Numenera: Destiny

COMMUNITY STATS

As with creature or NPC stats, community stats in the margins are presented
in abbreviated form. Elements such as government, subsistence, use, and other
information isn’t present unless rank modifications apply due to special circumstances.

Health: A community’s health value is an bodied soldiers or other fighters, but they Regaining community
abstraction of the minimum number of able- might also be able to inflict damage with a health: Unless a
bodied people in the community who can keep psychic cannon installation (for example) community’s health is
it active. A community’s health is usually equal at the community scale. In other words, completely depleted,
to its target number, but that can vary. When it doesn’t matter if a rank 3 community its health is restored
damage is dealt to a community, it is usually does damage with troops or offensive at a rate of about
split equally between health and infrastructure, installations—it deals the same damage when 1 point per day.
though special attacks might target one it hits. A community’s entry always specifies
or the other stat preferentially. Damage to the amount of damage inflicted, even if it’s the Regaining community
a community’s health doesn’t necessarily normal amount for a community of its rank. infrastructure: Unless
mean that people are dying (though it a community’s health is
could); instead, it means that portions of the Remember, rank does not equal level. completely depleted, the
population are becoming sick, disabled, or Communities and characters don’t interact; population can repair
otherwise neutralized to the point that they a character doesn’t take damage from a infrastructure at a rate
can no longer maintain the community’s community or vice versa. If combat occurs of about 1 point per day.
integrity. However, if a community’s health directly affecting a character, then NPCs and
does become completely depleted, it is likely creatures with levels fight and do damage to
that everyone has perished. There might that character normally.
be a few scattered pockets of survivors,
but not enough to sustain or rejuvenate Taking Damage: When a community takes
the community. If a community’s health is damage, that damage is first reduced by any
depleted but some infrastructure is not, the Armor the community might have (many
community becomes like a ghost town, empty communities have none). Any remaining
of people but still standing. damage is then split evenly and subtracted from

Infrastructure: A community’s infrastructure
value is an abstraction of the structures,
walls, roads, bridges, installations, and so on
that make up a community. A community’s
infrastructure is usually equal to its target
number, but that can vary. (So the average rank
3 community with a target number of 9 has 9
infrastructure and 9 health.) As noted under
health, when damage is dealt to a community,
it is usually split equally between health
and infrastructure, though special attacks
might target one or the other preferentially.
If a community’s infrastructure is depleted
but some health remains, the population
must either devise a means to repair their
infrastructure or become refugees.

Damage Inflicted: If a PC-tended community
becomes embroiled in a conflict on the
community scale against another community
or a horde of NPC attackers, the attackers
usually inflict their rank in damage regardless
of the form of attack. Some inflict more or
less or have a special modifier to damage.
Communities often deploy groups of able-

299

the community’s health and infrastructure. If the Armor and Damage Inflicted entries. For
the damage is an odd number, the GM decides example, a rank 4 community might say “attacks
whether the extra 1 point goes to health or as rank 5 due to battle commander.” In this
infrastructure. The GM should alternate these case, the community inflicts 5 points of damage
choices to keep the damage applied evenly instead of 4 against an enemy community or
over the course of all interactions. Some horde. Other modifications are also possible,
kinds of attacks preferentially target health or including modifications to diplomacy, trade,
infrastructure, and those exceptions trump number of unique installations, and so on.
these general rules.
Combat: As touched on under Damage
Armor: This is the community’s Armor value. Inflicted, a community fights by deploying
This number may represent especially strong combatants, but they might have access to
defensive walls or more esoteric protections special installations, such as one that can
such as a force shield installation. When render the community invisible or out of phase
damage is dealt to a community, it is reduced for a period to confuse enemy invaders.
by the community’s Armor and then divided
between health and infrastructure. If a Other special considerations that might
community’s entry doesn’t have an Armor apply to community actions are also provided
value, then its Armor is 0. here, such as the presence of a champion NPC
whom PCs or other NPCs might encounter if
Modifications: When a community has special fighting breaks out.
abilities, defenses, or other capacities that
are different than what its rank would imply, At the end of the combat listing, you’ll also
that’s indicated here, if not already reflected in find any special abilities, such as immunities, the
ability to quickly repair infrastructure, and so on.
Some PCs have special abilities that provide modifications to a
community in which they’re active. COMMUNITY OVERVIEW
Following the top-level stats, a deep dive into
300 the community is provided. This includes a
map of the community, interesting residents,
secrets, and so on. Different communities will
have different needs for this section.

COMMUNITY STATS

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL In the short term, active recruitment of skilled and
This isn't a specific header, but rather knowledgeable people is likely the best way that PCs can
an acknowledgment that the community increase the rank of the communities they found or foster.
description is likely to contain various other
topics specific to that community. It might disabled, and so on means that the total Village, town, or city?
provide general notes or specific adventure population is likely higher than the minimums Village:
ideas. It could suggest threats or needs the provided. Figuring the total actual population 20 to 1,000 people
community might be facing, and immediate is somewhat fuzzy, which is all right.
hooks that a GM can use to get players Town:
invested in helping (or as the case may be, Overlap in population totals between ranks 1,000 to 10,000 people
opposing) the community. is intentional. For example, 300 people could
make either a rank 2 or a rank 3 community. City:
GM Intrusion: This optional entry in the stats That’s because who those 300 people are 10,000+ people
suggests ways to use GM intrusion when makes a difference. Hundreds of highly
characters are in or near the community. These motivated and knowledgeable settlers could
are just possible ideas of many, and the GM is form the nucleus of a rank 3 community, while
encouraged to come up with their own uses of the same number of villagers in a place that
the game mechanic. sees little change from year to year are more
likely to be part of a rank 2 community. As
ASSIGNING always, the GM makes the call if there is any
COMMUNITY STATS doubt.

Once PCs found or foster a community, follow RANK BY POPULATION Communities with ranks
this step-by-step procedure for assigning stats higher than 5 are possible,
to the settlement. The same method, with Rank 1: 20 to 500 people but these are not usually
some caveats, can be used for assigning stats Rank 2: 100 to 1,000 people communities formed by
to any community. Rank 3: 300 to 10,000 people humans—rather by much
Rank 4: 1,000 to 50,000 people more advanced cultures.
1. Found (or foster) a community Rank 5: 20,000 to 500,000+ people (Qi
2. Assign rank Qi, page 144
3. Appraise commonplace structures has a population of 500,000+)
4. Appraise installations
5. Determine PC contribution 3. APPRAISE COMMONPLACE Founding a community,
6. Lay out the community (optional) STRUCTURES page 289

1. FOUND (OR FOSTER) A functioning community can build and Fostering a community,
A COMMUNITY maintain the basic structures it needs to page 292
support its rank. Basic structures for a
In some games, founding (or fostering) a community include homes, roads (or at least
community can become the focus of the paths), bridges, and even basic defensive
campaign over several sessions of game play. measures. This means that commonplace
In others, founding a community is something structures don’t modify the basic stats of a
that might happen away from the table. community except in special cases.
In either case, the PCs should name their
community if it doesn’t already have a name. For instance, a community that focuses on
building commonplace, high-level structures
2. ASSIGN RANK can potentially gain a higher infrastructure
value than its rank would otherwise indicate.
A newly founded community is almost always If the PCs go on a tear building commonplace
rank 1. Even if the community enjoys more than structures above and beyond the basic
the average number of installations, as some requirements in their community, they can
PC-tended communities are likely to do, it still potentially increase the infrastructure stat
begins as a rank 1 community. above normal for their community, too.

Existing communities that PCs successfully Adding to Infrastructure: Each unique Commonplace objects
foster can be ranked according to their commonplace structure (civic or defensive) and structures, page 124
population. The minimum number of people of level 5 or higher adds that level to the
noted at each rank in the Rank by Population 301
Table indicates how many able-bodied and
competent community members are required
to obtain that rank. An additional halo
population of children, elderly, temporarily

ADVANCING RANK THROUGH POPULATION GROWTH

The primary way a community’s rank increases is through population growth. If a population reaches the minimum
number of people for the next rank, according to the Rank by Population table and assuming the increase in
population is mostly composed of skilled, knowledgeable people, the community’s rank increases as shown.

But how does a population grow?

Naturally: A community’s population grows over time through immigration and birth, as long as these two inputs are
not exceeded by deaths occurring at the same time. An annual population growth of 10 percent or higher is possible
in smaller communities that are growing quickly because of new opportunities or resources.

Recruiting, Passive: Some communities grow their population by sending messages to nearby communities where
opportunities are scarce. Given the isolation of most Ninth World communities, passive recruiting usually adds only a
few percentage points to the annual population growth rate, but over time, it adds up.

Recruiting, Active: Active recruiting can produce sudden jumps in the base population. Active recruiting occurs
when PCs locate and lead (or otherwise transport) a group of people to the community. Generally, such people are
refugees who lost their previous homes in a disaster of some sort, people who don’t have a home to begin with,
or people who live in such poor conditions or circumstances in their current community that they’re willing to try
something new, even if it means traveling to some distant location they’ve never heard of. Taking people against their
will is also possible, but this kind of recruiting is more properly known as impressment, and it could have negative
consequences for community cohesion down the road.

ADVANCING RANK THROUGH OTHER MEANS

Population remains the best indicator for advancing a community’s rank, because it covers secondary and tertiary
ways a community’s rank might advance, such as through a settlement’s accumulation of additional numenera
installations and more highly trained experts. Ultimately, it’s up to the GM to decide when a community’s population
reaches the next threshold and to determine if and when a community’s rank advances.

This means that PCs fostering a community can’t automatically trigger a threshold for rank advancement by building
enough walls, infrastructure, or numenera installations, though the GM should take their efforts into account.

That said, many installations modify a community’s rank in a particular fashion. For instance, an alarm tower
modifies a community’s rank by +1 for tasks related to perception. A seminarium modifies a community’s rank by
+1 for knowledge-related tasks and discovering secrets. If the PCs add enough of these sorts of installations to a
community, the GM might increase the actual rank by 1, even if the population hasn’t quite reached the appropriate
level yet. In all cases, advancing rank should be done only with due consideration.

Alarm tower, page 154 community’s infrastructure, but with 4. APPRAISE INSTALLATIONS
Seminarium, page 164 diminishing results for multiples of the same
installation. For example, each additional level The average community in the Ninth
302 5 structure of the same type beyond the first World usually has only a few installations.
adds just 1 point to infrastructure. So building Communities created by PCs are likely to
three level 5 commonplace structures of the add more if the PCs salvage iotum, find and
same kind adds a total 7 points (5 + 1 + 1) to a develop plans, and craft them over time.
community’s infrastructure.
Many installations do not directly affect a
The rule above works well in most cases, but community’s stats, even though they provide
some exceptions apply when common sense a benefit. Having potable water filtered from a
would dictate a different answer. For example, nearby river, illumination provided by prior-
if a defensive wall is built that doesn’t fully world magic, and structures guarding against
encircle an isolated community nor close a vermin infestation are greatly appreciated, but
choke point where attackers can approach they don’t necessarily affect stats directly.
the community, the structure does not provide
a boost to infrastructure until the wall is Installations That Affect Stats: Installation
completed. In a similar vein, common sense plans indicate precisely what kind of benefit
suggests that a community can benefit from the installation would have for a community, if
only one city hall. A second one doesn’t add to any. For example, certain force field generators
infrastructure, not even 1 point. provide the community with an Armor value.
Turrets and other offensive installations can boost
a community’s damage inflicted when making

COMMUNITY STATS

attacks. Still others can provide special capabilities but are instead assumed to be figured into Dimensional abode,
that confuse enemies or hide a community. Note a community’s rank. That said, NPCs of page 156
all these instances in the community’s stats. particular significance (known as key NPCs)
could have a direct influence. An important Community abilities
Other Special Abilities: Some benefits don’t Aeon Priest might increase the city’s rank by 1 for Glaive, Jack, and
directly affect stats but will be noted if they for tasks relating to understanding numenera, Nano, page 39
affect the entire community. For instance, if a renowned commander might modify a city’s
the entire community exists within a pocket rank similarly to a PC Glaive, or a brilliant 303
dimension due to a dimensional abode architect could provide a direct benefit
installation, that information should be (equal to their level) to the community’s
indicated even in abbreviated community stats. infrastructure after being active in the
community for some period.
5. DETERMINE PC CONTRIBUTION
Some character types have abilities
The vast majority of Ninth World communities that allow them to recruit deputies who
are not founded or fostered by PCs. But at least provide similar, ongoing modifications to a
one community might be if your players care to community’s stats.
invest themselves. PCs may have abilities that
directly affect a community’s stats, as long as AVOIDING FALSE PRECISION
they are present and active in the community.
Determining the contribution that
PC Special Abilities: The PC abilities that modify a commonplace structures add to a
community’s stats indicate precisely what kind of community’s infrastructure stat isn’t
benefit they provide. For instance, first-tier Glaives meant to be an exact science. Use the
actively and personally working on behalf of a guidance provided here, but don’t fall
community increase the community’s effective victim to false precision by believing
rank when making attacks by 1. Note all such that exactly following these instructions
contributions in the community’s stats. will give you an accurate reflection of
a community’s statistics. This system
NPCs: Individual NPCs don’t have as much models a community in the Ninth World; it
clout as PCs. As a result, most don’t have doesn’t actually create one.
a direct influence on a community’s stats

Thon is a rank 10 community, but the psychically generated conceptual spaces
within it have different (usually much lower) individual ranks. For instance, the

subcommunity of Ecatora is rank 4.

Laying out a 6. LAY OUT THE Huge metropolises (by Ninth World
community, page 319 COMMUNITY (OPTIONAL) standards) probably have a maximum rank
of 5, again with modifications for special
Rank by Population Some player characters may want to abstract circumstances. Certainly it’s possible for
table, page 301 their community and not worry about the communities to have a higher rank than 5,
specific placement of walls, homes, shops, and but keep in mind that rank serves as the
Thon Iridescence: so on. That’s fine. However, many PCs will enjoy method whereby the GM can determine the
rank 10; individual the opportunity to lay out their community, average level of goods and the average level of
generating a useable map of their home. Doing competence for NPC experts. For example, a
subcommunities so is optional, but a community map sometimes huge place like Qi may have NPCs and goods
contained within the reveals new ways to defend that community if higher than level 5 (and it will certainly have
megastructure have it comes under attack, among other benefits. many lower than that), but because the place
is so big and cosmopolitan, PCs can find
a range of ranks ASSIGNING RANK TO competent level 5 experts without much effort.
EXISTING COMMUNITIES
That said, communities that are not made up
If the GM needs to assign a rank to a primarily of humans can and do exceed rank 5,
community that isn’t aided by PCs or already especially if they’re remnants of some prior-world
provided in Numenera Destiny, the Rank by civilization or exist as an advanced community
Population table is a perfectly good start. located in another star system, galaxy, or
There are only a few other things to keep in dimension. As an extreme example, consider
mind when assigning a rank. the community known as the Thon Iridescence,
which exists within a megastructure of hairline
Small villages are probably no higher than flaws in the fabric of reality that’s been woven
rank 1 or 2, with perhaps a modification around a galactic black hole. Thon is a rank
to account for a special NPC in residence 10 community, but the psychically generated
or a strange installation around which the conceptual spaces within it have different
community is sited. For example, a small village (usually much lower) individual ranks. For
built into the interior of a synthsteel ruin could instance, the subcommunity of Ecatora is rank 4.
be rank 2 but rank 5 for defense tasks.

Ecatora city street image ½
page, unless it doesn’t fit.

304

COMMUNITY ACTIONS

CHAPTER 27

COMMUNITY ACTIONS

Acommunity needs a rank in order to how things play out. Perhaps a tiny force of Blood barm, page 226
interact with hordes of abhumans defenders is able to fight off a higher-ranked Jiraskar, page 238
or other enemies; disasters, such as horde because of a strange machine’s aid,
plagues, fires, and the iron wind; or other an inspiration received from a glimmer, or
communities in trade, diplomacy, and even some other narrative reason. Such unexpected
conflict. Obviously, hordes, disasters, and events and conditions (especially negative
other large events also need a rank in order ones) are best presented as GM intrusions.
to compare them to a community (or each
other) and determine which one comes out Other situations could arise that modify a
ahead. This chapter provides guidance on how community’s rank for a given circumstance.
to apply rank and how to compare between For example, if NPCs sneak into an enemy
two disparate ranks. This comparison is community and disable one of its lightning
sometimes a single interaction, but it may also cannons or break a force field generator, the
play out as a series of interactions. city’s offensive capability or defensive capability
could be reduced by one or more ranks. If
Ultimately, the GM is the arbiter of conflicts the saboteurs can cause enough damage to
that do not involve the PCs. PCs who found, make a rank 3 community defend as rank 2
foster, or are present in a community may help for a long-enough period of time, an opposing
guide how a community reacts to a given threat, community of rank 2 or 3 might actually have
either directly or by setting policy, but they can’t a chance of success. Other modifications are
control whether a community succeeds or fails possible as well; an expert general, a natural
on actions taken at the community scale. defensive wall, a giant force field, or something
of that nature might make a rank 4 community
When communities (or hordes, disasters, act as if it were rank 5 or 6 for a time.
etc.) interact and no PCs are involved at all,
the encounter is usually resolved by comparing PCs, however, have an even more dramatic
the rank of one group to another. If a rank effect on community encounters.
4 community fights a horde of blood barms
(rank 3) without any other modifications, the COMMUNITY ACTIONS
community successfully neutralizes the horde. If
the community faces a horde of jiraskars (rank Not all encounters between communities are
7), it’s overrun. If something is a higher rank, it resolved simply by matching rank in one go. If
wins; if it is a lower rank, it loses. If two things of that were so, community stats such as health
equal rank oppose each other, there might be a or infrastructure would be far less useful. Any
long, drawn-out battle that could go either way. time a community has modifiers to its rank for
a specific circumstance, the potential for a more
However, situations may arise where rank complex encounter is possible (though the
isn’t the only determinant of the outcome, GM could still decide how things play out with
even if there are no PCs involved. External a single rank comparison), and when PCs are
conditions, such as weather, unexpected involved, it can be even more exciting to handle
events, or something else, could affect

When communities interact and no PCs are involved at all, the encounter is
usually resolved by comparing the rank of one group to another.

305

Community actions that last longer than an hour are possible, depending on what’s
going on—a single action could last a day, a year, or even longer in game time.

