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TENEBRAE by Unusual Existance

(artwork by The Hindmost of Reality courtesy to Z-Most Dingbats from the dead parts of internet)
The Surface Is...
◊ Uninhabitable. The sun, moon, and stars have been harvested to
exhaustion by the Last Empire, and only the infinite darkness of the Void
remains. The hungering abyss above smothers light and drives minds
to madness.

◊ Strewn with the carbonized remains of the Last Empire. Towering spires
and sprawling palatial estates of once-gold arc into the black sky, their
tops lost in darkness. Often times these structures can shield those who
breach ground level from direct exposure to the Void, but such protection is
never guaranteed.

◊ Unable to pass on. The grip of the Void holds the remains of the Last
Empire and keeps them from taking their natural place in the Dungeon.
It is a world-spanning, undecaying corpse of civilization and without
its passing, there is no room to take its place. For this reason, those who
survive are assured of the Last Empire’s finality.

What Remains of Civilization is...


◊ Huddled in the crust of the earth. They have carved their niche in the
narrow space between the ruins of the Last Empire and the Dungeon,
choked and unable to grow. Here they are protected from the worst dangers
from above and below, though threats do break through. Time’s attrition,
the scarcity of resources and the delicate balance between over- and
underpopulation are what threaten to snuff out the last traces of life.

◊ Surviving on gold. The Last Empire’s greatest achievement and inevitable


downfall was the ability to spin miracles from light. It sustained them
for millennia, but in the eternity of time even the sun is not limitless.
Without the celestial beacons, light must be harvested from the luster of
gold. With the memory of the magics and technologies of the Last Empire,
food, medicine, and life’s necessities are wrung from treasure found in the
Dungeon below.

◊ Desperate to expand. Underground, every inch of space matters. Your


world has walls. Trash, excrement, housing, supplies, people… everything
takes up space. Even breathable air is no guarantee when shared in such
close quarters. Excavating new tunnels only creates more loose earth,
which all must go somewhere. Under a hostile sky the only direction to
go is down. Adventurers must carve out swathes of Dungeon and mold
them into their Stronghold, taking bits of the past to give the people of
the present a place to live.
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The Dungeon is...
◊ A place of spiritual reverence. Not only an endless series of tunnels and
corridors, the Dungeon is an afterlife and an underworld; the memories of
the earth itself. The grandeur of ages past are preserved here. They mingle
and spill into each other in a maze that runs throughout the whole world,
back to the very beginnings at its core. It is the loudest times that the
world remembers best. The corridors of the Dungeon are shaped by war,
adventure, and discovery, its foundations and flagstones are the lives and
times of common folk, and the patterns that repeat throughout history its
architectural motifs.

Adventurers are...
◊ Ritualists. Descending into the underworld is an inherently spiritual
experience. Exploring the Dungeon is as much a sacrament as it is a
necessity of survival. These ceremonies are not merely matters of respect
or superstition. The living cannot hope to walk the halls of the past
unguarded and survive, the tides of the history will sweep their identities
into anonymity like it does to all. These rituals protect those who would
delve into the Dungeon with souls larger than their own.

◊ Clad in the mantles of past heroes. The course of history erodes individual
identity, leaving legends and archetypes in their wake. By donning these
archetypes, adventurers are able to interface with their legends. When
entering the Dungeon, explorers leave their names and faces behind for
ceremonial masks and their titles, and in doing so borrow their power.

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The Masks are...

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The Zealot, a hero of unwavering conviction. A priest,
a paladin, a knight whose oath is their very being. The
Zealot is defined by faith, be it in the divine, their ideals,
their cause, or wherever they find stalwart devotion. This
strength of conviction allows the Zealot to smite their foes,
offer succor to their allies, and stand unflinching before
whatever ills may befall them. 14 AC, d10 HD

The Untamed, a hero of primeval might. A shaman, a

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barbarian, a ferocious hunter who speaks with beasts. The
Untamed is defined by the earliest things of the world, that
predate civilization and now outlive it. They are raw and
unrestrained, atavistic and pure. This feral bond allows the
Untamed unimaginable physical prowess, and wisdom in
the old tongue of nature itself. 13 AC, d12 HD

The Arcanist, a hero of otherworldly prowess. A sorcerer,

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an alchemist, a mystic who shapes imagination into
being. The Arcanist is defined by the execution of the
impossible, mastery over secrets that bridge the gap
between will and existence. The stuff of dreams can spring
from potential to actuality, if one possesses the discipline
and talent to make it so. This occult knowledge allows
the Arcanist to conjure matter and energy, manipulate
forces as fundamental as gravity, and stranger things still.
11 AC, d6 HD

The Knave, a hero of subtlety and shadow. A thief, a

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swashbuckler, a thug with an eye for opportunity. The
Knave is defined by the rejection of rules, the laws of
society or strictures of honor. Unfettered by limitations
of conduct or morality, the freedom is found to do what
ought not be done, but must. In places unseen the Knave
finds the tools to pass unnoticed make unlikely allies,
and exploit weaknesses however they might manifest.
12 AC, d8 HD

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Character Creation
◊ There are six attributes: Dexterity, Strength, Constitution, Wisdom,
Charisma and Intelligence.

◊ Attributes are generated by rolling 3d6 and assigning them in order.

◊ Attribute modifiers are determined from attribute scores as follows:


• 3-: -3
• 4-5: -2
• 6-8: -1
• 9-12: +0
• 13-15: +1
• 16-17: +2
• 18+: +3

◊ If the sum of a character’s modifiers is below 0, they may elect to reroll their
attributes.

◊ The highest OR lowest attribute generated may be swapped with another


attribute. Only one such replacement may be made. The highest and lowest
attributes may be swapped with each other.

◊ Attribute modifiers are applied as follows:


• Dexterity is added to To Hit rolls with weapons.
• Strength is applied to Damage rolls with weapons.
• Constitution is applied to Maximum Hit Points per HD.
• Wisdom is applied to Armor Class.
• Charisma is applied to Saving Throws.
• Intelligence is applied to Insight Pool.

