Chapter 7: Subclasses 149 Rimefrost Sage Features WIZARD LEVEL FEATURE 2nd Winterfriend, Winterfiend, Command the Cold Fire 6th Waiting Flame 10th One with the Cold Flame 14th Winter Manifest Winterfriend, Winterfiend As a bonus action, you can create a number of Tiny frozen flames equal to your Constitution bonus (minimum 1). You can never have more frozen flames than your Constitution bonus (minimum 1). A frozen flame has the following properties: •It floats near your chest, shoulders, and head. If separated from you, it magically teleports to you at the start of your next turn. •It is comprised of pure magical energy and is neither a creature nor an object, though it can be dispelled (DC equal to your spell save) •It twinkles with faint light but does not provide illumination. You can use your action to absorb one or more frozen flames. When you do, choose one of the following benefits: •You gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution bonus (minimum 1). •You regain one spell slot. This spell slot must be of a level equal to or less than your proficiency bonus. Doing this causes you to gain one level of exhaustion per consumed frozen flame. •You draw knowledge from the eternally-present fire and water. You succeed on all of your Intelligence (Arcana or History) checks made within the next 30 minutes. Additionally, you can use a bonus action to destroy one or more frozen flames. Each one you destroy causes cold or fire damage (your choice) equal to your proficiency bonus to all targets within 10 feet of you. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest. Command the Cold Fire Your frozen flames are an extension of your senses. While at least one is active and near you, you have advantage on ability checks you make to survive in hot or cold environments. You also gain the following benefits: •As an action, you can command a frozen flame to sacrifice itself and become a campfire for you and your allies. This campfire warms you and your allies, does not damage structures, and lasts for 8 hours. •When you cast a wizard spell using a spell slot of 1st level or higher, you may sacrifice one frozen flame to change the damage that spell deals to either cold or fire damage. •You can use a frozen flame as an arcane focus for your wizard spells, and you can use your frozen flames as your spellbook. While you have at least one frozen flame, you do not need your spellbook to memorize spells you know. Waiting Flame Starting at 6th level, when you take cold or fire damage, you can harness some of that pain to refuel a portion of your magical energy. Once you suffer the damage, you may use your reaction to consume one of your frozen flames. Once you do, you may immediately cast one wizard spell you know and that has a casting time of 1 action. This spell must include the source of the damage in its area of effect. Also, so long as you have at least one currently summoned frozen flame, you can’t be surprised while in the tundra or similarly frozen environment. One With the Cold Flame At 10th level, your command of the forces of cold and fire has grown significantly. You have resistance to cold and fire damage. Additionally, wizard spells you cast that deal cold or fire damage are more potent than normal. The DC for these spells is increased by +2, and they deal extra cold or fire damage equal to the number of frozen flames you currently have. Winter Manifest At 14th level, you have secured your connection to the primal forces of winter. So long as you have at least one frozen flame currently summoned, you gain the following benefits: •You are immune to either cold damage or fire damage. You make this choice after finishing a long rest. •Targets have disadvantage on saving throws made against your wizard spells that deal cold or fire damage. •You do not suffer ill effects from exposure to extreme heat or cold. •You have advantage on Intelligence (Arcana and History) checks. "I once contracted a rimefrost sage to escort me to a grobb buyer in Prazzolar. She was the strangest person I’d ever met, and that’s saying something. Her eyes were icy blue but burned with a rage that was almost palpable." - Nyben, Grobb Smuggler
150 Arora: Age of Desolation
Chapter 8: Backgrounds 151 The world of Arora, with its deemphasis of specific and discrete species, removes the concept of race as a limiting and proscribing force in terms of culture and society. The players can decide their characters’ traits acquired at birth. This puts extra weight on backgrounds, both in terms of deciding who a character is and what their place is in Arora. The backgrounds that follow provide examples of how characters might fit into their world, or their specific realm of Arora, before they are called on to move beyond their role as mere survivors, stepping out into the wilderness of the danger-filled realms as adventurers. When a player chooses a background for their character in an Arora campaign, they’re doing much more than getting some proficiencies and a feature; they are deciding what position their character holds in a world where that position has let them—and countless others—survive when they might have otherwise perished. Even more importantly, because of dramatically shifting circumstances and the beckon call of adventure, these backgrounds are what the character must leave behind as they gain the incredible power afforded by classes and subclasses. Whether a caver or a village healer, a grobb smuggler or a vermin sweeper, the characters are about to leave those old occupations behind. Yet those characters are also informed by their backgrounds. Even as the character gains druidic or sorcerous powers, there will always be the frightened, skittish vermin sweeper in there somewhere. Finally, the backgrounds often place the character firmly within one of the five realms that comprise Arora. Because each region is so different, and because travel between regions is difficult and rare, a character with a background connected to Tievmer likely feels a sense of wonder, and perhaps sheer terror, when traveling to any of the other realms. This disorientation when going to a new realm does not have a mechanical consequence within the game rules, but it should have a roleplaying and narrative effect on how the character behaves and copes with the new environment. In essence, all good stories are about characters moving from what they know and trust into a dangerous and disorienting unknown. Remind the players frequently of where they started, which allows an even greater appreciation of the journey into the unknown.
152 Arora: Age of Desolation Behemoth’s Confidante Deep within the icy mount in the realm of Prazzolar, a massive beast lies entombed. Creatures come from near and far to attempt to break it free, chipping and digging until they are driven off or otherwise convinced of their folly. You, however, have no such desire because the more they dig, the more you feel something pressing into your mind. It’s alien but not entirely uncomfortable; it’s present but unknowable. You believe that this presence is an extension of the behemoth, you can’t communicate with it—but it can whisper to you. It brings you gibberish, mostly, though there are occasional revelations given unto you, and from time to time you find that you’ve created things that you have no knowledge of. What secrets does the behemoth possess? What motivates it to speak to you? Why are you connected to the behemoth, and how would the people react if they knew that you possessed such a linkage to this mysterious creature? Are there others like you? Skill Proficiencies: Insight, and one other skill of your choice Tool Proficiencies: One set of artisan’s tools Languages: One language of your choice Equipment: A scholar’s pack, one gaming set (worth up to 10 gp), a scrapbook of drawings, formulae, recipes, and sketches that you created but have no recollection of, and a glossy black and purple gemstone of unknown origin. Feature: Something Whispers to Me and Guides My Hand You are connected in some fashion to the behemoth within the frozen realm of Prazzolar. Where others feel unease when in proximity to the creature’s icy presence, you feel comfort and hear whispers at the periphery of your consciousness. Something presses on your mind even when you’re far from the great beast, and while most of the noise is gibberish or too quiet to appropriately determine, every so often you’ll receive a burst of wisdom. This moment typically manifests when you are attempting to determine another creature’s motives, but nobody knows the true machinations of the behemoth. Except, perhaps in time, you. When you attempt a Wisdom (Insight) check to determine another creature’s motives while in the realm of Prazzolar, you do so with advantage. Suggested Characteristics Deep down in your soul you know that there is more to life and to this world than most people are willing to admit. There are worlds and places far beyond your reach, and only a scant few beings can traverse the space between here and there. Something has done this and while the journey was taxing, it now whispers to you. What you do with the wisdom that it imparts will shape your legacy as a hero, a villain, or something in between. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 Wait, wait, you can’t hear that? But it’s always whispering! 2 I desire to know what lies beyond this world. 3 If the final mysteries are unraveled, only the behemoth will remain. 4 When someone mutters and whispers, I assume that they are like me. 5 Secrets have power but solutions are the key. Once discovered, what good is a secret? 6 I hunger for all that is deemed by others to be impossible or unknowable. 7 Something is always present in the dark. 8 I am never alone, and my path has already been mapped. D6 IDEAL 1 Art. My implements channel the wisdom of the behemoth, and I must share it. (Chaotic) 2 Secrets. A secret is just armor for hidden knowledge. But who does it protect? (Neutral) 3 Conspiracy. Everything is connected if we could just all learn to listen for once. (Chaotic) 4 Silence. Within silence lies truth. (Lawful) 5 Trust. I believe there is a greater power at work, and it now speaks to me. (Good) 6 Destiny. The behemoth will be free, and the whispers are merely precursors of that day. (Lawful) D6 BOND 1 The behemoth speaks to me in its own way, and so I do the same. 2 I know that I learned a powerful secret, but I can’t recall what it was now. 3 Nobody believes that I can hear the behemoth. I’ll show them! I’ll show them all! 4 My art is my most effective method of communication. 5 The more secrets I uncover, the deeper the lessons go. I will learn everything. 6 There are more like me—always listening to the behemoth— and I must find them. D6 FLAW 1 I get distracted when things get quiet. 2 Everything is a part of some larger conspiracy. 3 Who needs to play it safe? The behemoth has plans for me. 4 I have to focus and listen for the clues. 5 My artistic implements are divine tools—usually. 6 Only by truly emptying myself am I worthy of receiving inspiration at a critical moment.
Chapter 8: Backgrounds 153 Botanist Your fascination lies within the verdant world of plant life. Perhaps you grew up on a farm, or your parents encouraged you to keep a small garden of your own. You have a green thumb and a green mind to match. From seed to shoot to fruit, you meticulously document the subtle transformations in plants as they sprout and grow, catalog newly discovered species, and may even crossbreed your own hybrid varieties all to ease burdens in realms that struggle to grow vegetation. You delight in plant identification and use this knowledge to differentiate the helpful from the harmful, as well as the delicious from the disgusting. Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Investigation Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit Languages: One of your choice Equipment: A bottle of ink, a quill, a book of plants with blank pages for future notes and discoveries, an herbalism kit, a set of common clothes and a belt pouch containing 5 gp. Feature: Green Thumb Your skills and knowledge translate well to many areas of employment. From assisting in herb collection for potion makers to making salves for village healers to treat patients, you can make yourself useful in nearly every settlement you come across. Your experience with plant life allows you to forage enough edible vegetation for yourself and up to five other people, each day, provided the land is capable of growing edible fruits, vegetables, or roots. Suggested Characteristics These are the suggested characteristics for a Botanist. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I am really excited to talk about plants, sometimes to the point of being annoying. 2 I am a natural teacher and relish the opportunity to pass along my knowledge of botany. 3 I am inclined to focus on the long view, envisioning how things could be with years of planning and tending. 4 I am always on the lookout for the final ingredients for a new medicine. 5 Perhaps I am too attached to plants; I get emotional if seedlings fail or trees are cut down. 6 I prefer a hard day’s work, in a field, over an easier task. 7 Diverse flora get me excited. 8 I get overwhelmed by large barren landscapes with little to no flora. D6 IDEAL 1 Nurture. Helping even the weakest flourish, benefits all. (Good) 2 Order. Gentle direction and careful selection is an improvement over wild growth, left to its own devices. (Lawful) 3 Diversify. Plentiful recombination is the true source of new discovery. (Chaotic) 4 Survival. The weak should be culled for the benefit of the strong. (Evil) 5 Balance. There can be no growth without death. One feeds the other. (Neutral) 6 Knowledge. Keen observation will often provide the answers to all questions. (Any) D6 BOND 1 I distrust magical cures for diseases and prefer to create my own remedies. 2 Rare plants must be preserved at all costs. 3 My knowledge holds the key to feeding a civilization and it must be passed on. 4 My new medicine will save countless lives. 5 I feel true kinship with foragers and gardeners, and I will defend them from harm. 6 I will never harvest more than half of any available plants in a given area. D6 FLAW 1 I often obsess over the weather, delighting in, or fretting over the growing conditions. 2 I overly idealize the order of nature, choosing to ignore the role random chance plays in life. 3 I am secretly addicted to recreational herbs. 4 I will plant seeds anywhere I can, even without permission, in an effort to improve the land. 5 My pompous attitude about plants does more harm to my cause than good. 6 Sometimes the plants tell me to do things that only I can hear.
154 Arora: Age of Desolation Caver While a lot of folk surviving in the Age of Desolation do so under the open skies, the darkness of the caves and subterranean spaces beneath the ravaged earth of the realms draws you in. Whether you mine the deep earth for resources necessary for survival, or you’ve sought out the caverns of the earth to escape the terrors of the open world and the feral dragons of the realms above, you have found your identity underground. Is your interest in the subsurface professional, unavoidable, or personal? Did you choose to explore the depths of the earth, or were you forced into it by accident or by need of survival? Whatever the initial reason, you’ve racked up a small lifetime of experience in the dark world below. Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Athletics Tool Proficiencies: Herbalism kit and one set of artisan’s tools of your choice Equipment: A set of common clothes, a knife, a miner’s helmet (which can safely house a candle), an unusually shaped and colored stone from a previous expedition, and a pouch containing 5 gp. Feature: Unerring Darksense Your time underground has given you a near-supernatural sense of direction in dark places. While underground, you are able to spot weak mineshafts, natural caverns, and other cave-in risks. Suggested Characteristics Some cavers are simple survivalists who retreated underground to escape the harsh realms above. Others spent time underground as a prisoner or professional miner. Others still are explorers and soldiers, looking for new ways to traverse the realms or to fend off enemies. Roll a d6, choose from the options in the table below, or work with your GM to determine your reason for spending so much time below ground: D6 ORIGIN 1 Salt Miner 2 Ore Miner 3 Spelunker 4 Explorer 5 Outcast 6 Survivalist D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I am most comfortable in the dark and least comfortable in sunlight. 2 Other people talk too much and don’t appreciate silence. 3 Finding gemstones, rare metals, and good old salt makes me giddy. 4 I prefer the daylit world and only travel underground when I must. 5 Years of close calls under the earth have left me with a dozen small superstitions and rituals that I am compelled to observe to stay safe. 6 Though I am perfectly literate, I get tongue-tied easily and prefer actions to words. 7 I am very comfortable around creatures that others think are creepy like spiders, snakes, and worms. 8 If given the choice, I will never stop eating mushrooms. D6 IDEAL 1 Safety. Caves are just a microcosm for the Five Realms, and only by following the rules can we all stay safe. (Lawful) 2 Truth. Deception has no place underground or in life. (Good) 3 Change. Just as the paths and waterways shift constantly under the surface, so do my aspirations and goals. (Chaotic) 4 Power. Life is as unforgiving as the dark, and only by being stronger than the rock can I prevail. (Evil) 5 Tolerance. Once, I was cast out into the darkness for my different ideas, and no one should have to go through that pain. (Good) 6 Merit. The caverns challenge me to be the be the very best. (Any) D6 BOND 1 While some love the plains, I believe it is the caverns and dark places of the Five Realms that must be protected and preserved as they keep us safe from the hard world above. 2 I saw something in the deep places of the realm that I cannot explain, and which haunts me. 3 The miners and spelunkers I’ve worked alongside are my family. 4 The beauty of the underworld needs to be seen and appreciated by those who dwell on the surface. 5 I am forever indebted to the person who saved me from a cavern collapse. 6 Though many hate and fear them, I deeply respect the yetis in Prazzolar and hope one day to communicate with them. D6 FLAW 1 I like dirt more than I like most people. 2 I am desperate for real companionship, often oversharing and becoming too intimate too fast. 3 On expeditions underground, everything was shared, and I now have a difficult time not simply taking what I need from others. 4 I love shiny objects like gold and gemstones and will often make bad decisions if I think it might lead me to possess more of them. 5 I became a caver to change my identity and flee the horrible deed I performed in my past. 6 I am deathly afraid of heights and will do almost anything to avoid being near large drops or cliffs.
Chapter 8: Backgrounds 155 Dreamwalker You, like many others, have wandered the twisted realm of Tievmer for many years. Unlike the rest, you dared to enter the pockets of chaos and nightmare known as the Dreamspace Pockets. You have nights of waking and dreaming a dozen times or more. You find comfort in the Dreamspaces and their koppies, and understand the tenuous link between these ephemeral visions and reality. You understand that while not always the case, the Dreamspace Pockets are corrupted by the Dragonrage, an affect that has slowly grown stronger over the past 500 years. You understand that they were once peaceful dreamlike realms but now, there are awful shadows moving through the koppies, and dark beings lurk on the edge of your nightmares. Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Survival Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument or one set of artisan’s tools Languages: One of your choice Equipment: One set of traveler’s clothes, any one musical instrument or set of artisan’s tools you’re proficient with, a trinket from your favored koppie, a small treasure from the Dreamspace Pockets worth 10gp, and a pouch containing 5 gp. Favored Koppie You’ve traveled to parts of Tievmer and visited Dreamspace Pockets that most don’t even know exist and could certainly never find without a guide. You have a favorite that was a second home for you before the effects of the Draongrage eventually caught up to it and ruined everything. D10 FAVORED KOPPIE 1 Market of Broken Dreams 2 Menagerie of Lurking Beasts 3 Carnival of Forgotten Toys 4 Lost-Youth Crater 5 Museum of Teeth 6 Observatory into the Mind’s Abyss 7 Farhazan’s Inescapable Maze 8 Sunken Phantower 9 Timur’s Palace of Stitched Horrors 10 University of What-Once-Was Feature: Prophetic Dreams When you sleep, you have lucid dreams of the Dreamspace Pockets, and can navigate them as a disembodied consciousness. Because of this, you can never get lost while in one, and always know the shortest route between koppies. Suggested Characteristics These are the suggested characteristics for a Dreamwalker. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I get lost in daydreams, sometimes completely detaching from the situation around me for a few minutes. 2 I see signs where I feel the Dreamspace is encroaching upon the physical realm, and cannot ignore them. 3 Sometimes I clutch tightly onto physical objects because I feel I’m being pulled into the Dreamspace. 4 I sing inharmonious songs or whistle discordantly; only I can hear the other parts that make it whole. 5 My dreams are valuable visions that shouldn’t be squandered; I chronicle each and every one of them. 6 My imagination sometimes gets the better of me, and I come to believe false truths that I’ve invented. 7 I paint beautiful wonderfully vivid pictures of the places I’ve been and things I’ve seen. 8 There are a few strange behaviors I’ve picked up from the Dreamspace that mark me out as being different. D6 IDEAL 1 Creativity. Artistry is the point of life, and I seek to create in every action I take. (Neutral) 2 Curiosity. The realms are filled with things to behold, and I want to see them all. (Any) 3 Freedom. Everyone has the right to express themselves however they see fit. (Chaotic) 4 People. There’s no point in experiencing amazing things if you can’t share them with others. (Neutral) 5 Creed. To distinguish between dreams and reality you have to follow certain codes of conduct. (Lawful) 6 Avidity. Experiencing new things somethings comes at the cost of others. If they can’t handle it, that’s their problem. (Evil) D6 BOND 1 I hold onto a token from the physical realm to keep me grounded in the Dreamspace. 2 I keep drawings of the amazing things I’ve seen in a book that I’d be lost without. 3 I surround myself with dear friends so that I may share in experiences with them. 4 My dreams sometimes show glimpses of a second cataclysm I must prevent. 5 My ability to explore and discover new places is worth more to me than my own life. 6 Someone close to me got lost in the Dreamspace. I need to find them. D6 FLAW 1 If I spend too long doing the same task I’m overcome with ennui. 2 I prefer my fantasies to reality. 3 I’m protective of my favorite things and keep them secret. 4 I lash out at those who try to curtail my freedoms. 5 I often slip into new vices that I discover. 6 When I get bored, I get angry.
