steps 
  up or down the scale the battle moves. Then you 
  Table 16: The Course of the Battle
  BattLe status
  effect
  Victory
  The battle is over and the player charac-
  ters’ side has prevailed. The enemy suffers 
  40+(1D4×10)% casualties in the battle and 
  the subsequent slaughter of fleeing ene-
  mies. The player characters’ side sustains 
  10+1D10% casualties in the battle. 
  Winning
  No effect until the battle is over 
  Advantage
  No effect until the battle is over
  Stalemate
  No effect until the battle is over (this is whe-
  re the battle begins, no matter the odds) 
  Disadvantage
  No effect until the battle is over
  Losing
  No effect until the battle is over
  Defeat
  The battle is over and the enemy has pre-
  vailed. The player characters’ side suffers 
  40+(1D4×10)% casualties in the battle and 
  the subsequent slaughter of their allies. The 
  enemy sustains 10+1D10% casualties
  check the state of the battle on Table 16: The Course 
  of the Battle. All battles start at Stalemate, no 
  matter the odds.
  After reaching Victory or Defeat the pitched 
  battle is over, whether good or bad for the player 
  characters’ side.
  Re-rolls on the Fate Table
  The gaming group should decide whether to 
  allow re-rolls on the Fate Table for Pitched 
  Battles so that it is consistent with the risk 
  of dying in the rest of the game. If the gaming 
  group has a forgiving attitude towards re-rolls 
  in general, for example with regard to death 
  tests, it is only appropriate to be as forgiving 
  when it comes to fate tests – that is, to make it 
  possible for player characters to be rescued at 
  the last minute, at the cost of one point of Ex-
  perience or Permanent Corruption (depending 
  on what alternative rules the gaming group is 
  using). Conversely, if the gaming group has 
  adopted the Direct Kill rule, no re-rolls should 
  be allowed on the fate table either.
  70
  Table 15: Fate Table for Pitched Battles
  1d6
  fate
  effect
  1
  Dead from wounds
  The player character is left in the mud of the battlefield and dies 
  from her wounds, once and for all.
  2
  Killed by enemy
  The player character could have made it, but an enemy appears 
  and ends her life. The player character and the enemy may speak 
  briefly before the killing blow falls.
  3
  Captured by the enemy
  The player character survives her wounds (Toughness 1), but 
  is captured by the enemy. Other player characters must either 
  come to her rescue or pay a ransom for her freedom.
  4
  Wakes among the dead, looted
  The player character wakes up among the dead (Toughness 1), rob-
  bed of all money and obvious valuables, and may then act freely.
  5
  Wakes among the dead
  The player character wakes up among the dead (Toughness 1) 
  and may then act freely.
  6
  Saved by allies
  The player character is saved by her allies (Toughness 1), and 
  wakes up in the main force’s encampment.
  1d20 + [BattLe odds] + [outcome of comBat scene]
  25+ = Two steps up on Table 16
  10– 24 = One step up on Table 16
  0– 9 = One step down on Table 16
  Below 0 = Two steps down on Table 16
   
  
  The Player Characters as Commanders
  the ruLes for pitched battle presented above assume 
  that the player characters operate as an individual 
  combat unit among their allies, without necessarily 
  leading the entire army. But the army they are mar-
  ching with may actually be their own – for instance if 
  they rule their own domain as described in the next 
  chapter, or if they seek to conquer some territory 
  according to the Conquest section in the chapter on 
  Goal Oriented Roleplaying (see page 47).
  The guidelines below are meant to be used 
  when the player characters (or one of them) are 
  commanding an army. It is a matter of keeping one’s 
  troops in line during the march to the intended 
  destination (the Commander Test), and also what 
  soldiers they have at their disposal in terms of 
  house troops and hired sellswords. You can read 
  more about house troops in the next chapter, under 
  Example Domains on page 77.
  Note that the rules are designed for smaller 
  armies of up to one company (roughly 100 men). 
  Gaming groups wishing to stage larger battles, with 
  their characters as leaders, will likely have to make 
  certain changes and adjustments.
  the commander test
  Keeping a marching army of agitated warriors 
  together, and keeping them in line, is a challenge 
  in itself. The leader (a player character or hired 
  commander) should make a Persuasive test with 
  the Leader ability once per day while the army is 
  on the move. The Dominate ability and/or the boon 
  Commanding Voice each add +1 to the test.
  The size of the army, in terms of participating 
  warriors, also affects how hard it is to steer it 
  towards its destination. In other words, it is eas-
  ier to lead a smaller force of well-drilled knights 
  Player characters only 
  experience limited 
  scenes, but will no-
  netheless impact the 
  outcome of the entire 
  battle.
  9
  P I T C H E D  B A T T L E
  Table 17: Commander Test and Army Size
  numBer of  
  soLdiers
  commander test 
  modifier
  1–19
  +1
  20–39
  0
  40–59
  –1
  60–79
  –3
  80+
  –5
  71
   
  
  Table 18: Army Misfortunes
  1d20
  misfortune
  descriPtion
  effect
  1–4
  Deserters
  One tenth of the troops decide to run 
  away, adversely affecting morale.
  The commander must pass a 
  Persuasive test with the Leader 
  ability to instill courage in the 
  troops; an equally large group 
  leaves the army every day until 
  the test succeeds.
  5–7
  Stragglers
  The column is divided, and the rearguard 
  is attacked by a local pack of predators.
  One fifth of the troops are killed, 
  which may be cause to recalcu-
  late the odds of the upcoming 
  battle (see page 68).
  8–10
  Miserable 
  terrain
  Faulty navigation sends the army mar-
  ching through rough terrain (such as 
  wetlands)
  Movement speed is reduced by 
  half for 1D6 days, or 1D4 if the 
  commander (or an advisor) with 
  Bushcraft passes a Cunning test.
  11–12
  Diseased water
  An erroneous assessment of water qua-
  lity causes stomach problems for a large 
  chunk of the army
  A portion of the army is weake-
  ned for 1D6 days, or 1D4 days 
  if a field medic (or equiva-
  lent) with Bushcraft passes a 
  Cunning test; roll 1D4 – 1: one 
  quarter, 2–3: half, 4: three quar-
  ters. The value of the affected is 
  reduced by half when calcula-
  ting battle odds.
  13–14
  Mass desertion
  A significant portion of the army refuses 
  to continue unless their pay is doubled; 
  roll 1D4 – 1: a quarter, 2–3: half, 4: three 
  quarters.
  Affected soldiers/officers will 
  leave the army unless their pay 
  is increased by 100%, or 50% if 
  the commander (or a negotiator) 
  passes a [Persuasive –5] test.
  15–16
  Sabotage
  Enemy agents set fire to the army’s supp-
  ly of basic necessities, elixirs and medical 
  equipment.
  The army arrives on the batt-
  lefield weakened and poorly 
  equipped, which results in a –2 
  modifier to rolls for The Course of 
  the Battle (see page 70).
  17–18
  Infiltration
  The enemy’s spies infiltrate the night 
  camp and identify the player characters 
  as the army’s leaders and toughest 
  fighters.
  The enemy’s leaders are 
  warned to stay away from the 
  player characters during the 
  battle; the player characters 
  have a –2 modifier when rolling 
  for Enemies per Combat Scene 
  (see page 69)
  19
  Nature’s 
  revenge
  Lack of concentration risks leading the 
  army into an area with Corrupted Nature 
  (page 22 in the Symbaroum Monster 
  Codex).
  The Commander and/or an 
  advisor must pass two tests 
  to quickly get the troops to 
  safer terrain, first Vigilant with 
  Bushcraft, then Persuasive with 
  Leader. If both tests fail, half 
  of the troops die; one failure 
  kills a quarter of them; if both 
  succeed, only a tenth of the 
  soldiers die.
  20
  Primal blight 
  beast.
  A huge monster of Mighty resistance 
  suddenly appears in the army’s path and 
  may cause soldiers to flee en masse.
  The Commander must (alone or 
  with a group of confidants) en-
  gage the monstrosity within five 
  turns. If she does not, or dies 
  trying, the army will disperse as 
  the soldiers flee in all directions.
  72
   
  
  than a large horde of pitchfork-waving peasants, 
  even though the two armies have the same num-
  ber of combat points. This is reflected in Table 17: 
  Commander Test and Army Size, but also in Table 
  20: Hiring Troops, which shows that stronger and 
  more disciplined soldiers are much more expensive 
  to recruit.
  If the Commander test succeeds, everything 
  works out well (unless the Game Master has other 
  surprises in store!), but failure leads to a roll on 
  Table 18: Army Misfortunes – alternatively, the 
  Game Master can choose an effect from the list 
  or make up a new one. Adjust the event based on 
  whether the army is marching through mountains, 
  forests or plains.
  house trooPs
  The size and strength of the player characters’ own 
  force depends on the size of their domain, according 
  to Table 19: Domain House Troops.
  If the house troops are brought into the field, 
  the domain’s Fortification value decreases by one 
  level – a Normal Village gets the Fortification of a 
  Remote Village, and so on. A fortified farm without a 
  militia is defenseless and may not even try to defend 
  against a potential attacker; the attacker automati-
  cally takes over the farm. Furthermore, the militia 
  is comprised of the domain’s most able-bodied 
  individuals, so with them away on a campaign, the 
  domain becomes one level more difficult to govern: 
  A Remote Village gets the Management modifier of 
  a Normal Village, and so on. You can read more on 
  Fortification and Management in the next chapter.
  mercenaries in Pitched BattLe
  An alternative to using one’s own house troops 
  is to recruit sellswords. The cost depends on the 
  strength/competence of the mercenaries. Table 
  20: Hiring Troops shows how the resistance level 
  corresponds to a number of points when calculating 
  the odds of the battle using the advanced method 
  (see page 68).
  The price of sellswords is specified in cost per 
  day, which is standard for warriors hired to defend 
  something. For campaigns with hopes of loot it is 
  possible to pay less in advance, if one also offers a 
  future share of the spoils. The initial cost is then 
  halved (e.g. 5 ortegs/day for a warrior of Ordinary 
  resistance), but with the combined cost of the entire 
  table paid in arrears – since future shares come with 
  far greater risk than thaler paid up front, the sells-
  words demand a fair chance of making a decent profit.
  If the spoils of war turn out to be less valuable 
  than expected, so that the player characters are 
  unable to pay the agreed amount, the sellswords 
  will leave the army. They might then offer their 
  services to the enemy instead, in the hope of pay-
  ment as well as payback for being cheated.
  9
  P I T C H E D  B A T T L E
  Table 19: Domain House Troops
  tyPe of domain
  totaL comBat Points
  descriPtion
  Fortified farm
  6
  6 militia, Weak resistance, worth 1 point each in 
  pitched battle
  Remote village
  12
  12 militia, Weak resistance, worth 1 point each in 
  pitched battle
  Normal village
  22
  One (1) full-time guard, Ordinary resistance, worth 
  2 points; 20 militia, Weak resistance, worth 1 point 
  each in pitched battle
  Trading Post
  25
  One (1) full-time guard, Challenging resistance, 
  worth 5 points; 10 capable adventurers, Ordinary 
  resistance, worth 2 points each in pitched battle
  Small Market Town
  40
  10 soldiers, Ordinary resistance, worth 2 points 
  each in pitched battle; 20 militia, Weak resistance, 
  worth 1 point each in pitched battle
  Table 20: Hiring Troops
  resistance
  comBat Points
  cost/day
  examPLes 
  Weak
  1
  1 ortegs
  Farmhand, 
  Fortune Hunter, 
  Squire
  Ordinary
  2
  1 shilling
  Archer, Infan-
  tryman, Village 
  Warrior
  Challenging
  5
  1 thaler
  Guard Warrior, 
  Officer,  
  Sapper
  Strong
  10
  5 thaler
  Knight, Master 
  of the Order, 
  Theurg
  73
   
  
  74
  to Better understand the role of pitched battles 
  and sieges in Ambria and Davokar, it may be wort-
  hwhile to study the lessons learned from the wars of 
  the past decades, primarily the costly victory over 
  the Dark Lords in Alberetor and the more recent 
  invasion and occupation of Ambria.
  The Great War
  In Ambrian wars the odds normally favor the 
  attacker, since Ambrian warlords are unlikely 
  to attack without a clear advantage – they would 
  rather build their forces over longer periods of time 
  than attempt an attack against unfavorable odds. 
  This is something the Ambrians learned particu-
  larly well in The Great War.
  The Dark Lords’ march on the west was likely 
  preceded by many years of planning, as illustrated 
  by their attack on the border town Berendoria in 
  the year –21, when a massive army surprisingly 
  marched out of Lyastra. Infiltrators in the city, in 
  the form of sorcerers and cultists, quickly made the 
  town’s situation untenable, which became a pattern 
  that defined the early years of the war.
  It was only when Queen Korinthia’s newly 
  established Ranger Corps started operating deep 
  within areas occupied by the Dark Lords that 
  similar surprise attacks could be anticipated 
  and met with a stronger defense. At the same 
  time, the theurgs and black cloaks learned how 
  to effectively track down and weed out darkness- 
  worshipping traitors in Alberetor, which stopped 
  the enemy from relying on insiders in towns and 
  castles. The effectiveness of the witch hunters, 
  combined with the development of alchemical 
  siege weapons on the Alberians’ side, made 
  sieges so lengthy and expensive that the Dark 
  Lords quickly became reluctant to engage in 
  them at all.
  Towards the end of the war, the dark hordes 
  started circumventing their enemies’ major 
  strongholds and tried to starve them out rather 
  than storming them. Out on the open battlefield 
  the Queen’s armies – led by mounted pansars, witch 
  hammering templars, and battlemages – finally 
  managed to break the dark horde. This culminated 
  in the march on the darkened heart of Lyastra, its 
  capital city Bright Haven, and the subsequent siege 
  and storming of the Dark Lords’ fortress. Thanks to 
  lessons learned, Korinthia was freed and resumed 
  command of her increasingly triumphant people, 
  a people who came to beat the Dark Lords at their 
  own game: siegecraft. 
  The Invasion of Ambria
  Up north, during the occupation of Ambria, the 
  barbarians’ fatalistic view on life and death made 
  their warriors willing to accept more equal (and 
  sometimes even bad) odds. This fighting culture can 
  be explained by the fact that the barbarians rarely 
  waged long wars, but usually fought clan against 
  clan in battles under the canopies of Davokar – 
  bloody, to be sure, but also with ritualistic elements 
  such as duels and taunts as important ingredients.
  Before the arrival of the Ambrians, the clan 
  chieftains usually contented themselves with 
  driving the enemy away; crushing and destroying 
  other clans was not their aim. Sieges were rare, 
  since the clans had not developed the form of 
  siegecraft that makes storming fortified positions a 
  viable strategy. As a result, the weaker party often 
  retreated to its stronghold and held out until the 
  attacker got tired and left.
  Ambrian Wars
   
  
  75
  8
  A D V A N C E D  T R A P S
  The barbarians’ widespread hero complex was 
  obviously to their detriment when the Ambrians esta-
  blished themselves on the plains south of Davokar, as 
  death-defying clan troops attacked Ambrian armies 
  patiently waiting behind their defenses until they had 
  assembled enough troops to launch an overwhelming 
  and successful offensive. But Davokar’s chieftains 
  quickly learned that this new enemy was not like the 
  others, and clan Jezora offered considerable resistance 
  in the form of joint armies, and abandoned their swift 
  style of warfare in favor of troublesome raids against 
  Ambrians on the march.
  They found no effective way of countering the 
  superior pansar cavalry, however, and after retre-
  ating into their strongholds they found themselves 
  surrounded by an enemy who had perfected the 
  art of siegecraft. The siege of Kadizar in the year 
  0 ended with the defenders capitulating after only 
  three days, while the Jezites once again put up a 
  brave fight against impossible odds. It was not until 
  the year 10 that the clan and its chieftain Haloban 
  were so utterly defeated that clan Jezora effectively 
  ceased to exist.
  The Battles of Karo’s Fen
  According to Ambrian doctrine, a defending com-
  mander should not accept unfavorable odds if there 
  is any chance of retreat; sometimes there is not, 
  especially in a war where a deliberate disadvantage 
  in one place might create an advantage somewhere 
  else. Before The Great War, a surrounded force could 
  consider surrender, as it was common practice 
  among Alberian princes to spare the lives of sur-
  rendering soldiers and military leaders.
  Since the war against the Dark Lords, few 
  Ambrian commanders have found themselves 
  surrounded by enemies stronger than they are, 
  but on the few occasions when it has happened, 
  none of them have chosen capitulation; they are 
  trained in the annihilating practices of The Great 
  War, where no quarter was shown on either side. 
  Thus, the first battle on clan Vajvod’s territory, 
  at the free settlement of Karo’s Fen in the year 8, 
  ended with the superior clan warriors wiping out 
  a large Ambrian force to the last man, despite the 
  barbarians’ repeated attempts to make the intru-
  ders put down their weapons.
  Ambrian junior officers have of course been in 
  trouble in more recent times and then shown great 
  unwillingness to surrender; however, they have 
  often retreated by leaving behind a small force to 
  stall the enemy. One example of this is the third 
  battle of Karo’s Fen in the year 9, where an army 
  captain led a company supported by a troop from 
  the Queen’s Rangers. Once again the clan warriors 
  were far more numerous than expected, and faced 
  with devastating odds the Ambrians withdrew. The 
  rangers volunteered to delay the enemy, with the 
  result that the army soldiers escaped with their 
  lives while the rangers were slain to the last scout.
  Such a miscalculation would never happen 
  again; Queen Korinthia took her time to gather 
  her army for a decisive battle. Even though clan 
  Vajvod had assembled its forces as well, the odds 
  were entirely in the Ambrians’ favor – they mar-
  ched to attack in broad daylight and crushed their 
  Vajvod adversaries. Afterwards, the Queen decided 
  not to continue into Vajvod, instead occupying The 
  Marshes up to Karo’s Fen and incorporating the area 
  into the Ambrian realm after the local heretics were 
  burned out. A series of agreements were then signed 
  with clan Vajvod’s high chieftain, Zoltar the Old.
  There were two reasons why the Queen did not 
  continue her campaign north: an old bit of wis-
  dom says that all battles are expensive and that a 
  long war might bankrupt even a Queen; another 
  aspect is that only large realms can muster huge 
  armies, since it requires a large population and 
  high taxation. The downside of being a large realm 
  is that one has many enemies and a long border to 
  defend. And so the Queen ordered the Ambrian 
  troops to disband after the final battle of Karo’s Fen, 
  to disarm or solve more pressing issues elsewhere. 
  She only left a ranger unit stationed near Karo’s 
  Fen to remind the Vajvod chieftains of the military 
  might of the Ambrians.
   
  
  Managing 
  a Domain
  Why shouLd PLayer characters always have to run around searching for adventure 
  when adventure is just as likely to come to them? This chapter introduces rules 
  and guidelines for owning and managing an area of land complete with buildings 
  and inhabitants – a domain for the characters to govern and develop.
  cominG into Possession of a domain in Ambria 
  often involves a liege lord (baron or count) accep-
  ting a player character as a vassal and presenting 
  him/her with a fief. It may be obtained through 
  inheritance, marriage or as reward for great deeds. 
  An Ambrian fief can also be taken by force, par-
  ticularly in the border areas of Davokar where an 
  armed force has occasionally captured a fort and 
  then “offered” their services to the actual liege 
  lord. The lord then acknowledges the vassals out 
  of practicality as much as coercion – retaking a fort 
  from experienced warriors is hard, and since they 
  have already demonstrated their talent for violence 
  they could prove useful in the chaotic borderlands.
  The rules for domains can also be used for other 
  types of areas or properties governed by the player 
  characters, such as a free settlement or outpost in 
  Davokar, or a remote Ordo Magica chapter. Minor 
  adjustments would have to be made, but the basics 
  remain the same.
  Ownership of the domain gives the player 
  characters a connection to the place, either as 
  a focus for adventures that come to them or as a 
  rewarding activity between adventures in other 
  locations (during the campaign). Finally, the 
  Game Master can use the property as an oppor-
  tunity to put pressure on the player characters, 
  for example by interrupting an adventure in 
  the wilderness with warnings of an ongoing or 
  potential attack on their own domain. Should 
  they act for the common good or rush home and 
  protect what is theirs? 
  The Domain in Play
  one oPtion is to let the domain be a common base 
  for all player characters – it is where they come 
  from or usually operate, and their common goal 
  is then to protect and develop the domain. The 
  76
   
  
  gaming group and its Game Master must agree 
  on how this should work in play – the domain can 
  either be the main focus of the game, in which 
  case the adventure comes there, or a place of rest 
  and distraction between adventures experienced 
  elsewhere. Combinations are also possible, where 
  the place is sometimes the setting for adventures 
  and sometimes a reason for the player characters 
  to have adventures in other hunting grounds.
  The player characters can either govern the 
  domain collectively, for example if they are leading 
  members of a trading house or have blood ties to 
  the family that rules the area. Alternatively, the 
  gaming group can appoint one player character 
  to lead – as a liege lord or mayor – with the others 
  as confidants, servants or even serfs (difficult to 
  play, but very interesting!). What matters is that 
  the player characters are important and can serve 
  as specialists that the domain depends upon; for 
  suggestions, see Table 21 Domain Specialists.
  Example: The gaming group decides to create player 
  characters tied to the same place, a remote Ambrian 
  village at the edge of Davokar. One character takes on 
  the role of knight and liege lord, and the others create 
  characters that fit with the village: an innkeeper, the 
  village guard captain, and the local sun priest. One 
  of the players chooses a more challenging role as a 
  serf serving as the knight’s personal bodyguard. The 
  serf is always present during his master’s travels and 
  meetings. The three friends constitute specialists and 
  advisors to the liege lord, and choose the Enterprise 
  boon or the new boon Profession to give themselves 
  more concrete ties to the domain. The serf abstains 
  from such ties, and acquires boons and burdens bet-
  ter suited for a bodyguard. 
  Example Domains
  the ruLes for domains can be applied to eve-
  rything from a large farm or remote village 
  somewhere in Davokar, to a small town in the 
  relatively safe borderlands of Ambria. The rules 
  are less suited for domains larger than that – a 
  person who rules an entire barony, a barbarian 
  clan’s territory, or an Ambrian city has many times 
  more resources at her disposal and is certainly a 
  liege lord in her own right, with many vassals at 
  her command. For gaming groups wishing to play 
  on such a high social and political level, the rules 
  can provide some support, but not the full picture.
  Presented below are a handful of examples of 
  different domains that are covered by these rules. 
  The terms used have the following meaning:
  Fortification: Modifier to success tests for defen-
  ding the domain against external enemies or 
  putting down revolts.
  Management: Modifier to success tests for gover-
  ning the domain.
  Base Income: Specifies the amount of thaler earned 
  per season.
  Pitched Battle Rules: Describes how the defense 
  of the domain is handled when using the rules for 
  pitched battle from the previous chapter (see page 
  67–73), should the Game Master and players agree 
  to do so. 
  Profession, New Boon
  The player character has been given a position and a title, which comes with 
  responsibilities as well as a regular income (usually 2 thaler a day, but the 
  Game Master decides). The responsibilities mean that a superior decides 
  what the player character should and should not do.
  Once per adventure the player makes a test against a relevant attribute 
  (usually Persuasive or Cunning). Failure means that some minor incident 
  has occurred which leads to a scolding from a superior or supervisor. After 
  failing three such tests in a row, or if the result of a test is 20, the player cha-
  racter loses her position and therefore the boon as well. The same applies if 
  the player character repeatedly ignores her superior’s orders.
  10
  M A N A G I N G  A  D O M A I N
  Table 21: Domain Specialists
  sPeciaList
  recommended Boons and aBiLities
  Alchemist
  Alchemy, Enterprise (drugstore) 
  Artisan
  Enterprise (workshop or shop) 
  Artifact Crafter
  Artifact Crafting, Enterprise (curio shop) 
  Blacksmith
  Blacksmith, Enterprise (smithy)
  Gamekeeper
  Profession (gamekeeper), Beast Lore
  Guard Captain
  Profession (guard captain), Dominate or Leader
  Innkeeper
  Enterprise (inn)
  Mystic
  Enterprise (witch circle, order chapter, sun temple), any 
  mystical tradition
  Personal Guard
  Profession (personal guard), Bodyguard
  Soothsayer
  Enterprise (fortune teller’s hut), Witchsight or Ritualist 
  (Fortune-telling or Oracle)
  Spy
  Profession (spy), Contacts
  Surgeon
  Enterprise (clinic), Medicus
  Teacher
  Enterprise (library or archive), Loremaster or Tactician
  77
   
  
  fortified farm 
  The player character is a poor knight or master of a 
  lonely farm at the edge of Davokar. The farm houses 
  twenty people, maids and farmhands included. 
  There are no warriors, other than the player cha-
  racters, but half a dozen laborers can if necessary 
  handle weapons in desperate defense of the farm.
  Fortification: Sturdy farmhouse (–8)
  Management: +8
  Base Income: Single digit thaler
  Pitched Battle Rules: Combat points 6. 6 militia, 
  Weak resistance worth 1 point each in pitched 
  battle (6 combat points); the farm has no defenses, 
  permanent or temporary (×1 combat points when 
  defending the domain).
  remote viLLaGe
  The character is a knight with land on the outskirts 
  of Ambria, or a weak barbarian chieftain or leader 
  of a settler village somewhere in southern Davokar. 
  The village is made up of fifty people, most of them 
  divided into ten families. It has no full-time warri-
  ors, so the task of defending the settlement falls to 
  the characters and a dozen able-bodied villagers.
  Fortification: Palisade and tower of wood (–5)
  Management: +5
  Base Income: Tens of thaler
  Pitched Battle Rules: Combat points 24. 12 militia, 
  Weak resistance worth 1 point each in pitched battle 
  (12 combat points); the village defenses count as tem-
  porary (×2 combat points when defending the domain).
  normaL viLLaGe
  The player character is a knight in a domain located 
  in the Ambrian heartland, or an established chief-
  tain among the barbarians in Davokar. The village 
  has a population of about one hundred people, 
  including twenty families. It has a full-time guard 
  or bailiff to organize the twenty poorly equipped 
  villagers that serve as defenders.
  Fortification: Palisade and tower of stone (–3)
  Management: +3 
  Base Income: Tens of thaler
  Pitched Battle Rules: Combat points 66. One (1) full-
  time guard, Ordinary resistance worth 2 points, 
  and 20 militia, Weak resistance worth 1 point each 
  in pitched battle (22 combat points); the village 
  defenses count as permanent (×3 combat points 
  when defending the domain). 
  tradinG Post
  The character belongs to a merchant family in Ambria 
  and is the manager of a trading post on the outskirts 
  of Ambria or the borderland between Ambria and 
  Davokar. The outpost is populated by roughly a 
  hundred people, half of them permanent residents 
  (ten families) and the rest either long- or short-term 
  visitors. The fort has one guard and many of the resi-
  dents and visitors can take up arms if the need arises.
  Fortification: Wooden fort (–1) 
  Management: +1 
  Base Income: Hundreds of thaler
  Pitched Battle Rules: Combat points 75. One (1) full-
  time guard, Challenging resistance worth 5 points, 
  and 10 capable adventurers, Ordinary resistance 
  worth 2 points each in pitched battle (25 Combat 
  points); the trading post’s defenses count as perma-
  nent (×3 Combat points when defending the domain).
  smaLL market toWn
  The character is a baron or baroness in Ambria and 
  governs a small town, a place of trade and craft shelte-
  red behind walls of stone. The town has a population 
  of five hundred people, most of whom are residents 
  (eighty families) and the rest (about a hundred people) 
  visitors, mainly farmers from nearby villages. The 
  town has a guard force and fire brigade of ten soldiers, 
  led by the most experienced of them. Its population 
  is ill-prepared – and even worse equipped – to fight 
  for themselves; it is something they have long left to 
  others in order to focus on their professions.
  Fortification: Wall and fort of stone (0)
  Management: 0
  Base Income: Thousands of thaler
  Pitched Battle Rules: Combat points 120. 10 soldiers, 
  Ordinary resistance worth 2 points each in pitched 
  battle, and 20 militia, Weak resistance worth 1 point 
  each in pitched battle (40 combat points); the town’s 
  defenses count as permanent (×3 combat points 
  when defending the domain).
  Management and Development
  the manaGement of a domain takes place on a 
  seasonal basis (four times a year), and each season 
  is handled in three steps. 
  1. Major event 
  2. The Management test
  3. Possible investments
  major event
  Every season there is a chance (depending on the 
  season) of something unexpected happening in a 
  domain. In spring and autumn there is a 50% chance 
  of something big happening; the darkness, rain and 
  cold of winter reduces the chance to 25%, while the 
  summer’s light and warmth make it 75 %.
  Bookkeeping
  It is important for at 
  least one of the players 
  to keep a detailed record 
  of revenue, expenditures 
  and investments, 
  preferably with the Game 
  Master’s help. Once 
  the profits have been 
  collected and potential 
  investments have 
  been made, the player 
  calculates the cash 
  balance and adjusts the 
  contents of the coffers 
  accordingly. The player 
  characters are of course 
  free to add money out of 
  their own pockets, if they 
  so wish, or dip into the 
  coffers for personal use.
  78
   
  
  10
  M A N A G I N G  A  D O M A I N
  Table 22: Events in the Domain
  1d20
  event
  effect 
  1
  A plague ravages the 
  domain
  The plague adds a –1D6 penalty to Management tests every season until it has been eradicated 
  with a successful Cunning test from someone with the Medicus ability. One attempt per season is 
  allowed, and Alchemy adds +1 to the test.
  2
  Brigands on the road
  The brigands hinder travel and trade, giving –1D4 to Management tests every season until they are 
  defeated or driven away. 
  3
  Monsters in the area
  Monsters are wreaking havoc, (1D4) 1: group of rage trolls, 2: elven warband, 3: arch troll, 4: lind-
  worm. The monster(s) adds a –1D6 penalty to all Management tests until defeated or driven off.
  4
  Crop failure
  Crop failure strikes the region for 1D8 seasons, during which time a –1D4 penalty to all Manage-
  ment tests is in effect.
  5
  Riot
  It takes a successful Persuasive test to handle the riot; the abilities Dominate and Leader each add 
  +1 to the test. Failure inflicts a –1D4 penalty to the season’s Management test.
  6
  Serial killer on the loose
  A murderer is killing 1D4–1 victims per season. The killer must be stopped, otherwise a cumulative 
  –1 penalty is added to each season’s Management test; in other words, after three seasons the 
  modifier is –3, which is the maximum.
  7
  Gang on a robbing spree
  Until the gang is stopped, a cumulative –1 penalty is added to each season’s Management test; in 
  other words, after three seasons the modifier is –3, which is the maximum.
  8
  Trade proposal
  A delegate shows up with a trade agreement that adds +1 to Management tests for 1D4 seasons.
  9
  Wave of refugees
  The refugees cause –1 to Management tests for 1D8 seasons, then 0 for 1D8 seasons, and finally 
  the established refugees add a permanent +1 bonus to all Management tests.
  10
  Distinguished guests
  A wealthy group of people, perhaps a mercenary company or a traveling carnival troupe, boosts 
  trade in the domain. Then they move on. The visit adds +1 to the season’s Management test.
  11
  Visiting liege lord
  The leader’s liege lord comes to visit accompanied by an entourage of warriors, advisors and 
  courtiers. Such a visits calls for a feast, for princes and commoners alike. It adds +1 to the current 
  season’s Management test, then –2 to the next one.
  12
  Call for aid
  A neighboring domain is in crisis and requests assistance. Heeding the call initially modifies the 
  current season’s Management test by –1. Then there is a 50% chance of the neighbor emerging 
  from the crisis stronger and grateful for the help, adding +2 to the next season’s test.
  13
  Cultist infiltration
  Rumors of strange figures and unholy meetings are circulating, and soon people start disappearing 
  – mostly vagrants, homeless beggars and other down-and-out individuals. As long as the cultists 
  are influencing life in the domain, all Management tests are modified by –1. The cultists are not 
  easy to get rid of.
  14
  Settlers moving in
  The settlers give a 0 modifier to Management tests for 1D8 seasons, after which the established 
  settlers add a permanent +1 bonus to all Management tests.
  15
  Missionaries arriving
  (1D6) 1–2: Witches, 3–4: Church of Prios, 5–6: The Young Gods. If they adhere to the same faith 
  as the leader of the domain, the missionaries raise a temple that adds a permanent +1 to Manage-
  ment tests. If the missionaries do not share the leader’s faith, their presence causes unrest: –2 to 
  Management tests for 1D8 seasons, then 0 effect for 1D8 seasons, and finally a permanent +1 from 
  then on. If they are driven away during the initial phase, the missionaries go into hiding and keep 
  recruiting souls in secret, which means a permanent –1 to all Management tests. Rooting them out 
  is bloody work (or smoky, if one prefers fire over steel) and causes –1D4 to Management tests for 
  1D4 seasons. 
  16
  Bad omen
  Seers are reading bad omens; roll on the table until you get a negative event, which then occurs 
  within 1D4–1 seasons.
  17
  Good sign
  Seers are seeing good signs; roll on the table until you get a positive event, which then occurs 
  within 1D4–1 seasons.
  18
  Tempting treasure 
  deposit
  A treasure deposit attracts fortune hunters to the area for 1D6 seasons; roll again if the result is 6; 
  another 6 means that their stay is permanent. Their chaotic presence has a 50% chance of giving 
  either +2 or –1 to Management tests for the duration of their stay.
  19–20
  Military attack
  (1D4) 1: Barbarians, 2: Elves, 3: Another vassal of the same liege, 4: Abominations. (1D6) 1–3: The 
  enemy force is rather weak (+5), 4–5: The enemy force is equal to the task (0), 6: The enemy force 
  is overwhelming (–5). The leader of the domain may choose to Flee, Negotiate or Fight. For more 
  details, see the sidebar Under Attack on the next page.
  79
   
  
  Spring: Major event occurs on 1–10 on 1d20 
  Summer: Major event occurs on 1–15 on 1d20 
  Autumn: Major event occurs on 1–10 on 1d20 
  Winter: Major event occurs on 1–5 on 1d20 
  Player characters in charge of a domain are expec-
  ted to solve any problems that arise. Those who 
  own property or dwell in the domain will suffer or 
  benefit from what happens, depending on whether 
  the event is positive or negative. Characters living 
  in a domain may of course volunteer to solve its 
  problems in order to protect their own property.
  If the listed event does not fit the characters’ 
  domain or the overall situation, make another roll – 
  or create an event better suited to the circumstances. 
  the manaGement test
  The domain is managed on a seasonal basis (spring, 
  summer, autumn, and winter) and during each 
  season a Management test is made. They are easier 
  in summer (+1) and harder in winter (–1). Summer 
  means crops, increased traveling, and high pro-
  ductivity. In winter the stores are slowly depleted, 
  people travel less, and productivity decreases. 
  Spring and autumn do not modify the test. 
  Maintenance: The player character who manages 
  a domain and is present for most of the season 
  makes the Management test – it is rolled against 
  Persuasive, modified by the domain’s Management 
  value. In the leader’s absence a replacement must 
  be brought in to make the decisions; even if the 
  leader’s player makes the test, it is rolled against 
  the replacement’s Persuasive.
  After a success the difference is calculated; each 
  point of difference yields the Base Income specified 
  for the season.
  Example: The knight Karala governs a remote village 
  in northern Ambria. Every season she makes a Per-
  suasive test modified by the domain’s Management 
  [+5]. No other modifiers affect the village this season. 
  Karala has Persuasive 11 and rolls against 16 [11+5]. 
  This spring she rolls a 13, which is 3 below the require-
  ment. Since her remote domain yields tens of thaler in 
  income, Karala collects 30 thaler this season. 
  Similarly, a failure costs the specified Base Income 
  multiplied by the difference. If the player charac-
  ter is unable or unwilling to pay, the domain’s 
  Management value is instead decreased by one step. 
  If the value drops below –8 the domain collapses and 
  ceases to exist as a cohesive entity; it goes bankrupt, 
  is abandoned, or similar. 
  Under Attack
  ENEMY
  Barbarians: Barbarians attack from Davokar in search of plunder. The 
  leader of the domain may choose to negotiate, fight or flee.
  Elves: Elves attack in an attempt to drive away the local inhabitants. The 
  leader of the domain can either fight or flee. Elves do not negotiate.
  Another vassal: Another vassal of the same liege attacks in order to annex 
  the domain. The attack could be launched under the pretext of some old 
  border dispute or a false accusation of crime or heresy. The leader of the do-
  main can choose to flee, negotiate or fight. Fleeing means that the domain 
  is annexed by the attacker and can only be retaken by force.
  Horde of abominations: A horde of abominations swarms out of the forest, 
  with destruction as their only goal. The leader of the domain can fight or 
  flee. The horde cannot be negotiated with. 
  STRATEGIES
  Flee: The domain’s inhabitants flee to other areas, either allied territory or 
  inaccessible land where the enemy cannot easily (or does not want to) fol-
  low. The domain is destroyed, but most of its people survive. The returning 
  inhabitants have a hard task ahead of them – the Management modifier 
  during the reconstruction is reduced by –5 for 1D6 seasons, and then a 
  permanent –2.
  Negotiation: The negotiation concerns the price it takes for the enemy to 
  break off its attack. The leader of the domain rolls [Persuasive←Resolute]; 
  the Dominate ability adds +1 on both sides. On success, the tribute is –2 on 
  Management tests for one year (four seasons), after which it returns to nor-
  mal. On failure the tribute is –4 for the first year, and then a permanent –1.
  Fight: The enemy attacks. The guidelines from the chapter on Pitched Batt-
  les can be applied to determine which side is victorious. The alternative is 
  to handle the battle abstractly as described below. No matter what method 
  is used to determine which side prevails, the effect of victory or defeat 
  remains the same.
  Abstract method of deciding the battle’s outcome: The leader of the 
  domain makes a Persuasive test modified by its Fortification. A +1 modifier 
  is added if he or she has the Leader ability, and if the leader or an advisory 
  specialist has the Tactician ability another +1 is added. 
  On success the enemy is driven off and what has been destroyed is 
  rebuilt in 1D4 seasons, during which time Management tests are modified 
  by –2. Then the domain is fully restored.
  On failure the domain is lost and surviving inhabitants are forced to flee. 
  See Flee. The effect is much worse, though, since many will have died in 
  battle or had their spirit broken by the defeat. The Management modifier 
  during the reconstruction work is reduced by –5 for 1D12 seasons and then 
  by a permanent –2.
  80
   
