The adventure is the one from the rules page, grown into five scenes. The characters are built with the real character rules, the adversaries come from the VTT’s bestiary, and every die is rolled by a program that follows the rules as written. Where the rules say nothing, it makes the plainest guess and says so. Then it ran the whole adventure 3,000 more times to see what usually happens.
This is the second round. The first playtest found five serious problems (F1 to F5) and the rules were changed to fix them. The page below plays the adventure under the new rules and puts the old numbers beside the new ones.
The verdict
Before the changes the characters could not lose: in 88% of fights the party finished the adversaries before one of them acted, and the whole adventure cost the party about 0.2 harm out of 36. Now fights last about 1.9 rounds, the adversaries make about 14.1 attacks, the party takes about 8.3 harm, and the Looming Horror climbs past the first milestone in 96% of runs. Somebody falls to 12 harm in about 3% of runs. That is a game you can lose, which was the point.
- F1. Six actions against one. Fixed: three actions a turn, and adversaries get several attacks.
- F2. Armour and adversaries cancel. Fixed: adversaries roll an extra die and attack more often.
- F3. Weapons beat spells. Fixed: damage spells roll tokens plus one dice, and a Strike costs a token more for each weapon level above 2.
- F4. The Looming Horror never rises. Fixed: Wounds and failed checks raise it too.
- F5. Healing and resting wipe the slate. Fixed: magic heals each character once between rests, a rest heals one Wound, and the party cleanses once per rest.
The cast
Three level 2 characters, each with its 5 picks spent. Eadgyth is the healer. Osric holds the line. Cuthbert is the one who throws things from a distance.
Osric Warden, level 2
Body +1 · Mind −1 · Spirit +0
Knight’s Longsword (2d6, melee), Mail Hauberk (2d6)
Shield Bash, Interpose, Iron Constitution, Quartermaster, Hold the Line
Eadgyth Cantor, level 2
Body +0 · Mind +1 · Spirit +1
Pilgrim’s Staff (1d6, melee), Leather Jerkin (2d6)
Hymn of Courage, Litany of Mending, Dissonant Note, Resonant Voice, Perfect Pitch
Cuthbert Wanderer, level 2
Body +0 · Mind +1 · Spirit +0
War Bow (2d6, ranged), Leather Jerkin (2d6)
Firebolt, Arcane Ward, Arcane Study, Spellstrike, Frost Lash
Three adversaries and an NPC, as the VTT has them:
Plague Rat Swarm
Difficulty 9 · 24 HP · 1 attack of 2d6 · 0d6 armour
Grave Hound
Difficulty 13 · 32 HP · 2 attacks of 2d6 · 0d6 armour
Plague-touched Sexton
Difficulty 12 · 40 HP · 3 attacks of 2d6 · 0d6 armour
Leofwyn the miller’s widow, NPC
14 HP · no armour · no attack
The rules still give an NPC no stats. These are a guess (it was 6 HP before the changes).
What the simulation had to guess
- A spell that does damage needs an attack check like a Strike. It adds Spirit for the Cantor and Mind for the Wanderer, and the spell adds its level.
- An adversary makes the number of attacks listed in the bestiary in its turn, and the GM picks a target for each one at random among the characters still standing (and the NPC).
- The GM chooses targets at random among the characters who are still standing. The rules give no targeting guidance.
- A character at 12 harm is down and takes no turns. At the start of each following round they roll the dying d6 (Death Bargain on 1-2, stable on 3-5, revive with 1 Wound on a 6). Bargain quests, rerolls and attribute penalties are not modelled, only the harm and Looming Horror effects. A dead character stays dead.
- Under the new rules a natural 20 on an attack check always hits and rolls damage twice. A natural 1 always misses.
- Adversary armour (the VTT has it) subtracts its d6 from damage like player armour.
- Tokens refill at the start of every round and between fights. The rules do not say what tokens mean outside a fight.
- A Horror Token can be spent once per round, and only if the Looming Horror is above 0.
The adventure
One run, played the way a table probably would: each character uses their favourite ability first and then spends the rest of their tokens. Amber boxes mark the moments where a rule did something odd. The seed is fixed, so this page shows the same run every time.
1 The Hart and Hallow
Rain has been falling on Wickham for three days and the church bell has not stopped. Hild the innkeeper sets down three bowls of pottage and asks nothing. Godric the reeve sits by the fire with his hat in his hands: “The sexton is a good man. He is only burying the dead.” Leofwyn the miller’s widow takes Eadgyth by the sleeve: “My husband has been dead since Tuesday. He was not dead on Tuesday.”