156 Arora: Age of Desolation Exorcist At some point in your life, you realized you could sense the presence of the unquiet dead and had a gift for communicating with them. For some this happens during late childhood or early adulthood but for others these abilities manifest only after a near death experience. Regardless of what precipitated your abilities, your life was never the same after they manifested. In Khoor they came with respect and responsibilities but, in other lands, you find the living shun you for your macabre talent. In the haunted lands of Khoor, your gift is as practical as it is esoteric. Wandering undead are a nuisance throughout Khoor, a danger which you are uniquely suited to address. Whether you sailed the swamps with your tribe or lived in one of the region’s settlements, you made a living finding the undead and driving them out. You may have done battle with the dead to drive them away or destroy them, but much more often you engaged them with diplomacy, convincing them to pass on to the next life or at least avoid areas inhabited by the living. Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Religion Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument Languages: One of your choice Equipment: A wooden board with each letter of the alphabet, a planchette, a flask of holy water, a reliquary, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp. Feature: Death Speaker You understand the speech of, and your speech can be understood by, any undead creature who understands or speaks at least one language, even if you do not share a language. Suggested Characteristics Exorcists are united by their ability to sense and communicate with the dead. In Khoor, anyone who manifests these abilities is expected to use them to protect the living against the undead through battle or diplomacy. Whether you took up these responsibilities or not, your life as a medium between the living and the dead has shaped your every experience. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I feel most at peace in places where the dead are laid to rest. 2 The constant reminder of my own mortality compels me to live life to the fullest. 3 I didn’t ask for the ability to mediate between the living and the dead and resent the responsibility. 4 I prefer the company of the dead to that of the living. 5 I sometimes pretend to speak with spirits who aren’t around to get out of uncomfortable situations. 6 I rigidly adhere to a healthy lifestyle. I’m too familiar with the bleak reality of the dead to wish to join them any sooner than I have to. 7 I hide my abilities as an exorcist from others whenever possible. It makes life too complicated when others know. 8 My habit of humming dirges sometimes unnerves my companions. D6 IDEAL 1 Tranquility. Existence is a never ending cycle of life, death, and rebirth. (Neutral) 2 Order. I wish to help undead pass into death, whether they want me to or not. (Lawful) 3 Power. I use my abilities to amass undead followers rather than send them to rest. (Evil) 4 Peace. I believe the living and the dead both have a place in existence. I’m happy to help them coexist. (Good) 5 Responsibility. I have a responsibility to facilitate communication between the living and the dead. (Lawful) 6 Selfishness. The dead know much the living do not, I use my gift to hear them to advance my own goals first and foremost. (Evil) D6 BOND 1 I am haunted by the spirit of a friend who died when we were only children. 2 I frequently call upon the wisdom of my mentor who taught me how to use my abilities. 3 I keep a memento from every undead I’ve helped pass into true death. 4 A spirit I helped once led me to a sentimental treasure it had in life. Although it has little material value, I cherish it. 5 I correspond with a woman who I helped get rid of her angry deceased husband. 6 I carry a parchment on me at all times that contains the details of how I want my funeral rites to be handled. D6 FLAW 1 I have a dark sense of humor and no sense when not to crack a joke. 2 If I seem sullen and withdrawn it’s because I am. 3 My fascination, and comfort, with death often unnerves others. 4 I find the only thing that alleviates my preoccupation with my responsibilities is an expensive night spent in the most boisterous taverns around. 5 I’m suspicious of others and quick to assume they are attempting to deceive me. 6 I have a rigid code of ethics and judge others harshly when they don’t meet my standards.
Chapter 8: Backgrounds 157 Grobb Smuggler I n Khoor, nothing holds greater importance than the Way of the Foam—the harvesting, storage, and processing of the realm-traveling resource known as grobb that is used as a protective slathering while performing inter-planar travel through the few inter-planar rifts found within the Five Realms (see relevant sections in The Five Realms chapter). There is no greater criminal punishment in Khoor that that reserved for grobb smugglers. It’s a dangerous and lucrative occupation, with the knowledge that capture and discovery risks the gravest consequences. Opportunity, greed, dangerlust, and desperation drive most grobb smugglers. With the danger comes great excitement. Every smuggler has a great story to tell—what’s yours? When you select this background, choose or roll for your most famous story (or make up your own!): D6 GREAT STORY 1 That time you made your very first run. Your swamp boat may have been old but “Aye, was she ever a beauty!” 2 That time the guard spent a whole night searching your swamp boat, and “Ye’ll never guess where I’d hid the cargo!” 3 That time you had to hide your cargo in the deep swampland, only to return and find “The biggest swamp monster that you’d ever seen. It had seven…” 4 That time you made the “Long Run” with nothing but 12 bog parsnips for supplies. 5 That time you got caught and your crew came to the rescue. “You won’t believe how they got into the cell!” 6 That time you had to create an elaborate ruse. “It wasn’t just costumes; the accents were the best part!” Skill Proficiencies: Deception, Stealth Tool Proficiencies: Navigator’s tools, vehicles (water) Equipment: Set of nondescript clothing, a vehicle disguise kit (includes a set of blank decals, quick-drying paint, and a reference book of common authority symbols), and a pouch containing 10 gp. Feature: Timing is Everything Smuggling has taught you that most people have patterns, and that knowing them can be the difference between life and death. Whether through your network of connections and finely-honed instincts, you usually know who can tell you the exact schedules of organized groups, such as when the guard shift changes or when a group of mages have to recharge protective wards. While you know who has this information, they may still not tell you. Suggested Characteristics These are the suggested characteristics for a Grobb Smuggler. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I don’t need to know the odds, only that it’s possible. 2 I’m always ready to make a deal. 3 I place great faith in lucky charms and omens, especially while on the swamp on rivers. 4 There are no famous smugglers: I avoid making myself memorable. 5 I like to think through every possibility. 6 Water means business. 7 My frequent exposure to danger has made me unflinching. 8 I respect my opponents. D6 IDEAL 1 People. Respect of friends and enemies alike makes for better business. (Good) 2 Greed. Profit is the only thing that matters. (Evil) 3 Freedom. I didn’t make the laws, so I don’t have to obey them. (Chaotic) 4 Loyalty. I’ll never give up my friends. (Good) 5 Honor. I always deliver. (Lawful) 6 Privacy. I’m an intermediary. I don’t ask questions about my cargo. (Neutral) D6 BOND 1 I’m in this life because of a close family member. 2 My mentor went missing years ago, and I’ve never stopped looking for them. 3 I was mistreated by those who control the grobb trade, and smuggling from under their noses is my revenge. 4 I believe in the cause of those I smuggle for. 5 My swamp boat is my most prized possession and I would do anything for it. 6 Members of my crew got captured on a job I planned, and I swore to one day free them. D6 FLAW 1 I’m not nearly as smooth as I think I am. 2 I’ve upset a lot of people in a lot of places. 3 I’ll betray anyone if it means saving my own skin. 4 I lie so often that I often do it just out of habit. 5 I find it hard to trust anyone. 6 I don’t care about what’s right, only what’s best right now.
158 Arora: Age of Desolation Icekissed Your history is deeply rooted in the frozen lands of Prazzolar. Perhaps you were carving out a peasant’s life learning to survive the tundra, or perhaps you were hiding from your settlement’s authorities for some reason. The cold expanse holds secrets and gifts for those who know where to find them, and the rewards are bountiful for those who can determine how to eke out a living where even the basic act of surviving can be a great challenge. You are bound, for better or worse, to the cold and oppressive wilds. Your life has been a difficult one, but you have learned to wield your hard-learned lessons as tools that propel you forward instead of miring you down. Perhaps you’re a self-reliant hermit, or maybe you’ve earned a reputation as a mighty hunter. Or were you a sage, listening to the songs of the wind as they whipped across the ice sheets? Maybe you’re a wilderness guide, your skin gnarled and leathery due to exposure and pure grit. Your story is yours, and it is as rich as the ice itself. Skill Proficiencies: Survival, Nature Tool Proficiencies: Choose one set of tools, one gaming set, or a vehicle Equipment: A basic map showing two important locations in the tundra, a dagger, a staff, a hunting trap, a set of cold weather clothes, a clay pot containing three ounces of bear fat, and a pouch containing 8 gp. Feature: One With The Ice It is said that water is eternal, and that it retains an elemental sort of memory. You have learned to read the latent energy present in the ice. You can take an hour to perform a primal ritual that allows you to “read” the ice. At the end of the ritual, you can learn how many creatures have crossed through the area in the last several days. Furthermore, you know how to find water that is safe to drink in the frozen lands, even if you have to melt ice to get it. Suggested Characteristics The icekissed have been fundamentally changed by their time in the frozen lands. They are deeply bonded with those places and in time this affinity grows into something more. They often adopt a persona that sings like the howling wind or is sturdy like the ice. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I prefer to be cold and hard, like the ice. 2 Beneath my crusty exterior is a soft center because I am an unconditional supporter. 3 Everything that has happened will happen again. Water— and ice—will always win. 4 I struggle to share my desires because I prefer to simply exist in the moment. 5 I take pride in being the anchor for my allies and strive to provide for them. 6 The wilderness is an extension of me. I don’t feel safe around most people. 7 I hide my most personal treasures inside blocks of ice. 8 Feeling the cold wind on my skin reminds me that I am still alive. D6 IDEAL 1 Dissolution. I go where the wind takes me and scour away that which opposes me. (Chaotic) 2 Inevitable. Like the ice, I am inevitable. (Lawful) 3 Community. My power is a battery, a well, a font from which others may prosper in time. (Good) 4 Unrelenting. As a force of nature, no obstacle can halt my advance. (Chaotic) 5 Balance. I represent both bounty and folly in equal measure. (Neutral) 6 Desire. I want to prove myself to the true lords of nature and the world. (Any) D6 BOND 1 All who dwell in and on the ice are my family, for better or worse. 2 I desire to protect the secret histories that are known only to the glacial ice. 3 I was protected by a being of pure wintry power when I needed it most, and I must find them so that I can repay that kindness. 4 The world is better off with me here in the wild—and I am stronger for it. 5 I will do everything in my power to protect the frozen lands. 6 True wisdom can only come from throwing myself into the embrace of the howling winter wind. D6 FLAW 1 I am convinced that the story of the history of life itself is contained within the ice. 2 I can’t resist an opportunity to immerse myself in the cold. 3 Who knows what lies in the ice? I do, and I’ll tell you why. 4 I believe that I am as immovable as a primal glacier. 5 My only true comfort in life is that I am an agent of the ice and snow. 6 I believe that you can only truly live once they have been exposed to the deep freeze.
Chapter 8: Backgrounds 159 Realm Guide You have spent years in the wilderness on and off the trail. You led a life far from civilization and the comforts of towns and soft beds. You can navigate by the stars and the terrain landmarks day or night. You thrive outdoors and have sold your skills helping hunters catch rare game, caravans cross long distances, and help clients seeking places or people far away. Even in places where you don’t know the land, you know the ways of the wild. Skill Proficiencies: Survival and choose 1 from Athletics, Nature, Perception, or Stealth, Tool Proficiencies: Navigator’s tools, one instrument of your choice. Languages: None Equipment: A set of traveler’s clothes, navigator’s tools, a hat, a hunting trap, a trophy from an animal you killed, and a pouch containing 10 gp. Realm Origin You’ve been to the different realms and seen things that others only read about or hear in stories. Consider some of the distant realms you have visited, and how they impacted you. You can roll on the following table to determine your realm of origin during your time in the wild or choose one that best fits your character. D10 ORIGIN 1-2 Gallaht 3-4 Khoor 5-6 Mogsturma 7-8 Prazzolar 9-10 Tievmer Feature: Tracker’s Mindfulness You have an excellent memory for maps and geography, and you can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around you. You have advantage on survival checks to track beasts. Guide’s Foraging You know how to find water, edible plants, and wild game in the inhospitable desert sands. Your skills are often used to find respite from the dry hot winds and cold nights. You know where the oases are and what plants are safe to eat. Make a DC 10 Survival Check. On a success you can find enough water and food for yourself and up to 5 others once each day. Suggested Characteristics Guides are shaped by their experiences in the wilds. Their knowledge of surviving and navigating inhospitable places often makes for exciting stories and sullen moments impacts their mannerisms and ideals. Their flaws might be what you least expect, or how they cope with loneliness or the horrors they have witnessed. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 Traps don’t make me nervous. The fools who blunder into traps make me nervous. 2 Nothing will shake my optimistic belief in my current situation. 3 I love to tell stories of big game hunting! 4 The best way to get me to do something is to tell me I can’t do it. 5 I prefer to make a new friend than a new enemy. 6 I’ve spent so long in wilds that I have little practical experience dealing with people in the civilized world. 7 I laugh heartily, feel deeply, and fear nothing. 8 I love a good insult, even one directed at me. D6 IDEAL 1 Open. I have much to learn from the kindly folk I meet along my way. (Good) 2 Security. Doing what must be done can’t bring the innocent to harm. (Lawful) 3 Indifferent. Life is tough. There is no point in saving people if they’re just going to wait for someone else to save them. (Chaotic) 4 Greed. I’m just in it for the money. (Evil) 5 People. I’m committed to my friends I care about, not to ideals. (Neutral) 6 Knowledge. By understanding other races and cultures, we learn to understand ourselves. (Any) D6 BOND 1 I’m secretly in love with the patron who sponsors me as a guide and wants stories of my exploits. 2 I owe a dangerous person a lot of resources. If they’re happy, they let my debt rest unpaid. 3 Freedom is my most precious possession. I’ll never let anyone take it from me again. 4 I lost something important deep in the wilds, and I intend to find it. 5 I wish my childhood sweetheart had come with me to pursue my destiny. 6 I idolize a hero of the legends and measure my deeds against that person. D6 FLAW 1 I get seasick or airsick easily 2 I have a secret fear of some common wild animal—and in my work, I am likely to bump into them. 3 I indulge in a terrible habit which threatens my reputation or my health. 4 A scandal prevents me from ever going home again. A kind of trouble which seems to follow me around. 5 I am deathly afraid of heights 6 You must look out for yourself. No one else will.
160 Arora: Age of Desolation Sahali Expert The realm of Mogsturma is plagued by sahali, dinosaurlike creatures that raid settlements and terrorize the badlands at night. But you know that the sahali are misunderstood. They’re dangerous, but they’re not the mindless devourers others think are they. Rather, they’re complex animals with a deep emotional intelligence that should be respected and appreciated. You’ve spent much time exploring the badlands of Mogsturma while studying the sahali and have come to gain a deep appreciation for the animals. You might work on your own, keeping folio upon folio of notes about the sahali, or for a zoological group of scholars that wants to document and study the unique and hardy fauna of the scorched realm of Mogsturma. Alternatively, you could come from a Mogsturma culture that venerates the sahali or has begun to tame the beasts. Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Nature Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (land) or one type of gaming set or one musical instrument Languages: One of your choice Equipment: One set of traveler’s clothes, a hunting trap, book filled with sahali descriptions, and a pouch containing 10 gp. Feature: Sahali Bond You’ve formed a bond with the sahali because you have studied them more than any other kind of beast, and you see aspects of your own personality reflected within them. You know more about them than anyone else and can always accurately answer simple questions around their habitat, diet, hunting behaviors, and so on. Feature: Sahali Companion You have formed a close bond with a juvenile sahali. You and the beast are inseparable. They’re able to do small, mundane tasks for you such as fetch items or follow a scent, but they will not fight for you or put themselves into obvious danger on your behalf. They leave if subjected to cruelty. The sahali can be used as a mount at the GM’s discretion. Suggested Characteristics These are the suggested characteristics for a Sahali Expert. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 When I’m stressed or frightened, I have a tendency to list things aloud, like all the sahali species I’ve studied. 2 I’m always sketching interesting animals and plants I see on my travels. 3 I always carry little snacks for myself and for any hungry creatures I might spot. 4 Sometimes I forget that I’m an adventurer too, and not just an observer and chronicler. 5 I’ll put myself in harm’s way in order to get a sighting of a rare animal. 6 The brutality of the natural world has made me somewhat accustomed to violence. 7 When I get deeply interested in something, I lose track of everything else going on around me. 8 I have a bad habit of forgetting where I’ve put things. D6 IDEAL 1 Caring. I can’t stand to see innocent animals hurt. (Good) 2 Nature. The natural world holds more value than all humanoid civilizations. (Neutral) 3 Knowledge. I strive to constantly learn and improve my understanding of the world. (Any) 4 Power. If we can fully understand the sahali, we can work with them to overthrow others. (Evil) 5 Cooperation. By working with each other and the natural world, we can better ourselves. (Lawful) 6 Protection. I must do everything within my power to protect endangered creatures. (Good) D6 BOND 1 I won’t let anything come between me and my sahali companion. 2 I know the location of a sahali breeding ground that must be protected at all costs. 3 I’ve been writing a series of tomes of sahali that I want to publish one day. 4 My mentor taught me everything I know about sahali. Losing them would crush me. 5 I bore witness to an act of brutality against a sahali, and want to avenge it. 6 There’s a particular question about the sahali that I live to answer. D6 FLAW 1 I care more about animals than I do about people. 2 I get really stuck into my work, and sometimes forget to shower, eat, and sleep. 3 People are harder to understand than animals, and I’m slow to trust them. 4 I’ve got some bad habits thanks to spending time in the wilderness. 5 Sometimes I forget how dangerous my work is. 6 I’ve got a secret I learned in the wilds that I’ve never shared.