  
  Example: Summer comes, and Karala is hard at work 
  governing her remote village. Once again she makes 
  the Management test. She must roll 17 or lower, since 
  she now has +1 because of the season. The die lands on 
  19; a failure with a difference of 2. She must either pay 
  20 thaler to the domain or accept that future Manage-
  ment tests will be rolled with a +4 modification instead. 
  Muttering something about lazy peasants, she takes 20 
  thaler from the coffers to mend the domain’s economy.
  investments 
  Investments are money spent on improving the 
  domain. The improvement can be made to either 
  Fortification, Management or Base Income. 
  Ten times the domain’s Base Income must be spent 
  to make any difference, and the player must describe 
  in what way the domain is improved. The effect of an 
  investment on Fortification or Management is that the 
  modifier in question increases by one step. However, 
  the Fortification modifier can never exceed +5.
  An investment in Base Income increases the 
  domain’s income by 10% of the original value; if the 
  Base Income is tens of thaler, each investment yields 
  a one thaler increase. A Base Income of single-digit 
  thaler means that each investment adds an extra 
  shilling for every thaler earned, while a Base Income 
  of hundreds or thousands of thaler increases the 
  total by ten and a hundred thaler respectively. The 
  Base Income can never be more than doubled (double 
  amount of thaler, scores of thaler, two hundreds of 
  thaler, or two thousands of thaler). The domain’s 
  productivity cannot be improved beyond that; it is 
  running at more or less maximum efficiency, given 
  the conditions of the area.
  Example: The knight Karala invests in her domain, the 
  remote village. Whatever she decides to improve the 
  cost is 100 thaler: the domain’s income is tens of thaler, 
  and investments cost 10 times that. Her first investment 
  is to raise the village’s Fortification from (–5) to (–4). 
  The Game Master asks Karala’s player to describe the 
  nature of the improvement: Karala constructs a stone 
  tower to replace the old wooden one. The next invest-
  ment she makes is to improve the village’s income. With 
  a Base Income of tens of thaler, the income is raised to 
  11 thaler. Karala decides that this increase in productivi-
  ty is due to the construction of a watermill.
  Mercenaries in the Domain
  if the characters’ domain is attacked by a hostile 
  force (see Table 22), there are two ways of handling 
  the challenge. You can either use the rules for pitched 
  battles presented in the previous chapter, or the 
  abstract method based on the domain’s Fortification 
  value (see page 80). What both methods have in com-
  mon is that the number of combat points affects the 
  outcome (see Table 20 Hiring Troops on page 73).
  Here are some guidelines for handling merce-
  naries according to the abstract model.
  effect on fortification
  In order to play a decisive role, the hired sellswords 
  must at least match the house troops in terms of com-
  bat points. To reinforce a normal village (22 points) one 
  must add sellswords worth an equal or higher number 
  of combat points to get +1 to tests against Fortification 
  when defending the domain. 22 local farmhands could 
  get the job done, or two knights and their two squires. 
  Every time the reinforcements reach the house troops’ 
  combat points, a +1 bonus is granted: two knights, two 
  squires and 20 fortune hunters would give +2, as they 
  triple the house troops’ value.
  effect on manaGement
  A complicating factor is that the increased troop 
  presence risks destabilizing the domain. When it is 
  time for the Management test, the characters suffer 
  a –1 penalty for each time the number of sellswords 
  exceeds that of the house troops (militia included). 
  Unlike in the case of Fortification, it is the number 
  of soldiers that matters, not their combat points – a 
  fortified farm has 6 defenders, a remote village has 
  12, a normal village 21, and so on. In other words, 
  leaders who can afford it are better off hiring more 
  professional (and therefore more expensive) soldiers 
  rather than filling their domains with huge numbers 
  of fortune hunters and armed farmhands.
  Example: 
  Investments
  FORTIFICATION 
  Constructing more 
  watchtowers, hiring 
  more soldiers, building 
  higher walls, providing 
  better equipment for 
  the militia, digging a 
  moat, placing ballistae 
  on walls, recruiting a gu-
  ard captain, increasing 
  the supply of water, food 
  and other necessities.
  MANAGEMENT 
  Hiring a tax commission-
  er, arresting troublema-
  kers, fighting corruption, 
  building a village school, 
  investing in a temple or 
  poorhouse, reorgani-
  zing the bookkeeping, 
  investing in the judicial 
  system, setting up a sys-
  tem of informers among 
  the population.
  INCOME 
  Building a road, a bridge 
  or ferry across an old 
  ford, constructing a har-
  bor, or digging a canal, 
  draining a marsh, clea-
  ring a forest, building a 
  brewery, or open an inn.
  Example: Mercenaries
  A robber baron is plaguing the region, and the characters decide to station mer-
  cenaries in their small market town. Their current defense force is comprised of 
  10 professional soldiers and 20 militia, for a total of 30 warriors. This means that 
  every time they pass a multiple of 30 additional sellswords (31, 61, 91, etc.) they 
  get –1 to the Management test: –1 for 31 troops, –2 for 61, and –3 for 91.
  The cheapest option is to hire loads of ill-trained warriors, such as the 
  local goblin tribe. But the domain is hard enough to govern already; perhaps 
  it is worth paying for a couple of freelancing knights and a wizard willing 
  to sell their services in defense of the town? That way they could obtain 
  a much-needed Fortification bonus without diminishing their chance of 
  passing the Management test.
  81
  10
  M A N A G I N G  A  D O M A I N
   
  
  Social 
  Challenges
  there are definiteLy tensions between the game world’s various factions and 
  their leaders – their relationships range from strained to downright hostile. In 
  one way or another, the player characters and their actions will almost certainly 
  affect, and be affected by, these tensions. Whatever they do, their deeds will be 
  applauded by some groups and criticized, or outright condemned, by others.
  Scheming
  the Basic mechanic governing all interactions 
  is the Persuasive test, often modified by the target’s 
  Resolute value. There are often faction-specific 
  modifiers to consider as well, and a certain 
  status which the players can earn during their 
  adventures. Also, note that Persuasive can often 
  be replaced by another attribute, as different 
  factions praise, seek out or are impressed by 
  different characteristics.
  GLossary
  Table 23 indicates what the various factions like, 
  dislike and are impressed by. The column headings 
  should be interpreted as follows:
  Leader: The faction’s most powerful and influential 
  individual/individuals. Other members are likely 
  to share their views, but may also deviate from 
  the faction’s official line – no faction is without 
  internal conflicts.
  Impressed by: All representatives of a faction can 
  be influenced with a successful Persuasive test, but 
  most of them also have another attribute which they 
  admire and appreciate in their allies. This attribute 
  can replace Persuasive in interactions with faction 
  representatives.
  Likes: Indicates whether the faction is particularly 
  fond of a certain race or occupation. Obviously, they 
  usually have an affinity for their fellow faction 
  members, but also for other close allies. Those who 
  fit the description gain a positive modifier of +1 
  when interacting with the faction.
  82
   
  
  Dislikes: Indicates whether the faction has a par-
  ticular loathing for a certain race or occupation. 
  Those who fit the description, possess the relevant 
  attributes, or are heard praising them, suffer a 
  negative modifier of –1 to all success tests when 
  interacting with the faction.
  It should be noted that people are often thought 
  to be members of a faction because they “look and 
  sound like it.” Individuals claiming to belong to a 
  certain category are usually believed, and those 
  who openly express strong support for one category 
  risk being thought of as one of them, and labeled 
  with epithets like “witch worshipper” or “elf lover.”
  The following categories are relevant to what 
  the factions like/dislike. The categories are not 
  mutually exclusive and they have no common, 
  systematic point of reference – just like it can be 
  with preconceptions in general.
  Ambrians: People of Ambrian heritage
  Ordo Magica: Members of Ordo Magica
  Barbarians: People of barbarian or mixed heritage
  Non-humans: Elves, changelings, dwarves, ogres, 
  goblins and trolls
  Witches: People who share the witches’ attributes, 
  abilities and views
  Worshippers of Prios: People who look like 
  Worshippers of Prios
  Heretics: People who hold heretical views, or seem 
  to have a bad influence on others 
  Blight-marked: People exhibiting physical stigmas
  Explorers: People who, for one reason or another, 
  probe the ruins of Davokar
  Nobles: Ambrians of noble blood
  Ironsworn: Members of the Iron Pact
  PLayer character scheminG
  At the end of this book there is a simple form which 
  the Game Master can use to keep a record of the 
  player characters’ status with each faction, upda-
  ting it as they go about their lives and adventures 
  (page 151). If the characters have already been in 
  contact with representatives of the various fac-
  tions, the Game Master must (preferably together 
  with the players) assess their previous encounters 
  and determine a starting value, which could be 
  positive or negative.
  Whether they start at 0 or have an already 
  established relationship, each player character 
  will have an individual status value for each faction. 
  This means that one character can enjoy a positive 
  status with one faction, while others might have a 
  neutral or even negative status – which, needless to 
  say, ought to be taken advantage of as the players 
  interact with the factions.
  Below are examples of deeds which can affect a 
  player character’s status with a faction, either pos-
  itively or negatively. Note that the change in status 
  requires that the character is recognized by the 
  factions, makes herself known to them, or that she 
  can take credit (convincingly!) for what happened.
  Sides with: Is often heard praising or expressing 
  support for the faction:
  Maximum +1 and must be maintained by making 
  public remarks, or the modifier will expire after 3 
  months.
  Design Premise 4:
  Everyone Speaks
  The idea behind the 
  rules for social chal-
  lenges is that scheming 
  should be the concern 
  of the whole group, 
  rather than something 
  handled by one 
  character specialized 
  in that particular field. 
  Sure, a high Persuasive 
  value is always good, 
  and there are boons 
  that are helpful in all 
  kinds of negotiations, 
  but with the guidelines 
  presented here, there 
  are still reasons to 
  ponder if someone else, 
  other than the party’s 
  usual negotiator, should 
  speak for the group in 
  certain situations.
  Table 23: Factions of the Game World
  faction
  Leader
  imPressed By
  Likes
  disLikes
  House Kohinoor
  Korinthia Nightbane, Beremo 
  Herengol
  Cunning
  Ordo Magica
  Barbarians, Ironsworn, 
  Blight-marked
  Ordo Magica
  Grand Master Seldonio
  Cunning
  Ambrians
  Varies
  The Priesthood
  First Father Jeseebegai,  
  Brother Eumenos
  Resolute
  Worshippers of 
  Prios
  Witches, Ironsworn, Heretics, 
  Blight-marked
  The Templars
  Iakobo Vearra
  Strong
  —
  Witches, Ironsworn, Heretics, 
  Non-humans, Blight-marked
  The Witches
  The Huldra Yeleta
  Resolute
  Witches
  Sun knights, Explorers, 
  Blight-marked
  The Iron Pact
  Elori, Prince Eneáno
  Vigilant
  Ironsworn
  Sun knights, Explorers,  
  Nobles, Blight-marked
  The Sovereign’s Oath
  Razameaman, Odralintos
  Strong
  —
  Witches, Ambrians, 
  Blight-marked
  Sacred of the  
  Old Blood
  Duke Sesario, Esmerelda
  Discreet
  Nobles
  Ordo Magica,  
  Worshippers of Prios
  11
  S O C I A L  C H A L L E N G E S
  83
   
  
  Complete mission: Successfully completes a specific 
  mission for the faction:
  Maximum +1 and must be maintained by comple-
  ting further missions, or the modifier will expire 
  after 6 months.
  Complete adventure: Brings about an outcome that 
  benefits or pleases the faction:
  +1 per adventure (maximum +3), and must be 
  maintained, or the status decreases by 1 every 3 
  months.
  Eliminate enemy: Kills or otherwise disposes 
  of a high-ranking representative of the faction’s 
  enemy: 
  +1 or +2, depending on the victim’s rank.
  Side against: Is often heard denouncing or denigra-
  ting the faction:
  Maximum –1, and must be maintained by making 
  public remarks, or the modifier will expire after 3 
  months.
  Complete adventure: Brings about an outcome that 
  is detrimental to, or angers, the faction:
  –1 per adventure (maximum –3) and must be 
  maintained, or the status decreases by 1 every 3 
  months.
  Eliminate ally: Kills or otherwise disposes of a 
  high-ranking ally/friend of the faction: 
  –1 or –2, depending on the victim’s rank.
  Eliminate representative: Kills or otherwise dispo-
  ses of a high-ranking representative of the faction:
  –2 or –3, depending on the victim’s rank.
  Fraternize with enemy: Frequently fraternizes 
  with the killer of a high-ranking representative 
  of the faction: 
  Maximum –1, expires when there has been no 
  fraternization for 3 months.
  The player characters might suffer/enjoy the 
  effects of the schemes whether they want to 
  or not, but they can also take active part in 
  them. Such participation could involve making 
  careful decisions as to who will speak for the 
  group, having someone wait outside, concealing 
  or acquiring symbols for deceptive purposes, 
  smearing enemies by spreading false rumors, or 
  even disguising themselves in order to sabotage 
  relations between enemy factions. This devious 
  game is being played by many, in all kinds of 
  contexts, and if the characters do not put in some 
  serious effort, a faction might choose someone 
  else to carry out their missions – someone who 
  has made sure to discredit the characters in the 
  eyes of the faction.
  Hiding one’s affiliation with a certain 
  faction normally requires a successful 
  [Discreet←Vigilant] test, while posing as a member 
  of another group is more difficult and requires a 
  [Persuasive←(Vigilant+3)] test. Usually, it is not 
  possible to convincingly impersonate a specific 
  individual, but it could be, if one possesses the 
  relevant abilities, traits, boons, or equipment. 
  That is for the Game Master to decide.
  effects of the scheminG
  The player characters will be faced with a number 
  of situations where they have to interrogate or nego-
  tiate with others. Usually, this is done by having 
  the characters flatter, threaten or argue with an 
  individual, whereupon the one with the highest 
  Persuasive value makes a [Persuasive←Resolute] test. 
  If the test is successful, the characters receive the 
  information they are looking for or achieve their 
  negotiation goals.
  If these advanced rules for scheming are applied, 
  the player characters’ relations with the faction 
  must also be taken into account, by adding a mod-
  ifier to each character’s Persuasive based on what 
  faction the opposite party belongs to (see table 23) 
  and what status they hold within that faction.
  Example: Grumpa the Ogre (with 7 in Persuasive, 11 
  in Strong, and 15 in Resolute) is known for speaking 
  highly of witches and for having destroyed a Templar- 
  administered excavation on one of her adventures. If 
  she was to negotiate with the Huldra on Karvosti, her 
  effective Persuasive (replaced by Resolute) would 
  be 17 [Resolute 15, +1 for praising witches, +1 for 
  a pleasing outcome of the adventure = 17]. On the 
  other hand, if she negotiated with Alisabeta Vearra, 
  her effective Persuasive (replaced by Strong) would 
  be 9 [Strong 11, −1 for a displeasing outcome of the 
  adventure, −1 for being non-human = 9]. In that case, 
  perhaps Grumpa should stand back and let someone 
  else speak for the group…
  Additional Modifications
  in an effort to give social challenges extra depth, 
  and also provide them with greater tactical com-
  plexity, here we introduce four suggestions related 
  to the individual, rather than to the factions. Before 
  the Persuasive test is rolled, the faction modifiers are 
  taken into account; then, additional modifications 
  can come into play depending on which individuals 
  are involved in the negotiations.
  84
   
  
  sociaL distance
  Race and nationality aside, the distance between indi-
  viduals in the social hierarchy can be a complicating 
  factor when it comes to communication in general, and 
  especially if one of the parties is trying to influence the 
  other. It is not only that the more prominent person 
  looks down on “commoners”; there may very well exist 
  a level of distrust and prejudice that works in the other 
  direction. Furthermore, individuals from different 
  social classes tend to speak and reason somewhat 
  differently, which adds to the difficulties.
  A simple way to handle this is by taking into 
  account the traits Privileged and Pariah, which, 
  when combined with persons without any such 
  trait, form a three-step-scale:
  Privileged – neither – Pariah
  If the negotiating parties are on the same step, no 
  modification is made. If the difference between 
  them is one (1) step, the active party suffers a –1 
  modification on its tests, or –2 if one of them has 
  Privileged and the other Pariah.
  faction affiLiation
  In addition to the distinction Likes/Dislikes, the active 
  party in a social challenge may gain a general +1 bonus 
  if both parties are active members in the same faction. 
  In order for this to come into effect, having the same 
  sympathies is not enough (for instance, believing in 
  the Lawgiver or fighting for House Kohinoor) – they 
  must both have official positions within an organi-
  zation, order, army, church or similar. 
  Likes and taste
  Specific individuals are not always impressed by 
  the same attributes as their faction at large – a 
  commander in the Queen’s army may be impres-
  sed by Strong (instead of Cunning), and a single 
  village witch can be impressed by Discreet (instead 
  of Resolute).
  Among other things, this fact may be used to 
  force the player characters to do research before 
  taking on the social challenge, to learn more about 
  the particular person they will be negotiating with.
  estaBLish a reLationshiP
  If the gaming group likes to make use of that which 
  is called Degrees of Success (see the Core Rulebook, 
  page 172), the following may be appealing:
  If the success test in a negotiation (usually 
  [Persuasive←Resolute], with a certain modification) 
  succeeds with a difference of 5 or more, this means 
  that the negotiating parties get along unusually 
  well; they really hit it off and the connection 
  between them will have a positive impact on future 
  meetings. The player whose character handled the 
  negotiation gets to pen down the name of this new 
  friend on the character sheet, and next time the 
  two individuals are negotiating, the active party 
  has a +3 bonus to the test.
  If instead the success test fails with a differ-
  ence of 5 or more… Well, then the meeting ends in 
  quarreling and bad blood. Again, the player takes 
  note of the name, because next time these two 
  individuals meet to negotiate the active part has 
  a –3 modification. Maybe it is best to let someone 
  else speak for the player characters…
  The modification from personal relationships 
  can never be higher than three, positive or nega-
  tive. But it can change, of course – should an active 
  party with a +3 bonus fail with a difference of 5 or 
  more, then the relationship bonus between the 
  individuals reverts to ±0.
  The People of Ambria and Davokar
  the foLLoWinG rundoWn of the various social 
  groups that characterize the Davokar region has no 
  rules related implications, but may be useful to Game 
  Masters when describing individuals the characters 
  see or come into contact with. Both Ambrian society 
  and the clans are based on a hierarchical structure, 
  and sometimes it may seem like Ambrians and 
  barbarians of similar status have more in common 
  than an Ambrian crofter and the village blacksmith.
  thraLL
  Thralls are found among the barbarians, either born 
  into servitude, taken captive in battle, or held in 
  bondage for unpaid debts. Thralls are considered 
  property and thus have no rights. Killing them 
  amounts to destruction of property. Thralls cannot 
  own anything, but rely on their owners for food, 
  shelter and tools. Healthy thralls are a status symbol 
  among barbarians, but spoiling them is considered a 
  sign of weakness – “at the hold of Chieftain Lardos even 
  the thralls are fat” is a way of saying that Chieftain 
  Lardos is both rich and weak in spirit.
  crofter
  Crofters rent a plot of land and pay for it with hard 
  labor in the landowner’s fields. Every month a 
  crofter family receives roughly an orteg’s worth 
  of surplus crops. This is often traded for everyday 
  luxuries at the local market; some families save it 
  in the hope of one day owning a farm of their own. 
  11
  S O C I A L  C H A L L E N G E S
  85
   
  
  daythaLer
  Daythalers are the crofters of the towns, wor-
  kers who give their bodies to hard labor such as 
  construction. The wage for manual labor in the 
  cities is an orteg a day, which just about covers the 
  minimum expenses of living there. 
  soLdier
  Ambrian soldiers are entitled to a small plot of 
  land which provides their families with a meager 
  subsistence, while the soldiers serve in the army. 
  A soldier’s salary is one orteg a week, but then all 
  the soldier’s expenses are covered by the army, 
  including weapons and armor. 
  mercenary 
  Sellswords normally earn a shilling a 
  day as infantrymen, but must pay 
  for their own weapons and armor. 
  Mercenary cavalry – where 
  the warriors provide their own 
  horses – are paid 10 shillings a 
  day, with a maintenance 
  cost of almost as much, at 
  least if there is a family to 
  support. Mercenaries like 
  crossbowmen, pikemen 
  and light cavalry can 
  make good money, at a 
  very high risk of mutila-
  tion, death and unemploy-
  ment once peace is resto-
  red. Long wars can easily 
  empty the war chests, in 
  which case the mercena-
  ries are only paid in booty, which contributes to 
  further brutalization during the conflict.
  yeoman farmer
  Self-owning farmers earn about a shilling a day in 
  produce from their own farm which, but for a couple 
  of ortegs, is also the cost of living, taxes and farm 
  maintenance. Many yeomen farmers also serve 
  in their liege lord’s army a certain number of days 
  per year – usually 30 days per year as archers – in 
  exchange for reduced taxes. This increases the 
  farm’s surplus to half a dozen ortegs per day, and 
  farms with a tradition of archery can grow into 
  large-scale operations, with their own crofters and 
  a more comfortable life for the family – if the farmer 
  survives the military service, that is. 
  artisan
  Ambria’s strong guild system allows artisan fami-
  lies to earn one shilling a day, which, after food and 
  beverage expenses, rent and tool maintenance, 
  leaves several ortegs for a comfortable life or a 
  future investment. The guilds are very keen to keep 
  the number of artisans from growing too large, to 
  ensure good wages for their members. Barbarian 
  artisanship is simpler, but regulated by the fact 
  that each village may only have one artisan of each 
  type, which has a similar effect. 
  merchant
  Traders in Ambrian cities often make one thaler a 
  day and count their expenses in shillings, which 
  allows many merchant families to grow rapidly in 
  status and pomp. Some also marry into declining 
  noble houses to get a fancier name for their business. 
  kniGht
  Heavily armored cavalry is the backbone of the 
  Ambrian army. It costs one thaler per day to keep 
  a knight with a family appropriately housed and 
  provide combat equipment like two horses, heavy 
  armor, lance, sword and shield. Some knights are 
  freelancers, landless nobles in a prince’s service, 
  but the majority are landowners themselves and 
  princelings in their own right. 
  noBLe
  Barons and their families live on 100 thaler a day, 
  which is not so strange considering that politics 
  and festivities are intimately connected. A class- 
  appropriate lifestyle is viewed as the foundation of 
  a trustworthy individual, and tournaments, lavish 
  parties, and purchasing the goodwill of important 
  guilds are all common practice to achieve one’s 
  plans and protect the family’s privileges. 
  86
   
  
  Expeditions  
       in Davokar
  it has Been said before, but bears repeating time and time again: Davokar is 
  a forest like no other. Traveling through an ordinary forest can be dangerous, 
  arduous, and fraught with unpleasant surprises, but in Davokar the threats 
  are greater, the challenges tougher, and the surprises far more deadly. And 
  the further into the forest you go, the more dangerous it becomes – while 
  travelers near the edge of Davokar may encounter a flock of mare cats, those 
  venturing deeper into the woods will more likely face a horde of skullbiters 
  or a famished arch troll.
  this chaPter covers aspects of any journey into 
  the legendary Davokar, to various depths and for 
  different purposes. The aim is to answer three 
  key issues: why travelers expose themselves to 
  the dangers of the forest, how good preparations 
  can improve their chance of survival, and what 
  they may encounter on their journeys. Should your 
  gaming group want to explore other regions than 
  Davokar, you will have to make some changes and 
  probably adjust certain details. But in principal, 
  these guidelines can be used to handle all types of 
  wilderness expeditions.
  It should be noted that the rules below can be seen 
  as an extension of the mechanics described in the pro-
  duct Treasure Hunts in Davokar, which is included in 
  Adventure Pack 1. They are aimed at really far-reaching 
  expeditions, with the intent of making them more 
  varied, interesting and (if so desired) random.
  Missions 
  to those Who have already made plenty of money 
  and who live in a world where everything seems to 
  have been explored and mapped, it may seem like 
  madness to willingly expose oneself to the dangers of 
  Davokar. But the people of Ambria see the forest in a 
  very different light. For some the expeditions into the 
  Goal-oriented Play
  This chapter on 
  expeditions in Davokar 
  works very well with 
  many of the concepts 
  for goal-oriented 
  roleplaying presented 
  in Section I – especially 
  Staging an Expedition 
  (page 57) and Holy 
  Mission (page 51).
  12
  E X P E D I T I O N S  I N  D A V O K A R
  87
   
  
  forest are a last desperate alternative to starvation and 
  misery, for others a deliberate gamble with potential 
  gains matching the extreme risk. Still others are 
  driven by ambition, curiosity or the pursuit of power 
  and glory – urges that can partly be satisfied in other 
  ways, but not as quickly and effectively.
  Davokar is arguably one of the Symbaroum game’s 
  main characters, meant to be the setting for many 
  of the adventures taking place around the gaming 
  table. Hence, it must offer a certain degree of vari-
  ation, aside from the character progression that 
  comes from accumulating experience and being 
  able to press deeper and deeper into the darkness. 
  Looking for ancient Symbarian ruins is certainly 
  exciting, but after a dozen treasure hunts even 
  the most adventurous player would probably be 
  yearning for something else.
  treasure hunt
  The first and most obvious reason to head out into 
  the murky woods is to look for ruins from the time of 
  Symbaroum, in the hope that they will be brimming 
  with riches. Information about promising treasure 
  grounds can be obtained in many ways – in settle-
  ments near the edge of the forest, goblin villages, 
  barbarian camp sites, or by studying legends and 
  other remnants of ancient times.
  Treasure hunts usually begin in civilized areas, 
  where the player characters come across informa-
  tion about a ruin or are offered the chance to join 
  someone else’s expedition. The journey can be more 
  or less challenging depending on how far into the 
  forest the characters are going, and whether any 
  intrigues/conflicts arise between the expedition 
  members – treacherous companions are a problem 
  that should never be underestimated! As for the 
  ruin and its treasures, they can either be generated 
  randomly or designed beforehand; either way, in 
  the long run, it will probably be more interesting 
  to vary the amount of treasure, so that the player 
  characters will sometimes hit the jackpot and 
  sometimes return with nothing after wasting a 
  great deal of resources.
  The challenges facing the player characters 
  should reflect that they are not alone in the game 
  world. Sure, confrontations with monsters and 
  dragouls can make for thrilling encounters, but 
  do not forget to include other types of encounters 
  as well: another treasure hunting expedition may 
  already be on the scene; the ruin may be home to 
  a peaceful goblin tribe or be watched by the Iron 
  Pact; or perhaps it turns out to be inhabited by a 
  handful of stray ogres trying to build a decent life 
  for themselves.
  Many expeditions have 
  ventured into Davokar. 
  Few are those that have 
  returned…
  88
   
  
  exPLoration
  Every so often, organizations like the Royal 
  Sekretorium and Ordo Magica will arrange expe-
  ditions into Davokar. The purpose for this can be 
  to learn more about some historical event, identify 
  or gather medicinal herbs, find manuscripts des-
  cribing forgotten rituals, or seek out “proof” that 
  House Kohinoor or some other noble house has a 
  historical claim to a certain territory.
  Player characters who are members of a faction 
  or organization can of course go exploring on their 
  own initiative, perhaps after finding clues in an 
  archive or talking to some of Davokar’s inhabitants. 
  But since nobles and scholars tend to abhor physical 
  labor, the player characters are just as likely to 
  be hired to do someone else’s grunt work. Again, 
  the player characters should sometimes return 
  empty-handed (to an aggravated employer) and 
  sometimes with whatever they were supposed to 
  retrieve. Maybe they will find some other even more 
  important piece of information, which raises the 
  question of how much they should withhold from 
  the person financing the expedition (which could 
  lead to complications if he or she has a mole among 
  the player characters’ companions)?
  A group of explorers will probably face the same 
  kind of challenging encounters as treasure hun-
  ters. But in this case a ruin’s inhabitants can also 
  be used as sources of information. A cryptwalker 
  might provide deeper knowledge about the signi-
  ficance of a mural painting, while a goblin tribe 
  can tell the characters about a previous expedition 
  that recently discovered a cache of rune-marked 
  copper tablets.
  missionary Work 
  Followers of both the Lawgiver and the Lifegiver 
  see it as their duty to spread the knowledge of, and 
  the love for, Prios among pagans and heretics. The 
  target could be a goblin tribe, a barbarian campsite, 
  or why not a free settlement that has come up with 
  a unique version of Prios worship (see page 51 for 
  further ideas).
  A player character may feel compelled to serve 
  the Sun God due to personal convictions or pressure 
  from his/her superiors, but it is more likely that 
  a certain congregation or an individual priest is 
  in need of an armed escort who knows the forest. 
  Whatever the case, the group in question could 
  be receptive to the message, or outright hostile to 
  “outsiders.” Perhaps they feign interest in order to 
  disarm and enslave the missionaries, or worse. Or 
  they may demand that the player characters prove 
  “Prios’ greatness” by passing some brutal test or 
  defeating some fearsome creature that has long 
  plagued the group.
  Most challenges during missionary tours will 
  probably be social in nature – conflicts between 
  missionaries and locals, between various groups 
  on site, and between the locals and their wider 
  community (such as a clan or tribe).
  manhunt 
  Another common type of mission in Davokar is to 
  find and bring back missing individuals or groups. 
  The previous headings can be used as a starting 
  point to determine who has gone missing, and 
  why – a group of plunderers, explorers or mis-
  sionaries. These could also be humans wishing 
  to join the Iron Pact or some who willingly have 
  moved away from Ambria, attracted to the idea 
  of becoming a free settler, hermit or member of 
  some barbarian clan.
  In this case, suitable quest givers include family 
  members, employers and friends. But one must 
  be careful; the missing person does not always 
  want to be found, and might avoid or hide from 
  the player characters. In more complicated cases, 
  the person/people in question might no longer 
  be where they should be; they might have been 
  abducted or willingly followed new information to 
  somewhere completely different. This is another 
  type of mission where the player characters should 
  sometimes return empty-handed, due to the person 
  being dead or simply impossible to find. 
  In addition to the challenges that characterize 
  treasure hunting, exploring and missionary 
  missions, manhunts can require a high degree 
  of problem solving. The characters could have to 
  track the individual across great distances, sneak 
  into hostile settlements, and use their powers and 
  rituals in clever ways.
  Movement in Davokar
  dividinG a forest like Davokar into a few homo-
  geneous zones is of course impossible, but for des-
  criptive purposes we are forced to resort to certain 
  simplifications. In order to make the account a little 
  more varied compared to the Core Rulebook, the 
  description below distinguishes between three 
  types of areas: Bright, Wild and Dark Davokar (see 
  map on page 91).
  When moving through the forest, the table Way 
  of Travel & Time on page 184 in the Core Rulebook 
  is still used, here repeated with the addition that 
  Wild Davokar has the same stats as Bright Davokar. 
  12
  E X P E D I T I O N S  I N  D A V O K A R
  89
   
  
  We also suggest that traveling up or down a river 
  counts as one tier lower, so that a trip along the river 
  Eanor in Bright or Wild Davokar is equivalent to a 
  journey across the plains of Ambria.
  Other things affecting the characters’ travels 
  are their access to a competent guide and the 
  acquisition and storage of supplies. Below we 
  present a set of guidelines for just that, including 
  a list of Misfortunes that travelers might face if 
  they or their guide are having a bad day. Some 
  gaming groups may find these rules unnecessarily 
  detailed, in which case the solution is the same 
  as always: use whatever seems interesting and 
  ignore the rest.
  suPPLies
  These guidelines assume that the player characters 
  can find fresh/untainted water every day. Food, 
  however, must be brought along, preferably enough 
  so that they will not have to spend time and energy 
  hunting or picking berries and mushrooms. This 
  raises the question of how much in the way of gear 
  and supplies the characters can carry, on their own 
  or with the help of carriers and pack animals.
  Provisions
  Regarding provisions, the gaming group has an 
  important choice to make: do you want the food 
  situation to be a challenge, or ignore all that and 
  settle for the dangers that await in the forest and 
  at your destination? In the latter case, the player 
  characters can simply purchase enough food to get 
  them there and back again, in the form of waybread 
  and/or edibles that have been smoked, dried, salted 
  or preserved in some other way – then they just 
  have to keep track of how many days go by and 
  adjust their food supply accordingly.
  But for the players and their characters to get a 
  feel for what traveling in Davokar is really like, we 
  recommend the Game Master employ starvation 
  as a very real threat, in which case purchasing, 
  storing and transporting provisions becomes much 
  more important. The characters should also find 
  themselves a capable guide that can help them 
  prevent Misfortunes, such as bolting pack animals, 
  reluctant carriers and spoiled provisions.
  If the characters are running out of food, the 
  guide can help replenish their stock, and if that is 
  not enough there are of course other options as well. 
  The player characters could seek out and negotiate 
  with local barbarian villages, goblin tribes or free 
  settlements, and maybe even venture a nerve- 
  racking meeting with elves or trolls. Yet another 
  option is to raid the stores of another expedition, 
  if they are fortunate enough to come across one.
  But even so, they can find themselves on the 
  brink of starvation. In that case there are rules for 
  Starvation in the text box to the left.
  Encumbrance 
  Another factor that can make traveling through the 
  forest a more vivid experience is the guidelines for 
  Encumbrance on page 100 in the Advanced Player’s 
  Guide. To avoid making this more complicated than 
  it needs to be, we suggest the following rules for 
  woodland travelers:
   
  ◆  One waybread is enough to feed one person 
  for seven days, and counts as one (1) item 
  against the encumbrance limit.
  Starvation, optional rule
  For people traveling through Davokar, running out of food is as serious a 
  threat as predators and corrupted nature. After five days without any food 
  whatsoever, or ten days on rations, the following effects kick in:
  The player character…
  … does not benefit from any natural healing
  … has two chances to fail all success tests
  … can only move at half speed
  … must pass a Strong test every day; failure decreases Strong by –1. Strong 0 
  means death by starvation
  If this rule is combined with the guidelines for Sleep Deprivation (page 
  78 in Yndaros – The Darkest Star), the effects are added together, which 
  among other things means that the player character has three chances to 
  fail all success tests.
  90
  * Journeys along or on the rivers count as one level lower; for instance, moving 
  along a river in Bright Davokar counts as a journey on the Plains of Ambria.
  ** Forced march/ride means that no natural healing will occur while traveling
  *** ADeath march/ride involves an actual risk for one’s life and well-being. All who 
  travel at this speed suffer at least 1 point of Toughness each day, and must make a 
  Strong test in order to not suffer an additional 1D6 points of damage. A roll with the 
  outcome 20 means that the traveler has been mortally injured in an accident during 
  the journey.
  Table 24: Way of Travel & Time
  Way of traveL*
  PLains of 
  amBria 
  BriGht/WiLd 
  davokar 
  dark  
  davokar
  Day’s march
  20 km
  20 km
  10 km
  Forced march**
  40 km
  30 km
  15 km
  Death march***
  60 km
  40 km
  20 km
  Day’s ride
  40 km
  30 km
  10 km
  Forced ride**
  60 km
  45 km
  15 km
  Death ride**
  70 km
  50 km
  20 km
   
  
  91
  12
  E X P E D I T I O N S  I N  D A V O K A R
  Dark  
  Davokar
  Wild  
  Davokar
  Bright  
  Davokar
   
  
   
  ◆ Other provisions are enough for one day per 
  ration, and count as half an item against the 
  encumbrance limit.
   
