Corny Groń Jakub Skurzyński ilustrated by alicja Wiśniewska
Corny Groń (/tzʌrnɪ ɡroj/) / Peak Black – a solo adventure game ̃ Written and designed by Jakub Skurzyński https://www.facebook.com/bedzi.grane Published by Nerd Sirens https://nerdsirens.pl/ Illustrated by Alicja Wiśniewska https://www.instagram.com/by_abw/ Proofreading and editing by Jarosław Kopeć English translation by Alicja Urbanik-Kopeć Graphic design by Szymon Gosek, Nerd Sirens Ethnographic consultation by Bartłomiej Łopatka and Mateusz Budziakowski CORNY GROŃ is made with: → Public domain resources found at https://polona.pl/ → Fonts: Heneczek (by Damian Langosz, http://www.biblioteka.piekary.pl/do-pobrania/krojpisma-heneczek) and Possum Saltare NF Author want to send deepest thanks to everyone who supported the idea of this game - apart from folks mentioned above I send salutes, hugs and mountaing greetings to Szymon Gosek, Mateusz Tondera, Łukasz Kołodziej and all creative cooperative of NRD. Special thanks goes to my beloved Magda - without you I would accomplish none. CORNY GROŃ is dedicated to my mum, Zuza, and any other folk which biggest and only flaw is - perchaps - specific easiness of travelling. During writing and testing of CORNY GROŃ I was listening to the TREBUNIE TUTKI, ULVER, PSIO CREW and GOORAL. CORNY GROŃ is an independent production by Jakub Skurzyński & Nerd Sirens and is not affiliated with Ockult Örtmästare Games or Stockholm Kartell. It is published under the MÖRK BORG Third Party License. MÖRK BORG is copyright Ockult Örtmästare Games and Stockholm Kartell. https://morkborg.com/license/ I strongly encourage you to share this game. Everyone can do this on the terms of the first publication - for non-commercial usage. I also encourage to develop and hack CORNY GROŃ according to your ideas, on the same terms as above, excluding the illustrations of Alicja Wiśniewska - you have to ask for her permission separately. Nerd Sirens, Poznań 2021
Table of Contents The Beginning • page 4 Places in the Mountains • page 7 Encounters in the Mountains • page 9 Enemies • page 11 Scanty enemy • page 13 Hardy enemy • page 13 Cave • page 14 Cave encounters • page 15 Trade • page 16 Random object • page 17 Random scroll • page 17 Milord’s Manor • page 18 Peak Black / Corny Groń • page 20 Character Advancment • page 21 “W murowanej piwnicy, Tańcowali zbójnicy. Kazali se piknie grać I na nózki pozirać. Hej!” – “Zbójnicki” / “W murowanej piwnicy”, folk song
The Beginning Prepare sheets of paper, a pencil and a few dice (d4 and d6). If you don’t have the dice, you can use a deck of cards or a digital dice simulator available online. Your name is Jasiek or Jagna. When you start the journey, you have: → 15 health points (HP) → d6+6 dutki (coin). You win the game by crafting six special abilities and settling in a hideout with a band of strong and loyal zbójcy (outlaws). More on the character advancement at: (p. 21) Dice rolls instructions are described as “roll dX”. This instruction shows what happens when you roll a particular score on a die with X sides. The instruction can also say: “roll Y-on-X”. This instruction shows what happens when you roll Y or less on a die with X sides. For example, “3-on6” means that for something to happen you have to roll 3 or less on a d6. You don’t start the journey empty handed! Roll d4 to check what weapon you have: 1. A knife. It deals d4 damage. 2. Ciupaga (Shepherd's axe). It deals d6 damage. 3. A saber. It deals d6 damage during a fight and adds +1 for a hit roll. 4. Samopał (a pipe gun). It deals d6+1 damage. Roll d4 again. You also have: 1. A leather kaftan. Enemies deal d4 less damage with their attacks. 2. An herbal potion. Heals d6 HP. 3. A bies summoning scroll. The summoned bies (evil spirit) helps you for d4 fight turns, dealing the enemy d4 damage every turn. If the fight ends before using all the fight turns of the bies, you can keep them and use them during the next fight. You can summon one bies at the time. 4. An invisibility cap. Roll d4. You can avoid this many fights, while still getting the points for defeating the avoided enemy. During your journey, you can happen upon the same object that you already have. You can’t carry two identical objects at once (except the herbal elixirs – you can carry up to ten at the same time, and scrolls – you can have as many as you like). In this situation leave the object where you found it and mark the place on the map. You can come back later and dig out your buried treasure. If you decide to come back for the object, there is a 2-on-6 chance that someone else already found it and took it before you. 4