◊ When appropriate, the DM may call for a d20 roll to be made when a
character’s aptitude in a particular attribute is tested. A roll equal to or
below the appropriate attribute is considered successful.

◊ Each character selects a single Mask

◊ From the Mask’s appropriate list take one random Aspect, then choose one
additional Aspect.

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◊ Choose a Stock for your character to represent their heritage. The Last
Empire was home to thousands of races and millenia of interbreeding.
The Stocks below are not intended to represent individual races, but wide
swathes of similar traits.

• Stout: Add 1 to your Strength or Constitution. Stout characters can


carry one additional Slot in their packs and bags.

• Graceful: Add 1 to your Dexterity or Charisma. Graceful characters


may, once per camp, re-roll any single die they have just rolled. They
must keep the second result.

• Sagacious: Add 1 to your Intelligence or Wisdom. Once per session,


a Sagacious character may ask the DM to provide an angle or idea
for a challenge that has not yet been considered by the party. The
answer should not solve the challenge altogether, but represent a
special insight into the situation.

◊ Roll an HD appropriate to your Mask, modified by Constitution. This is


your starting HP. If your starting HP is below 4, use 4 instead.

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Gear
The simplest measure of a party’s preparedness is what they have decided to
bring with them to adventure. But even with the fullest support of the desperate
tribes that remain, only so much can be carried on an expedition. The decision
that must be made is not what expense to spare, but how to burdensome a load
can be carried by bodies that must spelunk, explore, and fight for days on end.

The measure of an object’s burden is the Slot, simply the number of hands
required to comfortably carry the object in question. Each character can carry
one Slot of items in each hand, hang one Slot from their belt where it may be
easily accessed, and an additional three Slots across packs, satchels, and other
means of storage about their person, to total of six Slots.

Standard Melee Weapon – a longsword, mace, war-pick, or any other one-


handed weapon. Requires one hand to wield, deals 1d8 damage. One Slot.

Great Weapon – a sledge, battleaxe, zweihander, or any other two-handed


weapon. Requires two hands to wield, deals 1d12 damage. Two Slots.

Shield – a buckler, targe, heater, or other shield. Requires one hand to wield,
provides +2 AC. One Slot.

Pavise – a large shield that covers the entire body. A pavise has a spike attached
to the lower edge so it can be driven into the ground and propped up, usually to
act as cover for an archer. Holding a pavise takes two hands, and erecting one to
stand on its own takes a turn. A pavise can allow one person standing behind it
or holding it in both hands to receive +3 AC. In a pinch, a pavise can be used to
batter an opponent for 1d4 damage. Two Slots.

Bow – a weapon for launching arrows from range. Deals 1d8 damage, requires
two hands. Two Slots, which includes a quiver of 20 arrows. Every additional
20 arrows takes an additional Slot.

Torch – one of the Last Empire’s achievements was to freeze light to store for
later use. Their torches operated on a similar principle. A globe of still light,
centered on an orb at the end of a stick, ready to be siphoned off by a photo-
reactive device. Unlike conventional torches of previous ages, these create
rigidly-edged spheres of illumination, within which colors are muted and
motion creates blurry contrails, like an overexposed photograph. Despite this,
and because they never run low, they are an invaluable asset to be able to see in
the Dungeon in a world where light is all but gone. The role of torchbearer holds
a special veneration among the ritual duties of adventurers. Requires one hand
to hold, one Slot.
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Rations – ceremonial foods required for the essential portion of the
dungeoneering ritual, camping. A single ration is sufficient to feed an entire
party for the purposes of camping. Every additional ration beyond the first
eaten in a camp can heal an additional hit die, modified by Constitution, of one
character. One Slot.

Rope – 75’ of lightweight, durable rope. One Slot.

Shovel – a tool for digging, filling holes, and clearing debris. Can be used as
a weapon in two hands, does 1d6 damage. Two Slots.

Grappling Hook – a sturdy piece of metal with hooked prongs to be attached to


the end of a rope to allow it to hook securely when thrown. One Slot.

Tinker’s Tools – an assortment of wires, pliers, and widgets for assembling,


disassembling, and making minor repairs to devices. Not sufficient to repair
a wall or build a boat, say, but enough to pick a lock or mend a watch. One Slot.

Ten Foot Pole – a sturdy wooden dowel, ten feet in length. A tool of endless
possibility. Two Slots.

First Aid Kit – bandages, splints, and smelling salts used to stabilize the dying.
A First Aid Kit is required for and consumed in the Triage action (See Combat).
One Slot

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On Masks
The Masks are the most essential pieces of adventuring equipment, and hold
several special properties:

◊ Masks are essential for survival in the Dungeon. A character in a non-


Stronghold area of the Dungeon without a Mask takes 1 damage per round
from accelerated aging.

◊ Masks bolster their wearers with supernatural capacity for endurance. A


character without a Mask has 4 HP. It is Masks, not characters, that gain
HD and Aspects. Characters modify the HP per HD the mask confers with
their Constitution, to a minimum of 1 HP per HD.

◊ Masks can be exchanged. Within the Dungeon this results in each


character doing so taking a point of damage, but there is nothing
preventing a character wearing different Masks on subsequent adventures.
A Mask ‘remembers’ how much damage it has taken; two characters with
different Constitution modifiers who exchange masks will be missing the
same amount of HP from their total as that Mask had previously, minus
the additional HP from accelerated aging. Masks recovered from dead
adventurers can be given to new characters.

◊ Denizens of the Dungeon recognize the Masks. They will treat every
character bearing the same Mask as if they were the same person, and refer
to them by the Mask’s name.

