Drifter Basic Rules

SURVIVAL
DISCIPLINE

Skills that are used for camping and surviving in the wilderness.
• Cook: Preparing various ingredients to make a meal.
• Craft: Creating objects in a given art or trade.
• Forage: Finding food, water, and shelter.
• Fortitude: Capacity to resist physical punishment, poison, and
disease.
• Heal: Treating injuries, poison, and disease.
• Nature: Understanding the natural world and predicting the
weather.
• Sneak: Moving around unnoticed or unseen.
• Track: Following and identifying tracks.

51

TALENTS

Special actions that your drifter can learn and perform are known as
Talents. In order to use a Talent you must have it slotted onto your Ability
Bar. Talents are broken up by discipline, and then broken further up into
three categories. These categories are:

• General Talents
• Dash Talents
• Passive Talents
When you create your character, you’ll start out with 3 Talents. These
can be any of the Talents from the list in this chapter. It’s important to
note that:
• You can only slot up to 2 Talents from each discipline.
• Your specialized discipline has no such limitation.
• You must know a Talent to slot it.
• Talents can only be slotted into the Ability Bar during the

Downtime Phase (unless granted as a reward).
• Talents can be purchased with gearbits as part of character

advancement.

For instance, a Warrior (specialized in the Combat discipline) can slot in
as many Combat Talents as they like into their Ability Bar. However, a
Versifier would be restricted to having at most 2 Combat Talents slotted
at the same time.

READING AN TALENT

Talents have quite a bit of information surrounding them, letting you
know which phase they can be used in, how they can be used, any relevant
range, or other details of the Talent. Each Talent follows a similar format:

TALENT TYPE Talent Name DISCIPLINE

RESOURCE COST | SPECIAL | RANGE

Passive: Description of any passive abilities.
Effect: Description of any effects.

Fortune: A Fortune outcome
Temperance: A Temperance outcome
Judgment: A Judgment outcome

Talent Type: Which slot in your Ability Bar the Talent can go in (General
Talents, Dash Talents, or Passive Talents).

Discipline: The discipline associated with the Talent and, if necessary,
when rolling determines which thresholds to roll against.

Resource Cost: The resource cost you need to pay (if any) to activate the
Talent’s effect

Special: A series of keywords that provides quick information about the
Talent. This could include:

• Buff: Provides a benefit to you or your allies.
• Denial: Manipulate or deny adversary abilities.
• Push: Moves allies or adversaries.
• Reaction: An effect that can be used outside of the turn order, given

the right trigger (such as before an ally takes damage).
• Passive: An effect that does not require activation.

Range: How far the ability can reach, intended primarily for the Combat
Phase. Close means those targets in your tile. Range 1 means those
targets 1 tile away. Range 2 means those targets 2 tiles away.

Effect: The broad description of what the Talent does. Some Talents can
only be used in certain phases, and will replace “Effect” with the phase
the Talent can be used in.

Outcome: If a roll is necessary in the Talent’s use, this will inform the
outcomes for each of the thresholds.

Damage: In many cases, damage a Talent can inf lict will be listed as a f lat
number, or using the damage of the weapon being used, represented
by [w].

ConMseaqnuyenabceilsit[i◈es]w: AillnhyaCveotnhseeqfoulelonwceisnggeicnoenrastneedxbt ytouasitnhgretshhioslTd:alent.

• [m+exa◈ns]:t hUatse"xd" explicitly for the Combat Phase. This notation
is added to the adversary’s Consequence Pool
after this Talent is used (that is, the points adversaries spend to
perform actions. See "Adversary Actions" on page 118.
• o[◈u+tcxo]moer t[o◈u−sxi]n:gAa modifier to the Consequence Level of the
skill or discipline for this Talent.

53

TALENT LIST

COMBAT | GENERAL

C on f i de n c eGEN ER AL COMBAT
+ 1 WOE

Effect: You can move one skill from the Social discipline to the Combat disci-
pline. This effect lasts until the next Downtime Phase.

Cleav eGENERAL COMBAT
+ 2 ENERGY | CLOSE

Combat Phase: Deal damage to each adversary in your tile.
Fortune: Deal 1[w] damage

Temperance: Deal 1[w]−1 damage [+1 ]

◈◈Judgment: Deal 1[w]−1 damage [+2 ]

Full DefenseGENERAL COMBAT
+ 2 ENERGY | DENIAL | CLOSE

Combat Phase: Gain a temporary pool of points that can be spent as a reaction to

block attacks made against you and your allies. To block an attack, spend

a number of points equal to the attack’s total damage. If this Talent is

used to help an ally, you must be in the same tile as the ally. The pool of

points lasts until the end of the Combat Phase.

Fortune: 4+[Shield] points [+ 1 ◈◈]]
Temperance: 3+[Shield] points [+ 2
Judgment: 3+[Shield] points

I m pa i rGEN ER AL COMBAT
+ 2 ENERGY | DENIAL | CLOSE

Combat Phase: Deal damage to your target. Reduce the amount of Health and

Energy damage the target deals. This effect lasts until after the target's

next turn.

Fortune: 1[w]+1 damage, −2 damage [+ ◈◈]]
[+
Temperance: 1[w] damage, −1 damage 1
Judgment: 1[w] damage, −1 damage 2

54

COMBAT | PASSIVE

Lone WolfPASSIVE COMBAT
PA S S I V E

Passive: During the Combat Phase, if you start your turn in a tile with no allies
present, gain the following:
• Recover 1 point of your Protection Armor pool.
• Gain a +1 damage token that you spend to to increase the total damage
dealt from an attack. These tokens expire at the end of the combat
phase and can only be spent if you and your target do not share a tile
with any of your allies.

COMBAT | DASH

I m pa l eDASH COMBAT
1 DASH | PUSH

Combat Phase: Pick a target in your tile. Move yourself and your target 1 tile
towards the edge of the board and deal 2[w] damage to the target. If
there is another adversary in the destination tile, deal 1[w] to that adver-

◈sary as well. [+1 ]

55

SOCIAL | GENERAL

GENERAL Coordinate Attack SOCIAL
+ 2 ENERGY | BUFF | RANGE 1

Combat Phase: Target an adversary in range. Before the start of your next turn,
each ally gains a one-time bonus to their attack rolls and damage when
attacking the target adversary.

Fortune: +3 attack, +2 damage

Temperance: +2 attack, +1 damage [+1 ]

◈◈Judgment: +2 attack, +1 damage [+2 ]
R elieveGENERAL SOCIAL

+ 2 WOE

Passive: When using the Empathy skill, reduce your Fortune threshold by 3.
Effect: If this ability can resolve a burden, it does so. Otherwise, it will negate

the effects of that burden for this phase and the following two phases.