Draw a map of the places you visit on your journey. For each Encounter that you have in a place, mark it as visited and check how many paths lead there (apart from the path that you took to come there). To determine the number of paths, roll d4. The score from this roll can be lowered or raised by many factors. A score of 0 means that you reached a dead end – you can’t continue forward, and you have to turn back. After determining the number of paths, decide which one to take and roll for the next Place in the Mountains. (p. 7) If you enter a place that you have visited before or that you have escaped, there is a 1-on-4 chance that you will meet a Scanty Enemy (or a Hardy Enemy if you are in a Cave). Otherwise, the place is empty. When you fight the enemies, you take their points. When you gather 15 points and visit 12 places, you can Advance. To Advance, go to Character Advancement Table (p. 21). If your HP drop to 0, you die. You begin at the Mountain Pass. Draw a mountain pass. There are d4 path leading from it in directions of your choice. Roll d4 again. The mountain pass is: → The highwaymen’s hideout. You find an Object buried by highwayman (p. 17) → The vermin ridge. Resolve an Encounter with a Scanty Enemy (p. 13) → The bottom of a cliff. You find a scroll on the body of a dead juhas (young shepherd) (p. 17) → Misty valley. Creepily empty and quiet… After you deal with whatever you encountered at the Mountain Pass, mark it as visited and go forward on a chosen path. The path leads to a Place in the Mountains (p. 7). 5
6 Bacówka (Shepherd’s hut)
Places in the Mountains If you follow a path that leads nowhere (yet), roll 2d6 and read the result from the table. At the end of the path, draw the place that you rolled on the map and see what happens there. If you have to roll and resolve an Encounter, see page 9. 1. Corny Groń (Peak Black). What happens? See page 20. 2. The Milord’s Manor. What happens? See page 18. If you have been here before, instead of the Manor, you arrive at Peak Black. 3. A Cliff. Roll for and resolve an Encounter. After you fight or escape, there is a 3-on-6 risk of slipping and falling down the cliff. If you have a rope, you can cross it out of your inventory to add 1 to your roll. The fall will cost you d6+2 HP. The leather kaftan doesn’t lower the damage. When you roll to determine the number of paths going out of this place, subtract 3 from the score. 4. Crags. Roll for and resolve an Encounter. After you fight or escape, there is a 3-on-6 risk of slipping and falling down the cliff. If you have a rope, you can cross it out of your inventory to add 1 to your roll. The fall will cost you d6+2 HP. The leather kaftan doesn’t lower the damage. When you roll to determine the number of paths going out of this place, subtract 2 from the score. 5. A Burrow. Roll for and resolve an Encounter. At least one path leading forward is an entrance to the Cave (p. 14). When you roll to determine the number of other paths going out of this place, subtract 1 from the score. 6-7. Deep woods. Roll for and resolve an Encounter (p. 9). 8-9. A Meadow. Roll for and resolve an Encounter. Remember, here you can escape the fight without losing HP (more information in the Enemy description – p. 13). 10. Mountain Pass. Roll to see what kind of Mountain Pass it is (p. 5). 11. Bacówka (Shepherd’s hut). Roll for and resolve an Encounter (p. 9). You can Rest here and regain d6+2 HP, but you can come here to do it again only after visiting 6 other places. 12. Mountain village. You can trade here (p. 16). You can also Rest (to regain d6+6 HP), but you can come here to do it again only after visiting 6 other places. From now on, you subtract 1 from all the rolls for Places in the Mountains. 7
8 Mountain peaks