The table plays three small scenes at once. Cuthbert wants the burial ledger, Eadgyth watches the reeve, and Osric goes to look at the miller’s door. Every check that fails now feeds the Looming Horror.
Cuthbert reads the burial ledger (Hard): 9 + 1 mind = 10 against 15 — fails.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (a failed check), to 1.
Eadgyth steadies Godric the reeve (Routine): 9 + 1 spirit = 10 against 12 — fails.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (a failed check), to 2.
Osric leans on the miller’s door (Hard): 11 + 1 body = 12 against 15 — fails.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (a failed check), to 3.
Cuthbert did not find the forgery and Eadgyth did not settle Godric, so Godric slips away and warns the sexton.
⚠ Three failed checks raised the Looming Horror to 3 before the first fight. A success still earns nothing in the rules (F6).
2 The churchyard
By midnight the three stand among the graves with lanterns. Something with a great many teeth is under the yews, and the ground between the stones is moving. The Plague Rat Swarm and the Grave Hound have been waiting. The players act first, in any order they like, up to three actions each, and the adversaries go last.
Round 1
Osric raises Guard (1 token): +1d6 to the armour roll against the first hit.
Osric Strikes the Plague Rat Swarm (1 token): 8 + 3 (body +1, weapon +2) = 11 against 9 — hit. Knight’s Longsword 23 = 5. 5 damage.
Osric Strikes the Plague Rat Swarm (1 token): 14 + 3 (body +1, weapon +2) = 17 against 9 — hit. Knight’s Longsword 16 = 7. 7 damage.
Osric has used 3 actions, the limit for a turn, and stops with 3 tokens unspent.
The GM spends a Horror Token: the ladder drops to 2 and the adversaries act now.
Plague Rat Swarm attacks Cuthbert. It rolls 31 = 4. Cuthbert’s Leather Jerkin rolls 51 = 6. 0 harm gets through (Cuthbert at 0 of 12).
Grave Hound attacks Osric. It rolls 33 = 6. Osric’s Mail Hauberk rolls 614 + Guard 2 = 11+2. 0 harm gets through (Osric at 0 of 12).
Grave Hound attacks Cuthbert. It rolls 36 = 9. Cuthbert’s Leather Jerkin rolls 46 = 10. 0 harm gets through (Cuthbert at 0 of 12).
Eadgyth sings Hymn of Courage (1 token): her allies add +1 to their next check.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Hymn of Courage), to 3.
Eadgyth casts Dissonant Note (2 tokens): 6 + 2 (spirit +1, spell +1) = 8 against 9 — it misses.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Dissonant Note), to 4.
Eadgyth casts Dissonant Note (2 tokens): 5 + 2 (spirit +1, spell +1) = 7 against 9 — it misses.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Dissonant Note), to 5.
Eadgyth has used 3 actions, the limit for a turn, and stops with 1 tokens unspent.
Cuthbert casts Firebolt (2 tokens): 2 + 3 (mind +1, spell +1, Hymn +2) = 5 against 9 — it misses.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Firebolt), to 6.
Cuthbert Strikes the Plague Rat Swarm (1 token): 13 + 2 (body +0, weapon +2) = 15 against 9 — hit. War Bow 21 = 3. 3 damage.
Cuthbert Strikes the Plague Rat Swarm (1 token): 12 + 2 (body +0, weapon +2) = 14 against 9 — hit. War Bow 21 = 3. 3 damage.
Cuthbert has used 3 actions, the limit for a turn, and stops with 2 tokens unspent.
Adversaries go last.
Plague Rat Swarm attacks Cuthbert. It rolls 45 = 9. Cuthbert’s Leather Jerkin rolls 54 = 9. 0 harm gets through (Cuthbert at 0 of 12).
Grave Hound attacks Osric. It rolls 34 = 7. Osric’s Mail Hauberk rolls 135 = 9. 0 harm gets through (Osric at 0 of 12).
Grave Hound attacks Cuthbert. It rolls 23 = 5. Cuthbert’s Leather Jerkin rolls 14 = 5. 0 harm gets through (Cuthbert at 0 of 12).
Round 2
Osric raises Guard (1 token): +1d6 to the armour roll against the first hit.
Osric Strikes the Plague Rat Swarm (1 token): 1 + 4 (body +1, weapon +2, Hymn +2) = 5 against 9 — miss.