Friendly FaceGENERAL SOCIAL
+ 2 WOE

Effect: Your drifter soon crosses paths with someone they know. Work with the
narrator to collaborate on a helpful NPC that your drifter can run into.

Inspir eGENERAL SOCIAL
+ 2 WOE | RANGE 1

Effect: Each ally in your tile and in single tile within range regains 3 Energy.

◈For the rest of this phase, reduce all Temperance thresholds by 2. [+1 ]

Note: This talent can only be used once per turn.

56

Tau n tGEN ER AL SOCIAL
+2 ENERGY | DENIAL | RANGE 1

Combat Phase: Pick an adversary in range. Until the end of the Combat Phase,
you can change which drifter the adversary is attacking (which may
change which attack it uses, as so long as its in range). This change of
target can be done as a reaction.

Fortune: 3 actions

Temperance: 3 actions [+1 ]

◈◈Judgment: 2 actions [+2 ]

SOCIAL | PASSIVE

P i d g i nPAS SI V E SOCI A L
PA S S I V E

Passive: You can easily exchange basic ideas with someone who does not speak
the same tongue as you.

SOCIAL | DASH

R ecallDASH SOCIAL
1 DASH | REACTION

Effect: When making a Social discipline roll, you can spend a Dash to reduce
Fortune and Temperance thresholds by 2.

57

MANIPULATE | GENERAL

Deflective ShieldGENERAL MANIPULATE
+ 2 ENERGY

Combat Phase: Gain temporary Protection Armor pool points that last until the

end of the Combat Phase. In addition, until the end of the Combat Phase

any damage absorbed by your Protection Armor pool is dealt back to it's

attacker.

Fortune: 3+[shield] points [+ 1 ◈◈]]
Temperance: 2+[shield] points [+ 2
Judgment: 2+[shield] points

Hex BurstGENERAL MANIPULATE
+ 2 ENERGY | RANGE 1

Effect: Create an explosion of hyper light at the target location.

Combat Phase: Deal damage to both, allies and adversaries in the target tile.
Fortune: Deal 5 damage [+1
]
◈Temperance: Deal 4 damage [+1 ]
◈◈Judgment: Deal 4 damage [+2 ]

Intimidating PowerGENERAL MANIPULATE
+ 1 WOE

Passive: Move your drifter’s Intimidate skill to the Manipulate discipline.
Effect: Make a display of power that intimidates or strikes fear into an audi-

ence. If the target audience has a Social discipline modifier, pay
additional Woe equal to that modifier.

P us hGEN ER A L M A N I PU LAT E
+ 2 ENERGY | RANGE 1

Effect: Forcefully push objects away from you. If the object is particularly

heavy or complex, the narrator may ask you to make a Manipulate roll to

achieve the outcome sought after.

Combat Phase: Push all adversaries out of your tile. The narrator determines

which tiles the adversaries are moved into.
◈Temperance: [+1[+1
Fortune: ]
◈◈Judgment: [+2 ]
]

58

MANIPULATE | PASSIVE

Te l e p ortPAS SI V E M A N I PU L AT E
PA S S I V E

Passive: You can safely activate teleporters and repair them if you have the right
parts. However, you cannot determine where a teleporter’s destination
may be until you step through it.

Exploration Phase: When starting a delve, gain use of one of the teleporter cards.
At any point during the card placement process, you can choose to place
this card down next to a revealed tile.

Travel Phase: You can take on 4 Woe to place a teleporter on the map as a hex
feature.

MANIPULATE | DASH

A na ly s c a nDASH MAN I PU LATE
1 DASH | RANGE 1

Effect: Pick any target in range. The narrator will give you a piece of infor-
mation about the target’s codex entry. You can learn about the target’s
attacks and defenses, or learn about any gear and equipment the target
would usually possess.

59

EXPLORATION | GENERAL

Light Br idgeGENERAL EXPLORATION
2 COMPONENTS

Effect: If you come across a gap in the terrain you are exploring, you can clear
that distance by creating a light bridge using Components. The creation
of the light bridge costs following:

- 2 Components for up to a short distance (~50 ft | ~15 m)
- 4 Components for up to a medium distance (~100 ft | ~30 m)
- 6 Components for up to a long distance (~200 ft | ~60 m)
Combat Phase: Connect 2 tiles that have an open edge. Anyone can use this

bridge to move between the connected tiles using movement actions.

Night SightGENERAL EXPLORATION
1 COMPONENT

Passive: As long as you have 4 Components, you and your allies are equipped to
see in the dark.

Effect: Grant yourself or an ally improved senses. Until the end of the phase,
the target gains +1 to attack rolls and sensory-related skill rolls.

S coutGENERAL EXPLORATION
2 DOWNTIME SLOTS

Passive: Gain +2 bonus to Awareness skill checks.
Travel Phase: Pick three connected hexes extending out from your position on

the hex-map. For each hex, the narrator reveals either the hex event, hex
feature, or the adversity level for that hex (player’s choice of which).

War p Terr ainGENERAL EXPLORATION
2 COMPONENTS | RANGE 1

Effect: Create a small area of difficult terrain that hampers the movement of

those passing through.

Combat Phase: Pick 2 tiles in range. Any ally or adversary who wants to move in

and out of those tiles must pay additional Energy (drifter) or CP (adver-

sary) to do so.
Fortune: + 0 energy | +2 CP
Temperance: + 1 energy | +2 CP [+1 ◈◈ ]
Judgment: + 1 energy | +1 CP [+2 ]

60

EXPLORATION | PASSIVE

Safer PathPASSIVE EXPLORATION
PA S S I V E

Passive: For each hex you travel in the Travel Phase (or montage round), gain a
reroll token that you can use or give to your allies.
This token can be used to reroll any skill or discipline check and
keep either result rolled. The tokens expire when the you enter the
Downtime Phase.

EXPLORATION | DASH

Alternate RouteDASH EXPLORATION
1 DASH

Passive: Increase your Resistance Armor pool by 2.
Exploration Phase: Generate a "secret passage" card and place it in next to any

revealed delve card.

61

SURVIVAL | GENERAL

A l ar mGENERAL SURVIVAL
1 COMPONENT

Passive: While camping and resting in the Downtime Phase, your party cannot be
ambushed (though you can still be attacked or interrupted).

Effect: Set an area with an alarm trigger. When it’s triggered by an intruder,
you’ll be notified of the trigger.

Behind You!GENERAL SURVIVAL
+1 WOE | REACTION | RANGE 1

Effect: Before an ally takes damage, as a reaction you can spend points from
your Resistance Armor pool to absorb that damage.