At its simplest, if one situations with an extended series of interactions is joined, the damage is inflicted automatically
group is trying to have until the final outcome is determined. when the community actions resolve.

an effect on another, Breaking a single rank comparison into a If a community is involved in a nonviolent
the GM compares the series of exchanges between two communities encounter such as diplomacy or trade, damage
ranks of the two groups. is facilitated by using community actions. A obviously isn’t inflicted on either party, though
The higher rank wins. community action is like a character action, one likely comes out ahead in whatever
PCs can alter that simple but instead of taking only a single round and situation required using a community action
involving only a single character, a community to resolve the encounter.
rank comparison by action takes about an hour and is the sum
getting involved, taking of all the actions that everyone relevant to EQUAL RANK CONFLICTS
specific actions over time. the situation in the community takes during
that period. PCs might get involved either If two antagonistic communities of equal rank
306 because they’re actively helping a community go to war, apply the damage each one inflicts on
or because they’re allied with a horde that’s the other’s health and infrastructure after each
attacking an enemy community. community action. If nothing else changes the
equilibrium, and the two communities have
COMMUNITY ACTION TIMING equal health and infrastructure, the GM decides
which side is destroyed first.
During a community action, all the various
actions taken by individuals in a community For example, consider two rank 2
or horde are abstracted into a single “action” communities that enter into direct conflict.
that takes about an hour of time in the At the end of each community action, each
world. When two or more ranked forces are community simultaneously inflicts 2 points
involved in a conflict, they each take their own of damage on the other. That damage is
community actions at the same time, which is split evenly between the community’s health
sometimes called an exchange of community and infrastructure, each of which begins the
actions (and sometimes, just an exchange). conflict at 6 points. If nothing changes, after
Community actions that last longer than an six such exchanges (each of which lasts about
hour are possible, depending on what’s going an hour), one or both of the communities is
on—a single community action could last a destroyed (as decided by the GM). Of course,
day, a year, or even longer in game time. For the PCs are likely to intervene in some fashion,
instance, if two communities are at war and either to end the conflict through diplomacy or
it takes half a day to move between them, the to strengthen one community or weaken the
increment between each community action other through some sort of daring adventure.
takes at least a day to play out. If two planets
are at war, community action exchanges could UNEQUAL RANK CONFLICTS
play out over years or centuries.
If two antagonistic communities of unequal rank
If a community is being affected by a flood, go to war, apply the damage each one inflicts on
fire, or other disaster, it’s generally fine to keep the other’s health and infrastructure after each
each community action at about an hour. exchange of community actions, as normal. If
nothing else changes the equilibrium, the side
COMMUNITY DAMAGE IN COMBAT with the lower rank will be drained of health and
infrastructure first and is thus destroyed.
In combat, each community or horde inflicts
damage on its opponent equal to its rank (or Take for instance the rank 1 community
to its damage inflicted stat, if the community of Mayeen going to war with the rank 2
has one, which supersedes rank for community of Thawl. During the first exchange
determining damage). This damage is inflicted of community actions, Mayeen and Thawl
by each participant simultaneously at the end simultaneously inflict damage on each other
of each exchange of community actions. This (in this case, simply using their ranks to
is true even if a lower-rank community attacks determine damage inflicted). That damage is
a higher-rank horde or community. There is split evenly between each community’s health
no defense action or attack action to worry and infrastructure. Thawl inflicts 2 points of
about during a community action; if combat damage on Mayeen, so Mayeen’s health and
infrastructure each take 1 point of damage,

COMMUNITY ACTIONS

RESOLVING COMMUNITY AND this first attack, 1 point is dealt to Anoor’s Rampaging beast,
HEALTH VALUE DISPARITIES health and 2 points to Anoor’s infrastructure. page 315
Simultaneously, Anoor inflicts 3 points of Callerail, page 228
What happens if a community is damage on Gront. Because those 3 points can’t
reduced to no health but still has be evenly split, the GM decides the extra point Even though they're
points in infrastructure, or is reduced of damage goes to Gront’s infrastructure. If not technically
to no infrastructure but still has points nothing else changes, this exchange will go communities, hordes
in health? In the former case, the back and forth until Gront runs out of either and ranked disasters
community is no longer capable of infrastructure or health first (since Gront has also take community
taking community actions (though the only 6 points in each to Anoor’s 9 points). actions because they
remaining infrastructure might give a leg interact at the same
up to some future group wishing to settle HORDE AND scale as communities.
the area). The same is effectively true in COMMUNITY CONFLICTS
the other case; without infrastructure, 307
even competent survivors can’t mount Outcomes are only somewhat different for
an effective community action. Survivors communities facing off against hordes,
may still exist within the ruins, but finding armies, and rampaging beasts. That’s because
them becomes something for characters hordes do not have infrastructure (though
to resolve with regular actions. Reducing a they may have Armor), which means a horde’s
community’s health or infrastructure to 0 health takes all the damage inflicted by an
means it no longer exists as a community. opponent.

reducing them to 2 each. Mayeen inflicts 1 point For example, consider rank 2 Thawl again, this
of damage on Thawl, which can’t be divided time facing off against a rank 3 rampaging beast
evenly, so the GM decides the damage applies to in the form of a callerail. During each exchange,
Thawl’s infrastructure, reducing it to 5. Thawl and the callerail simultaneously inflict
damage on each other. The callerail’s damage to
It’s easy to see where this is going. Unless Thawl is split evenly between the community’s
the PCs can intercede in some fashion—by health and infrastructure. All of Thawl’s
providing Armor, repairing infrastructure, or damage goes to the callerail’s health.
boosting Mayeen’s effective rank—the lower-
ranked community will be destroyed after the In the first exchange of community actions,
third exchange of community actions. the callerail inflicts 3 points of damage on
Thawl, damage that is split evenly between
MIXED RANK CONFLICTS the community’s health and infrastructure,
each of which begins the conflict at 6 points.
If a community’s modifications change its Since 3 points can’t be evenly split, the GM
damage inflicted to something other than decides that 1 point is dealt to Thawl’s health
its rank, the outcome of a series of violent and 2 points to its infrastructure. At the same
interactions might have to be worked out one time, Thawl inflicts 2 points of damage to the
exchange of community actions at a time. callerail’s health, which had a starting value of
9, reducing it to 7.
For example, consider Gront, a rank 2
community with a modifier that increases its In the second exchange, the only difference
damage inflicted to 3 (instead of the normal is that the damage inflicted by the callerail
2 for a rank 2 community). If Gront attacks does 2 points to Thawl’s health and 1 to
Thawl (the rank 2 community from the previous its infrastructure (so that damage is split
example), then it’s clear that Gront eventually as evenly as possible between health and
wins because it inflicts more damage with each infrastructure). Thawl ends the second
exchange (all other community stats being exchange with 3 health and 3 infrastructure,
equal between the two of them). However, if and the callerail ends with 5 health.
Gront launches an offensive against Anoor, a
rank 3 community, things are drawn out a bit After the third exchange of community
longer, giving PCs more time to intervene and actions, Thawl has 2 health and 1 infrastructure
potentially change the outcome. compared to the callerail’s 3 health.

In this case, Gront inflicts 3 points of damage After the fourth exchange (and assuming the
to Anoor, split evenly between Anoor’s health PCs are ineffective in changing the outcome
and infrastructure, each of which begins through some other means), the community
the conflict at 9 points. Because 3 points has no remaining points in either health or
can’t be evenly split, the GM decides that in infrastructure, and the callerail has 1 health.
The community is razed and its citizens
destroyed (or eaten, depending on how hungry
the callerail might be).

Convergence, page 216 MULTIPLE HORDES Some nonviolent encounters between
OR COMMUNITIES communities might not inflict damage but
308 can still be disastrous. For instance, if a
If three or more entities are engaged in Convergence member with a powerful mind-
a conflict, each entity chooses how it will control machine (which the GM decides is
distribute the damage it inflicts between its a rank 3 event) tries to take over a rank 2
enemies. It could choose to split its damage community, the Convergence member might
between two or more entities, or it could well succeed. Such an outcome doesn’t even
concentrate its damage on just one other require a powerful numenera device. For
entity. This determination is made after each instance, if a charismatic leader and a few
exchange of community actions. So in a followers attempt to worm their way into the
conflict between a callerail (a rank 3 rampaging good graces of a community (which the GM
beast horde) and three other enemy hordes decides is equivalent to action taken by a rank
(say, a group of abhumans, a horde of bandits, 3 community), a rank 1 or 2 community is
and a horde of humans), the callerail might likely to fall victim.
decide to split its 3 points of damage evenly,
doing 1 point to each of the other three hordes. PLAGUES, FLOODS, AND
NATURAL DISASTERS
NONVIOLENT
COMMUNITY ACTIONS Events can have just as disastrous an effect
on communities as enemy communities or
Not all community actions are violent; hordes, which means they can be ranked too.
hopefully, most relate to diplomacy, trade, The difference is it’s usually impossible to
and other enlightened endeavors. If PCs are strike back against a natural disaster—they
not involved, then rank is still a great way to can only be weathered. If a tsunami hits a
quickly determine the outcome. For example, community, it’s a matter of surviving the
if a rank 3 community wants to open trade disaster and rebuilding afterward (unless the
with a rank 2 community through diplomacy, tsunami completely wipes the community
it probably succeeds, all else being equal. Of out). If a rank 3 community is struck by a rank
course, if PCs are directly involved, it’s far 5 tsunami, assuming no PCs are involved, the
more likely they’d handle such negotiations GM can rely on a simple rank comparison to
as part of a normal adventure or a series of know that the community is destroyed.
encounters.

COMMUNITY ACTIONS

RANKED DISASTERS

Disaster Examples Special Damage Modifiers

Plague All damage goes to the community’s health A disaster can have
almost any rank, which
Meteor impact Double the damage to the community’s health and infrastructure the GM determines,
though most don't
Flood/Tsunami Double the damage to the community’s infrastructure exceed rank 4 or 5.

Volcano Double the damage to the community’s health and infrastructure

Earthquake Double the damage to the community’s infrastructure

Tornado/Hurricane Double the damage to the community’s infrastructure

Fire Double the damage to the community’s infrastructure

Iron wind Triple the damage to the community’s health

However, a disaster can also be played entire horde or army made up of hundreds Community tasks any PC
out in a series of community interactions if of enemies. Individual actions are abstracted can attempt, page 310
PCs are involved in aiding the community’s when it comes to community actions.
response. In this case, the number of However, PCs can still affect what happens at What characters do
community actions over which the bulk of the community scale. from round to round
the disaster plays out is equal to the disaster’s during a battle or while
rank. PCs can participate in the community CHARACTER ACTIONS AND negotiating with NPCs is
action by attempting community tasks, or COMMUNITY ACTIONS a character action. What
by relying on their own special abilities to Character actions occur at far smaller scale communities do over the
ameliorate, evacuate, and otherwise shore up than community actions. Most of the time, it’s course of an hour or more
the community from the ongoing or immediate not necessary to distinguish between these is a community action.
aftereffects of a disaster. Refer to the Ranked two scales; the activities characters take flow
Disasters table to see what special modifiers between them naturally. What characters do 309
might apply. from round to round during a battle or while
negotiating with NPCs require normal actions.
For example, a rank 4 tsunami is hitting Actions tracked over the course of an hour or
Vostin, a rank 3 town with 9 health and more use community actions.
9 infrastructure. Because the tsunami
is rank 4, it acts over the course of four Character Actions: Most of the time, RPG
community actions with Vostin. After the first characters take normal actions over the course
community action, it inflicts 4 damage on of rounds or minutes. For example, if five
the town, divided evenly between health and margr attack five PCs, the encounter occurs
infrastructure, but the table says to double the over the course of several normal rounds. If
infrastructure damage, so it inflicts 2 points the PCs barter with chance-met traders as
of damage on Vostin’s health and 4 points they travel cross-country, it also occurs over
on its infrastructure, reducing the town to 7 the course of rounds, though no one is likely
health and 5 infrastructure. This repeats after tracking them because it doesn't matter.
the second community action, reducing Vostin Normally, it’s not necessary to call out such
to 5 health and 1 infrastructure. The third things as character actions because it’s just
exchange reduces the town’s health to 3 and understood.
infrastructure to 0, destroying it and displacing
the surviving members of Vostin. (Because Effects of Character Actions on Community
the community is destroyed, there is no need Actions: Taken individually, character actions
to have the fourth exchange.) Of course, usually don’t have a direct effect on community
PCs participating in community actions by actions (but see Community Tasks Any PC Can
attempting community tasks or using their Attempt). Instead, character actions often
own special abilities can affect the outcome of have indirect effects. For instance, if the five
each exchange and perhaps save Vostin. margr the PCs defeated were carrying a map
back to their fellows that showed where the
PCs PARTICIPATING IN PC’s hidden community was, the PCs likely
COMMUNITY ACTIONS prevented a horde of margr from attacking the
community—thereby ending a conflict before
Community events normally occur on a it started.
different scale than the scale at which PC
and NPC actions occur. Whereas a character As has always been true, the variety of
might use a special ability to attack a foe, a things characters can do that can have indirect
community must withstand the attacks of an

COMMUNITY TASKS ANY PC CAN ATTEMPT

A community task is something a PC attempts by taking part in a larger community action. The PC usually does so

in order to modify a community's or horde's stats. A community task requires the PC's full attention for the duration

of a community action. The effect of a PC’s attempted community task falls into one of four broad categories: Armor,

damage inflicted, health, and infrastructure. Any PC can attempt a community task, investing an entire hour or

more (depending on the length of a single community action) attempting to affect a community’s or horde’s stats.

Community tasks that PCs attempt usually automatically succeed, though the GM may require a roll if something is

working against the PC.

Example tasks include convincing a neighborhood to evacuate, recovering survivors from a flood across a wide

area, cleaning up a market area in order to improve the quality of an upcoming event, and so on.

All PCs have type abilities that grant them a specific effect to COMMUNITY TASK EFFECT TABLE

benefit a community they're helping. These abilities are akin to

community tasks in the sense that they often affect a community's Effect on Community Stats Effort
stats in some fashion, but they don't usually require that the PC +1 Armor 3 levels
devote all their actions toward a specific community action. The +1 damage inflicted 2 levels
community benefits granted by these type abilities (and potentially

some focus abilities) just happen, and do not require Effort. For +1 health 1 level

instance, the Arkus’s Community Leader ability provides a +1 rank +1 infrastructure 1 level
enhancement for all non-combat community actions attempted Other non-combat effects 0–1 levels
by the community, without requiring that the PC apply Effort. But

if a PC doesn’t want to use a type or focus ability that provides a

predefined benefit to a community or horde, they can attempt a community task (they can't do both in the same time

period) by applying Effort from a Pool over the course of one community action, as long as that period of time doesn’t

take much longer than one hour. A PC can do this even if they aren’t skilled at that task normally—you don’t have to

be skilled in interaction tasks to apply Effort to attempt a community task to boost morale, or be skilled at healing to

apply Effort to assist the community’s healers. (However, a character with an inability in a task can't attempt it as a

community task.)

For instance, if a PC Nano wants to increase a community’s health by 1 as shown on the Community Task Effect

Table, they can apply 1 level of Effort from their Intellect Pool as they spend an hour tending wounds, helping healers,

explaining how to treat weird diseases, and otherwise contributing. The Jack wants to increase the damage inflicted

of the community by 1, so they spend an hour (and two levels of Effort from their Might or Speed Pool) going about

the walls of a community under attack and physically helping out. The Glaive could do the same thing if they wanted,

but instead, the Glaive uses their Community Defender ability, increasing the community’s effective rank for damage

inflicted by 1 without spending anything from their Pools.

PCs don’t generally roll effects on community-scale events is nearly Rank Denotes a Shift in Scale: Generally
to succeed at community limitless. If the PCs slip behind enemy lines speaking, individual creatures can't take
and kidnap the captain of an advancing army, community actions. That’s because individuals
tasks; they just apply that army could be thrown in disarray for or even small groups usually don’t have a
the Effort and gain hours or days, which might delay the conflict, rank—something without rank can’t act at the
reduce the effective rank of the enemy army by same scale that an entire community does
the associated benefit, 1, or perhaps prevent the conflict altogether. when it takes community actions. For instance,
assuming some other In many cases, regular character actions if five level 2 margr attack the PC’s rank 2
event doesn’t interfere. can occur at the same time that community community, that’s a mismatch in scale, and
actions are occurring over hours and days. the rules for community actions do not apply.
Community The health and infrastructure values of the
Defender, page 39 Community Scale: When communities interact ranked community are not directly affected.
with other communities, hordes, armies, or Instead, the situation would play out normally,
Arkus, page 7 disastrous forces, the interaction happens over at the scale that PCs are used to—a couple of
the course of at least one but probably several PCs or NPCs emerge to engage the five margr
Community Leader, hours. For example, a horde of one hundred in round-by-round combat that takes only a
page 11 margr attacking a community happens at a minute or two in the world.
much larger scale than the scale at which PCs
310 act, whether or not the GM makes a single However, PCs are special and can participate
rank comparison or models the attack using in community actions because of special
several community action exchanges. abilities they possess, because they attempt
a community task, or because they try to

COMMUNITY ACTIONS

accomplish something that doesn't fall into an NPC threatening an entire army with a cypher Move Mountains,
easily defined category. that can explode like the sun do so using page 43
normal actions, but the results actually can
IS IT A COMMUNITY TASK OR NOT? affect a ranked community. Ranked disasters,
As previously noted, PCs can attempt page 309
community tasks, or rely on a special ability, The GM can choose to handle this in a couple
in order to affect a community action. When of different ways. A quick and easy way is to
PCs do this, it often temporarily increases assign the character's action a rank, then do
a community’s defenses, attacks, damage, a rank comparison and inflict the appropriate
infrastructure, health, and so on. amount of damage on the targeted horde or
community as if the character had acted as a
For example, when a Glaive uses their community and taken a community action.
Community Defender ability to grant the Under such extraordinary circumstances, a
community or horde +1 to damage inflicted, simple rule of thumb for determining the rank
they are taking actions at the community of a PC’s or NPC’s action is to subtract 3 from
scale. But what about a PC trying to convince the character’s tier (or the NPC’s level) and use
an entire neighborhood to evacuate over the the result. It’s a bit quick and dirty, but it will
course of an hour during a community action? serve in some situations. For instance, if the tier
This doesn't necessarily affect a community's 6 Nano’s Move Mountains ability affects the
stats, but it does affect how things turn out. community, treat it as a rank 3 disaster that
Thus it could also be considered to be a inflicts damage to the community’s health and
community task, whether or not the PC applies infrastructure.
Effort.
A more precise way to handle the situation is
That said, sometimes PCs or NPCs are so to let things play out first using character actions.
powerful that they can take actions that have By doing so, you could find that the results are
immediate, dramatic effects on community so clear that it isn’t necessary to worry about
actions. For instance, a tier 6 Nano with the community actions. For instance, if a cypher
ability to make earthquakes, a tier 6 Glaive explodes an entire horde or the Glaive fights
who can single-handedly defend the gate from them off, obviously there is no horde left for an
a horde of one hundred margr, and a villainous exchange of community actions.