  ◆ Capable carriers (goblin or human) cost 1 
  shilling per day and can carry up to 40 units, 
  unless they are expected to contribute in 
  other ways (Strong 13 and the Pack-mule boon). 
  Note that these will need their share of the 
  food supply.
   
  ◆ Four-legged pack animals (horse, donkey, 
  mule) can carry twice as much, i.e. 80 units 
  each. The cost of such animals is specified 
  in the Core Rulebook (page 154–155), and they 
  have the advantage of being able to survive 
  exclusively by grazing.
  The expedition’s encumbrance limit will also be 
  important on the journey home, when the player 
  characters will want to bring their finds back to 
  civilization. 
  WiLderness Guide
  Venturing into uncharted wilderness is always 
  risky business. Book learning and a high Vigilant 
  value is not enough to secure provisions and avoid 
  danger; no, it takes special knowledge about the 
  specific environment. This is why many treasure 
  hunting parties and expeditions always have a 
  skilled guide or two with them. Also, this explains 
  why the rules of the trait/boon Bushcraft have 
  been changed and expanded, according to the 
  text box below.
  The guide has two main functions: replenishing 
  the food/water supply according to the rules for 
  Bushcraft, and helping the expedition avoid the 
  worst hazards of the journey. In order to be truly 
  useful, the guide must know Bushcraft at whatever 
  level the local environment requires; in Davokar’s 
  case: level I for Bright, level II for Wild, and level 
  III for Dark territories.
  The cost of the guide is determined by its Vigilant 
  value and its level of Bushcraft. The base cost is one 
  thaler per week, but for every point of Vigilant 
  past 11 and every level of Bushcraft past I, the cost 
  increases by one thaler. For example, hiring a guide 
  with Vigilant 13 that can be useful in Wild Davokar 
  (Bushcraft II) costs 4 thaler a week.
  orientation & misfortunes
  Each day of travel through a wilderness area, 
  the guide must roll an Orientation test against 
  Vigilant with the Bushcraft trait/boon. If success-
  ful, this confers an advantage when rolling on 
  some of the tables described in the section Events 
  (see page 97).
  If the test fails, the party gains no advantages and 
  suffers a more or less terrible Misfortune. Below is 
  a list of incidents with the potential to cause trouble 
  for the travelers, or at least treat them to unwan-
  ted surprises. The Game Master can ask one of the 
  players to roll 1d20, modified by +5 if the expedition 
  is in Wild Davokar or +10 if they have reached the 
  Dark, and then look up the Misfortune with the 
  number corresponding to the dice outcome. The 
  incidents are described in short, but often with 
  questions which the Game Master can build on, 
  possibly together with the players. 
  Furthermore, when it comes to avoiding 
  Misfortunes, the person guiding the group can 
  make success tests even in regions that require a 
  higher level of the trait/boon than he or she pos-
  sesses. It takes at least Bushcraft (I) to be allowed an 
  attempt, and the test is made with a –3 modification 
  if the environment requires one level higher, or 
  –5 if the guide has level I and the environment
  requires level III. If such a test succeeds, the group 
  suffers no Misfortune, but also does not gain any 
  of the normal advantages for making a successful 
  Orientation test.
  1. The Camp Site
  The characters find an abandoned camp site. Is it
  truly abandoned? Is there any valuable equipment
  left behind, or something dangerous?
  2. The Corpse
  The characters come across the remains of a dead 
  fortune-hunter who was not prepared for the
  challenges of Davokar. What killed her? Do the
  characters recognize the deceased?
  Bushcraft, boon (expanded)
  The person can read the signs of the wilds, knows what areas to avoid and is 
  used to finding food, water and shelter in harsh environments. While moving 
  through ruins or wilderness, the person can pass a Vigilant test to gather 
  1D6 rations of food and water per day, or 1D10 rations if that is the person’s 
  sole focus (no movement).
  Bushcraft can be acquired multiple times, in which case it can be used 
  in increasingly hostile environments. For example, level I is useful in places 
  such as Bright Davokar and the outskirts of the mountains; level II in Wild 
  Davokar and the deep mountain valleys; level III in Dark Davokar and the 
  Underworld (the Game Master decides). Note that one must have spent a 
  significant period of time in the more demanding environments to benefit 
  from the higher levels of the boon.
  Effect of Boons
  The boons Cartographer 
  and Pathfinder would pro-
  bably be useful in relation 
  to the Orientation test. 
  Pathfinder then grants 
  the guide two chances to 
  succeed, while Cartograp-
  her can add a bonus of up 
  to +3 to the roll.
  92
   
  
  3. A Distant Howl
  An inhuman howl is heard way out in the woods;
  soon thereafter it is heard again, closer this time. 
  How do the members of the expedition react?
  4. A Bad Omen
  The characters encounter signs indicating a clear 
  and present danger. What kind of signs – footprints, 
  cadavers, mucus, blood? And how fresh are they?
  5. Sudden silence
  Suddenly the forest holds its breath and a tense
  silence falls over the expedition. Why?
  6. Stuck
  One of the expedition’s carts or part of their equip-
  ment gets stuck, in mud, in a crack or under a falling 
  giant tree. It takes two people, each of them rolling 
  a test against Strong, to remedy the situation. If
  one of the tests fails, the company will travel ten
  kilometers shorter this day; if both tests fail, it
  takes a whole day before they can continue forth.
  7. Shadowed
  The expedition is being followed, which can be
  noticed with a test against Vigilant. Who is spying 
  on them, and with what intent?
  8. Thorns
  The expedition stops at the edge of a vast field of
  dense thorn bushes. They can go around, thereby 
  cutting the day’s traveling distance in half. If they 
  try to force their way through, all members must 
  roll two tests against Discreet – each failure deals
  1d4 damage (ignoring Armor).
  9. The Patrol
  A unit from the Queen’s Rangers orders the expe-
  dition to halt. They rummage through packs and
  other bags and demand to see the group’s Explorer’s 
  License. Are they really rangers of the Queen? If
  yes, are they corrupt?
  10. Mosquito swarm
  During the day’s walk, the characters are harassed
  by a swarm of mosquitos. What they don’t know is 
  that the insects are exposing them to a disease. See 
  rules on Disease in Symbaroum (page 169 in the
  Monster Codex) and roll 1d6 – 1–3 Weak Disease; 4–5 
  Moderate Disease; 6 Strong Disease.
  11. Downpour
  A strange, icy rain hammers down on the forest
  and the expedition is soaked. The characters can
  choose to test Strong or Resolute; a failure means
  that the person catches a chill and suffers –3 to all 
  success tests until he or she gets warm by sitting 
  close to a fire.
  12. Lost
  The characters have to admit that they have lost their 
  bearings. As usual, the guide rolls one Orientation 
  test per day, but with a –5 modification. If failed, the 
  group wanders in circles and makes no progress at 
  all; if successful, they progress at normal speed. It 
  takes three successful tests with a –5 modification 
  before they escape the bewildering area and hence 
  are free from the negative modification. What makes 
  the terrain so difficult to navigate?
  13. Sick Animals
  The animals of the expedition seem exhausted and 
  throw up all they eat. A character with Beast Lore 
  can help them by successfully rolling a Cunning 
  test – one test per day and animal. If the company 
  travels with one or more sick animals, they only
  move a quarter of the normal distance. Maybe they 
  have to leave some animals behind?
  14. Marshland
  Suddenly, the characters reach a vast marshland
  which will take half a day to circumvent. If they
  choose to proceed, the guide must roll a Vigilant 
  test; if failed, a random expedition member starts 
  to sink and one of the others must pass two Strong 
  tests to save him or her. If three tests fail before two 
  successes are rolled, the unlucky one disappears
  into the muck.
  15. Ambush
  Hostiles in the area are planning to ambush the
  characters, which may be noted with a [Vigilant –5] 
  test. Who is the enemy and what is its goal? 
  16. Spoiling Food
  The characters discover that something has
  consumed some of their supplies while they were 
  sleeping or traveling, or the provisions are attacked 
  by aggressive microbes which cause part of the
  stock to rot. The expedition loses 1d20 rations.
  17. Wildfire
  Without warning, a wildfire spreads toward the
  expedition at an alarming rate. Each person must 
  pass two Quick tests to reach a safe location. Anyone 
  who fails one or more tests takes 1d4 damage for
  1d4 turns (ignoring Armor) before getting to safety; 
  note that they cannot stop and try to extinguish
  the flames before then. What happens to the pack 
  animals and/or the contracted carriers?
  Dehydration
  A living creature cannot 
  survive long without 
  water. After three days 
  the character must pass 
  a Strong test; failure 
  means death. If suc-
  cessful, the character 
  must remain comple-
  tely still in the shade in 
  order to survive, for a 
  maximum of five days (a 
  new Strong test is made 
  every day).
  Player Character 
  as a Guide
  It is of course possible 
  for a player character 
  to act as the group’s 
  wilderness guide, as 
  long as that person has 
  Bushcraft (ideally at the 
  required level) and is 
  fairly Vigilant. The term 
  guide simply refers to the 
  person leading the party 
  on their journey, whether 
  he or she is an indepen-
  dent contractor or a full 
  member of the party.
  12
  E X P E D I T I O N S  I N  D A V O K A R
  93
   
  
  18. From Bad to Worse
  Roll two times on this table and use both outcomes.
  19. Discord in the Ranks
  The strenuous journey is starting to get on peoples’ 
  nerves. Two non-player characters in the expedition 
  start fighting violently. What has happened? Is one 
  of them infected by something?
  20. Sacred Ground
  The ground that the characters are traversing is
  considered taboo for strangers by the local popu-
  lation – the trespassers must die! Who lives in the 
  area? Why the taboo?
  21. Corrupted Soil
  The environment suddenly feels twisted and sick; 
  soon it can be seen, on the dark veins and black
  leaves of the vegetation. The area is blight-stricken; 
  the characters can turn back and choose another 
  way (loses one day), or they can proceed and roll
  a Strong test each – a failure means they suffer
  1d6 points of temporary corruption that do not
  leave the body until they have left the corrupted
  area behind.
  22. Hangman’s Hill
  Without warning you see them hanging there,
  in nooses from the lower branches, gutted and
  mutilated: the members of a large expedition.
  The characters’ companions must be persuaded
  [Persuasive←Resolute] not to turn around and leave. 
  Who has done this, and why?
  23. Sabotage
  During the night, a lone saboteur tries to access the 
  expedition’s members, provisions and/or animals. 
  Who is the saboteur? What is the target? Can the
  characters thwart the attempt?
  24. The Ironsworn’s Ultimatum
  They appear as if from out of the very air, along the 
  path where the characters are walking – an Iron
  Pact warband, arrows pointing at the travelers.
  The leader of the elves gives an ultimatum: turn
  around and take a long detour (two days) or face
  the Ironsworn’s wrath. Why? Can an agreement be 
  reached, such as being blindfolded and escorted
  through the area?
  25. Lair of Evil
  Something in this region attracts aggressive mons-
  ters and adversaries – roll an extra time on Table 28: 
  Enemies in Davokar (page 99). What is attracting
  these creatures to the area?
  26. Delirium
  The characters start hearing and seeing what isn’t 
  there; horrifying figures connected to their own
  history. If a character openly questions what he
  or she sees and hears, they can roll a [Resolute –3] 
  test; success means that the hallucinations subside. 
  The Game Master decides how much time passes
  before the group can resume the journey. Is the
  delirium caused by something they have eaten, or 
  by something in the air or water?
  27. The Eternal Contagion
  Everything in the area is dead or twisted beyond
  recognition. This place is horribly corrupt; even if 
  the characters decide to turn back and go around 
  (losing one day), they must pass a Strong test or
  suffer one point of permanent corruption. If pro-
  ceeding and failing the Strong test, they suffer 1d4 
  points of permanent corruption; should the test
  succeed, they are instead plagued by 1d6 temporary 
  corruption that lingers all day. In both cases, all
  provisions are automatically infected – each ration 
  consumed deals one point of temporary corruption 
  that does not go away until the afflicted has eaten 
  pure food for a week.
  28. Disappearance
  An expedition member (character, companion
  or animal with supplies) suddenly disappears, as
  if evaporated into nothing. Was it transferred to
  another place, time or world? Who or what caused 
  the disappearance, and why?
  29. Heart of Darkness
  A member of the expedition encounters something 
  that makes him or her crazy (bug bite, spores, foul 
  air or similar). Select a non-player or player charac-
  ter at random, who then must roll a Resolute test:
  the character suffers 1d4 permanent corruption if 
  the test is successful, or 1d10 if it fails. Irrespective 
  of which, the victim will attack the closest person 
  with the intent of killing him or her – a state that
  remains for the duration of the scene. 
  30. The Eye of the Forest
  All who travel the area feel as if they are being
  watched by the forest itself, as if it is assessing
  them, searching for weaknesses. Suddenly the
  feeling grows many times stronger, becomes
  threatening, like the whole world is out to get
  them. All who fail a [Resolute –5] test are struck
  by panic and start fleeing in different directions. 
  The panic persists for 1d4 hours, and during that 
  time the expedition members become scattered,
  alone in the depths of Davokar…
  Unreliable guides
  Not all guides can be 
  trusted. If the Game 
  Master so desires, one 
  of the player characters 
  must pass a Persuasive 
  test after each random 
  enemy encounter on the 
  journey, in order for the 
  guide to stay with the 
  expedition. Further-
  more, if the outcome is 
  20, it turns out that the 
  guide belongs to a group 
  of robbers who come to 
  take the player charac-
  ters’ money and treasu-
  re. They outnumber the 
  player characters by 1 
  and have the stats of a 
  Robber/Robber Chief 
  (see page 211 in the Core 
  Rulebook).
  94
   
  
  Planning the Expedition
  endurinG a journey to the depths of Davokar requi-
  res both luck and skill; to actually make it back home 
  poses even higher demands, especially regarding 
  planning and preparations. This section deals with 
  how you as a Game Master can turn the expedition’s 
  prelude into one or more exciting game sessions.
  An important component in this is to convey 
  the understanding that the player characters’ lives 
  literally may depend on how well they prepare for 
  the journey. At taverns and inns along the forest’s 
  southern border, they can find several (more or less 
  physically and mentally scarred) fortune hunters who 
  have journeyed into the darkness and can stress the 
  importance of mapping one’s route, securing a skilled 
  guide (preferably two, in case one of them should 
  die), purchasing high-quality provisions, and so on.
  Described under the headings below are not 
  only the sources of information and available com-
  panions, but also how the characters’ choices will 
  technically affect their journey through Davokar. 
  A high-quality resource can add bonuses to certain 
  tests, or grant re-rolls when so desired.
  maP
  When the player characters have decided on a route 
  to the targeted site, they can try to learn more 
  about it – specific areas to avoid, dangers to look 
  out for, and places that are relatively safe or can 
  offer various forms of resources.
  Such information can be obtained from people as 
  well as from written sources. As far as the former 
  is concerned, it is for instance possible to seek help 
  from experienced fortune-hunters, Ordo Magica’s 
  explorers or persons who have actually lived in the 
  areas the characters will pass on their journey. 
  Archives to scour for additional intelligence can 
  be found in several places in towns like Thistle 
  Hold and Ravenia.
  Information from People
  How much help they gain from conversations with 
  individuals claiming to have information about 
  their route simply depends on how much they are 
  willing to pay. Trusting the misleading information 
  offered by ordinary treasure hunters (cost: 1–9 tha-
  ler) will even have negative effects during their 
  travels through Davokar. Technically, their leader/
  guide gets a –1 penalty to orientation tests and +1 
  to rolls on tables 28 (Enemies) and 29 (Terrain).
  Should they instead make the effort to search 
  for experienced forest travelers, they can actually 
  get some help, in which case they get a +1 modifier 
  to the orientation test and a –1 modifier to rolls on 
  said tables. But the question is how deep into the 
  forest the person has ventured. An experienced 
  treasure hunter will demand 25 thaler (20 with 
  a successful Persuasive test), but the information 
  will only be useful while traveling through Bright 
  Davokar (see the map on page 91). Sources like 
  Ordo Magica can also provide information on Wild 
  Davokar, at a price of 50 thaler (40 with a successful 
  [Persuasive –5] test).
  Finally, there are a few people whose informa-
  tion can give the characters a bonus to said test also 
  in Dark Davokar, as for instance Lasifor Nightpitch 
  and Lysindra Goldengrasp in Thistle Hold. These 
  will charge 100 thaler for such detailed information, 
  or 5% in future shares – can be haggled down to 
  80 thaler/4% with a successful [Persuasive –1] test.
  Written Sources
  Finding reliable information in the messy archives 
  of Ambria takes time, even with the paid assistance 
  of the notaries. Normally it costs 1 thaler a day and 
  grants access to the archives, and another ten thaler 
  a day for personal assistance (which adds +1 to tests 
  for Research in Archives, page 100 in the Advanced 
  Player’s Guide).
  Each participating player character makes one 
  success test for every full day of research, up to a 
  maximum of three successes. 
  The first success adds a +1 modification to 
  Orientation tests, and –1 to rolls on tables 28 
  (Enemies) and 29 (Terrain), or –2 if the roll suc-
  ceeds with a modification of 5 or more, but only 
  in Bright Davokar. 
  Expensive Licenses
  Acquiring an Explorer’s License for journeys in Davokar is simply a must, 
  and an expensive one at that. On page 34 in the Core Rulebook there is 
  a table which can help you calculate the price, and remember that the 
  licensors are rarely restrictive when it comes to increasing the base rate 
  with extra add-on costs.
  Characters who have difficulties raising that kind of money have a few 
  painful options to choose from: selling properties, artifacts or other assets; 
  borrowing the missing sum at high interest rates; or offering to sell future 
  shares in their expedition. Given the level of risk, the interest rate should 
  be 25% per month (20% with a successful Persuasive test), and persons 
  who are offered future shares should demand 10% for every hundred thaler 
  they invest, i.e. 50% for a loan of 500 thaler (more than that will be next to 
  impossible to lend against future shares).
  12
  E X P E D I T I O N S  I N  D A V O K A R
  95
   
  
  An additional test must succeed in order to 
  gain matching modifications during the route 
  through Wild Davokar, and yet another one for 
  the journey through the darkest of the dark. In 
  the latter case, the modifier can never exceed –1 
  for the tables. 
  Guide
  General rules and guidelines for wilderness gui-
  des are found on page 92, but to actually acquire a 
  competent guide is often a challenge, most often 
  of a social nature. It can be that almost all suitable 
  candidates are already out on expeditions, or 
  recently returned and hence reluctant to go out 
  again so soon. Or they may be bound by some 
  form of contract, prepared to head out together 
  with a group funded and led by some organization 
  or individual.
  In the latter case, and in part when it comes to 
  convincing a recently returned wildlife expert, 
  the player character needs to pressure the can-
  didate to change his or her plans, preferably 
  without their current employer realizing what 
  is going on. Here are some suggested means of 
  exerting pressure:
   
  ◆ Sabotaging the guide’s current plans, for 
  example by eliminating expedition members 
  or destroying supplies.
   
  ◆ Negotiating better terms, promising the guide 
  more money or even future shares.
   
  ◆ Digging up some secret that gives them 
  leverage over the guide, for example that the 
  person in question has stolen from or actively 
  worked against former employers.
   
  ◆ Convincing the person that the player 
  characters’ expedition has a greater chance of 
  success or even survival.
   
  ◆ Asking for written evidence that some dig-
  nitary will act as the expedition’s protector; 
  in Thistle Hold, for example, it can be Mayor 
  Nightpitch, Chapter Master Cornelio, Father 
  Elfeno or Lysindra Goldengrasp
  Note that a group which has already contracted 
  any guide stolen by the player characters will not 
  exactly be overjoyed with this. If the gaming group 
  is using the rules for scheming (see page 82), all 
  characters should get a –2 modifier to their relations 
  with that faction. Otherwise the Game Master can 
  simply try to keep it in mind and let it come back 
  to bite them when the groups meet in the forest.
  Table 25 lists a handful of guides to choose from 
  or use as inspiration when creating your own 
  wilderness experts. Should additional stats and 
  characteristics be needed, the Game Master can 
  use those described on page 132 in the Symbaroum 
  Monster Codex.
  other comPanions
  Maybe the player characters should consider hiring 
  additional experts for their expedition, to fill in 
  their own knowledge gaps or strengthen the group 
  in other ways. Described below are a handful of 
  professionals whose skills might be useful on the 
  journey; the Game Master is free to give them 
  names, appearances and personalities based on 
  what kind of people the characters are looking for.
  We propose that the player characters be allowed 
  to decide exactly what their companions are capable 
  of and how experienced they are, by creating them 
  as independent characters with their own character 
  sheets. These non-player characters should then be 
  distributed between the players and become additio-
  nal player characters over the course of the journey, 
  in situations where their expertise can be of use. 
  The number of creation points that can be used 
  to acquire abilities, boons, equipment and such for 
  each companion is determined by how many future 
  shares the player characters are willing to give up: the 
  non-player character gets 50 creation points for every 
  other percentage the player characters have promised 
  him/her, to a maximum of 5% (that is, 150 points).
  Should this procedure be too burdensome for the 
  gaming group’s liking, there is a vast array of cha-
  racters described on page 122–139 in the Symbaroum 
  Monster Codex. Certain adjustments will likely have 
  Table 25: Wilderness Guides
  name
  Bushcraft 
  LeveL
  viGiLant
  descriPtion
  Fonsiul
  III
  15
  Famous goblin with a temper; already contracted by Ordo Magica
  Arval
  III
  13
  Timid youngster from Clan Baiaga; already contracted as a reserve by the Sun Church
  Crooky
  III
  11
  Stoop-shouldered ogre with a sense of humor; is planning her own expedition to another destination
  Vindel
  II
  15
  Elderly Ambrian, retired from the Queen’s Rangers; newly returned, lightly wounded and in a 
  terrible mood
  Hygla
  II
  13
  Scarred, love-struck goblin; also pregnant and therefore reluctant to embark on longer journeys
  96
   
  
  to be made, but at least there are stats to build on 
  for most of the types below.
  Monster Hunter
  The Monster Hunter profession is described on page 
  15 in the Advanced Player’s Guide, where appropriate 
  traits, abilities and boons are also specified. Aside 
  from participating in regular combat, the monster 
  hunter’s knowledge about beasts or abominations 
  (the Beast Lore ability) can give the entire gaming 
  group a much-needed damage bonus in times of peril.
  Priest/Theurg
  Priests can have different areas of expertise, but for 
  a journey through Davokar, their healing or holy 
  powers may be of particular interest. Furthermore, 
  a combat-oriented priest can be an effective abo-
  mination slayer, with powers such as Holy Aura, 
  Witch Hammer and Blessed Shield.
  Interpreter
  There are highly educated individuals who specialize 
  in interpreting between the peoples of the region, 
  and who have the ability to express themselves in 
  the otherwise extinct Symbarian language.
  In the company of an experienced interpreter 
  with Loremaster (novice), the player characters 
  can communicate in foreign human languages (for 
  example the barbarian tongue) without passing 
  any Cunning tests; at adept level the same applies 
  to the languages of elves and trolls, and a master 
  has the same effect on conversations in Symbarian. 
  The strong linguistic ability also gives the player 
  characters +5 to Persuasive when negotiating to avoid 
  combat, if the Game Master deems it at all possible.
  Finally, the gaming group can benefit from 
  having someone with whom their own loremaster 
  can discuss and analyze finds, artifacts, ancient 
  texts, and the like. Technically, this means that 
  the player characters have two chances to pass 
  all success tests related to Loremaster, as long as 
  the level required does not exceed that of the 
  freelance interpreter.
  Sellsword
  In Ambria there are plenty of battle-hardened 
  veterans and well-trained youngsters seeking work 
  as freelance warriors. In this case, the players are 
  free to create their companions any way they like 
  in order to bolster their own weaknesses. Perhaps 
  they need a warrior on the front line, capable of 
  soaking up lots of damage? Or maybe they are in 
  need of a ranger who is a skilled marksman as well 
  as a competent tracker? 
  Ritualist
  Rituals are among the most powerful means of pro-
  blem solving this game has to offer, and unless the 
  characters are very broad in their mystical training, 
  there will likely be a knowledge gap or two that needs 
  filling. There are rituals for tracking and finding, 
  protecting and concealing, but also for communicating 
  with animals and spirits – all of them very useful for 
  expeditions trying to reach deep into Davokar.
  Witch
  Witches are partly covered by the category above, 
  but deserve their own mention. Their ability to 
  lull Davokar’s darkness and abominations to sleep 
  can help the player characters escape many life- 
  threatening situations, and the power they wield 
  over weather and wind may also be of great help. 
  Furthermore, their ability to Shapeshift or Borrow 
  Beast can be useful for reconnaissance purposes.
  Events 
  Traveling through a wild and unexplored environ-
  ment offers opportunities as well as risks. This 
  section contains rules for randomly determining 
  what the player characters encounter or experience 
  on their expeditions. The Game Master may of 
  course pick and choose among the lists and tables 
  below, without rolling dice, if that corresponds to 
  your preferred style of play, possibly after talking 
  this over with your players.
  Each day the characters spend in Davokar, four 
  things can happen: they can come across a ruin, an 
  encounter, a group of enemies, and/or special terrain. 
  Since the forest of Davokar is so vast and diverse in 
  its environment, a separate roll is made for each of 
  these four, with the following general modifications:
   
  ◆ When in Wild Davokar, add +2 to rolls on 
  tables 26 to 29.
   
  ◆ When in Dark Davokar, add +5 to rolls on 
  tables 26 to 29.
   
  ◆ When traveling along waterways, add +2 to 
  any roll on Table 28.
  We suggest that these four rolls are made before 
  the gaming session begins, so the Game Master 
  will have time to consider what the outcomes 
  entail and turn them into an interesting scene 
  with suitable challenges. 
  If the outcome of the rolls means that the player 
  characters encounter a medium-sized, badly damaged 
  ruin and pc number of Weak enemies with an Ordinary 
  Companions and 
  Death Tests
  Even if the player cha-
  racters are to use their 
  companions as additio-
  nal player characters, we 
  recommend that they be 
  fundamentally handled 
  as non-player charac-
  ters. This would mean 
  that they cannot make 
  Death Tests, but will die 
  once their Toughness 
  reaches 0.
  12
  E X P E D I T I O N S  I N  D A V O K A R
  97
   
  
  leader, the ruin in question would likely be a den of 
  robbers or the home of an aggressive goblin tribe.
  Should it also turn out that there is a local settle-
  ment in the area (see Table 27), it may be inhabited 
  by other goblins or human settlers who are either in 
  conflict with the occupants of the ruin or working 
  together with them in some way.
  Table 38 on page 106 can be used or consulted 
  when the outcome indicates that the characters 
  face both an encounter and a group of enemies, to 
  determine the relations between the two parties. 
  Otherwise, feel free to let your imagination run wild!
  ruin
  For each day of travel, the expedition leader makes 
  a roll on Table 26: Ruins in Davokar. A successful 
  Orientation test grants a bonus of +2, in addition 
  to any other modifications. 
  The table determines whether the party finds a 
  ruin and, if so, what type of ruin it is – in turn deter-
  mining the maximum number of finds at that location. 
  It is up to the Game Master to decide on the physical 
  characteristics of the ruin, possibly with help from 
  the guidelines introduced in the upcoming chapter. 
  Simply discovering a ruin rich with treasure 
  is no guarantee of wealth and fame – the items in 
  question must first be found or dug up! Everyone 
  contributing to the excavation makes a Vigilant test 
  every day. Successful diggers may roll on Table 30: 
  Type of Item on page 100 to see what kind of treasure 
  they have found, after which they are referred to 
  another table to determine exactly what it is.
  The excavation may continue until the ruin’s 
  maximum number of finds have been salvaged – a 
  roll that can be made in secret by the Game Master 
  or left to the players. But staying in the same place 
  for several days is not without risks, as shown under 
  the Enemies heading below.
  encounters
  Although unusual, it is not impossible to come 
  across groups of potentially peaceful travelers in 
  Davokar. Obviously, the likelihood of that happe-
  ning decreases the further into the forest you get, 
  particularly when it comes to encounters with 
  humans from Ambria or the barbarian clans.
  Once a day a roll is made on Table 27, modified 
  by what part of the forest the characters are in. If 
  the outcome indicates that an encounter will take 
  place, and the guide of the expedition passed the 
  Orientation test, the player character (or guide) 
  with the highest Vigilant value can make a test 
  modified by the value specified in the Modification 
  For Detection column. If successful, the player cha-
  racters notice the other group before being detected 
  themselves, and may choose whether to hide, lay an 
  ambush, or do something else; if the test fails (or if 
  the Orientation test failed) the Game Master gets 
  to decide the strategy of the other group.
  The details regarding the encounter are decided 
  by the Game Master, on the basis that the player 
  characters and the group they face are equally keen 
  to avoid bloodshed. Perhaps they can exchange infor-
  mation, help each other with healing and/or supplies, 
  or join forces to defeat a mutual enemy in the area?
  enemies
  In this case, the term “enemies” refers to creatures 
  whose default position is aggression, whom the 
  player characters cannot easily get past without 
  combat. These may be predators, belligerent cul-
  tural beings, ravenous abominations or life-hating 
  undead. Table 28 only specifies the enemy’s resi-
  stance level, which leaves it to the Game Master 
  to decide exactly what is attacking the player 
  characters or standing in their way. 
  Each day a roll is made on Table 28, modified 
  by what part of the forest they are in. A successful 
  Orientation test adds a –1 modifier to the roll, or –2 
  if the test succeeds with a difference of 5 or more.
  If the player characters choose to stay in the same 
  place for more than one day, for example to gather 
  supplies or excavate a ruin, they risk attracting 
  unwanted attention. In that case the most Discreet 
  member of the party can try to make sure that 
  Table 26: Ruins in Davokar
  1d20 
  +mod.
  ruin
  maximum  
  # of finds
  1–7
  None
  –
  8–10
  Completely crum-
  bled or already 
  ransacked
  –
  11–12
  Small, badly damaged
  1D4+2
  13–14
  Small, dilapidated
  1D6+2
  15–16
  Small, well-preserved
  1D8+2
  17–18
  Medium, badly 
  damaged
  2D6+2 
  19
  Medium,  
  dilapidated
  2D8+2 
  20
  Medium, well- 
  preserved
  2D10+2 
  21
  Grand, badly damaged
  3D8+2 
  22
  Grand,  
  dilapidated
  3D10+2 
  23+
  Grand, well- 
  preserved
  3D12+2 
  Finding ruins 
  with Cunning
  A person who is looking 
  for a specific ruin and 
  has the Loremaster 
  ability can research 
  the place in an archive 
  before heading out. The 
  process takes one week 
  and costs 10+1D6 thaler 
  in various fees and bri-
  bes. Once the group has 
  arrived in the area where 
  the ruin should be, the 
  player character makes a 
  Cunning test to actually 
  find it; if the test fails, 
  a new attempt can be 
  made the following day. 
  Note that the excavation 
  is carried out as usual.
  Active Search
  As an optional rule, the 
  Game Master can decide 
  that the characters’ chan-
  ce of encountering a ruin 
  is affected by whether 
  or not they are actively 
  searching for one – if so, 
  active search requires 
  that they do not move 
  faster than normal speed. 
  Groups that opt not 
  to actively search gain 
  no bonus from passed 
  Orientation tests and also 
  suffer a –5 modification 
  when rolling on Table 26.
  98
   
  
  everyone is as quiet as possible, by rolling a daily 
  Discreet test from their second day forward. A failure 
  means a roll is made on Table 28 to determine what 
  type of unexpected guests show up, without help from 
  a successful Orientation test – staying in the same 
  place for too long can be very dangerous indeed...
  terrain
  Davokar may seem fairly predictable on a map, 
  with clear lines drawn between its bright, wild 
  and dark regions. But the forest is legendary for 
  its treacherous nature, which anyone traveling 
  under its foliage will quickly learn.
  Once a day, a roll is made on Table 29, modified 
  by what part of the forest they are in. A successful 
  Orientation test adds a –1 modifier to the roll, or –2 
  if the test succeeded with a difference of 5 or more.
  Table 27: Encounters in Davokar
  1d20
  +mod.
  encounter
  numBer
  modification 
  for detection
  1
  Hunting party
  1D6+2
  ±0
  2
  Missionaries
  PC+1D6
  +3
  3
  Treasure hunters
  PC+1D6
  +1
  4
  Local settlement
  1D20+20
  +5
  5
  Rangers
  PC+2
  ±0
  6
  Large expedition
  PC+1D6
  +3
  7
  Nomadic goblins
  1D20+20
  –1
  8
  Diplomatic elves,  
  Civilized trolls  
  or Peaceful bestiaals
  PC+1D10
  –5
  9 +
  None
  –
  –
  Table 28: Enemies in Davokar
  1d20+ 
  mod.
  encounter
  examPLe
  1–8
  None
  9–10
  PC number of 
  Weak
  Fortune Hunters, 
  Jakaars, Frost 
  Lights
  11–12
  PC number of 
  Weak, with  
  Ordinary leader
  Robber chief + 
  Robbers
  13–14
  PC number of 
  Ordinary
  Village Warriors, 
  Kotkas, Blight-
  born Humans
  15–16
  PC number of 
  Ordinary, with 
  Challenging 
  leader
  Necromage + 
  Dragouls
  17–18
  PC number of 
  Challenging
  Rage Trolls, Fer-
  bers, Killer Shrubs
  19–20
  PC number of 
  Challenging, 
  with Strong 
  leader
  Lindworm + 
  Aboars
  21–22
  PC number of 
  Strong
  Hunger Wolves, 
  Colossi, Stone 
  Boars
  23
  PC number of 
  Strong, with 
  Mighty leader
  Skullbiter Queen 
  + Skullbiter Crus-
  hers
  24
  PC number of 
  Mighty ene-
  mies, or PC×2 
  Strong
  Ravenous Willow 
  old crushers, Pri-
  mal Blight Beasts, 
  Liege Trolls
  25
  PC number of 
  Mighty enemies, 
  with Legendary 
  leader
  The World Serpent 
  + World Serpent 
  wallowers
  Table 29: Terrain in Davokar
  1d20 
  mod.
  terrain
  effect
  1–10
  Nothing special
  11–12
  Easily traversable
  The party 
  covers 10 km 
  more 
  13–14
  Swamp/marsh
  The party co-
  vers 5 km less
  15–16
  Sinkhole
  Everyone tests 
  Vigilant. Failure 
  causes 1D8 
  falling damage
  17–18
  Poisonous spores
  Everyone tests 
  Strong. Failure 
  causes 3  
  damage for 3 
  turns
  19–20
  Vengeful terrain
  PC number 
  of creatures, 
  suiting the 
  location 
  21
  Slightly corrup-
  ted nature
  One roll on 
  Table 2 in the 
  Symbaroum 
  Monster Codex 
  (page 25)
  22
  Corrupted nature
  Three rolls on 
  Table 2 in the 
  Symbaroum  
  Monster Codex 
  (page 25)
  23+
  Severely corrup-
  ted nature
  Five rolls on 
  Table 2 in the 
  Symbaroum  
  Monster Codex 
  (page 25)
  Legendary Resistance
  Table 28 uses the levels 
  of resistance presented 
  in the Core Rulebook 
  (page 173), but also so-
  mething called Legen-
  dary resistance. You can 
  read more about this in 
  the Symbaroum Mons-
  ter Codex and on page 
  118 in this book, but it 
  basically refers to uni-
  que monstrosities that 
  are particularly difficult 
  to defeat. Legendary 
  creatures are always na-
  med individuals; there 
  are no known examples 
  of entire races whose 
  every member can offer 
  such overwhelming 
  opposition.
  12
  E X P E D I T I O N S  I N  D A V O K A R
  99
   
