Introduction

Welcome to Fables of Galaeffa, a pen and paper game set in the world of Galaeffa. The objective of Fables is to draw on your imagination, dreams, and nightmares to spin myth, fable, and challenge for yourself and your friends.
If you are familiar with other tabletop games that use a 20-sided die (also called a d20), then you will feel right at home in Fables. If not, no fear—this is a perfect place to get started.

The central premise of Fables is the Guide begins by describing a scenario, often including obstacles which can hinder the Players from reaching their goal. Then, the Players describe how their characters go about subverting said obstacles. If any of these actions seem challenging or something stands in the way, Players roll dice to determine the quality of their character’s success, and the Guide describes how the scenario plays out.

The golden rule of the game is this: if at any point a rule seems like it would lead to a less fun gameplay experience, disregard that rule and adjust it for your next session.

Combat is fast, interesting, and brutal. Death is meaningful, fun, and the potential beginning of a new arc or adventure. Metagaming is part of the gameplay experience—to improve the quality of play and give structure to breaking the rules in the name of fun.

Non-combat scenarios have a variety of escalating solution methods, including a unique task resolution system. There is no need to rely on a single roll to determine the outcome of a scenario—whether chopping wood or hunting thirty to fifty wild hogs.

For quick reference during gameplay, the end of this book contains a comprehensive glossary, including definitions of common terms, examples of characters and abilities, and a copy of each table used throughout the book.

The Roles

As the Guide, your role is to:

• Breathe life into the world.
• Describe the results of player choices.
• Create challenging and engaging scenarios.
• Be the arbiter of the rules, and the final word on rulings.
• Ensure that everyone at the table feels welcome and has a good time.
• Be brave enough to have a discussion if someone is not having a good time.

As the Player, your role is to:

• Control your character.
• Make decisions that move the story forward.
• Think outside the box.
• Honor the Guide’s rulings, at least until the end of the session.
• Ensure that everyone at the table feels welcome and has a good time.
• Be brave enough to have a discussion if someone is not having a good time.

What do you need to play?

• Willing participants! The sweet spot is 3-4 characters and one Guide, but one or two or even five characters is also manageable.
• A set of polyhedral dice, typically sold in sets of 7. You can find them at your local hobby shop or online. Going forward, these dice will be referred to as d#, where the “#” is the number of sides on the die. For example, a six-sided die is a d6.
• A character sheet, conveniently located both in this book and online at omnimyth.press.
• Something to write on, in case you need to take notes—or, for the Guide, to draw out an environment, puzzle, or challenge.
• The most important thing of all: a willingness to work together to tell an awesome story! If you don’t have that, have a conversation, or find a different group.

That’s it! At its core, Fables, like most pen-and-paper games, is a great excuse to sit down with friends or strangers, talk and make jokes, explore your imagination, get to know one another better, and just have fun.

Character Creation Reference Guide

1. Lucky Token.

Roll any die of your choice. Record whether the result is odd or even under “Lucky Token” on your character sheet.

2. Roll or choose a Galaeffan Fortune.

Once you have selected a Fortune, write the corresponding Trait numbers in the small bubbles next to Grit, Tempo, Moxie, and Vision.

3. Calculate your Trait Modifiers.

Subtract 5 from each of your Traits above and record the results in the large bubbles next to your Traits.

4. Determine your Fatigue, Carrying Capacity, Dodges, Stamina, and starting Spirit.

• Fatigue: 10+Grit Modifier. Write this under “Fatigue” at the top of your sheet.
• Carrying Capacity: Grit x10. Write this under the “Max” box in the bottom right of your sheet.
• Dodges: Equal to your Tempo Modifier (minimum 1). Write this under “Dodges.”
• Stamina: Equal to your Moxie Modifier (minimum 1). Write this under “Stamina.”
• Starting Spirit: Equal to your Vision Modifier +1 (minimum 1). Write this under “Max Spirit.”

5. Assign your Basic Skills.

Assign 1 Skill Point to each of any 3 Basic Skills you desire (to the right of each of your Traits).

6. Build your Abilities.

New characters start with 3 Abilities and 1 Upgrade.
Build your first Abilities, or select Abilities from any of the example characters. Record them in the Abilities section of your sheet.

7. Build your Inventory.

Select 2 Weapon and 1 armor to have at the start of play. You also have two days of food, a lamp with 20 hours of oil, a waterskin, a backpack, and basic clothing. Record your items in your Inventory.

8. Assign your Advanced Skills.

Pick 1 Craft and 1 Weapon to be skilled at. Note your choices in the Skills and Weapons sections, respectively.

9. Finalize your identity.

Write down your character’s name, a visual description, and any dreams, fears, or prior careers they have.

Luck and the Adventurer's Spirit

Sometimes your raw capabilities aren’t enough to get things done. In those instances, you must transcend your limits, trust fate, and excel by the merit of your adventurer’s spirit— with some help from the realm’s moons, of course.