E n ta n g l e m e n tGEN ER AL SURV I VAL
+ 2 ENERGY | RANGE 1

Effect: Pick an area to set a trap. The first target that enters this area or tile will
fall into the trap and become rooted or trapped for a short time.

Combat Phase: Pick a tile in range to set a trap. The first adversary that enters
this tile falls into the trap and is rooted until they spend enough CP
(determined below) to unbind themselves (this does not count against

◈the adversaries CP spending limit). [+1 ]

Fortune: 3 CP
Temperance: 2 CP
Judgment: 2 CP

Get the Upper HandGENERAL SURVIVAL
+2 WOE | BUFF | REACTION

Passive: When entering the Combat Phase, start on any tile and gain a +1 bonus to
your first attack and damage.

Combat Phase: Extend your passive bonus to all your allies and increase the

◈bonus to +3. [+2 ]

62

SURVIVAL | PASSIVE

Hunter's QuarryPASSIVE SURVIVAL
PA S S I V E

Passive: After interacting with an target you can mark them as your quarry. It
can be a specific individual or creature, or a group of creatures, such
as crystal spiders or dirks. When using skills from Survival Discipline,
increase your boost scores by 1 (for the purposes of boosting your roll)

Combat Phase: When attacking your quarry deal an additional +1 damage.

SURVIVAL | DASH

S ig na lDASH SURV I VA L
2 DASHES

Effect: Create a signal that can be seen and received by your intended recip-
ient. The recipient will understand the general message included with
your signal.

63

EQUIPMENT

Drifters will often need to draw on particular gear to aid them in their
adventures. Drifters are considered to have access to any general gear that
they need to survive and explore in the wilderness. This might be the sorts
of things like flashlights, tents, rope, grapnels and so on. These items
are not considered to have any mechanical benefit in Drifter. There are,
however, specific equipment items that do confer a mechanical benefit,
and these items need to be slotted in by a drifter to have them available.

EQUIPMENT SLOTS

Much like your Talent List and Ability Bar, equipment uses the same
idea of having a pool of equipment available but only a certain number of
slots to place these in ready for use. This represents that in the heat of
battle, or other tense situations, where you may have some equipment that
you can’t easily ready or get access to, but other items are equipped in a
way that you can quickly take them out and utilize.

Your drifter starts with 4 equipment slots, and you’ll be able to unlock
further slots as your character undergoes advancement.

If you want to change which items are in your equipment slots, you can
only do so during the Downtime Phase using [Swap Loadout] (a 0-slot
Downtime activity).

GEARBITS

Gearbits (gb) are a form of currency used in the world of Drifter. As your
drifter adventures, you may collect gearbits that you can use to purchase
character advancements and equipment.

It’s important to remember that all equipment purchased is more or less a
permanent improvement to your character. Similar to character advance-
ments, purchasing equipment is a different kind of investment that
improves your drifter.

EQUIPMENT SETS

Starting drifters each have access to one equipment set. Choose one of the
below equipment sets for your drifter to begin the game with.

BULWARK SET HAVOC SET
• 1 x Melee weapon or ranged • 1 x Melee weapon or ranged
weapon (1-slot weapon only) weapon (1-slot weapon only)
• 1 x Protective Armor • 1 x Explosive
• 1 x Small Shield • 1 x Small Shield

CARETAKER SET SURVIVOR SET
• 1 x Melee weapon or ranged • 2 x Melee weapons or ranged
weapon (1-slot weapon only) weapons (1-slot weapon only)
• 2 x Stimpack • 1 x Versatile Armor

CAUTION SET
• Pick one:
• 2 x Melee weapons or
ranged weapons (1-slot
weapon only)
• 1 x Melee weapon or
ranged weapon (2-slot
weapon only)
• 1 x Small Shield

65

WEAPONS

Weapons can take many shapes and forms, and you can customize how
they appear to allow you to create the weapons you want your character
to wield.
Each weapon follows a similar format and has the following features:

• Damage: How much damage the weapon does in combat. This is
indicated on abilities by [w].

• Slot Size: How many equipment slots the weapon takes up in
order to be ready for use. The slot size corresponds both to weapon
damage and how many hands it takes to wield it.

• Weapon Range: The distance the weapon can reach in combat.
In the Combat Phase, weapon range includes Close, Range 1, and
Range 2.

• Weapon Special: Any interesting quirk or ability that your weapon
has. This can be a physical trait of the weapon or even something
that’s part of the weapons distinct fighting style.

66

CRAFTING YOUR WEAPON

1. WEAPON TYPE
Weapons come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so the first question is: in
what manner does your drifter wield their weapon?

• One-handed weapon:
• S tarting Damage: 2
• Slot size: 1

Examples: Hard-light sword, blaster pistol

• Two-handed weapon:
• Starting Damage: 3
• Slot size: 2

Examples: Pulsing halberd, arc thrower

2. WEAPON RANGE
Weapons come in a variety of shapes, styles, and even types of outputs.
Each weapon in the game has a range trait, determining how many tiles
from your position you can strike an adversary: with Close being the tile
you’re in, Range 1 allowing you to strike an adversary in a tile adjacent to
yours, and Range 2 allowing you to strike adversaries from 2 tiles away
from your position.

• Close: Damage modifier +1
• Range 1: Damage modifier +0
• Range 2: Damage modifier ‒1
3. WEAPON SPECIAL
Every weapon has its own quirk, style, or advantage. These are captured in
a weapon trait. These are minor abilities that help accentuate your weap-
on’s manufacture or fighting style. You will find a few examples on the
next page.

67

WEAPON SPECIALS

Each weapon allows you to do different things, activating these specials
do not count against your turn action count (for energy cost), but can only
be used once per turn.

Mighty Blow WEAPON SPECIAL

TWO-HANDED MELEE WEAPON

Description: Lean in to a heavy attack, sacrificing accuracy for damage.
Effect: Before making an attack roll in the Combat Phase with this weapon,

increase both thresholds by 2 to increase the total damage dealt by +2.

Overdrive WEAPON SPECIAL

ANY ENERGY WEAPON

Description: Overpower your weapon, sacrificing future performance.
Effect: Before making an attack roll in the Combat Phase with this weapon,

you can choose to increase this weapon's base damage by +3 for a single
attack or ability. For the rest of the Combat Phase, reduce the base
damage of this weapon by −1 (to a minimum of 1).

Power Boost WEAPON SPECIAL
ANY WEAPON

Description: The weapon has some form of battery attachment that’s perfect for
giving your weapon a little extra oomph!

Effect: Before making an attack roll in the Combat Phase with this weapon,
spend 1 Component to increase the total damage of your next
attack by +2.

