J

Fell

Playing the Game

Tasks

A task is any action you attempt to do. If you have plenty of time, appropriate skills, and there is no threat of danger, you simply say what you do and find out what happens.

Tests

Whenever you attempt a task where the outcome is uncertain and potentially dangerous, learn what could go wrong, then roll a test.

Roll your relevant attribute die. Compare the result to the difficulty number (DN), which is usually 4.

If you meet or exceed the difficulty number, the test passes. Otherwise, the test fails. You might still succeed at the task, but there will be trouble.

Help

When someone else attempts a task and it makes sense for you to do so, you may help if you have a relevant skill, granting them advantage on their test. If they fail, trouble is coming for you as well.

Contests

When you attempt a task and someone else opposes you, it's a contest. You each roll as normal. Whoever has the highest result wins. In a tie, a die higher up the ladder beats a lower one.

Advantage and Disadvantage

Rolls can have advantage (ADV) or disadvantage (DIS). With advantage, roll an additional die and keep the higher result. With disadvantage, roll an additional die and keep the lower result.

Empaired and Enhanced

Rolls can be impaired (IMP) or enhanced (ENH). Impaired rolls use lower dice. Enhanced rolls use higher dice.

Dice Ladder

When a rule or the referee instructs you to raise or lower your dice a number of steps higher or lower, move up or down the rungs of the dice ladder:

d4 → d6 → d8 → d10 → d12

If a die would be lowered below a d4, you cannot roll it. If it would be raised above a d12, gain advantage.

Skills

When you roll a test using your skills, your roll is enhanced by one step for each applicable skill.

Whenever you roll a test to attempt a task that someone with your background would reasonably be good at, you may add it as an additional skill.

You can know a number of skills equal to your INT.

Spells

When you spend several uninterrupted minutes in concentration, you may simply cast a spell. But to cast a spell in a hurry or when under threat, you must roll a WIL test.

If you fail the test, choose one:

If a spell is aimed at an unwilling target, they may turn your test into a contest.

You can know a number of spells equal to your WIL.

Item Slots

You have twice your STR in item slots. When carrying more, you have disadvantage and your HP is zero. You can never carry more than double your slots. Smaller items can be bundled together. Every hundred coins-worth of treasure and coins fills one slot. Bulky items fill two slots and generally require two hands to carry or wield.

Luck

When the way in which the world reacts to you is uncertain, the referee will roll a luck die—usually a d6. Higher is better. Lower is worse.

A luck die may be rolled...

Detachments

Groups of similar NPCs acting together are treated as a single detachment. Their attacks have advantage against individuals and have blast. Attacks against them made by individuals have disadvantage unless they have blast.

Turns and Rounds

Time is tracked in turns and rounds. During a round, everyone takes a turn.

During an encounter, a round lasts long enough for everyone to perform a task and traverse a room—about ten seconds. PCs act first and as a group, taking their turns together. When surprised, roll a DEX contest to determine if you can act during the first round.

While exploring, a round lasts long enough for everyone to perform a few tasks and investigate an area, to cast a spell, or to rest—about ten minutes.

When traveling, a round lasts long enough to traverse three miles of easy terrain at a steady pace—about one hour.

Hirelings

Hirelings are non-protagonist characters (NPCs) you can employ to carry your burdens and assist you in your endeavors. Hirelings are created just like PCs. When performing a relevant task, your hirelings may help just as another PC would.

Hirelings take an equal share of any plunder, minus their upfront daily fee. If this fee is not paid in advance, you must roll a WIL contest whenever asking a hireling to do something dangerous.

You can employ a number of hirelings equal to your WIL.

Reactions

When you encounter an NPC whose disposition towards you is not obvious, roll your WIL to determine their reaction.

Leverage

If you have leverage and apply it, you may improve an NPC's reaction by winning a WIL contest.

Attacks

To attack, roll your weapon's damage die and subtract your opponents armor. Deal what's left as harm—first to HP, then to STR.

When more than one person attacks a single target or when attacking with multiple weapons, roll all dice and use the highest single die result. Then add one harm for each attacker beyond the first.

Armor

Armor (A) subtracts from harm to HP and can never be increased beyond 3.

Blast

Blast causes harm to multiple targets in close proximity, rolling separately for each. If unsure how many targets are affected, roll the weapon's die.

Morale

When you defeat the first enemy or an enemy leader, reduce their force by half, or reduce a lone enemy's HP to zero, roll a WIL contest to check their morale. If you win, roll your WIL to see what the surviving enemies do.

Deprivation and Fatigue

When you are deprived of a crucial need (such as food, water, warmth, or sleep), you cannot regain HP or restore attributes.

When you are deprived for longer than a day, you become fatigued and must make all tests impaired. Each additional day you are deprived makes the impairement worse.

You may remove one level of fatigue for each night of comfortable rest on a full stomach.

Harm and Death

Harm subtracts from HP. Once out of HP, harm becomes critical harm and may lower a relevant attribute.

When you take critical harm, roll a test with the affected attribute. If you fail, lower the attribute one step—you’re taken out of the fight and will die without treatment.

When an attribute would be lowered below d4 from critical harm, you are dead.

Healing and Rest

Healing recovers HP and restores attributes.

Whenever you take several minutes to rest, recover all your HP. After a full week of rest and appropriate care, raise a lowered attribute by one step.

Advancement

When you return to relative safety bearing significant plunder gained through deadly peril, it may be possible to advance. If your hoard is worth...