Chapter 8: Backgrounds 161 Sandborn Characters who hail from Gallaht can take the sandborn background, reflecting a life spent in the harsh climes and itinerant culture of this realm. As a sandborn, you understand the complexities that underlies the harshness of Gallaht, and you have the respect for nature that comes of having spent a lifetime on the edge of survival. You have spent your youth wandering the dunes, battling whipping sands, and lasting the ever-present heat during the Age of Desolation. These challenges in life have made you hardy and adaptable in the harshest of environments. Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Glassblower’s tools or mason’s tools Languages: Primordial Equipment: A staff, two waterskins, a pendant made of blown glass or crafted from the stone of a settlement you dwelled in as a child, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp. Feature: At Home in the Desert The time you’ve spent in and around the open sands of Gallaht gives you an edge when you are forced to fend for yourself in inhospitable climes. When in any desert, you can find fresh water for yourself and up to five other people each day, provided a water source exists within walking distance. Suggested Characteristics Living within the constantly shifting, largely itinerant tapestry of settlements and relationships in Gallaht instills many sandborn with the urge to be constantly on the move, both physically and emotionally. Settling in one place for longer than a year can feel downright unnatural, as can long-term relationships. Even so, many adventuring sandborn look to their relationships with their fellow party members as a stable anchor, especially if their adventures take them far from the deserts that have always been their home. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 Stillness of mind or body drives me to distraction. I need to always be thinking, always on the move. 2 Friendships are about focus, not duration. We might not know each other for long, but I’ll prove my worth to you. 3 You can’t wait around for things to happen to you. You don’t like where you are in life, you change it. 4 Silence is sweet up to a point. After that, I need voices and laughter to set my mind at ease. 5 There’s a beauty in the sands that those who haven’t spent time here will never see. 6 People with too much stuff are weird. Why do you own that? Are you going to pack it around your whole life? 7 I’ve never been around finery, and I get nervous if I am. 8 I’ve spent more time in the desert than I can reckon, and none of it was pleasant. D6 IDEAL 1 Movement. The wind moves. The sand moves. You fight to stay in one place, you just get left behind. (Chaotic) 2 Duty. No one survives in Gallaht alone. You work together. You do what’s expected. You let people know they can count on you. (Lawful) 3 Natural Splendor. First light catching sculpted waves of sand. The gleam of just-blown glass. You can have your art and your music. I know what beauty is. (Good) 4 Balance. One step in the wrong direction, and the sand and the stone will take you. Always seek the middle path. (Neutral) 5 Strength. A life in Gallaht has honed me like a blade. I’ll cut my way through competitors. (Evil) 6 Weal. Life is a struggle for everyone. Do what you can to lessen the struggles of others. (Good) D6 BOND 1 The stone hold where I grew up holds all my best memories. I must return there some day. 2 I fell in love when I was younger, but didn’t realize it until after we had parted along different paths. I must find my way back to that person one day. 3 The Age of Desolation will not be the end. Gallaht and the other realms will endure. I will make it so. 4 My family members have always moved together, but I know that will change. When I’m on my own for the first time, I don’t know what I’ll do. 5 I’ve lived in more stone holds that I can count, and spent more time in the trekking statues than I can reckon. The open desert is the only place that feels like home. 6 My life partners and I are the only union that endures. Everything else is transitory. D6 FLAW 1 Everyone who ever wronged me has their name scribed on a list in my heart. And that list is long. 2 The folk of Gallaht know what it means to struggle to survive. The folk of other realms are soft. 3 The emptiness of the desert terrifies me, but I can’t let that fear be seen. 4 Stillness irritates me—to the point where I can’t stop talking. 5 The austerity of life in Gallaht is unbearable. When I have a chance, I’ll leave this place and the people for good. 6 I get close to people, but I know it won’t last. What’s the point of ever trying to make a friendship real?
162 Arora: Age of Desolation Scavenger The forests of Tievmer are dotted with the crumbling remains of settlements, the Ruins of the Lost being perhaps the most famous. These still places hold wonders for those brave enough to sift through their fallen edifices, and you have always had a knack for uncovering lost marvels. You have combined your natural talent with an intense study of the ancient and lost people whose decaying homes you plunder, hoping to understand them better. You have always had quick eyes to spot things of worth, but none of the overgrown ruins are safe for visitors. Trouble lurks in the shadows, and you have had to leave more than one big score behind in exchange for escaping with your life intact. The market for uncovered treasures and knowledge continues to rise in the Age of Desolation as buyers hope treasures from the past might offer some clue or measure of protection from ever threatening effects of the Dragonrage. You’ll just have to go back again. Skill Proficiencies: History, Perception Tool Proficiencies: Tinker’s tools, thieves’ tools Equipment: A tool kit that you are proficient with, 5 sacks, 50 feet of hemp rope, 10 torches, a strange trinket discovered from the first place you scavenged, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 5 gp. Feature: Knowledge of the Past While you don’t have a comprehensive knowledge of the lost cultures, you have picked up helpful details here and there. Each time you enter a ruin in Tievmer that you have never visited, you recognize some interesting detail. You might know the origin of the architecture, the value of particular piece of artwork, or even recall a beast or trap famous for protecting the ruin. What you learn, and when you learn it, is up to the GM. Suggested Characteristics D6 PERSONALITY TRAITS 1 I have a fascination for lost architectural styles. 2 It’s not tomb raiding if you don’t find a body. Sell it all. 3 I love puzzles. 4 I collect odd bits and pieces, regardless of whether they have an obvious use. 5 I love reading about lost cultures and locations. A good book is better than a night at the tavern. 6 I try to avoid meeting new people. You never know what they might want. D6 IDEAL 1 Culture. Artifacts of cultural significance should be returned to the descendants of those cultures. (Good) 2 Experience. I’m in it for the thrill. Coins come and go, but the memories remain. (Neutral) 3 Safety. Thrill seekers are dangerous. Avoid them and always take the safest path. Preparation and planning leads to a longer life. (Lawful) 4 Perseverance. Something in my past has scarred me, and I see new sights so I might forget it. I suspect I can’t outrun my past, but I’m going to keep trying. (Neutral) 5 Knowledge. You are gathering knowledge of the past with the intention of writing a book, or otherwise sharing the knowledge. The lost folk should not be forgotten. (Good) 6 Power. If I keep gathering items of lost civilizations, I will eventually find one that grants me the power I seek. (Evil) D6 BOND 1 The Shrine of Jha-dhol is all that stands between us and oblivion. Anything that I find of religious significance should be sacrificed to Jha-dhol, that she might protect us all. 2 I owe another scavenger that hasn’t been seen for months. I will find them. 3 A loyal patron sometimes employs me to look for something for their collection. 4 I have found a book in a language that I have never seen and resists all attempts to translate it. I will uncover its secrets. 5 I have found a small statuette that has become precious to me. I will never part with it and make small offerings to it. Sometimes I think it talks to me. 6 Scavenging is rough business. I am loyal to those who delve with me. D6 FLAW 1 There is danger everywhere. Better to hide than take a chance of being eaten. 2 I can’t stay in one place for long and thirst for the next adventure. 3 I have trouble sleeping in the open. 4 Unattended objects tend to find their way into my sack. 5 I don’t like climbing and prefer delving deep. High places make me dizzy. 6 The world is a dangerous place. I don’t risk myself for others.
Chapter 8: Backgrounds 163 Spelunker You are a spelunker, an explorer of the dark depths of the realms. Tight spaces give you little cause for concern and you take pride in finding an unexplored nook, cranny, or cave. There’s no place you’d rather be than underground, feeling the tight embrace of dirt and stone. There are many different types of spelunkers, some of which are listed below. If you choose one of these spelunker types, you gain proficiency with the skill listed. In addition, those who might hire you are listed in parenthesis. Spelunker Specialty Table Roll on the table below to choose your spelunker’s speciality, or pick whichever suits you best. 1 Nature. You are adept at locating plants and animals in the darkest locations of the realms, providing others with new and exciting specimens for study. 2 Investigation. You have a nose for riches, able to find ancient relics, sources of gemstones, and rare ores. 3 Arcana. You are adept at locating rare spells components. 4 Survival. You are adept at safely helping others navigate, lending a helping hand and making certain their gear is safe and secured properly. 5 Stealth. You’ve learned how to be nimble and quiet while evading the dangers that lurk below ground. 6 History. You delve into the deep places of the realms in search of worlds that once were, now buried beneath the earth. Skill Proficiencies: Athletics and the skill associated with your specialty. Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer’s tools Languages: One of your choice. Equipment: A set of cartographer’s tools, a climber’s kit, 100 feet of rope, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp. Feature: Underground Forager Your time spent exploring the dark depths of the realms has taught you where to find sustenance. While foraging in caves or other natural underground formations, you easily locate enough edible plants, fungi, and algae for you and your companions for one meal. Suggested Characteristics Spelunkers adore the unknown. For them, finding and exploring a new cave system is just as exciting as battling a fiend or saving a life. A spelunker is adventurous, and often safety conscious. Though, some spelunkers are known for their action first, safety later mentality, diving into the unknown headfirst, excited to see what unknown wonders and hazards lay ahead. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 There’s nothing wrong with venturing into the unknown. It’s exciting! 2 Safety, especially when spelunking, is very important to me. 3 Who needs a plan? If there’s a way in, there’s also a way out. 4 I like to tell stories about my amazing underground adventures. 5 Spelunking is dangerous. I don’t easily put my life in the hands of others. 6 I love venturing into an unknown cave. You never know what you’ll find! 7 I’m as loyal as they come. My companions know they can count on me. 8 I believe in fate. If it happened, it was meant to happen. D6 IDEAL 1 Safety. It’s always necessary to have the correct tools for the job. (Good) 2 Greed. I’m always the first to enter a new place. (Chaotic) 3 Freedom. I don’t interfere with the natural order of things unless I absolutely must. (Good) 4 Freedom. If you get lost in the dark depths of the earth, I’m not going to spend my time to find you. (Evil) 5 People. If you don’t want to go digging and get your hands dirty, that’s okay by me. (Neutral) 6 Aspiration. One of these days I’ll buy a section of the underground and charge handsomely for tours. (Chaotic) D6 BOND 1 I lost a dear friend to the underground. I’m always looking for them, hoping to find them in the shadows of the deep. 2 The antiquities and gems I find in the underground are my source of income. 3 I live to teach others how to safely navigate underground labyrinths. 4 I owe a debt to a loan maker in a large city. I can’t return to that city until the debt is paid. 5 I’m an escaped convict. My true identity must never be revealed. 6 My life goal is to map the caves of the realms. D6 FLAW 1 I like to drop rocks or feign falling to scare other spelunkers. 2 I double, sometimes even triple, check my gear when spelunking. 3 Caves and small openings fascinate me. 4 I have a pocket stuffed with rare antiquities. Though, what I consider an antiquity may be rubbish to someone else. 5 I don’t like large, open spaces. There’s too much going on. 6 I’m secretly afraid of the dark.
164 Arora: Age of Desolation Stone Shaper Deep in the caves of Prazzolar, master masons and stone-sorcerers are at work. The stone shapers are magic users who read the complex patterns in rock and sandstone. They shape stone into vast chambers, small passageways, air and water flows, artful reliefs, weapons, and stone tools. Their skill with hammer, chisel, and well-placed magic is unmatched. The stone shapers’ speed and artful precision is often poetry in motion and efficiency. Skill Proficiencies: Perception, and one other skill of your choice. Tool Proficiencies: Mason’s tools Languages: One of your choice Equipment: A set of traveler’s clothes, masons tools, 100 feet of twine, a leather apron, a bullseye lantern, a stone crafted trinket from a mentor, and a pouch with 20 gp. Feature: Knowledge of the Craft You can accurately gauge the value of any stone works or stone art you find. Additionally, you can accurately determine the creator of the art if they have inscribed the work with a personal sigil and are somewhat well known for their art. Suggested Characteristics Stone shapers are often at their best when working the sandstone and rock as part of their trade. Their ideals are based in a strong work ethic and sense of community. Their bonds and flaws are often built on a foundation linked to their position in society and past injustices they have witnessed or experienced. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I see omens in the stone. The stones speak to us, we just need to listen. 2 Fame for my artful stonework is more important to me than money. 3 My honor is more important to me than my life. 4 I will never get out of my famous mentor’s shadow, and no one else will ever understand this burden. 5 I have a crude sense of humor. 6 I believe that anything worth doing is worth doing right. I can’t help it—I’m a perfectionist. 7 I work hard; nature offers no handouts. 8 I’m well known for my stone shaping work, and I want to make sure everyone appreciates it. I’m always taken aback when people haven’t heard of me. D6 IDEAL 1 Protection. I must do everything possible to save a community facing extinction from all sides. (Good) 2 Tradition. The ancient traditions of stonework and shaping must be preserved and upheld. (Lawful) 3 Daring. The richest rewards go to those who risk everything. (Chaotic) 4 Greed. I’m just in it for the fame and money. (Evil) 5 Sincerity. I won’t pretend to be something I’m not. (Neutral) 6 Honesty. The art of stone shaping should reflect the soul; it should come from within and reveal who we really are. (Any) D6 BOND 1 I owe my life to the stone shaper who took me in when my parents died. 2 I have a friendly rival. Only one of us can be the best, and I aim to prove it’s me. 3 My earnings go to support my family. 4 Everything I do is for the people who live in stone holds. 5 My tools are my most treasured possession, and they remind me of someone I love. 6 I will get revenge on the evil forces who destroyed my stone hold and ruined my livelihood. D6 FLAW 1 I am suspicious of strangers and expect the worst of them. 2 I have lingering pain from old injuries incurred during a stone shaping accident. 3 I judge others work harshly, and my work even more severely. 4 While growing up, I was bullied by a brat who’s now a leader in a stone hold. 5 I’m quick to assume that someone is trying to cheat me. 6 Just like when shaping stone, I think far ahead, a detachedness often mistaken for daydreaming.
Chapter 8: Backgrounds 165 Storyteller Some of your fondest memories are of sitting on the floor with other children, listening to wondrous tales of the great, wide world. Your imagination flickers as bright as the campfires and candles that lit the faces of the storytellers that came before you. You have a natural knack for exhilarating oration, a memory as sticky as spider’s silk, and a way with words that makes folk stop and listen. Skill Proficiencies: History, Performance Tool Proficiencies: Disguise kit Languages: Two of your choice Equipment: An entertainer’s pack, a set of normal clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp. Feature: Oral Tradition Storytelling is more than just entertainment. It is an unwritten record of the way things were and the way things are, today. You have been blessed with, or trained hard to obtain, a flawless memory. You have the ability to recall and retell any firsthand experience, without error. You prefer your accounts to be delivered with delicious embellishments, but when pressed, you can cough up the facts without the flavor. Suggested Characteristics These are the suggested characteristics for a storyteller. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I have a story for every occasion. From entertaining to educating, I know just what to say. 2 I prefer to tell stories to children because most adults have forgotten how to listen. 3 I understand how information flows. There’s more truth to be heard at a tavern than a town hall. 4 My profession is sacred, and I deserve to be respected as much as any member of the clergy. 5 I often get lost in my stories and have difficulty distinguishing the past from the present while performing, mentally incorporating myself and my audience into the tales. 6 I probe for the most minute details, searching for missing, important connections. 7 I rarely talk when not performing. 8 I read historical texts for the sole purpose of annotating them with true versions of the events. D6 IDEAL 1 Allegory. Stories of good deeds serve as important examples for expected behaviors. (Good) 2 Witness. Past events happened in exactly one way and the truth must be preserved. (Lawful) 3 Embellishment. The more flavor, the more fun. Exaggerations make a more profound impression. (Chaotic) 4 Implication. The choice or omission of the proper words can sway the minds of listeners. (Evil) 5 Narration. Heroes can fail and villains do prevail. The truth is occasionally inconvenient. (Neutral) 6 Legend. The oral accounts of daily deeds will survive longer than the ink of any book. (Any) D6 BOND 1 I survived a horrible ordeal by remembering lessons I heard in a story. 2 Libraries are cumbersome and exclusionary. Book knowledge should be memorized and spread by word of mouth. 3 There is one story I don’t know the ending to: What happened to my family? 4 Travel is the best way to amass a diverse repertoire of stories. 5 I live to perform. The accolades I receive are almost as important as sharing my stories. 6 A great secret was lost to me, burned in a fire. I am now distrustful of written records and memorize everything I read. D6 FLAW 1 I suffer from stage fright and often vomit before appearing in front of a crowd. 2 I have a hard time answering even simple questions without an elaborate, tangential story. 3 I have a habit of constantly speaking in rhymes. 4 I demand to be well compensated for my performances. 5 I am illiterate and go to great lengths to disguise it. 6 I don’t have strong opinions of my own and make my decisions based on similar situations from my stories.
166 Arora: Age of Desolation Swamper You grew up in a nomadic tribe that patrols the swamps of Khoor. Like other swampers, you’ve spent the majority of your life on a boat foraging for sakrill and other valuable plants, fishing, and hunting. Life floating through the murky waters and dodging acid rain was dangerous but it left you alert to dangers and capable of enduring harsh conditions and treacherous terrain. Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Vehicles (water) Equipment: A backpack, a bedroll, fishing tackle, a lamp, a mess kit, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 5 gp. Role The people of the nomadic tribes of Khoor are known for being resilient and independent but even they must rely on one another to survive the haunted marshlands they call home. You performed a specialized role for your tribe that led you to learn to use a certain tool. You can roll on the following table to determine your role while in your tribe, or choose the one that best fits your character. D6 ROLE 1 I was in charge of rations and cooking. You have proficiency with cook’s utensils. 2 I built and repaired boats. You have proficiency with carpenter’s tools. 3 I was a healer. You have proficiency with herbalism kits. 4 I created armor from the hides of swamp beasts. You have proficiency with leatherworker’s tools. 5 I created clothes, blankets, and nets. You have proficiency with weaver’s tools. 6 I was a toolmaker and fletcher. You have proficiency with woodcarver’s tools. Feature: Nomad You are used to swiftly maneuvering through natural obstacles and harsh landscapes in the swamplands of Khoor. While you are traveling for 10 minutes or more through a swamp type terrain, you ignore nonmagical difficult terrain. Suggested Characteristics Bound together by their experience of common perils and an itinerant lifestyle, swampers are as adept at surviving dangerous encounters with wild creatures as they are celebrating such moments with drink and song. Through the highs and the lows, swampers rely on their tribes for support and protection and offer the same in kind. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I prefer to sleep under the open sky. 2 I utilize a homemade concoction of herbs and mud to mask my scent. 3 When I’m bored or nervous I sing swamp sailing shanties to myself. 4 I get antsy when I’m on dry land for too long. 5 I’ve always got an eye out for new and interesting plants. 6 When there’s a reason to celebrate, I’m the last one to put down my drink or stop singing. 7 I’m haunted by the memory of a creature I saw take a young member of my tribe down into the murky depths. 8 I never learned table manners or any other kind of manners. D6 IDEAL 1 Freedom. I follow wherever my heart takes me. (Chaotic) 2 Tradition. I must carry on the traditions and practices of my tribe. (Lawful) 3 Brutality. The weak must die so the strong may live. (Evil) 4 Community. I put the wellbeing of my chosen tribe above my own. (Good) 5 Exploration. I exist to witness as much of the realms as I can. (Neutral) 6 Found Family. I consider anyone I fight alongside a member of my tribe. (Good) D6 BOND 1 The swamps of Khoor are my home, no matter how far I may wander from them. 2 I keep a piece of driftwood from my ill-fated boat to remind me that life is fleeting. 3 As I wander the wider world, I recruit new members to my tribe by sharing our customs. 4 I was burned by acid rain that still scars me, a sign of my Khoor heritage. 5 I safeguard my alligator tooth necklace, a family heirloom created when my great grandmother saved my great grandfather from a giant alligator, so I can one day pass it along to my own child. 6 My older sibling gave up being a swamper to settle down many years ago. I’m looking for them now. D6 FLAW 1 I speak bluntly and honestly, even when I shouldn’t. 2 I never retreat and never surrender. 3 I’m preoccupied with remaining vigilant against unseen threats. 4 I usually forget to tell my companions before I wander off by myself. 5 To survive in the swamp, you have to act first and think later. So, I do. 6 I never say no to a drink.
