fantastic medieval

campaigns

basic
 yo soy muy mía yo me transformo
una mariposa yo me transformo
makeup de drag queen yo me transformo
lluvia de estrellas yo me transformo
pasá de vuelta yo me transformo
como Sex Siren yo me transformo
me contradigo yo me transformo
soy todas las cosas yo me transformo
“saoko”, Rosalía
 Part I: Players
Bandits seek riches from ruins, throwing themselves into danger
in the hopes of making something of their life. Some adventurers
find a higher purpose during their exploits. Most die.

The game consists of a back-and-forth between the players and

the referee, the former interacting with a game-world described
by the latter via their characters. Each player guides their avatar
and tempts fate to bestow upon them greatness or deliver them
towards their own destruction.

Fate is invoked by the toss of a coin (or a die—less dramatic).

After agreeing upon the stakes of the situation, the acting player
calls heads or tails, and then the referee reveals the outcome.

Players are wise to avoid tempting fate. A good referee will help
players by adequately describing their characters’ surroundings
to enable them to make informed decisions.

As bandits survive, they will accumulate experience and acquire

fantastic powers. They will continue adventuring until they find
something better for themselves. Some do. Most die.

Your adventurer’s fate is in your hands now.

Call it.

1
 Getting Started
Each player decides if they will play as a fighter, mage, or expert.
Besides starting with one or two items from their class, they also
start with up to three of the below items of their choice:

Iron Spikes Camping Kit Belladonna

Oil Flask Mallet & Stakes Crucifix
Lantern Rations Garlic
Rope & Hook Tent Holy Water
Torches Waterskin Mirror
Vaulting Pole Wine Wolfsbane

The adventurer may also start with leather armor and/or a one-
handed weapon if the player wishes. The referee may introduce
more options to the table if the adventure calls for it, and players
may request options unlisted if it would be fair for their character
to start with them.

Finally, the player notes their figure’s defense class and speed.
Now they’re ready to play!

Getting Better
Characters earn experience by extracting treasure or defeating
monsters on their adventurers. Fighters become stronger, mages
increase their magical power, and experts learn more skills.

More importantly, as the campaign progresses, the characters

advance their agendas or complete their goals in the gameworld.
This could be the establishment of a stronghold, but it could also
be the overthrow of a tyrant or even just retirement.

A campaign’s goal is ultimately what the players make of it, and

what they see fit for their characters.

2
 Fighters
Level Experience Hit Points Prowess
1 0 5 +1
2 1,500 10 +2
3 4,000 15 +3
4 8,000 20 +4
5 16,000 25 +5

Fighters are good at fighting. When a fighter attacks in melee on

their turn, they may continue to attempt attacks until they miss.
They can also wield magical weapons (p. 19).

The ‘Prowess’ column shows the bonus that fighters add to their
attack rolls and the minimum damage they deal each hit (p. 9).

A level-2 fighter auto-kills any mook (2 h.p.) they hit, and a level-4
fighter auto-kills any grunt (4 h.p.) they hit.

Starting fighters may pick from the following: (a) a one-handed

melee weapon and a shield; (b) a two-handed melee weapon; or
(c) a ranged weapon with a magazine (slot) of ammunition.

3
 Mages
Level Experience Hit Points Energy
1 0 3 1
2 2,000 6 3
3 5,000 9 6
4 10,000 12 10
5 20,000 15 15

Mages have a strong affinity for the arcane, intrinsic or learned.

They can cast spells from scrolls without expending the latter by
spending their own magical energy instead.

The ‘Energy’ column lists how much magical energy a mage has
each adventure. Energy is restored after downtime (p. 14).

Mages can also spend energy to deal arcane damage to a target

in sight and all adjacent figures, or all figures in a straight 6” line.
Roll 1d6 per energy spent to determine base damage.

Starting mages may pick from the following scrolls: (a) charm,
(b) disappear, (c) float, (d) knock, (e) illuminate, or (f) lullaby.
Other scrolls can be found while adventuring.