  
  The Treasure of the Ruins 
  PeoPLe cLaiminG that valuable remnants from 
  past inhabitants of Davokar are simply lying around 
  under the foliage, waiting to be found by ardent 
  fortune hunters, have probably never set foot in 
  the forest. No, it takes a great deal of effort and no 
  small amount of luck to become the next Iasogoi 
  Brigo or Elmea Rabbit’s Foot!
  The finds listed in the three tables below – 
  Curiosities, Mystical Treasures and Artifacts – are 
  things that can be found in the forest’s more or 
  less well-preserved ruins. Guidelines on how to 
  handle the search and how many treasures can 
  be found in a specific location are found under 
  the Ruin heading (page 98), while this is where 
  you determine exactly what items the player 
  characters have uncovered.
  Each person vigilant enough to find something 
  starts by rolling on Table 30 to determine what 
  type of item has been found. The outcome then 
  points to one of three other tables, unless the find 
  turns out to be debris. The Debris category covers 
  items like cracked vases, damaged figurines and 
  broken tools, which can be sold for 1d10 thaler in 
  the markets of Ambria.
  Table 30: Type of Item
  BriGht
  WiLd
  dark
  cateGory
  1–5
  1–4
  1–2
  Debris
  6–15
  5–13
  3–11
  Curiosity, Table 31
  16–19
  14–18
  12–18
  Mystical treasure, Table 32
  20
  19–20
  19–20
  Artifact, Table 33
  Table 31: Curiosities
  1d100
  item
  1–2
  Leather pouch containing stone marbles, fourteen shiny black ones and eight off-white, to play 
  with or use as sling stones
  3–4
  Richly ornamented lyre of silver that can be fitted with new strings
  5–6
  Nail file with one rough side and one smooth, and a handle shaped like the silhouette of a wolf’s head
  7–8
  Box containing twenty-four paper clips of patinated copper wire
  9–10
  Glass bottle containing a wooden model castle in a moorland landscape
  11–12
  Simple frying pan of rusted iron on which nothing ever sticks
  13–14
  Set of five bronze measuring cups, all in different sizes
  15–16
  Box containing thirty-six small, bone discs engraved with Symbarian cuneiform characters
  17–18
  Small basket woven out of miraculously living vines with healthy green leaves
  19–20
  Necklace made entirely from linked gold teeth
  21–22
  Silver brooch depicting a wraith owl, the rings around its eyes made from black, faceted stones
  23–24
  White-glazed and somewhat cracked porcelain plate, painted with the weathered motif of a 
  straight-backed woman in a long dress, with a poleaxe resting against her shoulder
  25–26
  Comb made of lindworm bone with cuneiform characters on each tooth, which not only untangles 
  one’s hair but cleans away dirt and grease
  27–28
  Cracked ceramic serving platter, decorated with various types of fruit on a white background – 
  two of the fruits are unfamiliar to present-day gardeners
  29–30
  Box in the shape of a rose with twenty-four golden petals in four rows, which must be unfolded in 
  sequence to expose its empty interior
  31–32
  Silver fountain pen with golden details, which never seems to run out of ink
  33–34
  Bronze caliper, marked in cuneiform with an unknown unit of measurement
  35–36
  Flowerpot of dark blue ceramic, decorated with a white and red motif of daemonic couples in 
  obscene positions
  The Value of the Finds
  The value of a find 
  depends on several 
  factors: what condition 
  it is in, what the material 
  is worth and how many 
  potential buyers there 
  are. A curiosity is worth 
  10+1D10 thaler. A Mys-
  tical treasure is worth 
  100+1D100 thaler. Arti-
  facts are rarely traded 
  in thaler, but if one finds 
  a buyer the item can be 
  sold for 1000+1D1000 
  thaler. Rolling 1D100 
  simply means that you 
  roll 1D10 twice. The first 
  roll determines the tens 
  digit, and the second de-
  termines the ones digit. 
  For example, if you roll a 
  3 followed by a 4, the out-
  come is 34. In order to 
  roll 1D1000 you just add 
  1D10 for the thousands 
  digit. The outcomes 00 
  and 000 equal 100 and 
  1000 respectively.
  100
   
  
  37–38
  Copper box containing twelve ceramic figurines, each depicting the same goblin’s head, but with 
  different facial expressions
  39–40
  Patinated sheet of copper with cuneiform, listing the ingredients and procedure for brewing the 
  alcoholic honey beverage Noid
  41–42
  Ornamented dagger with a dull steel blade that slides into the hilt when pressed against something
  43–44
  White-glazed porcelain mask that covers the upper part of one’s face, shaped with an owl’s beak, 
  small branched horns, and red-lined eye openings
  45–46
  Wax stamp with a handle of pure gold whose mark represents the royal rune Labrys
  47–48
  Thick, cracked tallow candle which, when lit, emits a dark yellow smoke
  49–50
  Green, ceramic oil lamp with a shade of patterned glass that rotates while the lamp is lit
  51–52
  Brown, leather eyepatch with different-colored gemstones arranged in the form of an open eye
  53–54
  Model of a twin-masted stone ship; the stern can be opened to reveal sixteen tin figures spread 
  across two decks
  55–56
  Black leather leash that connects to a collar of the same material, large enough to fit around a 
  bull’s neck and decorated with studs of pure gold
  57–58
  Badly damaged wooden box with moldy fabric inside; contains five well-preserved seeds which, if 
  handled correctly (successful Cunning with Alchemy), can grow into cherry trees with multicolored 
  flowers and delicious fruit
  59–60
  Long, thin wooden box full of flat copper pieces of different shapes, all of them badly patinated; a 
  puzzle with two missing pieces; washing off the patina reveals the motif of a daemonic abomination
  61–62
  Spoon of black bone, carved with runes filled with red paint that has partially worn off; nothing one 
  eats with the spoon is absorbed by the body
  63–64
  12×9 game board with different-sized squares of various colors/materials (white bone, black 
  wood, and patinated copper), in a frame of patterned hardwood
  65–66
  The clappers and tubes of a wind chime made from melodious ettercopal
  67–68
  Fist-sized, irregular, glistening black stone with magnetic properties
  69–70
  Silver case with sixteen dried-up, multicolored pieces of chalk; they are unused and can be resto-
  red for drawing after successful alchemical treatment (Cunning test with Alchemy)
  71–72
  Carved bone statue of an andrik with a cracked beak, armed with a crossbow and a hatchet
  73–74
  Silver tuning fork in the key of D
  75–76
  Stiletto with a wavy blade of strange green metal; the hilt is shaped as a human child with clasped hands
  77–78
  Statuette of an ox chiseled in black stone; raising its tail tilts the horns
  79–80
  Blackened walking stick, patterned like the scales of a snake or fish, with a fist-sized pearl for a knob
  81–82
  Circular belt or cloak buckle made of silver, with gold details depicting three crossed arrows
  83–84
  Copper spyglass with rotating segments; aiming it at the sun reveals colorful patterns which 
  change as one rotates the segments
  85–86
  Hourglass of misty white crystal contained within a blue-gray metal stand, whose sand runs 
  exactly twice as fast in one direction as it does in the other
  87–88
  Silver watering can whose long spout has been broken off; decorated with motifs of grotesque birds
  89–90
  Stuffed and mystically preserved ferret that has undergone a Symbarian rite of exaltation – equip-
  ped with predatory jaws, long claws, a crown of horns, and sickly yellow eyes
  91–92
  Bone flute, as long as one’s palm and as thin as a little finger; attracts 1D20 small birds if played 
  by someone with the Musician boon
  93–94
  Shimmering pink pearl with streaks of red, the size of an eyeball, with the sweet-sour taste of 
  berry compote; never loses size or flavor
  95–96
  The parts of a broken dreamcatcher that can be repaired (Cunning test with Blacksmith). Brings 
  peace to the sleeping; those burdened by Nightmares have two chances to pass their Resolute test
  97–98
  A clay cruse stoppered with a wax-sealed cork, bearing a life-sustaining seal that has kept its con-
  tents fresh for hundreds of years – red wine of excellent quality from a particularly superb vintage
  99– 
  100
  Statue of glossy, dark gray stone, as tall as a forearm, in the form of a daemon. The base bears a 
  cuneiform inscription that can be interpreted by someone with Loremaster (master): “Jeberaja”
  Misplaced
  Maybe you’d say that 
  these texts about the tre-
  asure of the ruins should 
  have been placed in the 
  book’s third section 
  instead, The Rewards? 
  If so, you are complete-
  ly right, but since this 
  content is linked to the 
  challenges involved in 
  finding and excavating 
  ruins, we believe that the 
  confusion (and need to 
  flip pages) is reduced by 
  the chosen structure.
  101
  12
  E X P E D I T I O N S  I N  D A V O K A R
   
  
  Table 32: Mystical Treasures
  1d20
  item
  1
  Tall, thin vase of glazed porcelain, purple with a motif of bright red vines. Plants placed in the vase 
  will not age, wither, bloom, or bear fruit.
  2
  Facial mask made of seashells in pink, white and light blue. Its wearer can hold their breath under 
  water at up to ten meters’ depth, for a maximum of ten minutes.
  3
  Handheld fan painted with stormy mountain scenery, which actively cools the air when waved. 
  Roll 1D6 when used – a result of 6 inflicts 1D4 damage and causes facial hair to freeze.
  4
  Bronze bell whose inside and clapper is engraved with cuneiform characters. If carried so that it is 
  hanging freely, it tinkles faintly whenever there is an abomination within a hundred meter radius, 
  but at the risk of being detected [10←the creatures Vigilant].
  5
  Notebook with thin pages of parchment and pearl-covered binding. Text written in the book is only 
  visible to the person who wrote it.
  6
  Metal canister whose white color has largely peeled off. It is half full of a powder which conceals 
  signs of aging on human skin for twenty-four hours, at the cost of 1D4 temporary corruption; 
  contains enough powder for 10+1D10 applications.
  7
  Amulet set with a gray stone that emits a slimy secretion, which dries into an ineffective resin 
  after a while. The secretion is enough for two individuals per scene. If applied on the skin, it has 
  a repellent effect on insects; if the wearer succeeds with [13←Resolute] the insects select other 
  targets.
  8
  Eight sticks of incense in a cylindrical leather case. Can be burned during negotiations, granting 
  those with the Manipulator boon +2 to Persuasive tests.
  9
  Wedding ring of pure gold, adorned with six sapphires. A loving spirit is bound to the ring and can 
  act in the wearer’s defense; once per scene the wearer may reroll a failed Defense test. But the 
  spirit is jealous and will haunt the wearer’s romantic partner with horrifying nightmares.
  10
  Smooth wooden box containing two frameless spectacle lenses. Makes it easier to follow tracks 
  in the wilderness (+1 to Vigilant tests), but weakens the other senses so that the wearer becomes 
  less aware of her surroundings (–3 to Vigilant tests for detecting threats).
  11
  Three beautiful, cast-iron animal heads each the size of a clenched fist, completely free of rust – a 
  wolf, a bear and a wild boar. Loops underneath allow them to be tied together into a bola, which 
  adds +3 to the success test when thrown at creatures of the Beast category.
  12
  Long-stemmed briar pipe whose bowl is shaped like a woman’s face with her eyes closed. Can be 
  used when performing the Oracle ritual, with its smoke conveying the visions, granting a +3 bonus 
  to Resolute tests.
  13
  Lantern with red glass in a metal frame, about the size of a tankard. When lit in an otherwise dim 
  environment, it can expose people who are trying to hide intense feelings (such as outrage, love or 
  grief). It takes one successful Vigilant test per target to notice their seemingly glowing outlines.
  14
  A simple right-handed chainmail gauntlet that needs relining. The person wearing it can never 
  involuntarily lose her grip on the right-hand weapon.
  15
  A modest ring of low-karat gold, with cuneiform runes engraved on the inside (“The cleansing 
  one”). Its owner can conceal any skin damage for one scene per day, including scars and tattoos. 
  These can still be detected with Witchsight and a successful Vigilant test.
  16
  Key of blackened silver that can slide into most locks. Roll 1D6: on 1–4 the lock opens; on 5–6 the 
  mechanism melts, making it impossible to unlock.
  17
  Staff of smoke-colored crystal, as long as one’s palm, with one end shaped like a rounded point. When 
  pointed at the North Star it gives a faint glow, granting +3 to Orientation tests, even underground.
  18
  Small copper pot, large enough to brew one dose of a single elixir. Adding an amount of silver equal 
  to one (1) silver thaler makes the elixir one level stronger. If it is already Strong, the effect die is incre-
  ased by one step.
  19
  Knife with a handle of scarlet wood and a ten centimeter curved blade, engraved with a running 
  predator. Adds +2 to Cunning tests when harvesting a monster trophy.
  20
  Cracked, uncut ruby that emits enough heat to steam in cold and damp weather. If set in the hilt 
  or grip of a one-handed weapon with the mystical quality Death Rune, the quality’s effect die is 
  increased to 1D10, at the cost of 1D4 temporary corruption per turn.
  102
   
  
  Table 33: Artifacts
  1d12
  artifact 
  PaGe
  1
  Ashiki’s Twin Blades
  133
  2
  Bunefer’s Death Mask 
  134
  3
  The Wraith Mark of the Eternity Legion 
  136
  4
  Feud Crystal 
  137
  5
  Girakosh’s Steel Circle 
  138
  6
  The Living Chain of Hogarz 
  140
  7
  Iloona’s Mirror Shield 
  141
  8
  The Whispering Necklace of Lapi-Esha 
  142
  9
  Nema’s Orbit Statuette 
  145
  10
  The War Horn of the Stormhowler 
  146
  11
  Worldcleaver 
  149
  12
  Xtala’s Hourglass 
  150
  Unearthing artifacts is 
  the dream of all trea-
  sure hunters. However, 
  sometimes the find 
  turns out to be a pure 
  nightmare.
  103
  12
  E X P E D I T I O N S  I N  D A V O K A R
   
  
  Exploring 
  Ruins
  many of the ruins in Davokar are as much as two thousand years old, remnants 
  of the people who long ago fled west from the devastated Asbarast and their 
  descendants (see page 59 in Symbar – Mother of Darkness for an account of the region’s 
  history). Older remains also exist, but not of human design – if encountered, they 
  originate from the cultures of trolls, arachs or some other race of cultural beings 
  that dominated the land in different eras, before the arrival of elves and humans.
  irresPective of Who once created the structures, 
  the ruins are often of interest for player characters. 
  They can be a target in their own right, or a base of 
  operations for their enemies. 
  This chapter presents a series of tables which 
  can be used to design interesting ruins. They can be 
  used while playing, to randomly have the location 
  take shape while the player characters are explo-
  ring it, or they can be seen as a source of inspiration 
  for the Game Master who would rather design the 
  site before the session starts.
  oriGinaL PurPose
  The Game Master can use the original purpose of 
  the ruin as a guideline when describing it – what 
  material it is made from, which shape it has, how the 
  rooms are arranged, and so on. The list mainly focus 
  on Symbarian ruins, but with a bit of imagination 
  and some adjustments, the generator could also apply 
  to structures left behind by trolls, elves or others.
  Table 34: Original Purpose
  1d10
  function (d4)
  1
  Fortification (1: Small fort, 2: Stone fort, 
  3: Fortress ruin, 4: Massive fortress 
  with wall and moat)
  2
  Prison (1: Mighty individual, 2: Dang-
  erous artifact, 3: Hungry monster, 4: 
  Shackled deity of nature)
  3
  Pyramid (1−2: Ziggurat, 3: Traditional 
  pyramid, 4: Collection of 1D4 ziggurats)
  4
  Labyrinth (1: Garden labyrinth, 2: for 
  entertainment, 3−4: for experiments)
  104
   
  
  remaininG LeveLs
  All ruins encountered in the woods have a number 
  of intact levels above and below ground; separate 
  rolls are made for each of these.
  Above ground: 1d20–10. 0 or lower indicates 
  that the ruin is completely destroyed above ground.
  Below ground: 1d10
  overaLL feature and traits
  The ruin’s overall feature indicates what condition it 
  is in. The feature pertains to the ruin in its entirety 
  and is purely descriptive. The ruin’s trait refers to 
  more substantial effects which affect all visitors.
  5
  Mine (1: Precious metal, 2: Gems, 3: 
  Alchemical component, 4: Crystalized 
  corruption)
  6
  Temple (1: Ancestral worship, 2: Spider 
  worship, 3: Serpent temple, 4: Hero cult)
  7
  Seat of power (1: Magician’s tower, 
  2: Priest’s estate, 3: Royal palace, 4: 
  Imperial pleasure palace)
  8
  Tomb (1: Lord/lady, 2: Revered mystic, 
  3: Petty king, 4: Member of the imperial 
  or royal family)
  9
  Exhibition halls (1: Art & sculptures, 2: 
  Antique jewelry, 3: Historical objects 4: 
  Monster display)
  10
  Ritual chamber (1: Funerals, 2: Daemon 
  summoning, 3: Fleshcrafting, 4: Dae-
  monic exaltation)
  Table 35: Overall Features
  1d6
  features
  1
  Water damaged
  2
  Dusty and desolate
  3
  Overgrown
  4
  Untouched and ominously clean
  5
  Inexplicably cold/hot
  6
  Darkened (all light is diminished)
  Table 36: Traits
  1d6
  traits
  1
  Corruptive: Temporary corruption 
  gained inside the ruin is one Effect Die 
  higher; 1 becomes 1D4, 1D4 becomes 
  1D6, and so on. 
  2
  Sparse with treasure: All rolls for finding 
  treasure have a second chance to fail.
  3
  Crowded: All rolls for the number of 
  creatures in a room are made with 1D8 
  instead of 1D6
  13
  E X P L O R I N G  R U I N S
  105
   
  
  inhaBitants
  The ruin’s inhabitants – or temporary visitors – 
  are living (or not…) agents which the players can 
  interact with or be forced to fight. The Game Master 
  decides on the resistance level of the creatures, 
  adapting it to the prowess of the player characters 
  and based on the monsters and adversaries des-
  cribed in the Core Rulebook and the Monster Codex.
  Treasure hunters: a group of treasure hunters or 
  explorers are camped inside the ruin.
  Goblins: a group of goblins have made the ruin 
  their home, or have been forced into servitude by 
  something else.
  Beasts: a beast, or a pack of them, has sought shelter 
  or is nesting inside the ruin.
  Arachs: A group of arachs use the ruin as a base 
  while hunting for artifacts in the area.
  Bestiaals: One or more bestiaals has sought tem-
  porary refuge in the ruin.
  Elves: a group of elves has made the ruin their base, 
  or guard it from intruding plunderers.
  Trolls: a group of trolls has their den inside the 
  ruin, or sneak around looking for lost troll artifacts.
  Undead: the ruin’s previous inhabitants are not 
  happy to stay in the tomb.
  Abominations: the ruin is corrupted and attracts 
  – or spawns – abominations.
  If two groups inhabit the ruin, Table 38 can tell you 
  how they relate to one another. The Game Master 
  is, of course, free to make changes if this does not 
  suit his/her particular scenario.
  entryWays to other LeveLs
  Each level has one or two entryways to the level 
  directly above and below it (separate rolls for 
  each of them). If there are two entryways, they 
  go through different rooms, provided that there 
  is more than one room on the level in question.
  Table 37: Inhabitants
  1d20
  inhaBitants
  1–3
  Treasure hunters/Explorers
  4–6
  Goblins
  7–8
  Beasts
  9–10
  Arachs
  11–12
  Bestiaals
  13–14
  Trolls
  15
  Elves
  16
  Undead
  17
  Abominations
  18–20
  Make two rolls and keep both races; 
  ignore results of 18 or higher
  Table 38: Relations
  1d6
  reLation
  1
  The groups are bitter enemies
  2
  The groups are unaware of each other
  3
  The groups are aware of each other, but 
  do not interact
  4
  One group has been subjugated by the 
  other
  5
  The groups work together, to some ex-
  tent, but there is tension between them
  6
  The groups work together to a great 
  extent, harmoniously
  4
  Desolate: All rolls for the number of 
  creatures in a room are made with 1D4 
  instead of 1D6
  5
  Rich with treasure: All rolls for finding tre-
  asure have a second chance to succeed.
  6
  Lesser corruption: Temporary corruption 
  gained inside the ruin is one Effect Die 
  lower; 1D8 becomes 1D6, 1D6 becomes 
  1D4, and so on
  Table 39: Entryways to Other Levels
  1d8
  entryWays
  1
  Intact stone staircase: difficult to 
  destroy (Fortification 20, Breakpoint 5, 
  Toughness 10)*
  2
  Intact wooden staircase: can be de-
  stroyed (Fortification 10, Breakpoint 5, 
  Toughness 10)*
  3
  Damaged staircase: easy to destroy 
  (Fortification 5, Breakpoint 5, Tough-
  ness 10)*
  4
  Destroyed staircase; replaced by rope 
  ladder/rope bridge
  5
  Completely destroyed staircase
  6
  Hole in the ground/ceiling
  106
   
  
  As these are the only ways to reach the other 
  levels, they are natural positions for guard posts, 
  barricades and traps. Groups of inhabitants who 
  dominate certain levels usually set up safeguards at 
  one or more of the entryways leading to their turf. 
  However, between levels within said turf, such 
  safeguards are less common (–1 modifier to the roll).
  Barricade: Attackers must spend an entire turn 
  climbing to enter close combat. If in a hurry, a Quick 
  test is required to get past it. Otherwise, doing so 
  silently requires a Discreet test. Defenders can fire 
  projectiles through or over the barricade without 
  penalty, while attackers firing back at them have 
  a –3 penalty on the success test.
  Lone guard: A cultural being or guard beast tasked 
  to raise the alarm in case of intruders.
  Guard post: [PC –2] cultural beings, beasts, abo-
  minations or undead.
  Trap: Can be detected with a [Vigilant –3] test, deals 
  1d12 damage plus poison (1–2: weak, 3: moderate, 4: 
  strong). Requires a passed [Strong –3] test to break 
  loose, and triggers an alarm which is heard across 
  the entire level. Disarming it requires a [Cunning –3] 
  test and a [Discreet –3] test in order to do so quietly.
  rooms Per LeveL
  Each level consists of 1d8 rooms (where 1 = a single, 
  vast hall). The exact layout is for the Game Master to 
  decide. Each room has at least one door or doorway 
  leading to another room.
  the detaiLs of the rooms
  The following table determines what each room 
  contains, such as inhabitants, traps or other dang-
  ers, or treasures in the room.
  * See Damage on Buildings, the Advanced Player’s
  Guide (page 106).
  Table 40: Safeguards
  1d10
  detaiLs
  1–2
  No safeguards
  3–4
  Barricade only
  5
  Lone guard
  6
  Guard post
  7
  Trap
  8
  Lone guard + barricade
  9
  Guard post + barricade
  10
  Double guard post + barricade
  Table 41: Entryways to Other Rooms
  1d8
  detaiLs
  1
  Opening, no door
  2
  Wooden door, broken. Opening it unnoti-
  ced requires a Discreet test
  3
  Wooden door, intact, unlocked, broken lock
  4
  Wooden door, intact, locked. Picking the 
  lock quietly requires a Discreet test; can 
  be kicked in with a Strong test
  5
  Reinforced wooden door, intact, unlock-
  ed, broken lock. Opening it unnoticed 
  requires a Discreet test
  6
  Reinforced wooden door, intact, locked. 
  Picking the lock quietly requires a Discre-
  et test; cannot be kicked in, but can be 
  destroyed with the right tools (Fortifica-
  tion 5, Breakpoint 5, Toughness 10)*
  7
  Copper or iron door, unlocked. Opening 
  the door without it creaking loudly requi-
  res a successful Discreet test
  8
  Copper or iron door, locked, and rusted/
  corroded shut. Picking its lock requires 
  a successful Cunning test; then the door 
  can be opened with a [Strong −5] test. 
  The ensuing noise cannot be avoided
  Table 42: Details Regarding the Room
  1d12
  detaiLs
  1
  Nothing of interest
  2
  Creature: one individual of the group dominating the level
  3
  Group: [PC –2] creatures of the group which dominates the level
  4
  Crowd: [PC +2] creatures of the group dominating the level
  5
  Trap: can be detected with a [Vigilant −3] test, deals 1D12 damage 
  plus poison (1−2: weak, 3: moderate, 4: strong). Breaking loose requi-
  res a successful [Strong −3] test
  6
  Collapsing ceiling (deals 1D12 damage, pass a Quick test to halve the 
  damage, creates a hole in the ceiling)
  7
  Collapsing floor (5 meters down, creates a hole in the floor)
  8
  Remains: Fresh or old corpse/skeleton of a cultural being, wearing 
  jewelry and/or coins worth 1D10 thaler
  9
  Wealthy remains: Fresh or old corpse/skeleton of a cultural being, 
  wearing jewelry, items and/or coins worth 2D100 thaler 
  10
  An item: The Game Master decides, or lets the players roll on Table 31 
  on page 100
  11
  Treasure trove: requires Vigilant test to be found; roll 1D4+1 times on 
  Table 30 on page 100
  12
  Roll twice on the table
  7
  Hole in the ground/ceiling, with a ladder 
  which can easily be pulled up/down
  8
  Roll twice
  13
  E X P L O R I N G  R U I N S
  107
   
  
  Ceremonies
  ceremonies is the generic term for rituals which must be performed by a group of 
  mystics, and which are powerful enough to permanently alter the local geography 
  and the course of history. They can cause firestorms, earthquakes, insect swarms, 
  diseased winds, volcanic eruptions, devastating tidal waves, and more.
  But ceremonies are performed at great cost, in 
  both corruption and uncontrollable side effects. 
  After a series of catastrophic incidents during The 
  Great War, a prohibition was introduced against 
  performing, and passing on knowledge about, 
  ceremonial magic. In today’s Ambria, all violations 
  are considered acts of high treason. 
  Ceremonies are intended to be a dramatic 
  tool to be used by Symbaroum’s Game Masters, 
  not something the player characters can learn or 
  use. Sure, it is theoretically possible for a group 
  of characters to successfully perform a ceremony, 
  either by themselves or with the help of allies. 
  But the basic idea is that mystical ceremonies 
  should be used by hostile factions or groups, and 
  that the characters are tasked with preventing 
  the devastation which will otherwise be afflicted 
  on the world. 
  Rules for Ceremonies
  since ceremonies are merely intended as dra-
  matic tools for creating exciting stories, they do 
  not need to be regulated in detail. 
  The descriptions below should be viewed as sug-
  gestions and guidelines which the Game Master 
  may follow, adjust or ignore, depending on what 
  best suits his or her story. The most important 
  thing is that the players feel that their charac-
  ters’ choices and actions have a chance to impact 
  the effect of the ceremony – if it is interrupted 
  in time, there is every reason to celebrate; if it 
  takes full effect, it becomes a cause for guilt and 
  soul-searching. 
  the execution
  To perform a mystical ceremony, one requires 
  written instructions on the procedure and 
  a group of loyal individuals with mystical 
  schooling. One also needs to gather material for 
  the ceremonial circle, establish a mystical link 
  to the place where the ceremony will take effect, 
  and possibly obtain an appropriate sacrifice. In 
  other words, it is something that takes a lot of 
  time and effort.
  The ceremonial book: Ceremonies are much too 
  complex for a mystic to memorize in detail; he or 
  she must follow instructions recorded in a tome, 
  on a series of stone tablets, parchment scrolls, or 
  something of that nature. Despite the security 
  regulations, one can expect there to be at least two 
  copies of each ceremonial text, but all of them are 
  most likely hidden and/or guarded. The stealing of 
  a ceremonial book will not go unnoticed, and the 
  victim of such a theft will do just about anything 
  to get it back.
  108
   
  
  The participants: It takes at least four people to 
  perform a mystical ceremony, but there should 
  preferably be more, to mitigate the corruption 
  suffered by individual participants (see Corruption 
  and Sacrifices below) and as a precaution in case 
  someone should try to interrupt the ceremony (see 
  Interrupting ceremonies).
  One participant is the ceremony’s Officiant, 
  meaning the mystic in charge of it all. The 
  Officiant must have attained Master level in a 
  mystical tradition or have the Ritualist ability, 
  while the requirements are lower for other par-
  ticipants – they only need novice training in a 
  mystical tradition or the Ritualist ability, or they 
  must possess the Channeling ability (the Advanced 
  Player’s Guide, page 63).
  Ceremonial Focus: A ceremony takes place in two 
  locations – one where the participants are gathered, 
  and one where the ceremony takes effect. As long as 
  the latter can be seen from the former, no mystical 
  link needs to be established between the two, but if 
  the distance is too great or the view is blocked, the 
  Officiant must prepare a specific ceremonial focus 
  which is placed in advance where the effect is to 
  occur. What kind of object is needed is specified in 
  the description of the respective ceremony.
  Finding this hidden ceremonial focus is virtu-
  ally impossible for an outsider, and is therefore 
  not a viable way to interrupt the ceremony – the 
  area that must be searched is too vast, the object 
  too small, and those who planted it (usually) too 
  calculating. There can be exceptions, however, if 
  the Game Master thinks that it is appropriate and 
  will increase the suspense.
  Procedure: Like other rituals, ceremonies are 
  performed in a circle of symbols and mystically 
  charged objects, making it easier to gather and focus 
  the mystical energies of Creation. The Officiant and 
  the participants position themselves along the outer 
  edge of the circle, facing its center and the sacrifice 
  which (if any) has been prepared.
  When the preparations have been made and the 
  ceremony begins, the Officiant and the participants 
  drift into a trance and remain completely detached 
  from the world until the ceremony is interrupted or 
  completed. It may therefore be a good idea to hire 
  a guard force to protect the defenseless mystics.
  Timescale: Acquiring everything needed for the 
  ceremony can take weeks or years, but when a 
  ceremonial book, ceremonial focus, and other 
  components are in place, it takes between twelve 
  and twenty-four hours to complete the procedure. 
  The final stage, starting with the participants going 
  into a trance, takes at least an hour, but its duration 
  should mainly be determined according to what 
  suits the story (that is: what makes it as dramatic 
  as possible).
  corruPtion and sacrifices 
  As a basic rule, the participants of a ceremony col-
  lectively suffer 5d6 points of temporary corruption. 
  The corruption comes into effect immediately 
  after the ceremony is interrupted or completed. 
  If it is not interrupted before reaching its con-
  clusion, each participant also suffers 1 point of 
  permanent corruption.
  The temporary corruption is distributed 
  between the participants as evenly as possible, 
  while the excess amount is dealt to the Officiant. 
  For example, if four people perform a ceremony 
  which causes 14 temporary corruption, the Officiant 
  suffers 5 points, and the others 3. 
  One way to reduce the corruption is to bind a 
  sacrifice to the ceremony – either a living creature 
  or a summoned daemon. In the former case, it could 
  be a human or an animal of at least human size. If 
  the creature has 1 or more total corruption, 1d6 is 
  rolled and the outcome is subtracted from the cere-
  mony’s corruptive effect; if the creature is completely 
  untainted, 1d8 is rolled instead. In any case, the victim 
  dies when the ceremony concludes or is interrupted 
  at stage 3 or 4 (see Interrupting ceremonies).
  If, in the process, the Officiant summons and 
  successfully subdues a daemon (see the Advanced 
  Player’s Guide, page 94), it can be used to channel 
  part of the corruption into the Yonderworld. It 
  works the same as with living creatures, except that 
  1d10 is rolled and the daemon is banished instead 
  of being killed.
  side effects from ceremonies 
  Ceremonies disrupt the natural order in many far-
  reaching ways, and have consequences not even the 
  most powerful mystics can foresee. However, all 
  who are powerful enough to use ceremonies know 
  that the channeled power will have some kind of 
  repercussions – something they must take into 
  account when determining whether a ceremony 
  is worth performing at all. 
  The side effects are divided into general and 
  specific ones. The general effects can occur irre-
  spective of what ceremony is performed, and are 
  described below; the specific ones are unique to 
  each ceremony and described in conjunction with 
  them. Also, note that all side effects can occur in 
  the area where the ceremony is performed, where it 
  takes effect, or in both locations. The Game Master 
  14
  C E R E M O N I E S
  109
   
  
  decides which side effects are activated (general 
  and/or specific) depending on what offers the 
  greatest dramatic potential.
  Listed below are several examples of general 
  side effects from ceremonial magic which the 
  Game Master can use directly or as inspiration. 
  The effects are usually permanent, unless the 
  Game Master for one reason or another thinks 
  it more suitable (or interesting) to make them 
  temporary/reversible.
  If the Game Master wishes for greater random-
  ness, Table 43 can be used to determine which side 
  effects occur. If so, make as many rolls as is detailed 
  in the column Effect in Table 44; should the dice 
  land on the same effect twice at the same place, just 
  re-roll the dice until a new effect comes into play.
  Terms of the Prohibition
  In the kingdom of Ambria, only the monarch can grant the right to study 
  the art of ceremonial magic and pass on such knowledge to someone 
  else; in the latter case, the recipient of said knowledge also requires the 
  monarch’s approval. All ceremonial books must be registered and kept 
  in such a way that only their owner can access them, and copying entire 
  or large parts of any such text is a crime equivalent to performing a cere-
  mony. Only the monarch can issue exemptions to the prohibition against 
  ceremonies, and requests for such exemptions are only accepted from 
  the Field Marshal, the Grand Master of Ordo Magica, and the head of the 
  Sun Church.
  110
   
  
  Life Runs Out: No children are born alive in the 
  location, harvests wither for no apparent reason, 
  and the place soon becomes a miniature Alberetor, 
  in all its lifeless desolation. Not even the wind seems 
  to blow in the area; dust stirred by careless feet 
  slowly floats to the ground.
  Increased Corruption: The ceremony has woken 
  the vengeful wrath of the area, and the effect die 
  for all actions which give the user temporary 
  corruption is increased by one tier (from 1 to d4, 
  d4 to d6, and so on). If the effect occurs where the 
  ceremony is performed, this applies to the area 
  outside the circle.
  Mystical Curse: The area’s darkness makes it 
  difficult to muster power for mystical work; each 
  success test for activating a mystical power or ritual 
  gets a second chance to fail. If the effect occurs 
  where the ceremony is performed, this applies to 
  the area outside the circle.
  Wave of Corruption: A wave of corruptive energy 
  emanates outward from the place where the cere-
  mony is performed or takes effect. Everyone in the 
  area immediately suffers 2d6 temporary corrup-
  tion; everyone within a fifty-meter radius is also 
  knocked unconscious unless they pass a Resolute 
  test. They remain unconsciousness for one scene. If 
  the effect occurs where the ceremony is performed, 
  this applies to the area outside the circle.
  Echo of Corruption: The area’s infectious darkness 
  echoes strongly, and all temporary corruption 
  suffered by creatures remains until they have left 
  the affected area.
  Corrupting Environment: The place reeks with 
  corruption, and everyone in the area must pass a 
  Strong test every hour or suffer 1d4 temporary cor-
  ruption. The corruption does not leave the afflicted 
  until he or she leaves the area. If the effect occurs 
  where the ceremony is performed, this applies to 
  the area outside the circle.
  Death Flees: Undeath, as in the race Undead, is 
  spreading like the plague; the dead will not remain 
  still, and rise with their minds intact.
  Unsound Temptation: The area gains the proper-
  ties of Dark Davokar. If it is in Ambria, creatures 
  which are otherwise found in Bright Davokar may 
  be encountered there; if it is in Bright Davokar, the 
  area turns into an enclave of Dark Davokar in terms 
  of what monsters inhabit the place (see Travel & 
  Encounters on page 183 in the Core Rulebook to learn 
  what monster can usually be found where).
  The Dead Awake: The buried dead claw their way 
  out of their tombs and haunt the place at night 
  (stats like Dragouls, page 230 in the Core Rulebook). 
  If any living person stays in the area, they will 
  only survive the night behind reinforced walls 
  and sealed gates.
  Corrupted Waters: The area’s groundwater 
  becomes a source of corruption; those who drink 
  from it suffer 1d8 temporary corruption with 
  each drink. It is possible to visit the area without 
  being affected, as long as one brings water from 
  somewhere else. 
  interruPtinG ceremonies 
  Now we arrive at the central question: how can the 
  player characters interrupt an ongoing ceremony? 
  The struggle to interrupt a ceremony should be 
  made into an exciting multistage challenge. The 
  basis of this is that ceremonies have different effects 
  depending on whether or not they are interrupted 
  and, if so, when. Simply put: the faster the characters 
  manage to overcome the obstacles between them 
  and the participants of the ceremony, the weaker its 
  effect becomes. Table 44 can be used as a guideline, 
  where Stage 1 begins as soon as the participants go 
  into a trance and Stage 4 specifies what happens if 
  the characters’ efforts are entirely futile.
  The Game Master should set up a series of obsta-
  cles for the player characters, and decide on how 
  many turns or scenes they have to overcome them 
  before the ceremony advances to the next stage. 
  These obstacles could include…
  Table 43: Ceremonial Side Effects
  1d20
  side effects
  1–10
  The ceremony’s unique side effect
  11
  Life Runs Out
  12
  Increased Corruption
  13
  Mystical Curse
  14
  Wave of Corruption
  15
  Echo of Corruption
  16
  Corrupting Environment
  17
  Death Flees
  18
  Unsound Temptation
  19
  The Dead Awake
  20
  Corrupted Waters
  Ceremonies are  
  immensely powerful, 
  but also generate  
  immense and una-
  voidable surges of 
  corruption.
  14
  C E R E M O N I E S
  111
   