Your Spirit allows you to temporarily exceed your standard capabilities, and regenerates at the beginning of every session.
Each player starts with Spirit Points equal to their Vision Modifier plus 1. You can forego learning an Ability to get 2 more Spirit Points.

Your Lucky Token

You roll your Lucky Token at character creation, noting if the result is odd or even. This represents whether you are blessed by Gaella (odd) or Laeffa (even). It also affects your Traits. If you have a preference, you can disregard your roll and select odd or even.

Traits

Traits represent the intrinsic qualities of your character. This includes things like your overall health, mental fortitude, and your inclination to spirituality. Your Traits grow as you and your party achieve success—or failure—in your endeavors.

Traits and your New Character

When first born into Galaeffa, your character garners the blessing of some God, Goddess, or other powerful force. This can be used to determine your character’s Traits. If you have a character idea in mind, you can select a Fortune that you think would work well for them, or work with your Guide to invent your own Trait profile.

1. Roll or choose a Galaeffan Fortunes.
2. Write your Traits in the small bubbles labeled Grit, Tempo, Moxie, and Vision.
3. To calculate your Trait Modifiers, subtract 5 from each relevant Trait, and record them in the larger bubble (Modifiers are used more often in play).

Grit.

Traverse fuming gas pits, break down a barred door, intimidate bar patrons with your physique, or bear a burden that others cannot.
Your Grit Modifier is applied to your total Fatigue, and determines your maximum Carrying Capacity.

• Fatigue: Grit Modifier + 10.
• Carrying Capacity: Grit x 10.

Moxie.

Soothe a torch-wielding mob, steel yourself during torturous ministrations, or dazzle unwashed masses with a tale of heroic triumph.
Your Moxie Modifier also determines how many times you can benefit from means of restoration per day, this is called your Stamina.

• Stamina: Equal to Moxie Modifier (minimum 1).

Tempo.

Analyze an approaching tree line to dodge a branch, step into the gala uninvited but unnoticed, or whip a throwing knife to sever the rope holding the chandelier.
Your Tempo Modifier also determines how many times per day you can Dodge.

• Dodges: Equal to Tempo Modifier (minimum 1).

Vision.

Glean the direction of a hunting party from a frightened animal, notice a disturbance in the dust on the floorboards, or recognize the makings of a spell you’ve once researched.
Your Vision Modifier also determines how many Spirit points you start with.

• Starting Spirit: Vision Modifier +1 (minimum 1).
  

Galaeffan Fortunes

1. Tilg’ningh, Aspect of Lightning

The constellation of Tilg’ningh is a tri-forked bolt most clearly visible during the month of Zotul, at the peak of the hot season. They are the Titan of Lightning, the primal fear of sightlessness, wrath and fury.
Those born under the sign of Tilg’ningh are blessed with great speed and a propensity for leadership. They are trailblazers who do not always look before they leap.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being a Duelist, as you are fast and outgoing—but you are also oblivious. Your Traits are: 5 Grit, 7 Tempo, 6 Moxie, 4 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being a Striker, as you are fast and hale—but you are also oblivious. Your Traits are: 6 Grit, 7 Tempo, 5 Moxie, 4 Vision.

2. Thredün, Mother of Thunder

Most visible during the end of the hot season, the constellation of Thredün is a 9-pointed circle of stars—her drum, or her belly pregnant with laughter. The goddess Thredün is associated with warning, waking, laughter, and companionship.
Those born under the sign of Thredün are blessed with great empathy and a propensity for charity. They are reliable caretakers, and are methodical about their actions.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being a Machinist, as you are outgoing and vigilant—but you are also slow. Your Traits are: 5 Grit, 4 Tempo, 6 Moxie, 7 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being a Guardian, as you are hale and vigilant—but you are also slow. Your Traits are: 6 Grit, 4 Tempo, 5 Moxie, 7 Vision.

3. Githl, Lord of the Light

Githl is represented by the dawn star—the white sun that lights up the moons Gaella and Laeffa in the pre-dawn hours, casting a soft glow across Yoreth in the morning. He is most associated with the month of Stoneturn, when the evenstar is least visible. His worshippers value clarity, vision, light, and flora.
Those born under the sign of Githl are blessed with an attunement to the world around them, and have a propensity for seeking out knowledge. They are bookish folk who rarely consider their own frailty.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being a Tome Hunter, as you are vigilant and quick—but you are also weak. Your Traits are: 4 Grit, 6 Tempo, 5 Moxie, 7 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being a Witch, as you are vigilant and outgoing—but you are also weak. Your Traits are: 4 Grit, 5 Tempo, 6 Moxie, 7 Vision.