Range Modification WEAPON SPECIAL
ANY WEAPON

Description: The weapon has been modified to increase its maximum range.
Effect: Before making an attack roll in the Combat Phase with this weapon, you

can take on 1 Woe to increase your weapon range by +1.

Swift Strike WEAPON SPECIAL

ONE-HANDED MELEE WEAPON

Description: The weapon is light allowing for swift, subsequent attacks.
Effect: After using [Quick Dash] in the Combat Phase, you can spend 1 energy to

deal 2 damage to one adversary in your destination tile.

68

EXAMPLE WEAPONS

Here are a few weapon examples that you can create:

Pulsing Halberd

TWO-HANDED MELEE WEAPON | 2 SLOTS

Damage: 4 Range: Close

Special: Power Boost

Description: This weapon was crafted from scavenged parts found in a ruined

lab. When activated, the head of the halberd ignites and pulses with

energy.

Arc Thrower

TWO-HANDED RANGED WEAPON | 2 SLOTS

Damage: 2 Range: 2

Special: Overdr ive

Description: A hand-held device extracted from some sort of vehicle. This weapon

charges up and generates a blast of energy to strike at a target.

Hard-Light Sword

ONE-HANDED MELEE WEAPON | 1 SLOT

Damage: 3 Range: Close

Special: Swift Strike

Description: This device uses an energy projector and power cell to creates a

blade of hard-light that can cut through enemies

Blaster Pistol

ONE-HANDED MELEE WEAPON | 1 SLOT

Damage: 2 Range: 1

Special: Range Modification

Description: A sturdy and reliable blaster that mixes kinetic ammunition and

plasma to pack a powerful punch.

69

ARMOR

With advanced materials and technologies scattered around the world,
many drifters have collected and fashioned various kinds of armor and
shields to protect themselves from the threats that lurk beyond the sanc-
tuary walls. Each armor has its own particular properties that helps to
protect the wearer from different dangers. When you create or craft
your own armor, they can offer two types of fortification: Protection and
Resistance.

PROTECTION

Protection Armor provides a pool of points that can absorb Health and
Energy damage taken in the Combat Phase.

RESISTANCE

Resistance Armor provides a pool of points that can absorb Health and
Energy damage taken during the Exploration Phase and Travel Phase.

SHIELD BONUS

While Protection Armor and Resistance Armor absorb damage, a Shield
Bonus is a bonus granted by a shield (or similar effect to a shield) equipped
by a drifter. This bonus can be added to any defensive roll, or applied
to any in any other situation where the use of the shield is reasonably
applicable.

Some abilities use this bonus as part of their calculations. These are
marked as [Shield] to indicate where the bonus should be used.

Item Slots Cost Effect

Protective Armor 1 3 gb Protection 3
Resistant Armor 1 3 gb Resistance 3
Versatile Armor 1 4 gb Protection 1, Resistance 2

Small Shield 1 2 gb Shield Bonus +1

Large Shield 1 5 gb Protection +1,
Shield Bonus +2

70

ASSETS

Assets are equipment that provide you with a special advantage. Unlike
other equipment, all assets have a recharge condition that allows it to
be reused throughout your adventures. There are two types of recharge
conditions:

• x/Phase: This allows you to use the asset X many times per phase.
This refreshes upon entering a new phase. If a specific phase is
listed, you can only use that asset during that particular phase and
for that many uses. When the phase ends, the charges refresh.

• x/Downtime: This allows you to use the asset X many times until
you enter the Downtime Phase, at which point the charges refresh.

ASSET STACKS

If you have more than one of an asset (or consumable) they stack into the
same equipment slot. For instance, if a drifter has three stimpacks, they
only occupy 1 equipment slot and grant you three charges of the Stimpack
Boost ability.

Item Slots Cost Recharge Effect

Explosive 1 2 gb 1/Phase Throw Explosive

Stimpack 1 3 gb 1/Downtime Stimpack Boost

ASSET Explosive RECHARGE / PHASE

+1 ENERGY | RANGE 1

Combat Phase: Pick a tile in range and deal damage to all enemies in that tile.
Fortune: Deal 3 damage
Temperance: Deal 3 damage [+1 ]

◈◈Judgment: Deal 2 damage [+2 ]

ASSET Stimpack Boost RECHARGE / DOWNTIME
+0 ENERGY | CLOSE

Effect: Restore 2 Health and Energy to either yourself or an ally within

◈range. [+1 ]

71

Narrating &
Roleplaying

As a player in Drifter, it is your job to:
1. Roleplay as your drifter, describing what your character thinks,
says, and does in the world.
2. Collaborate with your friends and contribute to the game, working
with everyone to f lesh out the world and the story you are telling
together.

ROLEPLAY

When describing what your drifter is doing, this is your opportunity to
represent your drifter as you see fit. Be sure to:

• Share the spotlight.

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okay. Just be sure to give them the opportunity to contribute, even if they
kindly decline (which is totally fine)

• Describe what you do.

When roleplaying your drifter, describe how they act, and narrate this
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phrasing you’re after, you can describe your intent to the group and they
might be able to help with the details (such as wanting to use a clever cover
story about being hunted to convince the guards to let you in, but where
you’re not sure the exact details of that story).

• Embrace failure.

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what can come as a result. Much like how characters learn and grow in
novels, movies or television shows, we find that you can tell deeper stories
by embracing and exploring the results that come from failure and use that
to overcome further challenges put forth.

• Collaborate with your friends.

You and your friends have come together to play as a group to explore the
world of Drifter. This isn’t a story of one (unless you’re playing Solo mode),
so feel free to feed off of each other’s ideas, characters, and stories, and
inspire ideas in each other.

• Learn and grow.

Much like we are as people, no character is ever perfect or unchanging.
tFulnaiwtisesanfodr fyaoiulurtoesemxpalkoreeinchtearreascttienrggcrhoawrathc.ters, and they are great oppor-

73

NARRATING

Each narrator role is intended to be shared with all members of the table.
Whenever you change to a new phase in Drifter, a player will take on the
narrator role to do the following:

1. Weave a story together from the actions of the drifters, often
attempting to bring together a cohesive string of events for
the group.

2. Facilitate the rules and roles for the phase you are leading.

A few other things to keep in mind when you’re the narrator:
• Not every idea needs to be yours.

Ythoeugadmone’.t Indeeeads ctoanbebethsoeusrocleedgfernomeraatnodr ocof liladbeaorsa, teevdenwtist,haynodu aacntdioynouinr
friends. As narrator, pick the ideas that you think work best for the events
at hand and run with them.

• Take on feedback.