311

MORE EXAMPLES OF PCs HORDES, ARMIES,
ATTEMPTING COMMUNITY TASKS AND RAMPAGING BEASTS
A Jack or Arkus could go to the walls to rally
the defenders stationed there with rousing When enough creatures or NPCs gather
rhetoric (an Intellect task) to grant +1 Armor together, they have enough combined power
to the community (if they’re willing to use to affect a community as if they were a
three levels of Effort). The Glaive might choose community themselves. This means that
to bolster the spirits of the community, but they now have a rank just like a community.
instead of using rousing rhetoric, the Glaive The term horde has a specific meaning, as
impresses the defenders with their strength described later in this section, but it’s also
and prowess (a Might task) to grant +1 health a general term that identifies any group of
(at the cost of one level of Effort). Maybe creatures (or single, very powerful creatures)
the Wright heads to the lightning tower to that can pose a risk to a settlement.
eke out a little extra power for one hour (an
Intellect task), granting the community +1 UNDERSTANDING HORDE STATS
damage inflicted (at the cost of two levels of
Effort). All these community tasks apply to one Rank: Hordes, armies, and rampaging beasts
community action. have ranks just like communities. Rank reflects
a horde’s raw, innate capability. Comparing
As previously noted, characters can take the ranks of two different hordes provides
regular actions whose outcomes could modify a general sense of which is superior. For
a larger community action. For example, the example, a rank 3 horde is superior (in a basic
PCs emerge from the gates of the community sense) to a rank 2 horde.
to fight a margr champion. If the PCs win,
the GM decides that the community gains As with communities, rank can be used to
a +1 rank bonus for the next exchange of determine the average level of the creature or
community actions because everyone watching NPC making up the horde, the average level of
from the wall in the community was elated by any equipment they carry, and the average level
seeing the characters defeat their enemies, of any normal task relating to the horde. For
while the margr’s morale takes a bit of a hit. example, if a PC tries to sneak into the midst
of a rank 3 horde at night, the task generally
Another example might be the PCs has a difficulty of 3.
sneaking into an enemy community or
horde in order to gather intelligence about Also, as with communities, rank is not the
their foe’s weaknesses, dispositions, and same as level, which means lone characters
other information that could grant an allied normally have little chance to affect a ranked
community a +1 rank bonus in the first few horde. A character can’t attack a rank 3 horde
exchanges it has with the enemy community. with their sword and expect to do any serious
damage unless they have special abilities that
indicate otherwise.

312

COMMUNITY ACTIONS

RETREATING HORDE A horde’s rank is equal to the average level of
the creatures within it.
Hordes attacking a community may
decide that they’re in over their heads HORDES Armies, page 315
and attempt a retreat. A horde whose
rank is higher than the community they’re A horde consists of a mass of creatures Oorgolian soldier,
attacking can break off the conflict without or NPCs that are usually of the same kind, page 246
consequence. However, a horde that though that’s not required. The size of a horde
breaks off attacks against a community is about a hundred creatures, but it could be Sathosh, page 251
of equal or higher rank takes damage as several hundred. A horde’s rank is equal to the
if it engaged in one additional exchange average level of the creatures within it. A horde Murden, page 243
of community actions (but it doesn’t that reaches into the thousands is considered
simultaneously inflict damage in turn). an army. Regaining horde health:
Unless a horde’s health
The situation is the same if one horde A horde of Oorgolian soldiers would be rank 4, is completely depleted,
retreats from another. In this case, the because Oorgolian soldiers are level 4 individually. it returns at a rate of
winning horde can usually decide to pursue, about 1 point per day.
though it risks being lured into a trap. A horde of two hundred level 3 sathosh would
normally be rank 3. However, sathosh have a Creatures at war,
Health: Unlike communities, hordes have special modifier that increases the rank of any page 316
no infrastructure. All damage is done to a army or horde they predominantly make up by
horde’s health. A horde’s health is usually 1, meaning a horde of level 3 sathosh is rank 4.
equal to its target number, but that can vary.
A horde’s health value is an abstraction of A horde of level 3 murdens would normally
the minimum number of creatures or NPCs be rank 3. Though as with sathosh, murdens
who make it up. Damage to a horde’s health enjoy a special modifier; they inflict double
doesn’t necessarily mean that creatures are their expected rank in damage in the first
dying (though it could); instead, it means exchange of community actions (as noted in
that portions of the group are being hurt, are Creatures at War).
losing morale, or are otherwise neutralized
to the point that they can no longer maintain Hordes include the special categories
the horde’s integrity. When a horde’s health described below, though many other specialized
is gone, its morale breaks and it scatters with types of hordes are possible. Special horde
more than 50 percent casualties. It could configurations provide an additional ability
also be entirely eradicated, depending on the or modifier when the horde faces off against
situation. a community or another horde. Barring any
modifications by the creatures themselves,
Damage Inflicted: Hordes usually inflict their many hordes will be basic hordes because the
rank in damage regardless of the form of other types typically require specialized training.
attack. Some inflict more damage (or less) A horde of insects or animals is rarely capable
due to special circumstances or modifiers. of being trained or outfitted to perform a
Hordes inflict damage by the swarming mass specialized tactic, and even intelligent creatures
of antagonistic creatures that make them up, and NPCs are likely to start as basic hordes,
abstracting any special equipment they might because training a unit to use special strategies
possess. and tactics requires a lot of time and strong
leadership. Strong leadership is often required
Armor: This is the horde’s Armor value. If the to keep a specialized horde on task when
average creature in the horde or the single actual combat begins.
rampaging beast has an Armor value, that is
the Armor value of the horde. Any damage HORDE VS. HORDE
done to a horde is decreased by subtracting
the horde’s Armor value first. As when PCs are involved in communities,
a conflict between hordes, armies, and
Modifications: When a horde has special rampaging beasts can play out over
abilities, defenses, or other capacities that several exchanges of community actions,
are different than what its rank or other stats each an hour or more long in world
would imply, it is indicated here. time. If no PCs are involved, a single
rank comparison can be made to quickly
determine an outcome.

313

Sathosh, page 251 A horde of level 3 murdens would normally be rank 3. Though as with sathosh,
Murden, page 243 murdens enjoy a special modifier; they inflict double their expected rank in damage in

the first exchange of community actions.

Rasters, page 248 If a horde is composed of creatures that who are suited to living underwater, because
modify any horde they predominantly compose, outfitting a horde with special equipment,
Some fast hordes, that modification might be added to the ability training, or aquatic mounts is expensive and rare.
especially those that have provided by being part of a specialized horde.
For example, if creatures that add +1 Armor Defensive Horde. A defensive horde has the
long-range weapons, to any horde they make up become part of a resources to equip most of its members with
are known as “shoot defensive horde (which also adds +1 Armor), additional armor of some sort. A defensive
the resulting defensive horde gains +2 Armor. horde gains +1 Armor.
and scoot” hordes.
However, many hordes composed Fast Horde. Similar to a stealthy horde, a fast
Creatures at war, predominantly of a particular creature type horde can move quickly because they are familiar
page 316 already act as if they were a specialized horde. with the area, have special mounts, or rely on
For example, rasters and other creatures that some other method of moving more quickly
Broken hound, can easily fly over walls act as if they were a flying than normal. Because a fast horde can make an
page 226 horde. In this case, there is no cumulative benefit. orderly and quick withdrawal, it gets a free, one-
sided community action when it retreats from an
A horde of guerilla fighters Basic Horde. Most hordes are basic in that their enemy community or horde, inflicting damage
is smaller than a general rank is equal to the average level of the creatures on its opponent without being simultaneously
horde and doesn’t show that make it up. A basic horde is not granted attacked in return. It can gain this benefit only
its strength directly on the any additional special abilities. However, once per conflict per enemy.
creatures making up a basic horde may have
field. Instead, it relies on a a modification or special ability that modifies Flying Horde. A flying horde inflicts all its damage
series of ambushes, raids, a horde that consists of mainly that type of to its opponent’s health and doesn’t split it
creature. The section called Creatures at War between health and infrastructure (unless it
and acts of sabotage. provides a wide array of such modifications. For wants to). A flying horde that retreats can break
example, a horde primarily made up of broken off without consequences (there is no one-sided
hounds modifies the horde’s effective rank by +1. exchange where the enemy attacks the horde as
they retreat). A flying horde gains no benefits
Ambushing Horde. An ambushing horde against an enemy with flying forces. Unless a
isn’t likely to attack a community directly, but horde is made of individuals who are able to fly
instead, it will draw out a community’s fighters naturally, outfitting a horde with special mounts or
in order to reduce or eliminate them. An numenera objects that allow it to fly is expensive
ambushing horde’s rank for attacks is modified and rare. The effort is worth it, however.
by +2 in the first exchange of community
actions. After the first exchange, the horde acts Guerilla Horde. A horde of guerilla fighters
like a basic horde of its rank. is smaller than a general horde and doesn’t
show its strength directly on the field. Instead,
Aquatic Horde. An aquatic horde can attack it relies on a series of ambushes, raids, and
communities and other hordes that are acts of sabotage. A guerilla horde might be
otherwise difficult or impossible to reach, on made up of only of twenty or so creatures. A
account of also being located beneath the waves guerilla horde is as effective as a much larger
or using the water as a defensive feature. An basic horde but only for up to two community
aquatic horde is usually made up of individuals action exchanges, after which it must retreat
(and potentially is caught up in one additional
PC DISRUPTION OF A HORDE community action as it retreats where it takes
damage but does not inflict it).
PCs could identify and take out the leadership within a specialized
horde or army. This could disrupt the horde, making it a basic Marauding Horde. Marauding hordes are
horde, or it might break the horde into a disorganized group of trained and have equipment for getting over
individual creatures intent on getting away. community walls and mixing it up with the
population. A marauding horde inflicts all its
314

COMMUNITY ACTIONS

damage on a community’s health and doesn’t Skirmishing Horde. A skirmishing horde A skirmishing horde
split it between health and infrastructure (unless has trained or is naturally inclined to act in uses tactics known
it wants to). A marauding horde is usually smaller units (“fire teams”) that work in close as “leapfrogging.”
unable to retreat. These abilities and limitations coordination, allowing one fire team to move
do not apply when attacking another horde. while other fire teams concentrate their attacks Retreating horde,
to keep an enemy busy. This allows a coordinated page 313
Patrolling Horde. A patrolling horde is most often skirmishing horde to inflict more damage. On Margr, page 240
deployed as a special unit of a nearby community, every other exchange of community actions, a
horde, or army. Its mere presence modifies the skirmishing horde attacks and inflicts damage as
allied community, army, or horde’s effective rank if 1 rank higher than normal.
by +1, though it has no effective rank while it
patrols and defends its ally. The patrolling horde’s Stealthy Horde. This horde can move without
effective rank is 1 less than normal. being easily noticed because it is familiar with
the area, has some training in stealth, is moving
Rampaging Beast. A single creature that is under the cover of smoke or prevailing weather,
powerful enough or large enough can also or is bringing some other method of evading
act as a horde and thus become ranked, as immediate detection to bear. When a stealthy
described hereafter. horde first attacks, it gets a community action
in which it inflicts damage on its opponent
Reconnaissance Horde. A reconnaissance and is not simultaneously attacked in return.
horde is sent to test an enemy’s strength and After this first attack, the normal exchange of
position and then retreat with that information community actions occurs.
to provide that intelligence to some other group
(usually another horde or a community). A ARMIES
reconnaissance horde inflicts 1 less point of
damage than its rank would otherwise indicate. Armies are a kind of horde but larger and
However, a reconnaissance horde can retreat better organized. An army is composed of
from a conflict with a community or another about a thousand creatures, but it could be
horde without suffering unanswered damage in many thousands or even tens of thousands or
one additional exchange of community actions. If more. An army’s rank is equal to the average
it survives, the reconnaissance horde can confer level of the creatures making it up +1. So
an advantage to another group by providing the an army of margr, creatures that are level 2
information it learns, modifying the effective rank individually, would be rank 3.
of the second group by +1 during a conflict
with the reconnaissance horde’s foe. An army is also a kind of horde, so an
army chiefly comprised of a particular kind of
Sacrificial Horde. Usually only hordes made of creature gains the horde benefits ascribed to
slaves or insane zealots are sacrificial hordes. A that creature noted under Creatures at War.
sacrificial horde’s sole purpose is to inflict as much
damage on a community or horde as possible, Armies also have a bit more versatility than a
even if it means the annihilation of the sacrificial basic horde, or at least the potential for it with the
horde itself. Such hordes are rarely encountered right leadership. An army can split off a smaller
alone. Instead, they are usually deployed as special group that fulfills a special function, creating a
units by another horde or an army. A sacrificial specialized horde. In effect, an army can become
horde’s rank is 2 more than it would normally be; an entity composed of two independent groups,
however, the horde can act only in a number of one of which is the original army and one of
community action exchanges equal to its adjusted which acts like a reconnaissance, sapping,
rank before it is utterly wiped out. patrolling, or other horde.

Sapping Horde. A sapping horde has training So the rank 3 army of margr just mentioned
and equipment designed to weaken and bring might also be able to field a rank 2 marauding
down an enemy community’s infrastructure. horde.
A sapping horde inflicts all its damage on a
community’s infrastructure and doesn’t split The larger the army is, the more special
it between health and infrastructure (unless it units it can create while still remaining an
wants to). A sapping horde is usually unable to army in its own right. Generally, an army can
retreat. These abilities and limitations do not deploy one special unit for every thousand
apply when attacking another horde. creatures comprising it.

RAMPAGING BEAST

Some creatures are so large or powerful (or
both) that a single one can act like a horde,
taking actions that have repercussions on

315

A really big horde—one with a thousand or more creatures—gains a +1 bonus to
rank like an army does. But without the organization that typifies an army, the horde

doesn’t gain any additional benefits.

Dread destroyer, the conflict as if they were a ranked horde. or stealthy, along with other unique modifiers
page 234 A rampaging beast’s rank is equal to the when forming a horde. Creatures that never
creature’s level minus 3 or 4. Generally form a horde are also indicated.
Creatures that have speaking, a creature must be at least level 6 to
swarm or pack abilities be considered a rampaging beast, but that’s a Level 1 to Level 4: Creatures from level 1 to
bare minimum requirement. level 4 are the most likely to make up hordes. At
often gain a bonus to higher levels, creatures may still form groups,
their rank if they’re part A rampaging beast may have additional but it becomes less and less likely that enough
modifiers and abilities that come into play of them will gather in one place and act like a
of a horde composed during conflicts with communities or other horde, though of course there are exceptions.
predominantly of that hordes.
Creating Higher-Level Hordes: If you want
kind of creature. So a dread destroyer—a level 10 creature—would to form a horde with a creature whose level is
be a rank 6 or 7 rampaging beast if it attacked a higher than 4, refer to the creatures of levels 1
community. Even a large Ninth World community to 4 provided here as a guide. You can either
would be hard pressed to withstand a rank 7 apply one of the horde templates provided or
rampaging beast, at least without PC involvement. give the horde some other quality based on the
cumulative abilities of the creatures making up
Very large vehicles, including war ships, can the horde. For example, if the creature already
sometimes qualify as rampaging beasts. This has the ability to act in small groups as if a
is certainly true if the vehicles in question have single creature of a higher level, a horde made
numenera weapons designed to destroy other up of that kind of creature should gain a +1
immense vehicles or communities. rank modifier. Generally speaking, the simpler
the modifications you make to a horde, the
CREATURES AT WAR easier and more satisfying it will be to use that
horde in a game setting.
Creatures described in this book, Numenera
Discovery, The Ninth World Bestiary, and Ninth
World Bestiary 2 are presented here with
suggested horde classifications, such as fast

EXAMPLE CREATURE HORDE CLASSIFICATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS

LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2

Brendril✦ +1 rank Broken hound* +1 rank

Caffa (larva)* Forms basic horde Caffa (adult)* Forms basic horde

Chance moth♦ Hordes survive through only Chalik✦ +1 rank; forms marauding horde
two exchanges Crystalvore✦
Flesh pup♦ Inflicts horde damage again
Gazer♦ Never forms hordes Dabirri♦ one round after defeat
Jacentwing✦ Drebil♦
+1 rank; forms flying horde Faradawk✦ Never forms hordes
Laak* Griffalo♦
Rapicaw✦ +1 rank; forms marauding Never forms hordes
horde Heeldran✦
Stheed✦ Hex stinger♦ +1 rank; forms flying horde
Zayrn✦ +1 rank
Margr* Once per combat, can
Zek** +1 rank; hordes survive stampede at rank +1
through only two exchanges Merkadian soldier♦
Mimetan** Forms aquatic horde
Never forms hordes
Opponent of equal or lower
+1 rank; damage inflicted by rank drops by 1 rank after first
opponent reduced by 1 point exchange
after first exchange
Forms marauding or
Doesn’t have to split damage defensive horde
evenly if opponents’ defenses
use a lot of synth +1 Armor; forms stealthy horde

Never forms hordes

316

COMMUNITY ACTIONS

Nacreon wind✦ Never forms hordes Keltonim✦ Forms ambushing horde
Nausrak✦ +1 rank Killist♦ Forms ambushing or
Phaselost✦ Never forms hordes stealthy horde
Seskii* +1 Armor if outfitted Kissing fawn✦ Forms basic horde
Shanu♦ Never forms hordes Larus✦ Forms ambushing horde
Shinspinner** Forms ambushing horde Machine eater✦ Ignores Armor of machines
Shivern♦ +2 rank vs. foe that can’t and automatons
see in darkness Malvok✦ Forms stealthy horde
Slurge♦ Forms defensive horde Mercurial wasp✦ +1 rank
Stratharian war moth* Forms flying horde Murden* Inflicts double damage on the
Thuman* Forms basic horde first exchange
Truckler** Never forms hordes Nagaina defender♦ Never forms hordes
Unagran♦ Forms aquatic horde Nalurus♦ Never forms hordes
Vape♦ +2 damage inflicted Nibovian child♦ Never forms hordes
Ylaantiv♦ +1 damage inflicted Nibovian companion♦ Never forms hordes
Nibovian wife* Never forms hordes
LEVEL 3 Once per combat, can Octopus✦ Forms aquatic horde
stampede at rank +1 Ocular & tactile host♦ Never forms horde
Aneen* Forms stealthy horde of +1 rank Olion✦ Forms ambushing horde
+1 rank Onrakas✦ Attacks ignore Armor; can form
Babirasa** Produces sound that causes marauding horde by burrowing
Blood barm* lower-rank horde to sleep or Ort✦ +1 rank
Calyptor♦ panic for one hour Phasic✦ Forms guerilla horde
Never forms hordes Pherotherm✦ Regains 2 health per hour
Candescent sabon✦ Forms flying horde where fire burns; becomes
Caprimag✦ Forms stealthy horde Plasmar♦ inactive in flame-free area
Carnivorous color✦ Forms basic horde Forms hordes only during
Clicker✦ Accompanied by rank 2 Rahenum courser♦ thunderstorms or in areas of
Coccitan♦ roach horde high energy discharge
Never forms hordes Reconstructor✦ Can form marauding
Cuiddit** +1 rank Rocira♦ horde by burrowing
Cypherid✦ +2 rank for one hour Sathosh* Regains 1 health per hour
Deiparon✦ Never forms hordes Snow loper* +1 rank
Erulian♦ +1 rank for attacks Synth eater** +1 rank
Fossick** Prefers to form armies Spurn♦ Forms basic horde
Ghru✦ Never forms hordes Steel spider* Never forms hordes
Glacier slime♦ Regains 3 health per hour in Forms ambushing horde
Golthiar♦ direct sun Tetrahydra* +1 Armor; can form marauding
+1 Armor; once per combat Therivar♦ horde by climbing walls
Grey sampler♦ can stampede at rank +1 Torlethis companion✦ +1 Armor; forms flying horde
+1 rank Ulenic✦ Can form sacrificial horde
Herder♦ +1 rank vs. non-flying foes Never forms hordes
Ice weaver✦ +1 rank Weaponized meme♦ +1 damage inflicted from
Igothus✦ Poison attack ignores Armor Ylhath✦ various cobbled weapons
Jreet✦ +1 Armor; +1 rank due to Yovok* Never forms hordes
Kalyptein crab♦ myriad abilities +1 rank
Forms reconnaissance horde +1 rank vs. foes susceptible to
Kaseyer✦ poison