4. Nira, Spirit of Rain

The constellation of Nira is a 5-pointed teardrop, the source of all rain on Yoreth. Those born during Godspout, the beginning of the rainy season, are associated with Nira. Nira, the Spirit of Rain, is associated with water, harvest, plenty, and soothing.
Those born under the sign of Nira are blessed with great perceptiveness and have a propensity for healing and kindness. They are quiet and often gentle people.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being an Oracle, as you are vigilant and quick—but you are also quiet. Your Traits are: 5 Grit, 6 Tempo, 4 Moxie, 7 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being a Mender, as you are vigilant and hale—but you are also quiet. Your Traits are: 6 Grit, 5 Tempo, 4 Moxie, 7 Vision.

5. Kard, Aspect of Darkness

Kard is represented by the great void, a blank patch of sky devoid of all light. Visible year round, this sign is attributed to those born during a half-moon phase. Kard, the Aspect of Darkness, is associated with obscurity, evening, deep water, and sleep.
Those born under the sign of Kard are blessed with incredible grace and have a propensity for espionage and secrets—those who prefer to avoid social interaction and stick to the shadows.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being an Infiltrator, as you are fast and attentive—but you are also quiet. Your Traits are: 5 Grit, 7 Tempo, 4 Moxie, 6 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being a Slinger, as you are fast and hale—but you are also quiet. Your Traits are: 6 Grit, 7 Tempo, 4 Moxie, 5 Vision.

6. Locd, the Lady of Frost

The constellation Locd is a 12-pointed star—a snowflake or an ice crystal. Those who are born during the month of Driftsmark, when this constellation is most visible, are associated with Locd. Locd represents death, preservation, frost, and hardship.
Those born under the sign of Locd are known for their extreme hardiness, and have a propensity for frontline positions. They are gregarious and methodical.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being an Enforcer, as you are hearty and attentive—but you are also slow. Your Traits are: 7 Grit, 4 Tempo, 5 Moxie, 6 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being a Argver, as you are hearty and outgoing—but you are also slow. Your Traits are: 7 Grit, 4 Tempo, 6 Moxie, 5 Vision.

7. Reykrict, the Mortal Trickster

The constellation Reykrict is made up of a 7-pointed diamond, observed as a winking eye. Ugiel, the harvest month, is most strongly associated with Reycrict, as he is the god of illusion, trickery, and mortal races—and the harvest symbolizes the mortal cycle.
Those born under the sign of Reykrict are known for their extreme cleverness in conversation and have a propensity for positions of social power or entertainment. They often prefer words to action.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being a Dandy, as you are charming and quick—but you are also weak. Your Traits are: 4 Grit, 6 Tempo, 7 Moxie, 5 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being a Diplomat, as you are charming and attentive—but you are also slow. Your Traits are: 4 Grit, 5 Tempo, 7 Moxie, 6 Vision.

8. Reif, the Fire of Passion

The titan Reif is represented by the hot evenstar, scouring the surface of Yoreth in the later hours of the day. Reif and his followers are known for heat, passion, unbridled emotion, hate, and love.
Those born under the sign of Reif are known for their extreme boldness and have a reputation for passion and self-satisfaction—to the point of lacking empathy.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being an Orator, as you are charming and quick—but you are also oblivious. Your Traits are: 5 Grit, 6 Tempo, 7 Moxie, 4 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being a Knight, as you are charming and hale—but you are also oblivious. Your Traits are: 6 Grit, 5 Tempo, 7 Moxie, 4 Vision.

9. Ence, the Bone Peddler

The constellation Ence is an 8-pointed constellation, said to be the skeletal remains of a fish. Those who reject authority figures are said to have Ence’s favor. Ence, the Bone Peddler, is said to have been a mortal so clever he could sell a man their own skeleton.
Those born under the sign of Ence are known for their grace and efficiency. They have a reputation for rejecting authority but are often weak, preferring trickery and stealth over a forward approach.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being a Gambler, as you are fast and outgoing—but you are also weak. Your Traits are: 4 Grit, 7 Tempo, 6 Moxie, 5 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being an Apprentice, as you are fast and attentive—but you are also weak. Your Traits are: 4 Grit, 7 Tempo, 5 Moxie, 6 Vision.

10. Oajiry, the Fae Sovereign

Those born outside the mortal sphere, in nature, in a fae ring, or on the day of Oajiry’s honor are said to be blessed by the Fae sovereign. They are disconnected from the mortal races, even if they are raised among them.
Those recognized by Oajiry are known for their unnatural magnetic charm. They often appear slow, or unable to comprehend the lives and motivations of mortal races.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being a Hexer, as you are charming and attentive—but you are also slow. Your Traits are: 5 Grit, 4 Tempo, 7 Moxie, 6 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being a Merchant, as you are charming and hale—but you are also slow. Your Traits are: 6 Grit, 4 Tempo, 7 Moxie, 5 Vision.

11. Aellaef, the Lost Brother

It is said that the moon Aellaef was so close to his sisters that Oajiry grew jealous of their bond. They stole Aellaef away and used him as the core of the fae realm, Draem.

