Bloodwraith Book 02 Rules

rules
credits
words by jim pinto
additional words by Alan Bahr
graphics by jim pinto
editing by Allison Heenie
art by Dave Alsop, Tamas Baranya, Daniel Commerci, Chris Grun, Rick Hershey,
Eric Lofgren, Chris Malidore, Shutterstock
cover by Daniel Commerci
special thanks to Jessica Dell, Jamie Fristrom, Felix Girke, Seth Halbeisen,
Jason Hardy, James Hargrove, Timothy Hidalgo, Jan Hill, Nathan Hillen, Mike
Leader, Sebastián Ruiz, Tomas Skucas
Based on an original conversation between jim pinto and Darren Pearce
Bloodwraith is a fantasy game setting for any rules system. It was designed and
written in roughly 60 hours, as a personal challenge to produce a usable fantasy
world after reading some poorly written PDFs. This is for spite.
Copyright 2019 © post world games and jim pinto. All rights reserved. Some of
this is based on games you recognize. Common sense should tell you what you
can and cannot reuse.
gender and diversity

This book does not care about your background. Anyone — ANYONE — can use
this book. This game is for anyone who wants a different kind of fantasy setting
and ruleset. And if you’re living in a part of the world where your ethnicity,
gender, or sexual identity is cause for debate at the gaming table, I hope you find
better people to game with.
She is the generic third-person pronoun throughout.
New Dark Ages

Now come ye children one and all
Let’s heed Ezekiel’s call
2 And bide until the word is good and ripe
And get plucked clean out of sight
— Bad Religion, New Dark Ages
contents
bloodwraith........................................................................................................ 4
character creation........................................................................................... 5
attribute scores................................................................................................. 5
character classes.............................................................................................. 8
archer................................................................................................................... 9
barbarian............................................................................................................ 12
druid.................................................................................................................... 14
fighter................................................................................................................ 18
irregular............................................................................................................ 20
scout.................................................................................................................... 22
warlock.............................................................................................................. 26
armor class and hit points............................................................................ 32
drama points...................................................................................................... 32
equipment........................................................................................................... 33
relationships..................................................................................................... 34
relationship chart.......................................................................................... 35
twenty questions............................................................................................. 36
community/enclave building........................................................................ 38 3
visions................................................................................................................. 43
playing the game.............................................................................................. 46
advancement and experience........................................................................ 46
time...................................................................................................................... 47
movement and distance.................................................................................. 47
combat................................................................................................................. 48
conditions and exceptions............................................................................ 50
interpersonal conflict.................................................................................. 55
suffering from visions.................................................................................... 57
psychological horror.................................................................................... 60
gamemaster advice........................................................................................... 64
monsters............................................................................................................. 72
designer notes.................................................................................................. 94
Bloodwraith
Bloodwraith is a fantasy roleplaying game, with old school mechanics and tragic
overtones. The setting is defined in the world book. This rulebook assumes
the gamemaster and players are at least partially aware of what the setting
has in store for them. This document explains how to play Bloodwraith using a
modified system of a tried and true game. The following pages are written in a
short-hand format, with basic rules for character creation, character classes, and
dice rolling rules.
Bloodwraith assumes players are familiar with the tropes of roleplaying games
to a minor degree. Based on the Old School Revival (OSR) genre of roleplaying
games, Bloodwraith avoids spelling out rules for everything. The gamemaster
arbitrates over anything lacking in this document. The holes are deliberate,
providing a break from needless stricture. The gamemaster always has the right
to modify the rules or make snap decisions for the benefit of play.
Bloodwraith requires two kinds of participants: players and a gamemaster.
For players, the first step in playing Bloodwraith is to create a character: a
persona she will inhabit throughout the game. This is a simple matter of rolling
dice to determine a character’s strengths and features, choosing a character
class, and determining their role in the community.
The gamemaster, however, must prepare the adventure, campaign, and
individual sessions. This is covered on page 68.
Dice
Bloodwraith uses different dice types. They are abbreviated according to the
number of dice sides.
For example, a four-sided die is noted as ‘d4.’ If a player is required to roll ‘3d4,’
she rolls three four-sided dice and adds the results together. Other die types
(six-sided, eight-sided, ten-sided, twelve-sided, and twenty-sided) follow in the
same manner (d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20, respectively).
When asked to roll d100, roll two ten-sided dice, treating the first roll as the
‘tens’ and the second as the ‘ones.’ So, if one were to roll a ‘7’ and then a ‘3,’ the
result would be 73.
The roll of two zeroes is treated as a result of ‘100,’ so you cannot roll a ‘0’ on
4 percentile dice. The lowest result possible is a ‘1.’
In general, rolling high is good and rolling low is bad.
When asked to roll 1d3, roll one six-sided die, and divide it by 2, rounding up.
A roll of 1–2 thefore becomes a ‘1,’ a roll of 3–4 becomes a ‘2,’ and a roll of 5–6
becomes a ‘3.’ Any odd-numbered die roll can be generated in this fashion.
Character creation
A character sheet organizes all necessary PC information, for the benefit of both
the gamemaster and player. For Bloodwraith, the character sheet is informal. A
simple index card will suffice. However, a character sheet appears at the back of
this book (as well as a free pdf sheet online).
The key information listed on a character sheet are attribute scores (strength,
intelligence, etc.), character class, armor class, hit points, saving throw, drama
points, bonuses, basic class abilities, attack modifiers, and visions. Equipment,
relationships, and spells are also important. All of this information combines to
provide context of who a character is. So while two characters may have similar
information or overlapping abilities, no two are ever the same.
All of this information is generated over the next few pages. It shouldn’t take
more than a few minutes to create a character and the community she lives in.
Attribute Scores
Six basic attributes represent the Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity,
Constitution, and Charisma of a character. These are measured with a numeric
value, usually between 3 and 18, though its possible to go higher or lower 5
through magical means.
Reaching ‘0’ in any attribute means certain death.
generating attribute scores

The standard method for generating attribute scores is to roll 3d6 for each
attribute in the previously mentioned order. Once those rolls have been made,
it is often obvious which character class best fits the attributes values rolled —
though, the player always has the option to play any class desired.
Note, Bloodwraith has a smaller selection of classes than most OSR games.
Once a class is selected, points from other attributes may be shifted around, but
no ability score can be reduced below 9 through this method.
Ability scores above 14 are generally considered good and below 9 are
considered poor. Depending on the gamemaster, scores of 18 are considered
exceptional and grant additional bonuses.
options
With the gamemaster’s approval, players may roll 3d6 (or 4d6, taking the best
three dice) six times and arrange the rolls however they wish. This allows players
to place the best results into abilities that best suit the type of character the
player wants to be.
Strength
Strength represents the character’s physical power. It reflects the ability to hit
and damage an opponent in hand-to-hand combat. A high Strength score (15
or higher) grants a character a +1 bonus on attack rolls while using a melee
weapon, and a low score (8 or less) incurs a –1 penalty.
The gamemaster may determine that a Strength score of 18 grants a +2 bonus
to melee attacks and damage.
Intelligence
Intelligence represents IQ, reasoning, and the ability to solve puzzles or
understand difficult concepts. A high Intelligence score grants a character an
additional language for every point above 10.
Languages in Bloodwraith include: Ahari, dwarf, elf, gaveedi, goblin, ijdani,
jarudi, new jarudi, nowasi, orc, orchoi, and toghani. Bloodwraiths communicate
through emotion and powerful visions. As such, humans may understand it, but
they can’t express anything in it. It is not a language option.
Wisdom
Wisdom determines a character’s insight, perception, and good judgment. A
character with a Wisdom score of 15 or higher gains +1 to saving throws.
The gamemaster may determine that a Wisdom score of 18 grants a +2 bonus to
saving throws.
Dexterity
Dexterity is a combination of coordination and quickness. A high Dexterity
score (15 or higher) grants a character a +1 bonus on attack rolls while using a
ranged weapon, and a low score (8 or less) grants a –1 penalty. Dexterity also
grants an equal bonus (or penalty) to armor class and initiative.
The gamemaster may determine that a Dexterity score of 18 grants a +2 bonus.
Constitution
Constitution refers to the health and endurance of a character. Character’s
begin play with hit points (see page 32) equal to their level plus Constitution
6 score. Each level, a character gains one additional hit point.
The gamemaster may determine that a Constitution score of 18 grants a +1
bonus to stamina-related saving throws.
Characters with a Constitution score below 9 are generally considered too weak
to play. With the gamemaster’s approval, either raise the Constitution score to 9
or retire the character and roll up a new one.
Charisma
Charisma refers to a character’s leadership. It also determines the number of
companions a character can lead on adventures, excursions, hunting parties,
etc. These companions include anyone from the enclave. Charisma modifies the
loyalty of these companions, as well. Companions are further addressed in the
gamemaster section.
In Bloodwraith, enclave leaders need a high Charisma score in order to keep
the community in check. This attribute also governs how many companions a
given character can command and the modifier to their loyalty. The relationship
column indicates the modifier to a character’s total number of starting
relationships. This means a character could start with none (if the gamemaster
is so inclined). These bonus relationships comes from any segment of the
enclave (see page 38).
Charisma Bonus Table

Score Companions Loyalty Relationships
3-4 1 -2 0*
5-6 2 -2 0** 7
7-8 3 -1 0
9-12 4 0 0
13-15 5 +1 0
16-17 6 +2 +1
18 7 +2 +2
* The gamemaster may determine the PC begins play with two fewer
relationships than normal, or two of those starting relationships are
rivalries.
** The gamemaster may determine the PC begins play with one fewer
relationships than normal, or one of those starting relationships is a
rivalry.
level, advancement, and Experience Points (XP)

Characters start at 1st level and advance up to 10th level. But Bloodwraith does
not use an XP system for level advancement. Instead, the gamemaster has a list
of options for level advancement on page 46. This still does not allow characters
to change their class until they reach level 10. Once a character advances beyond
level 10, she can take level 1 in any other class, gaining all the benefits of both
classes and using the best abilities and values of either. Repeat as necessary.
Effectively, a 60th level character would have six character classes, but this is
obviously silly.
character classes
Bloodwraith uses a class system. This simplifies the character creation process
and gets to the meat of the game. Classes reference bonuses and abilities that
affect combat and non-combat situations. Anything outside the rules of the
class are relative. The success of a given action that is not delineated by any of
the classes is determined by the gamemaster and players.
For instance, the archer class has an acrobatics ability. Without this ability,
characters cannot do back-flips or run on tightropes, regardless of whether or
not there is actually archer in the party. This class already delineates said ability.
Character classes contain information on armor class, saving throws bonuses,
attack bonuses (based on level), and a range of abilities. Saving throws are used
both reactively, to avoid damage from a magic spells (for instance), and actively,
to determine if a class ability works or not. As the value required to succeed at a
saving throw goes down each level, characters become more competent at their
core abilities.
Unlike traditional OSR games, characters deal damage in combat based on
their class, and not on their weapon (its the wielder over the tools). This allows
players to customize their characters based on flavor and not mechanical
benefit. There is no need for everyone to run around with greatswords. Fight
with what you want.
Swords are extremely rare in Bloodwraith. Characters use what they can find.
Armor class is also determined by class, and not by armor (with bonuses added
to a base 10). This precludes characters from combing through pages of armor
types to determine what works best under which conditions.
Bloodwraith is a roleplaying game about ragtag heroes. Characters wear
whatever they can find. Plate mail is a thing of the past.
Character classes grant bonus drama points (beyond the starting one drama
point), which is explained in detail on page 32.
Finally, there is a new concept included with each character class called
community. The rules for building an enclave community start on page 38. Each
character class confers its own benefits for the number of starting relationships
it has, with additional relationships gained through Charisma.
8
class list
There are seven classes in Bloodwraith: Archer, barbarian, druid, fighter,
irregular, scout, and warlock. Unless approved by the gamemaster, all classes
are human. Even so, there are no mechanical benefits to a character based on
species (though enemies and monsters may have them).
archer
Archers are adept with ranged weapons. While anyone can learn to fire a bow, it
takes practice to become a marksman. It takes nerves to fire an arrow through a
crowd or at a charging foe. The term archer is reserved for the very best.
Archer Advancement Table

Level Hit Points Saving Throw Attack Bonus
1 Con+1 15 0
2 Con+2 14 1
3 Con+3 13 2
4 Con+4 12 2
5 Con+5 11 3
6 Con+6 10 3
7 Con+7 9 4
8 Con+8 8 4
9 Con+9 7 5
9
10 Con+10 6 5
Acrobatics
An archer is capable of amazing physical feats. When using acrobatics, she rolls
a saving throw. If the roll is successful, the archer succeeds at the task. Acrobatic
maneuvers go well beyond the standard physical fare of climbing fences and
trees. A Dexterity-based saving throw is only required when the archer attempts
something extraordinary.
This ability can be used to make a standing jump at a distance (or height) of five
feet, plus her level or a running jump twice that distance. When using a ten-
foot pole to assist in these jumps, add an additional ten feet to distance. This
ability also allows them to walk along narrow ledges or tightropes when used
successfully, as well as scale sheer surfaces without the aid of tools.
Acrobatics also covers running silently, though at 1/3rd movement, and
remaining still — without being noticed — for lengthy periods of time.
Finally, a successful saving throw allows an archer to reduce damage suffered
from a 50-foot (or lower) fall from 5d6 to 1d6.
armor class
Archers typically stay out of harm’s way, gaining +3 to their armor class. At 6th
level, this bonus increases to +4.
community
Archers begin play with one relationship to the enclave leader (the Avag), or the
fourth-highest ranking member of the enclave (the Namak). This relationship is
determined during enclave creation (see page 38).
drama points
Archers begin play with three additional drama points.
equipment
Archers carry a compliment of equipment for fighting and travelling. They start
play with three additional small items beyond the normal five.
Note: Archers make their own arrows. They are always assumed to have roughly
20 arrows on them at any one time. Creating more is a simple matter, requiring
no more than a day to fashion another dozen or so. However, Bloodwraith does
not require players to keep track of arrows unless they want to.
hunter
Among other skills, archers also track and hunt game. This has taught them to
be patient and wait for the right moment to strike.
An archer who spends one action aiming, may claim a called shot. The archer
gains a +2 to attack on the called shot, also allowing her to attack some place
specific, fire a warning shot, or to deal extra damage. Extra damage from a called
shot is equal to the base hit bonus of the archer (minimum 1).
A called shot is most useful when hunting game, giving the archer a clean kill on
a deer or something smaller.
Saving Throw
Archers receive a +2 bonus to any saving throw made to reduce or avoid the
effects of any trap — magical or mundane.
Sharpshooter
Archers gain +2 to all ranged attack rolls and deal 1d6+2 damage when attacking
with ranged weapons. In melee combat, archers deal 1d4 damage.
10 At 4th level, the archer can attack twice per round with ranged weapons.
At 10th level, the archer can attack three times per round with ranged weapons.
Swift Runner
Archers move quicker than other humans and have a movement rate of 15
instead of the standard 12.
Barbarian
Barbarians are not cultureless thugs, given to fits of rage. They are hardy
and respected members of the enclave, concerned with protecting their
communities and way of life. Barbarians are not trained to fight, but learn to
survive through trial and error. They rely on strength and wisdom to survive.
Barbarian Advancement Table

