Adventuring
Traveling
Whenever character’s go on a journey through the wild or on long trips they will be considered Adventuring. During this time, the character’s must survival in the wild and gather their own food, water, and materials to make camp and keep their sanity. The longer a journey lasts, the more they must maintain their sanity and physical wellness. Adventuring also poses threats such as wild animals, spies, assassins, and other enemies that may threaten them along the way.
Chopping, Mining, & Item Hardness
Many items in the world can be broken down into smaller pieces for a variety of purposes. Trees can be cut down for wood, minerals can be mined, and different items or barriers can be broken to make them unusable or create an opening, such as through barriers or walls.
Different types of damage will effect different types of materials. For example, slashing damage will cut through cloth materials, tents, and for cutting down trees. Bludgeoning damage will break through solid materials such as stone, doors, walls, or other solid objects. Piercing will puncture through thin materials, such as with needles or for sticking into solid surfaces without shattering them, such as when climbing ice or stone walls. Verse Masters can also be creative with how different types of items will effect different materials.
In order for characters to break through these items they must overcome the hardness of the material by making a physical attack appropriate for the job. Each material has a Hardness DC which can be overcome by making an attack roll against it. If the attack roll is higher than the Hardness DC then the material decreases in their Hardness Category has presented on the chart below. Once the fragile condition has been overcome, the item gains the broken condition and shatters as intended or as the Verse Master decides. Materials that cannot be broken through normal means or may require special tools are considered impenetrable such as military bunkers, interstellar ships, or magically reinforced materials and do not have a Hardness DC unless stated otherwise.
Hardness DC Chart
Hardness Category | Hardness DC |
---|---|
Fragile | 5 |
Brittle | 10 |
Weak | 15 |
Soft | 20 |
Moderate | 25 |
Hard | 30 |
Very Hard | 35 |
Reinforced | 40 |
Sanity & Boredom
The longer a character is in the wilderness, the harder it can be to keep track of time, stay on track, or even stave off boredom, especially if they are alone or with a small party. In such scenarios, the character will need to find ways to entertain themselves. This can be done through training, communicating with other party members, or taking care of companions.
Entertainment devices can also be used to keep them distracted. If a character fails to maintain this then they will begin to take 1d4 Sanity damage per day. It only takes 3 days of stale traveling (no wild encounters and combat, little to no communication, no entertainment devices, etc.) for this to begin to take place, therefore maintaining positive relationships with party members and companions is important. Characters who have Sanity damage also begin to have nightmares at night, which prevents them from being able from having a good night’s rest.
Whenever a character’s Sanity Score drops too low they automatically gain an insanity. The insanities do not stack but instead become worse as the score drops lower as they gain new insanities. If a character with an insanity gains sanity, they lose their current insanity as they become better and instead gain the new insanities until they no longer have one. The insanities are ordered based off of the character’s Sanity Score.
Insanity
Sanity 7-9
Manic/Phobic
A character that is manic becomes completely obsessed with a chosen random person, place, or thing. Whenever in the presence of the obsession, the character becomes Distracted by them regardless of what is happening around them. When not around their obsession, they become obsessed with finding it even if it means putting themselves or others in danger.
A character that is phobic becomes completely terrified with a chosen random person, place or thing. Whenever in the presence of the obsession, the character becomes Shaken by them regardless of what is happening around them. If they must interact further than being near or around the fear, they become frightened and will attempt to flee from its presence even if it means putting themselves or others in danger.
Sanity 5-6
Paranoid
A character that is paranoid are constantly Shaken regardless of their environment. They are obsessed with either stopping an unknown fear or saving an unknown thing. The character feels as if they are constantly in danger and therefore are constantly on guard. They automatically distrust new comers and believe they are actively working against them and begin to distrust those they already know making them antisocial and withdrawn.