4
D20 Spells
A spell’s effect can be compounded by spending extra energy.

1. Animate: Turn a corpse into a zombie with 1d6 hit points.

2. Breathe: Survive in absence of air for 1 hour.

3. Charm: Charm an intelligent individual for up to 1 hour.

4. Dispel: Negate someone else’s magical effect.

5. Empathize: Speak telepathically with any willing lifeform.

6. Float: Levitate up to 1d6 yards, moving at half speed.

7. Force: Apply a magical force to push, pull, or hold an object.

8. Hasten: Increase someone’s speed by 1d6”.

9. Heal: Erase 1d6 points of damage.

10. Illuminate: Summon a mobile light for up to 1 hour.

11. Knock: Opens any mundane or magical door, gate, or lock.

12. Lullaby: Cause 1d6 worth hit dice of creatures to fall asleep.

13. Metamorphose: Change a target’s appearance for 1 hour.

14. Migrate: Transfer your spirit to another body.

15. Passwall: Opens a hole, up to 10 by 10 feet, through any wall.

16. Reveal: Obscure or invisible things become apparent.

17. Scry: Observe a scene via an invisible sensor for 1 hour.

18. Shroud: Make 1d6 human-sized figures invisible.

19. Slow: Decrease someone’s speed by 1d6”.

20. Teleport: Open a portal to a familiar place for 1 hour.

5
 Experts
Level Experience Hit Points Skills
1 0 4 2
2 1,000 8 3
3 3,000 12 4
4 6,000 16 5
5 12,000 20 6

Experts are not masters of swords or sorcery, but they overcome

fate’s temptations by whittling down their own margin of error.

‘Skills’ let experts take the best of two tries at a relevant task.
They start with 2 skills, and learn a new one each level.

Skills may include: surprising enemies, avoiding being surprised,

picking locks, disabling traps, stealthing in shadows, climbing walls,
listening through doors, navigating the outdoors, or using a specific
type of weapon. Feel free to invent your own, too!

The player may also wait to declare a skill until one would come in
handy during play. Who knows what will really prove useful?

They can also wield magical weapons or cast spells from scrolls,
although they do not share the powers of fighters or mages that
complement these items.

Starting experts may pick two from the following: (a) a toolbox,
(b) a book of lore, or (c) any tool or instrument which allows them
to perform their starting skills.

6
 Equipment

Below are guidelines for equipment costs in copper pieces or c.p.

(see p. 8 for armor):

 1 c.p.: Fresh meal, pint of beer, 1 night at an inn.

 5 c.p.: Torches for 1 hour, flask of oil.
 10 c.p.: Ammunition, rations for 1 week.
 20 c.p.: Simple tool, one-handed weapon.
 50 c.p.: Complex tool, two-handed weapon.
 100 c.p.: Month’s wages, fine goods.

10 copper pieces make 1 silver, and 10 silver pieces make 1 gold.

1 inventory slot fits up to 100 pieces of any currency type (p. 8).

Characters may start with 100 (10 × 3d6) c.p. instead of picking
quick-start gear. Otherwise, they may start with 20 (2 × 3d6) c.p.
in addition to their equipment.

7
 Armor & Speed
Armor Type Cost Defense Speed Capacity
None — 10 12” 6 slots
Leather 20 c.p. 12 10” 5 slots
Chainmail 100 c.p. 14 8” 4 slots
Plate 1,000 c.p. 16 6” 3 slots
Shield 10 c.p. +1 — (1 slot)

An adventurer’s armor type determines their defense class (p. 9),

their speed rating, and their carrying capacity.

Unlike suits of armor, shields take up capacity (1 slot). The wielder

also has the option of destroying their shield to negate an incoming
attack that would have otherwise hit and dealt damage.

Speed is given in tabletop inches which are rescaled to represent

different contexts in the game such as skirmishes, mass combat,
and underworld exploration.

Capacity is how many significant items an adventurer can carry

without becoming encumbered. One may carry up to double their
listed capacity, but in doing so they halve their speed.

For example, a figure wearing chainmail armor has a speed of 8”

when traveling lightly or 4” when encumbered.

8
 Combat
When one figure attacks another using a weapon, rather than by
magical means, the participant in charge rolls d20 plus an attack
bonus if one applies.

If the total score meets or exceeds the target’s defense class, the
attacker lands a hit and deals damage of d6 for typical figures.

Two-handed melee weapons take the space of two slots, but allow
the wielder to take the best of two dice when rolling damage.

Ranged weapons take one slot but require a slot of ammunition.

The ammunition is only expended if the wielder uses their weapon
for multiple attacks over the course of one encounter.

Ineffective weapons, like a steel sword against a lycanthrope, or

an arrow shot at a skeleton, deal half their typical damage.

A typical figure’s defense class is a function of their armor type,

whereas a monster’s defense class may represent more abstract
factors such as dexterity or magic.