Level Hit Points* Saving Throw Attack Bonus Savage Blow
1 Con+4 15 0 0
2 Con+5 14 1 0
3 Con+6 13 2 1
4 Con+7 12 2 1
5 Con+8 11 3 1
6 Con+9 10 3 2
7 Con+10 9 4 2
8 Con+11 8 4 2
9 Con+12 7 5 3
10 Con+13 6 5 3
armor class
Barbarians wear loose-fitting armor, but have thicker than average skin. They
gain +3 to their armor class. At 7th level, this bonus increases to +5.
community
Barbarians begin play with three relationships to citizens from the lowest class
in the community (citizens, pariahs, or tradesmen). These relationships are
determined during enclave creation (see page 38).
drama points
Barbarians begin play with one additional drama point and gain one again at
2nd, 5th, and 8th level.
12 EstaBlish Enclave
At 8th level, a barbarian with a Charisma score of 13 or higher may build a new
nomadic straggler enclave. If so, she is considered to have reached the rank
of Ishkhan (lower chief), recruiting a number of humans equal to twice her
Charisma score. These survivors swear fealty to the character.
Keen Instincts
Barbarians are keenly aware of their surroundings. A barbarian gains a +2 to any
saving throw involving sight or sound. A barbarian with a high Wisdom score
(15 or higher) gains an additional +2 to the roll.
Barbarians can detect hidden locations, traps, and vaults in the wild easier than
other humans. To discover secret places, the barbarian must succeed at a saving
throw. This does not apply to dungeon-delving or inside man-made structures
like castles and strongholds, but does apply to camouflaged tents and the like.
Barbarians cannot be surprised.
SAvage Blows
Barbarians gain +2 to all attack rolls and deal 1d10+2 damage when attacking
with melee weapons.
In ranged combat, barbarians deal 1d6 damage.
In addition, the barbarian adds her savage blow score to all damage dealt in
melee combat.
13
Saving Throws
Barbarians receive a +2 bonus to all saving throws made to resist poisons, spells,
and magical effects.
Swift Runner
Barbarians move quicker than other humans and have a movement rate of 15
instead of the standard 12.
Wilderness Survival
Barbarians are adept at surviving in the wild places of the world and are always
able to find food and water to sustain themselves when in the wilderness.
Barbarians can also set rudimentary snares and traps for catching game and/or
alerting the barbarian someone is coming — an enemy patrol for instance.
They also understand basic first aid. After a fight, a barbarian may attend to one
person. On a successful saving throw, she stops the bleeding, restoring 1 lost
HP. This will not save a character who has already fallen below 0 HPs.
In addition, barbarians start play with +3 hit points. This is already calculated
on the barbarian advancement table.
Druid
A Bloodwraith druid is akin to a medicine man or shaman. She understands
nature, can commune with spirits, and can treat illnesses. Most importantly,
druids have access to magical spells, including healing magic. They are similar to
those who practice witchcraft, but the overlap in skills is negligible.
Druid Advancement Table

1 Con+1 14 0
2 Con+2 13 0
3 Con+3 12 0
4 Con+4 11 1
5 Con+5 10 1
6 Con+6 9 2
7 Con+7 8 2
8 Con+8 7 3
9 Con+9 6 3
10 Con+10 5 4
armor class
Druids do not gain any inherent bonuses to their armor class, beyond Dexterity.
community
Druids begin play with one relationship to the Vhuk, or three relationships
to citizens from the lowest class in the community (citizens, pariahs, or
tradesmen). These relationships are determined during enclave creation (see
page 38).
the cudgel
Druids deal 1d4 damage when attacking with melee or ranged weapons.
drama points
14 Druids gain one drama point at 3rd, 5th, and 8th level.
equipment
Druids carry a large array of items beyond the normal equipment one might
possess. In addition to a host of herbs, polstices, and unguents, druids start play
with four additional ‘natural’ items.
Forestry
Druids are most at home in the wilderness, among the flora and fauna of the
world. Their understanding of forests helps them in a number of ways:
• They can track animals and humanoids in natural environments with a
successful saving throw.
• While in natural environments, druids can remain silent and unseen with a
• When a druid encounters an aggressive natural animal, she may attempt to
calm and soothe it, with a successful saving throw.
ley stone
Starting at 2nd level, druids can create magical ley stones. Ley stones emit
magical energy, allowing the druid to locate them again later. The creator of
the ley stones is already attuned to her creations, therefore she does not need
to carry one, but others can. So long as a ley stone is within one mile of her,
she knows exactly where the stone is. This requires very little concentration,
unless something has been done to obscure the stone (such as magic or some
supernatural barrier). 15
It takes a full day for a druid to find and prepare a proper stone to be imbued
with leyline essence. It is a tiring ritual, but it does not require the expenditure
of any other kind of magic. Ley stones radiates subtle divination magic, equal in
strength to the druid’s level.
A druid may not create more ley stones than she has levels. If she does, the
oldest stone burns out when a new one is created. Thus, a 5th level druid could
have up to five ley stones. But if a 6th ley stone was made, the first one would
burn out and return to its inert state.
A ley stone can be as small as a palm-sized rock to as large as a boulder. Semi-
precious and precious stones can also be used, but still need to be at least the
size of someone’s palm.
primal force
At 10th level, a druid is so in tune with nature, she becomes as powerful as the
earth. Tapping into the ancient essence of the earth, the druid can unleash a
torrent of strength and fury unmatched by any human in Gyrr.
Each round, a druid may sacrifice a spell slot to gain a bonus to attack and
damage in melee. The bonus is equal to the level of the spell being spent. For
example, an 8th level spell grants a +8 to attack and damage for one round.
Note: If the attack misses, the spell slot is still lost.
Proximity attunement
At 1st level, a druid must decide which kind of druid she is — a blood druid,
ice druid, or ruins druid. Blood druids derive an inexplicable power from the
Bloodmarshes, while ice druids draw their power from the Ice Wall (jégfal) and
ruins druid draw their power from the past. The former is not necessarily evil,
but somehow gains strength from the Bloodmarshes all the same. The two latter
druids are more in tune with nature.
Druids become stronger when they are in proximity to their attuned terrain
type. What this means is that an blood druid grows stronger when she is closer
to the Bloodmarshes and an ice druid grows stronger when she is closer to
the Ice Wall. Ruin druids draw strength from statues, ruins, and other objects
marked by the past civilization. How this power manifests is different each
time. Spells may deal more damage, heal more, a strange prophetic vision or
whisper may follow the casting of a spell, or the spell range could extend to the
edge of one’s sight.
While the gamemaster is the final arbiter of what constitutes stronger, players
are encouraged to develop creative ideas on how the druid’s increased strength
manifests.
16
Saving Throw
Druids receive a +2 bonus to all saving throws made to resist damage from cold,
fire and poisons.
Spell Casting
A druid’s most potent power is her ability to cast spells. The amount of druidic
spells she can cast each day is listed on the table below. Because the number is
limited, the druid need not prepare her spells, but rather casts from the short
list of spells available in the Bloodwraith: Magic book.
Spell levels match character levels, so a 9th level druid has access to 9th level
spells.
Each day the druid meditates in a natural location such as a cave, forest, or
grove in order to replenish their spells. This chart appears again in Bloodwraith:
Magic.
Druid Spell Advancement Table

Druid 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
Level 17
1 1 — — — — — — — — —
2 1 1 — — — — — — — —
3 1 1 1 — — — — — — —
4 2 1 1 1 — — — — — —
5 2 2 1 1 1 — — — — —
6 2 2 2 1 1 1 — — — —
7 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 — — —
8 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 — —
9 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 —
10 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1
Fighter
The fighter is trained in battle and in the use of armor and weapons. She might
be an enclave defender, a focused crusader, or an immoral raider. Unlike other
classes, fighters lack non-combat class abilities. This is the most straight-
forward class.
Fighter Advancement Table

Level Hit Points Saving Throw Attack Bonus Bonus Attacks
1 Con+1 14 0 0
2 Con+2 13 1 0
3 Con+3 12 2 0
4 Con+4 11 3 0
5 Con+5 10 3 1
6 Con+6 9 4 1
7 Con+7 8 4 1
8 Con+8 7 5 1
9 Con+9 6 5 1
10 Con+10 5 6 2
armor class
Fighters typical wear light, effective armor, and are particularly adept at
quickly donning and caring for it. They gain +5 to their armor class. This bonus
increases to +8 at 6th level.
Combat ready
Fighters gain additional attacks based on their level, as indicated on the fighter
advancement table.
Fighters deal 1d8 damage when attacking with melee or ranged weapons.
Starting at 6th level, fighters deal 1d10 damage.
Whenever a foe rolls a critical failure against the fighter, that foe suffers 1 hit
point of damage in addition to any other effects.
18 community
Fighters begin play with one relationship to the fourth-highest ranking member
of the enclave (the Namak), or two relationships with tradesmen. These
relationships are determined during enclave creation (see page 38).
drama points
Fighters gain one drama point at 3rd, 6th, and 9th level.
equipment
Fighters are like pack mules when travelling overland. In addition to the normal
allotment of gear, they start play with three additional pieces of equipment, one
of which must be a signature weapon.
Establish Enclave
At 9th level, a fighter with a Charisma score of 13 or higher may build a new
enclave. If so, she is considered to have reached the rank of Avag (chief),
recruiting a number of humans equal to ten times her Charisma score.
Survivors swear fealty to the character and help build the new enclave.
They speak the main language of the fighter.
martial prowess
Starting at 5th level and again at 8th level, the fighter learns a new manuever
selected from the list below:
• Disarm: When a foe rolls a critical failure, the fighter makes a saving throw.
If successful, the foe is disarmed.
• Mighty Blow: When a foe rolls a critical failure, increase the damage
suffered by the foe from 1 to 2.
• Shield Bash: When a foe rolls a critical failure, the fighter makes a saving
throw. If successful, the foe is pushed back 5 feet (along with the fighter
who follows up).
Saving Throw
Fighters gain a +2 bonus on saving throws vs. death and poison.
Unwavering fortitude
A fighter may remain standing up and fighting without penalty until she reaches
a number of negative hit points equal to her level. If she exceeds this limit, the
fighter immediately drops dead. Once the battle concludes, the fighter dies in
1d6 rounds unless she receives immediate healing to restore her to at least 1 HP.
Weapon Specialization
Fighters are trained in nearly all weapons. However, each fighter has a preferred
weapon, which is selected at character creation. When wielding her specialized
weapon, the fighter gains a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls. At 5th level,
the fighter gains specialization in a second weapon of her choice.
Irregular
Irregulars are not properly trained to fight in formation. Instead, they use
unusual (sometimes guerrilla) tactics to accomplish their ends. The enemy can’t
anticipate an irregular soldier’s attack and therefore cannot plan for it.
irregular Advancement Table

1 Con+1 13 0 0
2 Con+2 12 1 0
3 Con+3 11 1 0
4 Con+4 10 2 0
5 Con+5 9 2 0
6 Con+6 8 3 1
7 Con+7 7 3 1
8 Con+8 6 4 1
9 Con+9 5 4 1
10 Con+10 4 5 1*
Ambush
Irregulars catch foes unaware and strike from positions of advantage. When an
irregular is alone and attacks an unaware opponent with a melee weapon, she
gains a +2 bonus to attack. If successful, the irregular deals 2d6 damage. This
damage increases to 3d6 at 10th level.
Irregulars also take advantage of enemy weaknesses. If the irregular studies an
enemy for at least 30 minutes, she doubles her attack bonus for a number of
attacks equal to her level. E.g. a 5th level irregular gains +4 (instead of +2) for
up to five attacks.
armor class
Irregulars are agile and light-footed. They gain +1 to their armor class per level
(i.e. a 5th level irregular gains +5 to her armor class). This bonus is lost when
the irregular stands directly next to an ally.
20
Combat ready
Irregulars gain additional attacks based on their level, as indicated on the
irregular advancement table. At 10th level, an irregular who kills a foe in one
strike gains one additional attack against an adjacent foe, once per round.
Irregulars deal 1d6 damage in melee or ranged combat.
community
Irregulars begin play with four relationships with community outcasts. These
death by one thousand cuts

Whenever an irregular rolls maximum damage against an opponent, that
opponent’s movement rate is cut in half (rounding up) for 1d6 days.
Starting at 6th level, whenever an irregular would reduce a foe to ‘1’ hit point,
the foe is reduced to ‘0’ hit points instead. At 10th level, this ability increases to
include foes reduced to ‘1’ or ‘2’ hit points.
drama points
Irregulars begin play with four additional drama points, but never regain them
through any normal methods. If the group is ever awarded drama points by the
gamemaster, the irregular receives two less than the rest of the party would.
Irregulars can never spend drama points on Charisma-based rolls.
hideout 21
At 6th level, an irregular may build a small shelter (hideout) in the wilderness
that no one else can find. A hideout holds 1d4 additional people comfortably,
allowing a safe place to hide or rest in times of trouble for 1d6 days before they
must move on. Visitors can never recall exactly how to find a hideout again.
legion
Irregulars use unconventional tactics, taking advantage of exposed enemies.
An irregular who spends one action preparing to strike against an already
engaged enemy gains a +4 on the next attack roll and +2 to damage. An irregular
must disengage from the fight to use this ability against the same foe again.
Lightning Reflexes
Irregulars with a high Dexterity (15 or higher) gain an additional +1 bonus to
armor class and initiative. In addition, they are only surprised on a roll of 1–3
on 1d20 when rolling for surprise.
Regardless of the initiative system being used, irregulars never join any
given side in a battle. They always determine initiative separately and act
independently of any group.
Saving Throw
Irregulars receive a +2 bonus to any saving throw made to reduce or avoid the
effects of any trap, magical or mundane.
Scout
One part guardian, one part hunter, and one part eyes and ears of the enclave,
the scout is an agile all-arounder. They are excellent couriers and messengers,
traversing the wilderness alone or with archers and irregulars, at breakneck
speeds. They are clearly more than the sum of their parts.
scout Advancement Table

1 Con+1 14 0 0
2 Con+2 13 0 0
3 Con+3 12 1 0
4 Con+4 11 1 0
5 Con+5 10 2 0
6 Con+6 9 2 1
7 Con+7 8 3 1
8 Con+8 7 3 1
9 Con+9 6 4 1
10 Con+10 5 5 1
always moving
Scouts can move quickly, in and out of a fight. Once per combat, a scout can
move up to 10’ away, disengaging from a fight without consequence.
armor class
Scouts typically wear light armor. They gain +3 to their armor class. At 6th level,
this bonus increases to +4, and at 10th level, this bonus increases to +5.
Scouts with Dexterity of 15 or higher gain an additional +1 bonus to armor
class. Scouts with Intelligence of 15 or higher gain an additional +1 bonus to
armor class. These bonuses stack with all other armor class bonuses.
community
Scouts begin play with one relationship to the third-highest ranking member
22 of the enclave (the Ishkhan), and two relationships with pariahs. These
drama points
Scouts begin play with two additional drama points, gaining one additional
drama point at 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels.
Establish Enclave
At 10th level, a scout with a Charisma score of 13 or higher may build a new
enclave. If so, she is considered to have reached the rank of Avag (chief),
recruiting a number of humans equal to thrice her Charisma score, though the
followers come from numerous places throughout Gyrr. Survivors swear fealty to
the character and help build the new enclave.
Keen Senses
Scout must be ever aware of their surroundings, watching for ambushes and
enemy nests. A scout with a Wisdom score of 15 or higher gains a +2 to any
saving throw involving sight or sound.
Scouts can detect ambushes, camouflage, hidden doors, and traps with a
In addition, they are only surprised on a roll of 1–3 on 1d20 when rolling for
surprise at the beginning of combat.
Scouts gain +1 to their initiative rolls. A scout with a Wisdom score of 15 or
higher gains a +2 instead.
messenger
Scouts can travel overland faster than anyone. When travelling alone and
outside of combat, a scout has a base movement rate of 18.
Scouts also have their own symbol-based language that only other scouts can
read. Messages left are simple, but effective. Typical messages indicate danger,
point out directions, or indicate a safe, but hidden, camp site (among others).
In addition, a scout can memorize a message (perfectly) with a number of words
equal to her Intelligence score.
Scouts speak and understand one additional language.
resourceful
Scouts can make weapons from nearly anything. Even when disarmed, they
always have another hidden weapon at the ready.
Scouts deal 1d6 damage in melee or ranged combat.
24
saving throw
Scouts with an Intelligence or Wisdom score of 15 or higher receive a +1 bonus
to all saving throws.
Scrape By
Hungry scouts can find just enough food and water to sustain themselves for a
number of consecutive days equal to their level after two hours of foraging and
a successful saving throw. Scouts may attempt this roll once per day.
They can also can also set rudimentary snares and traps for catching game and/
or alerting the scout someone is coming — an elf patrol for instance — with a
Traveler’s Trinkets
Scouts pick up various pieces of equipment in their travels. Unlike other classes,
scouts do not need to keep an equipment list. Instead, when a scout needs
a piece of small, mundane, non-magical gear — flint and steel, a campknife,
string — the scout spends 1d6+1 rounds looking through her gear. If the scout
succeeds at a saving throw, she finds the item among her belongings.
vagabond
Scouts typically travel alone. They make do with what is around them, often
camping wherever they can find a place to sleep. As such, scouts require half the 25
rest of other classes, often getting by with periodic cat naps. After a number of
days of this equal to her level, a scout must rest take a full night’s rest before
returning to her ‘cat naps.’
wilderness landmarks
Scouts are most at home in the wilderness. They use natural landmarks to
navigate their way through dense forests and across open fields.
They can track animals and humanoids in natural environments with a
While in natural environments, scouts can remain silent and unseen with a
At 3rd level, a scout gains one personal landmark. The scout gains a second
landmark at 7th level, and a third landmark at 10th level. A personal landmark
is either a cave (for resting), cliff side (for scouting), game trail (for hunting),
glade (for foraging), or watering hole. These landmarks are at least 50 miles
from the enclave and can always be found by the scout while traveling.
Warlock
Warlocks are a catch-all category of magical characters. Anything from a blood-
mage consorting with supernatural forces to a witch who brews potions falls
into the ranks of a warlock. Warlocks select a magic type from the Bloodwraith:
Magic book, which determines the number of spells they cast per day as well as
the spells they have access to.
warlock Advancement Table