Sanity 3-4
Schizophrenic
A character that is schizophrenic has lost their grasp on what is true and false. The character begins to have hallucinations and therefore may see or hear things that are not actually there. During combat, the character may see enemies that are not present and therefore attack targets that do not exist. They may also see things and chase things that are not present leading them off correct paths. Hearing things not present may convince them of conversations that were never spoken or give them false information. The character is considered Distracted while having a hallucination. This also makes the character constantly paranoid about the reality around them and therefore constantly Shaken.
Sanity 1-2
Psychotic
A character that is psychotic has lost all grasps on reality and views all others as hostile. They are constantly Shaken with paranoia and Distracted by hallucinations and obsessed with ending anything that is out to get them. Reality may not look the same to a psychotic character and creatures, objects, and locations will be distorted in a constant hallucination. Their friends and family will also no longer appear to be themselves and conversations had with others will be distorted, nonsensical, and even hostile to them making them prone to attack even innocent creatures or characters.
Sanity 0
Amnesia
A character with amnesia has forgotten all of their memories including friends, family, enemies, and locations. As a result, they will no longer actively remember their feats and spells but still have them. When attempting to use a spell, a spell is chosen at random from their spell list. All current quests, goals, and purpose are entirely forgotten as the character becomes unmotivated and entirely introverted. The character now also auto fails all Sanity Saves.
Addiction
Various substances in the Verse can be addictive. When dealing with an addictive substance, each time the substance is consumed the character is required to make a Sanity Check against the addictive level of the substance; Mild, Moderate, High, Extreme. A failure on such a save leads to the character needing to consume the addictive substance once per day, additional failures add another time per day that the character must consume the substance.
Addiction Level | Sanity Check DC | Examples |
Mild | 10 | Alcoholic Beverages, Smoking Herbs |
Moderate | 15 | Depressants |
High | 20 | Hallucinogenics |
Extreme | 25 | Enhancing Substances, Stimulants |
Grooming & Hygiene
The simple act of hiking through nature will cause a character to become dirty and ragged. Their bodies become covered in dirt and sweat that eventually will start to stink and make them uncomely. Because of this, it is important that characters maintain well-groomed and hygienic on their adventures. After only 1 day of traveling, a character becomes dirty and ungroomed, causing other characters who are groomed to become unfavorable towards them and no longer want to speak to them while traveling until they have groomed.
After 3 days of traveling, the character becomes unhygienic and gains a strong odor that begins attracting wild animals and makes the character suffer a -10 to Stealth, alerting potential enemies of their location. This penalty increases by 5 for every day after that has passed without grooming. After 7 days of traveling, the character becomes sick and gains a physical illness or disease that is up to the Verse Master depending on the environment. In order to be clean, the player must either use a Grooming Kit or make a Survival check to become clean. The DC for the Survival check is 10 times the number of days gone by without grooming. Characters only need to do this while adventuring since inns and homes provide grooming as if a Grooming Kit has been used.
Nights & Sleeping
While adventuring, getting a full night of sleep is very important. If a character does not get a rest then they can become lethargic and unprepared. If a character does not get a good night’s rest, the character becomes unpleasant and cranky and other characters will not want to socialize with them until they are rested. Energizing drinks can stave off this effect but only temporarily. After 3 days of not getting a good night’s sleep, the character becomes fatigued. This can be staved off with energizing drinks. After 7 days of not getting a good night’s sleep, the character becomes exhausted. This can be staved off with an energizing drink. After 8 days of not getting a good night’s rest, the character begins to take 1d4 of Constitution damage per day and is exhausted. This cannot be staved off with energizing drinks as they stop working. The character cannot recover from this until they get a full 8 hours of good sleep.
Things that prevent a good night’s sleep include: not having a sufficient Survival check to make a make-shift bed, not having protection from any environmental hazards (cold, rain, heavy wind, etc.), being attacked in the middle of the night by wild animals, sleeping in armor, or by having nightmares at night while trying to sleep. Characters can also use sleeping mats in order to avoid needing a survival check but only if necessary such as if trying to sleep on difficult terrain. Characters do not need environmental protection in any environments that does not have abnormal weather patterns or extreme temperature ranges. Otherwise, Survival checks can be used to make temporary shelters or Campsites or tents can be used to prevent this. A campfire can be used to ward off wild animals at night, this also helps prevent ambushes and robbers from attacking
If a Character gets no sleep at night they gain sleep deprivation quicker. After 24 hours of no sleep the Character becomes fatigued. After 48 hours of no sleep the Character becomes exhausted. After 72 hours of no sleep the Character begins to take 1d4 Sanity damage a day. This can only be stopped by getting a full night’s of good sleep. If the Character gets a bad night of sleep they no longer take Sanity damage but are still exhausted.