  
  … sneaking past or eliminating enemy sentries.
  … navigating through an underground maze or a 
  giant ruin.
  … picking or breaking through a locked door.
  … figuring out the password to a door sealed by 
  mystical powers.
  … getting past/through/across physical obstacles
  … getting past or disarming traps.
  … neutralizing the ceremony’s guard force (one or 
  more waves/lines of defense).
  In the end, there is really just one way to stop an 
  ongoing ceremony: the player characters must kill 
  the Officiant or break the concentration of enough 
  participating mystics before the ceremony is com-
  pleted. As mentioned earlier, it takes at least one 
  Officiant and three participants to successfully 
  perform a ceremony; fewer than that and it is 
  immediately interrupted.
  Ordinary participants lose their concentra-
  tion, and therefore their role in the ceremony, 
  if they are wounded and subsequently fail a 
  [Resolute –Damage] test (let the players roll). The 
  Officiant, however, is in such a deep trance that 
  damage cannot break his/her concentration; the 
  person must be killed (reach 0 Toughness). This 
  interrupts the ceremony regardless of how many 
  participants are left standing.
  Mystical Ceremonies 
  aLthouGh far from all stories of ceremonial 
  magic are true, this type of powerful ritual exists 
  within several of the established traditions. It is 
  well known among mystics that ceremonies were 
  used by both sides in The Great War; the Dark Lords 
  used them frequently, and wizards and theurgs 
  retaliated in kind. In Ambria the knowledge is 
  kept alive by a select few theurgs and Masters 
  of the Order, who also serve as guardians of the 
  ceremonial books that still remain. The knowledge 
  is shared by their apprentices as well, but other 
  than that, very few people know the secrets of 
  ceremonial magic. 
  The only real exception is a handful of centuries- 
  old wizards, such as Grand Master Seldonio, 
  Elionara Yellowcat, and Kullinan Furia. These 
  have retained their knowledge from before the 
  prohibition, but their books were confiscated 
  and probably destroyed, or registered and put 
  under the protection of a guardian. The foremost 
  of these guardians are Variol the Stormweaver 
  and Farvano Kaldel in Agrella, and Leona Galaldo 
  in Yndaros.
  Described below are sixteen ceremonies for the 
  Game Master to use, either directly or as inspi-
  ration for his/her own creations. Note that these 
  Table 44: The Effect of the Ceremony
  staGe
  effect
  Stage 1
  The ceremony is interrupted, but the place where it is performed  
  suffers one side effect.
  Stage 2
  The ceremony is interrupted, but the place where it is performed 
  and where it was to take effect each suffer one  
  side effect (the same or different ones).
  Stage 3
  The ceremony yields what in the description is called Half Effect; 
  the place where it is performed and where it takes effect each  
  suffer one or two side effects.
  Stage 4
  The ceremony yields what in the description is called  
  Full Effect; the place where it is performed and where it  
  takes effect each suffer one to three side effects.
  Ceremonies and Mystical Traditions
  The power wielded when performing ceremonies is far too overwhelming 
  for the practices and patterns of mystical traditions to contain their 
  corrupting effect. The tradition specified under each ceremony is mainly 
  supposed to indicate their origin and what type of mystics might possess a 
  ceremonial tome on the subject.
  Note that some traditions never developed any ceremonies at all, for fear 
  of their terrible effects and side effects. The vast majority were created by 
  wizards and sorcerers, while symbolists and trollsingers have refrained from 
  inflicting such violence on Creation.
  112
   
  
  Adventures at 
  Ceremonial Sites
  An alternate way of 
  using ceremonies is 
  to have adventures 
  take place at former 
  ceremonial sites. That 
  way the unique side 
  effect becomes an 
  exciting complication for 
  the player characters, 
  and the world’s 
  history will seem more 
  tangible and alive.
  descriptions have deliberately been left somewhat 
  vague, so the Game Master will be free to portray 
  the effect in as dramatic a fashion as possible.
  firestorm
  Tradition: Wizardry
  Anything combustible immediately catches fire, 
  partially or entirely. Strong, whirling gusts of wind 
  start feeding the flames, causing the fire to spread 
  in all directions.
  Ceremonial Focus: A piece of charred hardwood, 
  the length of a human forearm.
  Half Effect: All organic material within the area 
  of effect is bathed in scorching heat, but only that 
  which is dry or almost dry catches fire – such as tim-
  ber, dead grass, textiles and the bark of living trees. 
  One tenth of everyone in the area dies immediately 
  from their burns, and there is a strong likelihood 
  that all buildings will burn to the ground. Player 
  characters (and important non-player characters) 
  immediately take 1d8 points of fire damage (ignores 
  Armor) and must pass a Quick test to extinguish their 
  burning clothes/armor. Then they must escape 
  the fire with another Quick test – failure inflicts 
  another 1d8 points of fire damage (ignores Armor).
  Full Effect: All organic material within the area of 
  effect immediately catches fire, including the skin 
  of living creatures. Anything combustible and all 
  living creatures except the player characters and 
  important non-player characters are destroyed 
  in the inferno. The latter take 1d8 fire damage per 
  turn (ignores Armor) until they extinguish their 
  burning bodies with a successful [Quick –5] test. 
  While fleeing the area, everyone inevitably takes 
  1d8 fire damage (ignores Armor), and another 1d8 
  unless they pass a Quick test.
  Unique Side Effect: The fiery energies linger in the 
  area and might blaze up when one least expects it. 
  Anyone traveling through the area of effect must 
  roll 1d10; on 1 they are hit by a burning gust that 
  deals 1d8 damage (ignores Armor) and sets fire to 
  their clothes and armor. Anyone who remains in 
  the area rolls 1d10 every day with the same effect.
  tidaL Wave 
  Tradition: Witchcraft
  The water of a river or lake pulls away from the 
  shoreline and forms a crushing wave that sweeps far 
  inland, devastating buildings and creatures alike.
  Ceremonial Focus: The shell of a hermit crab, 
  uncracked and perfectly symmetrical.
  Half Effect: The tidal wave crashes over the entire 
  area of effect, but loses power so the water is no more 
  than roughly one meter deep. All smaller objects 
  take the full force of the wave and are washed away 
  unless securely attached; living creatures also risk 
  being knocked down and washed away by the force 
  of the current – which automatically affects one 
  tenth of everyone in the area. Player characters 
  (and important non-player characters) inevitably 
  take 1d8 points of crushing damage (ignores Armor) 
  and must pass a Strong test to avoid falling over – on 
  failure they are caught by the current and take 1d10 
  crushing damage (ignores Armor) on their way out 
  into the water.
  Full Effect: The tidal wave sweeps ashore, several 
  meters high, crushing everything in its path. Even 
  the sturdiest stone structures collapse, partially 
  or completely, and all living creatures are carried 
  away. Player characters (and important non-player 
  characters) have a chance to survive by clinging to 
  something solid, like a large tree or boulder ancho-
  red in the earth – but it takes a Quick test followed 
  by a Strong test for them to hold on and hold their 
  breath. If successful they only take 2d8 crushing 
  damage (ignores Armor) from objects crashing 
  into them. On failure the damage sustained is 4d8 
  (ignores Armor) and the characters are washed far 
  out into the water.
  Unique Side Effect: The kinetic energy lingers in 
  the area and smaller waves may appear without 
  warning. Any group or person near the shoreline 
  must roll 1d10; if anyone rolls a 1, all of them are hit 
  by a crushing wave that deals 1d8 damage (ignores 
  Armor) and sinks all vessels moored or beached there.
  summon daemon court
  Tradition: Sorcery
  The Yonderworld and the world of the living merge 
  as the entire court of a daemon prince is summoned 
  to the ceremony’s area of effect, which in this case 
  surrounds the ceremonial circle.
  Ceremonial Focus: One or several skulls from 
  people once loved by the Officiant.
  Half Effect: A part of the Yonderworld materializes 
  and replaces the area’s ordinary nature. Everyone 
  in the area (except the Officiant) is affected as if 
  they were in the Yonderworld (see page 41). The 
  court only remains in the living world for a single 
  day, no matter how many skulls were used as the 
  ceremonial focus.
  Full Effect: As half effect, except everyone who 
  participated in the ceremony is shielded from the 
  place’s corruption; they also have the daemons to 
  protect them from potential disrupters.
  The court remains in the world for as many 
  days as the number of skulls used as ceremonial 
  focus. During this time the Officiant may ask the 
  Daemon Prince for one favor per day. If the favor 
  involves a ceremony participant making a pact 
  14
  C E R E M O N I E S
  113
   
  
  with the prince, the answer is always yes; favors 
  of a different nature may be granted if the Officiant 
  passes a [Resolute –8] test. If the favor is denied, 
  the Officiant may ask for the same favor the next 
  day, as long as there are days left. The Daemon 
  Prince never grants a favor that requires him to 
  leave his throne.
  Unique Side Effect: Every year the area temporarily 
  transforms into Corrupted Nature (see page 22 in 
  the Symbaroum Monster Codex) on the days when 
  the daemon court was there. In the middle of the 
  blighted nature, where the Daemon Prince’s throne 
  once stood, is a portal to the Yonderworld.
  insect sWarm
  Tradition: Witchcraft
  The Officiant attracts all flying insects within 
  a day’s march and gathers them in a seething 
  cloud over the place where the ceremony is 
  performed. The energies corrupt the winged 
  creatures, and diseases carried by a few of them 
  spread to them all. The enormous swarm which 
  is finally directed at the defenseless victims in 
  the target area is dangerous enough in itself, with 
  venomous stingers and thousands of ravenous 
  jaws, but it also spreads corruption as well as 
  deadly diseases.
  Ceremonial Focus: A gem the size of a human eye, 
  cut to resemble the compound eye of a fly.
  Half Effect: Half the swarm is scattered on its way 
  to the targeted area, where it then splits into several 
  smaller swarms. Present creatures may try to fight 
  each individual swarm, but all who face them in 
  melee combat are exposed to a Strong Disease (see 
  the Monster Codex, page 168) or some other life-thre-
  atening malady. Furthermore, the corruptive effect 
  makes 1d6 victims blight born, while the Strong 
  disease takes hold in the affected area.
  Full Effect: The entire swarm reaches its target, 
  buzzing and clacking as it attacks all living creatu-
  res. The only way to stay alive is to hide in a place 
  with thick walls/doors and not even the slightest 
  crack or air intake. Characters (and important 
  non-player characters) present in the affected area 
  may roll a [Cunning –5] test to protect themselves; if 
  the test fails the swarm tears the flesh from their 
  bones, and if it succeeds they are still attacked by 
  the swarm, but for a shorter period of time, suffe-
  ring 1d6 damage, 1d4 temporary corruption, and 
  exposing themselves to a Strong disease.
  Unique Side Effect: The swarm is split but remains 
  in the area as colonies of winged abominations. All 
  living creatures moving through the terrain must 
  pass a Discreet test once a day or attract 1d4 swarms 
  with the stats specified below.
  earthquake 
  Tradition: Wizardry
  The power of the ceremony heaves the earth, razes 
  buildings, and opens fissures in the ground. Living 
  creatures caught up in the ferocious quake would 
  be very lucky to get through the nightmare alive.
  Ceremonial Focus: A fist-sized piece of black 
  bedrock.
  Half Effect: The ground shakes and wobbles so vio-
  lently that buildings of wood, clay or similar inevita-
  bly collapse; the same may happen to stone structures 
  (the Game Master decides or rolls 1d6 per building, 
  where a result of 1 means collapse). Smaller cracks 
  open in the ground, only to close once the earthquake 
  has passed; anyone caught in a crack is badly injured 
  and stuck until others dig them out. Player characters 
  (and important non-player characters) must pass a 
  Quick test to avoid tumbling into a crack or being 
  struck by falling rocks and trees. Failure means that 
  they take 1d10 damage (ignores Armor).
  Full Effect: The ground heaves several meters into 
  the air, razing trees to the ground and opening 
  deep earth wounds all over the area of effect. All 
  buildings collapse and almost everyone in the area 
  will be killed by falling trees or rocks, or by falling 
  to their death into the chasm. Player characters 
  (and important non-player characters) must pass 
  a [Quick –5] test to avoid fissures or falling building 
  material. On failure they are crushed to death.
  Unique Side Effect: The earth in the area keeps 
  rumbling. Any group or person passing through 
  corruPted insect sWarm
  Race
  Abomination (Winged Creatures)
  Resistance
  Ordinary
  Traits
  Corrupting Attack (I), Infectious 
  (III) Piercing Attack (II), Swarm 
  (III), Wings (II)
  Accurate 13 (–3), Cunning 10 (0), Discreet 5 (+5), 
  Persuasive 7 (+3), Quick 15 (–5), Resolute 9 (+1), 
  Strong 11 (–1), Vigilant 10 (0)
  Abilities
  None
  Weapons 
  Accurate
  Stinger 0 (piercing 5) and 1D4 
  temporary corruption,
  Armor
  A quarter of damage, according
  to Swarm III
  Defense
  +5
  Toughness
  11
  Pain Threshold
  6
  Shadow
  Glossy darkish green, like the 
  head of a blowfly  
  (thoroughly corrupt)
  Tactics: The swarm acts on instinct and attacks its 
  enemies until they die or the swarm is destroyed.
  114
   
  
  there must roll 1d10; a result of 1 means that a series 
  of 1d6 earthquakes occurs, each with the same effect 
  as the Quake ritual (see page 92 in the Advanced 
  Player’s Guide).
  Lava Lake
  Tradition: Wizardry
  Cracks open in the ground, all the way down to the 
  liquid core of the earth, bringing devastatingly hot 
  fumes and lava to the surface. Anyone who fails to 
  get away dies a terrible death. 
  Ceremonial Focus: An obsidian shard from the 
  heart of a slumbering volcano.
  Half Effect: Abyssal fissures open in the ground 
  inside the area of effect, and hot, poisonous fumes 
  flow from the depths. A tenth of the people in the 
  area are killed before they have time to escape. 
  Player characters (and important non-player cha-
  racters) inevitably take 1d8 damage from the heat 
  (ignores Armor) and must pass a Strong test not 
  to be afflicted by a Strong poison (damage 4 for 4 
  turns). Then the lava comes bubbling up, covering 
  the ground and destroying everything in the area.
  Full Effect: The lava gushes up along with the 
  fumes, only moments after the cracks have opened. 
  Almost no one can escape, but player characters 
  (and important non-player characters) might 
  just be able to: with a successful Strong test they 
  avoid being poisoned by the fumes (see above); if 
  the characters also pass a test against [Quick –5] 
  they are only hit by a spatter of lava, which deals 
  1d12 damage (ignores Armor). Those who fail the 
  latter test will meet their doom in the lava lake 
  that continues to fill the area of effect.
  Unique Side Effect: None, aside from the landscape 
  being turned into a plain of cooled, solidified lava.
  mass curse
  Tradition: Witchcraft
  A village or settlement that angers the wrong witch-
  craft wielder might soon face a terrible fate that in the 
  long run may jeopardize the lives of all its inhabitants, 
  or at least make their lives unbearably difficult.
  Ceremonial Focus: The spine of an amphibian.
  Half Effect: The ceremony has the same effect as the 
  Torment ritual (see page 95 in the Advanced Player’s 
  Guide), and everyone in the area suffers the desired 
  effect. The difference is that the ceremony requires 
  no mystical link to the victims, and the effect cannot 
  be canceled by Break Link – the Officiant must die 
  for that to happen.
  Full Effect: As half effect, but the Officiant can 
  control who within the area does or does not suffer 
  the effect.
  Unique Side Effect: None
  mass heaLinG
  Tradition: Theurgy
  The world under Prios’ heaven is full of power, and 
  faithful servants of the Sun God can channel that 
  energy to treat the injured and infirm – healing 
  their wounds and cleansing their bodies.
  Ceremonial Focus: A sanctified sun symbol.
  Half Effect: All living creatures within the area of 
  effect (not Abominations or Undead) immediately 
  recover 5d6 Toughness, and are cured of all poison 
  and disease.
  Full Effect: As half effect, but the Officiant can 
  sense the aura around each individual in the area 
  and thus has complete control over who is and is 
  not blessed with Prios’ gift.
  Unique Side Effect: None, but Life Runs Out is a 
  common side effect.
  mass resurrection
  Tradition: Sorcery
  Dark mystics have always preferred undead slaves 
  over living followers, whose loyalty may falter and 
  whose bodies need feeding. The Mass Resurrection 
  ceremony focuses its energies on whole battlefields 
  for the purpose of raising, in one swoop, an army 
  of Dragouls, bound to the Officiant’s will – which 
  is partly why it has become customary to gather 
  and burn the dead after each battle.
  Ceremonial Focus: A sacrifice in the form of a 
  cultural being, whose heart is slowly incinerated 
  in the process.
  Half Effect: All corpses on the battlefield are rea-
  nimated (stats as a Dragoul, page 230 in the Core 
  Rulebook), but the Officiant only controls half of 
  them and must direct them in battle against the 
  others. When the dust has settled, the army is only 
  a third of what it could have been – probably not 
  large enough to achieve the goal of the ceremony 
  (see below).
  Full Effect: The Officiant reanimates and takes con-
  trol of all corpses on the battlefield, creating an army 
  large enough to achieve the goal of the ceremony. 
  This could include storming a fortress, destroying 
  a village, defending the mystic’s own stronghold, 
  or facing another hostile force on the battlefield. 
  Unique Side Effect: None, but the side effects Death 
  Flees and the Dead Awake are quite common.
  monster controL 
  Tradition: Sorcery
  An immensely powerful creature is torn from 
  its home and instantly relocated to the area of 
  effect through a portal in space and time, and is 
  now under the absolute control of the officiant. 
  At least initially…
  14
  C E R E M O N I E S
  115
   
  
  Ceremonial Focus: A claw, tooth, or similar body 
  fragment from the type of creature that is to be 
  summoned.
  Half Effect: The ceremony is successful, and a mons-
  ter with stats that correspond to Mighty resistance 
  is summoned to the area of effect. The Officiant has 
  complete control over the creature’s actions, but 
  only for 10 turns – after that the monster regains 
  control. The Game Master decides what the monster 
  does next, but on the first turn after the awakening 
  it will probably be too confused to act at all. 
  Full Effect: The ceremony summons a giant beast with 
  stats equivalent to Legendary resistance (see page 99 
  of this book). The Officiant has complete control over 
  the creature’s actions for one day, after which the 
  Officiant makes a test against the monster’s Resolute 
  [Resolute←Resolute] every day to see whether control 
  is maintained. When the Officiant loses control, the 
  monster has no memory of what has happened.
  Unique Side Effect: The monster suffers 1d8 tem-
  porary corruption when summoned. If it becomes 
  thoroughly corrupted as a result, the control is 
  immediately broken and the creature turns into 
  an abomination, with all that entails in terms 
  of new traits and insatiable hunger. Worse still: 
  the monster is filled with a thirst for revenge and 
  instinctively recognizes the mystical signature of 
  the Officiant who summoned it – it can sense the 
  direction and distance to the mystic whenever that 
  person uses mystical abilities/rituals. 
  daemonic tunneL
  Tradition: Sorcery
  The ceremony digs a tunnel through the Yonderworld 
  and creates a shortcut between two places in the 
  world of the living. The tunnel goes from the cere-
  monial site to any place in the regular world where 
  the ceremonial focus has been placed. Creatures 
  who stand ready by the ceremonial circle can pass 
  through the tunnel and thereby ignore distance and 
  physical obstacles in the regular world.
  Ceremonial Focus: A crystal cylinder made of sand 
  from the Yonderworld.
  Half Effect: The portal collapses earlier than expec-
  ted and only half of the creatures inside the tunnel 
  manage to get through (see Full Effect). Those who do 
  not make it out in time are cast into the Yonderworld.
  Full Effect: The portal is wide enough for four 
  human-sized creatures marching shoulder to shoulder, 
  and lasts long enough for up to eight rows of human- 
  sized creatures to pass through it. Only two creatures 
  with the trait Robust III can pass side by side, and only 
  four rows will make it through in time. As for creatures 
  with the Colossal trait, only two individuals can squeeze 
  through the tunnel before it collapses.
  Unique Side Effect: Sometimes the tunnel emerges 
  spontaneously as a result of a magical echo, sucking 
  in creatures from one side and spitting them out on 
  the other. This can happen once per day, affecting 
  everyone within sight of the place where the tunnel 
  starts or ends, on a roll of 1 on 1d20. Everyone in 
  the danger zone must pass a [Strong –5] test to avoid 
  being sucked in; the Robust trait adds +2 per level, 
  and the Colossal trait negates the effect comple-
  tely. There is also a 1 on 1d10 chance of the tunnel 
  collapsing so quickly that anyone sucked into it is 
  cast into the Yonderworld instead.
  Pest Wind
  Tradition: Sorcery
  Dormant pathogens and disease-carrying insects 
  come together into a whirling wind that sweeps the 
  area of effect like a dark, buzzing fog.
  Ceremonial Focus: A piece of meat from a cultural 
  creature stricken by a Strong disease.
  Half Effect: Everyone in the area is exposed to a Strong 
  disease (see the Symbaroum Monster Codex, page 169).
  Full Effect: As half effect, with the addition that 
  the disease is particularly virulent: all tests for 
  contracting and recovering from the disease are 
  made against [Strong –5]. Furthermore, the course 
  of the disease is very aggressive. Immediately 
  after contracting it, the afflicted will experience 
  vomiting, cramps, diarrhea or other symptoms 
  that prevent the person from performing anything 
  but reactive actions for the duration of the illness.
  Unique Side Effect: The disease lies dormant in 
  the area, waiting to spread. Anyone who ventures 
  there must roll 1d10; on 1 the person is exposed to 
  a Strong disease, either airborne or transmitted 
  through physical contact.
  raGe
  Tradition: Wizardry
  A blinding rage consumes all living creatures, 
  driving them into a berserk frenzy and compelling 
  them to attack everything and everyone around 
  them with murderous intent.
  Ceremonial Focus: A piece of charcoal, which starts 
  to glow hotter and hotter during the ceremony.
  Half Effect: The rage affects everyone and remains 
  uncontrollable for one turn. After that, half of all 
  creatures within the area of effect manage to quell 
  their anger and break the frenzy. Player charac-
  ters (and important non-player characters) make 
  a Resolute test at the start of the second turn after 
  the effect has occurred – a success immediately 
  cancels the effect. They must then try to handle 
  those who did not do as well, who remain enraged 
  until the end of the scene. 
  116
   
  
  Full Effect: As half effect, but the rage is much harder 
  to overcome. It is only possible after three turns, and 
  only one tenth of the creatures in the area succeed. 
  Player characters (and important non-player cha-
  racters) make a test against [Resolute –5] at the start 
  of the fourth turn after the effect has occurred, in 
  order to control their anger.
  Unique Side Effect: None
  create corruPted nature
  Tradition: Sorcery
  An area is drenched in corrupting energies, so 
  much so that it is permanently damaged and dar-
  kened. The phenomenon as such is described in the 
  Symbaroum Monster Codex, on page 22.
  Ceremonial Focus: A fist of corrupted plant seeds.
  Half Effect: The area is corrupted, but in what 
  way is out of the Officiant’s control. Consult the 
  tables on page 25 of the Symbaroum Monster Codex 
  to determine which and how many effects occur.
  Full Effect: The Officiant can decide in what way 
  the affected area is corrupted, by choosing up to six 
  effects from Table 3: Dangers in Corrupt Nature on 
  page 25 of the Symbaroum Monster Codex. 
  Unique Side Effect: Nature’s capricious vengeance 
  causes half of the effects (rounded up) to occur around 
  the ceremonial circle instead of in the intended area.
  starfaLL
  Tradition: Wizardry
  The Officiant calls blazing rocks from the sky and 
  steers them toward a specific area. People who are 
  not directly hit may be killed by the shock wave or 
  other side effects that follow the boulders. 
  Ceremonial Focus: A meteorite fragment, at least 
  the size of a fist.
  Half Effect: A scattered shower of ten smaller rocks 
  rains over the affected area. A tenth of all creatures 
  present at the time perish from direct hits or the 
  fiery area effect; the rest have a chance to survive. 
  Characters (and important non-player characters) 
  situated in the area may roll a Quick test – if it fails, 
  they are killed instantly; if it succeeds, they take 2d6 
  points of crushing damage (armor protects as usual). 
  Full Effect: A boulder the size of an ogre and a large 
  number of smaller rocks crash into the center of 
  the affected area. Nearby buildings are razed, 
  damaged, or set on fire, and half of all creatures 
  in the area perish immediately. Player characters 
  (and important non-player characters) situated 
  there may roll a [Quick –5] test – if it fails, they are 
  killed instantly; if it succeeds, they take 2d6 points 
  of crushing damage (armor protects as usual). 
  Unique Side Effect: The impact of the crashing rocks 
  agitates the elemental forces and gives rise to fire 
  spirits who immediately try to possess surviving 
  creatures in the area. The living must pass a Resolute 
  test, or their bodies are taken over by destructive fire 
  elementals. These creatures assume the attributes 
  of their hosts, with the additions stated down below, 
  and they attack every potentially flammable object 
  around – buildings, plants, and creatures wearing 
  clothes. If the host body is knocked unconscious or 
  hit by a water cascade (at least five liters in one turn), 
  the spirit is banished and ceases to exist; the same 
  happens if the host body dies.
  resurrect
  Tradition: Theurgy
  A dead or undead creature (not abomination) is 
  brought back from the dead and is fully alive once 
  more, with or without side effects… 
  Ceremonial Focus: A personal link (a glass of blood, 
  a tuft of hair, or a cherished item) to an individual 
  who means a lot to the deceased; it could be a 
  descendant, a lover or a close relative.
  Half Effect: The dead person returns to life, but 
  with permanent corruption still lingering inside 
  [Corruption Threshold –1] and with great memory 
  gaps – half of the person’s abilities have been for-
  gotten (the Game Master chooses which ones or lets 
  chance decide). The resurrected individual is also 
  more fragile than before: 1d10 is rolled every time 
  the Pain Threshold is exceeded; on 1 the resurrected 
  individual dies immediately.
  Full Effect: The deceased returns to life and is essen-
  tially the same as he or she was at the moment of 
  death, only perfectly healthy and without injuries. 
  But the frailty of the flesh cannot be avoided: 1d10 
  is rolled every time the Pain Threshold is exceeded; 
  on 1 the resurrected individual dies immediately.
  Unique Side Effect: Raising the dead is of course an 
  act of immense violence against Creation and may 
  therefore have greater repercussions than other 
  ceremonies. The amount of corruption inflicted 
  on the participants of the ceremony is doubled, 
  from 5d6 to 10d6. How these points are distributed 
  between the participants is calculated as usual.
  fire eLementaL, addition
  Manner
  Fanatical
  Weapons
  Smoldering fists 3+2 (burning)
  Armor
  +3 Flaming aura, takes no dama-
  ge from fire or mystical powers 
  that manifest themselves in the 
  form of fire
  Shadow
  A furious yellowish white, like 
  the hottest part of a blazing pyre 
  (corruption: 0)
  14
  C E R E M O N I E S
  117
   
  
  Legendary 
       Creatures
  an adventure’s cLimax does not always have to be a fateful confrontation 
  with the group, person, or creature standing between the player characters 
  and their ultimate goal. But in many cases it is, and in this chapter we want 
  to address the creation of memorable bosses who are powerful enough to 
  challenge even the most veteran heroes. The resistance level Legendary was 
  introduced in the Symbaroum Monster Codex, as a designation for supremely 
  powerful, unique monstrosities. But what should one keep in mind when 
  designing such an individual?
  a finaL shoWdoWn can be frightfully dull, and 
  boring, and completely... Completely wonderful! 
  Our own history of roleplaying includes many 
  examples of amazing confrontations, which remain 
  as vivid memories of situations when we together 
  overcame insurmountable odds and achieved a 
  common goal – memories that even now, decades 
  later, can be brought up in various contexts. But 
  there have also been showdowns that were less 
  successful, where adventures or entire campaigns 
  left a somewhat bitter taste in the mouth because 
  of an anticlimactic ending.
  Although the Game Master can (and should) 
  never be dictatorial in how the adventure’s scenes 
  are portrayed, we would like to offer some advice 
  on how Symbaroum’s bosses can be designed to 
  make the climax as entertaining, dramatic and 
  memorable as possible. 
  Basic Principles
  We BeLieve a final boss, particularly a Legendary 
  one, should be absolutely lethal, but not particu-
  larly difficult to beat, at least not once the player 
  characters have figured out its weakness. The 
  reason for this is that the final confrontation 
  should be thrilling and exciting, and not too long 
  118
   
  
  – every die roll should feel important, risky and
  decisive. Before taking a closer look at how this
  can be achieved, we would like to establish another 
  couple of basic premises.
  distinctive character
  A dragon, cryptwalker or giant arch troll should all 
  be perfectly suitable as final bosses in Symbaroum, 
  but if you want to give your players a truly 
  unforgettable experience, a set of generic stats 
  will probably not be enough. Give the creature 
  a name and a backstory; let it be mentioned in 
  legends, depicted in ancient mosaics, and perhaps 
  surrounded by impossible rumors about it being 
  “utterly invulnerable,” “older than Creation itself,” or 
  “the daughter of the World Serpent and a forgotten, 
  blight born Huldra.”
  It should also have a striking personality 
  and appearance. Legendary monsters are often 
  described as arrogant and malevolent, or at least 
  egotistical. But what would happen if the creature 
  that must be defeated believes itself to be a force 
  for good, and views the player characters as the 
  henchmen of evil (e.g. mankind)? What would the 
  confrontation be like if the beast was actually afraid 
  of the player characters and tried to negotiate a 
  peaceful solution? These examples may be exagge-
  rated, but it will definitely be a richer experience 
  if the creature deviates from what is expected, in 
  one way or another – perhaps it is surprisingly 
  courteous, turns out to have a dark sense of humor, 
  repeats the last word of every phrase it (or the player 
  characters) speaks, has a rattling cough, or mixes 
  flattery with brutally phrased threats.
  As for appearance, it does not have to be 
  something big or mechanically significant; it can 
  be quite enough for the dragon, cryptwalker or 
  arch troll to have an unsightly scar, a missing fang, 
  or a noticeable limp. One can also combine this 
  distinctive feature with an actual weakness that 
  the players may exploit – perhaps it has one milky 
  white, blind eye, and has trouble defending itself 
  from that side (i.e. it is easier to hit); perhaps there 
  is a patch on its body that is not covered by scales or 
  thick monster skin (i.e. the player characters can 
  target that spot, in which case it is more difficult to 
  hit, but attacks that do hit ignore Armor)?
  different chaLLenGe
  The confrontation itself should pose a new type 
  of challenge for the player characters. It could be 
  something that is possible to predict and prepare 
  for, or a specific feature that only becomes evident 
  once the battle has begun. It is of course difficult to 
  create completely new challenges for every climax, 
  since there is a limited number of abilities and 
  traits. Rather, it is a question of putting together 
  new combinations that force the players to think 
  and adapt their characters’ tactics. Table 45 lists 
  a number of traits and abilities that can bring an 
  element of surprise to the gaming table, if added to 
  an otherwise standardized set of characteristics. 
  Furthermore, the table can probably work well as 
  inspiration when creating a new kind of adversary 
  from scratch.
  Another way of generating unexpected chal-
  lenges is to create your own abilities, traits or 
  powers; you can build on existing ones by adding 
  a grandmaster level. Examples of the latter can 
  actually be found in adventures published by 
  us at Free League – the eternity elf Ka’eroan in 
  Wrath of the Warden who is Exceptionally Accurate 
  (grandmaster) and therefore has 19 in that attri-
  bute, and the keeper Miralba in Mother of Darkness 
  who is a grandmaster of Shapeshift and therefore 
  has level II in the traits Armored, Natural Weapons, 
  Regeneration and Robust while in animal form.
  As Game Master you should absolutely not be 
  afraid to be creative in this way, but consideration 
  is always a good thing – at least if you do not want 
  some angry players on your hands. First of all, 
  no individual creature should have more than a 
  couple of unique abilities or grandmaster levels; 
  these should be that “little extra” that makes the 
  encounter a special experience. Secondly, all new 
  Table 45: Surprising Features
  aBiLity/trait
  effect
  Acrobatics/Leap/Teleport
  The creature can withdraw from melee 
  combat without triggering free attacks
  Avenging Successor/ 
  Companions/Summoner
  The creature has or can summon allies
  Carapace/Rune Tattoo
  The creature has additional Armor
  Deadly Breath/Grappling 
  Tongue/Poison Spit
  The creature can attack at range
  Enthrall/Gravely Cold/ 
  Paralyzing Poison
  The creature can cause a PC to lose actions
  Equestrian/Tunneler/ Wings
  The creature can perform sweeping 
  attacks without getting stuck in melee 
  combat
  Feat of Strength/Sturdy
  The creature has extra Toughness
  Invisibility
  The creature cannot be seen by normal 
  means
  Many-headed/Swift
  The creature has extra attacks
  Metamorphosis
  The creature can surprise in many ways
  Mystical Resistance
  The creature is not easily affected by mys-
  tical powers
  The Archetypes’ 
  Tactics
  HUNTER 
  Keeps its distance from 
  the player charac-
  ters and uses ranged 
  attacks.
  WARRIOR 
  Tries to draw the player 
  characters into melee,
  MYSTIC 
  Keeps its distance while 
  trying to bind the player 
  characters or damage 
  them in groups, or heal 
  its allies.
  ROGUE 
  Moves around the batt-
  lefield to use or create 
  opportunities to strike 
  from Advantage.
  15
  L E G E N D A R Y  C R E A T U R E S
  119
   
  
  creations should be playtested a few times before 
  they are put into play. And never forget that your 
  job as Game Master is to create fun and exciting 
  encounters – not defeat the player characters! 
  moderateLy imPossiBLe
  It will not be much fun if the final boss is defea-
  ted in a single blow; nor if it cannot be harmed 
  or seems capable of taking an infinite amount 
  of punishment. The same goes for the creature’s 
  attacks – there must be a chance to avoid getting 
  hit as well as to survive an attack that does hit. 
  In roleplaying games, encounters are ultimately 
  decided by die rolls, but that does not stop the Game 
  Master from trying to strike a good balance in 
  relation to the player characters’ combat efficiency 
  and competencies.
  In line with the reasoning about the creation 
  of monsters in the Symbaroum Monster Codex 
  (page 174–177), the game’s archetypes – Hunter, 
  Warrior, Mystic, Rogue – can be a good starting 
  point in this context. These archetypes represent 
  different roles in combat situations, as descri-
  bed in the sidebar on page 119, and a worthy end 
  boss of Legendary resistance should at least 
  have mastered two of these roles. The point is 
  that it can choose between two different attack 
  strategies and thereby adapt to the player cha-
  racters’ tactics. It must also be quite difficult but 
  not impossible to kill – it could be hard to hit, 
  have lots of Armor, and/or high Toughness, but 
  preferably not all three.
  Even a boss must have some kind of weakness, 
  offensively as well as defensively. Or rather, there 
  must be strategies it cannot counter with abilities 
  or traits – a type of damage that affects it the same 
  way it affects everyone else; some form of tactic, 
  item or elixir that allows a person to survive its 
  most fearsome attack. The player characters 
  should either be able to figure these (relative) 
  weaknesses out in advance, for example through 
  investigations or conversations with the creature’s 
  previous victims, or during the fight, with the help 
  of the Beast Lore ability.
  Table 46 lists some examples of weak spots the 
  Game Master may use as-is or as inspiration in 
  creating new ones.
  Living Legends
  the creatures featured in this section are 
  based on generic adversaries described in the 
  Core Rulebook and Monster Codex, but expanded 
  to fit the properties of Legendary resistance – they 
  are created as if they had between 600 and 1200 
  Experience points to spend on abilities, powers 
  and traits.
  In addition to a brief backstory we have 
  provided each creature with a few distinctive 
  features, a grandmaster level, an unexpected 
  ability and a weakness. As always you are not only 
  free to change or add to our descriptions as you 
  see fit – you are expected to make adjustments, 
  not least in relation to the style and capacity of 
  your players’ characters!
  the LeGendary cryPtWaLker
  In the darkness of northern Davokar, the spirit of 
  Queen Serala-Han Urel still lingers in the former 
  high seat of her once flourishing realm. She and 
  her people were utterly massacred by the armies 
  of Symbar, and all that remains of her being is 
  bitterness, anger and a thirst for revenge, with 
  one exception – she still cherishes her memories 
  of the land she and her ancestors established 
  and developed. 
  Features: Besides being unnaturally big for a 
  human, the spirit has a fist-sized hole just below 
  her jugular and is covered by glowing blue tat-
  toos. The queen will come to her senses if anyone 
  Table 46: Weak Spots
  Weakness
  examPLe effect
  Allergy
  The creature takes double damage from poison if the 
  player characters add a certain (rare!) substance and 
  pass a Cunning test with Alchemy
  Death-defying
  The frenzied creature focuses entirely on offense and is 
  therefore very easy to hit
  Gap
  The creature’s natural armor has gaps, soft spots, or si-
  milar where its Armor is lower or even non-existent; these 
  can be targeted, but are harder to hit (–3 to –8)
  Hypersensitivity
  The creature’s Armor counts as halved against a certain 
  type of damage (fire, acid, sanctified weapons or holy 
  energies)
  Phobia
  The creature has a phobia of a certain phenomenon, item, 
  element, etcetera; every turn the object of fear is present, 
  the creature is distracted and has two chances to fail 
  when performing active actions
  Sledgehammer
  The creature’s attacks are relatively inaccurate, but deal 
  immense damage on a successful hit
  Slow
  The creature’s attacks count as having the quality Unwiel-
  dy; it may also have the burden Slow
  Weak-willed
  Its low Resolute makes the creature relatively easy to 
  affect with mystical powers when it defends itself with said 
  attribute
   Official End Bosses
  The reasoning set 
  out in this chapter 
  explains why we are 
  always urging Game 
  Masters to adjust the 
  enemies in predesigned 
  adventures to suit 
  their particular gaming 
  group. The author of a 
  predesigned adventure 
  can never take into 
  account all possible 
  combinations of player 
  character types and 
  experience levels, which 
  is why it is always up 
  to the Game Master to 
  think things through 
  and add, subtract or 
  adjust.
  120
   