1 Con+1 15 0
2 Con+2 14 0
3 Con+3 13 0
4 Con+4 12 1
5 Con+5 11 1
6 Con+6 10 1
7 Con+7 9 2
8 Con+8 8 2
9 Con+9 7 2
10 Con+10 6 3
26
armor class
Warlocks gain no inherent bonuses to armor class, beyond Dexterity.
community
Warlocks begin play with one relationship to the Vhuk and one relationship
to a citizen or tradesman. These relationships are determined during enclave
creation (see page 38).
drama points
Warlocks gain one drama point at 4th level and another at 7th level. Some (but
not all) warlocks gain additional drama points based on their magic type, as
detailed in Bloodwraith: Magic.
Forsaken Lore
Some warlocks know things about the world, beyond human comprehension.
Others gain visions, providing insight to the great beyond. On a successful
saving throw, the warlock recalls the lore and history surrounding creatures
and objects associated with bloodwraiths, curses, the infernal, the undead, and 27
other forms of forbidden knowledge. This includes identifying the history of
certain magical items and the characteristics of some monsters. In addition,
Forsaken Lore also allows a warlock to notice when an individual is under the
influence of mind-affecting magic or suffering from a curse.
Note: The style of this lore is based on the magic type chosen under spell
casting on the next page. Players and gamemasters are encouraged to find
creative ways how this knowledge is bestowed upon their characters.
magical affinity
Warlocks are attuned to the magical world. Any magical item or person within
10 feet per level can be sensed, though the strength and type of magic cannot
be directly known. This power is passive and requires no concentration.
magical foci
Regardless of the spell type selected, warlocks do not require material
components to cast spells. Players are welcome to add creative elements like this
to play, but they are not required. However, some spellcasters choose to create a
foci attuned to themselves. At 3rd level, a warlock may create a magical item to
help cast spells. Each foci is unique and no two warlocks create them the same
way. Intuition and supernatural forces are at play here and only the warlock
knows exactly what to make for herself. The foci takes the shape of something
meaningful to the caster. Once per day, the foci can be used to enhance a cast
spell, increasing all of its effects as though the caster was one level higher.
rituals
Warlocks may turn any spell they can cast into a ritual. Rituals cannot be
performed in combat, but rather take at least 30 minutes per level to cast. Each
ritual is unique and players are encouraged to find creative ways to express each
one. Once cast, the ritual spell produces an effect as though the warlock was two
levels higher and the effective spell range is doubled. If there is a cost associated
with the spell, reduce the cost by 1 (minimum 1). This bonus can be combined
with the warlock’s foci, if appropriate.
Saving Throw
Warlocks receive a +2 bonus on saving throws vs. spells — including those cast
from magic items.
soldiering on
Warlocks deal 1d4 damage when attacking with melee or ranged weapons.
Spell Casting
Warlock are born with magic. They learn, through repetition what works and
what does not. Warlocks gain a certain number of spells based on their magic
type, as explained in the Bloodwraith: Magic book, as well as the ability to cast
them. Each magic type is different.
• Abhorrent Magic
• Blood Magic
• Dwarven Earth Magic*
• Elven Truth Magic*
• Sorcery
• The Testament**
• Witchcraft
Dwarven and elven magic (*) are limited to dwarves and elves, respectively,
though gamemasters and players are welcome to invent reasons a human
character might be born with this magic.
The testament (**) is a unique bond of faith. Warlocks who take a covenant do
28 so without knowing what power (if any) they receive in return. Such warlocks
are not truly spell-casters, but devoted soldiers of the sleeping dead gods.
Each day the warlock wakes refreshed with her spell slots restored, though
players are welcome to invent rituals for the day’s spell preparation if they like.
Spell levels match character levels, so a 7th level warlock has access to 7th level
spells.
armor class and Hit Points
A character’s armor class determines the value required to strike the character
in combat on the roll of a 1d20. This is explained in detail on page 48. Each
character and character class has its own unique armor class based on many
factors. Bloodwraith uses an ascending armor class system, meaning the higher
the number is, the harder it is to hit that person. An armor class of 15, requires
a die roll of 15 or higher to hit (after all bonuses have been calculated).
armor class
All characters start with an Armor Class of 10, modified by class and Dexterity.
hit points
Hit points (HP) represent the amount of damage a character can suffer before
dying. HP is determined by using the character’s Constitution score and adding
her level. For example, a first level fighter with 13 Constitution starts play with
14 HP. That same character at fourth level would have a 17 HP.
Some classes gain additional hit points due to survival traits and so on.
drama points
Each character starts play with one drama point and gains more during stressful
situations (as determined by the gamemaster), including critical failures. Drama
points can be used in a number of situations, including rerolling dice (except
when a player rolls a ‘1’), taking over for five minutes of plastic time (see page
67), gaining a bonus action, maximizing damage, ignoring spell requirements
for one spell, and changing the results of loyalty tests — just to name a few.
Essentially, drama points are used to break the rules and/or change the focus
of play. Once spent, drama points are gone and do not return until such time as
the rules state. A character can spend a drama point to take over a scene, reroll
a failed die, heal faster, avoid a certain amount of damage (determined by the
GM), use a special ability again, recast a spell, and so on. The only limitation is
the gamemaster’s approval.
In general, drama points are gained whenever a character critically fails a die
roll, suffers a vision, or sits out of the story for too long — and ultimately, the
gamemaster decides when that is. Some character classes also start play with
more drama points and/or regain them at a faster rate.
32
At the end of an adventure, gamemasters should award between one and three
dram points to the party, based on group achievements and the overall difficulty
of the adventure. Individual drama point gains are built into every character
class and gamemasters are not required to award additional points out in this
manner.
Equipment
People carry whatever they can make, barter for, scavenge, or claim. Most exotic
items come from the dead or are stolen. During character creation, characters
start with five specific items of equipment, plus any bonus items from their
class. These items can be anything from an abacus to a coil of rope to a bag of
nails to an oxen yoke. Characters also begin with armor, one or two weapons,
and clothing. Only keep track of arrows if that’s important to the campaign.
Food and Water

Every gamemaster has her own way of handling rations and water. Some
gamemasters expect players to keep track of ever piece of hardtack and jerky,
while others don’t care at all. This is a game about survival. Food, shelter, and
water are important components. But this can easily be reflected through
background elements rather than hard math. If the gamemaster wishes to
make food supplies an issue, she can create an adventure about it rather
than punishing the players with accounting. A shorthand system for survival
is to assume the PCs are never eating enough when they are away from the
enclave. PCs can remain outside the enclave for a number of days equal to their
Constitution scores, with each day beyond that costing one hit point. 33
armor
Armor better than chainmail is non-existent, while chainmail itself is
uncommon. Leather, scale mail, and the equivalent armor types are most
common for adventurers, though an elf or dwarf might wear something nicer —
if you can get it off them and make it fit.
equipment
Any gear that requires advanced forging techniques is hard to come by. Most
everything is made from animal hides, animal stomachs, burlap, canvas, cloth,
fur, intestine, leather, rope, or wool. The rougher and more rugged the material,
the better. Making something once — and having it last — is better for most
communities than cheaply made goods.
weapons
Forging weapons is not easy. Finding a place to set up an anvil, heat coals, and
then hammer iron into shape is a luxury in Gyrr. Weapons with wooden handles
are preferred over anything made from four pounds of metal.
swords
Swords are extremely rare. Few bladesmiths know how to make them, so most
people carry axes, hammers, and spears. If someone finds a sword, it is generally
ten times the price one expects in other settings.
relationships
Traditional roleplaying games assume relationships of adventurous intent, but
good stories are built when players develop relationships beyond glory and
greed. Characters are not born inside vacuums. Most, in fact, know each other
and/or come from the same village. Strangers do not just meet in a tavern
and hope to get along inside the dungeon. It’s a good idea to establish how the
characters know each other before the game starts.
Relationships are determined by choosing two characters (one is usually your
own) and drawing one random poker card from a deck, comparing the result
against the chart on the next page. The characters in question share this
relationship.
expressing relationship values

The descriptions are purposely vague, as specificity is the job of the players. For
instance, the ♣10 reflects a relationship of family and trust. Alone, these words
mean nothing. However, the characters sharing this relationship may define it
as an ongoing issue of trust between two brothers who have lied to each other
since childhood. As an example.
Relationships are dynamic. They can be positive or negative, but they are
never easy. In most cases, two players can easily work out relationship details.
However, there are instances when two players do not want their characters
romantically involved or kinfolk. The suits and values are prompts, not
absolutes. Family could be in-laws. A romantic relationship might be two
characters who were once involved with (or chasing after) the same person.
Community is as simple as knowing each other from the enclave, indicating a
shallow relationship. There are numerous ways to interpret these terms.
community relationships
Characters may have relationships with the community as a whole, or individual
people living in that community. The gamemaster should produce a small list of
important NPCs living in the enclave with the main characters. Relationships
with NPCs aid the PCs in their ability to keep the enclave alive. The gamemaster
section has advice on using relationships in game.
34
enclaves
Page 38 details advice for gamemasters on how to build enclaves and which
details are most important to the setting. Building the enclave before character
creation allows the PCs to add themselves into an already established
environment. Building the enclave afterwards puts the characters at the center
of the community, as the details grow around who they are. Building both
together makes everyone’s choices matter.
relationship chart
The following chart is for characters in Bloodwraith. One playing card is drawn
for each pair of characters who share a relationship.
Suit
♣ Family/Long-Term
♦ Friends/Rivals
♥ Romantic*
♠ Community
value
A Unrequited
2 Codependent or Sycophantic
3 Confusing or Complex
4 Divided or Estranged 35
5 Inspirational
6 Burdensome
7 Indebted
8 Betrothed
9 Reliable or Supportive
10 Trust
J Buried Secrets
Q Compassionate
K Comrades-in-Arms
Joker Took Oaths Together
* There is little room for traditional romance in Gyrr. Romantic

relationships are defined as anything in the sexual–love-marriage
spectrum. Players should work out the level of detail they are
comfortable with and not force a situation outside their boundaries.
twenty questions
Before, during, or after character creation, each player should answer two or
three of the following questions about their characters and/or environment
before the adventure/campaign can begin. Some questions allow the players to
implicate another PC or NPC. Know the boundaries of others before imposing
untenable answers onto them.
1. Why have you lost your faith? What will it take to restore it?
2. How did your parents die? Did you witness it or hear about it later?
3. What about the enclave do you value the most?
4. Who among you is being eyed for a position among the elders?
5. What law was recently enacted that affects you personally? How?
6. Who among the enclave has become your confidant?
7. Who has wronged you and you, in turn, them? How?
What are the lasting consequences of this?
8. Who refuses to be alone with you? Why?
How does this affect your work in the enclave?
9. What function do you have inside the enclave beyond defenses?
10. How did you lose your eye? Who finds your scars abhorent?
11. Where do you go to be alone? How precious is privacy to you?
12. Why do you have more free time than most?
13. Why do your parents continue to track the family lineage?
14. Why do you keep your “sacred” medallion a secret from others?
15. Why do you bear a limp? What happened? Why won’t it heal?
16. Who among you refuses to stand guard at night? Why?
17. Who among you goes days without rest, only to crash and sleep for
hours on end? What haunts her?
18. Name and describe a nearby glade the others considered foul and
tainted (but you still visit)?
19. Name and describe an outsider from another enclave, who has
36 joined your community. Define your relationship to her.
20. Name and describe a member of the inner circle of your enclave.
What makes her so reliable or quick to make snap decisions. Define
your relationship to her.
Community/Enclave Building
Bloodwraith provides a unique community setting for fantasy roleplaying
games. Characters are not friendless thugs roaming the country side in search of
gold, but rather they are tied together with other people in a given community.
Depending on play style, gamemasters may wish to build the enclave before the
first session, after the first session, or with the players during the first session.
The ingredients of the enclave are simple.
• Where in Gyrr is it located and what geographical features mark the area
around the enclave?
• How big is it? How often does it move?
• What sustains it? How do people eat and defend themselves?
• Who are the important people in the community?
This final ingredient takes the most time to define.
important npcs
While different enclaves have different languages — and therefore different
words to describe community ranks — the following list includes generally
accepted terms in Gyrr for positions of authority and status ranks within a
community. Gamemasters and players are welcome to ignore the language of
the game and just use terms like chief, seneschal, etc.
Each NPC needs a name, rank, and at least one affectation that makes her
unique. Each character has relationships to the NPCs based on her class
abilities, as described in each character class section. The relationships define
how important a specific character is to the community as well as their level of
responsibility.
Note: Some enclaves do not have leaders and some lack all the titles below.
Make educated guesses when building a community.
38
relationships and relationship mapping
In communities of 50 to 150, everyone knows everyone else. But the term
‘relationship’ in Bloodwraith indicates a deeper level of knowing someone (even
if it’s a bad relationship) beyond just knowing who they are. Everyone knows
the enclave Avag (chief), but that does not mean they know her well. Or have a
relationship of value.
Characters with relationships to key NPCs gain certain benefits, as explained
under each title. Most relationships grant additional drama points. These drama
points must be spent in a way that relates to the NPC. For instance, a character
with a tradesman relationship spends one drama point to quickly repair
her armor. In the story, she clearly learned this talent from someone in the
community and this can now come into play through a short vignette.
For more information on drama points, see page 39.
A relationship map is a matrix of all the important characters in the story and
how they relate to one another. Gamemasters should generate a list of all the
important NPCs and draw a map of whom knows who, including the PCs in the
map. This can be done like a ‘crime wall,’ with index cards and names pointing to
who knows who. 39
Cutting out artwork from a card game and taping it to the index cards might
help the players visualize who is who in the community.
The Avag
Also known as the chief. Some communities have councils of shared authority,
while others have a single leader. However, the Avag is the single most
important decision maker in most enclaves. Knowing her is status unto itself.
Characters with an Avag relationship gain one additional drama point at the
beginning of the campaign, which can only be spent dealing with NPC enclave
members diplomatically. The character gains another drama point at 6th level.
Example: A PC needs to enter someone’s tent who is difficult to deal with.
She doesn’t want to enter through force and reminds the NPC of her close
relationship to the Avag, spending a drama point in the process. Not only does
the NPC step aside, she becomes compliant and cooperative.
The Himnakhan
The Himnakhan is the second in command, serving as the right hand to
the Avag. The Himnakhan is most likely to deal with day to day issues of the
enclave, leaving the Avag to focus on bigger headaches.
Characters with a Himnakhan relationship gain one additional drama point at
the beginning of the campaign, which can only be spent dealing with day to day
issues of the enclave. The character gains another drama point at 6th level.
The Ishkhan
More of a seneschal than a commander, the Ishkhan is the third in line of
enclave power. The Ishkhan works closely with the Namak to get communities
ready to move and so on. Not all enclaves have an Ishkhan. If none of the
characters have an Ishkhan relationship due to their character class, consider
excluding the rank from play.
Characters with a Ishkhan relationship gain one additional drama point at the
beginning of the campaign, which can only be spent dealing with outsiders. The
character gains another drama point at 6th level.
The Namak
Fourth in command in most communities, the Namak is the community
guardian, tasked with more responsibilities than anyone else. The Namak is
always some kind of warrior type and a veteran of numerous hostile exchanges
with dwarves, elves, and so on.
Characters with a Namak relationship gain one additional drama point at
the beginning of the campaign, which can only be spent while defending the
enclave. The character gains another drama point at 6th level.
Vhuk
Vhuk (both singular and plural) is a catagory of spiritualist — druids, shamans,
warlocks, witches, etc. — who often act in an advisory or medicinal role within
an enclave. Some communities may not have a Vhuk, while others employ sages
or natural healers.
Characters with a Vhuk relationship gain one additional drama point at the
beginning of the campaign, which can only be spent dealing with nature or
spirits. The character gains another drama point at 6th level.
Tradesmen
Trademen is a catch all category of people who work with some kind of skill.
Blacksmiths, coopers, tanners, weavers, and so on. Tradesmen are generally
valued in the community above farmers and basic laborers.
Characters with a tradesmen relationship gain one additional drama point at
the beginning of the campaign, which can only be spent dealing with a specific
trade. Once spent, this point is never regained.
40 citizens
Citizens are everyone else who do not fit neatly into any of the other categories
of enclave members. They are farmers, laborers devoid of trade skills, or any of a
host of people just surviving through the day.
Characters with a citizen relationship gain a +3 to their Charisma score for
determining that specific citizen’s Morale.
pariahs
Pariahs are the lowest member of the enclave. They are dregs, outcasts, and
vagabonds. Some live on the edge of the enclave and some merely drain the
community of its resources, offering nothing in return. Most enclaves have only
a few pariahs, but everyone knows who they are.
Characters with a pariah relationship gain a +2 to their Charisma score for
determining each pariah’s Loyalty score.
calling in favors (optional)