Encounters in the Mountains If you have to resolve an Encounter, roll d6: 1. Nothing happens. You can mark the place as visited and roll for the paths leading forward. 2. Snares. Roll d6. If you have a rope, you can cross it out of your inventory to add 1 to the score. Score between 1-3 will cost you d6 HP. The leather kaftan doesn’t lower the damage. There is a 1-on-6 risk that the poacher will appear (p. 13). You can mark the place as visited on the map after the fight with the poacher or if he doesn’t appear. Roll for the next paths. 3. A traveller asks you a riddle. If you want to solve it, roll d6. Odd score means that you answered correctly, and you gain 6 dutki (coin) or 3 points (your choice). Even score means that you answered wrong and you get punished – it costs you d4 HP. The leather kaftan doesn’t lower the damage. The traveller disappears and you can mark the place as visited. 4. You meet a Scanty Enemy. You can mark the place as visited after you win the fight. 5. You meet a Hardy Enemy. You can mark the place as visited after you win the fight. 6. You meet a bisznicar (merchant), that wants to trade with you. You can buy or sell Objects at the prices described in Trade (p. 16). After you finish haggling, the merchant is on his way, and you can mark the place as visited. 9
10 Bear, a Hardy Enemy
Enemies On your way to Peak Black you can meet a Scanty or Hardy Enemy. You can try to hit him every turn. Roll d6 for a hit. If your score is at least equal to the number of points that the enemy has, you hit successfully. The hit damages the Enemy with as many hit points as your weapon has (d4-1 if you are fighting with your bare hands). Subtract the damage from his HP. For information on hit points of every weapon see page 4. Failure means that the Enemy deals damage to you – subtract the points from your HP. The leather kaftan lowers the damage by d4. To deal the Enemy additional damage or to protect from damage, you can use your scrolls – one per turn, or you can heal with an herbal potion – also one per turn. You can use however many you like outside of a fight. After winning a fight (that is, decreasing the Enemy’s HP to 0) you gain his points and his Objects. If your HP decreases to 0, you die. You can try to run away from the Enemy. You lose d4 HP, and the place where you encountered the Enemy remains unvisited. If you decide to run, there are no effects tagged as after the fight. 11
12 Undines, Hardy Enemies
Scanty Enemy Roll d4: 1. Hajduk (court guard). 3 points, deals d4 damage, has 6 HP. After the fight effect: 2-on-6 chance of finding a knife. 2. Bies (evil spirit). 3 points, deals d4 damage, has 6 HP. After the fight effect: 2-on-6 chance of finding a scroll. 3. Poacher. 3 points, deals d4 damage, has 5 HP. After the fight effect: 2-on6 chance of finding a rope. 4. Wolf. 4 points, deals d4+1 damage, has 6 HP. After the fight effect: 1-on6 risk of losing one of your Objects of your choice. Hardy enemy Roll k4: 1. Undine. 4 points, deals d4 damage (every second turn she ensnares you in a thorny vine that deals d6 damage), has 8 HP. After the fight effect: you gain golden sand worth 3d6 of dutki and there is a 1-on-6 risk of a curse that will take all of your points. 2. Bear. 5 points (worth 7 points when defeated), deals d6+1 damage, has 10 HP. After the fight effect: 2-on-6 risk of losing one of your Objects of your choice. 3. Highwayman. 4 points, deals d6+1 damage, has 10 HP. You gain d4+d6 dutki after the fight and have a 1-on-6 chance that the bullet fired by the highwayman will get stuck in your side and will lower the score of all your hit rolls by 1 until you Rest or Advance. 4. Spook. 5 points, deals d6 damage, has 12 HP. After the fight effect: you have a 2-on-6 chance to Advance immediately after the fight. 13
Cave While going down the Cave, roll for a Cave Encounter. Do not raise the score with any modifier during this roll. After resolving the Cave Encounter, roll d4-2 to see how many tunnels lead further down. Visit the next place in the Cave, draw it on the map and resolve the next Cave Encounter. If you want to exit through the Burrow that you came in through, you have to retrace your steps. While visiting the places you have already been to, remember to check if there are no new Enemies there. There is a 1-on-4 risk of meeting a Hardy Enemy there. 14 Cave
Cave encounters Roll d6: 1. The cavern is dark and damp, but empty. Mark the place as visited. 2. The cavern is flooded with water. To visit it you have to swim through it. Roll d6, and if you don’t have a leather kaftan, add 1 to the score: 1-2 means that the water is too deep – you lose d6 HP (the leather kaftan does not protect you) and you fail to swim through the cavern. 3-4 means that there is a undine in the water! Resolve the encounter with the undine (p. 13). You can’t use the pipe gun or the scattergun. 5 or more - you find the Mountain Spirit’s heart at the bottom of the pool – write it down, it can be useful later! From now on, during the fight with the Mountain Spirit you add 1 point to your hit rolls. After the fight or after you swim through the cavern, mark it as visited. 