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Adventuring Rules
You will not find in this game an exhaustive list of what actions may be taken
by an adventurer or what special procedures determine how aptitudes are
specifically applied. Instead, narrative resolution of challenges is encouraged.
For example, if players intend to search a room, do not roll to determine the
success of their investigation. Instead, describe how the investigation takes
place (looking under rugs and mattresses, tapping on walls to test acoustics,
scrutinizing mortar for seams, etc.) and resolve the challenge as a conversation
where the DM reveals information and the players act on or ask for clarification
on that information. Additionally, any task that could reasonably be completed
given repetition where time is not a constraint does not necessitate a roll.

In a situation where this manner of conversational resolution is insufficient,


then a d20 roll where a success is equal or below the appropriate attribute is
applicable. Such a roll may also be applicable in a situation where an action
could reasonably happen without a roll, but time is an important consideration,
such as climbing a rope or battering down a door while being pursued

Often times the invocation of an aspect or use of an item can supplant the need
for a roll. The limited resources of inventory space or aspect invocation are
valuable, and their impact ought to be rewarded.

Sometimes narration is insufficient to entirely supplant a roll, but does


affect the circumstance. Likewise, not all tasks are equally difficult. At
DM discretion a modifier may be applied to attribute rolls to reflect the
circumstance in which they are undertaken, +/–1 for a minor disadvantage/
advantage, +/–2 for significant disadvantage/advantage, or +/–3 for a major
disadvantage/advantage.

Over the course of adventuring, situations will arise to which the characters are
reactive rather than proactive, such as the triggering a trap, being dosed with
a poison, or facing mystical compulsion. In such a situation, a saving throw
is made. Each challenge provoking a saving throw has a Difficulty, assigned
by the DM that the player must equal or exceed on a d20 roll, modified by
Charisma, or suffer the consequences. As above, circumstances may impose a
further modifier between + or - 3. Note that with this system’s limited range of
modifiers, appropriate Difficulties for saving throws are likely lower than DMs
have been conditioned to expect from other systems.

Each character has an Insight Pool, which defaults to 5 and is modified by


Intelligence. A player may spend any number of points from that character’s
Insight Pool to modify a d20 roll by +1 or –1 for each point spent. The points
must be spent before the roll is made. Insight Pools refresh at camp.
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Camping
To survive the perils of adventure, adventurers must rest to refresh their minds
and bodies. At any point over the course of an adventure, the party may elect
to camp. To do so, they must simply share a ration amongst themselves and
spend eight hours in repose. At the end of this period, all Insight Pools and
aspect invocations are refreshed, and each character rolls their hit die and
recovers that much HP, modified by Constitution. Each character may elect to
eat additional rations. If they do, they recover HP as above, one die per character
per ration eaten.

Camping in the dungeon is a dangerous endeavor, and is never without


risk. Whenever camp occurs, it has a chance to be interrupted by wandering
monsters. Generally, this can be resolved by a d20 roll, but the factors that affect
it are numerous. Whether the party has been followed or allowed survivors to
escape can affect this probability, as well as the density, boldness, and desires
of the local dungeon denizens. If the characters are especially careful to hide
their presence they are less likely to be found, and the opposite is just as true.
Camping many times in close proximity or in a short time frame may make
the party easier to track. As a rule of thumb, a roll of 17 or higher on a d20 is a
reasonable assumption for the likelihood of monsters encountering a camping
party, but DM discretion is encouraged to modify this as needed. If such an
encounter occurs, assume the characters are rested enough to recover a single
aspect invocation, which does not stack with the recovery of aspect invocations
at the end of the camp.

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Combat
When a character attempts to take hostile action, roll a d20 for all present
parties, modified by Wisdom, and list values for each participant as initiative.
Actions are taken in descending order of initiative, and the order is repeated
until combat is resolved. In an instance where a party is taken completely by
surprise, such as by ambush or unexpected treachery, they forfeit their first
action in combat.

Generally, an action is used to complete a task that takes about five seconds.
The actions listed here are not intended to be all-inclusive, but should provide
an idea of the scope of an action. A character may move up to 30’ as a part of
their action.

◊ Attack – an attacker chooses a target and rolls a d20, modified by Dexterity.


On a result equal to or higher than the target’s AC, the attacker has hit
successfully, and does damage according to the their weapon, modified by
Strength. A character making an attack at a target at higher ground than
themselves is at a -1 penalty to hit.

◊ Retrieve Item – an action is required to retrieve an item stored in packs


and bags for use.

◊ Defend – a character may spend their entire action evading attacks. Doing
so provides +2 AC until their next turn.

◊ Invoke Aspect – many aspects require an action to invoke. This will be


listed in the aspect’s description.

◊ Hustle – a character who uses their action to move as quickly as they can
may move an additional 30’.

◊ Restrain – make an Attack modified by Strength instead of Dexterity. On


a success, the targeted character cannot move or make attacks against any
character but the one restraining them. If a successful Restrain action
is made against an already restrained character, the character is pinned
helpless until released.

◊ Triage – a character may spend an action to apply a first-aid kit to a dying


character and save their life.

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If a character is reduced to 0 hit points, they are knocked unconscious and begin
to bleed out. Each round, a character incapacitated in such a way loses one hit
point. A character reduced to -5 hit points dies. If a dying character receives
triage, they are restored to 0 hit points, and remain unconscious for an hour, at
which point they recover 1 hit pont. A character restored to positive hit points by
aspects or other magic is able to return to the fight immediately.

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The Stronghold
Heroes of old carved out their own places in the world. They built keeps and
monasteries, libraries and hideouts from which to stage their adventures. Now
those who channel the memories of those heroes must do the same for the
survival of their people. It is possible to claim parts of the Dungeon, to make
them safe to inhabit without the protection of the Masks.

There are two steps to claim a room for the adventurer’s Stronghold. First,
through the defeat of a powerful foe, a valiant sacrifice, or other great acts of
heroism, the adventurers become part of the world’s memory. Their acts define
that part of the Dungeon now, and they may exercise their claim of it. Second,
they must consecrate it with gold. The technologies of the Last Empire use
coins like little suns for power to turn the salvaged passages of the Underworld
into places in which the living can thrive.