Because of the nature of the enclave, everyone knows everyone. To a degree.
People generally help one another, as cooperation is the key to survival. PCs
may call upon others in the enclave for favors. Once per session, a PC may turn
to an NPC she has a relationship with and ask a favor. Approval of the favor is
up to the gamemaster, but should be based upon the scale of the favor being
asked and the standing of the PC, presently, in the enclave.
A PC who has been acting like an ass is unlikely to get help. Logic still holds
in these situations.
This favor reduces a PC’s Charisma score by 1, until the end of the session. 41
visions
Ever since the fall of the gods, people have been haunted by messages they
cannot decipher. All characters suffer visions. For most, it is always the same
vision. Nonetheless, they are cryptic and inconvenient. Each PC determines her
own ominous vision, either randomly or by selecting from the list below. This
list provides flavor, while the rules for visions appear on page 57.
1. Assaulted by demon spirits; flesh torn from arms and face.
2. A burning wheel in the sky, spinning ever clockwise and upward.
3. A circle of cultists chant the names of dead gods, in unison.
4. A cloudy and colorless sky rolls backwards as the moon rises and
the sun shrinks.
5. The repetitive and wet sound of coughing emanates from an
unmarked grave.
6. A crumbling temple teeters on its edge, never falling, but never
righting itself, either. A deformed and swollen cat speaks
backwards and in rhyme.
43
7. Dwarven drummers pound out a human dirge.
8. Eight spears hold aloft the dead body of a vaguely elven figure.
9. Four glowing eyes spin around the body of a dead calf.
10. A father and mother wear bloody aprons and stand before a hearth,
hands barely touching at the fingertips.
11. Flies buzz around the rotting remains of a half-dead cow.
12. The ghostly image of a lost friend watches someone sleeping.
13. A goblin, in chains, claws at her own skin in an attempt to remove
her shackles.
14. Haunting, indescribable images from the bleeding realm, repeat like
a broken kaleidoscope.
15. An ivory-handled dagger drips with blood over a melting wax pool.
16. Lovers hung upside down like slabs of meat.
17. Magical lines intersect against a vague, cosmic shape and texture.
18. Six dead people, locked arm in arm, stand before the gates of an
unknown and unseen place.
19. Someone is stabbed repeatedly by a blood elf, while a dog howls in
the distance.
20. Two (bloodless) soldiers stab one another for eternity.
Playing the Game
Once characters are created, the gamemaster sets the tone for the campaign.
Some of this is in voice and some of it is not. Establishing the enclave, who
knows whom (and how), and what to expect can only be done informally. The
gamemaster and players are just people setting expectations and getting their
feet firmly planted in what is to come.
Once the game starts, the gamemaster takes on a particular voice (like a
narrator) and begins the conversation of roleplaying, which is a high-brow way of
saying “gaming.” The gamemaster describes where the characters are and what
they can see. The game might start in a rural peasant village, a decrepit and
falling castle, a noisy tavern, or on the edge of the enclave.
The conversation continues when the players describe how their characters
behave and react to the environment. Walking down stairs, attacking a dragon,
talking to other people, sharpening weapons, etc. — everything the players are
in control of.
Nobody puts Baby in a corner.
The gamemaster in turn responds to the PCs, describing the results of their
actions: the stairs lead down 120 feet to a massive, poorly-lit tomb, the dragon
breaths fire and cooks the characters, people generally avoid your gaze, etc.
For the most-part, roleplaying games lack rules governing how these operations
take place. Which is good. Gamemasters and players should feel free to behave
outside the constraints of codified rules. Rules, therefore, should only deal with
conflict, when two people want something and are at odds: Abe wants the last
beer, the dragon wants to eat you, the stairs are trying to kill you.
The rules handle combat, movement, healing, dying, and other important parts
of the game which require arbitration outside a single person’s purview.
Basically, the gamemaster and players work together to tell stories, with the
gamemaster handling the details of the environment, and PCs handling the
details of their characters. And when those things collide, roll dice.
advancement and Experience

Traditional fantasy roleplaying games use experience to denote when a
46 character has satisfactorily completed a “stage of development” and gains more
numeric bonuses. In Bloodwraith, the characters advance when the gamemaster
decides, but generally this is at the end of a number of sessions equal to the PCs’
present level, so at the end of session one, they advance to level two. After two
more sessions, they advance to level three. Three sessions later… ad infinitum.
Conversely, they advance every session or at the conclusion of an adventure.
Whatever feels right.
Time
Time is an inevitable measure of reality. There are only so many hours in a day
and only so much we can do with the time we have. Existential arguments aside,
the players only have a few hours to play each week and the characters only have
so much time in their lives to ‘save the world.’ Time must somehow be measured
to understand what can and cannot be accomplished on someone’s turn.
In general, time passes smoothly and without incident. There is no need to
measure every moment at the table, nor a need to roleplay every second of a
character’s life. The gamemaster makes general rulings on the passage of time
(e.g. “A few hours later…”), which is governed by common sense. This is referred
to as plastic time, the idea being that while five minutes has passed at the table,
two weeks may have passed in the adventure/story.
Plastic time is especially useful when the PCs have a time limit to get
something done. Gamemasters can merely refer to the ‘plastic clock.’
Two important time measurements merit definition: turns and rounds. Turns
last ten minutes. They measure and track actions, movement, and resources
when characters are in dangerous places. Rounds are shorter — lasting roughly
one minute — and are used during battles to account for more specific ‘blow by 47
blow’ actions. Though, this too is a little abstract.
Movement and distance

The standard movement rates is 12, which is further modified by the amount
of gear a character carries. To keep the system simple, a character can carry
a number of items up to her Strength score before becoming encumbered.
Encumbered characters have their movement cut in half (round up). These rates
are further modified by the type of movement.
Movement Type Adjustment

Careful Half of Rate
Normal Average Rate
Running 2x Average Rate
Distances are measured in abstract terms, but with concrete terms.
Gamemasters may employ modifiers to ranged attacks at specific ranges:
0/–1/–2, for example.
Range Adjustment
Short 15 feet
Medium 60 feet
Long 120 feet
Combat
Whenever the characters are in a situation that cannot be resolved peacefully,
combat starts.
Note: Fantasy game veterans may find this system different.
Before the fight can start, it’s important to determine if either side is surprised.
An ambush is automatic surprise. Otherwise, each player rolls 1d20 and on a
1–5, her character is surprised, though some monsters and classes reduce this
value to 1–3.
The gamemaster does the same thing for the enemy, grouping larger enemies
into squads so she doesn’t have to roll for every single dwarf in a 200-man army.
Surprised characters do not act during the first round of combat.
initiative
Players roll 1d20 for initiative for each of their respective characters, adding
any respective bonuses. The gamemaster does the same thing for the enemy.
Numbers are tracked for each character on a list called a bullpen. Initiative is
only rolled once for the entire combat encounter.
Characters act in initiative order, with the highest result going first, descending
down to the lowest value before the combat round ends and the cycle begins
anew. A character may choose to use her action to reset her initiative, adding
+10 to her initiative, thus reordering the bullpen.
Combat continues until one side is dead, routs, or surrenders.
Note: Some people prefer the traditional ‘group vs. group’ initiative system.
If that’s the preferred method, these rules will not contradict that system.
hit dice
Hit Dice (HD) represents the relative level of a given monster. A monster’s
HD indicates the number of dice (d8) rolled before combat to determine an
individual creature’s HP. A plus or minus after the number indicates the value to
add or subtract from the total rolled. To streamline this system, simply multiply
the HD of a monster by 4.5 (rounding up) to determine its starting hit points.
48 actions
Characters have the options of a number of different actions during combat,
including attacking, casting spells, moving, preparing equipment, and running
away (to name a few). Most actions do not require a die roll, except attack rolls
and saving throws. Attack rolls are active actions rolled on a specific player’s
combat round action. Most saving throws are reactive and rolled as a result of
someone else’s combat round action.
The Attack Roll
Whenever a character or monster attacks an opponent, she rolls 1d20, adding
all combat bonuses to the result. These bonuses include the character’s base
class attack bonus, special abilities, Dexterity (for ranged attacks), Strength (for
melee attacks), and any magical bonuses. Monsters simply add their HD to the
attack roll, plus any bonuses listed under the monster’s tactics.
Most of this is calculated before the fight begins. There are no surprises.
Combat runs smoothly when everyone knows what they are doing.
• If the result is equal to or greater than the target’s AC, the attack hits and
damage dice are rolled.
• If the result is less than the target’s AC, the attack results in 1 point of
damage (and no more).
A natural roll of a ‘1’ or ‘20’ is considered a critical failure or critical hit, as
detailed on page 50.
Melee Attack
A melee attack is an attack with a hand-held weapon. Two combatants within
five feet of each other are considered to be in melee. 49
Ranged Attack
Ranged attacks are attacks with ranged weapons such as bows or thrown axes.
When making a ranged attack into melee, characters cannot choose which
opponent (or friend) receives the brunt of the attack. On a successful ranged
attack into melee, the gamemaster (randomly) determines who is actually hit.
Note: An archer’s called shot supercedes this rule.
the saving throw

From time to time, a hazard or spell requires characters to roll a saving throw.
A saving throw is made by rolling 1d20, adding any appropriate bonuses and
checking the value against a character’s specific class table.
• If the result is equal to or greater than the target number, the saving throw
is successful.
• If the result is less than the target number, the saving throw fails.
A roll of ‘1’ always fails and a roll of ‘20’ always succeeds, regardless of modifiers.
If a monster is required to make a saving throw, it rolls 1d20, adding its number
of hit dice to the roll against a target number of 18.
Each saving throw is different, contingent upon the effect generated. Generally,
a successful saving throw lessens the effect of the hazard or spell by half. Effects
which would cause certain death still result in some damage.
conditions and exceptions
The following guidelines cover a majority of common combat situations. Most
are in place to keep the game running smoothly, but do not replace common
sense. Veteran gamemasters usually have systems for these sorts of things.
Damage and Death