Those born under the gathering of the wandering twins Gaella and Laeffa are blessed by their lost brother Aellaef. They are hearty, but quiet. They are untethered from the whims of gods, fates, and moons.

Choose either of the following Trait spreads:

- 7 Grit, 5 Tempo, 4 Moxie, 6 Vision.

- 7 Grit, 6 Tempo, 4 Moxie, 5 Vision.

12. The Unknown

Those among the Unknown have a rough road ahead of them. They lack the guidance of the gods and succeed only by their own raw grit and spirit. They have no guiding stars or constellations—only their own passion.
Those born of entirely unknown parentage, raised by the wilds, wandering through the mists, or appearing from the ground fully formed are referred to as the Unknown. They are extremely resilient because of their upbringing, but not the most sensitive or aware.

- If born on an even day, you are blessed by Gaella. You are well-suited to being a Wanderer, as you are hearty and outgoing—but you are also oblivious. Your Traits are: 7 Grit, 5 Tempo, 6 Moxie, 4 Vision.

- If born on an odd day, you are blessed by Laeffa. You are well-suited to being a Survivor, as you are hearty and quick—but you are also oblivious. Your Traits are: 7 Grit, 6 Tempo, 5 Moxie, 4 Vision.  

Skills

Skills further diversify your character's strengths, granting greater definition and expression to their identity. Some Skills are boosted by the Trait they are associated with.

All players start with 3 Basic Skill Points. No Skill can ever be higher than your current level.

Basic Skills

The Fables character sheet has three independent sections for noting skills. The first is at the top of the sheet next to your Traits. These are your Basic Skills, and are tied to your traits.

Grit Skills

Endure.

Resist pressures or toxins. Outlast someone in a drinking competition. Muddle through a furnace-like environment.

Force.

Shove a boulder. Hold a door closed. Pry open a chest.

Presence.

Pressure others with your physique, attitude, or bearing. Demand the attention of a group. Compel someone using your looks.

Moxie Skills

Discourse.

Suss out the terms of a conversation and steer it where you want it to go. Tell a compelling lie. Convince someone to listen to your argument in the first place.

Perform.

Dazzle a crowd with a practiced talent related to your background. Mimic a songbird. Repeat a soliloquy. Play a beloved instrument to inspire an audience or draw attention.

Stoicism.

Resist mentally impairing effects. Bluff in the face of extreme empathy or knowledge. Hold it together when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds.

Tempo Skills

Grace.

Act with style and class. Move naturally, effortlessly, secretively, or stealthily.

Haste.

Match instinct to fast-twitch muscle. Catch a fleeing enemy. Snatch a falling gem from the air before it shatters on the ground. Evade roots when racing through a forest.

Precision.

Aim a ranged weapon in the heat of the moment. Fasten a grappling hook to the perfect rock. Strike an enemy’s vital point with a knife.

Vision Skills

Empathy.

Touch the feelings of a person or animal without verbalization. Intuit something’s intent. Catch someone in a lie. Use someone’s desires to manipulate them.

Notice.

Spot something out of the ordinary. Walk into a room and perceive potential dangers. Note important evidence while casually strolling through the room.

Spellcraft.

Visualize the elements and components of a spell. Sort out what magics might be at play. Determine the quality or function of an object created by magic.

On the character sheet, each Trait is to the left of its associated Skills.

Advanced Skills

Advanced Skills

Reflect your character’s history and training. They are more unique than Basic Skills, and must be written in. These include your Craft Skills—on the right side of your sheet—and your Weapon Skills—noted under Equipment to the right of your Inventory.

Advanced Skills

Enable you to interact with the game in unique ways, crafting powerful equipment and potions, or utilizing your weapons’ special features.

All characters start with one Craft Skill and one Weapon Skill.

Abilities

Abilities represent manifestations of power that your character has developed. As a party grows stronger, those manifestations also become stronger and more varied.

Your Abilities

At character creation, make three new Abilities for your character, and then upgrade any one of them.

Parts of a Whole

Abilities are made of three Elements (Effect, Limit, and Toll), each of which has one of three possible Ranks. All Abilities have one Rank 1 Element, one Rank 2 Element, and one Rank 3 Element> These determine how well the Ability does what it does, how many times you can use it, and what price you pay to recharge it.

• Effect determines what the Ability does. When choosing your Effect, select its Rank(1, 2, or 3), determining how powerful the Ability is.
• Limit determines when you can use your Ability and the maximum number of times you can use it. Choose a Rank for the Limit which you did not choose for your Effect.
• Choose the Toll, which determines the price you pay to regain uses of the Ability, and how you charge the Ability. This automatically takes the remaining Rank.

Sample Ability

After giving our Ability a clever name, it would read something like this:

Premade Abilities

If you’re feeling daunted or confused by all of this, feel free to look at the premade characters for some example abilities. Mix and match some of those to make a character you’d be excited to play!