The act of adding a room to the Stronghold is a lengthy process, to be conducted


between adventures into the dungeon. This does not necessarily entail travel
back to the conquered area of Dungeon; the adventurers carry the bond they
formed with them to their Stronghold. When a room is added to the Stronghold,
it resembles the area it was taken from, though it is unlikely to match it exactly.
Exits will lead to other rooms in the Stronghold and the surrounding areas of
Dungeon instead of their original destinations, the area may change size, and
amenities to accommodate the expanding civilization can be found, but it is
still recognizable as the place it once was. Frequently a new feature is added
emblematic of the character’s claim: a trophy from a mighty foe or a monument
to a fallen friend.

The following is a list of options for rooms and their details. A room houses and
employs enough survivors to fill its function:

◊ Outpost: The heart of the Stronghold, and what the adventurers must
first forge to begin their population of the Dungeon. The subject of early
adventure is almost universally to find and occupy an area of Dungeon
suitable to serve as a base of operations, and secure the gold needed to
consecrate it. The light harnessed in this room is sufficient to provide a
steady supply of equipment (outlined in the Gear section), and provides
each Mask with one additional HD. Requires 2 Slots of gold to build.

◊ N-Dimensional Looms: Inevitably, what stays an expeditions progress


into the Dungeon is its limited supplies. By crafting packs and bags capable
of storing gear in higher dimensions, adventurers can carry more along in
each voyage. N-Dimensional Looms are a series of rooms (4-Dimensional
Looms, 5-Dimensional Looms, etc.) that must be built in sequence (default
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bags, of course, are 3-dimensional). Each loom produces N-dimensional
packs and bags, which can be used to carry N Slots of equipment. Requires
N Slots of gold to build.

◊ Shrine of the Masks: To grow in power, the Masks must be given suitable
conduits to draw forth their legends from the Dungeon. When a Shrine
of the Masks is built, each Mask unlocks an additional random Aspect
(and therefore an additional invocation per camp) and an additional HD.
Multiple Shrines of the Masks can be built to tap deeper into the Dungeon’s
well of history. At each shrine’s establishment, the adventurers must
recount the name of an ancient hero and a brief tale of their glory for each
Mask. Requires 3 Slots of gold to build, plus one Slot of gold for each Shrine
of the Masks already built.

◊ Forge of Ages: As the legends of ancient heroes can be drawn from the
Dungeon to empower the Masks, so too can the memories of their weapons
be used to augment new arms. A Forge of Ages allows weapons (including
a pavise) to be enchanted to give them a +1 on to hit and damage rolls. A
Stronghold can have as many as three Forges of Ages, for a maximum bonus
of +3, though subsequent Forges cost substantially more. For a weapon to
receive a +1 bonus, it must be named. Upon receiving a +2 bonus, a weapon
gains a cosmetic magical effect (an aura, wounds exploding into rose
blooms, etc). Upon receiving a +3 bonus, a weapon becomes sentient, with
a personality befitting its function. An already otherwise magical weapon
may be enhanced by a Forge of Ages if it does not already have a bonus to
hit or damage. Requires 3/6/10 Slots of gold to build.

◊ Armory of Ages: An Armory of Ages functions as a Forge of Ages, but


instead applies its bonus to the AC each Mask confers. Upon receiving
first bonus, the Mask acquires cosmetic magical effect that emphasizes its
calling (Zealot Mask might have the eyes glowing with holy fire, Untamed
might sprout leaves). With +2 bonus the Mask becomes harder to peel off
the face by enemies (+2 bonus versus Restrain) although willing exchange
is unimpeded. With +3 bonus the wearer of such Mask takes half damage
from one specific element of the environment, be it fire, steel or time.
Requires 4/8/13 Slots of gold to build.

◊ Garden of Dreams: The Dungeon remembers the world long gone and
histories long forgotten. It is possible to carefully coax those memories
out of walls of claimed Stronghold with time, patience and luster of golden
light. For the populace that inhabits the Stronghold with Garden of Dreams
life is more bearable, but for ritualists going back into the Dungeon such
garden provides a guidance. Once per camp one Mask per group might test
their Wisdom: on success the place for camp only attracts dangers on 19-20
roll of a die. Requires 5 Slots of gold to build.
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Aspects
Aspects are the heroic traits of the Masks made manifest. Adventurers are
capable of calling on these traits to aid them in their adventures. A character can
call on an aspect once per camp per aspect known. This need not necessarily be
one invocation of each aspect, though it may be if desired.

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The Zealot

1. Light
Duration: 10 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: A dome of light extends from the Zealot in 120’ in every direction,
lingering there for the duration of the aspect. In this area, not only is darkness
made visible, but illusions, invisibility, and any other unnatural impediments
to sight are dispelled. Note this light cannot be harvested by the mechanisms
of the Last Empire.

2. Mend Wounds
Duration: Instantaneous
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Zealot soothes a target’s injuries with divine light. A target the
Zealot touches recovers 1d10 HP, which can be increased by 1 for each point
spent from the Zealot’s Insight Pool.

3. Purify
Duration: Instantaneous
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: Poisons, disease, hallucinogens, possession, curses and other similar
maladies are expunged from a touched target. This does not undo damages
that have already been done, but prevents any further effects. Note that some
powerful curses may persist, but be temporarily alleviated by this aspect (at
DM’s discretion.)

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4. Stand Ground
Duration: 1 Minute
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: While this aspect is active, the Zealot cannot be made to move by any
means. Nothing may push, pull, shove, lift, them. Even supernatural compulsion
of fear may cause them to leave their post. The Zealot can still move as normal,
if they elect to do so outside of compulsion.