  
  15
  L E G E N D A R Y  C R E A T U R E S
  Queen Serala-Han Urel is
  ready to face any adventurer
  bold enough to infringe on
  her ruined citadel.
  121
   
  
  mentions her realm (Ureld), which means she 
  can be negotiated with (requires Loremaster at 
  master level).
  Grandmaster Level: The grandmaster level of Two-
  handed Force gives Serala-Han an extra attack with 
  the backswing, even if the initial attack hits its 
  target. The master level’s active armor-breaking 
  effect applies to both attacks, should she decide 
  to use it.
  Unexpected Ability: Serala-Han Urel is Robust, 
  which according to legend is a result of her being 
  descended from the ice giants of the uttermost 
  north. She also has the ability to spew out the 
  furious vengefulness that dominates her, as a gust 
  of corrupting energy.
  Weakness: The queen’s only real weakness is her 
  lingering love for her old realm, Ureld. Those who 
  convincingly flatter her for her achievements 
  [Persuasive←Resolute] may be allowed to leave the 
  palace ruin alive. And if someone uses stories 
  and fabricated evidence to convince her that a 
  rightful heir to the throne of Ureld has returned 
  [Persuasive←Resolute+5], she will finally be at peace 
  and leave the living world forever.
  the LeGendary draGon
  Sakofal the Slaughterer is briefly mentioned in 
  the eBook Symbaroum – Adventure Locations and 
  in Symbar – Mother of Darkness. Unlike the other 
  dragon who terrorized ancient Symbaroum, Fofar 
  the Destroyer, Sakofal resisted the temptation to let 
  himself be “exalted” (i.e. blight born) by Symbar’s 
  Theourgs. Instead he has long been trapped in 
  hibernation by the lulling melodies of the Iron 
  Pact; now he has woken, emaciated and famished 
  like never before.
  Features: So thin that the ribs, joints and cheek 
  bones bulge or ridge the emerald-scaled skin.
  Grandmaster Level: The dragon’s desperate 
  hunger and wish to regain his former strength 
  manifests itself in the ability Exceptionally Resolute 
  (grandmaster)
  Unexpected Ability: The Wrecker trait at master level 
  allows Sakofal to raze buildings with his claws and 
  jaws, which in turn makes it difficult to seek shelter 
  from the monster – especially as his Life Sense (mas-
  ter) also makes it possible to sense living creatures 
  through walls or even several meters of soil.
  Weakness: Sakofal is ferociously hungry and 
  therefore overly aggressive and reckless – counts 
  as Berserker (novice), which makes him relatively 
  easy to hit. As a result of the long hibernation he 
  has also lost contact with his race, which has robbed 
  him of the trait Wisdom of the Ages.
  seraLa-han ureL
  Race
  Spirit
  Resistance
  Legendary
  Traits
  Corrupting Attack (III), Deadly 
  Breath (III, corruption), Gravely 
  Cold (III), Manifestation (III), 
  Robust (II), Spirit Form (III)
  Accurate 10 (0), Cunning 9 (+1), Discreet 7 (+3), 
  Persuasive 10 (0), Quick 14 (−4), Resolute 16 (−6), 
  Strong 18 (−8), Vigilant 5 (+5)
  Abilities
  Exceptionally Quick (master), 
  Exceptionally Resolute (master), 
  Exceptionally Strong (master), 
  Feat of Strength (master),  
  Iron Fist (master), Recovery 
  (master), Rune Tattoo* (mas-
  ter), Two-handed Force (grand-
  master)
  Weapons, 
  Strong
  Double Axe (deep impact), two 
  attacks at the same target 16/11 
  (+2 after Toughness has been 
  reduced to half), ignores Armor
  Armor
  5 (Robust, Rune Tattoo); only 
  takes damage from mystical 
  powers and magical weapons, 
  which do half damage; regenera-
  tes 1 Toughness per turn
  Defense
  –1
  Toughness 
  23
  Pain Threshold 
  –
  Shadow
  Like a clear night sky, with faint 
  lights that only accentuate 
  the overpowering darkness 
  (thoroughly corrupt)
  Tactics: The queen makes full use of her manifest-
  ation ability, attacking physically while remaining 
  immaterial in all other respects. She likes to 
  unleash a storm of corruption before she starts 
  swinging her double axe, first at enemies who have 
  not been affected by the Gravely Cold trait, then at 
  mystics and warriors with magical weapons.
  * Always active on all levels simultaneously since she 
  is already thoroughly corrupt.
  sakofaL the sLauGhterer
  Race
  Beast (reptiles)
  Resistance
  Legendary
  122
   
  
  the LeGendary arch troLL
  The legend of the arch troll Uhux is well known 
  throughout the Davokar region. The monster 
  has been terrorizing everything and everyone 
  for centuries, and the fact that he has not been 
  seen in almost a decade only fuels the fantasies of 
  barbarians and Ambrians. Some say he is in the 
  Yonderworld, fattening himself for a war campaign 
  to wipe out humanity; those with more knowledge 
  about the troll life cycle assume he is undergoing his 
  fourth hibernation to return even bigger, stronger 
  and hungrier than ever. 
  However, the truth is that Uhux was killed eight 
  years ago by the war hero Vojondan of Vajvod, who 
  also died from his wounds, alone in the depths of 
  Davokar. Unfortunately, the story of Uhux did not 
  end there, as the darkness in his soul raised him 
  as undead half a decade later. Now he is on his 
  way back, heading southwest, toward barbarian 
  settlements and Ambrian outposts alike…
  Features: The upper part of Uhux’s skull is split, as 
  if struck with a great axe, and yellowish, puss-like 
  ooze constantly runs down his neck and face.
  Grandmaster Level: With the grandmaster level 
  of Iron Fist, Uhux deals 1d10 (+5) damage on all his 
  attacks, as a Passive action.
  Unexpected Ability: Uhux is undead, and one 
  effect of the undead condition is that he exudes 
  toxic substances such as ooze and fumes – he has 
  the traits Poisonous and Harmful Aura.
  Weakness: Some witches and elves know that 
  Uhux is hypersensitive to willow plants and holy 
  energies – sanctified weapons made of willow (e.g. 
  arrows, spears, wooden staves) have the quality 
  Blunt, but the arch troll’s natural protection (from 
  Armored, Berserker and Robust) against such attacks 
  is reduced by half and the damage sustained cannot 
  be regenerated.
  uhux
  Race
  Undead (Troll)
  Resistance
  Legendary
  Traits
  Armored (III), Enthrall (III), 
  Harmful Aura (III, poisonous), 
  Long-lived, Natural Weapon (III), 
  Poisonous (III), Regeneration (III), 
  Robust (III), Undead (III)
  Accurate 11 (−1), Cunning 10 (0), Discreet 5 (+5), 
  Persuasive 9 (+1), Quick 7 (+3), Resolute 16 (−6), 
  Strong 18 (−8), Vigilant 10 (0)
  Abilities
  Alchemy (master), Berserker 
  (master), Exceptionally Resolute 
  (master), Exceptionally Strong 
  (master), Iron Fist (grandmas-
  ter), Natural Warrior (master)
  Weapons, 
  Strong
  Claws 21 (Long), two attacks at 
  the same target and poison da-
  mage 4 for 4 turns; Harmful Aura 
  within melee range, damage 4 
  per turn (ignores Armor)
  Armor
  Troll skin 10; regenerates 4 
  Toughness/turn, except damage 
  from holy weapons; half damage 
  according to Undead II
  Defense
  +7
  Toughness 
  18
  Pain Threshold 
  −
  Shadow
  Bluish red, like the anoxic blood 
  of the deepest veins  
  (thoroughly corrupt)
  Tactics: Uhux lumbers into battle surrounded by 
  his poisonous fumes, humming a somber melody 
  that enthralls everyone within earshot. Then he 
  lets his claws sing until there is no one left to hear 
  their bloody song.
  Traits
  Armored (III), Colossal (II),  
  Deadly Breath (III), Devour (III), 
  Life Sense (III), Long-lived, 
  Natural Weapon (III), Robust (III), 
  Sturdy (II), Wings (III),  
  Wrecker (III)
  Accurate 7 (+3), Cunning 9 (+1), Discreet 5 (+5), 
  Persuasive 11 (–1), Quick 10 (0), Resolute 17 (–7), 
  Strong 18 (−8), Vigilant 10 (0)
  Abilities
  Berserker (novice), Exceptionally 
  Resolute (grandmaster),  
  Exceptionally Strong (master), 
  Iron Fist (master), Natural  
  Warrior (master),  
  Steadfast (master) 
  Weapons, 
  Strong
  Bite 20 (long), or two attacks at 
  the same target 18/14
  Armor
  Scales 8
  Defense
  +9
  Toughness 
  36
  Pain Threshold 
  9
  Shadow
  Shiny dark green, like an uncut 
  emerald in the sharpest sunlight 
  (corruption: 0)
  Tactics: Sakofal descends like a storm on his 
  enemies, performing two sweeping attacks at 
  the same target; a hit gives him the chance to 
  immediately devour the target as a reaction 
  [Strong←Strong]. If the enemies are many and 
  clustered together he may attempt a fire attack, 
  but with less chance of hitting anyone (Accurate).
  15
  L E G E N D A R Y  C R E A T U R E S
  123
   
  
  t was only us left, me and the geezers, Master 
  Iokum and his foggy old historian, Aneas. The 
  latter would probably not live much longer; 
  bitten in the abdomen by a hunger wolf, he 
  hung between his friend and the staff he had 
  borrowed. Still, I heard him chuckle in delight.
  The Chalice of Mesamor. It had cost the lives 
  of nine companions and four carriers, but there 
  it was – not hidden in the Underworld as Aneas’s 
  tomes had suggested, but on the surface, inside an overgrown ruin 
  from the early days of Symbaroum.
  I followed my expedition leaders to the podium. The fluid filling 
  the embedded silver basin of the giant chalice was clear as rain water; 
  maybe it gave off a faint shimmer, or the basin reflected the weak rays 
  falling through cracks in the chamber’s ceiling? Either way, even I could 
  sense the power radiating from the artifact, like a heat against the skin.
  The historian dropped his staff and fell forward, finding support by 
  placing both trembling hands against the rugged stone. He widened his 
  stance to find balance before releasing the grip, cupping his hands, then 
  filling them with fluid and raising it to his lips. He drank. Two deep gulps.
  Slowly, slowly Aneas turned around. Smiling. Blissfully smiling.
  But then he flinched, eyes widening. His jaw dropped and a moan of 
  torment rose from his wide-open mouth.
  I had seen that reaction before, so I turned to escape, leaving 
  everything behind without a second thought or backwards glance. But 
  not Master Iokum.
  Maybe he also knew what was happening; maybe he was unable to 
  abandon the friend he had brought to ruin? The sounds that the master 
  made when the newly awakened abomination bit into his flesh did 
  nothing to answer such questions…
  i
  124
   
  
  T H E  R E W A R D S
  S E C T I O N  3 :
  125
   
  
  Enhanced 
   Rewards
  the PLayers’ ParticiPation in and enthusiasm for the game 
  depends largely on what rewards they gain from the sessions – 
  things their characters acquire over the course of the game, but 
  also the social boost from their friends around the gaming table. 
  Here we delve into the former type of reward and offer tips on 
  how you as a Game Master can balance the players’ experiences 
  of scarcity and abundance. Showering the player characters 
  with rewards is just as unfulfilling (possibly even boring) as not 
  giving them enough.
  a fundamentaL idea for the guidelines in this 
  chapter is that rewards in play must be adapted to 
  the individual player – what one person likes may 
  not appeal to another, and vice versa. 
  As acting Game Master, you have to really know 
  your gaming group well, and make sure to use that 
  knowledge to tailor the rewards to the players and 
  their characters.
  The Relative Value of Rewards
  one miGht say that Symbaroum has a floating 
  exchange rate between thaler and Experience, and 
  this is a deliberate design premise. It is up to the 
  Game Master to appraise and balance rewards, 
  with the help of the gaming group who, through 
  their reactions, will provide feedback to the 
  Game Master. Together you must try to figure 
  out what is a reasonable level of reward to keep 
  the game interesting. 
  The Symbaroum Core Rulebook offers guidelines 
  for the distribution of Experience, but not treasures. 
  Here we will try to explain how Experience and 
  Blissfully unaware, 
  Master Iokum and his 
  friend Aneas wander 
  towards certain death 
  (see page 124).
  126
   
  
  other rewards are interconnected, on the basis of 
  an adventuring career as the rewards interact a 
  bit differently over time. The system is not strictly 
  mathematical, but should provide Game Masters 
  who want it with a tool for comparing different 
  types of rewards. Just remember that it is ultimately 
  the players who decide what something is really 
  worth. “The price is what you pay, the value is what 
  you get,” as the saying goes.
  startinG Point
  Newly created player characters start out with 50 
  Experience and 5 thaler, possibly with the amount 
  of thaler modified by the traits/boons Privileged 
  and Pariah. 
  It goes without saying that the game will pro-
  vide more money than Experience, and that the 
  first improvements to the player characters will 
  likely come from equipment rather than enhan-
  ced abilities. It is simply cheaper to buy a weapon 
  with +1 chance to hit (the quality Precise) than to 
  accumulate enough experience to increase Accurate 
  by +1 (the Exceptional Attribute ability).
  So, for inexperienced characters, monetary 
  rewards are particularly effective in quickly 
  increasing the group’s combat capability – thaler 
  127
  16
  E N H A N C E D  R E W A R D S
   
  
  to invest in equipment, elixirs, and what is referred 
  to in the Advanced Player’s Guide as Lesser Artifacts. 
  Mystical artifacts are obviously attractive, but it is 
  by no means certain that newly created characters 
  will find any that are worth investing Experience 
  in (i.e. binding to) – mystical artifacts are often 
  good if they match a player character’s specialty, 
  but less so if they do not. 
  mid-career
  Player characters who have been adventuring for a 
  while have usually purchased the ordinary equip-
  ment they want, and started to obtain weapons, 
  armor, and items with qualities that match their 
  abilities. The players have also started to discover 
  another aspect of Symbaroum’s rules: there are 
  clear limits on how much they can improve their 
  stats through equipment, and doing so quickly 
  becomes very expensive. Consequently, the urge 
  to spend thaler usually passes after a while; the 
  value of additional stat bonuses is outweighed by 
  the cost in coin. 
  Now Experience comes into play, in the form of 
  new (or higher levels of old) abilities. The gaming 
  group has no doubt gotten their hands on a number 
  of artifacts as well, some of which are well-suited 
  to certain characters; in that case the group’s 
  capability is increased.
  oLd heroes
  Experienced player characters are expected to 
  have weapons, armor, and other equipment (Lesser 
  Artifacts, etc.) that synergize with their abilities 
  and make them strong in their specialties. They 
  have probably amassed plenty of thaler as well, 
  since money has a clear but limited ability to 
  improve player characters after a certain point. 
  Elixirs are still viable, but they are so cheap 
  anyway that they will not ruin successful adven-
  turers financially. 
  So, money will be piling up unless the player 
  characters find other uses for it, for example 
  investing in businesses, estates, fiefs, and so on. 
  Artifacts (Lesser and Greater) are hard currency – 
  they become particularly interesting as the gaming 
  group has likely picked up a bunch of them by now, 
  and every player character should find at least one 
  worth binding to.
  Story-wise there is also an opening for social 
  rewards at this point. The player characters are 
  individually competent and have undoubtedly made 
  their mark on the world in a way that has caught 
  the eye of the world’s leading figures. Offering the 
  player characters high-ranking positions or some 
  land to rule is a natural development that facilitates 
  interesting gameplay, as the described under the 
  header Princes of the Land below.
  Enriching Optional Rules
  the symBaroum Game's modular design 
  encourages gaming groups to adjust the rules 
  as they see fit, and many of the new mechanics 
  presented in various supplements released after 
  the Core Rulebook are formulated as optional, or 
  alternative, rules. 
  Several of these mechanics can, if the gaming 
  group decides to apply them, be used to reward the 
  characters and their players with other things than 
  experience and valuables. 
  Boons as reWards
  Boons and burdens are introduced in the Advanced 
  Player’s Guide, partly as an extension of traits for 
  player characters, partly as a way of adding flavor 
  to them without the complexity that comes with 
  abilities. Many boons work well as rewards, and 
  affect both the story and a character’s stats. Since 
  the cost is easily calculated, so is the value: a boon 
  costs 5 Experience to purchase and is therefore 
  worth the same.
  But here the Game Master will have to be careful, 
  as boons will change the player character signifi-
  cantly, and if used as a reward the boon should also 
  be perceived as such by the player who receives it. 
  Instead of offering a specific boon, the Game Master 
  can talk to the player about which boon might suit 
  the character.
  Burdens as reWards
  Offering burdens as rewards may seem counte-
  rintuitive, but done correctly it is not a bad idea at 
  all. Handing out burdens after an adventure can 
  be a good way of acknowledging that the player 
  characters have been through a tough experience 
  that left its mark on them. Another effect is of 
  course that burdens grant Experience, which the 
  players can use as they please. 
  Once again it is a matter of offering, not imposing, 
  at least if the burden is meant as a reward. The Game 
  Master can ask the gaming group which burden(s) 
  they want, with reference to the fact that they just 
  went through a series of traumatic events, and then 
  let the players explain which burdens they have 
  gained and why. Burdens used in this way grant 
  an extra five points of Experience in addition to 
  those gained from the scenes, and thus become an 
  accelerator for the characters’ ability progression.
  Boons as Rewards
  Beast Tongue
  Blood Ties
  Dark Blood
  Enterprise
  Forbidden Knowledge
  Hideouts
  Pet
  Servant
  Soulmate
  128
   
  
  the secrets of the  
  mysticaL traditions
  The Advanced Player’s Guide presents secrets kept 
  by the various mystical traditions (see page 107), 
  and these are definitely appropriate as rewards. 
  Each tradition’s secret can be regarded as a small 
  reward, numerically speaking, but can be very 
  atmospheric – the Grandmaster takes a player 
  character aside and initiates her into the secrets 
  of his tradition, in return for everything the 
  character has done. 
  A greater, more valuable reward is to give a 
  player character access to the forbidden secrets 
  of all the traditions through the boon Forbidden 
  Knowledge (page 53 in the Advanced Player’s Guide). 
  The value of a specific secret is equivalent to one 
  point of Experience, which of course makes their 
  combined value (the boon Forbidden Knowledge) 
  5 Experience.
  Pact makinG
  The Advanced Player’s Guide has an alternative 
  rule for pact making (see page 104), and it is a 
  goldmine of rewards that can add depth to the 
  story and be valuable to the player character. It 
  is difficult to say what the pact is worth in itself, 
  since it provides the character with Experience 
  but also corruption, and forces her to pursue one 
  of the power’s goals.
  monstrous traits for 
  PLayer characters
  The alternative rule for monstrous traits descri-
  bed in the Core Rulebook (page 179) has already 
  been implemented in the form of the boons Blood 
  Ties and Dark Blood (see the Advanced Player’s 
  Guide, page 52 and 53, respectively). There are 
  deep and dark stories to be found here, but also a 
  couple of mechanical pitfalls: combining monst-
  rous traits with other abilities can make player 
  characters very powerful indeed. This does 
  not have to be a problem, but can be difficult to 
  manage for Game Masters who have not already 
  thought it through.
  When handled correctly this type of rewards can 
  greatly enrich the game, as it relates in a concrete 
  way to the conflict between civilization and nature, 
  which is the central theme of Symbaroum – in a way, 
  the player character’s body and mind is caught in 
  the middle of this conflict, which is an excellent 
  basis for drama and intrigue. 
  For advice on how to handle any mechanical 
  downsides of this, see the Adventures for Heroes 
  section where mechanical imbalances are dis-
  cussed (page 31). 
  Princes of the Land
  A potentially game changing reward is to give the 
  player characters their own domain to manage. 
  Suddenly the characters have acquired something 
  that gives them status and also serves as an adven-
  ture generator – the adventures come to the player 
  characters, instead of them having to run around in 
  search of danger and rewards. Domains also tend to 
  eat into the player characters’ unused wealth, when 
  they can no longer find any interesting equipment 
  to spend it on.
  A domain’s value can be calculated in thaler, 
  since a well-managed one generates income. But 
  this kind of reward is so unique that it is best seen 
  as a way of changing the overall style of the game 
  to present experienced characters with new chal-
  lenges. It is technically possible to provide player 
  characters with a domain and keep going as usual, 
  only with a fancy title and an additional stream of 
  income that is handled in between gaming sessions. 
  This removes one of the most interesting dimen-
  sions of the reward – the adventure generator – but 
  is certainly doable, and for some gaming groups or 
  players, the title and the thought of being a ruler is 
  more rewarding than actually having to deal with 
  the hassle of ruling.
  How to mechanically handle the ownership 
  of a domain is described in detail on page 76–81 
  and, depending on how the gaming group wants 
  the game to develop, in the section on Troupe Play 
  starting on page 29.
  creatinG Greater artifacts 
  as reWards
  Creating their own greater artifact is probably 
  a dream for many players, and the Game Master 
  can give them that opportunity in the form of a 
  reward – perhaps the gaming group finds a creation 
  ceremony carved into a set of heavy stone tablets? 
  Working out the artifact’s powers is a fun challenge 
  in itself, and its worth in thaler, time, or whate-
  ver else, is set by the Game Master. This is also a 
  potential adventure generator – perhaps the player 
  characters have to acquire specific ingredients or 
  gain access to a dangerous and remote location in 
  order to perform the ceremony? 
  The value of this reward depends entirely on 
  the players and how powerful the Game Master 
  allows the artifact to be. See the chapter on Creating 
  Greater Artifacts (page 131) for principles and 
  guidelines on designing the artifact in questions. 
  You can draw inspiration from (or simply copy) 
  the artifacts described in the Artifacts section on 
  page 132, or from artifacts presented in previously 
  published adventures.
  Burdens as Rewards
  Addiction
  Arch Enemy
  Bestial
  Dark Secret
  Elderly
  Nightmares
  Protégé́
  Sickly
  Wanted
  16
  E N H A N C E D  R E W A R D S
  129
   
  
  Traditional Treasures
  in a Game like Symbaroum, where much of the 
  fun comes from exploring ancient ruins in search 
  of valuables and knowledge, there is every reason 
  to think carefully about what items the player 
  characters might find. Coins and gems are all well 
  and good, but even the discovery of such traditional 
  finds can make one’s heart beat a bit faster if pro-
  vided with a little twist or a quaint detail.
  For example, the coins could have a unique motif 
  depicting something unexpected like a daemon’s 
  face or a bull’s head, or be made of colored or oth-
  erwise unusual material – metal, crystal, (gem)
  stone, or reptilian hide. The same goes for the 
  jewels, which should preferably be uncommon in 
  terms of their cut and color, or carved in the shape 
  of figures like animals, plants, or even humans.
  Then coins and gems can of course be switched 
  for other types of objects of equivalent value. In 
  official Symbaroum supplements we have intro-
  duced something called Debris, Curiosities, and 
  Mystical Treasures. The first category is a kind 
  of substitute for traditional treasures – instead 
  of a cache of 1d10 silver coins the player character 
  finds shards of a painted vase, which can be sold 
  at the equivalent price.
  The idea is to make the digging, rummaging, 
  and hacking in the ruins of Davokar more inter-
  esting; although the value of all Curiosities is the 
  same (10+1d10 thaler), the treasure hunter can 
  never know exactly what she is going to find. Below 
  are some simple tips for Game Masters wishing 
  to create their own Curiosities and Mystical 
  Treasures, preferably designed to be unearthed 
  in a specific location.
  curiosities
  Start by considering who once inhabited the 
  location. What did they live off? What level of 
  development characterized their culture? What 
  did they worship? Who was their ruler(s)? All such 
  questions can provide inspiration for designing so 
  called Curiosities.
  Simply put, a Curiosity is an item that is still 
  undamaged/functional and whose design has a 
  story to tell. It could be an ornament, tool, article of 
  clothing, toy, or some other everyday object; what 
  matters is that the Curiosity is special, ideally in 
  a way that says something about how the cultural 
  beings of old lived, thought, and acted.
  The story the item tells is best left vague, 
  subject to interpretation and fantasies rather 
  than too on the nose. Hints are usually enough to 
  stoke a listener’s, reader’s, or (in this case) player’s 
  imagination. And as we always say: “pre-written 
  descriptions will never feel as interesting as the 
  receiver’s own ideas or mental images.” Mention 
  a few noteworthy features and let the players’ 
  imaginations do the rest!
  mysticaL treasures
  One step above Curiosities on every treasure hun-
  ter’s wish list are so called Mystical Treasures. 
  When creating these, the same general rule 
  applies as for Curiosities: the history they tell 
  should say something about the people who cre-
  ated and used them, but this information should 
  be expressed through symbols and hints rather 
  than actual descriptions.
  Mechanically, a Mystical Treasure should 
  be roughly as powerful as a Lesser Artifact (see 
  the Advanced Player’s Guide, page 123); they are 
  also comparable to Boons and Elixirs, without 
  necessarily having the same mechanical effect – 
  they have magical properties of a more abstract 
  nature that are rarely useful in traditional 
  combat or problem solving. One example is a 
  flower vase in which plants never age (neither 
  withering, blossoming, nor producing fruit), 
  another is a notebook whose notes are only 
  visible to the writer.
  In cases where a Mystical Treasure’s effect is 
  useful during tough challenges, we recommend 
  that you provide it with a defect or an element 
  of risk – it presents a clear advantage, but if 
  misfortune strikes, the item’s effect results in 
  a negative modifier for one type of activity and 
  a bonus for another. An example could be a bell 
  that rings when an abomination is nearby but 
  risks attracting the blight beast’s attention, or a 
  monocle that when used adds +3 to Vigilant for 
  tracking in the wilderness, but –1 for detecting 
  dangers in the area.
  130
  The Game’s Treasure Chambers
  Those who want examples of Curiosities and Mystical Treasures can 
  find tables on pages 100–102 of this book, as well as in the Adventure 
  Pack 1 PDF. The latter can be purchased and downloaded wherever you 
  buy other digital works produced by Free League, and includes both 
  Curiosities and Mystical Treasures (pages 7–9). If that is not enough, the 
  Davokar Game Master’s Screen features some additional Curiosities that 
  the characters can find during their wilderness expeditions.
   
  
  Greater Artifacts 
  this chaPter descriBes principles and guidelines for Game Masters wishing 
  to create their own greater artifacts; greater in the sense that they were made 
  by ancient artifact crafters, an art long lost to modern day mystics who have 
  to settle for lesser artifacts (the Artifact Crafting ability). The chapter also 
  includes a section with new mystical artifacts, to be used as rewards or as a 
  basis for homebrew adventures.
  Creating Greater Artifacts
  for a Greater artifact to fit in mechanically it 
  is important that it does not duplicate already 
  existing abilities or powers, and that it is useful 
  to everyone but particularly to those who have a 
  certain ability. Furthermore, the artifact should 
  be given a backstory that deepens the game world 
  in an interesting way, so that conquering the 
  artifact provides a way to explore the history 
  of the world.
  As always, the following should be seen as 
  guidelines, not strict laws. A certain artifact may 
  not comply with all three principles, but it is recom-
  mended that you try to fulfill at least two of them.
  do not duPLicate
  Artifacts should endow the user with a unique 
  power, an ability that cannot be acquired any other 
  way; they should not be obvious copies of another 
  ability, power, or trait. Mechanically speaking 
  the difference may be subtle, but it should still be 
  there, and if nothing else it should have a distinct 
  aesthetic and feel.
  That said, it is definitely worth looking at other 
  abilities or powers when it comes to deciding what 
  the artifact can do, finding a balanced mechanic, 
  and in conjunction with this, setting a price in 
  temporary corruption for using the decided upon 
  power or powers.
  If an artifact’s power resembles an existing 
  ability or mystical power, it may be a good idea to 
  make it extra potent for those with a related ability. 
  That way the artifact is not a direct substitute for 
  an existing ability, but rather an enhancer of it.
  Good for everyone, Better for 
  those With the riGht aBiLity
  The artifact should ideally be useful to everyone, 
  but particularly powerful for player characters 
  with certain abilities. There are different ways of 
  doing this: the artifact can have one power that is 
  useful to everybody and a second one that cannot 
  be used at all without a certain ability; or maybe it 
  is the same power, but it is boosted if the user has 
  the ability in question. 
  A more subtle version is that the power can 
  be used by anyone, but reaches its full potential 
  when combined with a certain ability. That way 
  the artifact is not tied to a certain ability, but it is 
  wise of the gaming group to put it in the hands of 
  a characters who has the ability.
  17
  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
  131
   
  
  deePen the Game WorLd
  Artifacts dug up in ruins or torn from the dead 
  hands of necromages are links to a more powerful 
  past, when mystic were able to routinely create 
  such things. In other words, the artifact is a great 
  window to the game world’s history. 
  When you as Game Master create an artifact, ask 
  yourself what you want to say or highlight about the 
  game world. How can this be tied to the artifact in 
  question – its creation, a previous owner, or its most 
  recently known fate? Since you know your gaming 
  group, the artifact can answer specific questions 
  they may have. You can also take the opportunity 
  to emphasize a theme or phenomenon you want 
  to focus on, for example the main conflict of the 
  adventure or campaign you are playing.
  the Price of the artifact
  Binding the artifact to oneself costs 1 Experience, 
  which means the character has already paid in a 
  valuable currency. And then the artifact’s power 
  has a price in the form of temporary corruption. The 
  cost of activating a power depends on its effect, and 
  here it is perfectly reasonable to compare it to other 
  powers and abilities that cost temporary corruption. 
  The “price levels” are 1, 1d4, 1d6, or 1d8 tempo-
  rary corruption, except in rare cases where powers 
  do not generate corruption:
  Free: the power is aesthetically pleasing, but useless 
  in combat.
  1 Corruption: the power is useful but not particu-
  larly powerful, and is very unlikely to affect the 
  outcome of combat.
  1d4 Corruption: the artifact’s power is comparable 
  to a mystical power at novice level.
  1d6 Corruption: the artifact’s power is comparable 
  to a mystical power at adept level.
  1d8 Corruption: the artifact’s power is comparable 
  to a mystical power at master level.
  Artifacts
  since time immemoriaL, mystics have bound 
  spirits and power to objects, and thus created 
  what today are known as artifacts. Each artifact 
  is an expression of the will of the bound power, 
  and trying to wield such power is never without 
  consequence. In other words, all artifacts are 
  associated with risk – especially for users who 
  are unaccustomed to wielding items charged with 
  mystical energies.
  The crafting of artifacts is very rare these days, 
  partly because so many rituals for making them 
  have been lost over the centuries, but also because 
  the price of creating them is high. Binding powerful 
  spirits is dangerous, especially now that the Eternal 
  Night draws ever closer.
  Finding an artifact can be the climax of an 
  adventure and often the start of a new one. Each 
  of the artifacts described in this section comes with 
  one or multiple adventure set-ups, ranging from 
  simple and small to utterly epic. Whether or not 
  any of these plot hooks is used is entirely up to the 
  Game Master; sometimes an artifact is an excellent 
  starting point for a new chronicle, and sometimes 
  you simply want to reward your players with a 
  powerful item.
  Here are twenty-seven artifacts the Game 
  Master may use or draw inspiration from. 
  the maP of arGond the Wanderer
  It is said that Argond the Wanderer was a learned 
  explorer, but very little is known about him other 
  than the fact that he created two artifacts: a tome 
  of almost infinite – and highly unorganized – know-
  ledge, and this pathfinding map. 
  The map is beautifully drawn but lends no clues 
  about its creator, nor does it specify the year of 
  its creation. It is very old, which is obvious even 
  to uneducated observers: the forest of Davokar 
  is missing. Sure, there are woods, mountains, 
  and rivers, but none of the unbroken forest cover 
  that today awaits those who wander north from 
  Ambria. Ambria, by the way, does not exist either; 
  the state of Lindaros (where Yndaros is currently 
  located) is no more than a large village on the banks 
  of the river Doudram, and northern Alberetor looks 
  overgrown and virtually unpopulated. Karvosti is 
  there, as are many of the more prominent struc-
  tures found in the southern part of the great forest 
  – many of them are not depicted as ruins, however, 
  but presented in their original splendor. Scholars 
  have therefore assumed that the map shows the
  world as it was in the century following the fall
  of Symbaroum, before the elves had planted all of 
  Davokar, long before the High Chieftain established 
  himself on Karvosti and Lindaros emerged as a
  major center of power.
  The city of Symbar, or rather its ruins, is also 
  absent on the map, which has led some to believe 
  that the map’s creator respected the taboo that 
  the witches inherited from the elves: Symbar’s 
  location must be forgotten, as it is the cradle of 
  corruption itself. But this may not be the case, as 
  the map only shows the general area around its 
  reader (the Game Master decides). Every night 
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  the map changes as the master moves around. In 
  other words, you cannot study northern Alberetor 
  unless you are already in the Titans, nor see far 
  north into Davokar unless you are already deep 
  in the forest. So perhaps one just might see the 
  city of Symbar if one goes far enough north with 
  the map in hand.
  No one knows how much of the world the map 
  can actually show, and it would take very long 
  expeditions to answer that question.
  Right Path: A person who binds to the artifact 
  can point to any location on the map and get an 
  idea of how best to get there. But the map takes 
  no account of anything that has happened in the 
  900 years since it was created, which might cause 
  problems as a lot has changed in the Davokar 
  region since then.
  Also, anyone bound to the map can use it to 
  avoid getting lost. But it takes a master with the 
  Loremaster ability (novice) to understand when the 
  map is showing a sector or path that has changed 
  significantly. The loremaster makes a Cunning test 
  to identify an alternative route to the destination 
  and thus avoid obstacles in the terrain: corrupted 
  nature, lindworm lairs, and similar stationary pro-
  blems. However, the loremaster’s wisdom does not 
  protect against wandering creatures encountered 
  along the way, or dangerous moving terrain such 
  as blight mist.
  Action: Free
  Corruption: None
  Treasure Map: In the hands of someone with 
  the Loremaster ability, the map can be used to 
  locate an untouched ruin. The power requires 
  one hour’s intense study of the map as well as a 
  Cunning test to locate a ruin site. To find a good 
  route, one must use the power Right Path. It is 
  up to the Game Master to decide which ruin it is, 
  what creatures are there, and what treasures it 
  hides. What is clear is that the ruin has not yet 
  been plundered by treasure hunters.
  Action: As a ritual
  Corruption: None
  Adventure Set-up
  Nightpitch’s annual treasure hunting contest is right 
  around the corner, and the player characters are 
  contacted by a former treasure hunter who claims to 
  know where to find the pathfinding map of Argond 
  the Wanderer. The veteran wants the characters to 
  retrieve it and then use it to (hopefully) win the contest! 
  Naturally, the retired treasure hunter wants a share 
  of the prize money, but the player characters may keep 
  the map – until a competitor finds out about their secret 
  treasure hunting weapon.
  ashiki’s tWin BLades
  Ashiki was a famous changeling who grew up in 
  the slums of Lindaros and took over one of its gangs 
  through a mixture of cunning and violence. After 
  being betrayed by one of her confidants, Ashiki 
  took it upon herself to punish Lindaros’ criminals 
  and swept through the city in a veritable wave of 
  murder. The wave came crashing to a halt when 
  Ashiki took on the city’s elite in pursuit of robbers 
  and thieves. She was ferociously hunted down, 
  caught, and publicly executed. Her two daggers 
  were lost and remain so to this day.
  Argond’s Map and the Location of Symbar
  The Game Master must decide whether the map can really show the way to the 
  Symbarian capital of Symbar. Finding the city, and more importantly getting 
  there, is one of the main challenges in the Chronicle of the Throne of Thorns, 
  where the search for accurate directions is a central part of the various adven-
  tures. As already mentioned, there are good reasons why Argond’s map may 
  not show the way there, or worse still – show the way to a completely different 
  place, as he did not want anyone to ever find the ruined heart of the empire.
  If the Game Master so wishes, the map could instead explain how 
  another group has made it to Symbar, and the player characters might 
  find the map in the hands of some competitor or adversary they encoun-
  ter among Symbar’s ruins.
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  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
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  Gift of Shadows: When one of the daggers is 
  used with the Backstab ability, the damage die is 
  rolled twice and the best result stands.
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1 per use
  A Dance of Two: With both twin blades in hand, 
  a person with Twin Attack can trigger a veritable 
  shower of strikes, one dagger striking after the 
  other like two siblings trying to outdo one another. 
  The user can keep attacking a single target until 
  one strike misses or the victim dies from its many 
  wounds. Those who listen carefully can hear the 
  daggers hiss with delight and competitiveness while 
  the sibling rivalry is underway.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4
  Adventure Set-up
  The player characters get their hands on one of Ashiki’s 
  daggers, which immediately attempts to send them on a 
  search for its twin – through dreams, subtle suggestions, 
  or similar means. Meanwhile the other dagger is doing 
  the same, and their respective masters are inexorably 
  drawn to each other. 
  The twins’ goal is to incite a duel between the player 
  character with the dagger and whoever has the other 
  one. Both knives will giggle gleefully during the fight. 
  It could be an epic clash if the main enemy of the 
  adventure bears the other dagger, and a very tragic 
  one if the person is a potential friend or someone the 
  player characters sympathize with for philosophical 
  reasons. A possible solution is for the player character 
  to give their dagger to the opponent, but the master of 
  the other dagger will not surrender willingly, consumed 
  by the dagger’s desire to fight in order to be reunited 
  with its twin.
  Bunefer’s death mask
  Bunefer was a warrior princess in the twilight 
  years of Symbaroum. She died under elvish swords 
  during the final battle of Symbar, but her servants 
  managed to save her body and cast a traditional 
  death mask of her lifeless face. The princess’ 
  sarcophagus was hidden in a pyramid of stacked 
  enemy corpses, all slain by Bunefer’s lance, and 
  at the top of this macabre structure they left the 
  death mask. 
  In the chaos that followed the downfall of 
  Symbar, the mask was stolen from the pyramid. 
  For a while it was worn by a robber chieftain named 
  Iaresta, known for having conquered an area in 
  western Davokar after a battle against the first 
  High Chieftain of Karvosti, Serembar. Iaresta 
  was caught and executed, after which the artifact 
  was inherited by a witch who used it as a weapon 
  against Davokar’s growing darkness. When the 
  witch disappeared in the depths of the forest, so 
  did the death mask.
  The death mask gives its master Bunefer’s ability 
  to find gaps in an enemy’s armor, as well as her 
  famed ability to paralyze enemies with her war cry.
  Eye of the Needle: The death mask helps its 
  master find gaps in the enemy’s armor. Activating 
  the power reduces all enemies’ Armor by 1d4 against 
  melee attacks, for the duration of the combat scene. 
  This only applies to the mask’s master and does not 
  count as extra damage – unarmored targets take 
  damage as usual.
  Action: Free
  Corruption: 1D4
  A Thousand Needles: A master with the Polearm 
  Mastery ability can use the mask to paralyze ene-
  mies with piercing screams. All enemies hit by the 
  master’s pole weapon must pass a Resolute test or 
  lose their next combat action (the mask’s master 
  makes the roll).
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1 per scream from the mask
  Adventure Set-up
  Retrieving the death mask is a suitable challenge for 
  a new or would-be witch, or a barbarian warrior of 
  chieftain lineage. The player character’s superior orders 
  her to bring back the mask from its probable location, 
  a ruin area. This is meant to test the player character, 
  and is a way of rewarding a promising protégé.
  desdemorGos’ icosahedron
  The demonologist Desdemorgos was a hunted man; 
  both witch hunters and other demon worshippers 
  wanted his head. To escape them he used a magic 
  icosahedron he had obtained through unknown 
  means – with his mystical powers he could step into 
  the Yonderworld, and the icosahedron allowed him 
  to stay there without being blight born.
  This fist-sized icosahedron of black steel binds 
  and protects against corruption. Its most obvious 
  use is for traveling through blighted lands or com-
  bating creatures using corruption as a weapon.
  Corruption Barrier: The master of the 
  icosahedron gains complete protection against 
  corruption that afflicts those who move through 
  a certain area, for example in corrupted nature 
  or the Yonderworld. For corruption used as a 
  weapon (e.g. the trait Corrupting Attack or the 
  mystical power Black Breath) the master must 
  roll over the damaging corruption on 1d20 – if the 
  outcome is higher the corruption has no effect; if 
  the outcome is equal or less, the master is affected 
  as usual.
  134
   