Campsites
Campsites automatically give a good night’s sleep and can be used for cooking without making Survival checks. It can also be used for training and leveling while in the wild as well as for socializing and grooming. If characters make a Campsite and rest there for the night then they gain a full night’s rest, socialize to end boredom, create a fire to ward off wild predators, are protected from environmental hazards, and can groom themselves in the morning.
Hunting & Harvesting
While adventuring in the wild for extended amounts of time characters may run out of food rations and supplies and become dependent on nature to survive especially if traveling merchants are far and few in between. In such scenarios, characters will have to get food supplies and even temporary tools from hunting and gathering.
Characters can hunt down creatures by tracking or setting up traps. Traps that are set up follow the regular trap creation rules, or if they have already crafted ones they only need to set them up and allow for wild animals to fall victim to the trap. Otherwise, the animals will have to be hunted down specifically. Characters can use Knowledge Nature to figure out what kind of animals are in the area or wild plant life to gather from. The DC for knowing this may depend on the region and be up to the Verse Master. However, a general Knowledge Nature DC 20 can be used for figuring out the basic wildlife around a character while traveling in the wild.
In order to track down animals in a hunt, Investigate DC 20 can used to look for signs of wildlife or eatable vegetation. This may give no results if there is nothing to be found and a successful Investigate check will provide this knowledge as well showing that no signs of wildlife are present and therefore not near.
Once the signs of life have been found a Survival DC 20 can be used to track down the animals. Characters who are tracking may need to be in Stealth while doing so as to not inform the prey of their approach. Whether the animals detect them or not is dependent on the animal’s Perception Check against the character’s Stealth. If successful, the characters can either attempt to kill the animal without the animal knowing of its presence or if possible without the creature fleeing, engage it in combat. Vegetation does not need to be hunted down and instead a successful Investigate check is required. These rules can also be used to follow or track enemies or to find missing or hidden targets outside of hunting for food.
Once the animal has been slain or vegetation has been found the characters will need to harvest supplies from them. For slain animals, a Survival DC of 10 + CR of the creature is required to be overcome to harvest from them. If successful then any venom, meats, bones, or hide and fur can be harvested. The amount of meat provided from such a harvest depends on the size of the creature. 1 Medium creature provides 2 days worth of meals for 1 medium creature. A large creature provides 4 days worth of meals for a medium creature, but only 2 days worth to a large creature. Finally, a small creature provides 1 day worth for a medium creature, but 2 days worth to a small creature.
Vegetation that can be harvested from does not require a Survival check in order to gather any eatables from them and instead a roll is made to determine the amount of eatables are found. For small vegetation such as vines and bushes, a 1d6 is used to determine the amount of eatable berries that are gathered and for medium or large vegetation such as trees, a 1d8 is used. The number rolled determines the amount of meals worth of food is gathered.
Fishing
In order for a character to being fishing they must first have a Fishing Rod and preferably a lure and bait. They must then make a Perception Check, either Visual or Hearing, on a source of water to see where or if any fish are available. Each fish that is available will have a Spotting DC unique to them calculated by their Dexterity + Size Penalty. The water clearness and fish location may also affect this DC. For example, marshes or swamps that have moss or dirty water will increase the difficulty and DC of spotting the fish while complete clear pools of water will dramatically decrease the difficulty. If the Perception Check overcomes the DC, the fisher knows exactly where the fish is but if it is within 3 points below then the fisher has a general idea.