Osric Strikes the Plague Rat Swarm (1 token): 8 + 3 (body +1, weapon +2) = 11 against 9 — hit. Knight’s Longsword 31 = 4. 4 damage.
Osric has used 3 actions, the limit for a turn, and stops with 3 tokens unspent.
The GM spends a Horror Token: the ladder drops to 5 and the adversaries act now.
Plague Rat Swarm attacks Eadgyth. It rolls 33 = 6. Eadgyth’s Leather Jerkin rolls 56 = 11. 0 harm gets through (Eadgyth at 0 of 12).
Grave Hound attacks Eadgyth. It rolls 44 = 8. Eadgyth’s Leather Jerkin rolls 45 = 9. 0 harm gets through (Eadgyth at 0 of 12).
Grave Hound attacks Osric. It rolls 32 = 5. Osric’s Mail Hauberk rolls 564 + Guard 1 = 15+1. 0 harm gets through (Osric at 0 of 12).
Eadgyth sings Hymn of Courage (1 token): her allies add +1 to their next check.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Hymn of Courage), to 6.
Eadgyth casts Dissonant Note (2 tokens): 5 + 2 (spirit +1, spell +1) = 7 against 9 — it misses.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Dissonant Note), to 7.
Eadgyth casts Dissonant Note (2 tokens): 11 + 2 (spirit +1, spell +1) = 13 against 9 — hit. 464 = 14 damage. The Plague Rat Swarm is down.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Dissonant Note), to 8.
Eadgyth has used 3 actions, the limit for a turn, and stops with 1 tokens unspent.
Cuthbert casts Firebolt (2 tokens): 1 + 3 (mind +1, spell +1, Hymn +2) = 4 against 13 — it misses.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Firebolt), to 9.
Cuthbert Strikes the Grave Hound (1 token): 19 + 2 (body +0, weapon +2) = 21 against 13 — hit. War Bow 43 = 7. 7 damage.
Cuthbert Strikes the Grave Hound (1 token): 20 + 2 (body +0, weapon +2) = 22 against 13 — hit. War Bow 2366 = 17. 17 damage.
Cuthbert has used 3 actions, the limit for a turn, and stops with 2 tokens unspent.
Adversaries go last.
Grave Hound attacks Eadgyth. It rolls 22 = 4. Eadgyth’s Leather Jerkin rolls 46 = 10. 0 harm gets through (Eadgyth at 0 of 12).
Grave Hound attacks Eadgyth. It rolls 34 = 7. Eadgyth’s Leather Jerkin rolls 21 = 3. 4 harm gets through (Eadgyth at 4 of 12). A Wound is filled (1 of 3).
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (a Wound is filled), to 10.
Round 3
Osric raises Guard (1 token): +1d6 to the armour roll against the first hit.
Osric Strikes the Grave Hound (1 token): 6 + 4 (body +1, weapon +2, Hymn +2) = 10 against 13 — miss.
Osric Strikes the Grave Hound (1 token): 9 + 3 (body +1, weapon +2) = 12 against 13 — miss.
Osric has used 3 actions, the limit for a turn, and stops with 3 tokens unspent.
The GM spends a Horror Token: the ladder drops to 9 and the adversaries act now.
Grave Hound attacks Cuthbert. It rolls 51 = 6. Cuthbert’s Leather Jerkin rolls 14 = 5. He spends 1 token on Arcane Ward and absorbs 6 more. 0 harm gets through (Cuthbert at 0 of 12).
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Arcane Ward), to 10.
Grave Hound attacks Cuthbert. It rolls 36 = 9. Cuthbert’s Leather Jerkin rolls 44 = 8. He spends 1 token on Arcane Ward and absorbs 6 more. 0 harm gets through (Cuthbert at 0 of 12).
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Arcane Ward), to 11.
Eadgyth sings Hymn of Courage (1 token): her allies add +1 to their next check.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Hymn of Courage), to 12.
Eadgyth casts Dissonant Note (2 tokens): 4 + 2 (spirit +1, spell +1) = 6 against 13 — it misses.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Dissonant Note), to 13.
Eadgyth casts Dissonant Note (2 tokens): 5 + 2 (spirit +1, spell +1) = 7 against 13 — it misses.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Dissonant Note), to 14.
Eadgyth has used 3 actions, the limit for a turn, and stops with 1 tokens unspent.
Cuthbert casts Firebolt (2 tokens): 18 + 3 (mind +1, spell +1, Hymn +2) = 21 against 13 — hit. 365 = 14 damage. The Grave Hound is down.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Firebolt), to 15.