5. Protect
Duration: 1 Minute
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Zealot nominates and swears an oath to protect them. As long as the
Zealot is conscious, no attacks can be made against the target of the Zealot’s
protection. The Zealot must interpose themself between attackers and the
target. If the Zealot becomes an unviable target of attack (such as the Knave
invoking Goad), this invocation ends.

6. Castigate
Duration: 10 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Zealot empowers their weapon with holy radiance to smite those
who would stand against them. While this aspect is invoked, ANY weapon the
Zealot wields does 1d12 damage. Additionally the Zealot receives +1 to attack
rolls and deals +2 damage against creatures that are, by their nature unholy
(such as demons or the undead).

7. Bless
Duration: 10 Minutes or Until next camp
Time to invoke: 1 Action or 10 Minutes
Effect: The Zealot empowers weaponry with the ability to harm the unharmable.
If 1 action is spent invoking this aspect, a single piece of weaponry the Zealot
touches is empowered for 10 minutes. If 10 minutes are spent on the invocation,
a whole party’s weapons are blessed until the next camp. Blessed weapons can
affect ghosts or other immaterial creatures as if they were solid, as well as
creatures whose mutable forms would render weaponry ineffective (such as a
water elemental.) A blessed weapon may also be effective in a situation where an
unblessed one would not (a club against an ooze, or a rapier against a skeleton.)

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8. Ward
Duration: 2 Hours
Time to invoke: 1 Minute
Effect: The Zealot creates a translucent magical barrier that the wicked may not
pass. This aspect creates a 30 foot long, 10 foot high wall which can be oriented
however the Zealot chooses, such as a closed circle approximately 20 feet in
diameter. When this aspect is invoked, the Zealot can designate a specific
group or type of creature that may pass freely through the barrier.

9. Inspire
Duration: 10 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: While this aspect is invoked, the Zealot generates a special pool of 6
Insight. The Zealot may spend this Insight to augment the rolls of allies that
can hear them. The Zealot may not spend this Insight to augment their own
rolls. Insight left in the pool vanishes at the end of the aspect’s duration.

10. Revelation
Duration: 1 Round
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Zealot speaks a word of divine truth, rendering those nearby
stupefied. When the Zealot invokes this action, creatures within striking range
must spend their next action staring in awe at the holy utterance.

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The Untamed

1. Embody Beast
Duration: 2 Hours
Time to invoke: 2 Actions
Effect: The Untamed takes on the traits of an animal and gains their prowess.
Choose an animal, and two attributes associated with that animal. For
instance, an owl might represent Intelligence and Wisdom, while a lion might
represent Strength and Charisma. While this aspect is invoked, the Untamed
subtracts 1d4 from tests of the chosen attribute. Additionally, animals react to
the Untamed as if they were a member of the chosen species.

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2. Speak with Stone
Duration: 10 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Untamed gains the ability to speak with natural objects in the world,
such as plants, stones, or bodies of water. The object can recount deeds that have
been performed in its presence, though it may do so in its own inhuman terms.
In general, assume that the more natural the state of an object (a hewn brick
versus an untouched boulder, for example) the more useful the information it
is able to convey.

3. Quarry
Duration: 1 Hour
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Untamed nominates a target of their search, a specific creature,
object or place. For instance ‘The Rod of Grazmon’ or ‘The gnoll I spotted
pursuing us’ are viable targets, while ‘treasure’ or ‘the nearest gnoll’ are not. For
the duration of the aspect, the Untamed has an intuitive understanding of what
navigational choices will most directly lead to the target. Which fork of road,
which choice of door, and which turns in a maze are evident to the Untamed.
Note that this aspect does not consider safety, only the most direct travelable
route.

4. Rage
Duration: 10 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Untamed floods their mind with wrath, whipping themselves
into a murderous frenzy. While this aspect is invoked, the Untamed does an
additional d4 of damage with all successful attacks, and on a missed attack
still does 1 damage. In either case, Insight can be spent to increase damage
done while raging. Furthermore, the Untamed is immune to being charmed,
frightened, or suffering similar psychological compulsions.

5. Beast of Burden
Duration: Until next camp
Time to invoke: 1 Minute
Effect: The Untamed may carry two additional Slots worth of items across packs
and bags on their person while this aspect is invoked.

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6. Unmake
Duration: Instantaneous
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Untamed calls for the raw materials forged into a piece of technology
to rebel against their shape. A single item, anything more sophisticated than a
spear or piece of armor, separates into its base components. This can be used to
undo part of a larger structure, such as a brick wall, but no area larger than the
size of the Untamed themself may be affected.

7. Stoneskin
Duration: 1 Minute
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Untamed’s flesh becomes unyielding as solid rock. While this aspect
is invoked, the Untamed takes half damage (rounded up) from all sources.

8. Honed Senses
Duration: 10 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Untamed’s faculties hone to an incredible degree, allowing
them incredible feats of perception. While active, the Untamed can listen
to a conversation on the other side of a stone wall, read a book by feeling the
difference between ink and paper on their fingertips, or smell whether someone
had recently passed through a room. The Untamed can elect to instead gain a
single sense they do no normally possess, such as a bee’s ultraviolet sight or
a viper’s infrared pits.

9. Control Weather
Duration: 1 Hour
Time to invoke: 1 Minute
Effect: The Untamed calls out to the primal storms and calls weather into the
underground realm of the Dungeon. When the Untamed invokes this aspect,
they pick from one of several effects. Over an area the size of about a dozen
rooms, they can either raise the temperature as high as equatorial conditions,
or lower it to below freezing. In a single room, they can choose to cause a
powerful wind, strong enough make conversation difficult, in a direction of
their choosing, or cause an intense rainstorm from the ceiling. Be mindful
of the ramifications of drainage in the Dungeon.