Much of what you’ll be doing is roleplaying the actions and reactions of
the characters and things in the world that the group interacts with. Much
wlikheatatchheayrsaacytear,nydoduon. eed to step into the shoes of others and communicate

• Use the senses.

When describing something in the game, use at least one of the senses:
touch, smell, taste, sight, or sound. This can help to make your descriptions
more vivid and easier to imagine.

• Retcon away.

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roll and triggers a Consequence, that Consequence could be positioned as a
hindrance—before or during—the action being performed, or be used after-
wards (as a result of the action).

• Add little details

Much like how you might utilize the senses to make something more evoc-
cahtiavrea,cpterrosvwidiilnl gheplparbtuiciuldlairmdmeetarsiilosnh.eSreomane doftthheerseeadbeotauitlsthcae nwboerladsatanrdtiintgs
point to expand on new ideas or stories. For instance, the rose quartz amulet
a character finds in a delve could lead the group to discover a new sanctuary
and uncover a forgotten belief system.

74

COLLABORATING

Regardless of whether you’re a player or narrator, everyone should have
the opportunity to contribute to what happens in the game and where the
story goes. Some things to keep in mind:

• Contribute Consequences and outcomes.

There is no script to determine the outcome of every action or idea that you
whaitvhe.suWggheosteivoenrs tfhoer Cnaornrsaetqoureniscems aoyr oausktcosommeseofonre ainsittuheatgiornou, porttohceoymmeiguhpt
want you to narrate something fitting for the action at hand.

• Determine either resource or roll, or determine resource & roll.

Sometimes you or one of your friends will want their drifter to perform an
acocmtiopnuttehrattocmoualkdertehqautirdeecaisrioolnl oforrryeosouu, rscoemeexopneenadtittuhreet.aSbilnecwe itlhl ehraev’sentoo
bring it up. This could be something like “Do I need to roll for this?” Or
even “I think that action could be done, but you need to use one of your
Ingredients. What do you think?” The group should come to a consensus
whether a resource is needed, or a die roll, or both before proceeding. We’ve
got some guidance in the Fundamentals section (see page 24).

• Think of story, quest, plot, or arc.

Your group might explore stories at different levels: from personal character
stories or the small story of a sanctuary, to events that move and reshape
the world. It’s up to you and the group to decide how these stories unfold,
Twhheerree tshheotuwldistbsehdaipspcuenss,iaonndehveorwy tshoe onfetxent satebposuot fwyhoeurreatdhveesnetsutroerieevsolavree.
going to help guide your main quest and inform any side quests or subplots.

75

Consequences

Any time you make a roll in Drifter, there is a chance you will trigger a
Consequence. Consequences are hindrances, complications, or setbacks
that should add to the events of the story taking place. As a player, you’re
free to suggest ideas and outcomes but, ultimately, the narrator for that
phase will make the final call.

In the Combat Phase, any triggered Consequences are stored as a pool of
points that the narrator can spend to perform actions with adversaries—
these actions could be an adversary moving around the Combat Board, the
adversary attacking a drifter, or the adversary activating a special ability.

Consequences can take two forms: mechanical or narrative. A mechan-
ical Consequence could be something like a drifter taking Health damage.
A narrative Consequence could be something like a drifter not being able
to earn a town elder’s trust. The strength of a Consequence is determined
by the Consequence Level (CL) of the action being performed, modified
by your resulting threshold.

Consequence Levels will likely range between 2‒5 for drifters who are just
starting out.

If a Consequence Level is ever reduced to 0 or below (usually via a
Temperance result with T[◈ho‒2u]ghCiofnysoeuqusetinllcew),aannt,yynouegacotiuvled effects of the
situation are mitigated. narrate how
ywoausrgdorinifgtetrowhaaspapbenle. to react in time or how they countered the action that

77

NARRATIVE CONSEQUENCES

Narrative Consequences are outcomes that help move the story one way
or another, providing new opportunities, challenges, or even a twist in
the story.

STANDARD
CL 1-3

Standard Consequences should introduce minor developments or compli-
cations to the events at hand. They could include some of the following:

• The path forward may take you longer than expected.
• Your research turns up missing or incomplete information.
• The environment hinders your travel in some way.
• There are unfriendly or unexpected attitudes towards you.
• You have attracted some unwanted attention.
• You’re put in a vulnerable or disadvantageous position.
• You’re confronted by something confusing or alarming.
• Danger draws closer to you.

78

FORMIDABLE
CL 4-6

Formidable Consequences are a major threat or twist that could impede or
hamper the drifter’s progress. They could include some of the following:

• A major environmental event occurs nearby.
• A new minor quest arises for you to complete.
• You suffer the loss of trust from an important character.
• You attract the attention of a dangerous enemy.
• Your reputation or honor is in question.
• There’s a change in leadership that’s detrimental to your plans.
• The area grows more populated with enemies.
• One of your vulnerabilities or secrets is revealed.
• You inadvertently cause major collateral damage.
• You get lost or put in a very dangerous position.

EPIC
CL 7-10

Epic Consequences should introduce massive or game-changing develop-
ments or complications to the events at hand. They could include some of
the following:

• A great titan is unleashed upon the land.
• A sanctuary is overcome by enemies.
• You suffer an unexpected betrayal.
• A natural disaster occurs near you.
• Tales spread of your misfortune or misdeeds.
• A bounty is placed on your head.
• Some part of the nearby environment is permanently changed.
• The area you are in is suddenly plunged into war between factions.

79

MECHANICAL CONSEQUENCES

The outcome from mechanical Consequences are effects that impact your
character sheet (like taking Health damage) or that affect mechanics at
the table (like increasing the difficulty or cost of your next action).

When you trigger a mechanical Consequence, the narrator can “spend”
the value of the Consequence Level for an effect. In the case of combat,
the narrator is saving a pool of points to spend on adversary actions when
their turn comes around.

Consequences & Combat: Although many Consequences listed here are
used in calculations for adversary abilities, for the Combat Phase you’ll
p(trhiomuagrhiltyhibsecuasninbge ahbeillpitfuielsifcryaofutewd afonrt etoacchraafdt vyeorusraroywrna)t.her than this list
Combining Effects: As you play, you might have the idea to combine some
Consequences together, such as inf licting Health damage and increasing the
difficulty of the next action. Although we recommend that you do this, we
also stress that it should be the minority of Consequences that get combined
during play.

80

CONSEQUENCE LIST

Unlike narrative Consequences, mechanical Consequences are more
concrete and clearly defined. When implementing a mechanical
Consequence, be sure to describe the action delivering the effect.

In the Combat Phase, adversaries have their own particular list of actions
tchreaattteheenyvciraonntmaeknet.aIlf eyfofeuctws,aynotutocacnreuastee tnheiws taabctlieo(nsseefoSrpaenddveinrsgaCriPesfoorr
Mechanical Consequences on page 119).