3. You find a hideout, and a Hardy Enemy. Mark the place as visited after you win the fight. 4. You find a Spring of Life. Drinking water from it restores your HP to maximum level. You can use the spring again after you visit 6 other places. Mark the spring as visited on the map. 5. You find the exit from the Cave, leading to the surface. Check what’s going on here by rolling as if you were on a Mountain Pass (p. 5) and determine the number of paths leading further into the mountains. Mark the place as visited. 6. You find a hidden passage to the cellar of the Milord’s Manor. It is guarded by a Hardy Enemy. After the fight, mark the place as visited. If you encountered the hidden passage before, roll d6: 1-3 means that you encounter the hideout of a Hardy Enemy (after the fight, mark the place as visited and roll for the paths leading out of it). 4-5 means that you find the exit from the cave, leading to the surface (see point 5). 6 you find a path leading to Peak Black (p. 20). 15
Trade When you haggle, you can buy Objects with your dutki and sell your Objects, getting dutki in return. The prices are as follows: → An herbal potion. Heals d6 HP. 4 dutki. The bisznicar (merchant) has d6+4 of potions. → A knife. It deals d4 damage during the fight. 6 dutki. → Ciupaga. It deals d6 damage during the fight. 9 dutki. → A rope. It helps to avoid snares and falls from the Cliff and the Crags. 5 dutki. → A sabre. It deals d6 damage during the fight. It add 1 to the hit rolls. 12 dutki. → Samopał. It deals d6+1 damage during the fight. 15 dutki. → A scattergun. It deals d6+2 damage during the fight. 25 dutki. → A leather kaftan. The enemies deal you d4 less damage with their attacks. 10 dutki. → An invisibility cap. It allows you to avoid d4 of fights. You get the points for defeating the avoided enemy. 15 dutki (you can’t buy it – you can only find it or sell it). → A scroll of your choice. 7 dutki. You can only buy it from the bisznicar – in the Mountain Village you can only sell it. 16
Random Object If the game allows you to roll for a random Object, roll d6: 1. Random starting weapon (p. 4) 2. Herbal potion (p. 16) 3. Rope (p. 16) 4. Random scroll (p. 17) 5. Leather kaftan (p. 16) 6. Invisibility cap (p. 16) Random scroll If the game lets you roll for a scroll, roll d4: 1. Bies summoning. After summoning, the devil helps you for d4 turns, it deals the enemy d4 damage, regardless of the damage that you deal. If the fight ends before using all the fight turns of the bies, you can keep them and use them during the next fight. You can summon one bies at the time. 2. Fire glyph. d4 uses, every use deals the enemy d6+1 damage, regardless of the weapon hit. 3. Protection ward. d4 uses, it lowers the damage you get every turn by d4, regardless of the use of leather kaftan. 4. Divination sigil. 1 use. Instead of rolling for the next Place in the Mountains, you can choose it from the list. If you have already rolled for the place, you can use the divination sigil to re-roll the dice. 17
Milord’s manor Every room in the Milord’s Manor house is a separate place to visit. Roll d6 and see where you enter the Manor (unless you entered through the hidden passage in the Cave – then you start from the cellar): → 1-2 through the window in the dining room → 3-5 through the front entrance in the hallway → 6 through a cracked door in the pantry Inside the Milord’s Manor you do not roll for the number of paths. Every time you enter a new room in the Manor, roll d6. If you roll a room that you have already visited, you enter a room that you have not visited yet with the closest lower score. You can exit the Milord’s Manor through every room except the cellar (unless you found a hidden passage from the Cave and entered there). After leaving the Manor you roll for number of further paths. However, if you decide to escape the fight in the Milord’s Study, you have to jump through the window and you get d6 damage instead of standard d4. 1. Milord’s Study. You meet the diabolic Milord himself! Roll d6: 1-2 The Milord demands all your scrolls and potions. Give them to him or fight. 3-4 The Milord demands all your dutki and points. Give them to him or fight. 5-6 The Milord demands your soul! You fight or you die instantly! You cannot avoid The Milord with the help of invisibility cap. The Milord. 5 points, deals d6+2 damage, has 14 HP. After the fight you gain d6+d6 dutki and The Milord’s karabela (decorated sabre, d6+2 damage, adds 1 to hit rolls) and you can Advance immediately. After you meet the demands of The Milord or win the fight, mark the place as visited. If you run away from the fight, every Hardy Enemy that you meet will be The Milord until you defeat him. 2. Hallway. You meet The Milord’s hajduk (same as hajduk from Scanty Enemies list, p. 13, but he deals d6 damage and you have a 2-on-6 chance of getting a sabre after the fight). Mark the place as visited after the fight. 18