In this scene: 3 rounds, 25 player actions, 13 adversary attacks.
3 The porch
In the porch of the church they catch their breath. It is a pause and not a rest, so no Wound clears and the ladder does not fall. Tokens come back at the start of the next round, as always.
A pause on the porch. It is not a rest: no Wound clears and the ladder does not fall.
4 The crypt
Beneath the chancel the crypt stairs run down into the smell of turned earth. Leofwyn follows with a lantern and no weapon, and nobody has the heart to send her back. The Plague-touched Sexton is at the bottom, and since Godric has slipped away, he has been warned and he is not surprised.
Round 1
Godric has warned the sexton, so the adversaries get the first turn.
Plague-touched Sexton attacks Osric. It rolls 25 = 7. Osric’s Mail Hauberk rolls 654 = 15. 0 harm gets through (Osric at 0 of 12).
Plague-touched Sexton attacks Osric. It rolls 33 = 6. Osric’s Mail Hauberk rolls 416 = 11. 0 harm gets through (Osric at 0 of 12).
Plague-touched Sexton attacks Eadgyth. Osric spends 1 token to Interpose and takes it instead. It rolls 56 = 11. Osric’s Mail Hauberk rolls 622 = 10. 1 harm gets through (Osric at 1 of 12).
Osric raises Guard (1 token): +1d6 to the armour roll against the first hit.
Osric Strikes the Plague-touched Sexton (1 token): 10 + 4 (body +1, weapon +2, Hymn +2) = 14 against 12 — hit. Knight’s Longsword 45 = 9. 9 damage.
Osric Strikes the Plague-touched Sexton (1 token): 19 + 3 (body +1, weapon +2) = 22 against 12 — hit. Knight’s Longsword 25 = 7. 7 damage.
Osric has used 3 actions, the limit for a turn, and stops with 2 tokens unspent.
The GM spends a Horror Token: the ladder drops to 14 and the adversaries act now.
Plague-touched Sexton goes for Leofwyn: 51 = 6 damage and she has no armour. Leofwyn is at 8 of 14 HP.
Plague-touched Sexton attacks Osric. It rolls 51 = 6. Osric’s Mail Hauberk rolls 466 + Guard 5 = 16+5. 0 harm gets through (Osric at 1 of 12).
Plague-touched Sexton attacks Eadgyth. Osric spends 1 token to Interpose and takes it instead. It rolls 35 = 8. Osric’s Mail Hauberk rolls 144 = 9. 0 harm gets through (Osric at 1 of 12).
Eadgyth sings Hymn of Courage (1 token): her allies add +1 to their next check.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Hymn of Courage), to 15.
Eadgyth casts Dissonant Note (2 tokens): 16 + 2 (spirit +1, spell +1) = 18 against 12 — hit. 643 = 13 damage.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Dissonant Note), to 16.
Eadgyth casts Dissonant Note (2 tokens): 15 + 2 (spirit +1, spell +1) = 17 against 12 — hit. 664 = 16 damage. The Plague-touched Sexton is down.
The Looming Horror rises by 1 (Dissonant Note), to 17.
In this scene: 1 round, 6 player actions, 6 adversary attacks.
5 Morning
Dawn. Leofwyn kneels by the open grave. The party sleeps in the church: everyone heals one Wound, and the party rolls a d6 to lower the Looming Horror, because the church is a safe place.
Osric rests: one Wound clears, at 0 of 12.
Eadgyth rests: one Wound clears, at 0 of 12.
The party rests in a safe place and rolls a d6: 1. The ladder falls by 1 to 16.
What 3,000 runs say
Two kinds of player. The optimiser always does whatever the numbers say is best. The storyteller opens with each character’s signature ability, which usually costs more. Both are shown, with the figures from before the changes beside them.
| Per adventure | Storyteller, before | Storyteller, now | Optimiser, before | Optimiser, now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rounds in an average fight | 1 | 1.9 | 1 | 1.8 |
| Adversary attacks, in total | 0.3 | 14.1 | 0.3 | 12.9 |
| Fights won before an adversary acts | 87% | 0% | 88% | 1% |
| Harm taken by the whole party (of 36) | 0.2 | 8.3 | 0.2 | 7.5 |
| Runs where someone fell to 12 harm | 0% | 3% | 0% | 2% |
| Runs where someone died (Death Bargain 2) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Horror Tokens the GM could spend | 0 | 3.2 | 0 | 3 |
| Highest the Looming Horror got (of 21) | 1.6 | 13.8 | 1.1 | 10.1 |
| Runs that reached the first milestone (9) | 0% | 96% | 0% | 69% |
| Runs where Leofwyn died | 5% | 39% | 5% | 35% |
Can the characters hit?