Chapter 8: Backgrounds 167 Vermin Sweeper You are a member of the Shonchoi echelon tasked with eradicating invasive species and keeping an eye on the local pest populations. Tracking down creatures wily enough to gain entry to your home settlement has granted you a keen understanding of the area and its hidden paths. It also has brought you into close contact with people and creatures from other realms, making you surprisingly savvy about conditions beyond your hometown borders. Operating in the shadows, vermin sweepers cultivate contacts among less-reputable citizens, and many sweepers supply the black market with a steady stream of foreign animals and materials. With connections among importers and smugglers combined with their low social standing, vermin sweepers make up a large percentage of those who end up leaving their home realm to explore others. Skill Proficiencies: Animal Handling, Stealth Tool Proficiencies: One type of musical instrument, one type of gaming set Equipment: A net, a sack, a small animal for hunting vermin (a small dog, cat, or ferret), one instrument or gaming set (one of your choice), a set of common clothes aligned with your home realm, and a pouch containing 5 gp. Feature: Chink in the Wall As a vermin sweeper, you are intimately familiar with the myriad ways creatures infiltrate a settlement, town, or city and can use them to your advantage. When your party needs to travel along an established trade route, either between realms or into a city or settlement, you can do so without arousing attention. The method depends on the situation and can include acting as stowaways aboard legitimate transport, dealing with smugglers, or finding a gap in security that you can exploit. This does not remove any potential cost or consequences for such actions. Suggested Characteristics Members of the lowest echelon in the town or city, vermin sweepers are viewed as an unpleasant necessity by most. Those who take up this task may do so because they are comfortable operating in the shadows or through curiosity about the various creatures that inhabit other realms. Most share a dim view of those higher up on the social ladder, knowing that their lifestyle is built on the backs of those below. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I am slow and methodical, ensuring that my prey has no escape before confronting it. 2 I am drawn to things that are flashy or gaudy, equating it with wealth and success. 3 I speak to animals as if they can understand me. 4 I am incurably optimistic at the worst times. 5 Beasts and monsters don’t frighten me. I’ve seen plenty of strange creatures in my day. 6 When making a deal, I always try to haggle. 7 I will always try to keep small treats or morsels of food on my person, either for later or in case of emergency. 8 My speech is peppered with animal metaphors, equating everything with some creature I’ve faced in the past. D6 IDEAL 1 Freedom. I resent my social standing and long for the freedom to explore other realms. (Chaotic) 2 Mercy. I always try to capture creatures alive, because everything deserves a chance to live. (Good) 3 Cunning. I have learned to exploit every opportunity and every weak point that I find. (Chaotic) 4 Strength. Pitting myself against dangerous creatures makes me stronger. (Neutral) 5 Duty. While others don’t appreciate it, I take comfort in knowing I perform an essential service. (Lawful) 6 Exploration. Having seen a taste of what’s out there, I can’t wait to get out and explore it myself. (Any) D6 BOND 1 My animal partner and I have been together for years. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for them. 2 I once supplied a creature I caught to a black-market dealer and people died as a result. It still haunts me. 3 A dangerous creature eluded me once, and I’m convinced that it is still hunting me. 4 I lost someone dear to me to sickness carried by vermin from another realm. I won’t let anyone else know that loss. 5 One of the creatures I hunted was carrying a note in some sort of code. I must know what it says. 6 I keep a detailed record of the creatures I encounter and where they are from. Someday I’ll see all those places. D6 FLAW 1 I value people based on what they can do for me. 2 I distrust anyone in a position of authority. 3 I can only rely on my pet and myself, all people betray me. 4 I take no pains with my appearance. 5 I live in the moment, dismissing anything that isn’t immediately useful. 6 Having spent so long hunting in the dark, bright light makes me very irritable.
168 Arora: Age of Desolation Village Healer You have developed a healthy curiosity about the body’s inner workings. What are creatures made of, exactly? What, if anything, differentiates the healthy from the sick, or the living from the dead? In your studies, you came to realize illnesses are not easily cured without first detecting their causes. With your knowledge, you could ease the suffering and save the lives of countless beings. Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Investigation Tool Proficiencies: Healer’s kit and either an herbalism kit or alchemist tools Equipment: A bottle of ink, a quill, a book on medicine, a healer’s kit, either an herbalism kit or alchemist tools, a set of fine clothes, and a belt pouch containing 5 gp. Feature: Care for the Sick You have spent many hours and sleepless nights tending to sick individuals or entire wards of diseased patients. Mopping fevered brows, administering poultices and herbal sedatives, providing water, cleaning wounds, changing dressings, and emptying chamber pots; you have done it all. When you are attending to creatures suffering from disease, their saving throws made at the end of a Long Rest to reduce or end the disease are made with advantage. Suggested Characteristics These are the suggested characteristics for a Village Healer. D8 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I am inquisitive and gain as much information as possible before making a decision or giving an opinion. 2 Despite routinely examining wounds and infections, I feel certain tasks are disgusting and below me. 3 I feel duty-bound to help heal the sick and wounded. 4 My comfort level around blood, excrement and discharge is unsettling. 5 I am not as confident in my own abilities as I may appear. 6 I am a specialist, not a generalist and I don’t deal well with conditions outside of my expertise. 7 I like to give the impression that I have seen everything and know it all, rarely admitting ignorance. 8 I am great at what I do but not good with people and all their constant complaints and questions. D6 IDEAL 1 Oath. When delivering care, I will do no harm. (Good) 2 Triage. Those with the direst need will be helped first. (Lawful) 3 Ambition. Conflicts provide many opportunities to advance my skills. (Chaotic) 4 Experimentation. Those beyond saving become perfect test subjects to further my knowledge. (Evil) 5 Impartial. All help will be delivered in the order requests are received. (Neutral) 6 Mission. Care for the sick and wounded is the highest calling. (Any) D6 BOND 1 I am a servant to society, valuable only as long as I can contribute. 2 Teaching others how to dress wounds and care for minor illnesses will free me to take care of more important problems. 3 I claim to distrust folk remedies, but I secretly research them, hoping to uncover hidden cures. 4 My first patient died because of a mistake I made. 5 I chose to save myself and left an injured friend to die alone. I will not do that again. 6 I abandoned my family to pursue my studies. To atone, I send everything I can spare to support widows and orphans. D6 FLAW 1 I drop whatever I am doing to help those in need, leaving a wake of uncompleted tasks and broken promises. 2 I condescend to those I help, unable to fathom how they allowed themselves to become ill or injured. 3 I don’t exude confidence in my own treatments, which unnerves my patients. 4 I will help those in need, but I will expect to be paid handsomely for my efforts, regardless of severity of injury or the individual’s ability to pay. 5 I am too skilled and my time far too valuable to bother with trivial injuries or illnesses. 6 I drink too much, as a coping mechanism for the gruesome sights I have seen.
Chapter 8: Backgrounds 169 Warden of Tievmer I t is the Wardens of Tievmer who best know the twisted forests of the realm . You are one of those brave souls; equal parts caravanner, woodsman, and hunter. You know secret paths through the wood and can navigate them in violent weather when others would succumb to the wilds. But twisted paths and bad weather are not the only challenge to delivering the offerings. Bandits, dracokin corrupted by the Dragonrage, and Lost Beasts constantly threaten travelers through Tievmer and every month there are fewer Wardens to protect them. Skill Proficiencies: Nature, Survival Tool Proficiencies: Cartographer’s tools, vehicles (land) Equipment: Cartographer’s tools, tinderbox, waterskin, journal detailing a familiar area, a trophy from one of the Lost Beasts that you helped kill, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp. Feature: A Way Through You have a talent for plotting the safest route from one wild location to another. While in the wild, you can find food and fresh water for yourself and up to five other people each day, provided that the land offers suitable forage. In addition, while traveling through the wild areas of Tievmer, you easily spot signs of beasts that are actively hunting forested areas. D6 PERSONALITY TRAIT 1 I love traveling and will sometimes take a new path just to see what is over the next hill. 2 I collect leaves and flowers from plants that I encounter and press them into my journal. 3 I am furtive by nature and tend to watch others unobserved before judging whether they are worthy of meeting. 4 Travel is made easier with a good story. I collect stories like others collect coins. 5 I am haunted by the massacres I have witnessed while on the road. 6 I am curious about the Lost Beasts and seek out knowledge and artifacts related to them. D6 IDEAL 1 Guidance. Guiding travelers is a holy calling that protects the folk in need during this Age of Desolation. (Lawful) 2 Respect. I take care to not upset the natural world. (Neutral) 3 Protect. All those traveling upon the road deserve my protection. (Neutral) 4 Discipline. I follow orders easily and like things that go by the book. (Lawful) 5 Remembrance. I find beauty in the world around me and document it by drawing pictures, writing poems, or composing songs. The world is art. (Chaotic) 6 Judgement. Those that betray the Warden’s sacred duty should be severely, and permanently, punished. (Evil) D6 BOND 1 The brotherhood of the Wardens of Tievmer is my new family. 2 We all owe a debt to the Scales of Jha-Dhol and should defer to them. 3 The local merchant prince is my liege lord. His word is law and his defense my priority. Long Live the Prince! 4 I am the next in a long line of Wardens. I would never dishonor my ancestors by failing in my duty. 5 I owe a life debt to one of the guards at the nearest settlement and bring small gifts back to them every time I pass through. 6 Those I have fought with easily earn my respect. D6 FLAW 1 Getting my pay for guiding travelers through is more important than their lives. 2 I love hunting for sport and often don’t use what I kill. 3 If you aren’t sure, stick a sword in them. They were probably going to betray you anyway. A man can’t rob you if he’s dead. 4 Everyone has a price. Never trust those who claim not to have one. 5 The face I present to others is not the real me. The real me is not someone others are likely to find acceptable. 6 I always claim to know the best path; even when I don’t.
170 Arora: Age of Desolation
Chapter 9: Running the Game 171 Between Worlds With Arora having been split into the Five Realms, each acting as their own physical plane, none of the realms physically touch each other. The realms are connected only by the power of Jha-dhol, who in the cosmology of Arora, acts as the central life bringer, sun, and protector of the realms. Each realm is protected by the Great Abjuration, a magical and divine protective sphere that surrounds each of the Five Realms. When a mortal being approaches the Great Abjuration on any of the Five Realms, a magical force gradually restrains them from ever reaching the edge of the realm. This effect starts gradually 50 miles out from the precipice of the realm and grows in strength the closer one comes. Ten miles from the edge of any realm, the force is so great that the creature simply cannot move any further forward. Many have tried, and all have failed. Interplanar Travel Travel between the realms is possible, despite the Great Abjuration impeding the ability to leave from the edge of a realm. Each realm is connected by a series of interplanar rifts. These natural tears in the fabric of space create portals to other realms. Each rift has unique characteristics and are sometimes not as obviously recognized as others. Despite their unique characteristics, interplanar travel in Arora is as dangerous of an experience as anything in the realms. One Way. While one rift may be open and travel directly to one particular realm, that does not necessarily mean that the rift on the other side leads back to the originating realm. Travel between realms is often a oneway event, and returning to a previous realm sometimes requires multiple journeys through different rifts in different realms. An experienced realm-guide is a useful commodity when braving interplanar travel, though they are often very costly.
172 Arora: Age of Desolation Grobb In the days when the realms were first born again, when the ruling dragons arrived in the Five Realms and laid their eggs to gestate the first generation of people, Jha-dhol spent the last of her powers to protect what would become the first to walk Arora. The dragon goddess created grobb, a foam that allowed the dragons’ eggs to hatch not only draconic beings, but the first generation of blended humanoids, among a few other unique creatures. Once the first generations had hatched, however, the need for grobb faded. With the folk of Arora now beginning their new lives, and learning the ways of the lands, they soon became curious and studious in all things Arora presented them. Grobb was no exception, and over the thousands of years before the Dragonrage plunged the realms into the Age of Desolation, the clever folks of Khoor found an alternative use of the magical foam. They discovered that grobb provided some protection from the dangers of interplanar travel. This discovery opened trade between the realms and allowed Arora’s different people to intermingle. Now, during the Age of Desolation, grobb is quite rare, having been farmed to near depletion in the realm of Khoor. Due to its now-scarce amounts, grobb is heavily guarded and regulated throughout the realms, with some realms seeing barely any of the foam at all. The industrious, entrepreneurial, and exploitative folk of the realm have created a highly lucrative black market around grobb. Seedy smugglers bring it across planar rifts while wizards and alchemists study the substance in hopes to produce similar creations, often with disastrous effects. Dangers of Interplanar Travel Traveling between the realms is deadly. When a creature enters an interplanar rift or suffers any of the unique dangers shown in the table below, the creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If they fail, the creature takes 11 (2d10) force damage. Grobb. If a creature covers their body in grobb foam prior to entering a rift, they have advantage on any save made while conducting interplanar travel for the next hour and take no force damage while doing so. A grobb covered creature also takes damage effects from the table below. PORTAL REALM DANGER Khulud Portal Gallaht The creature must make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure they take 39 (6d12) psychic damage. Arinok Portal Khoor The creature must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw. If they fail, they are torn from their current trajectory, and land in a random realm. Roll 1d4 to determine the creature’s destination. 1. Gallaht, 2. Mogsturma, 3. Prazzolar, 4. Tievmer. Vast Plains Mogsturma The creature must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw. If they fail, they are hit by unstable magical whips of energy and are paralyzed for 1d4 hours. Icy Crossing Prazzolar The creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If they fail, they are blinded until the next dawn. Wildwood Threshold Tievmer The creature must make a DC 15 Intelligence saving throw. If they fail, they suffer the effects of the feeblemind spell. The Dragons’ Ingress Tievmer The creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. If they fail, they are poisoned for 1d4 days, and take two levels of exhaustion.