Even if the fisher does not know if fish are available, or if they are uncertain of where a fish may be, they can still cast a line. In this case, the casting is based off of a probability roll which is up to the Verse Master on how successful the roll is.
Once the line is cast, the fish must notice the lure and be attracted to it. The attractiveness of the lure depends on the bait being used and the lure itself. Different bait and different lures provide a bonus to the attractiveness but may not work on all types of fish. So long the Lure DC is greater than the fish’s Sanity Save, then the fish will be attracted to the lure and bite. The Lure DC is based on the Lure + Bait used. The Verse Master must roll the Intellect Save for the fish. If it passes, the fish will ignore the lure and move on. If the fish fails, they will bite onto the lure. Once the fish bites the player must make a CMB against the fish’s CMD. If successful, the fish is caught by the character.
Following are modifiers for the Spotting DC that can be applied based on how clear the water is and where the fish is and the Lure DC based what kind of lures and bait is being used on the fish.
Spotting DC Modifiers
Water Clearness | Clearness DC | Fish Location | Location DC | Lure | Lure DC | Bait | Bait DC |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Crystal Clear | -10 | Near Surface | -5 | None | 0 | None | 0 |
Partially Clear | 0 | Below Surface | 0 | Basic | +5 | Basic | +5 |
Partially Unclear | +5 | Deep | +5 | Weighted | +10 | Artificial | +10 |
Mostly Unclear | +10 | Bottom | +20 | Sinking | +15 | Organic | +15 |
Fish Chart
Fish Name | Type | Size | Weight | Spotting DC | Sanity Save | HP | CR | CMD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bass | Freshwater | Tiny | 3 – 12 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 25 |
Carp | Freshwater | Small | 4 – 30 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 25 |
Salmon | Saltwater | Small | 8 – 12 | 19 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 26 |
Tilapia | Freshwater | Tiny | 5 – 11 | 20 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 25 |
Catfish | Freshwater | Small | 15-30 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 22 |
Environmental Hazards
Outside of combat, the environment can have hazards that deal damage to characters. Sometimes this damage is dealt normally to HP while other hazards are fatal or deal Constitution, Sanity, or even Intellect damage. The longer a character is exposed to these environments, the more damage they will take until eventual death. Listed here are the most common types of environmental damages.
Fall Damage
Whenever a character falls from a great height, they automatically take fall damage. For each Ascension level that a character falls from, they take 1d6 per Ascension level bludgeoning damage. For example, if a character falls from a height equal to Ascension 1, they only take 1d6 of bludgeoning damage and if they fall from Ascension 3 then they take 3d6 of bludgeoning damage.
Whenever a character takes fall damage from any height they must make a Constitution Save (DC 10 x Ascension Level), otherwise they become temporarily maimed by breaking a random limb, chosen by the Verse Master, dependent on how they fell. The character becomes Helpless until a First Aid check (DC 15) is made on the limb to temporarily mend the broken limb or a magical equivalent. The limb cannot be used for 1 week or until healed magically.
Ignited
Whenever a character catches on fire from natural source, they automatically gain the Panic condition and considered Ignited. For every round they are on fire they will take 1d4 Constitution damage and must make a Dexterity Save with a DC of 10 to smother the flames. If the flames are accompanied with a source (such as gasoline, oil, wax, or other flammable materials), then the DC increases by 20.
Any flammable objects on the character also take damage. Paper materials are destroyed after 2 rounds of being on fire while cloth is destroyed after 3 rounds of being on fire. After 3 rounds, the character gains permanent scarring from the fire and begins to take 1d4 Sanity damage per round with a Sanity Save that negates with a DC of 20. The character also gains the burned condition until First Aid removes the condition with a First Aid DC of 10 + 5 per round. Explosives that are on the character (such as bombs) ignite after 3 rounds and deal damage to the character as normal, per item that is ignited. Submerging a character caught on fire in water or fire retardant instantly ends the burning, and the character no longer takes damage. Once a character is no longer burning, they remain Shaken for 1 round.