Yes, and often. Their chance to meet an adversary’s difficulty on a single Strike:
| Character | Plague Rat Swarm (9) | Grave Hound (13) | Plague-touched Sexton (12) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osric Body +1, weapon +2 | 75% | 55% | 60% |
| Eadgyth Body +0, weapon +1 | 65% | 45% | 50% |
| Cuthbert Body +0, weapon +2 | 70% | 50% | 55% |
Can the adversaries hurt anyone?
Now they can, and they get several tries. When an adversary hits (it always does), this is how often any harm gets past armour, and how much on average, for one hit and exactly calculated. “With Guard” adds the extra d6 from a 1-token Guard.
| Attacker | Armour | Any harm | Average harm | Any harm, with Guard | Average, with Guard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plague Rat Swarm 1 × 2d6 | level 1 armour | 84% | 3.7 | 44% | 1.5 |
| Plague Rat Swarm 1 × 2d6 | level 2 armour | 44% | 1.5 | 16% | 0.5 |
| Plague Rat Swarm 1 × 2d6 | level 3 armour | 16% | 0.5 | 6% | 0.2 |
| Grave Hound 2 × 2d6 | level 1 armour | 84% | 3.7 | 44% | 1.5 |
| Grave Hound 2 × 2d6 | level 2 armour | 44% | 1.5 | 16% | 0.5 |
| Grave Hound 2 × 2d6 | level 3 armour | 16% | 0.5 | 6% | 0.2 |
What does a token buy?
| Option | Tokens | Average damage | Damage per token | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strike with a level 1 weapon | 1 | 3.5 | 3.5 | every attack check also has to hit |
| Strike with a level 2 weapon | 1 | 7 | 7 | every attack check also has to hit |
| Strike with a level 3 weapon | 2 | 10.5 | 5.3 | every attack check also has to hit |
| Strike with a level 4 weapon | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | every attack check also has to hit |
| Strike with a level 5 weapon | 4 | 17.5 | 4.4 | every attack check also has to hit |
| Firebolt | 2 | 10.5 | 5.3 | Looming +1 |
| Dissonant Note | 2 | 10.5 | 5.3 | Looming +1 |
| Frost Lash | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | Looming +1 |
| Arcane Cataclysm | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | Looming +2, hits a whole burst |
| Symphony of Ruin | 5 | 21 | 4.2 | Looming +2 |
| Smite (on top of a Strike) | 2 | 10.5 | 5.3 | Looming +1 |
How hard is a check?
Chance of success rolling a d20 and adding a bonus. A natural 20 always passes and a natural 1 never does. Characters start at +0 in every score.
| Bonus | Easy 8 | Routine 12 | Hard 15 | Heroic 18 | Legendary 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| −2 | 55% | 35% | 20% | 5% | 5% |
| −1 | 60% | 40% | 25% | 10% | 5% |
| +0 | 65% | 45% | 30% | 15% | 5% |
| +1 | 70% | 50% | 35% | 20% | 5% |
| +2 | 75% | 55% | 40% | 25% | 5% |
| +3 | 80% | 60% | 45% | 30% | 10% |
| +4 | 85% | 65% | 50% | 35% | 15% |
| +6 | 95% | 75% | 60% | 45% | 25% |
The five fixes
Each says what the problem was, what changed, and what the numbers say now.
Six actions against one
Was: a character could Strike up to six times a turn while an adversary attacked once, so 88% of fights ended before the adversaries acted. Now: a turn is at most 3 actions (reactions do not count), and every adversary has an attacks number: the rats 1, the Grave Hound 2, the sexton 3. Their HP is about four times what it was (rats 24, hound 32, sexton 40). Result: fights run about 1.9 rounds, the adversaries make about 14.1 attacks instead of 0.3, and a fight ends before the adversaries act in 0% of cases.
Armour and adversary damage cancel out
Was: level 2 armour rolled as much as a whole adversary attack. Now: the bestiary’s attackers roll one die more (2d6 to 3d6 at this level) and attack up to three times. One 2d6 hit still gets past level 2 armour 44% of the time, and with Guard 16%, but a turn is two or three hits and the party takes about 8.3 harm over the adventure. Armour is still worth having. It is no longer a wall.