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10. Regrowth
Duration: 2d4 Rounds
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Untamed bids a creature’s flesh to knit. One target the Untamed
touches begins to rapidly heal, and gains 1 HP at the end of each of their rounds
while the Aspect is in effect.

e
The Arcanist

1. Arcane Arrow
Duration: Until next camp
Time to invoke: 10 Minutes
Effect: Upon the invocation of this aspect, 20 runes appear down the Arcanist’s
arm from wrist to shoulder. As an action, the Arcanist may fire a rune from their
hand as a dart of magical energy. No roll to hit is required, these self-guided
arrows always hit their mark. Each dart does 1d4+1 damage. Remaining runes
fade away at the next camp.

2. Flight
Duration: 10 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Arcanist’s imagination breaks free from the tyranny of gravity itself.
When this aspect is invoked, the Arcanist selects a target within sight and gives
them the ability to freely maneuver in three dimensions.

3. Enchant
Duration: Until next camp
Time to invoke: 1 Minute
Effect: The Arcanist embeds magical energy into an object to be unleashed
when a certain condition is met. When the Arcanist invokes this aspect,
another aspect that requires 1 action to invoke must also be invoked, either
by the Arcanist or an ally, to be stored in the enchanted item. The enchanted
item may then invoke the aspect on a character bearing that item when a
condition is met, determined at the time of enchanting. For example, the
Arcanist may enchant a shield with the Zealot’s Mend Wounds to be invoked
when it’s bearer drops below a predefined number of HP. Any enchantments
fade at the next camp.
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4. Prescience
Duration: Instantaneous
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Arcanist receives glimpses of the future. To represent this, the
Arcanist’s player may ask the DM up to three yes-or-no questions, which must
be answered truthfully.

5. Conjure Tool
Duration: 10 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Arcanist pulls a simple tool from their mind into reality. This aspect
creates a high quality specimen of a single device capable of being carried in
one hand. A hatchet, a saw, or an awl are appropriate examples. Even a specific
tool – like a screwdriver for a strange screwhead – can be conjured. The conjured
item vanishes at the end of the aspect’s duration.

6. Lightning Bolt
Duration: Instantaneous
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: A bolt of energy leaps from the Arcanist’s fingers with the potential to
leap between foes. The Arcanist makes an attack which does 1d10 damage.
Hit or miss, they may spend a point of Insight to make the bolt leap to another
target. Resolve each attack and damage roll separately.

7. Dominate Will
Duration: 3 Rounds
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Arcanist’s will subsumes the mind of another. The Arcanist targets
one creature that can hear them. For the duration of this aspect the Arcanist’s
body is immobile as they control the body of their target. On the Arcanist’s
initiative, they can use their action to control the target. No further aspects
may be invoked during this time, nor can any action be taken that requires
specialized knowledge or training the Arcanist themself does not possess.

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8. Blink
Duration: Instantaneous
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Arcanist reaches their destination without traveling the space
intervening. When this aspect is invoked, the Arcanist immediately teleports
to a place of their choosing they can see.

9. Telekinesis
Duration: 1 Minute
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Arcanist projects their influence beyond their physical self. While
this aspect is invoked, the arcanist can manipulate objects or creatures they
can see within the limitations of their own Strength and Dexterity. This force
may operate freely in three dimensions.

10. Animate
Duration: 4 Hhours
Time to invoke: 10 Minutes
Effect: The Arcanist breathes life into the inanimate. The object gains the
ability to move its parts as a person operating it could, as well as a limited
means of locomotion (a table could walk on its legs, for example.) The object
obeys verbal orders from the Arcanist to the best of its ability, with the range of
understanding of a well-trained dog.

n
The Knave

1. Invisibility
Duration: 10 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Knave cloaks themself in shadow, vanishing from sight. Sensory
perception fails to register their presence, as well as subtle activity they conduct
(opening doors, turning pages in a book, etc.) Any action the Knave takes that
calls attention to themself immediately ends the invisibility.

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2. Sneak Attack
Duration: Until next camp
Time to invoke: 1 Minute
Effect: The Knave sees opportunity laid out before them and strikes without
remorse. While this aspect is invoked, fate twists in subtle ways to open holes
in an enemy’s defense. They pay attention to the Knave’s allies more than the
Knave themself, make crucial mistakes in footing, forget to oil their blades, etc.
During one combat, a to-hit roll of 16+ represents a crippling blow. If the attack
hits, the damage roll is doubled. The Knave can choose to forgo the attack’s
damage to put the enemy at a disadvantage (blinding a cyclops’ eye, knocking a
giant prone, disarming a bandit’s weapon, etc.)

3. Freedom of Movement
Duration: 1 Minute
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Knave is free to go wherever they please. While this invocation is
active, the Knave cannot be restrained in any way. Existing shackles fall off, and
grapples end immediately. Even gravity cannot constrain the Knave, and they
may walk on walls and ceilings as if they were solid ground.

4. Silence
Duration 10 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: Originating from a point in the Knave’s line of sight and extending 30
feet in every direction, no sound can propagate. Magics that require spoken
word do not function. While in this area, nothing can produce or suffer from
sonic forms of damage. As an action, the Knave can move the center of this area
to another point they can see.

5. Steal Vitality
Duration: Instantaneous
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Knave respects no right to ownership but their own, and steals the
very life essence from their opponent. The Knave makes an attack to which the
opponent enjoys no AC benefit from armor or shields. On a hit, the Knave does
1d6 damage to the target, and heals that much damage from themself.

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6. Unfasten
Duration: Instantaneous
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Knave defies all barriers. When this aspect is invoked, the Knave
causes a closed passage, be it locked, stuck, or mystically warded, to open. This
aspect may even restore life to inactive portals for a round. Alternatively, the
Knave may target a piece of equipment carried on a character’s belt and cause it
to immediately fall to the ground.

7. Defy Consequence
Duration: Instantaneous
Time to invoke: Reflexive
Effect: The Knave answers an unexpected threat by retroactively anticipating it.
Invoke this aspect when the Knave sets off a trap or stumbles into an ambush.
Instead, they do not take the triggering action. They have a flash of insight of
what will happen (or has happened), and may proceed with that knowledge.