When a figure accumulates damage in excess of their hit points,

they perish. Players may tempt fate for their figure to survive.

9
 Site Exploration
Adventurers exploring a site such as a dungeon get 1 action per
turn to move a number of squares (10 × 10 feet, or 10 sq. meters)
up to their speed rating, to search their immediate surroundings,
or to interact with significant features of the site.

When everyone has taken their turn, time passes in the world of
the game and the referee checks to see if a monster wanders in
the party's direction. This can be a 1/6 chance.

There are 6 exploration rounds per hour in the gameworld. 1 pack

(slot) of torches burns for 1 hour. A lantern burns for 4 hours, but
requires a flask of oil which occupies a separate slot.

10
 Overworld Travel
Hexes are about 18 miles or 30 kilometers wide, the distance that
one can cross in 1 day given flat terrain and decent conditions.
However, 1 day is added to travel time if the terrain or weather
prove disadvantageous for travel.

These hexes can be subdivided into 6 miles or 10 kilometers across,

or into even smaller sizes, allowing for a more granular traversal of
the overworld. Using 6-mile hexes, allow the party to cross 3 daily,
adjusting the ‘cost’ of a hex using the same guidelines as above.

The referee checks for a random encounter each hex, with there
being a 1/6 chance each day. For example, a hex requiring 3 days
to traverse has a 3/6 chance of triggering a random encounter.

Each bundle (slot) of rations lasts 1 week. 1 day per week is spent
resting, so there are up to 6 traveling days each week.

Wandering
If the party is traversing unknown lands without following a path,
they roll d6 for which adjacent hex is available for them to enter.
The party may choose to deviate from the selected hex by 1 hex
in whichever direction they decide. Experts skilled at navigation
allow the party to roll an extra die.

If the party is traversing known lands without following a path,

they can only enter hexes by ways which they have already tried
unless they choose to wander again.

In other words: the world is structured like a typical hex map, but
it is experienced as a dynamic point crawl.

11
 Negotiation
A non-player character can have one of three moods towards the
adventuring party: friendly, hostile, or neutral.

Friendly NPCs can be persuaded put to themselves at risk to help

the adventurers, and will freely help otherwise. Neutral NPCs can be
persuaded to help the adventurers so long as it does not put them
at any risk. There’s no helping with hostile NPCs.

When negotiating with a non-player character, consider whether

their attitude is compatible with what the party is asking of them.
If a request would require persuasion, roll 2d6: (2-5) is negative;
(6-8) is uncertain; and (9-12) is affirmative.

An uncertain non-player character may require extra reasoning

for why they should help the adventurers, or ask for something in
return for their help. The referee may modify the next attempt by
±1 or more to reflect the players’ approach.

Negotiations conclude after a negative or affirmative response.

Depending on the circumstances, or how poorly the dice roll, the
former outcome may trigger a skirmish.

12
 Skirmishes

If either party has the potential to be surprised, the participant

in charge tempts fate. A surprised party loses their first turn, and
their opponent gets to act together as a group.

If both parties are surprised, neither are surprised. An expert skilled

at avoiding surprise tempts fate to regain their turn if their party is
surprised in general.

Subsequent rounds are split into 4 phases of movement, missiles,

melee, and magic—alternating between the winners and losers of
initiative for that round (50-50 for either party). Each participant
may move and attack, or cast a spell.

Speed rates are interpreted as paces. Opponents in 1” are stuck

in melee until resolved, although a figure with a reach weapon
can attack from 2” away. Shooting into a melee is a stupid idea.

When the opposing side loses its leader or half its numbers (or, in
the case of a big monster, takes damage up to half its hit points),
they must tempt fate or else break rank and flee. Not applicable
if the opposing side cannot think for themselves.

13
 Downtime

Downtime between adventures takes 1 week, or the remainder of

1 week after a site excursion.

During this time, characters cure points of damage equal to their

level-1 hit points: 5 for fighters, 3 for mages, and 4 for experts.
Mages also restore their arcane energy, and will be at full energy
after just 1 week of rest.

In other words, it takes 1 week to cure 1 level’s worth of damage.

While resting and recuperating, characters can pursue hobbies,

shop for equipment (especially of the expensive sort, like armor),
or develop relationships with non-player characters. 1 downtime
week affords 1 downtime action.