317

LEVEL 4 Never forms hordes Navarac✦ +1 Armor; forms flying horde
+1 Armor, forms fast horde Nerodrod✦ Never forms hordes
Abykos* Never forms hordes Nevajin* Never forms hordes
Anhedon** Never forms hordes Nibovian domicile✦ Never forms hordes
Asomatis✦ +2 rank vs. foes using Nomyn✦ Never forms hordes
Ateric✦ energy weapons Odlark♦ +1 Armor; forms flying horde
Avatrol♦ Forms stealthy horde Oorgolian soldier* Forms defensive horde
Forms basic horde Oorgolian tester✦ Never forms hordes
Balikna♦ Forms fast horde Otolin✦ +1 Armor; forms flying horde
Bithyran✦ +1 rank Pitystrian✦ Unlikely to form hordes
Blacktusk✦ Forms defensive horde Queb♦ +1 Armor; forms fast horde
Cave qui♦ Forms marauding horde that Raster* Forms flying horde
Chirog* can move like a fast horde Ravage bear* Forms marauding horde
Chronal feeder♦ Never forms hordes Rurtalian♦ Never forms hordes
+1 Armor; forms stealthy Scrivener♦ Never forms hordes
Conundary** horde Seskii tracer✦ Unlikely to form hordes
Culova* Unlikely to form hordes Soshin✦ Never forms hordes
Unlikely to form hordes Stalking shade✦ Forms stealthy horde
Dal✦ Never forms hordes Steel angel✦ +2 Armor; +1 rank
Decanted♦ +2 Armor; forms aquatic horde Syzygy ghoul♦ Forms basic horde
Dread rider✦ Unlikely to form hordes Tachyron♦ Forms defensive horde
Ebon✦ Never forms hordes Tarza✦ Forms basic horde
Entrope♦ +1 rank Terredel✦ Forms fast horde
Esculant** Never forms hordes Terror bird♦ +1 rank; forms
Ergovore hound♦ Never forms hordes ambushing horde
Exigen✦ Forms flying horde Thexx✦ +1 rank; forms defensive horde
Flesh ghost** Regains 2 health per hour Thread walker✦ Unlikely to form hordes
Gleresisk✦ Never forms a horde Tonbrium hunter✦ Forms basic horde
Grush♦ Unlikely to form hordes Trawl♦ Unlikely to form hordes
Haneek✦ +1 Armor; forms fast horde Umem✦ +1 Armor; forms
Hungry pennon✦ Never forms hordes marauding horde
Iani✦ Forms ambushing horde Urtilla✦ +1 Armor; forms aquatic horde
Idolum** Forms ambushing horde Valma♦ Never forms hordes
Ithsyn* Forms defensive horde Vroaordun✦ Forms aquatic horde
Jesanthum♦ Forms flying horde Warder♦ Never forms hordes
Kanthid♦ Unlikely to form hordes Xaar♦ Unlikely to form hordes
Karestrel✦ Unlikely to form hordes Xiomarche♦ +1 rank; forms flying horde
Klax✦ Never forms hordes Zandrel✦ +1 rank; forms flying horde
Kroth✦ Forms into 2–3 guerilla hordes
Lanmoro✦ Forms flying horde
Laurik-ca♦ Unlikely to form hordes
Malork✦ Never forms hordes
Mastigophore* Unlikely to form hordes
Memora♦
Mlox♦

*Appears in Numenera Discovery
**Appears in Numenera Destiny
♦Appears in The Ninth World Bestiary
✦Appears in Ninth World Bestiary 2

318

LAYING OUT A COMMUNITY

CHAPTER 28

LAYING OUT A COMMUNITY

A t one point, most communities were The level of detail for community design Community stat sheet,
little more than a few determined could be very abstract or very detailed. The page 411
people who wanted their own space GM should let the players decide where they You can use the back
and had the resources to find, claim, and want to be on this spectrum—some might be of the Community Stat
defend it. Some communities may have started content to know that their base has separate Sheet to create a map
as military outposts, refugee sanctuaries, bedrooms for everyone, a large common of the community.
colonies birthed from larger communities, room, and a high wall around the whole thing.
religious cloisters, roadside trading posts, Other players might want to use a grid to plan Alarm mech, page 148
or safe havens near mines or dangerous out every aspect of the rooms, decorations, Pabulum extruder,
numenera sites. Over time, these settlements facilities, and defenses. Use the Community page 163
grew, built more structures, acquired more Stat Sheet to record important installations,
people, and became villages, fortresses, instructions, NPCs, and other features of the 319
towns, and cities. Unless later generations community. Before anyone starts working on
tore down the original structures and built new a map, the PCs and GM should discuss which
ones in their place, a keen observer can usually type of layout they want to use: abstracted or
find remnants of the original settlement—a mapped.
historical building or neighborhood, the
wandering layout of streets and roads that once ABSTRACTED LAYOUT
served a purpose but confuse modern visitors,
old machines that have fallen into disrepair, In an abstract base layout, only the most
defensive walls well within the settlement’s general information about the base’s
outer borders, and so on. How the founders configuration is known. At minimum, it has a
chose and arranged those first structures list of rooms that the PCs use (bedrooms, a
played a key role in determining whether the kitchen, and so on), a list of specific defenses
community survived its early years. Chapter (a wall with a gate, mines, carnivorous plants,
25 describes the requirements for founding a and so on), and a list of any numenera
community, but this chapter addresses where installations the PCs have access to (alarm
to put necessary structures. mech, pabulum extruder, and so on). These
should have notes or a bare-minimum map
LAYING OUT YOUR indicating general directions for key features
BASE OR COMMUNITY (the entrance is north, the kitchen is in the
middle, bedrooms are to the south, and so on)
PCs who decide to build a base have the fun so the base feels like a real place that the PCs
opportunity to take a GM-like role and map can navigate. As the PCs continue to upgrade
out what they want in their base and where and improve the base, installations and
those things go, along with its defenses and structures will be added to the list, but as long
overall shape. Even if the PCs are taking over as the players and GM are fine with keeping
an abandoned structure (or one they explored the organizational details light, these notes are
and made safe to inhabit), they get to change, all that is needed.
demolish, expand, and rearrange their new home
to suit their needs. This chapter explains a few An abstract layout is a good choice if the
different methods for how PCs can lay out and PCs have a lot of room for their base (on top
map their community. The layout of a community of a mesa that’s a mile wide in any direction,
is interesting in and of itself, but it also impacts for example), because they can build wherever
the community’s future growth and prosperity. they want and leave plenty of room between
key features—either because they’re expecting
a lot of future growth or because they want to

Reactive field, page 322 prevent the reactive fields of their numenera campaign will spend a lot of time there—
structures from interfering with each other. An doubly so if there is a reasonable chance the
An acre is about four abstract layout is also convenient because the base will be attacked during the campaign.
short distances by four PC and GM can always add more details later, A mapped layout also makes it easy to plan
such as dividing their base or community into for the future and account for interference
short distances, or districts or zones for specific purposes. As the between numenera installations.
two long distances by level of detail is increased over time, the base
may eventually become as detailed as one that Before anyone starts working on a map, the
two long distances. was mapped out from the very start. PCs and GM should discuss the scale they
want the map to be: grid, short distance, or
MAPPED LAYOUT long distance.

In a mapped layout, the specific configuration Grid Scale: The easiest way to start mapping a
of the base’s parts are noted on a map, much layout is to use a piece of graph paper, decide
like the kind of map a GM would use in a whether each square is 5 or 10 feet (1.5 or 3 m),
published adventure. Terrain features and and start drawing walls, doors, windows,
scale can be included on the map, allowing stairs, paths, trees, and so on. If the PCs have
the players to make tactical decisions about taken over an existing base, the GM might
defending their base and how long it takes to even have a current map for the players to
get from one key feature to another. start with. This sort of map allows the PCs to
customize the area with an incredible amount
A mapped layout is a good choice if the of detail. Players may be tempted to put
PCs have a fixed amount of room and need to something in every square, but they should
carefully plan for all the structures they want to remember to leave room for future expansion
build; since each installation takes up space on and be willing to step back from design and
the map, the PCs can see how much territory allow for other people living there—whether
is still available and modify their intentions followers who don’t accompany the PCs on
for the community’s growth. A mapped layout dangerous missions, helpful NPCs like a
is also handy for the GM, especially if the

320

LAYING OUT A COMMUNITY

merchant or an Aeon Priest, or people like land around it (for a yard, alleys, or street) or
guards and farmers who protect the base several one- or two-room buildings like shops,
while the PCs are away and make sure there’s cottages, and guardposts. By assigning one
enough food for everyone to eat. key feature to a short area, the map provides a
good overview of the settlement but still leaves
Short-Distance Scale: A PC can move a room for expansion and added detail.
short distance as an action, so mapping a
community in terms of short distances is an Long-Distance Scale: A long-distance scale The base package
easy way to provide details about what’s in a map works much like a short-distance scale structure in Chapter 8:
settlement and still use the map in a tactical map, except each area is about a long distance Commonplace Objects
situation (like if the base or community is across (one long-distance area contains about and Structures fills
attacked). Because the reactive field radius four short-distance areas). The reactive field an area up to a long
of an installation of level 5 or less is about a radius of a level 10 installation is about a distance across.
short distance, this mapping scale lets you long distance, so this scale lets you place one Base, page 128
place one installation in each short-distance high-level installation in each area or three to
area and still leaves plenty of room for details five installations of level 5 or lower. An area Windrider, page 303
like homes, shops, and streets. Because a might not have individual buildings drawn
short distance is variable instead of precise, on it, just regions noted as “homes,” “market
a square grid isn’t needed—each area that’s district,” “fortress,” “warehouses,” and so
about a short distance on each side might be on. Since a PC can run a long distance as an
a slightly different size than the next one and action (though it usually requires a roll to
can conform to the terrain—a huge derelict avoid stumbling), and vehicles like a windrider
machine in the middle of a settlement might can move that far as an action, a long-distance
be surrounded by multiple short areas that scale map is still useful for determining how
curve around it or follow a riverbank and so long it takes someone to get from one area to
on. A short-distance area is large enough to fit another (for example, if the PCs are inspecting
a multiroom building with a small bit of open the market district and they hear an alarm at

321

LET NPCs BUILD THINGS

The PCs shouldn’t have to build everything that’s ever going to appear in their base. Other people live there, and
those people can take care of small improvements if they have access to the proper materials. If the base’s guards
want to clear an area of debris for a sparring arena or their captain wants a small house separate from the barracks,
they’ll find a way to make it happen. This is even more the case for a community; when people choose to make the
settlement a home instead of just a place where their bosses or commanders work, they invest time and resources
in upgrading their property and neighborhoods. A farmer who needs a barn will build one, a blacksmith who needs
more workshop space will build an expansion, and the people will come together to pave a road with stones so it
doesn’t turn to mud in the rainy season—all of it done without the guidance or intervention of the PCs. The point of
founding a community is that it will grow beyond the PCs, and the PCs don’t have to micromanage every detail of the
settlement (unless they intend to be controlling tyrants). Over time, the PCs’ involvement in the settlement will focus
more on their special knowledge, skills, and plans rather than building commonplace structures like palisade walls,
moats, and taverns. The GM can prompt the PCs to build specific things as plot points for a campaign, and the PCs
can choose to build things to suit their personal aesthetics or provide a benefit for the community, while the NPCs fill
in the blanks for basic community needs.

Force dome, page 159 a gate on the opposite side of town). Even sources or because an installation gives off a
Water purifier, page 169 if the PCs aren’t running, a long distance is tremendous amount of heat that would build
about two short distances, so it’s still easy to up to dangerous levels if other machines
Automender, page 154 see how long it would take for people to move were nearby. In other cases, the reactive field
through a community. One final advantage is actually a risk of interaction. For instance,
Rain caller, page 164 of using a long-distance scale (especially in the transdimensional power source for the
Fabricator, page 158 the early stages of planning) is that it’s easy community’s force dome might interfere with
to subdivide the long areas into short areas if the function of the community’s water purifier,
The reactive field more precision is needed. radiation from the water purifier can skew
associated with what an automender perceives as healthy or
HYBRID LAYOUT damaged tissue, and so on. All these issues
installations and, to a are usually lumped together and referred to as
lesser extent, vehicles Unless the PCs inherit a fully built base or a reactive field, which is why most installations
doesn’t seem to interact community or have a long-term plan for aren’t built right next to each other. It is safe
with oddities, cyphers, exactly what they want for their settlement, to build a new installation if its reactive field
artifacts, or automatons. their layout is going to land somewhere in doesn't overlap any other reactive field.
between mapped and abstracted. The portions
322 that are done, in progress, or important will be The radius of an installation’s reactive
mapped, and the rest of it will be left blank or field is equal to its diameter at its largest
abstract so they can fill in the details later. This point (minimum 10 feet [3 m] in diameter)
is fine, and it means they won’t make detailed multiplied by its level. For example, Tholen
drawings of future things and risk having to the wright lives in Gront and wants to build
erase them later when something doesn’t fit a level 5 rain caller, which is approximately a
in its original space or an unexpected event 5-foot (1.5 m) cube. Gront already has a level
renders part of the map compromised, unsafe, 6 fabricator, which has a diameter of 30 feet
or uninhabitable. Blank or lightly filled parts (9 m). The rain caller’s reactive field is level 5
of a map are good because it gives the place times the minimum diameter, giving its field
room to grow and encourages players and the a radius of 50 feet (15 m). The fabricator’s
GM to think about the future of the base and reactive field is level 6 times its diameter,
settlement. giving the field a radius of 180 feet (45 m). To
be safe, Tholen should build the rain caller at
REACTIVE FIELD least 230 feet (70 m) away from the fabricator.

One of the main concerns of laying out a A reactive field extends in all directions, not
community is allotting space for the weird just horizontally—you shouldn’t build a new
technology that the PCs retrieve or build. installation above or below an existing one
Having too many numenera installations within this area either. However, unless the
near each other can be problematic or even community is incorporated into a cliff face,
disastrous. In some cases, the reactive field inside the hulk of a derelict spacecraft with
is simply the result of conventional spacing multiple decks, or in some other environment
issues because the machine needs a lot of where vertical building is practical, this is
bulky cabling and cobbled-together power unlikely to be an issue. In theory, building an

LAYING OUT A COMMUNITY

installation that is out of phase or in another Commonplace structures ignore installations’ Commonplace structures,
dimension might also be risky if it is within the reactive fields. For example, building a stone page 126
reactive field, especially if either installation wall so that it connects to the base of a
uses or creates dimensional effects. lightning tower isn’t any more dangerous than Galloping gambado,
building that wall a mile from the tower. It still page 174
If an installation is built too close to an has the normal chances of crafting failure, but Windrider, page 303
existing installation, the GM should feel free crafting it there isn’t inherently dangerous just Secondary effects,
to use GM intrusions during construction because the installation is nearby. page 144
time. These intrusions represent mishaps, Reactive rip, page 339
unexpected failures, energy discharges, and Of course, these complicated interactions Installation GM intrusion:
so on, all stemming from unpredictable shouldn’t be used to punish players who want A reactive field creates
interactions between the two installations. to build installations. The problem of having a sudden failure in a
The GM can also hinder the crafting tasks too many installations in close proximity is vehicle or installation,
for building the installation: one step if the meant to be a source of story ideas, challenges persisting until the vehicle
new installation is more than half the radius to overcome, and a reminder that the moves farther away.
away from the existing structure or two steps numenera is still incompletely understood by
if it’s closer than that. Once a new structure the people of the Ninth World. Scalar boson rod,
is completed, any structure within another page 115
installation’s reactive field is likely to develop Crafted numenera vehicles, such as a
minor or major secondary effects. Often, these galloping gambado or a windrider, can cause Hovering slab, page 160
secondary effects aren’t apparent until both the same kind of interference as numenera
installations have been complete for weeks, installations. With vehicles, the effect is much 323
months, or years. weaker. Usually a vehicle near an installation
doesn’t create any secondary effects unless the
Finally, the GM can refer to the Reactive vehicle is within half the installation’s reactive
Rip result on the Community Needs Table for field radius for several days. Vehicles rarely
additional ideas on what could happen when cause this sort of interference with each other,
reactive fields collide. nor do they typically interfere with artifacts and
cyphers (or vice versa).
If multiple structures are interfering
with each other in this way, the problems Because crafters in the Ninth World are
and hindrances are cumulative. In some repurposing old technology from a prior
communities, it might be impossible to build civilization, and those ancient builders had
new installations in certain areas because rivalries and enmities, some plans (and
the existing technology is so crowded that installations built from those plans) might
the crafting task’s assessed difficulty ends actually have hidden features unknown even
up greater than 10. The builders of the prior to the PC who crafted them. These features
worlds knew ways to circumvent these cause them to detect and react to certain
limitations, but the people of the Ninth World technologies. For example, if one country
haven’t yet discovered a reliable way to deal from a prior world used windriders as attack
with this problem other than physical distance. vehicles, and an opposing country defended
That said, a few have discovered that a scalar its cities with lightning towers, a PC-crafted
boson rod in an installation’s construction lightning tower might detect any approaching
greatly shrinks its reactive field. windriders and hinder their steering tasks by
one step. However, it’s also possible that the
Some installations—particularly those original builders included positive synergistic
designed to work together or multiple copies effects, such as easing all windrider steering
of the same kind of installation—might ignore tasks within a very long distance or increasing
each other’s reactive fields. For example, the their flying speed. Either option could be a
GM might decide that multiple hovering slabs GM intrusion, depending on whether it aids or
can be built and operated safely even if they hampers the PCs.
are adjacent to each other, forming a moving
walkway or carrying heavy cargo between two
locations. Other installations might create
effects that interact in unexpected ways beyond
the reactive field. For example, a force dome
creates a force field out to very long range,
and building or activating other force-based
technology anywhere within or intersecting
the dome might cause secondary effects, even
though the dome’s reactive field is actually
much smaller than that.