Custom Abilities

If you're ready to make some abilities of your own! Head over to the Abilities Tables and get started.

Gearing Up

Your character starts play with a wide assortment of items, broadly categorized as equipment, consumables, and curios.

Your Carrying Capacity is your Grit x10.

If you surpass your Carrying Capacity, you become Exhausted until you rest.

Starting Equipment

All characters start with 2 weapons (and 10 ammunition for any ranged weapons chosen), 1 set of armor, 2 days of food of your choice, a waterskin or canteen, a backpack, a lamp with enough oil to last 20 hours, and basic clothing.

Armor

Armor in Fables is categorical and may take on any sensible appearance player's desire.

• Armor reduces incoming Fatigue from attacks, but cannot reduce it below 1.
• You do not recover Fatigue if wearing armor while Sleeping.

Weapons

Features

Weapons have a handful of Features which make them unique from one another, changing the way they work (they are all described in the weapon properties table, below). Anyone can benefit from these Features, even if it’s their first time using the weapon.

Weapon Skill

You can become skilled at wielding any weapon by spending a Skill Point to gain proficiency with it, or by training with the weapon for a minimum of three months of in-game time. Each time you do, you unlock the Skill Feature for that weapon.

A note about utility weapons

These are tools useful in many non-combat situations, allowing you to perform actions or gain Boon on relevant checks—such as travelling through rough terrain with a stave. These benefits are proposed by the Player and approved by the Guide.

Weapons

The Rules

Rolling Dice

Boon

Roll twice, and take the better result.

Bane

Roll twice, and take the worse result.

Spirit and Fate

Test of Fate

To Test Fate, roll a die and check it against your Lucky Token. If the values match, then your Test is a success; if they do not, it is a failure.

Failing Forward

On a failed Test of Fate, the Guide moves the story forward, either through success with a complicating circumstance, or abject failure that propels the situation further outside the player’s hands.

Using Spirit

You can use Spirit Points at any time to invoke the blessing of your favored moon. That is to say, you can break the rules of the game in specific ways. Just beware that any use of Spirit requires a Test of Fate, and may result in negative consequences.

An incomplete sample list of spirit uses

Types of Items

Items that are primarily used in combat are Equipment. Their weight is defined in Units and count towards your Carrying Capacity.

Consumables are items that get used up. They have charges, or an amount remaining. This includes currency, ammunition, potions, poisons, scrolls, items with magical charges, and more. Track them by writing down the number remaining on your character sheet.

Curios are items that do not fit neatly into the other two categories. These could be trophies, raw materials, love letters, or similar things. Some may have weight, others may not.

Timing

There are two ways to track time in Fables: Free Action, and Initiative.

Free Action

Most gameplay takes place in Free Action. When talking peacefully, investigating, casually crafting, gathering materials, traveling, or resting with allies, you are in Free Action.

In Free Action, time is loosely tracked. Activities can take seconds, days—or even weeks, months, or years—depending on what is happening! This mode of play can be a conversation, a montage, or something in the middle.

Initiative

When every action matters, and time seems to dilate, you are moving into Initiative. In Initiative, you track which player (or enemy) gets to take an action when.

To determine Initiative order, assemble an Initiative Stack:

• Get an opaque container (the Stack) and a selection of representative tokens (consider cards, chits, or dice).
• Assign each player character 3 matching tokens and add them to the Stack.
• Add enemy tokens to the Stack equal to their combined Initiative.
• Add 1 distinct token to the Stack to signify the End of Round.

Optional: Enemy Initiative Limit. It’s possible that the player characters will be grossly outnumbered. The Guide can choose to limit the number of enemy tokens if desired (twenty tokens would be a good upper limit).)

Using the Initiative Stack is simple. Randomize it (shuffle the cards, or shake the container that the chits are in), and retrieve a token at random.

If that token matches a player character’s token, that character takes one Action. If it is one of the enemies’ tokens, then the Guide selects an enemy to take an Action. After the Action is complete, set that token aside.

When you draw the End of Round token, remove any tokens for dead enemies (or player characters), put all the other tokens back in the Stack, and randomize it. Then start the next Round of Initiative.

Initiative outside of combat

Initiative is often used for combat, but it can also be used for resolving complex tasks. If the players are setting out to do a time-sensitive activity—working a quota, gathering ingredients for an emergency antidote, putting out a fire before the mill burns down—the Guide may decide to enter Initiative.

In this case, the Guide assigns the “enemy” (the fire, the labor task, the panacea ingredients) Initiative tokens based on the difficulty of the task. The players start with their standard Initiative of three each—but using relevant abilities, invoking assistance from allies, or coming up with clever ways to complete the task may warrant adding additional character tokens to the Stack. This happens at the beginning of every Round before the Stack is randomized.