Chapter 9: Running The Game 173 Improved Exploration and Discovery Good stories present interesting characters interacting with each other to create conflict and drive narrative action. Well-developed characters have more opportunities to engage with the story in meaningful ways. While player characters and non-player characters provide most of the engagement opportunities for your game, the setting itself is also a character in its own right. The setting is the world in which every character lives, constantly shaping and providing context for every thought and action taking place within it. Like a character with a well-developed backstory, Arora has a rich history replete with mystery, wonder, and danger, but characters (and players) need to be aware of those aspects to interact with them. The more thoroughly they experience and understand Arora, the more meaningfully they can engage with it, making the entire story more dynamic and exciting. Rather than simply handing Arora’s story to your players, they can engage with it directly through the Improved Exploration and Discovery system. Using this system, players make choices and leverage their characters’ skills to actively interact with the setting, earning discoveries through investigation and exploration. This engagement provides a new avenue for players to flex their characters’ abilities, but it also helps them remember and appreciate the setting’s details. The deeper characters get into Arora’s many features, the more interesting things they get to experience, and the better prepared they will be to handle whatever dangers they find. Order of Play From a high-level, the intended order of play for the Improved Exploration and Discovery System is as follows: Before choosing a location to adventure in: Discover Region. The party enters or learns about a new region. Research (optional). The party decides to conduct research about the region entering the Research Phase. Exploration. The party decides to confirm the information they currently know of the region. This is an abstract view point conveying a day’s worth of travel and exploration around the region visiting various features previously considered as rumor. Rolling for After Exploration Danger. After the party has completed their exploration checks, confirm and run any encounter that happened at the most dangerous feature that was explored, by rolling for Danger. Choose Adventuring Location. The party declares where they would like to visit and begin adventuring. After choosing a location to adventure in: The Journey. The GM decides what other features the party would visit along the way rolling for Danger as the party passes through each. Run Encounters. The GM runs any encounters along the way where the Danger roll stipulates. The Destination. The GM zooms into the destination, running the location scenes as per standard play. For instance, a dungeon delve. Information about each of these parts of play are further detailed in the sections below. Key Terms The Discovery system relies on a few key concepts. Understanding the terms representing them is crucial. Regions A region represents a significant geographic area containing interesting things for characters to discover and interact with. The number and size of regions in your game depends on the game’s scope and how broadly the party ranges. A game focused on a small area likely contains few or small regions, while a far-flung, exploration-heavy game may contain many large regions. Importantly, the entire group should discuss the game’s scope both at the outset and as the game progresses. You can generate and add Regions both at the start of the game and over time as appropriate. Region Sheet Each region has a pair of corresponding region sheets. Think of the region sheet as a region’s character sheet. Just as a character sheet serves as a reference for the character’s important characteristics, the region sheet does the same for a region. The GM’s copy, which you create, contains the region’s complete information, but the players’ sheet begins blank. As the party interacts with the region through research and exploration (see page 177), they learn more about it, allowing them to fill in the blanks and verify any uncertain information. See page 182 for an example of a GM’s region sheet. A region sheet contains the following information: Name: This is the name the region is known by. Some regions may have many names or local variations on a common name. Description: This is a short summary describing the region’s appearance and environment, and its place in one of the Five Realms. This should provide a general feel for the region. Size: Regions don’t have strictly defined sizes, but the larger a region is, the more likely it is to have more features to discover. Features: Features define a region and how the characters interact with it. "Learning what’s out there, and then taming it, is the greatest skill one can have in Arora." - Jhakith Madra Adailar
174 Arora: Age of Desolation Features Features are locations or points of interest within a region, such as landmarks, geographic elements, natural phenomena, magical anomalies, creature habitats, hunting grounds, population centers, ancient ruins, hazardous areas, and so on. The region sheet divides its features into four categories. Each feature belongs to one category based on how difficult it is to discover. •Obvious features are readily apparent to anyone observing the region, such as towering mountains, vast deserts, large cities, mighty rivers, well-marked roads, or other landmarks impossible to miss through simple observation. Someone who hasn’t experienced the region firsthand may not know about the region’s obvious features, but even cursory research on the region is sufficient to reveal rumors about them. •Common features aren’t as conspicuous as obvious features, but they only require minimal time and effort to discover through research or exploration. Examples include secluded valleys, well-known trading posts, small cities, tributaries, unmarked roads, or other landmarks difficult to overlook by anyone with a mind to find them. •Uncommon features are generally poorly known, offthe-beaten-path, or otherwise difficult to find except to those who know the area well or spend substantial effort exploring it. Examples include small or seldom-traveled mountain passes, desert oases, villages hidden deep in wilderness, small streams, hunting trails, or other places one would have a hard time finding without detailed knowledge about the region. •Secret features are either purposefully hidden or shrouded from discovery through obscurity or natural misdirection. They can be learned about and found, but such discoveries require an abundance of skill, time, and effort. Examples include small caves and tunnels, hidden tombs, ruins of fabled cities, magical springs, hidden paths, and other magical or esoteric locations. Each feature includes the following information regardless of its category. This information is recorded on the region sheet. Name: Like regions, features have names. The name should give some idea of what it represents. For example, if a feature represents a vast forest, it could be named as simply as Vast Forest, or it could carry a name more specific to the setting, such as Saihan’s Thicket. Though it’s possible to have multiple names for one feature, keep in mind that each region has several features, so use multiple names for the same feature sparingly. Too many names can quickly become overwhelming and confusing for everyone. Description: This is a short summary, usually only a few phrases or sentences, describing the feature. This should be sufficiently descriptive to serve as a prompt when describing what the party finds when interacting with the feature. Danger Rating: Each feature has a Danger Rating from 1 to 20 determined by the GM. The higher a feature’s Danger Rating, the more likely the party is to encounter a dangerous situation while lingering there. Status: Each feature has a status that allows the players to track the degree to which the party has discovered it. Status is only used for the players’ region sheet. •Unknown: An unknown feature is left blank on the region sheet so the party remains unaware of its existence until they learn about or witness it firsthand, thereby changing its status to rumored or discovered, respectively. Because players don’t list features on their region sheet until they learn about them, unknown features only appear on the GM’s region sheet. •Rumored: A rumored feature is one the party believes exists because they learned about it through research or other secondhand knowledge like studying maps or listening to trivia from scholars or travelers. A rumored feature appears on the players’ region sheet once the party learns about it but hasn’t confirmed its existence firsthand. When the party records a rumored feature, the GM might hint at some of its environmental hazards. When the party explores a region, they can seek out and confirm a specific rumored feature’s existence or absence. If the feature actually exists, as wasn’t merely a folktale or outright lie, and the party spends Discovery Points (see page 179) in this way, its status changes from rumored to discovered. If the feature doesn’t exist, it instead becomes missing. •Discovered: A discovered feature begins as unknown or rumored, but becomes discovered once the party witnesses it firsthand, typically through exploration. When the party discovers a feature, they learn all of its environmental hazards, if any. Once discovered, the party doesn’t need to make a check or spend Discovery Points to locate it again unless the feature or GM specify otherwise. •Missing: A missing feature begins as a rumored feature but becomes missing once the party encounters evidence that it is absent from the region. This can mean the feature once existed there but has since moved or been destroyed, or it can indicate the feature never existed in the first place and was merely fantasy or rumor. Changing Features Though feature statuses change according to the prescribed rules, it’s important to note that a feature’s contents can also change as the story progresses. For instance, a kobold lair may exist in a region, but they could abandon it upon hearing of the party’s approach. Once the party discovers it, they may find it empty (and laden with vile traps) because the kobolds relocated elsewhere in the region or to a new region entirely. Likewise, a bandit hideout could become the party’s base of operations after displacing its previous occupants. It’s a good idea to change feature names and descriptions on the region sheet to reflect their changing contents. Using the previous examples, Kobold Lair could become Abandoned Kobold Lair and Bandit Hideout could become Party Headquarters. "Beasts kill and eat you. The swamp eats you alive." - Khoor Proverb
Chapter 9: Running The Game 175 Creating a Region It’s usually best for you, the GM, to set up regions before or between game sessions because they require some preparation. It’s ok to prepare region sheets only for the regions the party will visit or look into during the upcoming session, so don’t worry too much about trying to prepare every possible region up front. You can always establish more regions later. Step 1: Name the Region Choose a name and description for the region, recording both on the region sheet. Multiple names may apply to indicate how different languages and cultures refer to the area, potentially suggesting particular sentiments from certain groups. For example, a place known as Forgotten Valley by most cultures could be called Dragonfall in Draconic, signifying some historical significance to dragons, or that most cultures know it only by rumor. For Age of Desolation campaigns that may travel between the Five Realms, you may want to note which realm each region is in. Step 2: Describe the Region Write a sentence or two explaining the overall contents and atmosphere of the region. This should contain just enough detail to differentiate this region from others at a glance. Step 3: Determine Region Size and Number of Features Decide how large the region is. They are generally categorized as small (less than 25 square miles), medium (25 to 50 square miles), or large (more than 50 square miles). These ranges are only guidelines. It’s not important to precisely define a region’s boundaries; a rough approximation is fine and boundaries often shift over time. Next, decide how many of each feature type the region contains. •A small Region or one sparse in Features contains 3 (1d4 + 1) obvious features, 2 (1d4) common features, 1 (1d2) uncommon features, and 0 (1d2 – 1) secret features. •A mid-sized region or one with moderate features contains 4 (1d4 + 2) obvious features, 3 (1d6) common features, 2 (1d4) uncommon features, and 1 (1d2) secret features. •A large region or one packed with features contains 6 (2d4 + 1) obvious features, 4 (1d6 + 1) common features, 3 (1d4 + 1) uncommon features, and 2 (1d3) secret features. Regardless of size, you are free to modify the number of features according to your preferences and the needs of your story. Step 4: Generate Features Next, decide the specifics for each feature. You can come up with your own ideas or roll on the Feature Tables. Each feature has a name, description, and Danger Rating, all recorded on the GM’s region sheet. Each feature gets a Danger Rating (see page 180), which is recorded next to the feature’s name. Assign Danger Ratings at your discretion or roll 1d20 for each feature. In the case of missing features, this represents how dangerous the supposed feature is believed to be. Once you determine what each feature represents, you can make some of them missing (see page 174). An occasional missing feature can foster a sense of mystery and reinforce the changing nature of a living world, but players may become frustrated if too many of their rumors and other leads turn up with nothing, so it’s wise to use missing features sparingly. Generally, regions should have no more than one missing feature (if any).
176 Arora: Age of Desolation Feature Tables D20 OBVIOUS FEATURE 1 A mountain peak thrust high into the clouds 2 A vast forest infested by predators 3 A heavily populated city that never sleeps 4 The crossroad of two major roads lined with merchants 5 A high plateau where the air is thin 6 A barren wasteland baking under the sun 7 A mighty river with no ford in sight 8 Grassy plains stretching to the horizon 9 A placid lake alive with aquatic life 10 A raging forest fire immolating acres 11 An expansive swamp crawling with insects 12 An active volcano belching fumes and molten stone 13 Rolling foothills teeming with life 14 A recent battlefield reeking of carnage 15 A massive canyon, deep and wide 16 A huge beacon burning brightly 17 A giant tree scraping the sky 18 A calm harbor set apart from the vast ocean 19 A massive palace at the center of all major roads 20 A face carved into a mountainside serving a monument to an old hero D20 COMMON FEATURE 1 A deep ravine half full of muddy water 2 An eerily quiet mountain pass, but clearly visible 3 A sheer cliff with no obvious way up or down 4 A prosperous town, quiet at night 5 A sparkling beach with golden sand kissed by azure water 6 A rocky caldera, littered with broken stones 7 An active quarry, thick with masonry dust 8 A fortified castle, its crenelations damaged from war 9 A lively inn bursting with song and the scent of cooking meat 10 A well-travelled river crossing with ropes and markings 11 The rotting corpse of a gargantuan creature 12 An open road of packed earth littered with the refuse of travelers 13 A wizard’s tower lit up at night with faerie lights 14 A permanent military encampment full of soldiers and their support 15 An ancient amphitheater, partially intact 16 A stone bridge spanning a wide chasm 17 A deep valley perpetually covered in mist 18 A shanty town constantly besieged by monsters 19 A circle of standing stones with signs of visitors 20 A gladiatorial arena operated by malicious creatures D20 UNCOMMON FEATURE 1 A disused farmhouse full of cobwebs 2 A mysterious stone obelisk thrumming with magical power 3 Abandoned ruins of a failed settlement 4 A majestic waterfall falling from an impossible height 5 An ancient battlefield, possibly haunted 6 An obscure trading post dealing in rare commodities 7 A crumbling statue to a famous historical figure 8 A secluded temple with few devout in attendance 9 A lonely watchtower, its occupants nowhere to be found 10 An isolated mineshaft, still ripe with minerals 11 A mass grave in an open pit, the bones picked clean 12 A well-kept path leading through a field of deadly plants 13 A hot spring tinged with sulphur 14 A network of caverns crisscrossing beneath the surface 15 A hunting trail leading through thick brambles 16 The feeding grounds of a herd of native animals 17 An abandoned palisade, signs of old battle marking the wood and stones 18 A pool of bubbling tar, its vapors on the wind 19 A cluster of huts, not even a village, still occupied 20 A tree split by lightning and surrounded by fireflies at night D20 SECRET FEATURE 1 A hidden druid grove with signs of animal dwellings 2 The lair of a legendary creature just outside a town 3 A cult’s meeting place, blood dried upon the stones 4 A hermit’s shack, complete with hermit 5 A forgotten graveyard prowled by sinister creatures 6 A smuggler’s cave full of rotten produce 7 A buried escape tunnel, but recently used 8 A hastily-abandoned but still stocked alchemical lab 9 An overgrown path hidden at the foot of a fortress 10 A filthy dungeon, now devoid of inmates, but still full of traps 11 A hidden cache of weapons and siege machines 12 A library deep within a mountain, accessible only through a twisting tunnel 13 A dragon’s horde far from populated areas 14 A wizard’s tower perched on the side of a sheer cliff facing the sea 15 The den of a ferocious animal concealed by overgrowth 16 A monastery set in the branches of trees, tucked beneath the boughs 17 A twisting labyrinth built by unknown hands 18 A stone chamber with multiple portals connected to other realms 19 A temple to a Jha-dhol, its candles still lit 20 An unmarked grave with a broken rune-etched spear haft transfixing the remains
Chapter 9: Running The Game 177 Discovery The players start with a blank region sheet for any region they have discovered or heard of, only filling in the region’s name once they learn it exists. They fill in additional information like feature names, statuses, and Danger Ratings as they learn about the region through Discovery Points. Players earn Discovery Points through two processes: research and exploration. Research Not all discoveries occur as adventurers trek through unknown places they’ve never heard of. Deliberate explorers research their destinations first, taking time to learn what they can about the area before even setting foot there. Not only does foreknowledge help guide explorers to points of interest, it also helps them avoid or better prepare for the dangers awaiting there, including environmental hazards (see page 190). To research a region, a character can spend 8 hours , essentially a full day’s work, performing a task to gather information about the region. At the end of their efforts, they roll an ability check appropriate to their research method. Research can be done many ways, and players are encouraged to be creative, but examples include: Recall Knowledge: You consult your notes and carefully sift through your memories to recall anything you’ve previously learned about the Region. Intelligence (History) Search for References: You search for useful references about the region including maps, journals, illustrations, diplomatic documents, and other sources of recorded information. Intelligence (Investigation) Ask Around: Consulting the local population, you convince them to share stories, rumors, personal accounts (firsthand or otherwise), gossip, and trivia about the region. Charisma (Persuasion) Exert Leverage: The locals may know something they aren’t willing to share about the region, so you strongarm them (literally or figuratively) into revealing what they know. Charisma (Intimidation) Multiple characters can perform research at the same time, but each character must make their own ability check. A character can also spend their time helping another character’s research attempt instead of performing their own, providing advantage to the researcher’s ability check. You are free to decide some research methods are easier or more difficult in certain situations, granting advantage or disadvantage to their associated ability checks. For example, searching for references in a library known for its abundance of geographical references probably grants advantage to the Intelligence (Investigation) check. Meanwhile, asking around about a distant land might prove difficult in an isolated village with inhabitants who seldom travel abroad, the Charisma (Persuasion) check has disadvantage. You may even decide some attempts are impossible if the situation couldn’t possibly result in useful information. Each research attempt generates a number of Discovery Points determined by the ability check’s result.
178 Arora: Age of Desolation ABILITY CHECK RESULT DISCOVERY POINTS 5 or lower 0 6–10 1 11–14 2 15–20 3 21 or higher 4 Multiple Same-type Checks in Research. During the research phase, in the case where multiple players make the same type of skill check to earn Discovery Points, each player’s roll is unique and all rolls earn the Discovery Points mentioned in the table above, unlike the exploration phase below. Spending Discovery Points. Players then spend their Discovery Points to learn information about the region they researched. Players can only spend their own Discovery Points; they cannot combine totals with other players. Once every player has a chance to spend their Discovery Points, any unspent points are lost. 1 Discovery Point: Reveal a rumored feature’s Danger Rating. 1 Discovery Point: Reveal all obvious features and the region’s description. 1 Discovery Point: Reveal one common feature. 2 Discovery Points: Reveal one uncommon feature. 4 Discovery Points: Reveal one secret feature. The players record revealed features on their region sheet. If a player tries to reveal a type of feature after all features of that type have been revealed, they can choose to spend those points another way—Discovery Points are never wasted. All features revealed through research begin as rumored features and only include the name and description. A feature’s Danger Rating is only revealed if Discovery Points are specifically spent to learn that information (or through exploration, see below). Research cannot reveal if a feature is actually missing — only the GM should know that until the party explores the region. Research isn’t strictly necessary to discover what lies inside a region, but foreknowledge is always helpful. Being aware of a region’s features allows the party to find them more easily once they arrive, and it gives them a chance to prepare for hazards and obstacles those features might present. The party might procure specialized equipment or clothing, and magic users might prepare spells to deal with the dangers they expect to face. You are encouraged to reward parties that take the time to find out what they’re getting into. This might manifest as starting certain situations in advantageous positions, avoiding specific enemies, mitigating the dangers of environmental hazards, or gaining advantage on relevant ability checks related to the problems they prepared for. Learning Without Research Though research is an effective way to learn about a region, you can also deliver information to the party narratively. For example, knowledgeable NPCs might share information about a region (often for a price), or the party might find a regional map. In situations like these, you can allow the party to fill in blanks on their region sheet at your discretion, though any features revealed in this way are always rumored. If the source isn’t completely reliable or current, some of those rumored features may turn out to be missing — much can change with the passage of time.
Chapter 9: Running The Game 179 Exploration While research can help uncover what dangers lurk in a region, information is only as reliable as its source. There’s no substitute for firsthand observation. To accomplish that, the party must Explore. Exploring a region requires the party to spend 8 to 12 hours, essentially a full day’s travel, using their skills to discover a region’s features as they brave its dangers. Before this point, any known feature is only considered a rumor, and knowledge of how to get there or if it exists at all, can only be confirmed through an entire day of exploration. The party cannot choose to visit a feature for adventuring until it has been confirmed and discovered via the exploration phase. At the end of their efforts, each character rolls an ability check appropriate to the skills they used to explore the region. Players are encouraged to be creative in their approach to exploration, but examples include: Observe Nature: You locate interesting features by recognizing their impact on the surrounding natural world. Intelligence (Nature) Search for Clues: You scour the area for clues that suggest where significant features are located. Intelligence (Investigation) Notice Details: You rely on your senses to catch telltale details denoting landmarks and anomalies. Wisdom (Perception) Traverse Terrain: You guide your party through the region efficiently while following signs of remarkable locations. Wisdom (Survival) Multiple characters can explore at the same time, but each rolls their own ability check. A character can also spend their time helping another character’s exploration instead of rolling their own ability check, allowing the character they’re helping to roll the ability check with advantage. Additionally, if a character has a feature, magic item, or similar that could feasibly aid their exploration, consider granting them advantage on relevant ability checks to explore. For example, a ranger exploring in their favored terrain might have advantage on their exploration ability checks at your discretion. Each ability check generates a number of Discovery Points determined by the result. ABILITY CHECK RESULT DISCOVERY POINTS 5 or lower 0 6–10 1 11–14 2 15–20 3 21 or higher 4 Multiple Same-type Checks in Exploration. In the case that two or more characters make the same type of skill check while exploring, the highest of the rolls (maximum of one roll) earns the above detailed Discovery Points. However, every other check of the same type that would otherwise successfully gain Discovery Points, only gains a maximum of 1 Discovery Point each. For instance, Laura rolls a 15 on her survival check and Jackson rolls a 14 on his survival check. Laura earns 3 Discovery Points, per the above table, meanwhile Jackson only gains 1 Discovery Point for the point pool. Discovery Point Pool. Unlike research, exploration allows the entire party to add their Discovery Points together into a single pool. They can then spend points from that pool to discover features in the region. Once the party finishes spending Discovery Points, any unspent points are lost. 1 Discovery Point: All obvious features become discovered. 1 Discovery Point: The party finds one rumored feature of their choice, changing its status to discovered. If they choose a rumored feature that is actually missing, describe what they find instead. The party marks the feature’s status as missing. Its Danger Rating is 0. 1 Discovery Point: The party finds one unknown common feature of the GM’s choice, changing its status to discovered. 2 Discovery Points: The party finds one unknown uncommon feature of the GM’s choice, changing its status to discovered. 4 Discovery Points: The party finds one unknown secret feature of the GM’s choice, changing its status to discovered. When a feature becomes discovered, the party learns its name, description, and Danger Rating if they didn’t already have them. If the party tries to reveal a type of feature after all features of that type have been revealed, they can choose to spend those Discovery Points another way — they aren’t wasted. Exploration’s goal is to discover features within a region. The party knows what they represent and where they are located — use these as opportunities for the party to interact with the setting in interesting ways. Features provide great backdrops and locations for dramatic encounters and narrative scenes. Features are great places to include localized hazards to add drama and dynamic elements to encounters set there (see page 176).
180 Arora: Age of Desolation Rolling for Danger After Exploration Few places are truly safe in the Five Realms, and exploring the wilds exposes the party to many dangers. When the party finishes spending Discovery Points from exploration, identify which features they discovered during that exploration, choose the one with the highest Danger Rating, and roll 1d20. If the result is higher than the feature’s Danger Rating, the party avoids danger. If the result is equal to or less than the feature’s Danger Rating, the party encounters a dangerous situation at that location. For simplicity, assume that location was the last one discovered. The party encountered trouble there upon arrival, halting their exploration for the day. This encounter should pose significant risk to the party, up to and including hostile creatures, though it can take the form of any dangerous situation you’d like to throw at the party. When Resting While it is difficult to truly find rest in the wilds of Arora, explorers are often forced to brave the Five Realms as they recover. When the party rests at a feature during normal gameplay (outside the Improved Exploration and Discovery system), danger may find them while they linger. If the party attempts a short rest at a feature, roll 1d20. If the party attempts a long rest, roll 2d20 instead and choose the lowest result. If the result is equal to or lower than the feature’s Danger Rating, the party encounters a dangerous situation at that location (as described in After Exploration above). If the result is higher than the Danger Rating, nothing occurs, and the party rests normally. A dangerous encounter interrupts both types of rest. The party gains no benefit from an interrupted rest, though they can try again once the encounter is resolved. When Journeying Traveling from one discovered feature to another can take the party through other discovered, or undiscovered, features and areas. When this happens, as the party gets to the other feature along the way, roll 1d20. If the result is equal to or lower than the feature’s Danger Rating, the party encounters a dangerous situation at that location (as described in After Exploration above). If the result is higher than the Danger Rating, nothing occurs, and the party continues their journey toward their destination normally.