CHAPTER 29

GUIDING A COMMUNITY

Most long-term tasks P layer characters can influence a Of course, no PC wants to sit around doing
could also benefit an community they’ve created, directly nothing during the three months it’ll take
allied horde instead of affecting its character and government. for a lightning turret to be completed, and
a community, should If the PCs are the ones who founded they shouldn’t have to. They key here is that
the PCs find themselves the community, they might be seen as everyone should be able to take on long-term
the community leaders at first. But as a tasks that are equally valuable. Long-term play
in such a situation. community grows, this will change. Even is an opportunity for PCs to engage in projects
if everyone in a community looks up to the of their own that are not only interesting but
characters, they’ll eventually need to delegate, also lucrative to each PC or the group as a
work with NPCs, and otherwise share power whole.
around. Over time, NPCs will emerge with
ideas, agendas, and followers of their own, LONG-TERM TASKS
and they will try to exert that influence on
the community. Characters will learn that a Any PC can take up a long-term task. Some
community isn’t something they can directly tasks are unique to a given type, while others
control. There are just too many other are tasks any PC can engage in. Long-term tasks
personalities involved, and a dreaded word are an easy way for PCs to accumulate small
will come into play: politics. Over and above amounts of XP, special components, or other
that, many unforeseen events will arise over resources. They can also be a way to bolster
time that can alter a community’s situation, the community they’ve allied with, help other
either for good or, more often, for ill. How PCs complete their own projects, and more.
the characters deal with those challenges can
become part of the campaign as the timeline Multiple Long-Term Tasks: A PC can
moves forward. generally engage in up to two long-term tasks
at the same time equal to their tier, assuming
In the short term, player characters will that the tasks are not physically impossible to
play the game in a couple of different modes, accomplish at the same time. (For example,
including regular play if they participate a PC can’t pursue a relationship inside a
in community actions. When it comes to community while simultaneously scavenging
nurturing and guiding a community, however, for iotum in a nearby ruin.) Crafting tasks are
PCs should be prepared for play that extends considered long-term tasks that must abide
through even longer time scales. by this limit, although some special abilities,
exotic devices, or other circumstances may
LONG-TERM PLAY increase or decrease the limit.

It’s natural for PCs to expect or even want to Time Required: Long-term tasks usually
play events in the game in a round-by-round, require a PC to pursue them for a minimum
hour-by-hour, or even a day-by-day fashion. of one month before the benefit of the task is
That’s what many are used to. But as the game accrued, though some have longer minimums.
master, you can guide the PCs toward play that Unless the task has limits, the PC could attempt
occurs over longer periods. In fact, you’ll have the task repeatedly or until some outside event,
to. Consider when the Wright tells the other need, or campaign incident interrupts long-term
PCs that they need three months to build a play. Some benefits are automatically accrued at
lightning turret installation. That shouldn’t be the end of a specified period; others require that
the cue for the other PCs to say, “Great! We’ll the character succeed on a task.
go explore that tower ruin until you’re done.”
Limits: Some long-term tasks can accumulate
only so many benefits before the task offers no
further benefit (at least not until the PCs pause

324

GUIDING A COMMUNITY

long-term play to act at the character scale for GENERAL LONG-TERM TASKS GMs should interrupt
a while). For example, if a PC has chosen Gain Any PC can engage in these long-term tasks. long-term tasks very
Experience as their long-term task, they can sparingly. While doing
never gain more than 2 XP at a time, at which Build Up Food or Water Stores (1 month): so is interesting, the
point they must do something active at the Through a variety of different methods, which the players will stop trying
character scale to gain more XP. If they still character can specify, food or water stores for the to accomplish long-
want to engage in long-term play, however, a PC community can be built up in case of some kind term tasks if they are
could start a different long-term task. of disaster or siege. The character can build up interrupted too often.
enough food or water stores for the community
Interrupting Long-Term Tasks: Most long- to survive an extra 1d6 days. Stores can continue Some long-term tasks
term tasks can be interrupted by events that to increase at this rate for each month the assume they might be
last no more than a few days without affecting character spends pursuing this long-term activity. interrupted, as presented
the benefit the long-term task can provide. If The amount of work required for this task scales under Interrupting Long-
characters are in the middle of a three-month with the population and rank of the community, Term Tasks, page 325.
period where all of them are pursuing one or so it is assumed that the character is harnessing
more long-term tasks, they may have to pause help from the community to successfully The nulberry is an edible
in the middle of that period for several days in perform this activity. For example, a character fruit that grows wild
order to deal with an unexpected issue or one in a rank 1 community might head a nulberry- across the Steadfast and
that is known and planned for. picking expedition with dozens of volunteers Beyond. It’s known for its
to help out over a month’s time, gaining 1d6 yellow leaves and bright
For instance, the characters might have extra days of food. The same activity and green berries, which are
to break out of long-term play unexpectedly outcome for a higher-ranked community both sweet and spicy.
to recover a special iotum that the Wright assumes the character is aided by hundreds of
needs to finish their project but that was volunteers instead of dozens. Excess food is Crafting, page 117
stolen by a thief. Maybe a representative of a preserved in some fashion so it won’t go bad.
rival community is expected in town, and the
characters need to fete and entertain the envoy Craft Object or Structure (time varies): Any
in order to aid in creating a trade agreement. character can use the crafting rules to create a
Or an intense storm might require that the commonplace object or structure, or they can use
characters help save several residents from a plan to create a numenera object or structure.
high winds. In most cases, this doesn’t wreck Time and other resources required are described
the characters’ progress toward the long-term in the crafting rules and numenera plans.
tasks they were pursuing.

325

Any character can try their hand at crafting. Wrights have special insights and
abilities that allow them to craft more quickly than others, but that doesn’t stop all

manner of people from crafting things the world over.

Chapter 25: Founding a Discover New Area of Interest (1 month): By Enhance Community Happiness (1 month):
Community, page 289 ranging out into previously unexplored areas A character can spend a month adding to the
farther and farther each day, a character can community’s general happiness, permanently
Community Needs attempt to discover a new prior-world ruin, the increasing community health by 1. The
Summary: site of some recent battle between machines, community’s health can be raised up to four times
Sustenance a hidden city, a transdimensional anomaly, its current rank in this fashion. The ways a PC
or some other area of interest once every could spend a month raising general community
Materials and month. This is a difficulty 5 Intellect task. If happiness are varied, but include the following:
components unsuccessful or if there’s a GM intrusion,
Housing long-term play is interrupted because something • Providing some kind of biweekly
Settlers unexpected happened—like an ambush or a performance that involves song, dance,
trap—that the character must deal with. comedy, drama, or some other art or
entertaining performance.
If successful, the character has found a new
area of interest—one more place PCs can • Opening a shop where savory foods or sweets
explore and potentially salvage during regular are sold at least two nights out of every seven.
play. When regular play resumes, the character
and other PCs can investigate the area, • Holding weekly citizen forums where residents
dealing with any defenders, defenses, weird can talk and make their voices heard.
phenomena that poses a danger, and so on.
• Hosting games where competing teams
can face off or work in cooperation at least
two nights out of every seven.

• Picking up trash and litter, cleaning defacing
marks, and touching up faded facades
throughout the community every day.

• Helping to establish a community center.
• Helping to establish a religious center

in communities that have a bent toward
spirituality.
• Performing good works, such as caring for
the community’s sick, distributing food to
the hungry, and helping those who are hurt
or disabled.

Establish Satellite Settlement (time varies):
This long-term project requires a minimum
of three PCs to spend one or more months
looking for a suitable area where they can set
up a small base that will remain associated
with the main community. Essentially,
this requires that the PCs undertake a
series of searches for the same kinds of
needs described in Chapter 25: Founding a
Community. Each need requires at least a
month but could take longer, and any might
require an interruption from the long-term
search in order to break out into a related
adventure to resolve a related need.

Once a satellite community is set up, the final
requirement is that the PCs install some kind
of administrator, mayor, or other authority,
who could be a follower of at least level 3 or
an NPC whom the PCs meet and groom for the
position during earlier encounters.

326

GUIDING A COMMUNITY

If a satellite settlement is successfully this fashion. If any benefits are accrued to the Onslaught, page 40
founded, the main community’s rank increases character for the long-term activity, the helping
by 1 until such time as the satellite community PC also gains them. If external resources are
breaks off and becomes independent. gathered such as iotum or XP, both PCs gain
the benefit.
Focus on an Ability (1 month): Whether a
character is a Glaive with fighting moves, Create a Relationship (1 month): A character
a Nano with esoteries, or an Arkus with may decide to pursue a more serious
precepts, all PCs have special abilities relationship with an NPC. Deciding to make a
provided at each tier by their type. By focusing good friend, take a lover, or find a spouse and
on just one of those abilities and practicing it being successful in doing so are two different
each and every day to the height of perfection, things. Each month a character spends
the character becomes trained in that ability. A pursuing such a relationship gives them a
character can focus on only one ability in any chance to find someone compatible, with a
given month in this manner. A character can difficulty equal to the level of the sought-after
do this only once between exploration or other companion. If successful, the character gains
instances of normal play, and a character can’t the sought-after relationship and one Pool of
use this long-term task to become specialized. their choice increases by 1 point. However,
once a relationship is gained, it must be
For example, a Nano could practice using maintained or the relationship is lost. When
their Onslaught esotery every day for a month, a relationship is lost, the point the character
and at the end of that time they become gained to a Pool is lost. Unless the character
trained in Onslaught. has other relationships to fall back on, for the
next three months they also lose an additional
Gain Experience (1 month): By practicing their point from that Pool. Maintenance usually
abilities, studying, and training, a character can requires a minimum of one month out of every
gain 1 XP every month. However, a character three, though some relationships are more
can never gain more than 2 XP in this fashion demanding.
consecutively. Once they reach this limit, they
must resume regular play and gain some XP Characters can pursue two long-term
normally before they can do so again with this tasks at the same time, so maintaining a
long-term activity. relationship shouldn’t be too much of a
burden for most. In any case, no matter how
General Maintenance (1 month): A character many relationships the character gains, they
can spend a month providing general repairs can never add more than 1 point per tier to
to community roads, walls, buildings, and their Pools by pursuing this task (and no more
so on. This permanently increases the than 1 point per relationship). Of course,
infrastructure of the community by 1. However, unexpected events or bad decisions can also
this activity (whether done by one character cause a relationship to fail.
or several working in tandem) can never add
more than a total of twice the community's Raise a Child (time varies): Raising a child
rank to its infrastructure. doesn’t require that the PC have successfully
pursued a relationship to gain a spouse or
Help Another PC (time varies): A PC could help partner because the child can be adopted
another PC pursue their long-term activity. If or just taken into the character’s protection.
any rolls are required for the task to succeed, Raising a child is obviously a long-term task
this eases the task. In the specific case of that lasts for years, but if the character houses
helping someone craft, the help provided the child, provides for their emotional support,
lowers the assessed difficulty for creating an and meets their other basic needs, they gain
object or structure by one step, though only someone who loves and relies upon them
one PC can help with another’s crafting task in and who will eventually be able to help them

A community or religious center helps bring a community together by providing a
place where people can meet, play games, be social, make friends, and perhaps form

even deeper bonds among some.

327

Treaty GM Intrusions: in turn—perhaps even serving as the founder Treat With a Neighbor Community (1 month):
Third parties with of the next generation of residents in the If the PCs know (or strongly suspect) that
a vested interest in community the character built. another village, town, or other municipality
is located somewhere within a week’s travel
opposing the PCs try Until a child reaches their teenage years from their own base or allied community, they
to wreck the alliance. or older, they can only aid the character can attempt to locate it and set up a meeting
War breaks out, and the emotionally, increasing one Pool of the with someone of importance there once every
PCs’ allied community character's choice by 1 point. After a child has month. This is a difficulty 5 task. If successful
is called upon for aid. reached their late teens, they typically become in gaining the meeting, long-term play is
independent and move on, though they may interrupted so that the character can speak in
Followers, page 17 provide aid to the PC from time to time, or ask real time with the envoy from the neighbor and
for aid, as determined by the GM. A character attempt to make some sort of treaty.
Iotum Result Table, may choose to raise multiple children, but no
page 110 matter how many children the character gains, This is an opportunity to discover a need
they can never add more than 1 point per tier to the neighboring community has that might be
their Pools by pursuing this activity. met by the PCs. The neighboring community
might be willing to aid the PC’s community
If the child ever dies or the relationship or set up a trade route, but only if the PCs do
turns hostile, the PC loses the 1 point and 1 something on their behalf. For instance, they
additional point as well. might ask the PCs to fight off a dangerous
creature, investigate a series of grisly murders
Recruit a Follower (optional; 1 month per level that no one locally has been able to solve, clear
of follower): At the GM’s discretion, characters out a margr infestation in the valley that would
who gain followers may have to do more than threaten trade caravans, or something similar.
simply sit back and hope followers will sniff them Essentially, an adventure of some sort can be
out. PCs may have to spend some time actually hung on every new attempt PCs make to treat
looking for a suitable follower. In this case, it with neighboring communities.
takes one month for a PC to find a suitable level 1
follower, two months to find a well-matched level If things go poorly, no treaty is made.
2 follower, three months for a level 3 follower, and However, if things go well, a treaty can
so on. Followers recruited in this way may provide be secured and long-term benefits can be
the PC with some special additional benefit, such accrued, provided one or more PCs continue
as having one additional modification beyond to invest long-term time into keeping the
what the follower’s level would normally indicate. treaty strong by engaging in monthly visits and
engaging in positive social interactions. If the
Relax or Pursue Hobbies (1 month): Even the PC fails to maintain a treaty each month, the
most competent and driven character requires treaty is off, and any benefits that accrue end
some downtime to recharge their mind and until a new treaty can be made.
body. After at least a month of utterly relaxing or
pursuing only pleasurable activities or hobbies, The following kinds of benefits can be gained by
a character can ease all tasks for one day of maintaining a treaty with a neighbor community.
their choosing per month of relaxation they
enjoyed. A character can never gain this benefit Mutual Defense: As long as the treaty
more than twice in any twelve-month period, no with a neighbor community is maintained
matter how many months off they take. each month, the neighbor provides a small
company of fighters. This company is available
Scavenge Iotum (1 month): By meticulously on short notice, granting the PC’s allied
searching through nearby areas—relatively safe community with +1 additional health. (This
areas that have already been salvaged for iotum assumes the neighbor also gains similar
and cleared of the most dangerous threats—a aid provided by the PC’s allied community.)
character can gain 2 units of iotum from the More significant terms could be negotiated,
Iotum Result Table every month. Iotum gained up to the neighbor fielding a horde to aid
in this fashion can never be higher than level 4. in the allied community’s defense; however,
that would require significant charisma and
possibly monthly payments on the PC’s part.

Even the most competent and driven character requires some downtime to
recharge their mind and body.

328

GUIDING A COMMUNITY

Trade Route: As long as the treaty with a permanently increased by 1. A community can Arkus, page 7
neighboring community is maintained each benefit from this demonstration only once.
month, a trade route is set up, which provides
the PC’s allied community with one kind of trade Cultivate Followers (4 months): If an Arkus
good. Trade can benefit a community in a variety spends four months making it their mission to
of ways, including those listed below. Note that groom, improve, and educate a community or
each established trade route requires a separate horde, with a specific eye for training followers,
treaty and agreement; even if all treaties or trade they may gain a level 2 follower or train up a
routes are made with the same neighboring follower they already have so that they are 1
community, each one is made through different level higher. The higher-level follower gains
groups and organizations within that community. an additional modification as normal when
a follower gains a level. However, the same
Possible trade route benefits include but follower cannot be trained twice in the same
aren't limited to the following options. year in this fashion.

• Up to 4 units of a specific kind of iotum of
no more than level 5 each month

• +1 to health (accrued from trade in food)
• +1 to damage inflicted (accrued from trade

in arms)
• +1 to infrastructure (accrued from trade in

building materials)
Cessation of Hostilities: Lots of treaties merely
call for a break in conflict. Such a treaty could
open the way to more positive treaties later or
they might only be a pause in larger hostilities,
depending on how other negotiations go.
Pact of Mutual Non-Aggression: This is an
agreement between two or more communities
who pledge to leave each other alone and
respect each others’ territory. Sometimes with
an adversarial neighbor, that’s the best that
can be hoped for. However, this leaves room to
improve the situation to more positive treaties
later. This kind of treaty is also something that
the PCs might negotiate between two different
neighbors (neighbors who are hostile to each
other but not to the PCs’ community) in order
to bring peace to a region.

ARKUS LONG-TERM TASKS
Some long-term tasks provide benefits just
like general long-term tasks but are things that
Arkai are best at.

Demonstrate Grace Under Pressure (2 months):
If an Arkus works with members of their
community or horde to help them understand
and employ persuasion, public speaking,
negotiation, and similar skills for two months,
the community’s rank for tasks involving
diplomacy, negotiation, trade, or persuasion is

Trade routes can directly benefit communities with concrete advantages like increased
health or infrastructure. However, trade routes are also a great way for communities

to share information, warnings, and new opportunities.

329

“Why do I spend so much time outside the walls of our settlement scavenging for
numenera trinkets? Because it’s what I love, simple as that.”
~Oran the delve

Delve, page 29 DELVE LONG-TERM TASKS Each month a Delve attempts to salvage
Salvage iotum, page 107 Some long-term tasks provide benefits just numenera as a long-term activity, they can
like general long-term tasks but are things that attempt to gain a specific result on the Iotum
Glaive, page 28 Delves are best at. Result Table, with a difficulty equal to the level
of the iotum sought.
Iotum Result Table, Prospect for Iotum (1 month): Any character can
page 110 attempt to salvage iotum as a long-term task, GLAIVE LONG-TERM TASKS
but when a Delve does so, they gain better Some long-term tasks provide benefits just
results. By meticulously searching through like general long-term tasks but are things that
nearby areas—areas that are relatively safe Glaives are best at.
and have already been salvaged for iotum and
cleared of the most dangerous threats—a Train Defenders (2 months): If a Glaive works
Delve can gain 4 units of iotum from the with a community or horde for two months,
Iotum Result Table (rather than two), and the helping them practice, train, and improve
level of the iotum gained in this fashion can be their skills, the defenders enhance their skill
up to level 5 (rather than level 4). in attacks. This permanently increases the
damage inflicted by the community by 1.
Find Specific Iotum (1 month): It’s difficult However, this plan (whether done by just
to find specific iotum rather than whatever one Glaive or several working in tandem)
components happen to be present in recently can never add more than a total of twice the
discovered scrap, but a Delve who focuses community's rank to its damage inflicted.
their attention on doing so may find success.