Magical Research & Manufacture

Mages can research spells and manufacture magic items. It costs
1,000 c.p. to attempt to learn a new spell from their table (p. 5),
and capture it in a scroll. They must tempt fate to succeed.

Alternatively, the cost in gold pieces to enchant a weapon equals

that weapon’s maximum damage each week. The mage can try
to increase the weapon’s maximum damage by 1 step and roll on
the power table (p. 21). They must tempt fate to succeed.

14
 Part II: Referees
For the first session, the referee need only prepare a site for the
adventurers to explore, its immediate surroundings, and a haven
to which the adventurers can return.

Unless overworld travel is a feature of the campaign, the site

should be a short-enough trip from the haven to make it back
again after the excursion.

For ~1 hour of play, six rooms are sufficient for the adventure site
so long as they are sufficiently interesting for players to explore!
See Site Design to learn more (p. 16).

Later on, the referee can prepare the surrounding region (p. 17).
 Site Design
A quick adventure site may consist of six rooms, including:

 Occupied by monsters with treasure.

 Occupied by monsters without treasure.
 Unoccupied with trapped or hidden treasure.

The site’s occupants may have a total experience quantity 1,000

times the intended level of the adventuring party. For example, a
level-1 site has ~1,000 experience points’ worth of monsters, such
as 6 hoblins and 4 porcs (pp. 18-9).

The site also contains treasure worth this amount of experience,

split between its two hoards (p. 20). This means that, overall, one
site will grant enough experience for one characters to advance.
However, the party will not necessarily ‘clear’ a site in one go.

The referee should populate the remaining rooms with features

that interest the players (and serve as stages for encounters).

Each site is its own ecosystem, so it should reflect the microworld of

the site’s inhabitants. Try answering the six journalistic questions to
flesh out its history: who, what, when, where, why, and how?

Add six connections between the rooms, so that the site has one
looping path. The connections can have obstacles such as (d6):
(1) a stuck or locked door, requiring an adventurer to tempt fate
to open it; (2) a hidden door, requiring ingenuity to uncover it; or
(3) a very long corridor, requiring significant time to traverse it.
Treat results from (4-6) as straightforward.

Finally, come up with d6 potential random encounters.

16
 Region Design

What biomes and ecosystems are prevalent in the region? What

are the major geographical features? What local factions exist,
and how do they relate to each other? What monsters roam?

A starting region does not need to be too big: just about 6 hexes,
enough for there to be multiple points of interest that players will
want to reach and explore.

At this point, come up with some random encounters.

Hex Stocking
To populate hexes, try d6: (1) is a settlement where travelers can
stop, rest, and recuperate; (2) is an adventure site such as a ruin;
or (3) is a monster’s lair.

Lairs may function as multi-room sites, or as one-room structures

with monsters and their treasure hoard. Either way, roll 1,000 × d6
to find the experience budget of the lair for monsters and treasure.

Results from (4-6) don’t need to be anything exhaustive, though

like unoccupied site rooms they should not necessarily be empty.
Place landmarks, natural or artificial, that distinguish the hex and
may potentially serve as a stage for an encounter.

17
 Monster Types
Bracket Experience Hit Points Attack Damage
1. Mook 50 2 +0 d4
2. Grunt 100 4 +1 d6
3. Elite 200 8 +2 d8
4. Lieutenant 400 16 +4 d10
5. Boss 800 32 +8 d12

Brackets simplify monster statistics by grouping them according

to their relative combat strength.

To convert: mooks are equivalent to 1/2 hit dice, grunts to 1 hit die,
elites to 2 hit dice, lieutenants to 4 hit dice, and bosses to 8 hit dice.

That being said, don’t stress it. If you want to use typical monsters,
just give them +1 prowess per hit die up to +8 and use damage dice
for the hit dice quantities listed. You could even roll for hit points.

The ‘Experience’ column indicates the experience points awarded

for defeating a monster of a bracket, having light defense (12).
This can be increased by 50% for having medium defense (14), or
by 100% for having heavy defense (16).

Like fighters, monsters improve at landing hits against enemies

the more powerful they are. Unlike fighters, however, monsters
also improve their damage die by their bracket.

If a monster has especially formidable powers, such as reducing

maximum hit points, self-restoration, or an area-of-effect attack,
increase their experience by 50%.