Chapter 9: Running The Game 181 Discovery System Example GM Kim knows her players, Mo and Javier, are seeking a lost artifact in the burning wastes of Mogsturma. Before they even know where it is, Kim prepares a region that houses the artifact, intending them to find it in an ancient tomb she puts within that region. Kim starts by filling out her region sheet (see example region sheet on page 174). She decides it’s called Hardin’s Folly, named for a famous adventurer who died there years ago. She then describes the region in a few sentences, emphasizing its abundance of hostile terrain, sweltering heat, and burned ruins scattered throughout. Next, she decides the region is small and gives it 2 obvious features, 1 common feature, 1 uncommon feature, and no secret features. Next, Kim generates the region’s features. She starts with the obvious features, coming up with Ruins of Salinar and the Lake of Molten Tar, deciding they’re obvious because it’s difficult to miss these prolific landmarks due to their size and the open landscape. She describes both features, making notes about what is found there, then rolls 1d20 for each to determine their Danger Ratings. The dice come up with 13 for the Ruins of Salinar and 9 for the Lake of Molten Tar. Kim then moves on to the common feature, deciding it’s a tiny village of hovels called Misery. She makes a few description notes about the nomads who once used Misery as a waypoint during their travels. She wants Misery to be mostly safe for the players so they can rest there without too much concern, so she assigns it a low Danger Rating of 5. Remember, you can roll for Danger Ratings or assign what feels appropriate as you see fit. Next, Kim makes the Ancient Tomb of Hardin the region’s uncommon feature. She intends for this to be where the characters find the artifact. It consists of an elaborate dungeon she’s already prepared, so her description is only a brief note to remind her. Considering the party is likely to fight their way through the tomb full of traps and monsters, resting might be a dangerous prospect there, so she assigns it a high Danger Rating of 18. Finally, Kim decides all these features are still present in the region, so none of them will turn out to be missing. At this point, Hardin’s Folly is ready for the party, but they can’t explore it if they don’t even know about it. During the game session, Kim has the party find a letter in an NPC’s possessions. Reading it, the party discovers the letter points to Hardin’s Folly as the artifact’s resting place. Now that the party is aware of Hardin’s Folly, Kim gives them a blank region sheet. At this point, all they can fill in is the name because they don’t know anything else about the region. The party decides to do some research to see what they can find out about the region, hopefully getting a lead on the artifact in the process. They spend a day researching in their home city. Mo’s character asks around, trying to gather information from travelers, rolling a Charisma (Persuasion) check, resulting in a 12. Javier’s character recalls knowledge, trying to remember details from his teacher’s lessons, rolling an Intelligence (History) check, resulting in a 15. Referring to the Research table, Mo’s result generates 2 Discovery Points, and Javier’s result generates 3. Mo decides to spend his 2 Discovery Points to reveal an uncommon feature in Hardin’s Folly, so Kim tells him to add the Ancient Tomb feature to the players’ region sheet along with its description. Its status is rumored since it was discovered during research. She decides not to outright reveal that this place is the artifact’s resting place, but she does hint at it. Mo asks what the Danger Rating is, but Kim reminds him that players must spend Discovery Points to reveal a rumored feature’s Danger Rating during research. Javier has 3 Discovery Points available. He spends 1 to reveal the region’s description and all its obvious features. Kim gives the players the region’s description as well as the obvious feature names and their descriptions, which all gets added to the players’ region sheet as rumored features. Javier has 2 Discovery Points left, so he spends 1 more to reveal a common feature. Kim gives him the name and description of the Misery feature. With only 1 Discovery Point remaining, Javier asks to reveal another common feature. Kim informs him there are no more common or obvious features, so his only remaining option is to reveal the Danger Rating of a rumored feature if he doesn’t want the final point to go to waste. Javier spends that final point to reveal the Danger Rating of the Ancient Tomb. Kim tells him the Danger Rating is 18. Javier chuckles nervously at the high number and records it on the party’s region sheet. With no Discovery Points left to spend, the party’s research ends, but they’ve learned a lot about Hardin’s Folly. Knowing that it’s a dangerous place plagued by sweltering weather, they wisely stock up on warm weather gear and combat supplies before embarking on their journey. Kim narrates their travel experience (perhaps the party encounter a band of Shardscale-crazed kobolds along the way), ultimately informing the party that they’ve arrived in Hardin’s Folly. When the party arrives, they know they must explore to confirm the information they researched, and ultimately to find the artifact. The party wastes little time beginning their exploration of Hardin’s Folly. Mo notices details while Javier searches for clues. They both make ability checks, Wisdom (Perception) and Intelligence (Investigation), respectively. Neither rolls very well, however, resulting in a 6 and an 8—each player only generates 1 Discovery Point from their day spent exploring. This isn’t great, but it’s what they have to work with. Fortunately, because this is exploration and not research, they can pool their points, giving them a total of 2. They suspect the tomb is the crucial feature, so they spend Discovery Points to locate it. It is already listed on their region sheet as a rumored feature due to their previous research, so they only have to spend 1 Discovery Point to find it, changing its status to discovered. They would normally learn its Danger Rating at this point as well, but they already learned it through research. With 1 Discovery Point left, they spend it to discover Misery, revealing its Danger Rating in the process. The party has spent all of their Discovery Points and the exploration phase ends. While the pair did make good progress consider their rather poor rolls, they must have been too focused on their quarry to notice the Ruins of Salinar or the Lake of Molten Tar elsewhere in the region. They can always find them next time they explore Hardin’s Folly. With the party’s exploration phase concluded, Kim needs to roll for danger. She checks which features they discovered and sees the highest Danger Rating among them is 18 for the ancient tomb. She rolls 1d20, and, lucky for the party, the result is a 19. Because the d20 result is higher than the highest Danger Rating of all the discovered features, the party is able to avoid danger during their exploration. If she had rolled an 18 or lower, they would have stumbled into trouble at the tomb. Kim knows monsters and worse still lurks within, of course, but that all happens in normal gameplay outside the Discovery System.
# Feature Name Category 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 SMALL MID LARGE 1 Hex = Region Sheet GM’s Region Sheet Example Hardin’s Folly 1 4 2 3 A sweltering wasteland littered with cracked rocks and the burned-out wreckage of razed villages and ancient ruins. Few call it home, save dangerous denizens of Mogsturma. Ruins of Salinar Obvious Lake of Molten Tar Obvious Misery Common Ancient Tomb of Hardin Uncommon 1 Mile Mogsturma Region Name Realm Size Features Key Description & Lore
Region Name Page Category: Obvious Common Uncommon Secret Feature Name Danger Rating Status Category: Obvious Common Uncommon Secret Feature Name Danger Rating Status Category: Obvious Common Uncommon Secret Feature Name Danger Rating Status Category: Obvious Common Uncommon Secret Feature Name Danger Rating Status Category: Obvious Common Uncommon Secret Feature Name Danger Rating Status Category: Obvious Common Uncommon Secret Feature Name Danger Rating Status Category: Obvious Common Uncommon Secret Feature Name Danger Rating Status Category: Obvious Common Uncommon Secret Feature Name Region Sheet Danger Rating Status Hardin’s Folly Ruins of Salinar Lake of Molten Tar Misery Ancient Tomb of Hardin 1 1 2 3 4 The crumbling remains of a large, once-prosperous city. It is virtually devoid of life, save for the predators that prowl it periodically, preying on looters and those using the remaining stones for shelter. The crumbling remains of a large, once-prosperous city. It is virtually devoid of life, save for the predators that prowl it periodically, preying on looters and those using the remaining stones for shelter. A wretched collection of ragtag stone hovels that can barely be called a village. Misery is only populated every third moon cycle as its nomadic inhabitants move between similar settlements following sparse herds of wildlife. Ancient warrens carved by both nature and mortal hands delve deep beneath an isolated outcropping of volcanic rock. The tunnels are home to the hero Hardin’s remains, locked away in a deep chamber. Few can tell the truth of what lies within, though, because it is infested with dangerous traps and monsters who have taken up residence within the dark passages. 13 9 5 18
184 Arora: Age of Desolation Survival in Arora Moving through the razor-sharp ice crystals blowing across the arctic tundra, a group of heroes must both find a way to brave the cold and find sustenance while seeking the lair of the deranged white dragon that threatens nearby settlements. In the acid-infused waters of the vast swamp, heroes must find safe paths and edible plants as they lead a group of survivors toward a rumored haven, where safety may be more than just a dream. The caverns beneath the volcano-riddled wastelands provide shelter from the patrols of ravaging dragaurs living on the surface. Unfortunately, the caverns often fill with noxious fumes or surging lava flows, requiring an experienced explorer to find safe areas of respite or possible locations to build a permanent settlement. In all these cases, knowledge of the natural surroundings, quick decision making, and careful planning are just as important as a strong sword arm and a mastery of devastating magical attacks. A slow death by starvation, hypothermia, or poisoning is more likely than a quick death by ravaging beasts in places like these. However, in the campaigns and stories that are encouraged by roleplaying games, those environmental-induced deaths lack the drama and excitement most players are seeking. While they have many different thoughts and opinions on the role of character deaths in games, few players would contend that “you failed your Survival check, so you freeze to death” is a more exciting and memorable demise than “you failed your saving throw and the dragon’s breath charred your smoking corpse.” Death may come to characters in fantasy RPGs, but we’re more likely to accept deaths that are dramatic and meaningful. So how do we make a setting, a game style, and a campaign where survival—where the challenges presented by the setting and the environment—is just as memorable and important as the challenges presented by the dangerous creatures that stalk the world? Let’s explore! Survival Stories in Fantasy Games If you ask fantasy RPG players about survival in their games, most are either going to bring up Survival as a specific skill, or they are going to think of the overall survivability of their characters in relation to the threats provided by the various monsters in the setting. Survival is simply thought of in terms of staying alive when facing monsters during adventures. This may seem counterintuitive when you look at the wide variety of settings—both homebrew and published—in which these games take place. How many settings think of themselves as being very different from other settings, as being extremely dangerous, as being challenging because the world is savage and the environment hostile? Despite these claims, the settings in question aren’t terribly different in how the campaigns and adventures set within them seem very similar to each other, or to the campaigns set in more civilized worlds. What makes these settings so similar in story or campaign play, despite their claims of danger or uniqueness? It’s generally because the places offer many civilized areas, places where the characters are safe and the players rely on as havens. These metaphorical points of light offer refuge and safety in an otherwise dark and dangerous world. The issue with a “points-of-light” type campaign or setting is that if the characters never leave the light, or if they’re always within easily navigable distance of light, the whole world might as well be light. Therefore, if you want to create a campaign or a story that brings survival into a more prominent role, the first thing you must do is snuff out those points of light. You must either make safety unreachable, or at least very hard to access and maintain. Addition Through Subtraction A campaign that is centered around a civilized area (or areas), or that frequently visits civilized areas, offers characters a safety net. All the food, water, equipment, shelter, resources, and respite the characters could ever want is at their disposal—whether they get it for free or must pay for it or steal it, those resources are there. That means even if the setting itself is hostile and the environments challenging, survival is an assumption rather than an impediment, struggle, or important goal. To make a setting or a world where survival is an interesting or dynamic element of the campaign, specific elements that are taken as granted in most fantasy games need to be removed or restricted. More importantly, those elements that make survival a given must be removed on a long-term basis, and they need to be constantly under threat of removal when they do exist. The aspects of the campaign that many players take for granted, or that are considered a given in most game settings, need to be earned through play, guarded as the precious commodities they are, and nurtured to ensure they bear fruit now and in the future. What are those elements? The first, and most important, is shelter that allows both protection from the elements and access to safe rests. Accessible food and water, which takes hours of steady effort to find and prepare when not readily available, are another element that can be removed in a campaign and setting that wants to highlight survival as a major plot point. Easy access to material goods like weapons, armor, and adventuring gear also deemphasize survival in a setting. Removal of these setting elements can make for an interesting campaign, but the next step is equally important. To make lack of essential resources an integral, valued, and story-rich part of the game, that scarcity also needs to be gamified in a way that meshes organically with the rest of the campaign. "Gold doesn’t do you a whit of good if you’re dead." - Nyben, Grobb Smuggler
Chapter 9: Running The Game 185 Gamifying Survival The next step, after thoughtfully and carefully removing elements from the setting, is to make sure that the survival element of the game is fun, dramatic, and story-enhancing rather than onerous. So, what are some of the pitfalls of a so-called “survival-focused campaign?” One of the common pitfalls in a game that focuses on survival is the unnecessary reliance on detailed bookkeeping as a way of “gamifying” survival: how many days of food or water does one have, how much of a particular resource can a character find, how long does it take to find those resources? While a dedicated minority of players and game masters tolerate, or even relish, extensive bookkeeping in their games, a majority of players don’t want, or actively avoid, tracking resources in such a highly detailed manner. This means that, if we are to create a fun game that highlights survival as part of the story, we need to find a way to introduce rules, mechanics, strategies, and consequences that enhance fun in a fair but easy-touse manner that also fits into the game as a whole. But sometimes the rules we have at our disposal, and that make sense in the narrative, detract rather than add to the fun of the game. Exhaustion is a prime example. Tired of Exhaustion Exhaustion, as a generic concept, is a logical narrative representation of a lack of sleep, shelter, food, and water. Exhaustion, however, is a problematic game mechanic on its face, so using exhaustion as a game-mechanical consequence for unsuccessful survival attempts is problematic at its core. The first level of exhaustion in 5e, for example, penalizes characters by applying disadvantage on all ability checks. In a campaign style that doesn’t put much emphasis on ability checks (although initiative is an ability check), this disadvantage on all ability checks isn’t a major penalty. However, if you want to run a campaign that relies on ability checks and skill proficiencies—especially a campaign that uses these checks as part of a survival system—disadvantage can be an overly restrictive penalty triggering a steep spiral that is terribly difficult to overcome. While the second level of exhaustion (speed is halved) isn’t nearly as punitive as the first level, the final four tiers of exhaustion are powerful in their negative effects with regards to combat disadvantage on attacks rolls and saving throws, hit point maximum halved, speed reduced to 0, and finally, death. Any of these final four steps in the exhaustion mechanic are both devastating to a character’s ability to succeed, and not very much fun in terms of game play. With exhaustion being a common (understandably so) game-mechanical consequence for failing at survival challenges in a 5e game, we must find alternative ways to provide consequences for failure in survival-focused games that don’t make it totally unfun to play. Setting aside the portion of players who rail against any negative consequences at all in their games, what are some consequences that can actually add fun to the game (and by extension, the story) rather than detract from the fun? Safety in Numbers Making the existence of civilized settlements (or a lack thereof) an important part of a survival-focused campaign can go far in making memorable games, stories, campaigns, and adventures. These settlements provide obvious benefits for the characters’ survival, but they also provide potential benefits that become an important and memorable aspect of a campaign: Places of Respite: With long and short rests being crucial elements of a game, places to undertake those rests in complete safety are important to the story and pacing of the game. Without a secure location with shelter, food, drink, and protection, taking rests should be difficult, if not impossible. Places of Replenishment: Most living creatures, even in fantasy worlds, perish without a constant supply of safe food and water. Civilized settlements not only offer a location to store and protect large amounts of those vital resources, they can act as a place to produce them. Settlements often inhabit spaces in the world where potable water or arable land are present. Places of Production: In addition to food and water, settlements are places where people can specialize in producing goods and services. While most production within settlements founded in hostile environments focuses on the creation of essentials (food, water, shelter, etc.), areas where stability has been achieved see an influx of creators of other goods and services. For adventurers, this might be weapons, armor, potions, scrolls, magic items, adventuring gear, and more. Places of Game-Mechanics Access: This is the leastused aspect of civilized settlements in most fantasy RPG settings, but it can be one that adds the most interest to stories, especially stories of survival. In many games, game-mechanical elements like spells and subclasses are treated as a given. If they are in a book, players simply assume they are always available at any time, and game masters are often hesitant to deny or limit those mechanics. In the world of Arora, however, magic was dampened significantly by the Great Abjuration. As the protective shell cracks, day by day, the Dragonrage and the Shardscale infestation worsen—and so too does more magic leak into the world. What does this mean? Gamemasters can limit the available spells, subclasses, magic items, and other mechanics. Players want to rely on a certain spell or feature from a subclass or feat? Perhaps these game elements are only available as other individuals in the world experiment and strive and investigate. Not only are settlements valuable for normal resources, but they may also play a huge role in attracting the folks who can teach the characters how to access certain game mechanics! (We discuss this further later in this chapter.) "Jha-dhol never gives you more than you can handle. But Arora sure does!" - Anonymous Villager
186 Arora: Age of Desolation Creating and Maintaining Settlements If the characters need vital resources or specific game mechanics to achieve their adventuring goals, but they can only access those things by helping to build and maintain settlements amid the harsh environs of the Five Realms, you can bet that settlements quickly become a priority for characters. Players pay much closer attention to the inhabitants and details of a settlement than they might in other campaigns if those settlements offer elements essential to their successes. As these settlements play a more significant role in the campaign, finding a way to gamify the creation, maintenance, growth, and protection of the settlements is important. Typical adventures—find treasure, defeat monsters, gain experience, and solve larger problems— become much more interesting when they are weighed against, and hopefully integrated more closely with, adventures (and time spent) focusing on the establishment and maintenance of one or more settlements in the regions the characters spend their adventuring time. In a campaign with the ultimate goal of finding a cure from the Dragonrage or fighting off the Shardscale infestation, one of the first steps in that plotline would likely be to establish a reliable settlement to work from, especially if one does not already exist in the area. When combined with the Exploration rules earlier in this chapter, a game master could neatly balance a campaign on the multiple fulcrums of heroic adventure, brave exploration, and planned worldbuilding. Steps for Establishing a Settlement Assuming the characters are going to be adventuring in areas with no safe and permanent settlements, the following steps are useful in planning adventures and campaigns that take settlements into account for the characters’ long-term survival. These steps reference the Exploration rules from earlier in this chapter. Step 1: Clear the Area Before a settlement can be established for long-term usefulness, the area where the settlement will reside needs to be cleared and made safe from existing threats. For example, if the characters think that a series of underground ruins from the time before the Great Abjuration might be key to drive away the Shardscale menace and reestablish the Great Abjuration, they’d want to establish a settlement in the midst of those ruins. Perhaps a vicious band of kobolds currently inhabits that area, giving it a danger rating of 10. Driving those kobolds away is the first step in the process, which is made even harder as the characters must not only defeat the kobolds, but they must also find food, shelter, and other necessities while doing so. Step 2: Find the Ideal Settlement Location Once the area of the settlement is cleared of immediate threats, the characters must use their knowledge and training to find the best place to establish the settlement. While they could consult allied NPCs, the characters might have
Chapter 9: Running The Game 187 to rely on their own talents to make these important decisions—and they’ll get the face (or enjoy) the consequences of their work. Use the chart below to determine the results of the characters’ checks to determine the best location for a settlement. A character who spends 8 hours exploring potential settlement sites can attempt an ability check. Based on the area, the check could include proficiencies in History for using past knowledge to determine current situations, Investigation or Perception to find hidden problems, Nature for locating potential natural hazards, or Survival for ascertaining assets or liabilities in an area. Settlement Location Success Chart ABILITY CHECK DC SETTLEMENT POSSIBILITIES 5 or less Poorly Chosen Area. The settlement score cannot rise above 4 unless it is abandoned and re-established at a better site. 6-10 Questionable Area. The settlement score cannot rise above 8 and drawing settlers to the area is difficult. 11-15 Passable Area. The settlement score cannot rise above 12. 16-20 Above Average Area. The settlement score cannot rise above 15. 21-25 Excellent Area. The settlement score caps at 18, and settlers are more willing to move and settle in the area. 26 or higher Optimal Area. The settlement score could reach 20 with enough time and attention. Settlers are eager to move and settle in the area. Step 3: Attract Settlers The new settlement cannot thrive without individuals to live and work there. This recruitment of settlers might fall upon the characters. While the settlement initially needs hardy folks as adept at fighting as managing the necessities of survival, such as building and growing or hunting food, the settlement could later recruit artisans to provide more specialized goods and services, such as magical research or weaponsmithing. As the settlement grows in population, size, and safety, more individuals and specialists are likely to travel to the place and set up their places of business. The settlement rating for a settlement is based on the number of settlers who eventually take up residence in the area and contribute to the maintenance and protection of the settlement. The settlement rating assumes that the settlement can offer safe lodging and food needs for those who settle there. If outside threats, environmental challenges, or lack of resources do damage to the settlers or the settlement, the settlement cannot grow until those problems are overcome, usually with special attention from the characters. That attention could include special adventures to address the problem, downtime days spent focusing on the problem, or other methods of attention and care. Settlement Rating Chart SETTLEMENT RATING FEATURES 1-2 Tent Village. There are few permanent structures. Minor agriculture progress with security handled by the settlers as needed. Less than 30 permanent inhabitants. 3-4 Small Hamlet. An equal number of permanent and temporary structures built. Agriculture progress expands so that half the population can be fed without the need for hunting or foraging. From 30 to 60 permanent inhabitants. 5-7 Small Village. More permanent structures built than temporary ones. Agriculture progress expands so that the population can be fed mostly with agriculture. From 60 to 100 permanent inhabitants. 8-10 Thriving Town. A central area of business is surrounded by living areas, with agricultural activities taking place within a day’s cart ride of the town center. From 100 to 400 permanent inhabitants. 11-13 Small City. The city center grows out, as does the working and living areas of residents. Defensive fortifications protect the inner areas of the settlement. From 400 to 1,000 permanent inhabitants. 14-15 Large City. The threats from without are generally less severe than threats of crime within. Police force grows to match any military presence. From 1,000 to 5,000 permanent inhabitants. 16-18 Metropolis. The city grows beyond its proposed borders. From 5,000 to 10,000 permanent inhabitants. 19-20 Megalopolis. There are multiple large settlements linked together. The area is self-sufficient for survival resources, and there is a standing, professional military force to protect the area from outside threats. More than 10,000 permanent inhabitants. Step 4: Access Building Materials What will the settlement look like? What materials will the structure be built from? How easy will it be to gather and use the building blocks of the settlement? All these questions can be answered in a variety of ways in a campaign, and the extent to which the characters participate in the procurement of those materials can vary. Are the materials available naturally within the region? Do the characters have to clear that area of danger to allow settlers to access the materials more easily? Do the materials need to be obtained from a different area, forcing the characters to escort the caravans carrying them through dangerous territories? The answer to these questions is best answered through actual adventures in the campaign, challenging the characters to explore, plan, defeat potential enemies, forge agreements with others, etc. As with the other parts of these campaigns, the pacing of the campaign should alternate between pursuing major PC goals and plot points, ensuring the survival of the PCs is being tested, and spending time and resources to find and deliver the building materials.