When a character (or creature) is hit, the amount of damage taken is deducted
from his HP. When hit points reach 0 or less, the character dies. Some monsters
and poisons target a character’s attributes scores (like Strength) instead of a hit
points. Whenever an attribute is reduced to 0, the character dies.
Critical failure
When an attack roll shows a ‘1’ (called a natural 1), the character is assumed to
have fumbled (and does no damage). The gamemaster has hundreds of ways of
dealing with this, but at the very least the character might lose her next action
recovering from the mistake, or picking up a dropped weapon.
I generally hate ‘miss a turn’ rules, but combat in Bloodwraith is fast enough
it shouldn’t be a problem. If the game runs slowly for some reason, consider a
penalty on the next attack roll instead.
Critical Hits
When an attack roll comes up a ‘20’ (called a natural 20), the character achieves
a critical hit. Critical hits result in maximum damage. No need to roll.
Spells
Most magical spells do not require an attack roll to succeed. Damage is dealt
directly, based on the text of a given spell. Some spells are instantaneous and
others take time to prepare. Because of this, magic-users usually stay away from
enemy weapons. Druids and warlocks interrupted or wounded during spell
casting/preperation must succeed at a saving throw or lose the spell.
Invisible Opponents
An invisible opponent can only be attacked if its general location is known, and
the attack suffers a –4 attack penalty. Some powerful monsters (those with
50 sensitive smell, hearing, or those with more than 6 HD) may detect invisible
opponents. Each creature and situation is unique. The gamemaster is the final
arbitor on reducing the attack penalty based on the situation.
Blinded characters suffer a –4 attack penalty as though they were attacking an
invisible opponent.
shadows
Shadows, specters, and wraiths are a specific part of Bloodwraith. Not only are
they harder to hit, they are harder to kill. All attacks against shadows, without a
magical weapon, suffer both a –2 to attack and damage (minimum 1). At night,
shadows are particularly hard to see, increasing the attack penalty to –4.
Note: Critical failures against shadows are particularly devastating, as detailed
under the monster entry for each shadow.
Shadows (and some undead) attack a character’s Charisma score in addition
to hit points. When a character is reduced to 0 Charisma as a result of fighting
a shadow, the character is turn to ash and shadow, returning as an archon
beastman.
undead
Undead are rare in Bloodwraith. Since the ‘turn undead’ ability does not exist in
Bloodwraith, players must find other methods of combating the unliving.
cowls
Cowls are specific types of undead who linger in specific places due to some 51
undreamt tragedy no one can get past. Either as victim or perpetrator of some
horrible crime, the cowl haunts a particular place. They serve neither humanity
nor the bloodwraiths, attacking any who would disturb their unrest.
The place of the tragedy is considered sacred to the cowl. Cowls regenerate while
on this sacred ground and gain a +2 to armor class. Those who die fighting cowls
are forced to wander the spirit realm (or bleeding realms) for years, until they
find their way back.
shrouds
Shrouds are the most common type of undead in Bloodwraith. Each has its
own unique attack form, which is usually focused on making the living just like
them. A shroud that drowned tries to fill a PCs lungs with water, etc. Those who
die fighting shrouds, return as shrouds.
fear
Some creatures are so fearsome merely seeing one is enough to instill dread
in a character. Shadows and undead come to mind. Characters faced with
supernatural fear are expected to succeed at a saving throw, while NPCs must
make Loyalty checks.
coup de grace
A downed or unconscious opponent of equal or smaller size to the character
can be killed in a single round. There is no need for a die roll. Larger opponents
may take some time to finish off, especially creatures with vital organs alien to a
character’s understanding of “anatomy.”
overwhelming odds
Whenever a character or creature is out-numbered by at least 3-to-1, they are
considered overwhelmed (though larger creatures do not worry about this
unless the outnumbered by equally-sized creatures). While overwhelmed, the
character suffers a –4 attack penalty and all creatures attacking her gain +2 to all
attack and damage rolls.
5 or less (optional)
A roll of 5 or less is generally a miss, though some classes have enough bonuses
to still hit opponents with lower ACs. Some creatures have rules for what
happens whenever a character rolls 5 or less in combat. Should a character ever
strike a creature on a roll of 5 or less, both effects occur.
healing
Under no condition can any form of healing ever restore a character’s hit points
above their starting maximum.
Binding Wounds
At the conclusion of a battle, characters are assumed to bind their wounds. This
is a general action no one needs to describe. Adrenaline wears off, shock sets in,
and characters generally rest for a few moments at the conclusion of a fight. The
amount of time spent resting varies, but those who didn’t die, recover 1d4 hit
points each. Characters only recover hit points lost during this particular battle.
magical healing
Characters with access to healing spells need not call out to the gamemaster
they are healing others. This is an assumed part of the process. The player
merely selects a target, rolls the appropriate dice, and calls out the healing
value. The same is true of healing potions and salves.
52
rest
In addition to the various means of restoring hit points, a characters recover
1 point per day of uninterrupted rest. Four weeks of rest restores all of a
character’s hit points regardless. Attribute scores recover at a rate of 1 point per
day, as well.
Morale
Certain monsters, such as mindless or undead creatures, are fearless and always
fight to the death. The majority, however, do not throw their lives away in a
hopeless battle. The gamemaster decides when monsters abandon the battle
and retreating or surrendering. Each situation is different and the monster’s
intelligence is taken into account.
Morale can impact the loyalty of the PC’s companions. Should a loyalty check
fall far enough (gamemaster’s discretion), the companion turns tail and runs.
Loyalty
Loyalty checks are required whenever NPC companions are put into dangerous
situations (or offered bribes to change sides during a conflict). When a Loyalty
check is made, roll 1d20 (modified by Charisma) and consult the Loyalty table.
These checks are modified by the character’s Charisma score.
When a Loyalty check results in a 2 or less, the NPC leaves the PC permanently,
perhaps joining the enemy. When a Loyalty check results in a 19 or higher, the
NPC never needs to check again. Good treatment and respect garner bonuses to
Loyalty checks, while abuse brings penalties, abandonment, or worse.
Loyalty Table
1d20 Loyalty
1–2 Traitor
3-5 –2 on next loyalty check*
6-8 -1 on next loyalty check*
9-12 Average
13-15 +1 on next loyalty check**
16-18 +2 on next loyalty check**
19–20 Loyalist
* Given the circumstance, the NPC may retreat from the situation at
this point.
** Given the circumstance, the NPC may dive deeper into the fray,
putting her own life at risk.
54
interpersonal conflict
The gamemaster is responsible for handling situations that aren’t covered by
the rules, making fair evaluations of what the characters do and deciding what
happens as a result. This is not a game in which the players are “against” the
gamemaster, even though the gamemaster is responsible for creating tricky
traps, dangerous situations, and running the monsters and other foes, the PCs
will encounter during the game.
In fact, the players and the gamemaster cooperate with each other to create
a fantasy epic, with the gamemaster creating the setting and the players
developing the story of the heroes. If they aren’t skillful and smart, the epic
might be very short. But it’s not the gamemaster’s job to defeat the players —
it’s her job to provide interesting (and dangerous) challenges, and then guide
the story fairly.
There are occasions where PCs may want to talk their way out of trouble, or trick
an opponent into revealing information. The following is a short list of possible
situations involving two non-physical combatants, with one trying to get
something out of the other. In nearly all instances, the characters must be able
to communicate with one another. 55
bribery
An attempt to bribe someone forces a Loyalty check, based on the level of the
bribe. A few shot of alcohol aren’t going to get a guard to leave her post, but
an entire keg might. Gamemasters may ignore the need for a die roll if enough
equipment is offered.
Note: Bribery is rare in Bloodwraith, but is included for completion’s sake.
coercion/extortion
Coercion is simply persuading someone to act against their better interest
through force or threats of force.
“Sign this, or there will be trouble.”
Coercion involves leverage. Therefore a failed attempt can backfire on the
character. A coercive act forces an opponent to make a Loyalty check (with
appropriate modifiers). If the opponent fails, she acts in the interest of
the character. If the opponent succeeds, she react negatively, although not
obviously. Clever opponents may pretend to act in the character’s interest.
Regardless, a failed coercion attempt grants the opponent a bonus in all future
dealings.
Extortion is the specific use of coercion to get goods or money.
Diplomacy and negotiation
Diplomacy is complicated and involves numerous steps of understanding
and compromise. No set of rules or die rolling can replace good roleplaying.
Negotiation is no different, though it usually involves two people and takes a
lot less time than protracted diplomatic sessions. The gamemaster may choose
to handwave diplomacy and have targets dice off against one another, applying
Charisma and Wisdom modifiers to the rolls.
Intimidation
Intimidation is similar to coercion, but the effects are different. Intimidation
involves someone using their size to weaken an opponent’s resolve. When
a character intimidates an opponent, she spends one action to do so. The
opponent must succeed at a saving throw or suffer –2 on all rolls until she can
no longer see the intimidating individual.
The gamemaster may apply the Strength score modifier of the intimidating
character as a penalty to the opponent’s saving throw.
Manipulation
Manipulation involves deception, lies, and misdirection.
When a character manipulates someone, the target must make a saving throw.
If the target fails, she believes the lie. Some roleplaying of the manipulation is
essential to understand the context of what is going on.
Attempting (and failing) to manipulate someone injures trust, almost
indefinitely.
Note: Manipulation is an ongoing process, unlike coercion and the others. More
than one roll may be required, at the gamemaster’s discretion. For more on
manipulation as it applies to psychological horror, see page 62.
56
Suffering Visions
All humans in Gyrr suffer visions, but not all the time. People know and
understand the symptoms. They are unmistakable. Callous characters may not
care when a comrade suffers a vision, but most are likely to rally to their aid.
During stressful (and particularly dramatic) times, visions manifest. Each
nightmarish vision is specific, with minor variations. For instance, a character
may suffer images of “flies buzzing around the rotting remains of a half-dead
cow,” but it need not always be the same cow, same flies, same place, or same
time of day. Sometimes the cow is metaphoric. Sometimes the flies are.
The sleeping dead gods send messages to humanity, but it is unclear what the
messages mean or why they are so limited.
Whenever a character is in a particularly stressful situation, that character
must succeed at a saving throw or suffer a vision. Some game effects produce
immediate visions. In any case, the vision produced is based on the character
(mixed with whatever editorializing the gamemaster imparts).
Gamemaster: “Boern sees a half-dead cow, unable to climb out of a pit of mud
and debris. Flies buzz all around it. The vomitous stench of decay is obvious,
57
albeit unnatural. Boern must succeed at a saving throw or be sickened.”
At the very least, visions keep a character occupied for 1d6 rounds, reduce
Wisdom (temporarily), and sometimes force the character to flee. In the worst
case scenarios, characters go catatonic until the vision passes. While occupied,
the character suffers a –2 to all die rolls.
Below is a list of possible effects to PCs, determined by the gamemaster.
• The PC can defend herself, but not move or flee.
• The PC loses 1 hit point per round for 1d6 rounds due to vomiting.
• The PC suffers an intense headache. She cannot concentrate or cast spells.
• The PC loses her equilibrium, suffering –4 to any Dexterity-related checks.
• The PC loses 2 Wisdom and 2 Intelligence for 1d6 hours, adding to any
previous losses.
• The PC hallucinates, believing the vision to be real.
• The PC loses one important memory and/or the ability speak one language
(temporarily)
• The PC loses 1d6 prepared spells
• The becomes catatonic for 1d6 hours
• The next action the PC takes must be random.
Psychological Horror
Reprinted from Post World Games’ King for a Day.
I can’t possibly address and explain every aspect of writing a true horror story.
Horror’s origins did not start with slasher gore, lighting-quick zombies, and
trap-building sociopaths. It started with gritty, psychological horror; the kind
this adventure is about. Now, there are a number of tools available online
discussing the lengths Hitchcock, Poe, and Shelley (to name a few) went
through to beguile, misdirect, and terrify the audience. This chapter includes a
number of tools I feel relevant to good horror adventures.
Something to keep in mind is that while show-don’t-tell is the rule of thumb
for storytelling, this rule isn’t 100% accurate for roleplaying games. Exposition
is the hallmark of genre fiction. As such, it may be necessary during play to
over-describe the behaviors of the NPCs. A gamemaster is a performer as well
as a writer. She can read the reactions of the players and determine when to pull
back or ramp up the horror. Be keenly aware of what they pick up on what they
are disregarding. Use their pre-conceived notions to your advantage.
And don’t be afraid to say, “there’s something really wrong here.”
If you are playing with people who do not read body language cues well or who
do not enjoy subtle human interaction, this part of the book may not be for you.
You can’t play the long, slow, psychological con on the players if they are just
waiting out the roleplaying bits to get to the fights. Players who insist rolling
dice to sense the motives of others should (a) expect to make a lot of rolls during
a single interaction; and (b) be unsure of the results most of the time.
deception
Deception involves half-truths or outright lies. Concealment, disguise,
distraction, equivocations, exaggerations, fabrications, mimicry, propaganda,
sleight of hand, and understatements are employed to create feelings of betrayal
or resentment. Deceptions violate the social contract between people and can
violate expectations — after all, we expect people to be truthful most of the
time. Knowing this, people employing deception use a victim’s expectations
against her.
Any type of communication that intentionally distorts or omits the complete
truth is deceptive. Since some of the villains of Bloodwraith are “alien” and
60 do not exist on the same moral axis PCs do, there is no limit to what kinds of
deceptive tactics they may use. Appearing as a friend with false information
or leaving clues that are outright lies can all diminish the PCs’ faith in what is
going on. They may even go as far as to impersonate a member of the party.
It can be difficult to detect when someone is deceiving you. Players are
notoriously suspicious, so it becomes important for a gamemaster to avoid over-
using this technique, and at the same time keep track of the lies you’ve told the
players. On the other hand, once the player’s trust has been completely eroded,
it doesn’t matter what you say anymore. This can be the perfect moment to
strike with the biggest lie of all.
The true horror of deception in this context is the use of social tools to produce
deleterious psychological effects.
dehumanization
Dehumanization is among the lowest psychological tricks perpetuated on
the ego. When we think of psychological abuse, this is among the worst.
Verbal abuse is big, but ignoring someone else’s voice can be just as powerful
a dehumanizing tool. By undermining individuality one can slowly erode the
mental well-being of another person.
Dehumanization can be directed against racial, ethnic, national, or religious ties
just as easily against gender or people who think differently. This is especially
important in this game because of the nature by which the bloodwraiths wish to
assert control before wiping humanity from the map. If dehumanization doesn’t 61
work, people can simply disappear…
destabilization
Destabilization is a big-picture word to describe any number of tools used to
disorient and disarm a victim, including humiliation, intimidation, and torture.
It is the ultimate end of the bloodwraiths to destabilize the human enclaves.
gaslighting
The term gaslighting has been around since the 1938 play Gas Light about a
husband who tries to convince his wife she is crazy. False information is used
in order to disorient a victim or by manipulating environmental elements. The
overall effect is to make the victim doubt his own memories and perceptions.
The tricks are subtle and numerous, and often dismissed by those around the
victim, especially those pulling the strings. It typically leads to paranoia and
paranoid delusions.
cassandra metaphor
Valid warnings are often dismissed or ignored, especially when related by
unreliable people. Therefore, a powerful tool of the bloodwraiths can be to
place real evidence into the environment, but have it voiced by untrustworthy
sources. In certain contexts, this can be the PCs themselves, trying to convince
others that evil is afoot.
manipulation
This is a short list of ways NPCs can manipulate the PCs. It is by no means
exhaustive.
• Denial involves the failure to admit that any wrong doing has happened.
• Diversion involves not giving straight answers to questions.
• Evasion involves giving irrelevant, rambling, or vague responses to
questions.
• Feigning Anger involves intense emotional displays to shock the victim.
• Feigning Confusion involves playing dumb and acting confused about
important issues.
• Feigning Innocence involves claims of ignorance that any wrong-doing
has taken place. This is especially useful when the claims are tenuous at
best.
• Guilt Trips involve preying upon the conscience of the victim.
• Minimization involves denial and rationalization to the extent of saying
“oh, it’s not that bad.”
• Playing the Victim involves garnering sympathy in order to evoke
compassion.
• Playing the Servant Role involves serving a noble aim to conceal a true
selfish agenda.
• Rationalization involves making up excuses for behavior/events.
• Scapegoating involves projecting blame on others.
• Seduction involves charm or flattery in order to garner trust.
• Shame involves increased self-doubt. This is a very powerful tool against
those who are eager to please.
• Veiled Threats involve subtle/veiled hints that put the victim on the
defensive.
62
mind control
In its more basic form, mind control is any tactic that subverts an individual’s
sense of personal control. This includes feeling, thinking, and decision-making.
Since the true power of mind control is never knowing you are being controlled,
it’s important to know where the edges are.
Mind control should not be used in direct or abusive ways. Making the PCs do
things they don’t want to do isn’t fun. Instead, the other tools of psychological
horror exist to coerce characters and NPCs to behave in a compliant manner.
The same can be said for the PCs, should they fall under the villains’ power.
While it can be argued that it is unethical to manipulate the thoughts of others,
the fact that mind control does not conflict with any ethical axis that villains
adhere to is what makes this truly terrifying.
manchurian candidate
A Manchurian Candidate is a victim of brainwashing, forced to perform a
specific act upon seeing, hearing, or receiving a specially coded phrase or word.
This trigger causes the otherwise normal-acting person to behave in a near-
robotic manner until the task is completed. 63
If you really want to make Bloodwraith horrifying, find a player in the group who
truly trusts you and tell her she’s a manchurian candidate for the bloodwraiths.
Give her a code phrase. When she hears this code phrase, she needs to act out a
very specific task, which is programmed ahead of time. She’s been brainwashed
for this one very specific task… so make it good.
don’t use psychological torture