330

GUIDING A COMMUNITY

Teach Martial Skills (4 months): A Glaive can Operate Workshop (1 month): A Nano can Jack, page 44
found a place within a community to train establish a business within a community
both children and adults in a variety of martial where they collect, fix, upgrade, and help Wright, page 18
abilities. This provides the community a others in the community keep minor
permanent benefit of +1 damage inflicted and numenera items, including oddities, in Crafting, page 117
+1 health after four months spent establishing working order. This provides the community a Io, page 111
the training center. benefit of +1 infrastructure each month while
the workshop is operated. In addition, the Plans, page 135
JACK LONG-TERM TASKS Nano gains one additional oddity (01–70%),
Some long-term tasks provide benefits just cypher (71–90%), or artifact (91–00%) each Instead of gaining XP (or
like general long-term tasks but are things that month the workshop is operated. some other perk) from
Jacks are best at. a session of long-term
WRIGHT LONG-TERM TASKS play, PCs can also gain
Develop Community Networks (1 month): The Some long-term tasks provide benefits just specific long-term benefits
Jack works with various residents in the city like general long-term tasks but are things that from spending XP.
to grease the wheels of commerce, act as a Wrights are best at.
mediator, and otherwise see to it that different Nano, page 36
groups can reach a compromise. This eases Craft Objects or Structures (time variable): Long-term benefits of
any task to become aware of internal problems, More than any other type, Wrights embrace spending XP, page 126
threats, rumblings of discontent, and so on in long-term tasks as a consequence of their
any month that the Jack performs this activity. abilities. They approach the crafting process at More than any other
In addition, the Jack gains a personal benefit a higher level than other types, in a variety of type, Wrights embrace
of 2d20 shins or 1d10 io (Jack’s choice) each methods presented in the Wright’s description. long-term tasks as
month they perform this activity. The higher the level of the object or structure a consequence of
the Wright attempts to build (whether their abilities.
Develop External Networks (1 month): mundane or numenera), the longer it takes to
The Jack ranges beyond the community complete, as described in the crafting rules,
in a stealthy manner, or perhaps under though of course the Wright can decrease the
an assumed identity, and keeps an eye on assessed difficulty of the crafting task through
surrounding communities, abhuman tribes, training and other special abilities.
or other developments. During any month
the Jack performs this activity, the Jack’s allied Find or Develop a Specific Plan (1 month):
community ignores the benefits granted to a Wrights already can choose specific plans
stealthy, ambushing, or reconnaissance horde. as they advance in tier, but a Wright who
If the Jack is able to spend two consecutive focuses their attention on doing so as a long-
months and spends 2 XP, the Jack develops term activity may find even more success by
external contacts that keep tabs on these traveling, conferring with other scholars, and
situations on the Jack’s behalf, which means attempting to access archives or caches of
the Jack can perform other long-term tasks knowledge kept by Aeon Priests and others.
within the community in future months while This is an Intellect task, and training in
still gaining this benefit for about a year. numenera modifies the difficulty. Each month
a Wright attempts such activity, they can
NANO LONG-TERM TASKS attempt to gain one additional specific plan,
Some long-term tasks provide benefits just with a difficulty equal to the minimum crafting
like general long-term tasks but are things that level of the plan sought.
Nanos are best at.
Operate Workshop (1 month): A Wright can
Develop Community Knowledge (4 months): establish a business within a community
If a Nano works for four months with where they collect, fix, upgrade, and help
community teachers, scholars, and others who others keep their minor numenera items,
are interested in esoteric knowledge and the including oddities, in working order. This
numenera, their knowledge is enhanced and the provides the community a benefit of +1
entire community benefits. This permanently infrastructure each month that the workshop
increases the rank of the community by 1 for is operated. In addition, the Wright gains one
interacting with, understanding, and using additional oddity (01–30%), cypher (31–70%),
numenera. The Nano can continue this quest or artifact (71–00%) each month the workshop
to increase knowledge. is operated.

331

“The world belongs to those who are patient. Work the long game, and don’t be
discouraged by short-term defeats. If you work hard enough, profit will be yours.”

~Avernes the jack

COMMUNITY event, an associated need or opportunity is
EVENTS, NEEDS, also suggested. For instance, if crime ticks up
AND OPPORTUNITIES in the community, a need arises for someone
to track down the criminal gang responsible
As time passes, a community develops and come to some kind of arrangement.
needs, especially if it’s growing. For instance, Otherwise, the community faces a decrease in
a growing community requires more food, health and infrastructure if the criminals are
more water, and more resources with which allowed to go unchecked.
to build housing and other structures.
Often, addressing those needs doesn’t Note that every need faced by a community
require any additional attention, especially isn’t something that the PCs have to
for communities with easy access to food, personally step in and deal with. The civic
water, and building materials. Other times, organization of a community can attempt
complications—called events—could escalate to deal with needs itself without involving
a routine fulfillment of a need into something PCs. In fact, most community needs are
requiring special action by player characters dealt with in this way behind the scenes. It’s
who are invested in that community’s welfare only the outliers that rise to the attention of
(or by an NPC of significant ability), lest the PCs or similarly capable NPCs. For instance,
community begin to decline. in the case of the rise in criminal activity, a
community leader might dispatch some of
Events of all sorts—both predictable and her followers to reach a compromise with
unpredictable—happen to a community the criminals or to hunt them down. Either
over the course of months and years. way, the community deals with the problem
Famine, war, disasters associated with and moves on. But if the criminal gang is
prior-world phenomena and creatures, and headed by a member of the Convergence or a
other unexpected occurrences can set a powerful creature disguising itself as a human,
community back or even wipe it out altogether. the community likely requires outside aid to
Not all unexpected events are negative. resolve the need.
Positive events occur all the time, such as
the arrival of a trade caravan from a distant
location, the return of explorers bearing
news and knowledge, the debut of some new
entertainment, or the introduction of some
new trade good.

Negative events almost always generate a
requisite response—a need—that someone
in the community (possibly the PCs) should
address in order to defray the problem.
Positive events don’t generate needs, but they
could generate opportunities that PCs might
wish to partake in. For instance, if a new kind
of drink is being sold in the bazaar, one that is
rumored to provide weird dreams of a world
long vanished, the PCs may want to sample it
to see if there’s any more to it than that.

GENERATING EVENTS, NEEDS,
AND OPPORTUNITIES

If you’re looking for inspiration to create
interesting events (and associated needs and
opportunities), you can use the Community
Event Table. Depending on the nature of the

332

GUIDING A COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY EVENT TABLE also has a traveling workshop that they can Zek, page 282
utilize to further reduce the assessed difficulty Shinspinner, page 276
On average, roll on the Community Event Table of any crafting task they attempt.
once every few months during or immediately Long-term play, page 324
following sessions of long-term play. That said, 10–12 Amazing Weather: A stretch of
rolling on the Community Event Table is also a particularly wonderful days lifts the community
fine way to generate ideas for encounters or an residents’ spirits.
extended scenario for the PCs.
Opportunity: PCs who conduct business
01–03 Water Depletion: The community’s in the community during this period gain an
water source is dwindling thanks to a drought, asset to all tasks related to positive social
a trade dispute or trade lapse, a malfunction of interaction.
the water-purification installation, something
damming or consuming the community’s river 13–16 Horrible Weather: Several days
somewhere upstream, or some other reason. of particularly cold, excessively hot, or
consistently stormy days lowers the
Need: As the full effects of water depletion community residents’ spirits.
set in, the community’s rank drops by 1 after
the first few weeks. If the water source isn’t Need: Poor spirits hinder all interactions in
restored, or some alternate water source isn’t the city for the duration, including important
secured, the community’s rank continues diplomatic interactions. If the PCs could
to drop by 1 each week until the community arrange some method to lift the spirits of
withers. the population, perhaps by hosting a feast or
festival of their own or some other method, it
04–06 Food Depletion: The community’s could cancel out the hindrance.
food supply is running out due to
contamination, a storage fire, theft by 17–20 Vermin Infestation: Tiny pests—
abhumans, a weird radiation that increases insects, worms, or larger creatures like zek,
everyone’s hunger by ever-increasing shinspinners, or something similar—are on
increments, or some other reason. the rise. Normally, the vermin are out of sight
because they live in the attics, cellars, and walls.
Need: After a month without respite, food But the infestation is likely doing damage.
riots break out and the community’s rank
drops by 1. The community’s rank continues Need: The community’s infrastructure
to decrease by 1 per week until the community is reduced by 2 or more points. Until the
starves or everyone has fled looking for food infestation is cleared out and repairs are made,
elsewhere. this is the new status quo for the community.

07–09 Community Enriched: Community 21–24 Lethal Accident: An installation
resources are peaking thanks to a better-than- explodes, an Aeon Priest’s workshop goes
expected harvest, a discovery of a large cache up in toxic flames, a small section of the
of iotum, a trade boom, or some other reason. community falls into a sinkhole because of
This is a short-term enrichment, but it could some previously hidden complex beneath the
lead to a longer term opportunity. surface, or something else. About 1 percent of the
population is killed.
Opportunity: The excess wealth could be
used to hire a wright to create an installation Need: The rank of the community
or vehicle with a minimum crafting level of 7 decreases by 1. Repairs can’t begin until the
or lower (in addition to any installations that secondary effects of the disaster (toxic flames,
PC Wrights might produce). On the other contamination of iotum, the emergence of
hand, a PC may have to be the one to go strange creatures out of the sinkhole, or some
out and secure this crafter’s services. In this other complicating factor) are dealt with. After
case, treat the wright as a temporary follower that, PCs must spend a few months of long-
that has modifications in crafting numenera, term play repairing, comforting, and rebuilding
understanding numenera, salvaging to bring the community back to where it was
numenera, and Speed defense. This wright before. However, doing so successfully also
nets each PC 4 XP.

Short-term solutions to address resource depletions, such as raiding nearby abhuman
settlements to make up a shortfall, can delay the negative consequences of the

resource depletion. However, these could also lead to new problems, such as when a
vengeful abhuman horde appears on the community’s doorstep.

333

WHAT IF A COMMUNITY EVENT DECREASES A COMMUNITY’S RANK BELOW 1?

Having a community that the PCs founded or are fostering be wiped out because of a random roll on the Community
Event Table is something you should avoid. Random events are interesting, but random destruction of months or
years of work isn’t something you should do capriciously. If you want something like that to happen as the GM,
you should plan for it and create a story arc that incorporates that event into a larger context. Generally, you should
disregard an effect that would reduce a community’s rank if that would snuff out the community. Instead, debit the
community’s health or infrastructure.

For communities not being fostered by PCs, however, it’s true that a rank 1 community is particularly vulnerable to
the kinds of disasters or other events that reduce its rank. But even then, if PCs turn up, there’s a chance that they can
attempt some kind of last-ditch effort to bring the community back from the edge of extinction, at the GM’s option.

25–28 Legendary Visitor: Someone of fame Need: If the quake is natural, PCs who prepare
is visiting the community, such as a noble, by reinforcing structures and taking similar
the leader of a larger nearby community, a measures prevent the community from losing
high-ranking Aeon Priest in the Order of Truth, 1 or 2 ranks (or being completely leveled) when
or an entity rumored to be visiting from “a the most severe quake hits. If the shaking is
different world from this one.” Excitement runs the result of NPCs or creatures, the PCs can
through the city for several days leading up to prevent escalating quakes by finding and
and during the visit. dealing with the issue in some fashion.

Opportunity: The PCs could seek a meeting In either case, the initial shaking is
with the legendary visitor in order to learn still enough to halve the community’s
interesting lore, find opportunities for new infrastructure value. The community itself can
explorations, or at least make an interesting eventually deal with it, but if the PCs dedicate
contact. Whatever the outcome, the themselves to helping as a long-term play
community’s effusive nature during this period goal, they can accelerate repairs so that after
translates into +2 health for the duration. just a month in long-term play, the repairs are
complete. When all is back in order, each PC
29–32 Quake: Something is causing the also gains 2 XP.
ground to shake. It’s only short bursts of
subtle shaking at first, but depending on the 33–36 Sterility: Though no one realized it
source of the shaking, it could continue to at first, the trend is now clear: no one in the
grow in severity. The quake could be a natural community has given birth in several years. It
occurrence about which nothing can be done probably means no one is conceiving in the
except to weather it, or the quake could be first place (rather than a rash of stillbirths,
caused by the reactivation of a vast machine though that’s also possible). The cause
underneath the community, an infestation of is probably unknown. It may be due to a
digging creatures or automatons, or some contamination in the food supply, the erection
other similarly strange reason. of some new installation made with strange
material in the center of the town, the leak of
AEON PRIESTS VARY BY LOCATION strange energies that began after explorers
found a ruin beneath the city (or after an
Aeon Priests in the Steadfast typically belong to the hierarchy earthquake revealed the ruin), entities studying
of the Order of Truth. If your community is in the Steadfast, the the human community by stealing embryos, or
order might very well send a few priests to live there and help the some other reason.
population, provided the community is substantial and known.
Need: This is a slow-moving disaster, but
Aeon Priests in the Beyond have a far more tenuous relationship it will eventually lead to the community’s
with the Order of Truth hierarchy. That’s why they have claves, death. It actually happens sooner than some
which are like independent cells that exist mostly outside of the might imagine. Once word gets out, people
order’s strict organizational structure. If your community is in the of child-bearing age begin to strike out on
Beyond, some of these itinerant Aeon Priests may want to set up a their own, believing that if they leave the
clave. community, they’ll be spared the curse. They
might be right, depending on the source of the
In other words, Aeon Priests might come to a community sterility. Every year that the issue isn’t resolved,
regardless of where it is, but the priests themselves will be very the community’s rank drops by 1 until the
different depending on where the community is located. community is just a collection of elderly people
living out their last few years in a ghost town.

334

GUIDING A COMMUNITY

37–40 Order of Truth: A group of Aeon Priests 45–48 Resources Found: A vast new
comes to the community because the previous resource supply is discovered. It could be
community to which they belonged cast them something as straightforward as wood, a
out. They’ve set up a small encampment about nutritious kind of fish or plant, or a particular
an hour from the community’s edge. The reason kind of stone or clay, or it could be something
for their expulsion isn’t an easy thing to discover, as valuable as iotum. The resource supply
and it’s possible the Aeon Priests don’t even isn’t something that can merely be looted like
know. It might have been a misunderstanding a cache. Instead, it’s something that must be
over the strange (and sometimes scary-looking mined, cut, or otherwise exploited only after
and -sounding) experiments that the priests expending some energy to set up an extraction
run on the numenera devices they pull from the process.
ground. On the other hand, it’s possible that one
or more of the Aeon Priests is actually guilty of a Opportunity: If PCs take the helm of developing
crime. the resources discovered, the community’s rank
increases by at least 1 after several months. It
Opportunity: The PCs could potentially find could rise significantly higher after several years
a benefit for the community if they invite the of development, assuming that the resource is
Aeon Priests to be part of the community well managed and long-lasting.
rather than setting up an external hermitage.
This could also invite additional problems, 49–52 Theft: Someone in the community (or
either because those who cast out the Aeon with access to the community) is stealing large
Priests are still hunting them or because one amounts of food, water, building materials
of the priests is actually a criminal of some or parts, iotum, or something even more
sort. However, once those issues are ironed evanescent, such as imagination or
out, the addition of the numenera scholars sleep.
increases the rank of the community by 1.
Need: If the thieving
41–44 Malfunction: An installation built by continues, the community’s
someone in the community (possibly a PC) has health decreases by 1 point every
malfunctioned and is creating new effects. The few months, until it has been
installation continues to produce its intended reduced by a total of 3 points.
effect, which is likely something the community If the thieving ceases, health
would prefer not to do without, but the returns to normal within a few
additional effects must now also be accounted weeks or sooner if the stolen
for. Those effects might just be weird (everyone’s goods can be returned.
eyes glow when they’re feeling strong
emotions, a strange music emanates from 53–56 Trade Disruption: The
a point in the air over the city, a weird goo community is large enough
begins to seep out of the ground, and so on), or to establish trade with one or
actively dangerous (an energy leak that randomly more nearby communities, but
damages citizens, a beacon that attracts that trade has slowed due to
abhumans, or an impetus to wake some grievances on both sides.
massive machine beneath the community). (If this community hasn’t
yet established trade with
Need or Opportunity: If the side effect is anyone else, treat this
merely weird, perhaps there is some advantage result instead as contact
the PCs can find for it. For instance, maybe with a newly discovered
the “malfunction” is actually just a window neighboring community
into some all-new function the installation has or tribe that might be
that no one ever realized it might possess. open to establishing
If the PCs discover this new function, they trade.)
have a chance to increase the well-being of
the community in some fashion, which could Opportunity: The
increase health, infrastructure, damage, or community can
even rank, depending on what is discovered. probably do fine
on its own, but
On the other hand, if the malfunction is opening (or
dangerous, it could directly affect one or more reopening)
PCs or even the whole community (though trade with one
in the latter case, it likely only decreases the or more nearby
community’s health by a few points until the communities
danger can be neutralized). could provide
more resources,

335

If an unknown source is “stealing” something abstract, such as imagination or
sleep, from a community, the underlying cause is unlikely to be theft but rather some
process or event that has the side effect of exhausting people’s minds or utilizing them
in such a way that the victims have a hard time getting a restful night’s sleep without

otherworldly nightmares intruding.