Roll Name Effect Example Example
CL 3 CL 5

18-20 Health Damage CL X = X 3 health 5 health
Health damage

15-17 Inf lict Woe CL X = X Woe 3 woe 5 woe
13-14 Energy Cost Increase inf licted +1 Energy +3 Energy

CL X = X ‒ 2
increased Energy

11-12 Hinder (one threshold) CL X = X ÷ 2* +2 +3 thresholds
thresholds

+1 +2
10 Hinder (two thresholds) CL X = (X ‒ 2) ÷ 2* threshold thresholds

7-9 New Skill Roll CL X = new CL 2 CL 4
action CL X ‒ 1

4-6 Lose Materials CL X = X ‒ 1 2 materials 4 materials
materials lost

2-3 Random Encounter CL = max level A CL 3 A CL 5
of adversary Encounter Encounter

1 Inflict Corruption CL 6+ = 1 N/A N/A
Corruption (max)

* If at any point you have a fraction, the rule of thumb is to round up.
** If your calculation ever returns a 0, round up to 1 (for instance, using a CL 2 for [Increased Energy
Cost] would yield a +1 energy cost increase for the player.).

81

HEALTH
DAMAGE

This Consequence represents any physical damage to a drifter, such as
wounds sustained from combat or injuries from an accident.

The baseline effect of this Consequence is that Health damage should equal
the CL.
[example] A CL 2 Consequence would deal 2 Health damage.

INFLICT
WOE

Woe is a character’s bad luck and stress, and choosing this as a Consequence
can fit in places where Health is not the right option for a Consequence.

Woe inf licted by this Consequence should be equal to the CL.
[example] A CL 2 Consequence would inf lict 2 Woe.

ENERGY COST
INCREASE

This Consequence will make the drifter’s next action more difficult,
increasing the Energy cost of performing or attempting that action.

Increase the Energy cost of the player’s next action by CL ‒ 2.
[example] A CL 4 Consequence would increase the cost of Energy by 2 for
the next action.

82

HINDER

This Consequence reduces a drifter’s ability to perform actions. On
the player’s next action, increase the threshold across all disciplines by
this value.

One threshold: Increase either the Fortune or Temperance threshold
by CL ÷ 2.
[example] A CL 5 Consequence would increase either the Fortune or
Temperance threshold by 3 (5 ÷ 2 = 2.5 = rounded up to 3).
Two thresholds: Increase both Fortune and Temperance thresholds by
(CL ‒ 2) ÷ 2.
[example] A CL 5 Consequence would increase both Fortune and
Temperance thresholds by 2 ((5 ‒ 2) ÷ 2 = (3 ÷ 2) = 1.5 = rounded
up to 2).

NEW
SKILL ROLL

Sometimes a Consequence will introduce a new complication that
requires a new check to overcome. It’s best if the discipline for the next
check is different to the triggering discipline.

cThhecek’Cs CLLfo‒r1.the new skill roll is equal to that of the trig gering
[example] A CL 3 Consequence forces the player to roll a new skill check
with a CL of 2.

83

LOSE
MATERIALS

This Consequence removes Ingredients or Components from your drifter.
These small items are lost, crushed, destroyed, stolen, or otherwise
removed from your ability to use as crafting materials.

The number of materials removed should be equal to CL ‒ 1.
[example] A CL 2 Consequence causes you to lose 1 Component.

RANDOM
ENCOUNTER

The party enters the Combat Phase against either a single adversary or
against multiple adversaries. This encounter can be a random occurrence,
or as a result of actions the players have made.

Create an encounter against a single adversary or multiple adversaries
(excluding bosses).
One Adversary: The CL of the adversary should be equal to the
Consequence’s CL + 1.
[example] A CL 3 Consequence creates an encounter against a plant beast
(a CL 4 adversary).
Multiple Adversaries: Create two adversaries with CL equal to the
Consequence's CL. These adversaries can be split into two more by
subtracting their CL by 1.
[example] A CL 3 Consequence will create an encounter against two dirks
(CL 3). (A base CL 3 gives two CL 3 adversaries.)
[example] A CL 4 Consequence will create an encounter against two dirks
(CL 3) and a plant beast (CL 4). (A base CL 4 gives two CL 4 adversaries,
which means you can take one CL 4, and split the other CL 4(−1) into two
CL 3 adversaries.)

84

INFLICTING
CORRUPTION

This Consequence is used to inf lict Corruption on a drifter, the sickness
that eventually leads to a drifter’s epilogue. It’s important to be cautious
when using this Consequence since Corruption can be used as a pacing
mechanism for a campaign of Drifter.

Corruption should only be inflicted using CL 6 or greater and should only
inf lict 1 Corruption in each case (no matter the CL used).
Be careful with inf licting Corruption as a Consequence. We primarily see
it as a narrative or pacing tool and it should be used sparingly. This is
bpelacyaeursehatshefirleleadrue pfeown wCaoyrsrutpotiroenm, othvee tCimorerhuapsticoonmientotheengaacmt teh.eOir nccheara-
acter’s epilogue.
[meaxkaemaplreo]llTtohededtreirfmterins einittserfaucntcwtioitnh, aanndangectieantTmemacpheirnaenc(ewirtehsuCltL(C8L),
6). The machine awakens and spews radiation across the area, inf licting 1
Corruption to each drifter.

85

Resource
Mechanics

As shown in the previous chapter, each character has different resources
to track. While these have been described previously, we’ll go over the
mechanics for each resource in depth here.

HEALTH

Much like characters in a video game, your drifter will have a health bar
that determines how much damage they can sustain before they are over-
come. There will be times where, if you cannot mitigate or absorb physical
damage with Armor, you will lose Health. You can sometimes gain Health
by utilizing certain Talents, Downtime activities, and even some assets.

RUNNING OUT OF
HEALTH

When Health reaches 0, most characters would normally die. However,
drifters have access to the ability [Not Today]. Instead of dying, your
drifter takes on 1 Corruption and 2 Woe, and they are helpless until allies
are able to heal you in some way. If you would like, you can gain 1 addi-
tional Corruption to regain some Health and Energy to keep fighting.

Not Today

1 CORRUPTION +2 WOE | REACTION
Requirement: You are reduced to 0 Health.

Effect: Instead of dying from your injuries, you fall unconscious. You can choose
to suffer an 1 additional Corruption to immediately regain half your
maximum Health and Energy.

87

ENERGY

Your Energy Pool represents how much vitality and willpower your drifter
has available to them. Much like a stamina bar in a video game, your
Energy Pool is used to perform various actions.