18
 Example Monsters
Name XP DC HP SP AT DM
Basilisk 800 14 16 6” +4 d10
Bear 400 12 16 10” +4 d10
Dragon, Young* 500 16 8 8/24” +2 d8
Dragon, Adult* 1,000 16 16 8/24” +4 d10
Dragon, Elder* 2,000 16 32 8/24” +8 d12
Ghoul† 300 12 8 8” +2 d8
Giant 1,200 14 32 10” +8 d12
Griffon 800 16 16 12/24” +4 d10
Hoblin 75 14 2 8” +0 d4
Lycanthrope§ 400 14 8 12” +2 d8
Medusa 600 12 16 8” +4 d10
Ogre 600 14 16 8” +4 d10
Pegasus 300 14 8 24/48” +2 d8
Porc 150 14 4 8” +1 d6
Skeleton 50 12 2 6” +0 d4
Treant 800 12 32 6” +8 d12
Troll‡ 800 14 16 10” +4 d10
Vampire†§ 2,000 16 32 12/18” +8 d12
Wraith†§ 600 12 16 12/24” +4 d10
Zombie 100 12 4 6” +1 d6
* Dragons breathe fire in a 3 × 9” cone extending from their mouth once per hour,
dealing their damage die to all in line. This counts as casting a spell (pp. 9, 13).
† These undead reduce a figure’s maximum hit points by half the damage they
deal on a successful hit. At 0 maximum hit points, the victim becomes undead.
‡ Trolls cure 1 point of damage per round. Their bodies must be burned.
§
Non-silver or non-magical weapons only deal half damage.

19
 Treasure Hoards

Recall that a site contains treasure in value equal to 1,000 times

its level (p. 16). Our example site is for level-1 adventurers, having
1,000 c.p. worth of treasure.

Although it is easy to convert experience to money, adventurers

also seek out magical items. Try d6: (1) is a magic weapon (p. 21);
(2) is a scroll (p. 5); and results from (3-6) are just valuable.

1 copper piece is worth 1 experience, 1 silver is worth 10 experience,

and 1 gold is worth 100 experience.

Magic items do not grant an adventurer experience unless sold.

Otherwise, that adventurer could have their cake and eat it too!

A scroll is worth 1,000 c.p., and a magic weapon is worth as many

g.p. as the maximum damage it can deal. The damage die should
not exceed that of the monsters who possess it, meaning that our
porcs above will not possess a d12 magic weapon but an ancient
dragon might (pp. 18-9).

Valuable items can still be interesting. For example, an old bottle

of wine could be worth 1 g.p. (100 c.p.), and our hoblins may be in
possession of 4 bottles if the porcs possess a d6 magic weapon
worth 6 g.p. (600 c.p.). The total value would be 1,000 c.p.

20
Magic Weapons
Magic weapons have special abilities and may also deal more
damage than their regular counterparts.

First, roll d6: the weapon is either smashing (1, 4), slashing (2, 5),
or stabbing (3, 6); and it is either one- (1-3) or two-handed (4-6).
The weapon’s damage die is that of the monster who guards or
possesses it (p. 18).

Then, find the weapon’s power. Roll on the table below with the
weapon’s die and all dice below it (e.g., for level 3, roll: d4, d6, d8)
and treat duplicates as null results.

1. Notice shifting rooms.

2. Locate secret doors.

3. Detect invisible things.

4. Reveal traps or hazards.

5. Detect metals or gems.

6. Throw 3” and it returns.

7. Alert against monsters.

8. Become clairaudient.

9. Become clairvoyant.

10. Communicate telepathically.

11. Move objects with mind.

12. Cure 1 damage per hit.

21
Featuring art by Hodag RPG and Emiel Boven, under CC BY 4.0.
Designed as a companion for FANTASTIC MEDIEVAL CAMPAIGNS.

Part I: Players ......................................................................................... 1

Getting Started .............................................................................................. 2
Fighters ............................................................................................................. 3
Mages ............................................................................................................... 4
Experts .............................................................................................................. 6
Equipment ........................................................................................................ 7
Armor & Speed ............................................................................................... 8
Combat.............................................................................................................. 9
Site Exploration .......................................................................................... 10
Overworld Travel ......................................................................................... 11
Negotiation ................................................................................................... 12
Skirmishes ...................................................................................................... 13
Downtime ...................................................................................................... 14
Part II: Referees ...................................................................................15
Site Design..................................................................................................... 16
Region Design .............................................................................................. 17
Monster Types ..............................................................................................18
Example Monsters....................................................................................... 19
Treasure Hoards ......................................................................................... 20