When a player character’s token is drawn, they advance in their task (successfully chopping a cord of wood, putting out a section of fire, finding one required mushroom). Each time an “enemy” token is drawn, they hit a setback (the fire spreads, they mistake one mushroom for another, the axe is blunted and needs to be sharpened).

Each time the End of Round token is drawn, they come closer to the end of their task (time advances, or the fire claims a section of the building).

Zones

Zones are regions of the environment with intuitive boundaries.

As a Guide, break environments for your players into Zones that present unique and fun challenges. For example: the two banks of a river, a series of suspended walkways, a series of outcroppings in a cliffside, different rooms in a building, or regions separated by a radioactive wasteland. Some larger regions may have multiple Zones.

In a truly open area, a Zone is a square region of roughly 5×5 meters, or around 16×16 feet. Within a zone, characters can interact with any other character or object in that Zone, even if hostile threats are present. Zone measurements can also encompass verticality, such as characters with Abilities for vertical movement trying to reach a tall balcony directly.

Expanded Options

You can expand the concept of Zones to other contexts, potentially changing their size. A chase through a city could use wide Zones to allow players to use their Abilities to gain ground. Likewise, if you wish to carefully sneak unnoticed through a building, Zones could represent small places for characters to duck and hide, or large obstacles that could draw attention if passed through.

Combat

When taking an Action in combat you can:

• Move 1 Zone, or stand from Prone.
• Make an attack with your weapon.
• Use an Ability.
• Interact with an object (pull the lever, snuff the torch, quaff the potion).

Attacks of Opportunity

If an enemy leaves your zone during combat and you have an available reaction you can make a weapon attack against them using your reaction.

Attacking with Accuracy

Your first attack every Round hits automatically. For your second attack, you must successfully Test Fate or miss. For any additional attacks in that round, you must successfully Test Fate with Bane or miss.
If an Ability deals damage, or applies a negative condition to a target, it is treated as an attack for the purpose of accuracy.

Dealing and Taking Damage

When an attack connects with its target, the attacker rolls dice as noted by their weapon or Ability. The victim adds that amount of damage to their Fatigue, less the value of their armor. Fatigue from any attack or Ability cannot be reduced below 1.

Dodging

All characters have a number of dodges each day equal to their Tempo Modifier (Minimum 1). To dodge an incoming attack, Test Fate as a reaction—on a success, you avoid the attack. Dodges refresh each day when you rest.

Dual Wielding

You can dual-wield two one-handed weapons. When attacking with two weapons at the same time, roll damage for both and then choose which one strikes only applying the effects of the weapon that connects.
EG: Blixen is attacking with a shortsword and a dagger, the dagger has poison on it. Blixen rolls damage for both attacks and after checking the numbers he chooses to apply his dagger attack, and the poison with it, disregarding the shortsword attack.

Conditions

There are various Conditions to apply as the result of Abilities, enemy attacks, or exceeding your Carrying Capacity.

Conditions Table

Damage Types

There are a variety of different damage types that Abilities, weapons, monsters, and characters can manifest. They fall broadly into three categories: Mundane, Cosmic, and Natural. There are no specific rules for how damage types work, except that mundane attacks cannot hurt Ethereal targets (unless specifically stated otherwise). Some Abilities or potions may give Resilience to a damage type, and Guides should apply damage types in a way that reflects common sense—such as fire and Frost damage being effective against plants and plant creatures.

Damage Types Table

Recovery

Adventurers will become exhausted throughout their journey. Whether from traps, accidents, or unfortunate interactions with wild bears, exhaustion is an inescapable part of the noblest profession.

If the damage taken is not enough to subdue or kill you, then you walk away from the encounter and have an opportunity to rest.

Objects of Restoration

Your characters live in a magical world and have access to a bevy of means of restoration: an ally’s spell, a potion, or a fountain that washes away trauma, perhaps. Many things recover Fatigue, though some may have unforeseen side effects.

Rebound Sickness

Each time you reduce your fatigue using methods other than rest, your Stamina decreases by 1. If your Stamina is 0 you can only reduce your fatigue with natural rest.

Resting and Recovery

If your character is anything like the rest of us, they go to sleep every night. An adequate rest means sleeping outside of their armor and eating a filling meal for the day.

When you rest:

• Your Stamina is refreshed.
• Test Fate. On a success, remove half your total fatigue (rounded up). On a failure, remove 25% rounded up, instead.
• If medical attention and materials are used, the roll is an automatic success.
• If you rest while wearing armor or not eating, the roll is an automatic failure.
• If you do not sleep at all, you become Exhausted until you do.
• Resting under adequate conditions clears Exhaustion and refreshes your Dodges and Stamina.