Weapons beat spells
Was: every damage spell worked out at 3.5 damage a token, and a weapon of level 2 or more beat it, up to 17.5 a token for a level 5 weapon. Now: a damage spell rolls tokens plus one dice (Firebolt 3d6 for 2 tokens, Arcane Cataclysm 6d6 for 5), and a Strike costs 1 token more for each weapon level above 2 (a level 3 weapon costs 2, a level 5 weapon 4). Per token, the table below now runs about 4.2 to 5.3 for every spell and for level 3 to 5 weapons. A level 2 weapon is still 7 a token, which is fine: it is a plain weapon, and spells keep their real edges of ignoring armour and hitting several enemies, at the price of Looming Horror. The three characters here carry level 1 and 2 weapons, so the numbers for the adventure did not move.
The Looming Horror barely moved
Was: it peaked at 1.6 and never reached 9 in 3,000 runs, and the GM had a Horror Token 0 times an adventure. Now: it also rises by 1 when a character fills a Wound and by 1 when a character fails a check that is not an attack. It peaks at 13.8, it reaches 9 in 96% of runs, and the GM can spend about 3.2 Horror Tokens an adventure. The milestones stay at 9, 15 and 21. The d6 aftershock tables for them are still unwritten (see below).
Healing and cleansing wiped the slate
Was: Litany of Mending could be cast over and over, a safe rest removed the Horror it made, and every rest started clean. Now: magical healing mends each character once between rests; a rest (a night somewhere safe, not a breather in a porch) heals 1 Wound and refills tokens; and a rest in a safe place rolls a d6 to lower the ladder. In the run above Osric ends the adventure still carrying harm, and the ladder is still high after the morning rest instead of 0. One thing is still unclear: what a character who falls to 12 harm can do (see below).
Still open
Success has no mechanics
A failed check now costs 1 Looming Horror, which gives failure a price. Nothing says what a success earns, how to set a difficulty, or what else failure can cost.
Fix: a short table of gains for success and costs for failure.
Reactions need tokens nobody says to keep
Interpose and Arcane Ward are free of the three-action limit but still cost a token on someone else’s turn. They only work if a character stopped with a token to spare. The three-action limit makes that easier, since most characters finish a turn with tokens left, but the rules should say so.
Fix: say that tokens left at the end of your turn can be spent on reactions.
NPCs have no rules
Leofwyn is 14 HP and no armour, up from 6, because at 6 the sexton killed her in nearly every run. Even at 14 she dies in 39% of runs, because the GM picks targets at random and she is the weakest. Nothing in the rules says what an NPC can do or what protecting one costs.
Fix: an NPC block with HP, an armour level and one action.
What works
- Checks. A d20 plus a bonus against a difficulty from Easy 8 to Legendary 22 is quick, readable and well spread (table above).
- The three bands of distance (Melee, Near, Far) are easy to use and removed all the measuring.
- Tokens as the only budget make every turn a choice, and the idea of keeping one back for a reaction is a good one.
- Popcorn order let the table decide who goes next, and it made the fights read like a story.
- Armour as dice you roll is quick and satisfying, and now it has a counterweight (F2).
- Harm as 12 boxes in 3 Wounds is clear at a glance and makes healing easy to read.
- Adversaries that never roll to hit speed play up. The player rolls their armour and that is the whole exchange.
- The Looming Horror as a shared ladder is a strong idea, and with F4 fixed it now drives the pace of the session.
What the rules do not say
The simulation had to guess each of these, and a real table would argue about them.
- Dying and the Death Bargain table are written on the rules page and the simulation rolls the dying d6 each round, but it only models the harm and Looming Horror effects of a bargain, not the quests. The milestone aftershock tables are not rolled at all.
- Who an adversary chooses to attack. The number of attacks is now in the bestiary, but the choice is the GM’s alone.
- What a condition is (Absolution clears “one condition”), or what deafened, staggered or rooted do.
- How tokens work outside a fight. (Healing and resting outside one are now written down: once per rest.)
- What surprise does. The simulation let the adversaries go first when the party failed the first scene.
How this was done
A program plays the adventure using the real rules engine and the real gear and ability library, so any change to the rules would show up here. The page shows one fixed run (seed 14). The tables are the average of 3,000 runs of the whole adventure at different seeds for each kind of player, and the same for each rule-change row. The checks and damage tables are calculated exactly, not sampled. The code lives in the project under scripts/playtest, and this page is rebuilt from it by running one command whenever the rules change. The “before” numbers were saved from the first playtest; the adversaries’ HP, damage and attacks were tuned with the simulator until fights lasted about two rounds and the party took roughly a Wound or two per fight.