188 Arora: Age of Desolation Step 5: Build the Infrastructure Once the settlers are drawn to the area, and the resources they need to build the settlement are gathered, the building of the settlement’s infrastructure can begin. Unless the characters’ skills and backgrounds provide proficiency in this sort of work, they are best employed by protecting the workers, continuing to explore, gathering resources, or rooting out other dangers in the area. Once the required amount of time is spent (1 month to create a settlement rating 1 area), the settlement can be assigned its first settlement safety score. When the settlement rating of a settlement reaches a satisfactory relationship to the area’s danger rating, the characters can then count on the place as a haven of safety during the long rests and downtime taking place between adventures. Step 6: Establish Agriculture and Trade With the infrastructure in place, the settlement needs to be able to support itself through either growing or obtaining the standard resources of survival such as food and potable water. This requires areas of agriculture, trade routes to places that have supplies for trade, protected hunting grounds, and the like. As with finding a location, finding materials, etc., this is best handled through adventures and downtime. Full adventures where characters drive away predators from agricultural fields or patrol trade routes to eliminate hazards and other threats. Assume that a settlement can only grow (gaining a higher settlement rating) if the agriculture and trade can proceed unhindered. Step 7: Grow and Maintain Settlements A settlement will likely start as a small thorp, with only a few settlers and little infrastructure. As the characters’ adventures provide them with more wealth, probably in the form of precious metals or gems or trade goods, they gain both the material wealth and the growing reputation that would bring more settlers searching for safety and a place to join a growing community. To grow from a settlement rating to the next higher rating, an amount of time must be spent equal in months to the rating being achieved. For example, to move from a rating 3 settlement to rating 4, four months must pass as the building and growth happens. This assumes no interference by the characters. If the characters pour significant resources (wealth, downtime, adventuring time, etc.) into assisting with the growth, this time can be decreased significantly at the GM’s discretion. Step 8: Protect The difference between a higher danger rating and a lower settlement rating determines how likely the settlement is to survive without direct protection from the characters. This could be shown through direct attacks on the settlement by the threats of the area, but it could just as easily be explained through the failure of the settlers to successfully maintain agricultural efforts in harsh conditions or to easily find natural resources important to survival. Dangerous environmental effects of the realm also threaten settlements as much as any monster or predatory groups. Once a settlement rating is equal to or higher than the danger rating for the area around the settlement, it can be considered safe enough to defend itself from the typical threats in the area without the direct intervention of the character. That doesn’t mean, however, that a new threat won’t later appear in the area that threatens the settlement anew. When making a roll for danger during long rests while you’re in a settlement (see “Rolling for Danger” above), you can add the settlement rating to the danger roll. This represents the protection provided by the settlement and its settler population. That doesn’t mean, of course, that danger disappears. It only means that the characters can get a full long rest without getting interrupted. There may be some damage to the settlement, some settlers may be killed or injured, or some other negative effects may be absorbed by the settlement. At the GM’s discretion, enough damage to a settlement might cause the settlement rating to be reduced by one or more points.
Chapter 9: Running The Game 189 Short-Term Survival in Arora The focus on survival in these rules has been long-term survival. The Five Realms of Arora are inhospitable to life in general, so characters must be willing to invest time, energy, and resources into securing their long-term safety. However, short-term survival is an important feature in Arora campaigns as well. Without a steady source of food or shelter during overland travel, exploration, and downtime, simply getting to an adventuring site or goal might be as dangerous as the end-challenge. A week-long journey from a safe settlement into the wilds of Arora might be an adventure in itself. Earlier in this chapter, the rules for exploration were set forth. While discovery points are gathered and spent as the characters explore the wilds, they should also be wary of the dangers lurking in the darkness and dread, especially when investigating areas with high danger ratings. The checks and charts of the Exploration do not take into account the need to forage for food and water; it assumes that the characters brought their own food, water, and other necessary resources into the area with them. If the characters must forage for resources while exploring, any character foraging cannot make checks to gain discovery points. Alternatively, a character can spend 1 discovery point to automatically succeed on a foraging check for 1 day. This check can use a discovery point earned from either exploration or research. Working with Existing Survival Mechanics The existing 5e rules don’t address survival in a deep and satisfying way. The rules for foraging and survival are paradoxically simple and hard to reconcile. A character needs a pound of food and a gallon of water each day to survive. Half rations can sustain a character for a limited time, and Constitution checks are required for half water consumption to avoid gaining levels of exhaustion. (We’ve already talked about the unsatisfactory nature of exhaustion as a consequence for failing survival-based checks like this.) Adding to this are various rules that seem to completely bypass or short circuit the normal survival rules. The Natural Explorer feature of the ranger allows for finding double the normal food when foraging in the wild. Lowlevel spells like goodberry and create or destroy water can completely remove the need to forage at all, sustaining 10 people each day for the low cost of two spell slots. Even a 1st level character could sustain several people forever in that way, assuming they can rest each day to replenish their spell slots. While it’s not recommended to eliminate these resources over the length of a campaign, it’s not unreasonable to want to highlight the drama of survival in a dangerous world without having a magic button pushed repeatedly to eliminate all the challenges completely. So how does one keep the challenge? First, keep the pressure on the characters by combining survival with other adventure considerations. Characters using spell slots to alleviate their hunger and thirst should not get a free pass—that choice should have consequences as they are challenged by other encounters that call for combat. Secondly, they should have to work for those shortcuts. Spells like the ones mentioned earlier might not be available to the characters until someone proficient in magical research can be drawn to a settlement the characters frequent. And the settlements would have to reach a certain safety rating before such a person would settle there. Alternatively, some spells might be locked away at long-forgotten sites in Arora’s wilds, and the characters must adventure in those sites before they have full access to the spells. This provides the characters with difficult and dramatic choices: travel to the place where the spells might be located, leaving a settlement unprotected or some other threat unaddressed in the interim. Survival and High-Level Play The consensus on high-level play is that the characters have much more power and survivability than the comparable Challenge Ratings at those levels. As characters gain levels, it becomes harder and harder to challenge them. Survival is no different in this case. The availability of powerful spells—even those as low as level 3—tends to eliminate any need to worry about food, water, or even shelter in the most hostile environments. Tiny hut, a level 3 spell, allows a group of characters to take a long rest in practically any environment. Magnificent mansion is a spell that can accommodate 100 individuals, the size of a small village, for 24 hours. With resources like this, high-level characters, especially spellcasters, could maintain small settlements magically indefinitely. One way to challenge high-level characters, then, is to make adventures and challenges that invite characters to use resources to protect others in large settlements, while at the same time taking on normal combat challenges in adventures. Characters as higher levels may be nighindestructible, but the settlers who they count on to maintain settlements are not. "I’ve seen the founding of new settlements in all five of the Five Realms. I’ve done so as a leader, as a follower, and as an outsider watching from a distance. Only two things were the same about each: hope and death." - Jhakith Madra Adailar
190 Arora: Age of Desolation Environmental Hazards Environmental hazards represent dangerous areas or conditions in the Five Realms. Each realm has specific hazards related to its specific draconic nature. There are two types of environmental hazards. Regional hazards are effects that apply to an entire region. Unless otherwise noted, any space within the region that is exposed to the environment is affected by that hazard. Generally, shelter from the outside world helps mitigate or prevent these effects but traveling out of doors is always dangerous. These effects are typically ever-present, so travelers, explorers, and adventurers are much safer if they spend the time and effort to learn about and prepare for these hostile environments before entering them. Enough time in the unrelenting environment of any of the Five Realms is certain death. Preparation is key. Localized hazards are effects that apply only to relatively small, specific spaces within a region. A localized hazard works similarly to effects like difficult terrain: it has clearly defined borders on the map to differentiate which spaces contain the hazard. Though localized hazards are not ubiquitous, they are a looming threat. Parties are wise to research an area before traveling there so they can understand what hazards it might contain and prepare themselves accordingly. Acclimated Characters. Any creature that has spent more than one year continuously in a particular realm becomes acclimated to its environment. They count as having specialized adaptations to the realm’s regional hazards, rolling any saving throw associated with it at advantage. Creatures can only be acclimated to one realm at a time, losing their acclimatation to a previous realm after spending the one year in the new realm. Gallaht Shaped by the influence of blue dragons, Gallaht is an endless sea of arid sand plagued by scouring winds and electrical storms. Arid (Regional) Baking heat and desiccating winds constantly wick moisture from Gallaht’s unfortunate denizens. Creatures in arid regions require twice the normal amount of water to survive. This danger compounds because accessible water and precipitation are exceedingly scarce in Gallaht. If a thirsty creature can’t slake its thirst, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw every 12 hours it spends within the region, gaining one level of exhaustion on a failure. If the creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it also reduces its maximum hit points by 1d8. All reduced maximum hit points are returned once the creature is able to drink an adequate amount of water. Creatures with natural adaptions or specialized equipment to avoid desiccation (such as dew gauze face wrappings or tents) automatically succeed on the saving throw. Long rests provide no benefit to thirsty creatures who don’t drink during the rest. Mirages (Regional) Gallaht’s deserts are notorious for convincing mirages that mislead travelers, causing them to wander needlessly, wasting time and precious water. When a group explores a region in Gallaht and generates Discovery Points, each member must make a DC 11 Wisdom (Survival) check before spending their Discovery Points, subtracting 1 Discovery Point from the pool for each failure. Quicksand (Localized) Quicksand is insidiously dangerous throughout Gallaht because it threatens to ensnare unwary creatures without warning. Spaces containing quicksand are difficult terrain. A creature requires a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception or Survival) check (or a passive Perception score of 15 or higher) to identify quicksand within 60 feet. When a creature enters the quicksand area for the first time during a round or begins its turn there, it must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or become restrained, the lower half of its body sinking into the quicksand. Once restrained by the quicksand, the creature remains restrained until it can escape. If the creature can hold onto a solid object anchored outside the quicksand, it can use its action to make a DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check to attempt escape, ending the restrained condition on a success. Alternatively, another creature outside the quicksand can use its action to free the victim on a successful DC 14 Strength (Athletics) check, provided the rescuer can reach the victim. Scourstorms (Localized) Scourstorms are deadly whirlwinds of scathing sand and crackling lightning that come and go with little warning. A creature within the storm makes Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or hearing with disadvantage, and attack rolls with ranged weapons also have disadvantage if the attacker, target, or projectile are exposed to the storm. Additionally, spaces within the storm are difficult terrain for flying creatures. When a creature enters a scourstorm for the first time on a turn or begins its turn there, it suffers 1 slashing damage and must also make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. A creature wearing metal armor or wielding a metal weapon has disadvantage on the saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 2d6 lightning damage and is stunned until the start of its next turn. On a success, the creature only takes half damage and is not stunned. Water Scarcity (Regional) Natural sources of water are extremely rare throughout Gallaht, further compounding the desert’s lethality. The DC of ability checks to locate naturally occurring sources of water in Gallaht is never less than 22.
Chapter 9: Running The Game 191 Khoor Khoor’s foul swamps are rife with acidic quagmires and breeding grounds of foul diseases. Acid Morass (Localized) Acid morasses are formed by the confluence of brackish water, sucking mud, and vile fluids, creating a pool of acidic slime. This muck clings to creatures, trapping them as their flesh dissolves into the fetid swamp. Spaces containing acid morass are difficult terrain. When a creature enters an area of acid morass for the first time on a turn or begins its turn there, it must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. On a success, the creature suffers 3d4 acid damage. On a failure, it suffers the same damage and is restrained. On its turn, a restrained creature can use its action to repeat the saving throw, freeing itself on a success. Another creature within 5 feet can use its action to free the restrained creature with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check. Once freed from the acid morass, the freed creature suffers 1d4 acid damage at the beginning of each of its turns until it or another creature within 5 feet spends an action to clean off or neutralize the acidic slime. Acid Rain (Regional) Inundated with the corrupting power of black dragons, the gloomy clouds over Khoor rain sizzling acid that scours the landscape of all but the hardiest lifeforms. When rain starts to fall in a region within Khoor, roll 1d20. On a roll of 1–10, the rain is acidic. Creatures and structures made of organic material suffer 1d4 acid damage at the end of each turn that they are exposed to Khoor’s acid rain. Creatures with natural adaptions or specialized equipment to mitigate the rain (such as acid-resistant hide or specially-treated tarps) instead suffer 1 acid damage every 10 minutes. Everchanging Landscape (Regional) Khoor’s constantly shifting water levels unpredictably alter its landscape, submerging established paths while carving new ones through the muck. Creatures make ability checks to explore regions in Khoor with disadvantage. Pestilent (Regional) Slime, mold, and putrid flesh intermingle throughout the stagnant swamp water covering most of Khoor, creating pestilent vapors that bubble up to blanket the land. A creature in a pestilent region must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw every 12 hours it spends within the region or become poisoned for 12 hours. If the creature fails three saving throws in a row, it also contracts a disease of the GM’s choice. Creatures with natural adaptions or specialized equipment to avoid the miasma (such as plague masks or sealed shelter) automatically succeed on the saving throw. Long rests provide no benefit to poisoned creatures who are unprotected from the miasma during their rest.