Death

• When your Fatigue reaches its maximum, you are subdued. If the blow would reduce your Fatigue beyond your maximum, you are subdued at maximum instead.
• While subdued, any further attacks taken reduce your Stamina. At -10 Stamina, you are dead.
• For each action you would take while unconscious, Test Fate instead.
• If you accrue two successes in this way before you accrue two failures, you become stable and unconscious for one hour, at which point you wake up with one less Fatigue.
• If you accrue two failures before two successes, you are dead.
• If you have Stamina remaining while subdued, an ally may heal you by unnatural means, waking you up.

Neither an End nor a Beginning

Death means that you are now a spirit, making your way to another plane of existence. When you die in Fables, your spirit comes untethered from your body, unable to sustain it—you become Ethereal.

You remain Ethereal until:

1. Your spirit sustains damage equal to your total Fatigue and is destroyed.
2. Death rites are performed for you, allowing your spirit to pass.
3. One week passes. After one week, your spirit either passes on or becomes corrupted (Guide’s choice).
4. Your allies sufficiently repair your body, or revive you in some other way

Approaching Challenges

Dice are Complicated

The players’ ultimate objective is to act in a way that best befits their character. The Guide’s objective is to challenge the players to create an exciting story. As you look at the problem-solving options below, notice that they are in escalating order from player-controlled to those relying on the whims of fate. When dice start rolling, there’s a chance they will land unfavorably. When that happens, the Guide introduces one or more complications.

Narrative Control

You are in control of the way your character approaches a situation. When trying to solve a problem, you describe what your character tries to do—if it’s within your character’s established skillset and poses little risk, you succeed without needing to roll. As dice get involved, so too does the risk of failure and uncertainty—and there will be plenty of that without you specifically asking for it!

For example: Don’t say “I roll a Notice check.” Note instead that your character enters the room and looks around to see if there are any familiar faces. The Guide will ask for a roll if there’s a chance of failure, and that roll will have consequences.

Abilities

Abilities are descriptive and allow characters to perform a specific mechanical action. If an Ability can be used to solve a problem that you can’t solve through narrative, then it is probably your next-best bet.

For example: You might use your fire spell to light a bonfire and distract or blind your pursuers, instead of trying to roll to light it with a flint and steel.

Opposition Checks

Skills and Traits

If you try to do something and something or someone stands in opposition to your goal, roll a Check related to one of your Skills or Traits. Work with the Guide to determine which Skill or Trait your character should roll.

For Example: If you can come up with a compelling reason to use Moxie to move a boulder, such as convincing an NPC to do it for you, then give it a try! The Guide sets the difficulty according to the scenario and Skill used.

Roll 1d20 and add any bonuses on your character sheet for the relevant Skill or Trait. The Guide uses the result to determine the nature of your success, and describes how the situation is resolved.

Active Opposition

When making a roll against an NPC—or something that an NPC created to intentionally hinder the players— the NPC is acting in opposition. This calls for a contested roll. The Guide rolls for the NPC, adding any relevant Skill bonuses the NPC has, and the player does the same for their character. The Guide then narrates the result based on who rolled higher. In the event of a tie, the individual with the higher modifier wins—if modifiers are equal, reroll the dice.

Passive Opposition

Sometimes players need to solve a problem that is not actively resisting them. In these instances, the Guide sets a target score for the players to attempt to beat. The target number is based on how challenging the activity they are trying to complete is. Below is a table with some recommended target numbers for different tasks.

Opposition Table

Note: The maximum a roll can be is 28, after that it is actually impossible to complete the task without the use of items or outside assistance.

Crafting

Crafting, both mundane and magical, is a time-honored tradition in the world of Galaeffa, and for good reason. Making art, tools, and equipment is what separates the sophisticated from the rabble. Your character would likely have, or would like to have, a craft of their own.

Honing Your Craft

When you have Skill points to assign to a character, you may spend one to come up with a Craft and write it on your character sheet under Craft Skills. If you would like to progress further in your Craft, spend 1d4 months of downtime to gain a second point, or 1d4 years to gain a third point.

Utilizing Your Skill

Depending on your Craft Skill, you are likely creating permanent objects. Every act of Crafting, whether it be blacksmithing, tailoring, painting, or lutherie, requires three things.

The Tool.

Every craft has a tool. A hammer, a plane or saw, a tailor’s kit, brushes—you will need to find or purchase a tool to practice your Craft. The assumption is that your tool comes as a package or a kit along with the other assorted bits and bobs your Craft requires, and has a total weight of 5 units.

The Material.

The materials are what you will mold into the object you are making. Metal, wood, leather, or paint, for instance. There is always a mix of materials involved in the making of any object, but the part that concerns Crafting in Fables is the principal ingredient of the object desired. For a sword, this might be metal. For a bow, it may be lumber.

The Plan.

You need a pattern, blueprint, or a physical example of the object you want to create. The plan defines the result, which will typically be either a piece of equipment or a curio.

Determining the Result of a Standard Crafting Attempt

Roll 1d20, add any relevant Crafting skills or other modifiers, and consult the chart below.