8. False Appearance
Duration: 1 Hour
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Knave appears as another creature of their choosing, as large as double
and as small as half their own size. This disguise holds up to sensory scrutiny,
even mimicking body language or verbal inflections the Knave themself may
be unaware of, though does not impart any other special knowledge.

9. Goad
Duration: 1 Round
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Knave incites a target to blind rage. If combat has not yet begun,
roll initiative immediately. On their next action, the target of this aspect must
attempt a melee attack the Knave, ignoring all social convention or harm that
might befall them as they attempt to engage the Knave.

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10. Illusory Image
Duration: 30 Minutes
Time to invoke: 1 Action
Effect: The Knave produces an illusion, no larger than 10’x10’x10’. The illusion
can be of anything desired, and fools all sensory input, but is immaterial.
For instance, if one were to reach out and touch an illusory wall, they would
feel its texture, but pushing against it would reveal it as false. The Knave
may manipulate the illusion’s sensible properties in real time, as to give the
appearance of motion or speech, but it may not leave the 10’x10’x10’ area in
which it was originally created

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Things in the Dungeon
Anything and everything that has passed on from the world of the living exists
in the Dungeon in some form. Some things altogether new have emerged from
its strange ecologies. The world forgets details and invents new ones; it blends
events together into hybrid memories like people pretend they do not.

Denizens
Note that denizens of the dungeon do not make saving throws as PC’s do. When
targeted with an Aspect or in any other circumstance necessitating a saving
throw, NPC’s have a constant DC to roll against instead of one that changes due
to the nature of the challenge. Of course, the DM is encouraged to modify this
roll by +/-3 in exceptional circumstance.

Yusuf Ringsmith

m
A ring is a symbol of eternity, a closed loop with no end or
beginning. They are used to convey matters of deep personal
importance: the bond of matrimony to the wedded, the proud
heritage of a noble, or the duty of a knight to their order. It is
no wonder they are used so frequently to bind magic power.
A skilled smith can keep a blessing or curse trapped inside
the infinity of a ring to confer its magics onto wearers for
eternity. Yusuf is a woman who wanders the Dungeon in
search of rings to better her understanding of the eternity
they represent.

There is disagreement on whether Yusuf is alive or dead. She is never seen


without a mask, but its unfamiliar style has sparked debate whether it is
perhaps something she was buried in, or if she bears a heroic archetype as of yet
unknown, and what implications that may hold. The rest of her form is hidden
beneath deep viridian silks, a sari, a shawl, and gloves that run to her shoulders.
But inevitably the eye is drawn to her fingers, crammed to capacity with bands
and emotive as any face on her otherwise still countenance. None understand
the full extent of power her collection affords her, but it would take a special
sort of fool to test it.

Yusuf’s pursuit extends beyond the power of any one ring, and into the nature
of infinity itself; individual rings are simply specimens for greater study. In
exchange for a ring, or something truly eternal, she may be persuaded to trade
one from her collection, or forge a new one, binding something into perpetuity.

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The following is a list of examples of items that bear her maker’s mark:

◊ A loop of hair, containing a warlock’s true name to keep it safe from


demons who would seek to use it against him.

◊ A hundred phylacteries. Yusuf’s art has made her famous among


aspiring liches.

◊ A band of iron thorns, when worn allows the wearer to die and restore
the life of someone recently dead.

◊ A ring that ensures audiences never forget tales of personal glory


recounted by the wearer. A wedding gift for the king of giants.

◊ The ring-prison of Death by Loneliness. While imprisoned, Solitude does


not kill, but the pain persists long beyond what man was meant to endure.
(13d8 HD, +4 Initiative, AC 16, Saves against DC 7. Yusuf makes no weapon
attacks, but may invoke Lightning Bolt as an Arcanist spending 2 Insight once
per turn, DC 17. These statistics reflect the powers bestowed on her by a basic
array of magical rings, DMs are encouraged to modify this with other rings as
they see fit.)

The Barberians

Through the passage of millennia history forgets beginnings and endings, and
strange hybrids emerge in the Dungeon. In the Underworld, the savage bearded
folk who waged bloody war against civilization are remembered no differently
than the beard-trimming bloodletters that share their names. They are known
by their gore-stained smocks and woad-painted, impeccably coiffed faces.

These wild men are unpredictable, their dual-natures forming mongrel


motives unknowable to outside minds. Belligerent ululations might be offers
to sew shut wounds while a four-part harmony may be a call to pillage. When
friendly enough to barter they deal in odd trophies; locks of hair, teeth, bezoars,
and kidney stones which they may exchange for information, protection, or
primitive surgery. Rumors suggest they know secrets of weaving mystical knots
into hair that bolster battle prowess and deaden pain, though if they do they do
not share them with outsiders.

(2d12 HD, +1 Init, AC 12, +2 to hit, 1d12+3 dmg (Battleaxe) or 1d4/1d20 on an


unmodified to-hit roll of 20 (Clippers and Razors). Saves against DC 12. Mystic
beard-arts prevent Barberians from falling unconscious until -3 HP, but they
lose this ability if their hair is cut.)

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Goblins

There have been few peoples misunderstood by history so much as the goblins.
Considered to be little more than vermin for millennia by most of civilization,
and even remarkably stupid and pitiable by their sympathizers, it was not until
the fourth dynasty of the Last Empire that they were recognized for what they
had always been; a race of natural philosophers.

A curiosity of the goblin genetics was what laid the foundations for ages of
untoward cruelty. Goblins, moreso than any sentient race, are possessed of a
remarkably plastic genome. In even less than a single generation, their DNA
could mutate within themselves to make them more fit for environments
encountered earlier in the same lifetime. While this led to unsightly cosmetic
mutations that would later earn them revulsion from other races, it gave
them an unparalleled advantage in the earliest years of the world. Without
concern for disease or famine, they quickly found the time for introspection
and contemplation of the universe other sentient creatures took centuries
to achieve.