3. Dining room. Milord’s dinner is waiting on the lavishly set table. If you decide to eat it, roll d6: 1 The wine is cursed. You lose all your points and one Advancement of your choice. 2-3 Devilish feast does not agree with you. You lose d6 HP, and during the next fight you subtract 1 from all you hit rolls. 4-5 Delicious roast heals d6 HP. 6 Feast of the gods! You regain full HP and during the next fight add 1 to all your hit rolls. Mark the place as visted after the meal or if you decide not to eat anything and leave. 4. Pantry. Roll d6: 1-2 There is nothing in the pantry apart from gnawed human bones. 3-4 The Milord’s hajduk guards the provisions. After the fight you find an additional random Object (p. 17) and heal d4 HP. 5-6 You find two random Objects (p. 17) and heal d6 HP. After searching the pantry and/or the fight mark the place as visited. 5. Library. Roll d6: 1-2 the library is guarded by a spook (p. 13). After the fight you gain a random scroll (p. 17) 3-4 you find two random scrolls (p. 17) 5-6 you find the Milord’s True Name written down in one of the old books. During the fight with him you add 1 to all hit rolls. After searching the library and/or the fight mark the place as visited. 6. Cellar. Roll d6: 1-2 – there is a drunk Milord’s hajduk sleeping in the cellar. You can steal an herbal potion from him. 3-4 – you find a mysterious potion. If you decide to drink it, roll d6: Even – You regain full HP Odd – It’s human blood! You lose d6 HP and all your points. 5-6 – you find The Milord’s treasure. It’s d4xd6 dutki. After searching the cellar mark the place as visited. 19
20 Peak Black (Corny groń) You reach the peak of the highest mountain. You can mark this place as visited. You meet the Spirit of the Mountains (6 points, deals d6+2 damage, has 20HP). If, not counting Peak Black, you have visited all other nine types of Places in the Mountains (Cliff, Crags, Burrow, Deep woods, Meadow, at least one Mountain Pass, Bacówka, Mountain village and at least one room in the Milord’s Manor, not counting Cave Encounters and other rooms in the Milord’s Manor), Spirit of the Mountains bestows the title of harnaś (king of the outlaws) on you (counting as adequate Advancement from p. 21). You also get two other Advancements and the treasure of Spirit of the Mountains. If you haven’t visited all the places yet, you have to fight the Spirit. You cannot escape from the fight with the use of invisibility cap. If you win, after the fight you get two immediate Advancements and the treasure of the Spirit of the Mountains – three random scrolls and d6xd6 dutki. Jagna, an outlaw
21 Character Advancement You Advance when: → You visit 12 places (including the starting location of Mountain Pass) and sacrifice at least 15 points. After this Advancement the number of visited places and the number of point you have left decreases to 0. To Advance further you have to visit another 12 places and gather and sacrifice another 15 points or more. → You gather 40 dutki and use them to buy one golden ducat. You can do it anywhere; you don’t have to find the merchant. → Any other instruction in the game says so. When you Advance, roll d6 to see, what kind of Advancement you get: 1. The outlaws call you their leader, a harnaś. It’s just a title though, won’t do much in a fight. 2. You always get +1 to hit rolls. 3. You maximum HP rises from 15 to 20 HP. 4. A travelling herbalist offers to make you a special potion. You get 5 points. 5. You get a scattergun. It deals d6+2 damage. Worth 25 dutki. 6. You choose one Scanty and one Hardy Enemy. These types of Enemies deal you half of the damage from now on. You can’t change you choice later. Every Advancement can be used only once. If you roll for the Advancement that you already have, roll again until you get one you don’t have. When you get all six Advancements, you can settle in your hideout with a band of strong and loyal outlaws. Congratulations, you won!