BOOSTING

You can spend your Energy to improve your roll result. For each point of
Energy spent, increase your roll result by the relevant Boost Score: Grit for
physical actions, and Nerve for mental actions. Multiple points of Energy
can be spent to boost your roll result multiple times. If you don’t know
which Boost Score to utilize, use your best judgment.

[example] Sera makes a Social Discipline check and rolls a 7 (a Judgment
result). As a Wielder, their Nerve is 2, so every point of Energy spent will
increase their roll result by 2. To bring their result up to Temperance (10)
they would need to spend 2 Energy, which brings the total up to 11.

2Toenberringyg,twhehiirchrewsuolut ludpbtroinagTtheemtpoetaral nucpet(oata 10) they would need to spend
11.

If Sera wanted to bring their roll up to a Fortune (at 16), they would need
to spend 5 points of energy.

RUNNING
OUT OF ENERGY

When you run out of Energy, your drifter can still act normally. However,
you cannot spend any Energy to perform actions until you’ve recovered
some Energy to spend. You can recover Energy with a variety of Talents,
Downtime activities, and equipment.

88

WOE

Woe represents a drifter’s stress, fear, uncertainty, and bad luck. Woe is
something that your drifter slowly accumulates until they hit a breaking
point. After filling up all 12-points of Woe, your drifter become tested.

TESTED

No matter how much stress and bad luck you accumulate, you’ll eventu-
ally have to confront it all head on. When you fill up to 12 Woe, clear all
Woe on your drifter and make a roll against your tested thresholds. These
thresholds are equal to the highest value of each Fortune and Temperance
across all of your disciplines
Tested thresholds:

• Fortune: The highest Fortune threshold across all disciplines.
• T emperance: The highest Temperance threshold across all

disciplines.

[Example] Sera, has their Fortune thresholds at 16, 15, 16, 18, 18 and
their Temperance thresholds at 10, 8, 10, 8, 9. This means the tested roll
will have a Fortune threshold of 18 and Temperance threshold of 10. If
Sspeernadw5anEtneedrgtoy.modify their roll up to Fortune (16), they would need to

You can spend Energy to boost your roll as with other rolls, but you won’t
use Grit or Nerve. Instead, for each point you want to increase your roll,
it costs 1 Energy and 2 Woe, with a maximum boost of +5.

Sera becomes tested and rolls a 7 (just 3 points shy of Temperance). They
decide to boost and pay 3 Energy and take on 6 Woe to raise their result
by 3 points.

Tested
SPECIAL

Effect: Clear your Woe meter and make a roll using your tested threshold.

Fortune: Receive a boon.

Temperance: Receive a burden, discipline modifier +2.

Judgment: Receive a burden, discipline modifier +4.

Note: You can boost your roll, but each point to increase costs 1 energy

and 2 woe.

89

BOONS

You’ve conquered your fears, uneasiness, bad luck, or insecurities. Boons
represent a sense of internal strength that drifters can draw upon in a time
of need.
When you receive a boon, you don’t have to activate it right away. Rather,
you can use it when you feel like it’s necessary. When you activate your
boon, be sure to tell the group how that inspiration manifests for your
drifter. The potential boons you can select from include: Confident,
Courageous, Inspiring, and Second Wind.
SAMPLE BOONS

Only four boons are included in the Basic Rules. There are more options in
the Hyper Light Drifter: Tabletop Roleplaying Game Corebook.

Confident
BOON

Effect: Reduce Woe between you and your allies by a total of 3 points.

Courageous
BOON

Effect: Gain 10 temporary Protection Armor. These temporary points last until
the next Downtime Phase.

Inspiring
BOON

Effect: Reduce the thresholds of each of all your allies’ next rolls by 2.

Second Wind
BOON

Effect: Regain all your drifter’s Energy and restore 4 Energy split between
your allies.

90

BURDENS

Sometimes fears, horrors, and insecurities can hinder even the best of us.
A burden ref lects a drifter’s inner conf lict and a struggle with their own
demons.

When considering how the burden affects your character in the game,
think about matching the flavor and tone of the burden to best fit your
character, or the story at hand.

Unlike boons, when you receive a burden, its effects are immediate.
A burden has three components:

• Discipline Modifier: Pick a discipline. Any time you need to make
a roll using that discipline, increase both thresholds by the burden
discipline modifier (that is, +2 for a Temperance result when tested,
and +4 for Judgment result when tested).

• Blocked Skill: Pick a skill that’s not from the discipline selected
under the discipline modifier. You are unable to use this skill until
you resolve this burden.

• Resolution: This details the action needed to resolve this burden.
It should be something fitting to your character and the events
at hand.

If you have multiple burdens, their effects stack, so it’s best to try to resolve
them when you can

91

92

RESOLVING A BURDEN
Once a burden has been acquired, a drifter has a few ways to resolve them
and remove them from their character. Ways to resolve a burden include:

• Indulging: While at a sanctuary, give into one of your charac-
ter’s vices. This costs you 2 gearbits and 1 Downtime slot in the
Downtime Phase.

• Discovery: There are some locations that can be uncovered either as
part of the Travel Phase or Exploration Phase. These locations can
remove burdens from players.

• Making Amends: Once a player decides on which burden to apply
to their drifter, they can link it to a past action (or inaction) that
causes their drifter to feel the weight of guilt around their past. The
character must undo this wrong or make amends to move on and
resolve the burden.

• Self Care: Time, ref lection, training, or mentorship can all
contribute towards resolving a burden. Any of these can be
performed by a drifter as a Downtime activity.

• Some other abilities, activities and Talents have the ability to resolve
burdens. Examples include the Talent [Relieve] and the Downtime
activity [Hearty Feast] to name a few.

SAMPLE BURDENS
Below are a few ideas for burdens that drifters could take on.

Name Skill Discipline

Directionless Cannot Use Increased threshold
Jittery
Cartography Survival
Balance Manipulate

Insecure Inf luence Manipulate
Indifferent Negotiate Combat

Irritable Empathy Exploration
Lost Track Exploration

Uninspired Cook Social

93

CORRUPTION

A disease haunts the land, leading to the eventual death of all drifters.
There are two major ways in which you'll take on corruption.

• Reaching 0 Health
• Interaction with corrupted

• creatures
• objects
• locations
Each drifter can sustain 12 points of Corruption before it is time for their
Drifter’s Epilogue (see page 96), where you will narrate the end to your
character’s story. When a drifter’s Corruption bar fills up, they know that
they will soon be overcome by the sickness that has led to the deaths of so
many before them.