The intent of psychological torture is to weaken a victim’s resolve. It can be used
to erode a victim’s self-image by removing her control. This leads to feelings of
helplessness, which can have lasting effects on the psyche. I won’t go into the
techniques of psychological torture. Suffice to say, it is not something most
people condone and because of the real world horror associated with some
modern tactics, it is not recommended for this game.
For that matter, I’ve avoided bringing up emotional abuse and sexual assault
— dark and disturbed tactics of psychological horror. Just don’t use them in
your game unless you know 100% people are comfortable with them. Too many
people have emotional triggers for things we don’t know about.
Be aware. Be considerate.
Gamemaster Advice
This game has an old school feel about it. Gamemasters running old school
games already have their play styles. Most advice sections are superfluous and
generally ignored anyway. The first few pages detail a shared language, followed
by the kinds of adventures gamemasters can expect to run with bloodwraith.
Note the adventure ideas on page 84 of Bloodwraith: Setting.
I’ll do everything I can to make the next few pages interesting and useful.
When I was about 13 years old, I started writing my first roleplaying game.
It was stupid. I didn’t want to ‘copy’ D&D, so I found new words for all the
mundane stuff. Strength, saving throws, and so on. I even changed the word
campaign, which I didn’t fully understand at the time. What did a political run
have to do with a collection of adventures?
Seriously. I was 13. I didn’t know military campaigns were a thing.
Lots of games speak to the gamemaster with highfalutin language that
alienates the reader. I do it. I know the books I was raised on did it. It’s a
hard habit to break when you’ve studied so much story writing and scene
structure. Gamebooks use terms like motif, theme, tone, and so on, begging the
gamemaster to digest a dictionary in order to write their own adventures.
Maybe that’s why the old guard loved monster bashes so much.
But if you’ve ever watched even a second of soap operas, wrestling, or even the
cheesiest of movies, you know the action is meaningless if we’re not invested in
characters and their conflicts. By whichever manner you learn to tell stories, the
main component of Western mythology is characters in conflict.
The three ingredients of a well-rounded character are:
• Who is she?
• What does she want?
• Why can’t she get it?
The same goes for story conflict:
• What is the plot?
• What is at stake?
64 • Why is it so hard to accomplish?
Now look at the books and films that do this so well: Blade Runner, Dune, Mad
Max: Fury Road, The Road, Seven Samurai. The list goes on. These stories draw
upon simple, classic concepts and explore them through complicate character
concepts and unique themes. What makes them memorable isn’t the plot, but
the conflicts within those plots.
running games
Gamemasters wear many hats — actor, administrator, guide, narrator, referee
— and some people are better at different jobs than others. It’s impossible to
master all of the jobs of being a gamemaster. No one expects that, actually.
Hundreds of games have provided hundreds of pages of advice on this subject.
Most people already have their play and gamemastering styles and know
what they expect roleplaying games to do. And those who are fans of the OSR
philosophy, most likely have decades of experience doing all of this. The advice
on these pages only works if you apply it.
narrative vs. narration

Dungeons and Dragons™ (and its contemporaries) has a particular advantage
over other games. It has been around a long time, so people have learned to play
it without the language of storytelling tools. In fact, some people don’t even
use it to tell a story, but rather to advance their characters through a series of
puzzles. The main hurdle of gaming advice is teaching a new language for doing
something people already know how to do.
Narrative is a fancy word for the story being told, while narration is the way 65
in which the story is told. To use an example most everyone understands… Star
Wars’ narrative is a young farm boy getting revenge for the death of his family
against a tyrannical overlord who turns out to be his father. Star Wars’ narration
is the story being told using the methods of Western-film stylings, with dark
music and black costumes for the bad guys. Shots are big to reflect the epic
nature of the world and the droids act as the Greek chorus to keep us informed.
Narrative is panel by panel. Narration is how those panels look and feel.
nomenclature
Books often instruct gamemasters to have a concept before writing their
adventures. But words like concept and context mean different things to
different people. Growing up on popcorn entertainment, we often think in plot
first, not concept. Gamemasters don’t sit and outline fifty different story arcs
before settling on a final design. They think of a plot and go from there, putting
obstacles in the PCs ways.
Because that’s what Joseph Campbell taught us.
If you want to understand words like concept, plot, theme, and tone, there’s
some definitions on the next page. But you can gloss over this section if you
want to get to the meat of writing adventures, which starts on page 68. This
merely helps develop a shared language for discussing game writing.
And also makes you a hit at parties.
agency
A buzzword for a character’s authority within a story. In gaming circles it
includes a player’s authority as well, both inside and outside of the story. If a
character has agency, she has the power to impact her fate. A character without
agency is nothing more than a plot point.
Concept
Concept is the abstract idea of a (written) work. In Bloodwraith, the concept is
humans on the verge of extinction. In Mad Max 4, the concept is a futuristic
wasteland where people are chattel and pregnant women are bartered and
controlled. In Star Wars, the concept is to sell a lot of toys.
Context
I use this word a lot. It’s a dying subject, but I believe you can’t have a
good story without it. Context is all the things that go together. Too many
ingredients and you lose context. For instance, if you create a game about
pirates stealing treasure in a supernatural world, adding zombies at the bottom
of the ocean is contextual. Adding fire-breathing Russian bears is not. The
context of Bloodwraith is a fantasy world where wraiths and undead hunt
humans and people work together to survive the horror-based onslaught.
Ethos
Ethos is a character’s credibility or ethical appeal. In order to believe something
a character says, we must respect her. If a player wants to be heard during play,
she must create a likeable character. This is not always true, but an evil character
who is charming gets away with a lot more than an antisocial hero
Genre
Genre is a term that gets bandied around a lot. At its simplest, genre is a
combination of structure and veneer. In literature, the fantasy genre follows
specific structural rules, while maintaining a veneer of elves, dragons, magic,
and the like. People love to argue whether or not something is within a genre.
For the purposes of this document, it is merely to explain what makes up a
genre, not whether your favorite science fiction show is sci-fi or not.
gestalt
There is an idea that when all of the parts are combined in a whole, that
whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. Some people refer to this
66 as a tableau. The primary concept of gestalt is to bring order out of chaos and
combine all of the necessary elements to make the finished picture resonate.
Gamemasters deal with this all the time when balancing which ingredients
to include in an adventure and which to ignore. They may not realize they are
doing it, but they are. Context grows from the chosen elements of a given
gestalt. Without it, the context is muddied by too many ingredients.
Logos
Logos is a character’s appeal to reason.
motif
When people say theme, they usually mean motif. It is what something looks
like. A cowboy-themed party where people only dress up as cowboys, but don’t
brand cattle (for instance) is actually a party with a cowboy motif. In order for
it to be cowboy-themed, people would have to do some cowboy stuff, including
listening to Merle Haggard.
pathos
Pathos is a character’s appeal to emotion.
plastic time
Every minute of a book isn’t a minute of real time. If you can read a novel in six
hours, it doesn’t mean six hours has passed in the novel. Players are not playing
minute by minute in a roleplaying game. Instead, there is an abstract passage
of time known as ‘plastic time.’ Plastic time measures both real and imagined
time together into a single unit of measurement. If the gamemaster tells the
PCs they have one hour to solve the murder, they most likely have one hour of
plastic time to solve the murder. The tension is still there, but the clock isn’t
67
ticking in a literal manner.
Theme
This word never gets used correctly. It does not mean genre or veneer. The way
something looks is not a theme, though one could decorate their home in an art
deco theme, the term theme is more complicated than that.
Theme is the combination of all underlying subtext in a story: family division,
hopelessness, love, valor, and so on are all themes. The list of themes is near
endless. What it is not is “fantasy village.”
Tone
Tone is the mood of a piece… what it feels like. The specific tone of a game
might be subtle or obvious. For instance, a dark tone might be oppressive,
with each scene making the players more and more depressed. Conversely, a
mysterious tone might only be noticed in scenes where people aren’t getting
direct answers to their questions.
Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist literally means spirit of the age, which is a high-brow way of saying “of
a particular period in time.” In game design, it primarily refers to what the game
is about and what am I doing in it. What is the zeitgeist? In Bloodwraith, the
zeitgeist is humanity on its last legs in age of godlessness.
writing adventures
While dungeon crawling is certainly a possibility in Bloodwraith, it is not the
norm. Adventuring, in fact, is a bit of a misnomer, given that PCs are likely to
spend just as much time building walls, hunting games, preparing defenses, and
solving everyday enclave problems.
community
The focus of Bloodwraith is on the semi-nomadic enclaves the PCs are a part
of. Even if the characters are always away from the community, fighting and
plundering, their duty is to the enclave. The community rallies and suffers along
with the adventurers. Adventures start and end with the enclave.
Several published adventures focus on this style of play, showing gamemasters
how to facilitate play around the community. Building the enclave (page 38) is
vital to creating a community-centric campaign for Bloodwraith. The community
is a living thing, always evolving, with its own priorities and needs.
rumors
There is no perfect method of communication amongst the enclaves. It is very
easy for information to be lost, misconstrued, improperly translated and so on.
Even if an enclave never has contact with the outside world, rumors within a
community — grown from a scout returning from another mission — are easily
misunderstood or retold with information missing/changed.
history and ruins