This ease of survival brought about a unique sort of culture. Concepts like
hygiene were never developed, because there was no need for them. Bodily
functions were never given cause to become taboo because of their uncleanliness.
Their rapid evolution became fundamental to their philosophies, holding that
to understand the world they must experience as much of it as possible; a feat
made possible by their adaptability. By the time the elves were carving their
first bows, goblin civilization had spread across the globe.

When the other races of the world reached a point where they could recognize
what goblins had achieved, they were disgusted. Goblinkind was anathema to
everything that constituted early civilization; achievements like hygiene and
horticulture separated man and dwarf and gnome from animals, and when
those were found to be absent in goblins, they were treated no differently.
Language too was a confounding barrier, as the goblin tolerance of bodily norms
incorporated fundamental acts like procreation or defecation into idioms as
naturally as other languages spoke of breathing or walking. This, along with
the deeply metaphorical nature of a language of philosophers, caused them to
be considered juvenile and barbaric for thousands of years thereafter.

So the majority of the world eschewed meaningful dialogue with goblins,


while goblins pitied the feeble minds of those who would seek comfort and
and wealth over enlightenment, each civilization not recognizing the other as
civilization at all. It was not until the days the gathered races of the Last Empire
had done away with hunger and disease themselves that it was realized there
was ever such a base misunderstanding. But it is as the goblins say, ‘One who
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spit on broodmother try to eat with butt,’ or those who seek to flourish without
learning from their ancestors are making an effort in futility.

(2d4 HD, +2 to Init, AC 13, 1d4+1 dmg (rudimentary spears and knives), Saves
against DC 11)

The Dead and Undead

Nearly all of the Dungeon’s denizens are dead. With the exception of memories
fabricated by the world’s ancient mind, the inhabitants of the Underworld are
creatures that have walked the earth, died, and persist as they are remembered.
Frequently the dead are caricatures of their living selves, their complexity faded
over the course of ages. They are stagnant, incapable of learning or changing in
any but superficial ways. Most dead are capable of carrying on a conversation,
though they tend to be repetitive. Of course some exceptional dead, particularly
those possessed of great willpower in life, are more dynamic than their
sepulchral peers.
The dead are varied as the living, but are not to be mistaken for the undead that
suffuse the Dungeon. Distinct from the dead who lived their lives and died, the
undead are those who ceased to truly live before dying. The world remembers
them without life, and now in the Underworld they attain new depths of death
altogether. Below are some examples of the undead:

Zombies – a wide majority of undead are zombies, those whose lives were lived
without passion or ambition. Those who toiled without love for what they did,
not for survival or the betterment of their world or for hope, but because toil
was easier than taking charge of their fate, continue to drift aimlessly through
death as they did through life. Zombies are popularly used as menial laborers in
the Dungeon, but may become violent if unfed.

(1d6 HD +2 HP, -1 to init, AC 8, -1 to attack, 1d4-1 dmg (min 1, Teeth and Claws),
Saves against DC 7.)

Ghosts – they are defined by a period in their lives they never let go of. Failed
but fondly remembered romances, glories of youth never again attained in
adulthood, and unfulfilled grudges, for instance, are all common causes of
ghosts. In the Dungeon they persist as immaterial echoes, like the memories
they would not move on from.

(3d8 HD, +1 to init, 10 AC, +2 to attack, 1d6 dmg (Necrotizing Touch), Saves
against DC 11. Ghosts take 1 damage from physical weapons. A ghost can take
an action to possess a target (Save DC 13), but while in a body takes all damage
the body does.)

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Vampires – hedonists who become lost in their vices, whose indulgences lost
their pleasure but never their force of habit, find their insatiable thirst follow
them beyond the grave. Vampires are considerably more intelligent than most
undead, and even many of the Dungeon’s regular dead, but are consumed with
the urge to seek new thrills, a feat which only becomes harder throughout their
endless existence. Consuming a life, an altogether unique bouquet of memories
and experiences, is the highest pleasure most vampires hope to attain, though
even this indulgence is short-lived, and more and more must die in their fangs
to attain the thrill again.

(8d10 HD, +3 to init, 16 AC, +6 to attack, 2d6+2 dmg)

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Treasures
Scrolls and Spellbooks
Even before the invention of written language, it has been understood that
graven symbols hold power. The earliest peoples drew images on cave walls to
lend them luck and strength on their hunts. Scroll-magic is the same practice
given millennia of refinement, famous for its utility in the days of the Last
Empire. Rather than rely on a those rare masters of the arcane arts for feats
of thaumaturgy, a school of rune-scribes could produce scrolls to fill a client’s
specific needs and leave the cost of ritual and sacrifice to the end user.
Scrolls are single-use, and require some form ritual or sacrifice to activate.
Frequently scrolls require blood or the magical charge of an Aspect’s invocation
to use, though many exist that require more esoteric components. Because
scrolls were built for a singular purpose, they tend to fill more specialized role
than the magics offered by Aspects. Examples of the sort of magic typically
found in scrolls include:

◊ Stone to Flesh: designed as a medusa counteragent, popular for quick, if


not messy, excavation.

◊ Filibuster: the caster cannot be made to stop talking for 12 hours, by any
means, even their own exhaustion.

◊ Chest to Mimic: transforms a chest into a shapeshifting ambush predator.


Remains dormant for an hour for ease of transportation.

◊ Bleed Rope: the caster opens a wound on their own body, from which flows
sturdy rope. 25’ per HP spent.

◊ Bibliophagia: the caster gains the temporary ability to understand written


word of any language or code by eating it. May have unintended effects
with scrolls.

◊ Enticing Scent: target creature smells powerfully delicious to all creatures


capable of smelling it.

◊ Murksight: cloudy or opaque fluids become crystal clear to the caster.

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