Lava Exposure
If a character comes into contact with lava without proper protection they immediately begin taking damage with no save. After 1 round exposure to lava, the character beings to ignite and catches on fire, following the rules for Ignited. After 2 rounds of exposure to lava, the character becomes permanently maimed and loses 1d4 limbs chosen by the Verse Master or whichever limb is in contact with the lava if not a full body exposure. If a full body exposure, after 3 rounds of exposure to the lava the character automatically dies.
Suffocation
A character is incapable of breathing either from choking, drowning, or from being in a vacuum (airless environment) begin to suffocate. Suffocation can be postponed by holding breath (a character can hold their breath for a number of rounds equal to half of their Constitution Score). Once a character can no longer hold their breath, they begin to suffocate and as a result take 1d4 Constitution damage per round.
A character taking Constitution Damage from suffocation is inflicted with fear and must make a Sanity Save with a DC of 35 otherwise they will have the Panic condition but to get out of the situation that is suffocating them. After 5 rounds of suffocating, the character starts to take 1d4 Intellect damage with no save. A character can only end suffocation by either leaving the environment causing it or removing what is preventing breathing. If done, the character immediately ends suffocation and takes no further damage but is Shaken for 1 round.
Freezing
After prolonged exposure to cold environments, ice, or freezing waters a character begins freezing and getting frost bite. While in such environments with proper protection such as natural defenses or proper gear, the character must make a Constitution Save with a DC of 15. If the character does not have proper protection, this DC increases to 35. For every round a character remains in such an environment, the character must make the Constitution Save. If the character fails the Constitution Save, they will take 1d4 Constitution Damage but still receive the Constitution Save on the next round. After taking 3d4 worth of Constitution damage, the character will receive frost bite and gain permanent scarring and begin taking 1d4 Sanity damage with a Sanity Save that negates with a DC of 20.
Outer Space Exposure
If a character is exposed to the void of outer space without proper protection they immediately begin taking damage with no save. After 1 round of exposure, the character begins suffocating as air is forced out of their body and receive no save as per the Suffocation rules. After 2 rounds of exposure to outer space, the character takes 5d4 Constitution Damage that is cold as per the Freezing rules. After 3 rounds of exposure to outer space, the character automatically dies
Radiation
Whenever a character is exposed to high amounts of radiation such as from extended amounts of time in outer space without radiation protection, from nuclear fallout, or from highly radioactive factories, technology, or space debris they begin to take radiation damage. After 1 day of exposure to radiation without protection the character takes 1d4 Constitution damage per day of exposure. After taking 3d4 Constitution damage from the radiation then the Character gains a random Mutation.
Companions
Companions are similar to non-playable characters (NPCs) who either assist a party or an individual character except that they are not temporary or acted out by the Verse Master, such as a hired hand, a sell sword, or another important figure who temporarily assists the party. Instead, companions are typically permanent members of the party who have formed a bond or relationship with one or more members of the party who grow and level with the other players.
Companions also have their own sheets to keep track of their inventory, gear, and stats. Two types of companions exist: Character Companions and Animal Companions, both of which come in a variety of ways. All companions regardless have their own health, Mana, spells, gear, wealth, and stats. This also makes them capable of death and injury, therefore they may need to be protected but are also at times capable of assisting in combat themselves. There is no limit to the number of companions a character can have so long the Verse Master approves of them.
Whenever conducting combat with a companion, each companion receives its own initiative. The player who has the Companion Sheet acts out the companion on their companion’s turn. Mounts that are acting as a Ride receive the same turn as the Character that is riding them and share actions with them, meaning either the mount or character takes an action but not both. Some companions may need defending or might even flee combat immediately, depending on the situation. For example, a pet that cannot assist in combat will probably flee or even a young child of one of the Characters.
A Character Companion is a companion that is connected to one or more of the characters through relationships, bonds, or similar interactions. More distinctly, a Character Companion is a companion that could be a character in their own right and are sentient, non-animal, and typically of a playable race that can have their own class even. Examples are as follows.