192 Arora: Age of Desolation Sodden Ground (Regional) Sleeping on the ground is ill-advised in Khoor because unwholesome dampness and biting insects permeate the soil. Creatures who rest on soft ground in Khoor can’t rest comfortably, so they can’t spend hit dice to recover hit points during a short rest, and they do not regain spent hit dice during a long rest. Swamp Gas (Localized) Pockets of flammable gasses rise from Khoor’s swamps, sickening those who breathe the fumes and combusting violently when ignited. When a creature ends its turn within an area of swamp gas, it must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or become poisoned until it begins its turn outside the area. Additionally, when a spark, open flame, or other ignition source touches the swamp gas, the area combusts. Creatures within the area of burning gas must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, suffering 2d6 fire damage on a failure or half as much on a success. Swamp gas is removed after it combusts, burned away in a searing flash. Tainted Water (Regional) Though water is abundant throughout Khoor, acidic precipitation and foul parasites render most of its water sources unpotable. A creature ingesting an ounce of naturally occurring water from Khoor without sanitizing it suffers 1d4 acid damage and must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature contracts a disease of the GM’s choosing. Mogsturma Warped by the red dragons who lay claim to it, Mogsturma radiates oppressive heat and is plagued by volatile volcanic activity. Eruptions (Localized) Burning jets of flammable gas and gouts of molten rock constantly threaten to burst forth from Mogsturma’s surface, causing the ground to rumble and unpredictable volcanic geysers to erupt without warning. On initiative count 20 each round, roll 1d6 and consult the results below. D6 ERUPTION EFFECT 1–2 The area is difficult terrain until Initiative count 20 the next round as the ground quakes with building pressure. 3–4 The ground buckles and shifts violently with pent up geothermal activity. Creatures within the area must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or be knocked prone. Additionally, the area is difficult terrain until initiative count 20 the next round. 5–6 All spaces in the area rupture with burning gas or streams of lava. Creatures in the area when it erupts must make a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature suffers 4d4 fire damage, or half as much damage on a success. Incendiary Projectiles (Regional) Mogsturma’s volatile surface periodically launches shards of volcanic rock high, returning to the surface as violent showers of burning stone that pummel and scorch everything they fall upon. When a group begins a short rest under open sky in Mogsturma, roll 1d20. On a 1, the rest is interrupted by a shower of incendiary projectiles pelting the entire rest site. Each creature therein suffers 1d8 bludgeoning damage and 1d8 fire damage. When a group begins a long rest, the same rules apply, but the rest is interrupted on a roll of 1–3. Pyroclastic Flows (Localized) Lava spills from Mogsturma’s surface unpredictably, flowing across the ground at varying speeds, incinerating, and crushing all in its path. On the first time during a round that a creature enters a pyroclastic flow area or starts its turn there, it suffers 4d12 fire damage. Additionally, when the GM introduces a pyroclastic flow to the characters, the GM chooses one direction the lava flows. At initiative count 20 on each turn, the boundary of the pyroclastic flow expands. The GM adds 1d6 spaces to the pyroclastic flow’s area. The added spaces must be adjacent to an existing area of pyroclastic flow and must be in the direction of flow previously set by the GM. If the lava flows into an area occupied by a creature, that creature must succeed on a DC 10 Strength or Dexterity saving throw (player’s choice) or be knocked prone by the surge of molten stone.
Chapter 9: Running The Game 193 Smoke and Ash Clouds (Localized) Though airborne smoke and ash hang perpetually in Mogsturma’s sky, it also gathers in thick clouds at ground level around volcanic activity and devastating fires. Spaces occupied by a smoke and ash cloud are heavily obscured. Additionally, the air within the cloud is unbreathable, so creatures must hold their breath within the cloud or begin to suffocate. Stifling (Regional) Mogsturma burns like a furnace, constantly pouring sweltering heat and eye-watering fumes into the air from countless thermal vents throughout the realm. A creature in a stifling region must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw every 12 hours it spends within the region or suffer disadvantage to Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight and all attack rolls for 12 hours. If the creature fails two saving throws in a row, it also gains a level of exhaustion. Creatures with natural adaptions or specialized equipment to mitigate the heat and stinging fumes (such as goggles and cooling salve) automatically succeed on the saving throw. Long rests provide no benefit to exhausted creatures without relief from the heat during the rest. Toxic Water (Regional) Water found in Mogsturma is invariably contaminated by toxic chemicals leeched from the volcanic surface and atmosphere. A creature ingesting an ounce of naturally occurring water from Mogsturma without purifying it suffers 1d4 poison damage. Prazzolar The frozen wastes of Prazzolar are frozen in perpetual winter, but temperatures plummet even more drastically where the corruption of white dragons lingers most heavily. Advancing Glaciers (Regional) Rapidly spreading glaciers alter Prazzalor’s geography constantly, demolishing established routes and landmarks. When the GM designs a region, roll 1d4 for each feature. On a 1, the feature is missing (see page 174), erased from the landscape at some point by creeping ice. Avalanches (Localized) Avalanches are commonplace in Prazzalor’s mountains as inclement weather and malicious creatures send rocks crashing down. Once per encounter (in a mountainous region within Prazzalor), the GM may unleash an avalanche, which occurs during a round at initiative count 20. The GM selects a point as the avalanche’s epicenter, then rolls 1d8 against the following table to randomly determine a direction. The epicenter shifts to a point 1d6 x 10 feet in the random direction, then the avalanche occurs. D8 DIRECTION 1 North 2 Northeast 3 East 4 Southeast 5 South 6 Southwest 7 West 8 Northwest Creatures within 30 feet of the epicenter must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, the creature suffers 3d10 bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone and restrained. On a success, the creature suffers only half damage and is not knocked prone or restrained. A creature restrained by the avalanche remains restrained until it uses its action to make a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check, ending the restrained condition on a success. Alternatively, another creature within 5 feet of the victim can use its action to make a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check, ending the victim’s restrained condition on a success. The avalanche’s area is difficult terrain. Blinding Sunlight (Regional) The sun glares off Prazzalor’s snow and ice fields with harsh intensity. While within an area of snow or ice lit by Prazzalor’s sun, creatures unprotected from the glare have disadvantage on attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks relying on sight. If an affected creature also has Sunlight Sensitivity, it is instead blinded while affected by the glare. Deep Freeze (Localized) There are pockets of space within Prazzolar so inundated with the frigid menace of white dragons that virtually all heat is obliterated. The cold is so deep, creatures experience frostbite immediately upon contact. When a creature enters a deep freeze area for the first time on a turn or begins its turn there, it must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 2d6 cold damage, and its speed is halved until the start of its next turn. On a success, the creature only takes half as much damage, and its speed is not reduced. "I try to stay near the portals. That’s where people need the grobb, and that’s where the money is. That’s where the soft beds and ready food are. Traveling into the wilds of any realm is a fool’s journey." - Nyben, Grobb Smuggler
194 Arora: Age of Desolation Gelid (Regional) Prazzolar’s icy expanses are perilously cold, making survival difficult for living creatures that haven’t adapted to survive there. Creatures in a gelid region must eat twice as much as normal to avoid starving, and food is already scarce on the barren glaciers. Additionally, a creature in a gelid region must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw every 12 hours it spends within the region. On a failure, it suffers 2d6 cold damage. If the creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, it also gains a level of exhaustion. Creatures with natural adaptions or specialized equipment to tolerate extreme cold (such as warm clothing or a heat source like lampstone) automatically succeed on the saving throw. Long rests provide no benefit to creatures without protection from the cold. Hidden Chasms (Localized) Thin layers of ice and snow accumulate over deep cracks in Prazzalor’s icy surface, posing great risk to creatures treading over them. A creature requires a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Perception or Survival) check (or a passive Perception score of 15 or more) to identify a hidden chasm within 60 feet. When a Small or larger creature steps on an area containing a hidden chasm, the ice covering it breaks. The creature may use its reaction to make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw. If successful, the creature can throw itself 5 feet in any direction, landing prone, avoiding falling into the chasm if it lands on solid ground. On a failure, the creature falls into the chasm, which is 1d10 x 10 feet deep. Tievmer Green dragons and their dracokin rule Tievmer, warping its lush forests with sinister influences, sapping wills and poisoning bodies. Ambush Predators (Regional) Tievmer teems with many types of twisted life, which attracts hungry predators that thrive on the abundant prey, so encountering such dangerous creatures is likely in Tievmer. When randomly determining the Danger Rating of a region within Tievmer, add 1d4 to the d20 roll’s result (maximum 20). The GM is also encouraged to add predatory creatures to encounters, especially hidden ones that ambush player characters and other creatures. Coastal Conditions (Regional) Tievmer’s coasts are almost entirely inaccessible from the sea, blocked by the Fell Barricades and unnavigable storms. Harbors and accessible beaches are extremely rare and difficult to find. Undiscovered features of this type are secret (see page 174). Additionally, trying to land a ship outside one of these safe locations is treacherous, requiring the pilot to succeed on a DC 25 Wisdom (Survival) check to safely berth the ship. On a failure, the GM determines the consequences, potentially wrecking the ship. Fire Hazards (Localized) Thick canopy and poisonous conditions choke smaller plants throughout Tievmer’s forests, leaving pockets of dead trees and withered undergrowth dotting the forest floor. The resin-soaked kindling comprising these areas is extremely flammable, presenting a major fire hazard, though the surrounding forest is lush enough to prevent fires from spreading beyond the dead vegetation. When open flame or other intense heat enters a fire hazard area, the area bursts into flame and burns for 1 hour. When a creature enters the burning area for the first time during a round or starts its turn there, it must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, suffering 4d6 fire damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. Once the fire burns out, the fire hazard is removed. Impending Doom (Regional) The insidious nature of green dragons crawls throughout Tievmer, constantly whispering into the minds of outsiders, wearing away their resolve. A creature in a region of impending doom must make a DC 10 Charisma saving throw every 12 hours it spends in the region. On a failure, it suffers the effects of the bane spell for 12 hours. If the creature fails the saving throw by 5 or more, choose one ability score at random; the creature also gains disadvantage to saving throws made with that ability for the duration. Creatures with natural adaptions or specialized equipment to withstand emotional or psychic manipulation (such as a ring of mind shielding or other protective charms) automatically succeed on the saving throw. Long rests provide no benefit to creatures suffering the effects of the bane spell. Siahan’s Venom (Localized) Tievmer is plagued by showers of poisonous water that falls like rain, rises like green mist, or collects in pools. If Siahan’s venom manifests as mist, the area is lightly obscured. Regardless of how it manifests, when a creature enters a space containing Siahan’s venom for the first time on a turn or begins its turn there, it must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 3d4 poison damage and is poisoned until the start of its next turn. On a success, the creature only takes half damage and is not poisoned.
Chapter 9: Running The Game 195 Feats These feats work directly with the Discovery system and environmental hazards. Coordinated Efforts You are an expert at organizing the research and exploration efforts of your team. You gain the following benefits: •Increase your Intelligence or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20. •When your party researches or explores a region, you can coordinate their efforts. If you choose not to research, explore, or assist a party member, you can instead grant each member of your party a bonus to their research or exploration ability check equal to your Intelligence or Charisma modifier (whichever ability you chose to increase with this feat). Diligent Researcher When researching regions you’re interested in, you go above and beyond, even helping your team with their research along the way. You gain the following benefits: •Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20. •When you generate at least 1 Discovery Point through research, you generate 1 additional Discovery Point. •When you research a region, choose a character researching the same region at the same time. That character gains advantage on their research ability check. You can grant this bonus to yourself. Survivalist Surviving this long in Arora’s realms has taught you to avoid and endure their many inherent dangers through quick thinking and ruggedness. You gain the following benefits: •You have advantage on saving throws made to avoid or resist environmental hazards. •When a creature within 5 feet of you makes a saving throw to avoid or resist an environmental hazard, you can use your reaction to allow that creature to make the saving throw with advantage. Trailblazer You are an intrepid explorer, leading your party into the unknown boldly and capably. You gain the following benefits: •Increase your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma score by 1, to a maximum of 20. •When you generate at least 1 Discovery Point through exploration, you generate 1 additional Discovery Point. •When you explore a region, choose a character exploring the same region you’re searching, including yourself. That character gains advantage on their exploration ability check. Watchful Eye When traveling, you’re always on the lookout for safe places to rest, and you keep a careful watch while encamped. You gain the following benefits: •Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20. •Add 1d4 to Danger rolls when you take a rest. This can bring the total result above 20. •You have advantage to Wisdom (Perception) checks when keeping watch during a rest. " There is no safety, only the illusion of safety. Death doesn’t knock on the door and politely ask for permission to enter. Death bursts through the door. That’s why I try to stop Death before it gets to the door." - Ystel, Ranger of Gallaht
196 Arora: Age of Desolation Evolved Advantage Advantage is the game’s standard way of representing a circumstantial, environmental, or situational benefit to an attack roll, ability check, saving throw, or other d20 roll. Rolling the d20 twice and using the higher roll is one of the best ways to increase your chances of success in the game. But sometimes it can be fun to trade in that increased chance of success to gain alternative benefits, whether in the moment or later on. The advantage deck consists of entries detailing specific benefits you gain instead of rolling a second d20 when you have advantage. Before you roll the second d20, you can decide to take an advantage card (or roll on the below table) instead. You shuffle the deck, draw from it, and read the text that goes along with the card to determine the benefit it grants, which always applies to a d20 roll of the same type you drew the card for. This means you can’t trade advantage on an ability check for an advantage card that can later apply to an attack roll, or vice versa. If you are not using the card deck, simply roll on the below table and cross reference the result with one of the 20 entries below. Advantage Benefits Advantage Benefits If the benefit tied to an advantage card is meant for you, you can use it on the d20 roll you drew the card for if you want to. Otherwise, you hold the card to gain its benefit later on another d20 roll of your own, or to apply a detriment to another creature (typically an enemy). Some cards are given to other players to play later on their own d20 rolls. Only one advantage card can be held at any one time. If you choose to take an advantage card while you already hold one, you can choose to return your current card back into the deck and replace it with a new drawn card. Playing an advantage card requires no action, but you can play an advantage card only once per round. A d20 roll can be affected by only one advantage card, and you can’t play a card to affect a d20 roll if that roll is being made with advantage. An advantage card can’t be used to cancel out disadvantage in the same way advantage does (except for the Wait For It card). When a card affects a d20 roll, you play the card before the roll is made unless the card specifies otherwise. If you choose to draw an advantage card in place of an advantage roll that is part of a feature or trait that also grants a negative effect, such as the barbarian’s reckless attack, the character still takes the negative effect while also drawing a card in place of the positive advantage roll. If a character has sneak attack bonuses due to having advantage in a combat situation, taking the advantage card in place of the advantage roll negates the ability to include sneak attack damage. As soon as you play the card, put it back into the deck. You can also choose to put a card back in the deck without using it, if you think it might be more useful if another player has a chance to draw it as there are only two of each card in the deck. Any advantage cards you hold when your character finishes a short or long rest go back into the deck, as do any additional dice bestowed by an advantage card and not yet used. Only players can draw and use advantage cards. No Cards. If you are not using the physical advantage deck, simply reference the resulted below entry and make note of it in your character sheet notes. Once used, erase or mark out the entry from your notes. Best Effort The threat of failure can give you the incentive to succeed. Play this card when you fail the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, roll a d10 and add the roll to the d20 roll. Communal Edge The bond you share with your allies benefits everyone. Play this card when you or an ally makes the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you and each of your allies gains a d6, which can be rolled and added to the next d20 roll of the same type each of you make. Continuing Luck You’re able to hold onto a little bit of luck. Play this card when you make the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you gain a d4. For the next minute, whenever you make the same type of roll, you roll the d4 and add it to the d20 roll. Costly Success Turning failure into success is easy for you, but leaves you a little shaky. Play this card when you fail the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). You succeed on the attack, check, or save, but have disadvantage on the next roll of the same type you make before the end of your next short or long rest. D20 ADVANTAGE BENEFIT 1 Best Effort 2 Communal Edge 3 Continuing Luck 4 Costly Success 5 Don’t Get Cocky 6 Extra Effort 7 Fast Moves 8 Formidable Expertise 9 Good Enough 10 Hard Luck D20 ADVANTAGE BENEFIT 11 Insightful Edge 12 Lead by Example 13 Not Enough 14 Roll with It 15 Shut That Down 16 Sterling Example 17 Stolen Insight 18 Tag Team 19 Turn the Tables 20 Wait for It
Chapter 9: Running The Game 197 Don’t Get Cocky A foe that feels assured of their superiority is in for a surprise. Play this card when another creature succeeds at the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, roll a d10 and subtract it from the d20 roll, potentially turning success into failure for the foe. Extra Effort Focus and determination lets you push beyond your normal limits. Play this card when you make the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you gain a +5 bonus to the roll. Fast Moves A bit of extra effort lets you accomplish more. Play this card when you make the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you gain one of the following benefits according to the type of roll: Attack Roll. If the attack is made using an action, you can make one extra weapon attack as part of that action, using the same weapon and modifiers used for the original attack. If the attack is made using a bonus action or reaction, you have a +2 bonus to the attack roll. Ability Check. If the check requires an action or a bonus action, it instead takes no action. If the check requires no action, you have a +2 bonus to it. Saving Throw. If the effect that triggered the save doesn’t allow repeat saving throws, you can make another saving throw against the effect at the end of your next turn. If the effect does allow repeat saving throws, you have a +2 bonus to those saves. Formidable Expertise For one focused moment, your talent and instinct surpass normal levels. Play this card when you make the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you add double your proficiency bonus to the roll, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. Good Enough In a clutch situation, you’ll take any success you can get. Play this card when you roll less than 10 on the d20 for the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you treat the d20 roll as a 10. Hard Luck One of your enemies just can’t seem to catch a break. Play this card when another creature makes the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). For 1 minute, whenever the creature makes the same type of roll, they roll d4 and subtract it from the d20 roll.
198 Arora: Age of Desolation Insightful Edge Intuiting a foe’s strengths and weaknesses can let you get the upper hand. Play this card when another creature makes the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you learn the following details about the creature based on the type of roll: Attack Roll. What weapons the creature has proficiency with, or the average damage of its best attack excluding spells (your choice) Ability Check. What skills the creature has proficiency in and what tools it has proficiency with Saving Throw. What saving throws it has proficiency with, or its best saving throw (your choice) Lead by Example Your instincts and know-how make an impression on an ally. Give this card to another player, who can play the card when they make the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When the card is played, the player adds your character’s proficiency bonus to the d20 roll, in addition to their own if they normally would. Not Enough A foe’s momentary stumble always works in your favor. Play this card when another creature rolls 15 or higher on the d20 for the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you cause the d20 roll to be treated as a 5. Roll with It When you’re hit, you can shrug off some of the effect. Play this card when you take damage as a result of making the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you take half as much damage. Taking damage as a result of an attack roll includes such things as targeting a creature that deals damage from spikes or an aura when it’s attacked, as well as a creature that deals damage as a reaction to your attack (including making its own attack as a reaction). Shut That Down A moment’s confusion can thwart an enemy’s success. Play this card when another creature succeeds on the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, the creature must succeed on a DC 10 Intelligence saving throw or fail the attack, check, or save. Sterling Example Your confidence inspires an ally to beat the odds. Give this card to another player, who can play it when they make the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). Playing the card gives the player advantage on a roll of the same type. Stolen Insight When you test yourself against a foe, you rise to their level. Play this card when another creature makes the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw) against or in response to you. When you play the card, you add the creature’s proficiency modifier to your own d20 rolls of the same type for 1 minute. Tag Team Working with a trusted ally gives you an edge. Play this card when you or an ally who can see or hear you makes the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you and the ally both have advantage on the next roll of the same type each of you makes before the end of your next turn. Turn the Tables An enemy’s unexpected difficulty works in your favor. Play this card when another creature makes the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, the creature has disadvantage on the d20 roll. Wait for It You hold your edge until the best possible moment. Play this card when you have disadvantage on the same type of d20 roll you drew it for (attack roll, ability check, or saving throw). When you play the card, you negate the disadvantage but cannot get advantage on the roll.