  
  The protection does not apply to sources of cor-
  ruption the master chooses to use, such as binding/
  using artifacts or activating mystical powers.
  Action: Reaction.
  Corruption: None
  Corruption Gatherer: A master with the Sorcery 
  ability can absorb weaponized corruption and turn 
  it against her enemies. For this to work the sorcerer 
  must first protect herself against the attack, see 
  Corruption Barrier – in which case the corruption 
  is stored in the artifact.
  The sorcerer can then spend this gathered 
  corruption to lower the enemy’s resistance to her 
  own powers: each point spent gives the target 
  –1 to Resolute when defending against the mas-
  ter’s power. All points may be spent on the same 
  power, but half of the amount spent (rounded up) 
  also afflicts the sorcerer in the form of temporary 
  corruption.
  Corruption generated by the master herself 
  (through the use of powers etc.) cannot be gath-
  ered this way, nor can corruption coming from the 
  environment in general, like in corrupted nature 
  or the Yonderworld.
  Action: Free
  Corruption: None when gathering corruption; on 
  use the sorcerer is afflicted by half of the corruption 
  spent.
  Example: The sorcerer Jagada has bound Des-
  demorgos’ Icosahedron to herself and is hit by 
  a monster with the trait Corrupting Attack. The 
  attack deals 5 corruption. Jagada’s player rolls 
  1D20 and needs a result higher than 5 to avoid the 
  effect. She rolls 11 – the corruption barrier holds 
  and Jagada suffers no corruption. This also means 
  that the corruption is stored in the icosahedron, 
  since Jagada has the Sorcery ability. She then uses 
  the enemy’s weapon against it: Jagada casts Bend 
  Will on the monster. She spends all 5 points to lower 
  the monster’s Resolute by –5. She herself suffers 
  3 (5/2) temporary corruption, which her artifact 
  cannot protect against.
  Adventure Set-up
  The icosahedron is most appropriate for adventures 
  where the player characters realize they must pass 
  through a stretch of corrupted terrain and need the 
  icosahedron to do so. Perhaps they must get their hands 
  on both Desdemorgos’ Icosahedron and Terrasma’s 
  Yondermirror (page 147) to reach a certain place in 
  the Yonderworld? Suggestions on creating adventures 
  and scenes set in the Yonderworld are found starting 
  on page 41.
  the queen mother’s Banner 
  This famous banner bears the coat of arms of House 
  Kohinoor, the Flaming Pine. It was carried in the 
  name of the queen mother by the greatest heroes 
  in the fight against the Dark Lords and is heavily 
  stained by their dried blood. It is said that her 
  courage and strength rubbed off on others, which 
  is revealed by the power of the banner when it is 
  planted in the ground: the surrounding area is filled 
  with an uplifting and protecting aura.
  Skeptics believe the banner dates back much 
  further than the Great War, all the way to Lindaros, 
  or further still – which, if true, gives legitimacy to 
  Queen Korinthia’s claim on Ambria and parts of 
  Davokar. Since the banner was lost during the final 
  stages of the war, few scholars now living have had 
  the privilege of studying it to determine its age.
  Rally the Troops: When the person bound to 
  the banner thrusts it into the ground, all allies 
  within sight get one reroll per scene on a resistance 
  test against any effect; this applies to Defense as 
  well. Allies moving out of sight of the banner lose 
  the effect, but those coming within sight of the 
  banner gain it.
  Allies who used the reroll cannot get another 
  one during the same battle, regardless of whether 
  the banner is replanted. Allies with Steadfast 
  automatically succeed with activities covered by 
  the ability, instead of rerolling them. The master 
  of the banner does not have to stay within sight 
  of the banner once it has been planted in the 
  ground, but follows the same rules as everyone 
  else regarding the reroll.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4
  Restoration: A master with the Leader ability 
  can make the banner radiate healing energies 
  once it has been planted in the ground. All allies 
  within sight recover 1d4 Toughness. Allies with 
  the Recovery ability gain their level of healing 
  instead, if it exceeds 1d4. If the master has and 
  uses the Leader ability at adept or master level, 
  Restoration can be activated as a reaction to those 
  actions (e.g. Restoration does not cost an Active 
  action of its own).
  Action: Active (or Reaction if combined with Leader, 
  adept or master level)
  Corruption: 1D4
  Adventure Set-up
  The most exciting adventure opportunity might be the 
  banner’s connection to House Kohinoor and the family’s 
  claim on Ambria, Davokar, and by extension, Symbar’s 
  Throne of Thorns. There are many stakeholders in that 
  conflict, not least as part of the Chronicle of the Throne 
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  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
  135
   
  
  of Thorns; House Kohinoor in particular, wants the 
  banner to strengthen their legitimacy. Rivals of the 
  crown – the Church of Dead Prios, the Black Cloaks, the 
  Sovereign’s Oath, and others – also want the banner, 
  to discredit Korinthia’s claim, or failing that, hide the 
  artifact to keep it from her.
  If the banner falls into the player characters’ hands 
  they will have great leverage to assert their own impor-
  tance against nearly all other factions. The banner is 
  also a potential ticket to face-to-face meetings with the 
  most powerful people in Ambria: Commander Iakobo 
  Vearra, the Grandmaster of Ordo Magica, and maybe 
  even Queen Korinthia herself. The latter would be very 
  interested in trading a piece of land (see Princes of the 
  Land on page 129), or perhaps an artifact or two, for 
  the banner.
  eLi’s troLL fLute
  This troll flute is named after its current owner, 
  a homeless child named Eli who wandered (and 
  perhaps still wanders) the streets of Thistle Hold. 
  The girl and her flute are famous because she plays 
  the most breathtaking tunes on it, and she also 
  serves as the most effective ratcatcher in town.
  Sweet Music: The flute is accommodating and 
  instructive, and even the least qualified musicians 
  can play beautifully on it. A skilled musician can 
  produce spellbinding tunes and be showered with 
  both applause and jingling thaler.
  The master of the flute can, once per adventure 
  and with a successful Persuasive test, captivate an 
  audience and receive 1d10 thaler (mostly in the 
  form of shillings and ortegs) as payment for the 
  experience. A master with the Musician boon makes 
  the Persuasive test with a bonus from the boon, and 
  also rolls twice to determine the money earned – the 
  highest result stands.
  Action: Special
  Corruption: None
  King of Beasts: A master with the Troll Singing 
  ability (see the Advanced Player’s Guide, page 77) can 
  use her music to lead and command beasts. All beasts 
  of a certain type within earshot (if more than one 
  type is present, the musician decides which to target) 
  become neutral towards the musician and allow her 
  and her friends to pass without interference.
  Furthermore, a chain [Persuasive←Resolute] of 
  beasts of the selected type can be made to follow and 
  assist the musician for the duration of the effect. If 
  the master has Musician, the bonus from the boon is 
  added to Persuasive for this test. The musician must 
  keep playing the whole time, which requires two 
  hands as well as concentration; [Resolute –damage] 
  breaks the concentration.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4
  Adventure Set-up
  Many different adventures can be built around Eli and 
  her flute. Perhaps she is a human child raised by trolls 
  who taught her the mystical tradition Troll Singing; 
  perhaps she ran away, or maybe the trolls were slain 
  by treasure hunters who “rescued” Eli? Or maybe the 
  trolls sent her to Thistle Hold on some kind of mission, 
  perhaps to keep an eye out for troll artifacts?
  One possibility is that Eli shared blood with her 
  adoptive parents and gained the Blood Ties boon (Long-
  lived), which in her case has slowed down her aging 
  even as a child. She can therefore be much older than 
  she looks and have the wisdom of a far older person.
  Whoever Eli is, the player characters need her – or 
  more specifically her flute’s – help to pass through a place 
  in Davokar or in/beneath the town that is teeming with 
  beasts. Eli probably demands something in return for 
  coming with them; perhaps she needs help taking back 
  a troll artifact from some suitably dangerous person 
  or group.
  the Wraith mark of the  
  eternity LeGion 
  A prominent unit in the Symbarian army was the 
  Eternity Legion which, faithful to the emperor of 
  Symbar, was sent to quell uprisings all around the 
  empire. Their commander, Malakanu, gave his 
  136
   
  
  greatest warriors a unit emblem of rusty iron, worn 
  on a simple chain. The emblem allowed its master to 
  fight on even after being struck down. This, as well 
  as the rumor of the unit’s outstanding ferocity, made 
  them an effective tool in the hand of the emperor. 
  But they were not entirely immortal, nor did they 
  serve for eternity; the unit was thoroughly crushed 
  by the Iron Pact during the final battle of Symbar, 
  and the elves gathered their wraith marks and had 
  them hidden away or destroyed. But a few marks 
  escaped destruction, around the necks of fleeing 
  legionaries or in the pockets of grave robbers.
  Loyal in Death: The Wraith Mark of the Eternity 
  Legion contains an impersonating spirit who rises 
  over an unconscious, but not yet dead, master. The 
  master rolls death tests as usual while the wraith 
  fights on. A non-player character wearing the mark 
  rolls death tests as if it was a player character, 
  except that a player rolls the die.
  The wraith must be defeated before the master 
  can be attacked and it has the same stats as the 
  master, with the addition of Spirit Form (I). It does 
  not move more than a step from the fallen body, and 
  attacks anyone within range who is not a friend of 
  the mark’s master.
  Once defeated, the wraith disappears back into 
  the wraith mark and will not return until the mas-
  ter wakes up and is struck down again. If the fallen 
  warrior dies as a result of a failed death test, the 
  wraith ceases to exist.
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1D4
  Adventure Set-up
  The wraith mark is well suited as a trap on the road or 
  a complication during another adventure. The player 
  characters move through a tight passage with a fresh 
  “corpse” inside, and as they examine or step over the dead 
  body, the wraith rises and starts to fight. Alternatively, 
  an important enemy could be in possession of a wraith 
  mark, and when the player characters triumphantly fell 
  their opponent a wraith rises in its stead!
  feud crystaL
  The paranoid High Chieftain Boherg convinced his 
  Huldra Kthelba to imbue this crystal with power, 
  so the chieftain would be able to keep track of his 
  many (real and imaginary) enemies. The feud crystal 
  was later passed down from High Chieftain to High 
  Chieftain, and eventually went missing under chief-
  tain Sotorek’s reign. It is said that the Huldra at the 
  time, Eaba, took it because the High Chieftain had 
  become so obsessed with the stone that no decisions 
  were being made and everything else was being 
  neglected. Its current whereabouts are unknown.
  Enemies in the Walls: A person who binds 
  herself to the feud crystal can list a number of 
  enemies equal to half her Vigilant (rounded up), 
  and use the crystal to get an idea of how far away 
  they are. The master may add or remove enemies 
  from the list, but the number of names can never 
  exceed half her Vigilant. Furthermore, the enemies 
  must be known by appearance and provided with 
  names; designations like “the gray woman” or “the 
  one-eyed troll” will suffice.
  The feud crystal shows the listed enemies in dif-
  ferent degrees of focus, depending on their physical 
  proximity; a crystal clear enemy is potentially close 
  enough to see, but hidden, disguised, or otherwise 
  unnoticeable. The user has two chances to pass 
  any tests aimed at finding such a nearby enemy, 
  whether it be Vigilant tests or to activate finding 
  powers or abilities.
  A master struck by Sotorek’s curse (see the 
  power’s corruption) must add another person 
  as a named enemy, and strongly believes that 
  everyone on the list is equally threatening. This 
  new enemy is in addition to the Vigilant/2 num-
  ber of names. The Game Master and the player 
  must together come up with an interesting false 
  enemy. The Game Master might also decide that 
  it is in fact a hidden enemy, or let it turn into one 
  over time, just to keep the player in a state of 
  uncertainty… In any case, the player character 
  is utterly convinced of the additional person’s 
  treacherous disposition.
  Action: Free
  Corruption: 1D4, and 1/20 chance of suffering So-
  torek’s curse on each use.
  Look of Vengeance: A master with the ability 
  Sixth Sense can attack crystal clear enemies (see 
  Enemies in the Walls) as if they were standing right 
  in front of her, with weapons, powers, or traits. 
  The user does not need to find or see the enemy to 
  make the attack, which is performed and defended 
  against as usual.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4, and 1/10 chance of suffering  
  Sotorek’s curse.
  Adventure Set-up
  A player character ends up on the feud crystal’s current 
  list of enemies, rightly or wrongly – there are probably 
  many possibilities of it being right, but it will likely 
  be more interesting if the player character is wrongly 
  placed on the list of a potential ally. 
  How the gaming group navigates this situation will 
  be exciting, as they need the ally’s help, but he or she 
  (for unclear reasons) sees one of the characters as a 
  deadly threat.
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  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
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  fuGLomaru’s Liar fire
  Not all was darkness and sin in Symbaroum, at least 
  according to the legend of Fuglomaru – a mystic 
  who sought the light, and some say she found it. 
  Her rune, a stylized sun with eight rays, has been 
  found in several contexts (often mistaken for a 
  spider or sun symbol), not least on the sun temple 
  secured by the Templars east of Karvosti. 
  There has been speculation as to whether this 
  really was Fuglomaru’s own sign, or whether the 
  sun even symbolizes an early and possibly perse-
  cuted order of sun worshippers in Symbar, where 
  Fuglomaru was a prominent figure. That would 
  explain the symbol’s presence in other places, and 
  that people seem to have worshipped or prayed 
  to the symbol, before being hunted down and 
  slaughtered by knights in black armor. Perhaps 
  this forgotten sun order was composed of heretics 
  (in the eyes of the Symbarians), and executed for 
  their transgressions?
  Mosaics also show the truth-thirsting fire bowl 
  that bears Fuglomaru’s name. Interpretations of 
  the signs suggest that the fire bowl’s flames burn 
  those who lie, and cool or heal those who tell the 
  truth. Such a fire bowl would certainly be coveted 
  by some, and abhorred by others; the presence of 
  such an artifact could hypothetically alter the 
  political game at any court in the world.
  Power of the Truth: Those who willingly put 
  their hand in the flames will be burned if they are 
  lying while the hand is in the fire; 1d6 damage per 
  lie (ignores Armor). Lying means saying something 
  the speaker herself does not believe, which may of 
  course be an honest misunderstanding. A person 
  telling the truth will find the flames cooling, even 
  healing (cleanses the body of temporary corruption 
  and heals 1d4 Toughness).
  The master of the artifact is not affected by 
  the power, and can lie freely with her hand in 
  the flames.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4
  Inquisition: Masters with the Theurgy ability 
  can use the flames to makes someone tell the truth. 
  The theurg points at someone within sight of the fire 
  bowl and demands that the person tell the truth. 
  Flames flare up around the person, and the effect 
  is then the same as Power of the Truth.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D6
  Adventure Set-up
  The player characters find themselves before a prince 
  who possesses the fire bowl and whom they must nego-
  tiate with to accomplish their mission. 
  The Game Master is free to introduce a potentially 
  dark twist. The truth may be that the bowl contains a 
  mind-reading power or daemon – maybe even the spirit 
  of Fuglomaru – and that it is this entity who decides who 
  is or is not burnt, rather than the truthfulness of what 
  is said. What the power wants, or does not want, is up to 
  the Game Master. It could be an early sun worshipper, 
  a predecessor to the priests of Prios, contained in the 
  bowl, and the question is what this power thinks of the 
  various branches of the modern Sun Church. It could 
  be a dark power from the deepest pools of corruption, 
  seeking to conquer or simply divide, and perverting 
  the truth to get there.
  Girakosh’s steeL circLe
  According to legend, Girakosh was a troll-taken 
  barbarian whose adoptive parents gave him a 
  powerful throwing weapon: a rune-carved circle of 
  razor-sharp steel. With this in hand he slew many of 
  the trolls’ enemies before he finally died of old age, 
  weak as the human he was. The weapon was buried 
  with its master, and stolen much later by grave 
  robbers from Thistle Hold. These soon met a sudden 
  and unexpected death as they were tracked down 
  by trolls on their next expedition into the depths 
  of the forest. But the steel circle had already been 
  sold or gambled away, and is currently somewhere 
  in the northern borderlands of Ambria.
  Anyone intending to use the steel circle must 
  cope with the risk that the trolls will come looking 
  for it, and the master may have to consider striking 
  a deal with the forgers of the weapon; surely there 
  are common enemies who the artifact’s master can 
  fight with the trolls’ blessing?
  A person who has bound the artifact to herself 
  can also use the throwing steel as a melee weapon, 
  with stats as a dagger. For everyone else it is a 
  throwing weapon only.
  Return: The thrown steel circle returns to the 
  master’s hand, whether or not it hits its intended 
  target. If the master is capable of throwing multiple 
  steels per turn, the throwing steel can be used as 
  many times as necessary.
  Action: Free
  Corruption: None
  Steel Rain: A master with the Steel Throw ability 
  can send the steel circle whirling across the battle-
  field, zigzagging between allies in search of enemy 
  flesh. The power turns the attack into a chain of 
  attacks (see page 130 in the Core Rulebook for an 
  explanation of the term Chain) against enemies in 
  view of the master. The steel returns to its master’s 
  hand after the attack.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4
  138
   
  
  Adventure Set-up
  The steel circle introduces the player characters to the 
  trolls’ mission: to retrieve troll artifacts that have fallen 
  into the wrong hands. Sooner or later whoever carries 
  Girakosh’s steel circle will attract the attention of the 
  trolls and be tracked down. 
  The first encounter will likely be more about probing 
  and investigative than violence, but the trolls are not 
  averse to taking back their treasures by force. Player char-
  acter who are grossly exploiting Davokar and its riches 
  will be considered an enemy of the trolls, and encounters 
  with trolls will mean combat. Character who are clearly 
  acting in accordance with the witches or the Iron Pact will 
  likely be allowed to keep the weapon, maybe even offered 
  Blood Ties with the trolls to bring the parties together 
  (see the Advanced Player’s Guide, page 52).
  Player characters balancing between respecting 
  and exploiting Davokar must be tested before being 
  considered worthy. The trolls start by examining them 
  and go on to test the master and her allies by force of 
  arms; the weak and foolish are struck down, but not 
  killed. In that case the artifact is taken from the player 
  character. If the master of the steel does well in combat, 
  the trolls back down and return with an offer of blood 
  ties, both as a gift and as a way of controlling the master.
  hafmuuL’s transformation 
  Garments
  Hafmuul the Transformer was a particularly pro-
  ductive artifact crafter, probably active shortly 
  before or after the fall of Symbaroum. The artifacts 
  made by his hand show signs of an already dimi-
  nished understanding of greater artifacts – defects 
  and risks that previous generations of artifacts do 
  not exhibit to the same degree. Hafmuul’s main 
  focus was transformations, and his life’s goal was 
  to create an artifact that allowed him to transform 
  into anything he wanted. Whether he succeeded is 
  unclear, but he did leave behind several artifacts 
  focused around the theme of transformation, inclu-
  ding the Baiagorn Coat, the Violing Cloak, and the 
  Mare Gown. There are more of these garments, at 
  least if the myth is to be believed, but these three 
  are the only ones whose existence is certain.
  Scholars claim to have found evidence that a per-
  son wearing all three of the aforementioned garments 
  can assume the form of an even more powerful beast 
  – combining them allows the master to transform 
  into a massive aboar. What a master who wears even 
  more of these transformation garments can turn 
  into is a thought both frightening and exhilarating.
  Some pundits also maintain that people using 
  the transformation garments risk being trapped 
  in the borrowed form – a symptom of degenerated 
  artifact crafting. It is clear that the witches have 
  a special affinity for these artifacts and can use 
  them more effectively than others.
  Frequent use of these garments comes with a risk. 
  Anyone who transforms more frequently than once 
  per day must roll 1d20. If the result is equal to or less 
  than the number of transformations performed that 
  day, the master is trapped in beast form. Over time 
  (days, weeks) the master’s mind will become more 
  bestial. A person wishing to free a trapped master 
  must perform the Exorcism ritual to separate the 
  transformation garb from the master. The master’s 
  mind returns to normal after the same amount of time 
  as she was trapped in the borrowed form. Killing the 
  master is another way of separating artifact and user.
  Flight of Violings: Many a violing lost its life 
  to create this feather cloak, black and glistening 
  green. The master can transform into a flock of 
  violings (see the Core Rulebook, page 225) for one 
  scene. For masters with the Witchcraft ability the 
  trait Swarm counts as level II.
  Action: Free
  Corruption: 1D4
  Bear Walk: Whoever wears this heavy baiagorn 
  fur can assume the form of a mighty baiagorn for 
  one scene (see the Core Rulebook, page 220). A user 
  with the Witchcraft ability also gains the trait 
  Regeneration (I). The transformation requires that 
  the master suffers at least 1 damage from an enemy.
  Action: Reaction, when the master takes at least 1 
  damage from an enemy.
  Corruption: 1D4
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  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
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  Path of the Mare Cat: A person wearing this 
  beautiful mare cat tunic can transform into a 
  mare cat (see the Core Rulebook, page 220). The 
  transformation lasts for one scene. Masters with 
  the Witchcraft ability also gain the monstrous 
  trait Poisonous (II).
  Action: Free
  Corruption: 1D4
  Way of the Hog: Anyone wearing all three 
  transformation garments – the Baiagorn Coat, the 
  Violing Cloak, and the Mare Gown – can turn into a 
  fearsome aboar (see the Core Rulebook, page 221). The 
  transformation lasts for one scene. Masters with the 
  Witchcraft ability also gain the trait Regeneration (I).
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4
  Adventure Set-up
  The player characters encounter and kill a pack of 
  mare cats, swarms of violings, or a baiagorn, and are 
  surprised to find that one of them is a human wearing 
  a transformation garment. And so the hunt for the 
  other garments begins.
  Alternatively, a person they like or need to get hold of 
  could disappear, and a monster shows up instead – most 
  likely a baiagorn, but mare cats and violings are possible 
  if the player characters are fresh on the adventuring 
  path. The monster has something that belongs to the 
  person they seek, like a piece of jewelry or clothing. At 
  first the players may think that the monster has killed the 
  person in question, or come from a place where the person 
  is located; but more and more evidence suggests that 
  the monster IS the person they seek – witness accounts, 
  journal entries, or other clues point to that conclusion. 
  The characters must then find a way to capture the crea-
  ture without killing it, and have the Exorcism ritual cast 
  on the victim to separate her from the transformation 
  garment that keeps her in beast form.
  haGmandara’s BoW of venGeance
  One of the Iron Pact’s more famous darkness 
  hunters was Hagmandara. He was best known 
  for his corruption hating bow that, according to 
  legend, never missed and always brought down 
  its target; the former was an effect of the hunter’s 
  skill and the latter something of an exaggeration. 
  But it is clear that the glowing shots of the bow 
  lit up Davokar and burned many dark creatures 
  to ashes. When Hagmandara finally met his end 
  against a dozen primal abominations, the bow 
  passed to the Iron Pact where it has served many 
  Ironsworn over the centuries.
  Blight-marked people cannot bind themselves 
  to Hagmandara’s bow; for such individuals it is just 
  an ordinary bow.
  Spark in the Dark: The master of the weapon can 
  channel her hate of corruption into the projectiles and 
  send them blazing at corrupted creatures. A creature 
  hit by the arrow must roll over its corruption with 1d6; 
  on failure the creature immediately takes the amount 
  of damage indicated by the die. Armor can protect 
  against the arrow itself, but not against this extra 
  damage. Note that the extra damage is dealt even if 
  the arrow does not pierce the armor; the burning light 
  of the arrow harms the victim either way.
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1 per arrow
  Glowing Fetters: In the hands of a master with 
  the Marksman ability the arrows not only deal extra 
  damage (see Spark in the Dark), but can also bind 
  thoroughly corrupt creatures. A thoroughly corrupt 
  creature hit by the arrow must pass a Resolute test 
  or be trapped in chains of fire, unable to move or 
  attack for one turn; however, it can still use mystical 
  powers and traits. 
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1D4 per arrow, including the effect of 
  Spark in the Dark.
  Adventure Set-up
  The Iron Pact may very well introduce a new or potential 
  member and her allies to the mission of finding the 
  bow; they know roughly where it is, but nothing more. 
  Getting to the place and retrieving the bow is a test of 
  endurance and skill; binding it to oneself is a test of 
  purity and worthiness.
  the LivinG chain of hoGarz
  It seems that Hogarz was an oddity – a troll living 
  in Symbar. He fit in well with the local culture, as 
  he was capturing beasts and monstrosities with 
  his living chain. These were then paraded through 
  Symbar to the great arena where they were pitted 
  against other monsters or the city’s heroes. Hogarz 
  was also a great collector of trophies, and his symbol 
  has been found carved into everything from aboar 
  tusks to lindworm skulls and tattooed into the skins 
  of arch trolls. An Ambrian expedition even claims 
  to have found a stuffed dragon (albeit in terrible 
  condition) with Hogarz’s symbol etched into every 
  tooth in its wide-open maw.
  Chain Trap: A person who has bound the chain to 
  herself can place it on the ground and trigger it as a 
  fettering trap when someone passes over it. The mas-
  ter of the chain decides whether the trap is triggered 
  and, if there are multiple creatures passing it, which 
  creature is trapped. The victim must pass a [Quick –8] 
  test or be caught, rendering them unable to move or 
  attack in any way. Attacks against the captive are 
  made with Advantage. Breaking free from the chain 
  Everyone cheers when 
  an artifact is found. But 
  before long, the quarrel 
  about who will become 
  its master begins…
  140
   
  
  requires a successful [Strong –8] test; one attempt per 
  turn, where each level of Robust adds +2 to Strong.
  The chain covers a 3 meter wide passage and can 
  reach an equal height. In the hands of someone with 
  Trapper the chain can catch two enemies who pass 
  it, one after the other or both at once.
  Action: Reaction, when someone passes the chain
  Corruption: 1D4
  Melee Chains: A master with the Flailer ability 
  can choose to carry the chain around and have 
  it catch an enemy attacking the master in melee; 
  the effect is the same as if the chain was lying on 
  the ground.
  Action: Reaction, when someone attacks the master 
  in melee
  Corruption: 1D4
  Adventure Set-up
  The magic chain is much sought after by both monster 
  hunters and the gladiators of Yndaros who, in order to 
  entertain the crowd, like to capture their opponents 
  before killing them. Player characters with monster 
  hunting ambitions could do worse than to start out with 
  the Living Chain of Hogarz in their hands, and clues to 
  the artifact’s resting place will then be very enticing. 
  Otherwise the chain could serve as reinforcement in the 
  hands of an enemy, and as a reward once that enemy has 
  been slain. And since the artifact was made by trolls, its 
  owner risks becoming the focus of the artifact-retrieving 
  trolls, with interesting complications as a result.
  iLoona’s mirror shieLd
  According to legend, the witch Iloona forged this 
  shield with the help of a troll she saved from the 
  maw of a king toad. She later used the shield to great 
  success in battle against a powerful necromage who 
  threatened her people. Iloona’s fate is unknown, as 
  is that of her shield; a boastful treasure hunter in 
  Thistle Hold claimed to have discovered Iloona’s 
  tomb and found the shield inside, but lost the 
  artifact playing dice shortly thereafter.
  Block Magic: The master of the shield can use 
  it to defend against magic attacks, in which case 
  the master’s Defense replaces Resolute.
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1D4
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  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
  141
   
  
  Shield Throw: A master with the Shield Fighter 
  ability can once per turn throw the shield as a reac-
  tion, to block magic aimed at an ally within sight, 
  see the shield’s power Block Magic.
  For a master with Shield Fighter at adept level or 
  higher, the shield can also be thrown to deal damage 
  and possibly knock down an enemy within sight. 
  This is done as a reaction to the shield-bearer’s own 
  attack against another enemy attacked in melee 
  (that attack is performed as well, but without the 
  subsequent shield bash).
  The shield always returns to its master’s hand 
  after the throw.
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1D6
  Adventure Set-up
  The existence of the shield and clues to its resting place 
  are best introduced before the gaming group sets out to 
  defeat an enemy mystic. The treasure hunter who bragged 
  about the shield is a logical starting point for finding the 
  artifact, and when the player characters get hold of this 
  person (which is as easy or hard as the Game Master wants 
  it to be) there are two variants of what happens next. One 
  is that she tells them who won the shield from her, and 
  that this gang leader/agitator/priest/witch hunter is still 
  nearby. The other is that she admits that she knows the 
  location of the tomb, but did not gamble away the shield; 
  the treasure hunters did take the shield, but its owner 
  came after her and suddenly the shield was in the hands 
  of the dead witch instead! In other words, the artifact is 
  back in the tomb, along with its undead owner.
  the cLoak of the seWer queen
  Legend has it that the tunnels and sewers under 
  Lindaros were ruled by a woman called the Sewer 
  Queen, a tramp with a unique cloak that made her 
  very hard to catch or hurt. She was also known 
  for abducting children and disappearing without 
  a trace with them in her arms. Where she got the 
  cloak and what happened to it after the Sewer Queen 
  disappeared is unknown. Maybe it is true, as some 
  people say, that the Sewer Queen was not human 
  and that her presence beneath the city was a leftover 
  from another age. In any event, the Sewer Queen 
  is still being used to threaten naughty children in 
  the eastern quarters of Yndaros.
  Defensive Teleportation: When the master 
  of the cloak is attacked, she can choose to teleport 
  instead of making a Defense test. The master picks 
  a spot within sight and must pass a Resolute test to 
  materialize there. On failure the master remains 
  where she is and is hit by the attack.
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1D6
  Rescue Teleportation: A master with the 
  Bodyguard ability can take another creature along 
  when teleporting. If the creature resists, the master 
  must pass a [Resolute←Resolute] test to bring it along. 
  On failure they both remain where they are. 
  Action: Reaction, to an attack against either the mas-
  ter or the other creature to be teleported
  Corruption: 1D6
  Adventure Set-up
  The adventure could begin with the player characters 
  needing help from someone whose child or protégé is 
  missing. The person’s condition for helping them is to get 
  the child back, or at least discover information about lost 
  youngster’s fate. Perhaps the person the characters seek 
  is actually a missing child? The Sewer Queen could be 
  many things, depending on what the Game Master needs:
   
  ◆ An undead sorcerer who is stealing children for 
  the darkest purposes possible and must be stopped 
  before more children are lost.
   
  ◆ An act of kindness passed down among homeless 
  changelings; whoever wears the cloak is duty-
  bound to save other changelings and take them to 
  a safe house where they receive help and training.
   
  ◆ The Sewer Queen might be an elf who is stealing 
  children and leaving changelings in their stead, 
  and the children she steals become abductees 
  among the elves of Davokar.
   