Character Companions
Married Partner
If a character were to decide to marry an NPC, or is created as already being married, then their partner becomes a companion to them. This companion may either stay at home to watch over their property and any money they make at their full-time job which can be shared with the character or they could join them on their adventures and assist them in battle or other tasks, such as being a healer.
Family Member
A companion can take the form of a family member such as a sibling, parent, or even a child. If a married couple have a baby, the partner companion leaves the party until the baby is old enough to become a child, at which point the player can decide for the child to become a companion. Elderly parents that need assistance or siblings may also tag along in adventures, providing either wisdom or unique challenges.
Friend
Sometimes close friends can be a companion in either the form of a childhood best friend or a friend made from the military, battle, or general adventuring. These friends will typically share the same ideas as the character as they seek to go on adventures together with a shared, common goal in mind.
Servant
The companion could also be any kind of servant such as a butler, bard, jester, squire, sellsword, or any other type of servant. They will assist the character’s needs and may assist them in combat by retrieving items, being a healer, or being a living shield for them. They also can provide entertainment for them when they are bored or do skilled tasks that the character does not want to do such as building a camp or retrieving fire wood.
An Animal Companion is a companion that takes the form of an animal that traditionally is unable to speak or is a non-playable race, including monsters. Animal Companions can take on different forms and fulfill multiple tasks such as aiding in combat, being a mount, or providing needs to the party. Examples are as follows. When purchasing an animal from trainers, the cost of the animal is the CR / ASA x 100 p.
Animal Companions
Mounts
A mount is an Animal Companion that can act as a Ride for a character. Any creature can be a mount so long they are non-bipedal and at least one size category larger than the character who wishes to ride them. Whenever mounted, the Character and Companion are considered the same for the sake of Movement. Mounting a Ride Is considered a Move Action as is dismounting.
Pet
Some Animal Companions are pets whose sole purpose is to provide entertainment to a character or party. They ca do simple tricks, retrieve items, and defend their owners but are not meant for full combat although they can be used for it. Pets also tend to require a large amount of grooming and attention, but also provide endless entertainment and companionship to characters. They are often too small to be used as mounts but not necessarily.
Combatant
Whenever an Animal Companion is trained specifically to assist in combat, they become a combatant. They are trained to attack, hunt, stalk, and track targets and also defend their owners. The do not provide the entertainment that pets do but are meant entirely for combat or skill situations. They can take the form of a mount as well but not necessarily.
A Bonded Companion is any creature or object that a Character creates a soul bond with. Such bonded companions can take the form of dolls, animals, or even other characters. Bonding with a target uses the entire Mana Pool of all applicable targets and exhausts both for 1 hour. Characters can bond with more than one target but all targets bonded must become bonded in the process.
Bonded Companions
Familiar
The familiar is a magically attuned Animal Companion that assists in magic. The familiar can be any animal but does not assist in combat except by providing magical assistance. The familiar and character that is bonded to it share a Mana pool, combining the Mana pool of the character and familiar together. Any spell known by the Character can be cast by the familiar as well and vice versa. Familiars can also perform simple tasks as a pet does such as retrieving objects. Familiars can also telepathically communicate with their bonded character.
Voodoo Doll
The voodoo doll is a toy or doll that is bonded with that can assist in combat. During combat, the character can select one enemy that they select via Studied Target. This target can be attacked at range by dealing damage to the Voodoo Doll instead. The Voodooist must make a melee Touch Attack against the doll equal to the Studied Target’s Physical Dodge using either natural attacks or a weapon. Spells cast can also be cast on the doll instead and goes against the Spell Dodge of the Studied Target. Allies and companions can be Studied Target as well as enemies for spells to be cast on and it takes a Swift Action to change targets
Soul Mate
A soul mate is another character that is bonded to. When two characters bond as soul mates, they share each others Mana Pool and Health Pool as well as can cast any spell the other Character knows of. Soul mates can also communicate telepathically regardless of distance and know what the other is feeling and if they are in danger or not as well as if they have taken damage or not. The telepathic communication is considered mind-affecting effects and therefore can only be done with creatures that have a mind.