It is unclear how much time has really passed since the purge. This is
purposeful. Vague gaps of time provide gamemaster’s the opportunity to create
their own histories. Exploring the ruins and old writings of Gyrr is a definite
option in Bloodwraith. As such, gamemasters can find literal hundreds of old
school dungeons just waiting to be transformed for Gyrr.
The key ingredient of a Bloodwraith ‘dungeon’ is discovering lost histories and
magic. The PCs find a now submerged temple. Who or what did it serve? What
writings survived? What does it hint to? What do the symbols on this statue
mean? How can they interpret them? Which of the dead sleeping gods is trying
to make contact through this holy site?
survival
68 Survival is an ongoing theme in Bloodwraith. But rules for managing survival
in a roleplaying game are always unfun bookkeeping. Since this game’s origins
lie in OSR mechanics, gamemasters are encouraged to bring up hunger and
exhaustion through roleplaying, not through die rolls. Certainly there will be
times when food supplies are low and the gamemaster wants to call for a saving
throw or a Constitution check, but those decisions rest with the individual.
planning the campaign
Depending on the length of the campaign, gamemasters may link adventures
together into a coherent storyline. The PCs do not merely take on one adventure
and go on to another 500 miles away, without a through-line. Gamemasters
sometimes overdo it by planning every little piece of a campaign. Campaigns
should reflect the story being told in the present, not the story the gamemaster
wants to tell. The actions of the PCs resonate with lasting consequences and the
world around them should change to reflect those actions.
Do not ignore this.
The people whose lives have been affected by the PCs aren’t going away — for
better or worse. The aftermath of their actions string together from adventure
to adventure in such a way that the next plot feels organic. Always leave
unresolved plot threads somewhere in an adventure so the next part of the
story feels like it belongs.
scaling encounters
Monsters in Bloodwraith do not scale at the same rate as PCs. A monster with
6 HD has many more hit points than a single PC at the same level. Basing an
encounter on hit points to hit points is a good way to gauge the PCs’ survival
69
rate. If this is a simple encounter, keep the hit point total well below the PCs. If
this is an important encounter, 75% to 100% is a good ratio. Beyond that, save
the toughest fights for end of the adventure encounters.
Some monsters deal a great deal of damage and/or have unpredictable powers.
This should always be taken into account. It’s not the goal of the gamemaster
to kill the PCs, but to challenge them. If the PCs are on the verge of dying
from a fight, have the enemy retreat and explain it away later. Maybe they are
a distraction force. Maybe they stole something and don’t have time to finish
the PCs off. Maybe this is a ploy to throw the PCs off their plans or test human
limits in combat.
always winning
With any game system, there are opportunities to exploit cracks. Over time,
these exploits lead to the PCs winning at everything. It happens. There are no
perfect game systems. The goal for the gamemaster is to challenge, but not
break the PCs. So even if they create characters who win at everything, the
gamemaster must challenge the path to victory through tougher monsters or
more complicated encounters.
Take the characters out of their elements. Pit the fighter against a horde of
small goblins so her strength is useless. Surround the archer with twisted
vines or undead creatures. Force the warlock to deal with things unaffected by
illusions or magical damage.
alternative initiative rules
Write all the PCs’ names on small chits and place them in a cup. Write Villain
on one, twice if there are more than four PCs in the group. Write Wraith on one
to three chits, write Shroud on one, and write Orc on two chits. The remaining
chits are special chits: one Drama, Setback, and one Chaos (though this is
optional and should never be used more than once per session).
In place of rolling dice for initiative, the GM places all of the chits into the cup
and draws one at a time. Each time a name chit comes out of the cup, that
PC acts. Otherwise, follow the rules below for monsters, villains, and special
chits. The chits are chosen in turn, so no one knows who is going next, thus
representing the fog of war. The process continues until every name or monster
chit has been removed the cup. If a special chit is drawn at the end of the round
with no names remaining, the chit is set aside with no effect.
The orc chit represents all of the lower level, ‘fodder’ monsters. When the orc
chit comes out, half the orcs take a turn. The other half take a turn, when the
other orc chit comes out. It doesn’t matter which, and its good tactics to mix
it up, so the PCs never know what to expect. So if the PCs are fighting kobolds,
goblins, etc., anything that is lower than they are, the orc chit represents them.
The shroud chit represents lieutenants. These are characters and monsters
within 1 HD of the PCs — 6th level PCs fighting 5 to 7 HD monsters. When
the PCs reach 10th level, the range increases to 2 HD. Not every encounter has
them, but they are the non-fodder, non-leader types within an encounter. It is
recommended that this chit be left out of the cup until the PCs reach 3rd level.
The villain chit represents the main antagonist of the encounter — the leader if
you will — but only if the PCs are facing someone of importance. The chit is not
used if a stand-out enemy isn’t present. When (and if) the villain chit is drawn
a second time, the villain character gains one additional action, but not a full
‘turn.’ This action can be used to move, attack, cast a spell, and so on. But only
half of what someone could accomplish in a normal turn.
The wraith chit represents one of two things: direct henchmen of the leader
and intangibles of combat. Henchmen are the right hand of a villain. If no
henchmen exist, promote one of the orcs to sergeant, give her an additional
+1 HP per HD, and a nice weapon. She becomes a henchman and takes actions
when the wraith chit is drawn, however, only once per round. Additional draws
70 of wraith chits are not henchmen actions, unless there are numerous henchmen
and each acts independently.
The wraith chit also represents inopportune moments in combat. Escape
routes blocked, reinforcements, sneak attacks, torches going out, tremors, and
anything the PCs may or may not have a contingency plan for. It is not deadly,
but it is an inconvenience. Broken weapons are reserved for setbacks.
The drama chit is good for the PCs. Whenever drama is drawn, a second chit is
drawn to see who is affected. If that chit is not a name chit, the drama chit is set
aside and nothing happens. The other chit returns to the cup. If a name chit is
drawn, that chit is placed back into the cup and the drama chit is set aside.
Drama becomes a small boon for the named character. It is a short moment to
give a speech, a chance to run an additional 10 ft. to get to the golden chalice,
a spear piercing through a shield, a magical barrier fizzling, a potion slipping
out of a pack and onto the top of someone’s foot, whatever is appropriate as
determined by the PC. It is the equivalent of a +3 bonus to an die roll.
Drama occurs once per combat. If a PC benefits from the drama chit, do not put
it back in the cup at the end of the round.
The setback chit is just that, a setback. Whenever setback is drawn, a second
chit is drawn to see who is affected. If that chit is not a name chit, the setback
chit is set aside and nothing happens. The other chit returns to the cup. If a
name chit is drawn, that chit is placed back into the cup and the setback chit is
set aside.
The character suffers some kind of setback. Her weapon breaks, she trips
on a rock, an orc she previously killed gets to his feet, a quiver of arrows 71
falls to the ground, an enemy soldier gets a quick sneak attack in, and so on.
Mathematically, the equivalent of setback is a lost action, a lost spell, or 1d6 hit
points of damage.
A setback occurs once per combat. If a PC suffers because of a setback chit, do
not put it back in the cup at the end of the round.
When the chaos chit is drawn, roll 1d20. On a 1, it affects someone negatively.
On a 20, it affects someone positively. Otherwise, it is set aside and nothing
happens. If something positive or negative happens, two additional chits are
drawn (ignoring special chits), representing the benefactor and victim of the
chaos. The chaos chit is not recommended for beginning players.
Chaos is chaos. It can be any of a number of things, all dependent on the DM/
PC whims. And… it is recommended that these happen infrequently. Chaos
is the random nonsense that can’t be explained. It can be an old wound that
opens/closes, two creatures bumping into one another, a PC stepping on
and crushing his own holy symbol, a misread scroll, a previously used wand
discharging (again) or producing a wand of wonder effect, a poison-tipped
dagger drawn from the scabbard incorrectly, magical darkness springing up/
going away, divine/infernal intervention, rat swarms, random encounters
finding their way to the fight, a secret door/chute opening, blood from the
ceiling, a wineskin rupturing in a backpack, temporary blindness, headaches,
nosebleeds, adrenaline rushes, an orc producing a bag of itching powder and
exploding it as he falls down (hitting everyone), and so on.
monsters
Monster descriptions appear in the Bloodwraith world book. The following
section is for game mechanics and tactics. Listed hit dice (HD) is the bare
minimum. Gamemasters may wish to tailor the hit dice to a given encounter.
archon beastman
AC: 14 Attack/Damage: 1, 1d8 + visions*
HD: 3+8 Move: 12
tactics
Archons fight ferociously and without pause.
critical failure
A critical failure while attacking a archon triggers a vision, often associated with
someone familiar to the PC, as archons still possess a measure of human quality.
5 or less
The archon beastman recovers 1d4 hit points.
beggar shadow
AC: 14, Ethereal Attack/Damage: 1, 2d4 + visions
HD: 4+1 Move: 9
tactics
Beggar shadows cannot technically be killed, nor can they kill. They can be
banished for a short while (usually a few days), but they never entirely die.
And the longer they are fed, the stronger they become. Beggar shadows gain
an additional +1 hit points for every day they’ve been fed to a maximum of 20
additional hit points.
Anyone reduced to ‘0’ hit points as a result of a beggar shadow attack is
rendered unconscious.
Beggar shadows also trigger visions, forcing a saving throw with each successful
attack. These visions manifest as guilt for not doing more, in addition to
whatever visions the character already suffers.
critical failure
72 A critical failure while attacking a beggar shadow results in the attacker losing
something of value. The item is lost, stolen, or disappears through some
supernatural method. In addition, she must succeed at a saving throw against
manipulation or be unable to attack the beggar shadow for 1d4 turns.
5 or less
The beggar shadow attaches itself to the PC and drains 1 point of Charisma.
Blood Elf
AC: 15+ Attack/Damage: 1, 1d8 or magic
HD: 5 and up Move: 12 or 15
tactics
Blood elves are powerful and rare. They possess magical powers, bestowed upon
them by the bloodwraiths. Some also know elven truth magic. Truth can be
useful for getting information out of humans, while the powers bestowed by the
bloodwraiths is used to a harmful degree. But each blood elf is unique. Each has
her own compliment of powers.
A blood elf can cast one or two additional spells each day from the following list
(chosen beforehand by the gamemaster):
Aposematism
Awaken
Cause Wounds
The Devil’s Gaze
Dragonskin 75
Fiendish Voices
Hold Portal
Invisibility
Magic Hand
Keep to the Shadows
Protection from Violence
Raven’s Claw
Severed Heart
Shocking Boly
Snake Hand
Stench of Death
An 8+ HD blood elf is rare and gains one additional attack each round.
bloodwraith
Each bloodwraith is unique and beyond the scope of these rules. Gamemasters
shouldn’t administer combat with bloodwraiths the same way as other
encounters. They have power beyond imagination and no set of monster stats
can replace good old-fashioned gamemastering. Even 10th level characters
should have a hard time against bloodwraiths, the way high-level characters
would have trouble against a dragon.
chimeric beast
AC: 16 Attack/Damage: Varies
HD: 5+3 Move: 9+
Tactics
No two chimeric beasts are the same. They exist within the context of these
rules to provide gamemasters leverage to create whatever they like. Chaos
beasts and otyughs are perfect starting points for envisioning chimeric beasts.
Beyond that, chimeric beasts have numerous attack methods and always
surprise opponents with something they didn’t see coming.
The mere site of a chimeric beast is enough to trigger visions, but hardy
adventurers are allowed a saving throw to keep their calm.
Typical chimeric beast attack abilities/powers include:
Acid blood/spit/touch
Confusing gaze
Deafening cry
Fear-inducing aura
Grappling tentacles
Mind control/reading
Nauseating stench
Paralyzing touch
Psionic power
Regeneration
Shapeshifting
Tough/toxic skin
Vision-inducing aura/gaze
5 or less
The chimeric beast gains one free attack against the PC at a –4 to the die roll.
76
the cloven
AC: 18 Attack/Damage: 1 or 2, varies
HD: 6+6 Move: 9+
tactics
The cloven does not engage directly, unless it is absolutely necessary. It stalks
its prey for days, projecting fear and nightmarish visions. If that does not work,
it employs its horns and hooves in melee. Its horns are razor-sharp and cause
wounds (1d8+1 damage) that are difficult to close. It projects an inexplicable
sense of foreboding. Just being around the cloven is unnerving. It also
possesses 1d4 abhorrent magic spells, chosen by the gamemaster.
Its ultimate goal is to instill a permanent level of fear in its enemies in order to
mark its territory and keep humans inside their respective enclaves.
The cloven flees combat before it can be killed, usually when 20% of its hit
points remain. It uses shadowy magic to hide its escape. Any attempt to trail it
suffers a –4 penalty. Some cloven can cast a tree door-like spell as a last resort,
though this is exhausting for the cloven.
5 or less 77
The cloven unlocks a new vision for the PC, triggering it at the same time.
A PC may never gain more than one additional vision from a single cloven.
Subsequent rolls of 5 or less result in a fear-like sensation causing the PC to
suffer a cumulative –1 penalty to attack rolls. There is no saving throw against
this fear. It is ever-present and supernatural. It fades 1d6 hours after being in
contact with the cloven.
Corpse Eater
AC: 14 Attack/Damage: 1, 1d3 or fear
HD: 1–1 Move: 15 flight
tactics
Corpse eaters attack in a swarm of 8 to 30. Only half of them attack each round
as the swarm flies back and forth through the party. This means only half the
swarm can be attacked in melee combat each round as well. Once half of the
corpse eaters are killed, they flee.
Each round a corpse eater can attack with its beak and claws (a single attack roll
which deals 1d3 damage when successful), or generate a fear-inducing screech
that imparts a cumulative –1 to all of a PC’s rolls for 1 hour on a failed saving
throw. To keep combat fast and simple, have the corpse eaters attack the PC
equally/randomly. Do not bother marking exactly where they are in the combat.
Keep it abstract and have the PCs fight until the corpse eaters disperse. For
most PCs, corpse eaters are a nuisance.
degeneration hag
AC: 15 Attack/Damage: 1, varies
HD: 6+4 Move: 9
tactics
Degeneration hags regenerate 1d6 hit points per round, gain +4 to magical
saving throws, and can see perfectly in darkness. Merely seeing a degeneration
hag forces a saving throw to resist their nauseating features. A failed roll results
in a –2 to all rolls throughout the combat. Once per day, the hag can project
superior darkness in a 15’ radius that snuffs out all light and even extinguishes
torches. Magical light in the area must make a saving throw to remain active.
Most hags were warlocks or witches in their previous form, before being
twisted by the bloodmarshes. They possess 2d4 magical spells of various levels,
as chosen by the gamemaster, but these spells have unpredictable results. In
addition to their intended effect, a degeneration hag’s spells produce strange
side effects. When a spell is cast, the hag rolls 1d20. On a 1–5, the spell backfires
dealing half of the effect back upon the hag. On a 6–15, the spell sends off any
number of harmless, but unwanted effects such as signalling their location to
others or slowing down speech patterns or starting a nearby fire. On a 16–20,
the spell produces an additional random, but beneficial effect for the hag.
On a successful ranged attack, a degenerate hags deals 1 point of damage to
a character’s Charisma score, just like a shadow would. On a critical hit, this
damage to Charisma increases to 2.
Some hag possess the ability to hypnotize or mesmerize a human opponent
with a mere look. As an action, the hag locks eyes on the human who must
succeed at a saving throw or become bewildered by the hag’s gaze. The target
loses one point of Wisdom and suffers a –4 to all actions the following round,
which reduces to a –2 the round after that, and finally dissipates on the
third round. Should the hag mesmerize an already bewildered opponent, the
penalties stack.
Once per week, a degeneration hag can summon a pack of dire wolves, a murder
of corpse eaters, or a swarm of bats. This summoning is a full action, like casting
a spell, but it requires no energy and cannot be disrupted or dispelled.
Encounters with degeneration hags are chaotic and deadly. Some possess
78 shadow powers in addition to everything listed above.
critical failure
The character temporarily loses one memory and one point of Intelligence.
5 or less
The degeneration hag regenerates 1d6 additional hit points.
dwarf
AC: 14 Attack/Damage: 1, 1d8
HD: 2+2 Move: 9
tactics
Dwarves are steadfast and resolute fighters. They gain a +2 to fear-based
saving throws and morale checks. They also maintain near-perfect formations.
In combat, a dwarf adjacent to at least one other dwarf gains a +1 to her AC,
though this bonus is not cumulative.
5 or less
The dwarf gains an immediate attack at –4 to the roll, disarming her opponent
on a successful hit.
dwarf commander
AC: 16 Attack/Damage: 1 or 2, 1d10+1
HD: 5+5 Move: 9
tactics 79
Commanders are always high-level fighters. They increase the bonus of morale
checks to all the dwarves they lead to +4. Dwarf commanders themselves never
make morale checks and always carry at least a +1 axe, hammer, or maul.
Some high-level dwarf commanders (forwost) carry a beacen stone. The beacen
stone is an earthen token, blessed with the blood of a dwarf priest and imbued
with one dwarven earth magic spell (chosen by the gamemaster). The beacen
stone glows either green or yellow.
5 or less
The dwarf commander gains an immediate attack at –4 to the roll, dealing
1d4+1 points of damage on a successful hit.
dwarf cutter
AC: 13 Attack/Damage: 1, 1d12+2
HD: 4+4 Move: 9
tactics
Cutters are fearless elite shock troops. They dive into combat without fear or
hesitation. They never need to make a morale check. Due to the cutters unusual
fighting style, they do not grant an adjacency bonus to other dwarves.
5 or less
The dwarf cutter immediately deals 1d4+1 points of damage to both herself and
the target.
dwarf hammer
AC: 12 Attack/Damage: 1, varies
HD: 5 and up Move: 9
tactics
Hammer is the nickname given to dwarven warlocks, also known as dreo or
galdere. Hammers are rare, but powerful additions to a dwarf squad. A hammer
is always accompanied by at least 10 dwarves, including at least two cutters and
sometimes a commander.
The hammer’s HD indicates it’s casting level, and therefore its starting spells.
A dwarf hammers always carries a magical foci, known as a hellruna. Each foci is
different, but in the right hands, the hellruna is a powerful tool in its own right.
A dwarf hammer with at least 7 HD can store one dwarven earth magic spell
inside the hellruna in addition to any other spells she knows.
Elf
HD: 2+2 Move: 15
tactics
Elves are deceptive fighters. Most are bowmen and spearman, attacking from
a distance, while others use short weapons and fight in close, similar to the
human irregular.
5 or less
The elf deals 1 point of damage, +1 for every point below 5 rolled.
80
elf archer
HD: 2+2 Move: 18
tactics
Elf archers use longbows to debilitate their enemies, and move swiftly to keep
the PCs at a disadvantage. So long as an elf archer is not within 30 feet of a PC,
they always succeed at morale checks.
5 or less
The elf archer moves out of striking range at minimum of 10 feet.
elf commander
tactics
Rank and file elves operate like archers, fighters, and irregulars. But elf
commanders (umras) are a cut above everyone else. They always carry a
81
magical weapon, a magical defense item, and at least one healing potion.
Most command from the rear, where they can adequately gauge the fighting,
descending on the PCs when a weakness is exposed. Unless the elf commander
is the last one in a fight, she always succeeds at morale checks.
5 or less
The elf archer gives a command to one other elf, allowing her to take one action
(move, fight, cast a spell, etc.).
fracture wyrm
HD: 10 and up Move: 9 or 15 burrow
tactics
Fracture wyrms spend most of their time underground, burrowing through the
earth. In combat, they can disappear into the ground as one action and appear
somewhere else as another, putting themselves out of range of a fight.
Once every 2d4 rounds, the fracture wyrm can breath a 10’ wide line of liquid
magma in addition to its normal attack. This magma deals 3d8 damage to
everyone in its path.
Should the fracture wyrm ever deal maximum damage with its bite attack (e.g.
24 points of damage), the target is immediately swallowed and eaten, unless a
saving throw is successful rolled with a –4 penalty.
82
critical failure
The fracture wyrm’s breath attack restores 1 round faster.
5 or less
The fracture wyrm’s wounds close up, increasing its AC by +1 (temporarily).
goblin
HD: 1–1 Move: 12 or 15
tactics
Goblins lack any semblance of tactical acumen. They wear little-to-not armor,
carry jagged blades, and fight with swarm-like tactics.
Goblin encounters are always a part of another species’ assault, usually dwarf or
elf. Diversionary raids are not unheard of, but they don’t last long.
83
goblin magi
HD: 3–1 Move: 12
tactics
One in one thousand goblins is born with magical power. These goblin magi
(afsuncu) can cast abhorrent or sorcery magic, casting as third level or higher
warlocks. Their foci is always a some kind of rotten fruit with maggots or worms
inside. The fruit is perfectly preserved in its rotten state until the magi dies.
Goblin magi always lead other goblins, granting +1 to their morale checks.
Should the goblins ever fail a morale test, however, they turn on the goblin magi
before fleeing.
critical failure
The goblin magi moves 10 feet away from the attacker.
lizardfolk
HD: 2+4 Move: 12
tactics
Lizardfolk avoid conflict and only fight defensively. They attempt to flee at the
first sign of trouble, even if the outnumber an enemy. If forced to fight, they
would rather subdue an enemy and hide away afterwards.
5 or less
The lizardfolk gains a (cumulative) +1 AC bonus until the end of the combat.
murmur lizard
HD: 5+3 Move: 9
tactics
Murmur lizards ambush their prey, like any cunning predator. If cornered, a
murmur lizard uses its powerful legs to lunge at the enemy and its powerful
jaws to rend and maim, before escaping. Murmur lizards also possess a
84 preternatural awareness and are hard to sneak up on. Any attempt to surprise
or ambush a murmur lizard suffers a –4 penalty.
Bull murmur lizards gain a +2 to attack and damage during the mating season.
5 or less
The murmur lizard gains +4 on its next attack roll.
orc
AC: 13 Attack/Damage: 1, 1d6 or 1d8
HD: 1+1 Move: 12
tactics
Orcs are the meat and potatoes of most bloodwraith armies. They are straight-
forward and driven by war. Orc encounters are always in groups of four, eight,
or fourteen.
Orcs do not know magic, despite attempts to teach them. The largest orc fights
from the front and the weakest used ranged weapons from the rear. Large
stones are a common orc weapon when arrows and spears run out.
5 or less
One orc, previously reduced to exactly ‘0’ hit points, regains 1d3 hit points.
orc commander
AC: 15 Attack/Damage: 1 or 2, 1d8
HD: 1+1 Move: 9 or 12
87
tactics
Orc commanders distinguish themselves with body and face paint, along with
a large weapon. Some adorn themselves with trophies from previous victories
as well. Whatever the design, the commander stands out so her troops can
recognize her on the battlefield.
Some orc squads have 2 or 3 orc commanders are various ranks. When elves
are present, orcs take orders from the highest-ranking elf. Otherwise, they take
orders from the highest-ranking orc commander.
Orc commanders leading from the front grant a +2 bonus to morale checks to
other orcs. Orc commanders leading from the rear grant a +1 bonus to attack
rolls.
5 or less
The orc commander gains a (cumulative) +1 bonus to damage until the end of
the combat.
pus goblin
HD: 1–1 Move: 12
Pus goblins are an expendable species of sub creatures the rest of Gyrr has
deemed ‘undesireable.’ They are a rare encounter, often used for manual labor,
and services others do not want to do.
ravenwing owlbear
AC: 16 Attack/Damage: 2, 1d8*
HD: 4+4 Move: 12, 6 (flying)
tactics
Ravenwing owlbears are massive creatures, beyond the normal imaginings
of life in Gyrr. There is always something magical about a ravenwing owlbear,
though no two are the same. One might radiate a magical shield energy, while
another might have perfect infravision, and another might have a thicker hide.
Ravenwing owlbears are clumsy on the ground, suffering a –4 to any Dexterity-
related rolls the creature might make. While flying at night, they are especially
silent, surprising their enemies on a 1–8 on 1d20.
An owlbear that succeeds with both claw attacks against a single target, may
attempt a third attack with its beak which gains a +2 to attack and damage.
5 or less
The ravenwing owlbear regenerates 1d4 hit points.
razorback troll
HD: 3+3 and up Move: 15
tactics
Razorback trolls look like hideous giant rats with large, bipedal bodies. They
have dark vision up to 120 feet and are solitary. They fear large groups and
flee when a fight turns against them. Nevertheless, their tools are best used to
ambush an enemy and disappear quickly.
Their appearance is ghastly, causing foes to suffer a –4 to attack rolls the
first time they are encountered. This penalty reduces to –2 after 2d6 rounds.
Alternatively, a foe may attempt a saving throw every three rounds to reduce
the penalty due to the razorback troll’s hideous appearance.
Razorback trolls regenerate 1d4 points each round, except damage delivered
from fire or magic. Whenever a razorback troll is reduced to half its starting hit
points, it attempts to flee (without putting itself into undo harm).
88 critical failure
The razorback troll moves 10 feet away from the attacker and gains a +1
cumulative bonus to its AC.
5 or less
The razorback troll regenerates 2 hit points.
shroud
Shrouds are vague, apparitional forces, living under the weight of the
bloodwraith’s punishment. Shrouds take on many forms, based on how they
died and/or were tormented before death.
Because of their nature, shrouds do not have traditional game statistics.
Instead, each of the suggested shrouds is detailed below with game advice on
how to use them in Bloodwraith. How they attack, how much they can hurt the
PCs before being dispersed, and how they get away is up to the gamemaster.
These are not traditional monsters, but they are still shadows for the purposes
of combat.
Gamemasters are encouraged to create more.
the blind
The blind attacks a PC’s Intelligence and Wisdom scores, triggering new visions
and reducing their sense of awareness of the reality around them. PCs reduced
to 0 Intelligence from blind attacks become zombies. PCs reduced to 0 Wisdom
from blind attacks become a blind shroud.
the drowned 89
The drowned attacks a PC’s Strength and Constitution scores with an icy touch.
A PC who suffers from three attacks by the drowned feels her lungs start to fill
with water. Enough attacks and she will die.
the hungry
The hungry reduce a PC’s Strength and hit points, with a famine-like touch. The
pain from their touch is excruciating, causing the victim to make a saving throw
or lose one action on the following round. Anyone failing three saving throws in
a single encounter, falls unconscious from pain.
the lepers
The lepers spread disease with their touch, reducing a PC’s Constitution score
for a lengthy period of time. This, in turn, reduces a PC’s maximum hit points.
the severed
The severed fill a PC’s mind with horrible visions beyond the scope of any
creature in Gyrr, short of a bloodwraith. Their mere presence gives anyone
pause. Humans with a Constitution score below 8, upon seeing a severed,
simply die. Others make a saving throw to avoid suffering 2d8 damage.
the sorrowful
The sorrowful attacks in non-direct ways, slowly eroding a person’s will to live.
It spreads misery through proximity, turning otherwise stalwart individuals
into sad and dejected nothings. They slowly damage a PC’s Charisma until they
die at ‘0.’
soul borer
HD: 4+4 and up Move: 12
tactics
Soul borers are essentially undead shadows. They are the damned, trapped
between the earth and the bleeding realms. Their composition is complicated,
and so is fighting them. They are excellent hunters, but once they start to attack
a thing, the noise is unbearable and the process is slow and painful. Those
damaged by a soul borer must succeed at a saving throw or suffer a –2 penalty
to their next attack.
Soul borers suffer an additional +2 damage from cold attacks.
5 or less
The soul borer deals 2 point of damage that is so painful, it triggers a vision.
sunder dwarf
AC: 16 Attack/Damage: 2, 1d8+1
HD: 6+6 Move: 6 or 9
tactics
Sometimes referred to as iron dwarves, sunder dwarves have never encountered
humans. And if they have, the humans never lived to tell the tale. They are
powerful enemies, beyond the scope of other dwarves (or even elves).
critical failure
The sunder dwarf deals 1d4 damage.
5 or less
The sunder dwarf gains a free attack at –2 to the attack roll.
tabard snake
AC: 15 Attack/Damage: 1, 1d3 + poison*
HD: 1+2 Move: 12
tactics
90 The tabard snake constricts and bites in a single motion, delivering a paralytic
venom that also triggers hallucinations (visions). Once a tabard snake delivers
its attack, it focuses on one victim until it is dead, regardless of size. Once
a victim is reduced to 5 or fewer hit points, the tabard snake constricts for
an addition 1d4+1 points of damage. Tabard snakes are stupidly fearless,
continuing to bite and attack long after death — its head keeps biting until it is
reduced to –6 hit points.
toxic thole
AC: 17 Attack/Damage: 1, 1d3*
HD: 4+2 Move: 15
tactics
Against prepared opponents, the toxic thole always flees. Against a defenseless
opponent, the toxic thole drains 1 Constitution or 1 Wisdom (whichever is
higher) each round from the victim.
troll
AC: 15 Attack/Damage: 1 or 2, 2d6*
HD: 4+8 Move: 12
tactics
No two trolls are the same. Their tactics and fighting capabilities are different
from troll to troll. They regenerate 2d4 hit points of damage each round, except
damage from blood magic and fire. Gamemasters are encouraged to add 1 to 3
random character class levels to a troll.
critical failure
The troll regenerates 1d4 hit points.
5 or less
The troll regenerates 1 hit point.
vapor ghoul
AC: Varies Attack/Damage: 1, Varies
HD: Varies Move: Varies
tactics
Vapor ghouls take on the characteristics of whatever form they assume,
gaining a +1 to attack and damage. Once the body it possesses is destroyed, the
shadowy spirit inside floats away, searching for a new host. PCs have just a few
rounds to destroy the spirit before it gets away, though it is unclear how this is
done.
In addition, vapor ghouls possess one 2nd level spell each from three different
92 types of magic. These spells can be cast once per day, without additional cost.
Vapor ghouls cast spells and roll saving throws as though they had 6 HD.
critical failure
The vapor ghoul tags its opponent, dealing 1 point of damage that never heals
and making the foe easier to find later for all its nefarious plans.
weather hag
AC: 20 Attack/Damage: 1 or 2, 1d6*
HD: 8+8 Move: 15
tactics
Weather hags cannot die. They are part of Gyrr. While they can cast any spells
involving cloud, fog, lightning, rain, and thunder at will, they are not meant to
be fought. They are complicated encounters, upon which entire adventures are
written.
If a weather hag is forced to fight, it rains down its most powerful magic first
in such a dramatic display, anyone viewing it must succeed at a saving throw or
flee in terror.
Gamemasters are encouraged to invent game effects for the weather hag,
breaking the normal bounds of what is acceptable in Bloodwraith and what is
not. Illusion spells fall into this category.
critical failure
The foe suffers 1d8 damage.
93
wight elf
AC: 18 Attack/Damage: 1*, 1d8 or magic
tactics
Wight elves are terrifying to behold. While they not undead, they are considered
undead for the purposes of all game rules. In addition to their normal attacks,
a wight elf may use its gaze once every 2d4 rounds as a free action. This gaze
causes paralysis in any one foe who looks at the wight elf. The foe must succeed
at a saving throw or suffer 3 points of Dexterity loss for 1 hour. Anyone reduced
to ‘0’ Dexterity in this manner falls crippled (to the ground) until the effect
wears off.
Wight elves cast elven truth magic as 6th level warlocks. They also cast powerful
blood magic, as well as all fire and lightning spells. They do not need to prepare
spell slots and can cast any spell they know twice per day.
Wight elves gain +4 to any saving throw to resist control or manipulation.
critical failure
The wight elf regains one spell slot.
5 or less
The wight elf regains 1 hit point.
Designer Notes
Bloodwraith’s uber-plot is based on years of game design experience, mixed with
some stock art I had access to, and a personal challenge from a friend. The most
important part of that statement is years of game design experience.
I’ve written somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 to 10 million words in gaming.
I’ve lost count. A great deal of that writing has been gamemaster advice,
pointing readers in the right direction so that one game does not play exactly
like another.
People who want all their games to be the same don’t need advice from me.
But the hardest part about any writing like this is a) not sounding preachy and
b) getting the reader to accept and apply the advice. Anyone can read a self-help
book, but if they don’t want to change, nothing in that book matters.
No amount of creative endeavor from a game designer or writer is going to
make a game new. If all you do with the product is kill orcs and dragons with
it while questing for bigger magic items, then we didn’t need anything after
Blackmoor and Greyhawk.
But my optimism suggests some gamemasters and players want to break out
of their rut and play something different and/or play the games they’ve been
playing differently.
Bloodwraith addresses so many debates, ideas, and bad game sessions I’ve
encountered in 35 years of gaming and nearly 20 years of game design. The
sheer volume of conversations I could point to as to why a certain thing is in
here or why this is OSR at all when it is so story heavy… I could fill two more
books.
But I think I’ve rambled enough. My point is certainly made as to what I wanted
from this game world. More fantasy worlds are coming in 2019 and 2020,
products I’ve been working on for years with different approaches, themes,
tones, and motifs. I hope everything I write inspires new ideas for your own
games, even if you never step foot in Gyrr.
Game on.
— jim pinto
94
Index
actions................................................................................................................ 48
advancement................................................................................................. 7, 46
adventures......................................................................................................... 68
archer................................................................................................................... 9
archon beastman.............................................................................................. 72
armor.................................................................................................................. 33
armor class........................................................................................................ 32
attack roll........................................................................................................ 49
attribute scores................................................................................................. 5
barbarian............................................................................................................ 12
beggar shadow.................................................................................................. 72
binding wounds................................................................................................. 52
blood elf............................................................................................................ 75
bloodwraith...................................................................................................... 75
bribery................................................................................................................. 55
character classes.............................................................................................. 8
character creation........................................................................................... 5
charisma............................................................................................................... 7 95
chimeric beast................................................................................................... 76
cloven................................................................................................................. 77
coercion............................................................................................................. 55
combat................................................................................................................. 48
community.......................................................................................................... 38
conditions.......................................................................................................... 50
constitution........................................................................................................ 6
corpse eater....................................................................................................... 77
critical failure................................................................................................. 50
critical hits....................................................................................................... 50
coup de grace..................................................................................................... 52
cutter.................................................................................................................. 79
damage................................................................................................................ 50
degeneration hag............................................................................................. 78
death................................................................................................................... 50
deception............................................................................................................ 60
dehumanization................................................................................................ 61
designer notes.................................................................................................. 94
destabilization................................................................................................. 61
dexterity.............................................................................................................. 6
dice......................................................................................................................... 4
drama points...................................................................................................... 32
diplomacy........................................................................................................... 56
distance.............................................................................................................. 47
druid.................................................................................................................... 14
dwarf................................................................................................................... 79
elf......................................................................................................................... 80
enclave................................................................................................................ 38
equipment........................................................................................................... 33
exceptions.......................................................................................................... 50
experience...................................................................................................... 7, 46
extortion........................................................................................................... 55
fighter................................................................................................................ 18
five or less......................................................................................................... 52
fear...................................................................................................................... 51
food and water................................................................................................. 33
fracture wyrm.................................................................................................. 82
gamemaster advice........................................................................................... 64
gaslighting........................................................................................................ 61
goblin.................................................................................................................. 83
hag................................................................................................................. 78, 93
hammer................................................................................................................ 80
healing................................................................................................................ 52
hit dice................................................................................................................ 48
hit points............................................................................................................ 32
initiative....................................................................................................... 48, 70
intelligence......................................................................................................... 6
interpersonal conflict.................................................................................. 55
intimidation....................................................................................................... 56
invisible.............................................................................................................. 50
irregular............................................................................................................ 20
level...................................................................................................................... 7
lizardfolk.......................................................................................................... 84
loyalty................................................................................................................ 54
magi...................................................................................................................... 84
magic.............................................................................................................. 50, 52
manchurian candidate.................................................................................... 63
manipulation............................................................................................... 56, 62
mind control..................................................................................................... 63
monsters............................................................................................................. 72
morale................................................................................................................. 54
96 movement........................................................................................................... 47
murmur lizard.................................................................................................. 84
negotiation....................................................................................................... 56
nomenclature................................................................................................... 65
npcs...................................................................................................................... 38
orc........................................................................................................................ 87
playing the game.............................................................................................. 46
psychological horror.................................................................................... 60
psychological torture................................................................................... 63
pus goblin........................................................................................................... 87
razorback troll............................................................................................... 88
ravenwing owlbear......................................................................................... 88
relationships.........................................................................................34, 35, 39
rest...................................................................................................................... 52
saving throw..................................................................................................... 49
scaling encounters......................................................................................... 69
scout.................................................................................................................... 22
shadows.............................................................................................................. 51
shroud................................................................................................................. 89
snake.................................................................................................................... 90
spells................................................................................................................... 50
strength............................................................................................................... 6
soul borer.......................................................................................................... 90
sunder dwarf..................................................................................................... 90
tabard snake...................................................................................................... 90
time...................................................................................................................... 47
toxic thole......................................................................................................... 92 97
troll.................................................................................................................... 92
twenty questions............................................................................................. 36
undead................................................................................................................. 51
vapor ghoul....................................................................................................... 92
visions........................................................................................................... 43, 57
warlock.............................................................................................................. 26
wisdom.................................................................................................................. 6
weather troll................................................................................................... 93
weapons.............................................................................................................. 33
wight elf............................................................................................................. 93
wounds................................................................................................................ 52
Str melee special abilities
int ranged
wis ac
dex hp
con drama equipment
cha saves
community/enclave/relationship/visions notes
use reverse side for magic