The community of Patara luxuries, and other goods that people need and nights, community members are welcome
requires a substance they want. If the PCs can establish (or re-establish) to come to the tents to watch amazing
call “sieve silk” that they trade with a nearby community by undertaking performances, play fun games, and buy
a few talks and satisfying a few requirements strange foods and drinks from distant lands.
use to cover their faces by both parties, both communities increase
and heads. The wrapping their health and infrastructure by 2 points. Opportunity: Every community enjoys relief
allows Patarans to ignore from day-to-day concerns, and the traveling
57–60 Banditry: Threats on the road from troupe provides just that kind of distraction
the negative effects of bandits, abhumans, rogue automatons, if allowed to remain. Some people in the
toxic gases that emerge or some other group with agency are community believe that the entertainers are
from crevices near where impoverishing the community by cutting off no more than thieves and con artists intent
their community is sited. access to a basic resource that the community on bilking the community of their last shin.
relies upon, such as water, farmland, game, or Certainly, there are likely to be elements of
Factions form for a a special material the community requires to that kind of activity, but traveling troupes tend
variety of reasons. offset some other negative consequence. to be self-policing, lest they find themselves
Sometimes a group unwelcome the next time they arrive. While
forms out of an honest Need: PCs need to step in and deal with the a traveling troupe is nearby, PCs can make
desire to change things issue, or the community’s rank will be lowered new contacts with people who travel far and
for the better. Other by 1 indefinitely. wide, learn news of other nearby communities,
times it’s to right a and learn about a nearby location the
perceived wrong (or to get 61–64 Festival: A subset of citizens want troupe detoured around that might provide
revenge). In other cases, to revive a festival they once celebrated when excellent salvage. PCs are also likely to see
it’s out of the desire of they lived in a different location, increase the a performance or display that will thrill and
a few people to increase importance of a small yearly observance, or delight them.
their own standing or create an all-new celebration in honor of some
power, which they do community accomplishment or important 69–72 Refugees: A large group of people
by pretending to cater person within the community. The sighting of (from dozens to hundreds) arrive with obvious
to the needs to others. a strange machine in the sky, the migration signs of having survived a terrible hardship.
of an important food animal, or a yearly trade The refugees claim to have fled some disaster
Followers, page 17 gathering could all kick off the possibility of a that utterly destroyed their community,
festival. saying they only just managed to escape. The
Suggested names for an refugees are in extreme need and seem likely
entertainment troupe: Opportunity: Festivals tend to develop to perish if they don’t receive some kind of aid
Cirque Agora on their own, though sometimes there is and care soon.
Great Royal Show reluctance on the part of community leaders
Big Tents of Wonder to embrace days that could lead to time away Opportunity: The community might be
Belu’s Arkos from work and be a drain on resources. If unwilling to take in a large group of complete
the PCs aid the creation of a new festival and strangers, regardless of their need. If the
336 are successful, for about a month following PCs argue on behalf of the refugees and
the celebration of the new festival, the care is extended, the refugees bolster the
community’s health is increased by 3 points. community’s health by +1 after about a week
(This benefit occurs each time the festival of care. On an individual level, some of the
happens, assuming there aren’t more than a refugees have fascinating stories, weird
couple such festivals each year.) abilities, and important lore that the PCs are
likely interested in hearing. One might even
65–68 Traveling Entertainment: A group of prove to be a good follower for a PC.
wagons pulled by large, multilegged beasts
that breathe green steam arrives and sets 73–76 Factionalization: Different groups
up camp near the edge of the community, within the community become more
pitching large, colorful tents and brightly entrenched in their beliefs. It gets to the point
painted stalls. A representative explains that where, for some faction members, the good of
the wagons belong to a troupe of entertainers the community becomes less important than
and showpeople and that, for the next ten

GUIDING A COMMUNITY

proving the supremacy of their own faction. 81–84 Intercommunity Conflict: A nearby
Small conflicts break out, and the community community is encroaching on or stealing
as a whole is on edge. Violence against those resources the PCs’ community uses and has a
known to be in the opposite faction breaks out prior claim on.
here and there.
Need: To prevent outright conflict, PCs
Need: While the factions divide the can act as envoys and attempt to broker
community, the community’s health is a compromise that will ensure peace with
decreased by at least 2 points. If the PCs step the antagonistic community. If talks break
in and serve as peacemakers or deal with the down, there’s a real possibility that the rival
issue in some other, non-destructive way, community will attack the PCs’ community
they can repair both relations and community until one of the two is razed to the ground.
health.
85–88 Abhuman Contact: A new group
77–80 Mech Arrival: In ones and twos, of abhumans is discovered. They’re not
then later in groups and small mobs, strange immediately vicious like margr or other
automatons begin to appear near or in the abhumans the PCs are likely familiar with.
community. The mechs are not necessarily However, they are abhumans, which means
aggressive, though they defend themselves they’re awful from a human perspective, and
if attacked or if people attempt to salvage they might still resolve into a threat.
them for parts. They might be coming from
a recently uncovered ruin, a piece of detritus Need or Opportunity: Depending on how the
that rained down from the void, or a portal to a community reacts to the strange abhumans
distant location, dimension, or time. that have appeared, the community may gain a
new trading partner, an ally, or a bitter enemy.
Need or Opportunity: The strange
automatons could be the first envoys of a 89–90 Nontypical Leak: An installation
community of machine-intelligence beings that that the community depends on has started
might prove to be allies or, if contact is not to leak dangerous materials into the streets.
handled well, implacable enemies of metal and The leak is not merely a poisonous liquid but
electricity. At the very least, the mech arrival something less understandable, like hundreds
proves to be the impetus for a new series of of metal-and-glass spheres with tiny silver
PC adventures. wires leading from the back that resemble
disembodied human eyes, tiny scuttling

337

If the PCs have previously creatures that look like automatons, unknown even years afterward, until a new status quo is
put a process in place eggs or egg-like sacs, steaming super-cold achieved.
to deal with fires, all liquid that freezes solid those who touch it,
their tasks to deal with and so on. 94 Assassination: Someone of note is
the fire gain an asset. murdered by a trained killer. The killer goes to
Need: Whatever the leak is, there is some lengths to make the murder noteworthy
something about it that proves to be a direct and macabre—perhaps a numenera device
danger to the citizens, the infrastructure, or is left behind that is obviously responsible
both. Until the leak is fixed, the community for the death in some highly visceral and
loses 1 health or 1 infrastructure each day. gruesome fashion, such as having vivisected
the spine from the victim in order to use the
Opportunity: Once the damaging aspects bony discs in a horrific display. The real reason
of the leak can be contained, the leftover the person of note is slain could be as simple
materials may represent an opportunity for the as someone finally getting revenge on an old
PCs. Maybe the “disembodied eyes” could be rival to something as complex as one group
used as prosthetics or salvaged for io, perhaps attempting to frame another for the murder.
the scuttling automatons serve some faraway
machine intelligence that was trying to make Need: The adherents of the murdered
contact, and so on. person rise and strike out at the individual or
organization they believe is responsible. Until
91–92 Energy Discovery: A group within the the assassin or those truly responsible for the
community has made a discovery, whether murder are found and called to justice, the
through experimenting with numenera devices community descends into a state of fear and
or exploring a nearby ruin, or perhaps they paranoia that lowers its rank by 1.
found it untended after a heavy rain uncovered
it. The discovery is a power source, useful for 95 Natural Flood: Water is rising in the
augmenting many kinds of numenera devices. streets so fast that it causes actual peril. The
flood isn’t from a puncture in some prior-
93 Coup Attempt: Grievances build between world aquifer or any other exotic reason.
those who wish they had power and those who Instead, it’s from a confluence of weather and
have it. The grievances could be legitimate if infrastructure that wasn’t designed to handle
the community is not well run, or they could several days’ worth of constant rain. There’s
be exaggerated by someone who wants to just no place for the water to go.
seize power for themselves on the backs of
a popular uprising fed with lies and slander. Need: In the immediate term, the
In either case, the community sees a huge community’s rank drops by 1 or more. During
increase in gatherings, protests, and violent this same period, the PCs can help establish
demonstrations. Those with their ear to the rescue efforts and go on rescue missions to
ground hear hard-to-discredit rumors that a save citizens (and a few pets) from drowning.
revolution is in the offing. If PCs are largely successful in coordinating
a response, the community returns to its
Need or Opportunity: Assuming the PCs normal rank within a few months. If they fail to
are aligned with those currently in power (as coordinate a larger response, the community
will usually be true in a community the PCs will only return to its former rank a few years
have founded or fostered), they may want to later (if it ever does).
persuade the leaders to find common ground
with those who are planning revolution, 96 Great Fire: A new community built with
either by brokering talks or agreeing to a flammable material like wood always faces
real compromise. If the PCs feel as if those the possibility of a fire. A lightning storm,
fomenting revolution have legitimate needs, an accident, or even the callous disregard
they can attempt to set up such talks on behalf of youths who’ve discovered a fun, flame-
of the revolutionaries. If things go too far, producing oddity could be the culprits.
the PCs can fight against the rebels. When a
revolution becomes violent, the community’s Need: The sooner the fire can be put out, the
rank is reduced by 1 or more for months or better the community fares. If the PCs have
the means to put out the fire themselves, they

Tenspire: rank 4; The community of Tenspire keeps a strange purple crystal the size of a house on a
infrastructure 20 pedestal in the community square. Installations and artifacts that are used within a

very long range of Tenspire don’t have to make depletion rolls.

338

GUIDING A COMMUNITY

can try it, though coordinating a larger effort to 05 All affected installations begin to Reactive field, page 322
suppress the fire will probably produce better hum and shudder in an alarming
results. Either way, it’s likely that PCs will be fashion. If the reactive field can’t Poison fog: level 6
personally involved in at least one dangerous be collapsed on each affected Stone transformation
rescue from the heart of a burning structure. installation, they begin to explode effect: level 6
If the fires are not put out, this event has as short-range detonations inflicting Odorous slugs: level 1
the possibility of destroying a community damage equal to the installation’s Carnivorous fruit
for good, or at least reducing its rank for a level. tree: level 6
few years. However, if the PCs are quick, the Sunbright insects: level 1
community may suffer a reduction of only 3 06 A “thinning” of reality results.
to 5 points of infrastructure for a few months, Weird transdimensional effects 339
until the wrights, masons, and carpenters from a parallel universe, a pocket
can make the repairs necessary to see the dimension, or a bizarre dimension
community back to normal. begin to leak through or allow
residents of the community to fall
97 Reactive Rip: Installations generate through and become lost.
a reactive field that can create negative
consequences if they are not sited far enough 07 All open or stored water in the area
from each other. Sometimes, however, the instantly boils away. It continues
reactive fields expand unexpectedly, especially to do so until someone can find
as a result of some other action or event. For the source (which is a malfunction
instance, perhaps some other wright in the in one of the originally affected
community has been secretly salvaging iotum installations).
from the community’s installations, leading to
an unstable reactive rip. In this case, some of 08 Weird mushrooms and other fungi
the possible effects are listed below. begin to grow at an alarming speed.
The growth is small at first, but over
Need or Opportunity: Some of the following the course of days, fungi not burned
reactive rip results decrease the community’s out continue to grow taller and
health by 1, though others are neutral or even taller (and deeper and deeper just
offer an opportunity. beneath the soil). The fungi may
prove edible. Then again, certain
d10 Reactive Rip Effect Suggestions specimens could prove toxic.

01 Part of the community near the 09 People in town begin to feel
affected installations fills with a sluggish and slow, and they take
blue-yellow fog that, at first, has a on a grey pallor. Over time, this
euphoric effect on people, but which effect becomes more and more
eventually becomes poisonous. pronounced, until those who refuse
to leave (or can’t leave) take on the
02 Tiny slugs infest the community density of dead stone.
near the affected installations. The
slugs are essentially harmless but 10 Strange trees grow in the area
tend to get into clothing, hair, bags, and sprout shiny fruit that smells
and packs, and they smell horrific. wonderful. Each fruit is tasty and
nutritious, but those who eat it
03 An explosion disables one affected are subject to becoming “living
installation, creating a crater in the planters” for another, larger version
earth that leads down to the surface of the tree that grows out of their
of a disabled automaton or vehicle stomach.
of incredible size.
98 Falling Star: A line of red light scratches
04 Leaf-shaped insects the color of the the sky. Its smoke trail persists for hours, but
sun and almost as bright are being of more immediate importance is the booming
drawn from somewhere high above. noise that follows like thunder and the truly
They accumulate in the area and try massive explosion when the light touches the
to build large hives in inconvenient ground. A fountain of melted earth and fire
locations, like the doorways of destroys everything in the immediate area,
homes and other places people live. and the shock wave from the explosion moves
outward in a quickly widening radius, like a
colossal ripple on the surface of a pool where a
stone has fallen.

Years might go by before a particular community faces a significant challenge, while
a different community might face a string of negative events that push it to the edge

extinction. That’s when PCs can make a difference.

Terminus, page 393 Need: The PCs learn about the coming sometimes lose time or have to repeat what
meteorite strike before it happens, which they just did over the last few moments. In
When a meteorite strikes is lucky, because their fostered community some cases, people become “caught” in tiny
down, all creatures lies at ground zero. In this case, the PCs can timeloops just by walking across the street
who witnessed the either try to evacuate the community or make over and over again, and they can’t escape
an incredibly brash attempt to alter the path until they figure out how to get far enough
fall (and survived it) of the falling star by somehow venturing out from the center of the effect before time resets
eventually come to the into the void to intercept it. The adventure once more.
impact site to see what “Terminus” explores this latter approach.
happened. This means Need: Depending on the severity of the
that PCs investigating Need: The meteorite comes down relatively problem, PCs eventually may be called upon
the site are likely to have near the community but not so close that (or decide) to investigate and end the timeslip
competitors for whatever the community is completely destroyed. The issue. If the issue becomes bad enough, it
salvage or opportunity destruction is similar to what a community will decrease the community’s health and
might be found there. might experience if suffering both the Quake infrastructure by 1 point each. The cause
and Great Fire results from the Community might be something as simple as several
Iron wind, page 135 Event Table simultaneously. See those events installations interacting in an unforeseen way,
to determine needs. experiments the Aeon Priest is secretly running
in their workshop, or something else.
Opportunity: Assuming that the negative
effect of the impact can be assuaged, longer- Opportunity: There’s always the chance that
term opportunities arise. PCs may wish to PCs could learn to thread the timeslips in such
explore the site of the impact, at the very a way as to move forward or backward several
least to see if any exotic metals can be hours, days, or longer before being pulled back
recovered. Sometimes, debris falling from to the present. This might allow the PCs a
the sky is actually remnants of installations, chance to fix some mistake in the past or be
communities, or ships built to sail the void. In warned of some major disaster coming that
such cases, the salvage could provide iotum or they might not otherwise have known about.
even more exotic results. There could even be
weird survivors found amidst such wreckage. 00 Iron Wind Threat: The dreaded iron wind
has been sighted in its active phase near the
99 Timeslips: Timeslips begin to plague the community. Even if nothing else happens,
community at random. People find that they this terrifies most of the population, and in

the worst case scenario, the
townspeople might be proven
correct in their fear.

Need: Someone needs to put
the fears about the iron wind
to rest, or else the community
functions with a rank of 1
less than normal for the next
several months. However, if
scouts discover there really is
a threat to the community, the
PCs can develop strategies and
actions that can help ensure
the community isn’t completely
eradicated.

340

RUNNING A DESTINY CAMPAIGN

CHAPTER 30

RUNNING A
DESTINY CAMPAIGN

A Numenera Destiny campaign is one where a growing community takes on a much
larger role in the game, becoming at least as important as a major NPC. PCs can
choose to aid a community’s development, growth, defense, and general well-being,

either because they founded the community or because they’ve decided to foster one.

N umenera Destiny is a smorgasbord That said, a Destiny-themed campaign Some PC groups will
of rules and gameplay elements that does not replace the exploration of the weird prefer to keep their
were not previously part of the system. that Numenera players enjoy and expect. games more focused on
It’s replete with new content of all kinds, Instead, a community-focused game puts that exploration and less on
like the concept of long-term play, salvaging exploration into a larger and more meaningful settling down over the
iotum and using them as special crafting context. Why are characters exploring ruins long term. And that's
components, increased roles for PC followers, that are as likely to inexplicably kill or harm great. They can choose
community stats and how to apply them, them as reward them? In this campaign, it’s abilities provided by their
new character types for PCs, and of course, because some of those characters are looking types that are suited for
new crafting rules for both commonplace for needful things (like iotum) that can be exploration and worry
items and wondrous numenera objects and used to improve their community, to save it about communities later.
structures that require special plans to build— from some impending disaster or threat, or to
all this plus rules that allow PCs to interact change it in some positive fashion. 341
with Ninth World communities in a whole new
way. A Numenera Destiny campaign provides
more options for interaction than ever before.
This chapter ties all these discrete PCs who become invested in a community
elements together, explaining how to run a interact with all kinds of different NPCs who
Numenera Destiny campaign and, even more are also invested in the community, including
fundamentally, what running a Numenera followers. When PCs and NPCs work together,
Destiny campaign means. great things are possible. But as often
happens in real life, different people have
A DESTINY CAMPAIGN different agendas. Even those working in good
faith might have different ideas on how best
A Numenera Destiny campaign is one where to serve a community, which means PCs must
a growing community takes on a much be ready with good arguments and diplomacy
larger role in the game, becoming at least even among their allies.
as important as a major NPC. PCs can
choose to aid a community’s development, These and other topics deserve a closer
growth, defense, and general well-being, look.
either because they founded the community
or because they’ve decided to foster one.
The ways in which a community grows—
with all the opportunities, setbacks, joys,
accomplishments, and sorrows—become
opportunities for in-game experiences that go
beyond simple exploring for the PCs.

Community events, DESCRIBING A COMMUNITY RUNNING A COMMUNITY AS A GM
needs, and opportunities, WITH NPC INTERACTIONS
Every community has needs. Expressing those
page 332 The difference between a collection of buildings needs is one way a GM can present and run
and a community is people. NPCs make up a a community for the PCs. The needs of a
A great way to introduce community, and the character of a community community include obvious, large, and even
an NPC is to give them is in large part communicated by the range extraordinary needs like those described in
a weird trait like an odd of different residents who make it up. The Community Events, Needs, and Opportunities.
community’s location and circumstances However, needs also come in much smaller
possession (such as a are, of course, also important factors in packages in the form of NPCs. Or at least
floating metallic cube), describing a community. A community built NPCs are the medium by which needs are
at the edge of a sea, one built on the side of a described to characters, and the medium
a strange component cliff, and one next to a portal that leads to an through which characters may have to address
of their appearance alternate dimension are all obviously physically those needs to help the community.
(maybe black lips), different. And this physical difference directly
a strong personality impacts the NPCs who live in each community, COMMUNITY NEEDS VS. NPCs
informing the kinds of jobs they have, dangers One thing that the PCs may need to learn, and
quirk (perhaps they are they face, and opportunities they can expect. that you as the GM should keep in mind, is
always eating something that characters are usually not the leaders of a
weird), a notable pet or For instance, a community next to the sea community, even if they founded it. While their
likely has a large population of fishers who voices are important, their opinions are not
companion (maybe a head out each day on watercraft of some sort. the only ones that are given credence. That’s
multi-winged serpent), NPCs that the characters might meet in such the nature of a community filled with many
a community include fishers, boatwrights, different people and viewpoints.
or something else. fishmongers, divers, and so on.
The PCs’ approach to solving a newly
342 The community near a dimensional portal identified problem or opportunity—like a lack
might include portal guards that protect against of food, a contaminant in the water, strangers
the strange things that might come through, offering weird wares and services, the risk of
rangers who dare to explore what lies beyond, invasion from nearby abhumans, theft, and so
sellers of the weird things the rangers bring on—may not be a solution that some people
back, and people on both sides of the debate in the community prefer. Disagreements might
over whether the portal is too dangerous to be made in good faith, broached by an NPC
leave open or too lucrative to consider closing. who merely has a different perspective. In
this case, the PCs and NPCs can talk out their
Whatever the particulars of a community’s differences and hopefully reach a resolution.
location and physical circumstances, some Maybe the PCs convince the NPCs that they’ve
NPCs who live there could work with and got the better solution, maybe the NPCs bring
possibly even befriend the characters. Others up something the PCs hadn’t considered, or
will likely look on the PCs with suspicion or maybe a compromise is reached. Play out the
see them as a threat (or at least competition). encounter and see where it leads.
Some will look indifferently on the PCs, some
will naturally gravitate to the characters, and Other times, you may decide that NPC
others will have to be won over. The specific disagreements stem from different motives.
ways these interactions play out will enrich your For example, malcontents may disagree simply
players’ view of the community. Over time, because they don’t like the PCs. A leader may
portraying a range of NPCs embodying different be incompetent and easily swayed by bad
attitudes gives the community a life of its own. advice from someone they’ve trusted in the
past. Criminals may have an agenda of their
Characters feel the most accomplished when own, and they might disagree with how to
they overcome adversity, whether they’re in a handle a need because it doesn’t benefit their
fight or embroiled in an argument. If an NPC is scheme as much as their preferred solution
first presented as adversarial, but the PCs go out does. How you portray an NPC with a hidden
of their way to work with that person, talk them agenda is likely to be different than an NPC
around, and eventually find mutual success, that with a simple difference of opinion.
NPC’s attitude toward the PCs could change.
NPCs should be allowed to change and grow over How do player characters react when they
time. Demonstrating that at the table is a great can’t get what they want, either because a well-
way to both validate and reward a character’s spoken NPC opposes them or for some other
actions but also to further invest the character in reason? The PCs can’t just kill an opposing
the community to which the NPC belongs. NPC or even threaten violence—not without
repercussions, anyway. Nor should they simply
NPCs and their effects on PCs are further take what they want, ignoring community
explored in the next section, Community
Needs vs. PCs.