About Item Quality

The range presented here suggests that once you become a novice, you no longer destroy materials in the process of creating something. If you attempt to make something extravagant or otherwise outside the scope of what the Guide thinks is easily achievable, they set additional, transparent penalties.

The crafting table is centered around the assumption of equipment creation. When making curios, the Guide works with the player to determine special effects for Masterwork and Legendary items—perhaps unique colors, or a significant description or social Effect when the item is used. You can also tie the Effect into the Spirit system, allowing a unique interaction with the item through Spirit points.

About Magical Crafting

Many adventurers will seek to forge a legendary magical weapon (or even a magical spork).

When crafting a magical weapon or object, the player will need a magical tool from an ancient practitioner of their craft, or embark on a quest to bless a tool of their own. Magic is inherently volatile, so magical tools have a limited number of uses.

In addition to a magical tool, a magic item may require high-quality or rare ingredients. To do lunar damage, you might need raw iron harvested and forged under the light of a blue moon, or leather harvested from the hide of a dire wolf. Harvesting these kinds of rare materials always demands teamwork.

A standard Crafting plan imbued with wonderous ingredients and forged by a magic hammer results in an impressive item—but it has an even greater chance of succeeding if you have a similar magical item to study beforehand, or a knowledge of runes or ancient magics. Consult magically-inclined allies or wise NPCs for help in your Craft.

The result should feel magical! The Guide might add a static bonus or Effect, or create a new Ability that is only usable when wielding your new item.

Crafting Consumables

Alchemy in Fables is the process of distilling and mixing ingredients in different saturations to elicit potent effects. It is a skill that anyone on Galaeffa can learn and advance in.

With alchemy, every concoction requires three portions of ingredients to get one viable dose. This allows you to mix and match ingredients to create a wide variety of effects based on what you find in your travels. Adding one instance of an ingredient causes the Light Concentration Effect, two adds the Medium, and three adds the Heavy, this changes the way the concoction will work.

Determining the Outcome

Roll 1d20+Alchemy Skill and consult the table below.

Ingredients

An Engaging Experience

During each session of play, you and your party can achieve a series of Goals, Discoveries, and Bonds to advance your characters together. When your character's fulfill these achievements they will grow stronger.

Goals

Goals are achievements that the group collectively sets their sights on, or major steps you take in pursuit of a big, specific objective. A party achieves a Goal when they make progress in their quest.

Discoveries

Things of interest found while deviating from the main quest. These are tangential to the group’s Goals, and are found through player-driven curiosity and exploration.

Bonds

Significant character moments. These can be standalone character arcs or can be tied to the group. They may be awarded for excellent roleplay and intra-group socialization.

Achieving New Heights

At the beginning of the game, and each time the party advances, the Guide determines how many Goals, Discoveries, and Bonds they need to complete to advance again. Typically 1-5 per category. These numbers determine the campaign’s pace, while the balance between the categories shifts the focus and tone of the game. This serves as a tool for the Guide to introduce different elements of play and maintain a clear, compelling vision for the game.

When players reach the requirements set by the Guide in all three categories, the group gains a new achievement! Excess experience rolls over, or can be traded at any time into another category at a ratio of 2:1.

Character Growth

Maximum Fatigue

Each time you gain an achievement, you gain Max Fatigue equal to 5 plus your Grit Modifier. For your fifth achievement, you gain Max Fatigue equal to 5 plus your total Grit instead, after which you gain no additional Max Fatigue for achievements.

Trait Points

Your Traits are limited by your party’s achievements. As your party grows in strength, you gain additional Trait Points to distribute.

No Trait can be higher than 10.

• Achievement 2: +3 Points.
• Achievement 3: +2 Points.
• Achievement 4: +2 Points.
• Achievement 5: +1 Point.
• Achievements 6+: 0 Points.

Skill Points

Your Skills also grow with your party’s achievements. Each achievement, characters gain Skill Points they can spend to raise their Skills. These can be spent on Basic or Advanced skills.

Any individual Skill can never exceed your total number of achievements.

• Achievement 2: +3 Points.
• Achievement 3: +3 Points.
• Achievement 4: +3 Points.
• Achievement 5: +3 Points.
• Achievements 6+: 0 Points.

Abilities

You gain three new Ability Points for every achievement.

At any time, you can use these Ability Points to:

• Create a new Ability.
• Upgrade an existing Ability.
• Gain 2 additional Spirit.

There is no limit to how many Abilities you can gain.

Tables

Armor

Weapons

An incomplete sample list of spirit uses

Conditions Table

Damage Types Table

Opposition Table

Determining the Result of a Standard Crafting Attempt

Roll 1d20, add any relevant Crafting skills or other modifiers, and consult the chart below.

Determining the Outcome

Roll 1d20+Alchemy Skill and consult the table below.

Ingredients

Abilities Tables

Limits

Effects

Tolls

References:

Template: Core Thought