  ◆ Perhaps the Sewer Queen is saving children 
  from sorcerers; the “parents” or “guardians” who 
  send the player characters on the rescue mission 
  want the child (who is somehow special) for dark 
  purposes. The player characters have a chance 
  to realize that whoever took the child was trying 
  to save it, and that their own quest givers are 
  the true evildoers. Can be combined with the 
  changelings’ act of kindness, otherwise the Sewer 
  Queen is some other kind-hearted person.
  the WhisPerinG neckLace  
  of LaPi-esha
  Murals in Davokar’s ruins tell of an early Symbarian 
  princess named Lapi-Esha, who was exceptionally 
  good with snakes and secrets. She wore a necklace 
  in the shape of a serpent, which whispered secrets 
  in her ear and allowed her to dominate those around 
  her with this knowledge. The murals depict the 
  necklace as a golden snake with a single bright blue 
  eye, the same color as the princess’ own eyes. 
  Lapi-Esha conquered more and more land, partic-
  ularly in the region previously ruled by the cruel King 
  Hurian-Lo Apak, and she referred to herself as High 
  Queen over the kings of Symbaroum. But she was 
  never crowned empress, according to legend because 
  142
   
  
  she was bitten by her own serpentine necklace and 
  died from its venom. Whether this is true or not is 
  hard to say, but that others became emperor while 
  she did not has been clearly established by historians.
  The necklace can likely be found in the mau-
  soleum where Lapi-Esha was laid to rest, or at the 
  bottom of the deep pit into which a thief fell after 
  having robbed it from her mummified body. It is 
  clear that the necklace has not yet been found; 
  otherwise its master would have made herself 
  known through her plots and schemes.
  Revealing Whisper: The necklace whispers 
  secrets about whoever the master is looking at. 
  The serpent lets its master know which attribute is 
  the target’s weakest (without mentioning its exact 
  value), and what burdens (see the Advanced Player’s 
  Guide, page 56) the person has. With a successful 
  [Vigilant←Discreet] test the master also learns the 
  value of the weakest attribute and, if the target has 
  the burden Dark Secret, what that secret is.
  Action: Free
  Corruption: 1D4
  Venomous Bite: The necklace can be made to 
  attack in melee with its venomous bite. The snake 
  attacks once per turn at the same time as its master, 
  against the same target. If the master hits an enemy 
  during the turn, so does the snake. The snake only 
  attacks once per turn, no matter how many attacks 
  the master makes.
  Roll 1d8. If the result is higher than the enemy’s 
  armor value, the snake’s fangs pierce their victim; the 
  bite itself deals no damage, but the target is afflicted 
  by a weak poison, 1d4 damage for 1d4 turns. For mas-
  ters with the Poisoner ability the serpent’s poison is 
  moderate and deals 1d6 damage for 1d6 turns.
  Action: Reaction, when the master attacks in melee
  Corruption: 1D4
  Adventure Set-up
  Adventures featuring the whispering necklace are 
  best centered around intrigue and secrets. Perhaps 
  the necklace first appears around the neck of a rival 
  (not a mortal enemy) of the player characters, at the 
  same time as the gaming group really needs such help 
  to extract an important secret from another prominent 
  person (whom they cannot kidnap or easily extort). The 
  characters stealing, borrowing, buying, or otherwise 
  obtaining the necklace makes up the first act of the 
  adventure; them using it to access other people’s secrets 
  becomes act two; and what they do after realizing what 
  the secret is becomes act three.
  the BLessinG GonG of maLikander
  The Lightbringer Malikander said that his gong was 
  a gift from Prios, another way of saying that it was 
  created in a powerful ceremony during the Great 
  War, back when ceremonies were still considered 
  an acceptable means of combating darkness. 
  The creation of the gong was one of the incidents 
  that caused the Queen, the Grandmaster, and the 
  First Father to start questioning the suitability 
  of ceremonies as weapons against dark forces – 
  the process did not only corrupt the area where 
  the artifact was forged, but also spread blight 
  through a black rain that drifted over Alberetor. 
  Contemporary documents suggest that most people 
  assumed the black rain to be the Dark Lords’ work, 
  and no official statement was issued to correct this 
  idea. Those who participated in the ceremony also 
  perished in the heat of creation.
  The gong is etched with tiny figures, hand in 
  hand, surrounded by flames that do not seem to 
  harm them. There is no doubt that Malikander 
  thought the sacrifice was justified; he used the 
  gong successfully against the hordes of darkness, 
  wrapped in sky-blue bandages dipped in cooling 
  ointment to ease the pain of his burns that never 
  seemed to heal. There is also an inscription on the 
  gong that reads: “Anyone wanting to spread light 
  must endure being on fire.”
  The gong eventually fell into the hands of the 
  enemy, when the Lightbringer and his holy warriors 
  walked into an ambush and were slain to the last 
  man. Where the gong went next is unknown.
  The gong cannot be bound to a person using 
  corruption, only Experience will do.
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  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
  143
   
  
  Rhythm of the Heart: The bright power of the 
  artifact is harmful to corrupted creatures. The 
  power takes three strikes at the gong to activate 
  (active actions) and affects everyone within ear-
  shot. Anyone with permanent corruption must 
  roll over their permanent corruption on 1d20; on 
  failure the creature takes its permanent corruption 
  in damage to Toughness. The master of the gong is 
  affected as well, as are her allies.
  Thoroughly corrupt creatures flee instead, and 
  cannot return to the location for one month. If they 
  cannot escape they are destroyed in a cascade of light. 
  Action: 3 active actions
  Corruption: None, but with risk of damage according 
  to the power’s description.
  Undo: In the hands of a master with the Theurgy 
  ability, the power of the gong can annihilate a thing 
  or creature within earshot. The master picks a target 
  and strikes five times on the gong. Inanimate objects 
  are immediately destroyed, up to the size of gates, 
  pillars, and bridges; larger objects are damaged but not 
  destroyed. A wall does not collapse, but a wide breach 
  is opened in it. Artifacts are immune to the power.
  Creatures must roll over their permanent corrup-
  tion on 1d20 or be annihilated; on success they take 
  their permanent corruption in damage to Toughness, 
  unless they choose to run. In that case they can 
  never return to the location again. If the target is 
  a thoroughly corrupt creature, it is annihilated at 
  the sound of the fifth strike; if it is quick enough to 
  escape out of earshot the creature survives.
  With each strike, the master takes her permanent 
  corruption in damage to Toughness, meaning five times 
  her permanent corruption to activate the power.
  Action: 5 active actions
  Corruption: None, but with possible damage accord-
  ing to the power’s description.
  Adventure Set-up
  It seems appropriate that the gong’s inclusion in an adven-
  ture should be based on its ability to annihilate even a 
  legendary enemy. This could be the end of an epic chronicle 
  where the main enemy is too powerful for the characters 
  to defeat in any other way. The player characters must 
  first learn about the gong, then find it, and possibly ally 
  themselves with someone who is able to use it; a theurg 
  with very low permanent corruption. If one of the player 
  characters is a theurg it goes without saying that she must 
  have sufficiently low corruption, or else the gaming group 
  must find a way to reduce her corruption enough to allow 
  her to wield the powers of the artifact.
  naGmira’s thunder hammer
  The dwarf Nagmira has a mixed reputation as both 
  oppressor and freedom fighter; to the dwarves of 
  Yndaros she is practically a saint, while the dwar-
  ven clans in the Ravens consider her a tyrant and an 
  outlaw. What Nagmira herself thinks no one knows, 
  as she has not been seen in a decade. She left behind 
  her beloved thunder hammer, driven into the stone 
  gate of Küam Zamok. As far as anyone knows it is still 
  stuck there to this day, since no one is able to wield 
  it. Maybe it has something to do with Nagmira’s last 
  words: “My hunt is over, may the next mutt find more joy 
  in the work!” What she had been hunting is unclear. 
  Perhaps the runes on the hilt and head of the hammer 
  could explain her mission, if someone was able to 
  read them. Scholars from far and wide have tried to 
  make sense of them, but so far no one has succeeded.
  Crack of Thunder: The master can slam the 
  weapon into the ground and unleash a mighty peal of 
  thunder. It shoots out form the hammer and spreads 
  like a circle in all directions. Enemies within sight 
  of the master take 1d6 damage, Armor protects as 
  usual, and they must pass a [Strong←Strong] test 
  to remain on their feet – Robust adds +2 to Strong.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4
  Flash of Lightning: A master with the ability 
  Two-handed Force can make bolts of lightning shoot 
  out from the hammer. The lightning strikes when 
  the master hits a target in melee. The target of the 
  lightning bolt can be the same as for the hammer 
  blow, or another one within sight. The lightning 
  deals 1d12 damage (ignores Armor).
  Action: Reaction, in conjunction with a hammer blow
  Corruption: 1D6
  Adventure Set-up
  An intriguing possibility with the hammer is that a 
  player character turns out to be destined to “take the 
  next watch” – whether the character is a dwarf or not. 
  Careful interpreters of Nagmira’s words are surprised 
  by the word “mutt”. It is not a word a dwarf would 
  use about another dwarf; the Dwarvish language has 
  far juicier terms of abuse for that. It is a word more 
  fitting for a human or some other cultural being, one 
  that is worth no more than a filthy dog. For inspiration 
  about being chosen by some higher power or force to 
  accomplish a task, see the ritual Burdened by Fate in 
  the Advanced Player’s Guide, page 90.
  The question is also what the rightful owner of the 
  hammer should be hunting – the Game Master must 
  come up with a clearly defined target. Retrieving the 
  hammer from Küam Zamok’s heavily guarded gate is 
  likely the first step (combat or negotiation), but then 
  what? Is there a hidden source of corruption in the 
  forests or mountains that must be found and neutral-
  ized? Or maybe the mission leads to the alchemical 
  laboratories where the dwarven race was born (guarded 
  144
   
  
  by Prios knows what); perhaps the fourteen birth vessels 
  of the original clans must be destroyed for the dwarves 
  to take their place in the world and regain their souls 
  (and thereby lose the Earth Bound trait)?
  nema’s orBit statuette
  The wonder-maker Nema’s orbit statuette consists 
  of a snake locked in deadly struggle with a dragon 
  fly, chiseled from the same block of stone. Nema is 
  said to be its creator, an artifact crafter in Lindaros 
  who constructed many wondrous monuments in the 
  city – mechanical birds singing melancholy songs, 
  fountains with water of black and gold, and (if the 
  myth is true) a floating island that housed an execution 
  site and a temple to the stars. The orbit statue is small 
  and unremarkable in comparison, though very useful.
  Dragon Dance: As long as the sun is up, the master 
  can activate the upper part of the statue and summon 
  a dragon fly, which serves the master faithfully for 
  one scene (see the Core Rulebook, page 225).
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4
  Snake Dance: As long as the sun is below the 
  horizon, the master can activate the lower part of 
  the statue and summon a kanaran, which serves 
  the master faithfully for one scene (see the Core 
  Rulebook, page 223).
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4
  Adventure Set-up
  The player characters, or someone else, come across 
  some old texts suggesting that the orbit statue was 
  hewn from the same rock as Nema’s floating island; 
  perhaps it is possible to use clues from the statue to find 
  the rock and with it the fallen star temple of Lindaros? 
  With the statue in hand they can go searching for 
  shards of similar stone in and around Yndaros and 
  thus find remnants of the crashed sky island. Of course 
  there are others who seek this legendary place, perhaps 
  because of the star temple, perhaps to find the execution 
  site with its graves for notorious murderers and sor-
  cerers so vile not even Lindaros wanted them around. 
  Exactly what awaits them in the ruined star temple is 
  for the Game Master to decide, but it might very well 
  be a meeting place for practitioners of the mystical 
  tradition known as Astromancy. 
  the eye stone of PaLamukk
  Few illgoblins have made a name for themselves, but 
  Palamukk is one of them. This crafty sibling-killer 
  and wily corrupter of young goblins had an unlikely 
  talent for reshaping the world the way he wanted 
  it to be. This translated into his masterful artifact 
  crafting and considerable skills as a blacksmith. 
  This was no doubt rooted in Palamukk’s open 
  disgust for the world as it was; “it is all bad and must 
  be changed – or destroyed” is one of his more famous 
  quotes. Palamukk’s crowning achievement was a 
  greater artifact in the form of an eye stone, which 
  he inserted into his left eye socket. His plans to 
  replace the right eye as well were interrupted by 
  Palamukk’s death at the hands of greedy relatives. 
  The eye was auctioned in Thistle Hold and his body 
  was sold by the kilo as pig fodder.
  For the artifact to work, the master must perma-
  nently replace an eye with the stone, which grants 
  access to its powers. Replacing the eye does not cost 
  Experience, but deals 1d6 damage (ignores Armor). 
  The eye stone works as a regular eye that can also 
  see in the dark. It is emerald green and emits a 
  faint inner light that can always be seen but is 
  particularly noticeable in darkness.
  Winds of Change: Once per turn the master of 
  the eye stone can affect a test for an action being 
  performed within sight; it can be any sort of test: 
  success test, effect test, death test, etcetera, as long 
  as chance plays a part in the outcome. The power 
  gives the active party a 1d4 modifier to the test, pos-
  itive or negative depending on the master’s wishes.
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1D4
  Flash of Creation: Masters with the ability 
  Alchemy, Artifact Crafting, or Blacksmith can use 
  the Eye Stone of Palamukk to immediately create 
  something; it appears instantly, out of thin air. 
  As for Blacksmith, an adept can endow the item 
  with a normal quality; a master can give it two 
  qualities, one of them mystical.
  The created item can be worn, used, or con-
  sumed with the same effect as the real thing. 
  But it only exists for one scene, before withering 
  into ashes. 
  Astromancers
  There are very few Astromancers in Ambria, but more of them are apparently 
  based in the western city states and the doomed Freetown on the west coast 
  of Alberetor (for more on other realms, see the eBook Report 22:01:08 which 
  is available for download on Free League’s Symbaroum page). The Astro-
  mancers deal with weather, thunder, and lightning, as well as divination; they 
  share many rituals with other traditions. Several of Ordo Magica’s powers 
  (such as Brimstone Cascade and Mind Throw) can be converted to thunder 
  and lightning, if so desired. Perhaps it is their skill with divination that the 
  player characters seek, and more powerful versions of Fortune-telling and 
  Oracle are possibilities (the rituals might allow rerolls on failure).
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  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
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  If the creator is willing to accept one point of 
  permanent corruption, the object becomes perma-
  nent. Created consumables (such as elixirs) can be 
  consumed at a later time, but will then be expended 
  like other items of its kind.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4 (temporary object), or 1D4 including 
  1 permanent corruption (permanent object)
  Adventure Set-up
  For a goblin player character retrieving the eye stone 
  could be a suitable mission to prove her worth to the 
  tribe. Perhaps it is even said that whoever finds the eye 
  shall lead the clan? Or maybe the player character is a 
  goblin who dreams of the illgoblin’s role in the world, 
  and what better way to begin her journey than to follow 
  in the great Palamukk’s footsteps?
  the War horn of the  
  stormhoWLer
  This powerful war horn is large and robust enough 
  to be wielded as a two-handed club, but the true 
  power lies in its horn blasts, which range from loud 
  to downright thunderous. 
  The horn must have come from a huge bull. 
  According to legend it was carried by a giant who 
  roamed around Vajvod in eastern Davokar. It took 
  the combined efforts of several chieftains to slay 
  the man-eating behemoth. The horn was carved 
  with mystical runes by powerful symbolists and 
  given to the first Clan Chieftain of Karohar as a 
  symbol of office. It disappeared under mysterious 
  circumstances more than a century ago, during 
  internal conflicts between the local chieftains. 
  Where it is now is anybody’s guess, but whoever 
  acquires the horn would certainly find a powerful 
  ally in clan Karohar’s current chieftain – or some 
  other chieftain wishing to take his place!
  Allies to the Rescue: The horn blast booms 
  through the region and all allies within a day’s 
  march immediately become aware that the master 
  is in danger. They also know where to find her. 
  Ultimately the Game Master decides which allies 
  are nearby (if any), who they are, and how far away 
  they are from the master. 
  If you want to base it on die rolls, we suggest 
  the master must pass a Persuasive test and that the 
  allies are 1d10 hours away – on 0 the master rolls 
  1d10 again, which this time indicates a number of 
  minutes rather than hours. The allies that come 
  to the rescue are [PC+1] in numbers with one level 
  of resistance lower than the master, led by a per-
  son with the same resistance level as the master 
  (for more on resistance levels, see the Symbaroum 
  Monster Codex, page 179).
  Action: Free
  Corruption: None
  Storm Fright: In the hands of someone with 
  the Dominate ability the horn can produce a horn 
  blast so powerful that enemies might flee in fear. 
  It takes a successful [Persuasive←Resolute] test to 
  affect an enemy, who will then flee for 1d6 turns.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D6
  Adventure Set-up
  The thunderous power of the war horn could also be the 
  key to a mighty gate somewhere in the Ravens. Either the 
  horn is all it takes or more keys are required – perhaps 
  a magic pearl or two, which can naturally be found in 
  the hands of other creatures who are either hostile to 
  the player characters or want something in return for 
  their treasure. What hides behind the gate is up to the 
  Game Master, but why not a mythical dwarven kingdom 
  that was abandoned long ago and has now been taken 
  over by dark forces?
  terrasma’s yondermirror
  Terrasma was an ancient explorer of worldly and 
  mortal boundaries (fancier words for being a 
  Sorcerer). Through ceremonies found in the deepest 
  crypts of Davokar she created a magic mirror to 
  peer further beyond the veil of the world.
  The mirror was briefly described by the 
  renowned sorcerer Arao, a contemporary of 
  146
   
  
  Terrasma, as made of volcanic glass, deep black, 
  and rather substandard as a mirror. But apparently 
  its power is revealed to those who draw unholy 
  symbols in their own blood on its cold surface. 
  The mirror is a window to the Yonderworld; it 
  was created based on the theories on Katrandama’s 
  Triptych (see page 26 in the Advanced Player’s Guide), 
  and believed by Arao to be strong evidence for the 
  correctness of this ghastly world view.
  They say that through the mirror Terrasma 
  gained insights so dark that she broke away from 
  the black path she was on, and is currently living 
  out her days at a Black Cloak convent in the eastern 
  Titans. This may of course be a cautionary lie spread 
  by the Black Cloaks to lure sorcerers back into the 
  light. Whatever the case may be, the location of 
  the Yondermirror is unknown; it is possible that 
  Terrasma herself knows where it is.
  See Beyond: A person bound to the mirror can 
  use it to peer into the Yonderworld. What infor-
  mation is gained from this depends entirely on 
  the situation in the Yonderworld – that is, what 
  daemons or ruins there are.
  The other side can also look back. Roll 1d20 each 
  turn, if the outcome is equal to or lower than the 
  number of turns spent watching, the master is 
  noticed by something on the other side; the Game 
  Master decides what it is.
  A dreadful version of this power is to look 
  into the regular world from the Yonderworld; it 
  is done the same way and with the same risks as 
  described above.
  Those capable of teleportation can take the mir-
  ror with them to the Yonderworld. You cannot step 
  into the mirror and take it with you.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4 for the person activating the mirror, 
  1 corruption for anyone else who looks in it.
  Reach Beyond: A master with the Sorcery ability 
  can use the mirror to influence the Yonderworld. 
  It is possible to reach out from the world and grab 
  something there, and of course use powers and 
  abilities on targets in the Yonderworld. This can 
  be useful when fighting creatures who are tele-
  porting, which takes place as movements through 
  the Yonderworld.
  While the power is active one can actually step 
  through the mirror entirely and leave the regular 
  world behind. This is possible for anyone, not 
  just the sorcerer who activated it. To return to 
  the world of the living one must be pulled back 
  by people on the right side of the mirror, or use a 
  power to teleport; one can then jump back into the 
  regular world and stay there. A person can realize 
  this with Loremaster and a successful Cunning test.
  The other side can also influence the regular 
  world: roll 1d20 every turn, if the result is equal to 
  or lower than the number of turns the user spent 
  on the other side, corrupted nature is created in the 
  location of the mirror (see the Symbaroum Monster 
  Codex, page 22).
  Another heinous possibility is to step out 
  from the Yonderworld into the regular world; it 
  is done the same way and with the same risks as 
  described above. Any corrupted nature created 
  emerges in the world of the living. In order to 
  do this one must either teleport (for example 
  with the power Teleport) or be teleported (the 
  power Exorcize) and bring the mirror along to 
  the Yonderworld; you cannot step into the mirror 
  and take it with you.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4 for the person activating the power, 
  plus 1D6–3 corruption for every five turns that begin 
  in contact with the Yonderworld. The latter also afflicts 
  anyone else who uses the power while it is active.
  Adventure Set-up
  There are several variants of adventures that might 
  include the mirror. One is that Terrasma actually 
  escaped to the Yonderworld when she was surroun-
  ded by Black Cloaks. She possesses Desdemorgos’ 
  Icosahedron (see page 134), which means she has not 
  yet become thoroughly corrupt. But she regrets going 
  there and will do anything to get back to the regular 
  world. The player characters get an opportunity to 
  help a sorcerer who truly wishes to do penance and 
  mend her ways. 
  Alternatively, she does not have Desdemorgos’ 
  artifact and is now thoroughly corrupt. She still says 
  the same thing, of course: that she wants to go back and 
  will do anything the player characters ask for a second 
  chance. But when she returns, she is neither compliant 
  nor obedient and has stats as a Necromage.
  A third variant is that Terrasma – or some other 
  sorcerer, necromage, etc. – possesses the mirror and uses 
  it to influence the part of the world where the player 
  characters are located. The creature on the other side 
  might want to get its hands on a person or artifact, or 
  simply kill everyone in a certain place to avenge some 
  offense. This could develop into a terrifying cat-and-
  mouse game where the player characters are attacked 
  through the mirror, or even have to step through the 
  mirror to fight the enemy in the Yonderworld.
  rasthuuL’s sPirit vesseL
  The descriptions of the ancient mystic Rasthuul 
  differ, except the parts about him creating this 
  vessel and being burned at the stake in the 
  infancy of Symbaroum for crimes against the 
  17
  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
  147
   
  
  laws of the world – a testimony suggesting that 
  necromancers and corruption worshippers were 
  not always celebrated in the early Symbarian 
  Empire. Rasthuul survived the flames, thanks 
  to his spirit vessel, and it was not until the 
  emperor’s bodyguards found and emptied the 
  urn that the necromancer Rasthuul was finally 
  destroyed. The spirit vessel was locked away in 
  Symbar’s artifact cabinet, along with a series of 
  other particularly evil objects. How it got out of 
  there and back into the world is unknown, but 
  the vessel has turned up, first in Lindaros and 
  later in the witches’ stories. The existence of the 
  spirit vessel is well-known and it is much coveted 
  among sorcerers, who claim that Rasthuul’s spirit 
  still watches over the urn.
  The master of the vessel can place her soul in 
  it to avoid both corruption and physical death. A 
  successful Vigilant test with the Witchsight ability 
  reveals whether the vessel is empty or contains a 
  spirit; in the latter case the shadow of the spirit is 
  also revealed.
  It is possible to attack and destroy the urn; it has 
  Armor 2 and 10 Toughness. Another way of expelling 
  a protected spirit is to bind the artifact to oneself; it 
  takes a successful [Resolute←Resolute] test to expel 
  the current master.
  The only way to bind the spirit vessel to oneself 
  is to accept 1d4 points of permanent corruption; 
  Experience cannot be used for this purpose. But 
  this permanent corruption is handled as if the 
  person was already bound to the spirit vessel, and 
  is therefore a problem for the future, according to 
  the power Soul Shield. 
  Soul Shield: The spirit vessel protects the 
  user’s soul against corruption and the death of 
  its physical body. Any corruption gained by the 
  master is bound in the runes that cover the urn 
  and never reaches the master’s spirit. The same 
  goes for the cold fingers of death, which will never 
  touch the master – Death tests are rolled as usual, 
  but death-bringing results are ignored.
  If the master’s spirit leaves the vessel (if it is 
  broken or bound to someone else), the unprotected 
  spirit is afflicted by all corruption that is bound 
  by its runes. Furthermore, any postponed death 
  immediately catches up with the master.
  Action: Free
  Corruption: None
  Rasthuul’s Echo: The spirit of Rasthuul rests 
  to some extent in the vessel he created, and the 
  master of the artifact can always sense if someone is 
  about to grab or attack the spirit vessel. The master 
  can then activate this power as a reaction, before 
  anyone has time to affect the vessel in any way.
  The power does two things. First the spirit 
  vessel emits a wave of hatred that inflicts 1d6 
  damage (ignores Armor) on everyone within sight. 
  Everyone present must also pass a Resolute test or 
  be knocked down.
  In addition, the owner of the vessel is immedi-
  ately teleported to its location and manifests 1d6 
  meters from the vessel.
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1D8, which is bound in the urn’s runes 
  and does not affect the master until her spirit leaves 
  the vessel.
  Adventure Set-up
  On their adventures the player characters find them-
  selves an arch enemy, and no matter how many times 
  they kill, maim or burn this arch enemy the person keeps 
  coming back. This is because the arch enemy’s soul is 
  resting safely in Rasthuul’s spirit vessel. To defeat the 
  enemy once and for all they must find and empty the 
  vessel. If they succeed the player characters will have 
  a chance to claim the artifact for themselves. Where 
  the enemy has hidden the vessel depends on who it 
  is – for example in its own tomb (undead), a treasure 
  chamber in a castle (prince or chieftain), or a ruin in 
  the Yonderworld (demonologist).
  the Lantern of saLamandra
  The infamous master spy Salamandra was 
  thrust into the public consciousness in the final 
  stages of The Great War, when she infiltrated 
  the Dark Lords’ strongholds to analyze their 
  weaknesses and returned with suitable points 
  of attack. She later became an important actor 
  in establishing Ambria, particularly in the case 
  of Clan Jezora – the attack on Chieftain Haloban’s 
  fortress was based on intelligence from her. 
  These cloak-and-dagger operations would not 
  have been possible without Salamandra’s most 
  prized possession: her dark lantern. 
  They say the artifact swallows light and spreads 
  absolute darkness in which only its master is able 
  to see. When Salamandra retired, under the weight 
  of her experiences and Ambria’s most prestigious 
  decorations, the dark lantern passed to other spies. 
  As far as anyone knows it is still in their hands, in 
  the service of the Queen.
  Spread Darkness: While its hatch is open, the 
  dark lantern spreads darkness with the same radius 
  as an ordinary lantern spreads light. The darkness 
  is dense, but the master’s vision is not affected; 
  the same goes for those with the ability Sixth Sense 
  (master) or traits that allow creatures to see in total 
  darkness. Abominations and undead can see in the 
  dark, but beasts cannot. The darkness follows the 
  148
   
  
  lantern, and the power is canceled if the master 
  drops the lantern.
  In the hands of someone with the Backstab ability 
  the lantern’s darkness is so deep that only its master 
  can see through it.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4
  Dark Steps: In the hands of someone with the 
  Feint ability, the lantern can teleport its master 
  between areas of total darkness. For this to work 
  the master must be able to see her next destination 
  and Spread Darkness must be active.
  Action: Movement
  Corruption: 1D4
  Adventure Set-up
  It is tempting to link the lantern to Ambrian intrigues 
  and the Queen’s spies, but by no means is it necessary. 
  A player character who is a former Queen’s Spy knows 
  for certain that the lantern exists, and other contacts 
  can provide the same information. The lantern can then 
  become an intermediate goal on the way to infiltrating 
  some particularly well-guarded place – such as the 
  restricted sections of Ordo Magica’s library, the Royal 
  Sekretorium’s archives, or the artifact collections in 
  Templewall. A severely haunted ruin will also suffice; 
  there the player characters need all the advantages 
  they can get.
  WorLdcLeaver
  Worldcleaver is a two-handed sword with a wavy 
  blade, supposedly forged in black flames deep 
  beneath Symbar to crush the empire’s enemies. It 
  was wielded by the greatest warrior in Symbaroum, 
  appointed through duels with captured monsters.
  The person who wields Worldcleaver must have 
  at least one blight mark, otherwise the weapon 
  simply works as a regular two-handed sword. 
  It is possible to trick the weapon with the ritual 
  Exchange Shadow, as long as one borrows the shadow 
  of someone with enough permanent corruption to 
  have developed a blight mark.
  Demon Birth: The master of the weapon can 
  cleave reality instead of an enemy, and birth a 
  daemon through the wound. The daemon obeys 
  the wielder for one scene, before being sucked back 
  into the world wound. The daemon has stats as an 
  Intruder (see the Symbaroum Monster Codex, page 173). 
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D6
  Bloody Banishment: A master with the ability 
  Two-handed Force can strike an enemy and cleave 
  reality with the same attack. An enemy damaged by 
  this attack must roll over the damage on 1d20 or be 
  sucked into the Yonderworld. 
  Out in the howling madness the victim takes 
  1d6–3 corruption per turn. A Resolute test can be 
  made every turn, which if successful returns the 
  victim to the world of the living. Victims who are 
  blight born during their stay in the Yonderworld 
  immediately return to the regular world in the 
  form of dragouls, controlled by the master of 
  Worldcleaver.
  Action: Reaction
  Corruption: 1D6
  Adventure Set-up
  One way to build an adventure around Worldcleaver is 
  to give the weapon an additional function, specific to the 
  adventure. For example, in one of Dark Davokar’s many 
  ruins there could be a guardian who will only step aside 
  for the master of this artifact. The monstrosity’s resi-
  stance level must be high enough to make frontal attacks 
  very difficult – Mighty or even Legendary is appropriate; 
  it must be obvious to the players that this is not meant as 
  a balanced fight. Legends, shown in mosaics on the ruin 
  walls or available in the form of memories preserved in a 
  memory stone, suggest that one needs a terrible weapon 
  in order to pass. Finding the weapon (what slimy creature 
  might have it now?) and figuring out a way to bind it to 
  oneself are steps to solving the puzzle.
  xtaLa’s hourGLass
  Feared even by the Symbarians, the necromancer 
  Xtala was said to be able to stop time and in the 
  safety of timelessness act according to her horrific 
  purposes. Legend has it that a great hero named 
  Aktopo tricked Xtala into using all the sand in her 
  hourglass, and as a result she was hit by a time wave 
  that reduced her to ashes and dust. The hero picked 
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  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
  149
   
  
  up the hourglass, turned it over, and could stop time 
  just as she once did; at least until all the sand ran 
  into the other chamber of the hourglass. Aktopo 
  was more careful than the hourglass’ creator and 
  met his end much later, at the hands of his enemies. 
  And so the hourglass was lost to the world.
  Sands of Time: The master of the artifact can let 
  sand run through the glass and thus stop time for a 
  number of turns. During these turns the user may act 
  alone, and the effect of all actions occurs when time 
  starts moving again. Every turn the master acts out-
  side of time she becomes a year older. Furthermore, 
  the master must roll 1d20 each turn; if the result is 
  equal to or less than the number of turns the master 
  has acted outside of time during the current scene, 
  the master falls dead to the ground. No reroll is 
  allowed; time is relentless in its vengeance.
  Action: Active
  Corruption: 1D4 per turn outside of time
  Adventure Set-up
  The hourglass is best placed in the hands of a fearsome 
  enemy, and becomes a mighty reward for player cha-
  racters who survive the encounter with its owner. A 
  variant is that the player characters are not really after 
  the owner of the hourglass, but the hourglass itself. The 
  Game Master can introduce a problem that is almost 
  impossible to solve without stopping time; the characters 
  must fetch something from a highly corruptive place 
  (possibly in the Yonderworld) or a lake of lava or acid, or 
  why not the treasure heap of a dragon? If this unpleasant 
  problem is introduced just before the player characters 
  learn that the hourglass exists, they will probably see 
  the latter as a solution to the former.
  the stone of resurrection
  This roughly cut block of granite is said to have come 
  from a sorcery temple in the darkened Lyastra. 
  The Templars stormed and razed the temple in 
  the name of Prios, and someone brought home the 
  stone that was pulsing with darkness. Whispered 
  rumors suggest that it was a Templar who took 
  the stone. The temptation was understandable; it 
  is said that, if used correctly, the stone can bring 
  the dead back to life, at the cost of another life unt-
  ouched by corruption. Some sources claim that the 
  sacrifice must be voluntary, others that consent 
  is not necessary. One version of the legend states 
  that the holy knight who took the stone gave his 
  life to bring back a loved one, while in other tales 
  the knight sacrifices another person in a dark and 
  desperate attempt to be reunited with his beloved.
  No one knows where the stone is, but it is said 
  that a sorcerer who was burned at the stake in 
  Jakaar was later seen walking through Davokar 
  with no trace of the flames that consumed him – it 
  might be an empty rumor, or a clue.
  Voluntary Sacrifice: A person bound to the 
  stone can sacrifice herself to bring another creature 
  back from the dead. The person making the ultimate 
  sacrifice must be free of corruption, but the resur-
  rected does not have to be. However, some part of 
  the deceased – ashes, a finger bone, or a lock of hair 
  – must be placed on the stone before the blood of the 
  sacrifice flows over it. The resurrected individual 
  rises there and then, just as she was before she died. 
  The body is healed from all wounds, but retains the 
  corruption it had at the moment of death.
  Action: Like a ritual
  Corruption: None
  Forced Sacrifice: A master with the Sorcery 
  ability can sacrifice an unwilling cultural being 
  to bring back another cultural being from the dead. 
  The resurrection is otherwise the same as for a 
  voluntary sacrifice.
  Action: Like a ritual
  Corruption: 1D8, one of which is permanent
  Adventure Set-up
  There are several possible set-ups where the player cha-
  racters seek the stone in order to resurrect someone, and 
  must either find a willing sacrifice (without corruption) 
  or embrace their deepest darkness to succeed. Or maybe 
  some angelic creature (without corruption) has gone 
  missing and the player characters must try to stop a 
  forced sacrifice before it is too late. 
  A traditionally evil sorcerer naturally wants to 
  resurrect an even darker power and receive its blessing, 
  but the story becomes more layered if the person to be 
  resurrected is fundamentally good – a murdered lover, a 
  lost child, or why not one of Prios’ Lightbringers who is 
  brought back to save the sorcerer (or a loved one?) from 
  becoming thoroughly corrupt. Here the Game Master 
  has every opportunity to twist the narrative knife a 
  turn or two, unless a more straightforward quest to 
  vanquish evil is desired.
  The Faction Status Sheet
  The sheet to the right can be used to keep track of what status the player  
  characters have with the game world’s factions. On the first row below the fac-
  tion headers is where you write down the characters’ general status regarding 
  that faction, after which there are two rows for specific non-player characters 
  (if you are using the optional rule Establish a Relationship, for instance). The 
  boxes Friend-Neutral-Enemy should be checked by the respective player, to 
  describe the character’s personal relationship with the individual factions.
  Printer Friendly
  You are of course wel-
  come to make copies 
  of the Faction Status 
  Sheet, but from Free 
  League’s Symbaroum 
  page you may also 
  download it as a 
  PDF – in a more printer 
  friendly version or with 
  the layout used here.
  150
   
  
  151
  17
  G R E A T E R  A R T I F A C T S
  Month:
  Faction:
  ynedar
  olandan
  andonia
  tomol
  serliela morangal
  ofeliya
  agani
  elisial
  verion
  konelia
  leandro
  Year
  factions and relations:
  PlaYer CharaCter 1:
  PlaYer CharaCter 2:
  PlaYer CharaCter 3:
  PlaYer CharaCter 4:
  PlaYer CharaCter 5:
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  Friend neutral enemY
  General status:
  General status:
  General status:
  General status:
  General status:
  General status:
  General status:
  General status:
  General status:
  General status:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  nPC:
  house kohinoor
  ordo maGiCa
  the Priesthood
  BlaCk Cloaks
  the reFormists
  temPlars
  the WitChes
  sovereiGn’s oath
  the iron PaCt
  saCred oF the
  old Blood
  ChroniCle
  numBer oF 
  adventurers
  Game master
   
  
  152
   
  
  With the Game master’s Guide, Symbaroum’s collection of core books is complete! Between 
  its covers are three solid sections, meant to inspire and support Game Masters when it comes to 
  everything from the creation of homebrew adventures to managing sessions around the gaming 
  table. No matter if you choose to embrace it all or only pick the goodies out of the cake, the tips 
  and alternative rules presented in this book will certainly help make adventures in Symbaroum’s 
  game world even more spicy, thrilling and memorable!
  FEATURED CONTENT
   
  ◆
  The Adventure section, with chapters on the design of 
  game worlds, chronicles, adventure landscapes and 
  of adventures set in the Underworld, Yonderworld 
  and Spirit World. It also offers tips regarding how to 
  construct scenarios for experienced player charac-
  ters, and guidelines for Troupe Play in Symbaroum.
   
  ◆
  The Challenges section, containing alternative rules 
  for pitched battles, advanced traps and social chal-
  lenges. Adding to this are chapters on Ceremonial 
  Magic (including sixteen ceremonies), expeditions in 
  Davokar, exploration of ruins, the design of legendary 
  creatures and rules for handling player characters 
  owning and managing an estate or smaller domain.
   
  ◆
  The Rewards Section, which offers suggestions on 
  different ways of rewarding player characters and 
  their players, aside from Experience and shiny coins. 
  The chapters also present guidelines for designing 
  what in Symbaroum are called Curiosities, Mystical 
  Treasures and Artifacts, after which the book is 
  rounded off with the description of no less than 
  twenty seven artifacts – all of them with a unique 
  adventure set-up.
   
  ◆
  Note that this book requires access to the 
  Symbaroum Core Rulebook, and that it does not 
  come into its own without the Advanced Player’s 
  Guide and the Symbaroum Monster Codex.
  ... in the ranks, so breathlessly tense that the creaking of our leather armor felt deafening; just as silent 
  as our Davokar outpost had been for the past three weeks. Even the sellswords that our Lord had hired 
  in an attempt to tip the scales in his favor seem to appreciate the gravity of the situation – they made 
  up the rear of the column, atypically in line, unusually disciplined. Silent.
  We had no idea what to expect. The scouts had not come back, neither the first, nor the second 
  troupe that had left for the outpost. Some homing pigeons belonging to the latter returned, but without 
  information about what had happened. Was it a belligerent branch of Clan Karohar? A raving liege 
  troll or a pack of predators? An ancient or dark contagion, or indeed some roaming abomination?
  The truth proved even worse: Iron Pact warriors, backed by Ironsworn barbarians. They attacked 
  without question, without hesitation, without mercy – out of the shadows, from the foliage, from 
  behind root and stem and stone. My advice to you who are to inherit my Lord’s domain is simple: 
  Let yourself settle for what can be harvested under open skies; that which is shadowed by the trees of 
  Davokar is not yours to own or salvage. Accept this, or join the ranks of the dead... 
  It was dead silent...
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Symbaroum [multi]/Symbaroum - Core - Game Masters Guide v1.0.pdf