RUNNING A DESTINY CAMPAIGN

consensus, unless they just don’t care about future. Whatever the PCs decide to do is what Ranked disasters,
what happens next. What’s called salvaging in moves the campaign forward. It’s up to the page 309
a ruin is thieving in a community. The point is PCs to react, and it’s up to you to update the
that PCs who are helping a community don’t campaign based on that reaction.
possess absolute control over it. Which means
characters likely need to solve problems in On the other hand, the PCs may prevail and
different ways from how they might face argue an incompetent leader or someone with
challenges in the wilderness. a secret agenda around to their own viewpoint.
In this case, the PCs may enjoy the victory.
PCs who decide to take drastic actions But unless they were extraordinarily subtle,
anyway risk fracturing a small community from their rival hasn’t gone away; they remain in
the resultant strife, being jailed in a moderately the community as a future foil or adversary.
sized or larger community, and in all cases If they take enough dislike to the PCs, they
losing whatever influence they previously had. may even devise some method to see that the
PCs who are branded as killers or criminals may PCs get their comeuppance by putting them in
be turned out of a community permanently or a compromising situation or framing them for
even sentenced to death by whatever means some crime.
the community uses to deal with brigands.
You can intimate that such possibilities could For example, say you’ve decided that a
occur, or you can play them out if PCs decide rank 3 natural disaster threatens the rank
that is the way they want to go. 2 village that the PCs are fostering. Thick,
glowing fluid has burst from some unknown
PCs wise enough to avoid murdering their container or machine within a nearby ruin
detractors are challenged to find a way to work and is moving inexorably closer to the village
with bad elements, even if that sometimes in a sort of slow-motion gel flood. A simple
means losing an argument. How do the PCs rank comparison might mean that the flood
react? Maybe they seek to find some secret overwhelms and destroys the community, but
way to subvert a decision. Maybe they walk out the PCs are on hand to shake things up and
and refuse to be a part of things. Maybe they rally the village to rise to the challenge. But
go along with the decision, noting that they’re first they’ll have to calm panicked voices. They
only doing so for the community’s sake and might have to convince those who simply want
that they’ll expect some kind of favor in the to flee to build embankments instead. One

343

What does it mean to foster a community? It just means that some or all of the PCs have
decided to stick around a village, city, or town for a while and help out where they can.

NPC uses the panic as a chance to loot iotum It’s unlikely the PCs will be able to

in the warehouse, and the PCs may have to simultaneously pursue every option that

deal with that. Ultimately, the PCs may also might help the community. Often, they will

have to enter the ruin and try to reduce the personally pursue only one. But if they don’t

leak in some way (perhaps lowering it to a think to delegate other options to NPCs in the

rank 2 threat). But before they do that, how the community to pursue at the same time, the

characters deal with the NPCs and how you NPCs themselves raise the issue. “While you

decide the NPCs respond set the stage for how do that, what should we do?”

well the community will weather the disaster. All that said, why do the characters care? To

feel truly challenged by a community’s threats,

CHALLENGE THE PCs BY PCs must feel invested in the community.

CHALLENGING THE COMMUNITY

The example of the slow leak just described INVESTING PCs IN THE

is also a great example of how a threat faced COMMUNITY’S WELFARE

by the community can become one or more A PC’s background may include family or some

challenges faced by the PCs. A community other connection to a community, which is a

might be damaged or even destroyed by a fine way to go. However, establishing one or

looming threat without the PCs’ aid. Once the more connections through play is also a great

PCs understand that, they have the choice to option. Here are a few ways to encourage PC

make the community’s challenge their own. investment in a community.

Any community need or challenge is likely to • The PCs are lost, and a herder or farmer

have more than one possible way to resolve it, from the village finds them, feeds them,

so the PCs can attack an issue on more than and leads them to the village.

one front in order to resolve the problem. • The PCs are hurt or sick, and someone in

For instance, a community has come to the community provides them the healing

rely on the trade they get from a caravan they need to get better.

that comes through town every six months, • The characters are fleeing from some

purchasing large quantities of grain that authority or threat they don’t yet have

they use in food preparation. When the the resources to defeat. NPCs in the

caravan fails to appear on time, some in the community hide the PCs.

community begin to panic. The PCs may come • The characters are invited to be part

up with various options, but smart NPCs of some celebration, like a wedding or

or a follower that a a funeral where

character relies upon the deceased is

for counsel could also celebrated.

suggest alternatives to To feel truly challenged by a • After doing some
ameliorate and solve community’s threats, PCs must feel small service for
the problem. Ideas the community, the
could include the invested in the community. characters are given a

following: inventory home or other place in

exactly how much the community to use

grain remains in the community and estimate as their own for however long they wish.

how long it will last if rationed; send a search • The characters have one or more followers

party along the path normally taken by the with ties to the community, and the

caravan to see if they’ve run into trouble; send follower often talks of their connection

envoys to the community where the caravan with the place, sharing favorite stories and

was known to have originated and attempt to remembrances.

negotiate some kind of new trade; try to grow

the grain locally; look for some alternative to

the grain.

344

RUNNING A DESTINY CAMPAIGN

The actions the PCs take when a community is endangered influences the outcome
for the community, which means that community-based adventures have higher
stakes than just the PCs’ own welfare.

CREATING AND RUNNING RUNNING COMMUNITY-BASED When designing a
COMMUNITY-BASED ADVENTURES community threat,
ADVENTURES include some weird
Once a community challenge is identified, give numenera in the mix. For
A community-based adventure is one where the PCs a chance to come up with plans to example, a regular fire
the community that the PCs have founded or deal with (or exploit) the problem. is dangerous, but a fire
are fostering is endangered or faced with an that burns with a clear
opportunity. The actions the PCs take when What the PCs decide to do gives you a direction flame and seems to leave
a community is endangered influences the as the adventure moves forward. When they things drained of all heat
outcome for the community, which means tell you their plans, make notes about possible so that they shatter is just
that community-based adventures have higher repercussions and scenarios you might use to as dangerous while also
stakes than just the PCs’ own welfare. Also, the accommodate those plans. There are just a few weird enough to give the
more that PCs are invested in the community, more moving parts to keep track of than when characters further pause.
the more a community’s outcomes affect the you’re running a simple exploration scenario,
PCs in turn. but for the most part, you can move forward Community events,
as you would when running a normal adventure. needs, and opportunities,
CREATING COMMUNITY-BASED You can use the following as a checklist when page 332
ADVENTURES running a community-based adventure.
GM intrusions,
Creating a community-based adventure starts How do the NPCs react? If a community is page 123
with the GM defining a challenge facing a challenged, resident NPCs will react en masse
community. Many of the examples provided or through individuals that the PCs know or 345
in this chapter identify such challenges, which soon meet. If the PCs attempt to deal with the
can become the seeds of community-based challenge, NPCs notice and respond. Maybe
adventures or, at minimum, community-based they’ll try to help the PCs, or maybe they’ll
encounters. And of course, the extraordinary hinder the PCs if they think the characters are
needs described in Community Events, Needs, taking the wrong approach.
and Opportunities are also a great way to
generate threats (or opportunities) that a town Some NPCs may simply jump in and try
could face. to solve an issue on their own, which could
complicate things for the PCs. For instance,
Here are a few additional, high-level if the PCs decide that they need to find a
concepts for threats that might endanger a particular kind of iotum in a nearby ruin to fix a
community. defensive installation, they might discover that
one or more NPCs from the community had
• A sickness is working its way through the the same idea and have already gone ahead.
community, but the source of the malady is Perhaps the PCs find them in need of aid,
unknown. never find them, or learn that the NPCs roused
some danger in the ruin with their inexpert
• A disaster threatens or wipes out the approach. It’s up to you to decide.
community’s food or water supply.
How does the threat respond to PC actions?
• An influx of people from someplace else is As in a normal adventure, if the cause of the
causing tensions to rise for both expected challenge to the community is intelligent or at
and unexpected reasons. least responsive, it might adjust its approach
once it meets the PCs’ resistance. But if the
• Residents are mysteriously disappearing. threat is big enough to have threatened the entire
• Strange creatures are preying on community in the first place, it’s probable that
an adjustment to that threat is almost equally
community residents. as significant. These sorts of adjustments
• A new leader rises, one that has the could be presented as GM intrusions. Disasters
that don’t have an intelligent cause probably
community’s trust but whom the PCs have don’t adjust in response to the characters.
every reason to distrust.
• A floating ruin moves slowly toward the
community, massive and enigmatic.

Consider not only how Should you invoke long-term play? If the Did some walls topple or buildings crumble,
the PCs’ allies fared PCs need to build something, scour the sending up plumes of debris? Were some
surrounding area for something, travel to defenders wounded and pushed back, gasping
but also the PCs’ rivals. some other community to ask for something, and bleeding, carrying their dead? Describe
If a rival was killed or or undertake some other action that’s going these events to the PCs.
severely injured, the to take more than a day or two, you should
rival’s spouse, siblings, consider invoking long-term play, even if it’s It could be that a conflict plays out over
just to say something like “A week passes, and several in-game hours, which means that
or children might blame you’ve accomplished this much” and pick up several community actions might occur before
the PCs, regardless of the from there. For more on using long-term play everything finally resolves. When possible,
PCs’ actual contribution in your campaign, refer to Managing Long- allow characters to take regular actions to try
Term Play in this chapter. other ways to sway the final outcome.
to that outcome.
Resolution. When all is said and done, any
Managing long-term community that survives the threat will react.
play, page 347 Are NPCs happy about the outcome? Are they
sad or angry? Are they even alive? Determine
Community stats, Resolve all activities. Play out as many regular the status of NPCs who the characters have
page 301 encounters as you can normally before using previously interacted with so you can present
community actions. If the threat involves that to the players in game. If the PCs are
Community actions, using community stats against a ranked threat successful, their reward might be as simple
page 305 like a horde or a disaster, figure out if and as knowing that they saved the community.
how much the PC’s actions altered any given However, heartfelt thanks from NPCs who
346 community statistic. Depending on what they the characters like, or even some with whom
tried to do, the characters might have raised they’ve had bad interactions, are an emotional
the community rank during one exchange of reward that roleplaying games excel at
community actions. providing. Learning of the loss of an ally is also
a potentially emotional moment, which, while
Once the characters’ actions have been not a reward per se, is the kind of experience
resolved, resolve the exchange of community many players will value in a game that includes
actions and inflict any damage on health themes of growth and change.
and infrastructure that results (assuming
the PCs didn’t eradicate the threat before a
rank comparison interaction could occur). If
damage was inflicted to community health
and infrastructure, describe it visually and
audibly in a way that the PCs can appreciate it.

RUNNING A DESTINY CAMPAIGN

ALLOW PC DESIRES TO the players the option to choose a long-term Remember that one of
DRIVE THE NARRATIVE activity. Assuming nothing interrupts time’s the activities available
passage, the characters have the opportunity for PCs during long-term
The previous sections in this chapter put the to gain the benefit they were going for at the play is to aid another
onus of creating a community-based campaign end of that period (some long-term benefits character’s crafting tasks.
on you, the GM. However, you should also require that the PCs succeed on a roll to Help Another PC,
allow PCs’ wants and desires to help you fill in determine whether they actually succeed). page 327
the campaign arc. Allowing the PCs the room
to pursue their own goals and dreams for a Players can also ask to enter long-term play Long-term play, page 324
community not only provides you with seeds so that they can pursue long-term benefits.
for further scenarios but also further invests Most commonly, that’s because one or more 347
characters in the community. Sometimes it’s of the characters want to craft one or more
appropriate to let the PCs drive the action by objects or structures. It’s up to the GM whether
what they want to build and how they want to they can do so, but remember that spending
advance the community. a month pursuing a specific activity, such as
building a vehicle to help the community patrol
For example, characters may decide they its borders, is another way to help invest players
want to build a teleportation installation that in community-based campaigns.
leads to the city of Qi so that they can make
contacts and allies in that illustrious city, which It’s up to you how long and how often
in turn will grant the PCs and their community the campaign enters into long-term play,
aid and assistance. This desire opens the door though overdoing long-term play can rob
to all kinds of adventures, including those the campaign of its immediacy. Don’t be
related to getting the right plans, salvaging afraid to break PCs out of long-term play with
specific iotum for the teleporter, and of course, an unexpected event like an attack, weird
making actual contacts and allies in Qi. In this phenomena, unexpected visitors, or a disaster
case, the player characters instigated all these in order to grab their attention. PCs can pick
possible adventures. As the GM, all you have up their long-term activity again after they
to do is accommodate them and help them resolve the crisis.
tell the story they’re interested in experiencing,
with a few unexpected challenges, setbacks, On the other hand, letting PCs finish their
and discoveries along the way, of course, to long-term activity in order to gain the benefit
further enhance the feeling of satisfaction that goes with it is also a good strategy. PCs
should the PCs finally succeed. will be rested, feel validated at having taken on
the activity, and be ready for whatever you’ve
MANAGING decided is coming next.
LONG-TERM PLAY

You can use long-term play a couple of
different ways. The most common way is to
simply announce that a specific amount of
time has passed like this: “Two days have
passed since you returned from exploring the
ruin.” This is a way to move things along, to
cut out “dead air,” and to move the scenario
forward. It’s not actual long-term play, because
the PCs are not taking on specific long-term
activities but rather doing general day-to-day
things and otherwise relaxing. Some players
may feel like their characters need to fill every
moment of their time with some kind of
activity, but remind them that characters—just
like real people—occasionally need a few days
to relax and do nothing much at all.

But you also have the option of invoking
actual long-term play in which long-term
activities must take place. For instance, you
might decide that one or more months pass
without a specific encounter requiring the
PCs’ direct attention. When this happens, give

Iotum Result Table, IOTUM AS TREASURE there. Many more kinds exist. Which means
page 110 that every time explorers come upon a new
Broadly speaking, all iotum that PCs salvage is community for the first time, it’s likely they
Hallux, page 355 “treasure” in the sense that they can use it to have some weird installation that’s unique to
Salvaging, page 107 craft or gain some other specific benefit from them, suited to their particular circumstance,
it. Iotum is also extremely valuable in trade or a familiar kind of installation with an utterly
Changing Moon, and has a value attached to it (measured in io) unfamiliar shape built or grown out of unique
page 226 in some communities. A selection of the kinds local iotum and materials. Technology in the
of iotum that PCs can find is presented on the Ninth World is as isolated and idiosyncratic
Looking for a specific Iotum Result Table. as every other part of civilization. Nothing
kind of iotum, page 110 is standardized because it's almost all being
The various kinds of iotum are not equal developed by individuals in isolation. For
348 in level. Iotum is graded from level 1 to 10. instance, characters visiting the hard-luck
The higher the level of iotum that PCs find, community of Hallux discover that the
the higher the level of numenera objects and settlement is protected by a seismic tamer
structures they can attempt to craft, which installation, which was planned and crafted by
in turn has a direct effect on PC power and the community’s wright, possibly using iotum
capability. So it behooves you to keep in that PCs recognize, as well as some materials
mind that certain high-level iotum can result that PCs don’t immediately recognize as
in extremely potent creations. That said, iotum.
high-level iotum is far less likely to show up
randomly during salvage tasks, and finding GMing WRIGHTS,
specific high-level iotum is even more difficult. DELVES, AND ARKAI

In a very real way, high-level iotum—like Lots of PCs are drawn to the concept of
data orbs and cosmic foam—are more like founding communities, especially those
quest objectives in that the PCs may have to who select the types presented in this book.
undertake specific adventures in order to find Communities offer all kinds of benefits
them. Maybe a noble or another nano has a to those who become part of them, but
unit of cosmic foam, but they ask the PCs to characters often also wish to become part of
perform a favor first in return. Or maybe, based a community because they want to provide
on knowledge the PCs previously unearthed, aid to those who need it. Many PCs enjoy the
the characters know they can find a data orb opportunity to help and serve others. These
embedded in a machine somewhere in the heart PCs become part of a community because it
of the Changing Moon, but only if they follow a allows them to build a new future.
particular route at a particular time, because the
way to the heart is always changing. The point is In the case of Wrights and other crafters,
that you can provide these kinds of hard-to-find they can literally build the future. But all
iotum as specific rewards for character actions characters can help a community grow. An
rather than requiring that they just randomly find Arkus can help a community govern itself and
all the iotum they want or need. parley with potential allies. A Delve can explore
nearby locations, finding dangers to avoid
Alternatively, you may decide that a given and sources to gather and salvage resources.
area doesn't randomly contain chances to A Glaive keeps a community safe by force of
find a given type of iotum, not even if PCs are arms, while a Nano contributes by defending
invoking the rules for looking for a specific against the esoteric threats of the prior worlds.
kind of iotum, and instead reserve that iotum And a Jack, of course, does whatever needs
as a reward for the PCs’ concluding their quest. doing to promote and protect the community.

IOTUM AND The GM steers the game, but the PCs are
INSTALLATIONS HAVE the ones moving it forward. The roles of
MANY FORMS the character types in Numenera Discovery
are relatively straightforward. With the
The cyphers and artifacts listed in Numenera new types—Wrights, Delves, and Arkai—
Discovery and in Numenera Destiny are only introduced here in Numenera Destiny, there’s
examples of what’s a far wider and probably far an opportunity for characters to try on new
weirder assortment of devices that explorers roles and attempt new kinds of interactions
actually find in the Ninth World. The same is true with the surrounding world. As the facilitator
of iotum and plans for installations, vehicles, and and arbiter, it falls to the GM to ensure
automatons described within these pages. the situations that arise during the game

The iotum and plans presented in this book
represent a sample of what’s actually out