Corruption is a crucial campaign pacing tool. The rate at which Corruption
is given out will determine how long or short your drifter’s adventures
will be.
We suggest that sources of Corruption should only appear in a game of
Drifter once every 2–4 sessions.

REACHING
0 HEALTH

There may be times where your drifter is reduced to 0 Health—this could
be in the heat of battle, or being overcome by a dastardly trap. Fortunately
if you do not want it to, this isn’t the end of your drifter’s story. With the
[Not Today] reaction, your drifter does not die. Instead, they take on 1
Corruption and fall unconscious until they are able to heal in some way.

Not Today

1 CORRUPTION + 2 WOE
Requirement: You are reduced to 0 Health.

Effect: Instead of dying from your injuries, you fall unconscious.
Extend: You can choose to suffer an 1 additional Corruption to immediately

regain half your maximum Health and Energy.

94

CORRUPTED
CREATURES

As you adventure, your drifter will encounter creatures that have been
warped by Corruption. These adversaries are typically treated as bosses
or mini-bosses, which are stronger than most other adversaries.

• When you come across a corrupted creature, your drifters will sense
it. It should be clear to the group whether a particular creature is
corrupted.

• When fighting or interacting with a corrupted creature, regard-
less of how the Corruption damage is dealt (i.e. from an adversary’s
burst on death, or when the players get first struck by the creature)
your drifter should only receive a maximum of 1 Corruption for the
entire encounter.

CORRUPTED
LOCATIONS

Some drifters say “The deeper you delve, the closer to the source of
Corruption you get.” Although this may be true, few who go to the deepest
ruins live long enough to tell about their experiences.

Corrupted locations are places in the world where the stakes should
be higher for the group. It might be that the objective or mission is more
crucial than what has come before, and that even in the face of Corruption
the risk is worth the reward.

Much like corrupted creatures, players should know when their char-
acters come upon a corrupted area. The drifters will most likely find
corrupted areas during the Exploration Phase, although they could come
up during unstructured roleplaying as well.

Some ideas for the mechanics of corrupted locations include:
• During a delve in the Exploration Phase, the drifters take on 1

Corruption after exploring a set number of delve cards.

[example] After exploring 6 delve tiles, the drifters will each take on 1
Corruption.

• The drifters take on 1 Corruption after spending a Downtime
Phase in the middle of exploring a delve (or after spending a certain
number of Downtime slots there).

95

DRIFTER'S EPILOGUE

When a drifter reaches their maximum of 12 Corruption, it’s time for
that character to find their final moments. Create some final scenes as
an epilogue for the drifter or decide what you want your drifter’s last
moments to be, and share these with the group.

You may want to time these final moments with the end of a session. And
after the epilogue, allow the player to pick up a new character (perhaps an
NPC already established in the story) or allow them to aid in the role of
narrator for the remainder of the session.

WHEN AND HOW
TO END

A drifter’s epilogue doesn’t need to happen immediately after they reach
maximum Corruption, but it should happen before the end of the session,
if possible. If your drifter reaches maximum Corruption early in a session,
they might hold on just long enough until the end of the session before
they meet their epilogue. If you’re already at the end of the session, the
next session could start with the drifter’s epilogue.

Timing the epilogue with the end of the session is a good way to send
off a main character with the gravity that they deserve.

Each player might have an ending in mind for their character if the
need for one arises, especially when their drifter approaches maximum
Corruption. When maximum Corruption is reached, the player and
narrator should make sure to take the time to decide on a fitting and satis-
fying ending for the drifter. '’

You don't need to force or rush a drifter's epilogue - give the player the
chance to figure out a satisfying ending for their character.

96

WAYS
TO RETIRE

Choose one of the following ways to retire your drifter, or work with the
narrator or group to come up with your own option.
Popular t ropes for retiring a character include:

• Blaze of Glory: This is your moment to shine, leave a mark, and be
remembered for the things you believe in. Your drifter’s end comes
about through some dramatic moment—this could be sacrificing
themself against an adversary in combat, or holding a door closed
long enough for the other drifters to escape a menace.

• A Quiet End: The drifter’s end is near, but they have a little more
time to live before they are overcome. They might have time for
some final moments with close friends, or enough time to hang up
the cloak, and enjoy a quiet life for their remaining days.

When your drifter leaves the group, make the impact felt. They should
always leave something behind for the other drifters, such as the teaching
of a Talent, a piece of equipment, or some important information.

97

Phases

In their adventures, your drifter will sometimes travel long distances,
explore and discover new places, meet allies and adversaries, delve into
desolate ruins, and fight the monstrosities and horrors of the past in an
attempt to leave the world slightly brighter than it was. To help facilitate
these different aspects of play, Drifter uses four game phases:

• Combat Phase: For when swords cross against the drifters and the
fighting breaks out.

• Exploration Phase: For when the drifters are exploring ruins,
dungeons, or facilities.

• Travel Phase: For when the drifters are traversing long distances
and journeying across the landscape.

• Downtime Phase: For when the drifters have the chance to rest,
leaving time for shopping, crafting, and recovering from their
ordeals.

These phases each provide rules and guidelines to lead your drifters from
one stage of their adventures to the next. Each phase is led by a narrator,
who helps to run the mechanics and weave the events together into a story.

GAME FLOW

Upon entering a new game phase, the following will happen:
1. Assign who will be the narrator for this phase. This will depend on
which game mode you are playing and how your group has decided
to share the narrator roles.
2. Recover any resources at the start of the change of phase. This is
generally recovering 1 Dash.
3. The narrator sets the scene, picking up from the previous phase and,
if necessary, seek contributions and ideas from everyone at the table.
4. Following the guidelines for the phase, the narrator collaborates
with the players for everyone to take actions, make rolls, use abili-
ties or resources, and so forth.
5. When the players want to engage in any activity that triggers a new
phase, start this process again.

99

PHASE OVERVIEW

Here, we describe the four game phases to Drifter. Each phase has its own
narrator role, set of rules, and abilities tied to that phase.
COMBAT PHASE
The Combat Phase starts when the group enters into combat for any
reason.

• The narrator of this phase is called the Battlemaster, and they
are responsible for controlling the actions of the adversaries in
the combat.

• This phase takes place upon the Combat Board.
• Players each take turns to have their drifter perform actions.

Between each player turn, an adversary can take an action.
• Consequences triggered by players from their rolls or actions add to

a Consequence Pool, which the narrator spends on adversary actions
during their turn.
The Combat Phase ends when:
• Any one side involved in the combat is victorious in battle.
• The drifters or adversaries retreat.
• Both sides agree to yield, stand down, or call a truce.
• Any other reason that would interrupt the ability for both sides to
fight (such as the collapse of a facility) or the need to fight (such as
destroying a mind-control device).

100