Open Game License
Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of the Open Game License Version 1.0a (OGL).
This entire work is designated as Open Game Content under the OGL, with the exception of the trademarks
“For Coin & Gold, Sword & Wizardry,” “S&W,” and “Mythmere Games,”, other trademarks noted below under
DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY and COPYRIGHT NOTICE and with the exception of all artwork.
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DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY post world games™ is copyright 2018, jim pinto. The post world
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COPYRIGHT NOTICE The introduction and fiction or descriptive text, and the setting of Bloodwraith in this
product is Copyright of post world games © 2018 and is not open content. I wonder how much ink and paper
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rules

gender and diversity

New Dark Ages

generating attribute scores

Charisma Bonus Table

level, advancement, and Experience Points (XP)

Archer Advancement Table

Barbarian Advancement Table

Druid Advancement Table

Druid Spell Advancement Table

Fighter Advancement Table

irregular Advancement Table

death by one thousand cuts

scout Advancement Table

warlock Advancement Table

Food and Water

expressing relationship values

* There is little room for traditional romance in Gyrr. Romantic

calling in favors (optional)

advancement and Experience

Movement and distance

Movement Type Adjustment

the saving throw

Damage and Death

don’t use psychological torture

narrative vs. narration

history and ruins

con drama equipment

use reverse side for magic

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* There is little room for traditional romance in Gyrr. Romantic