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Fate & Dying

The life of an adventurer is filled with danger. When you are overwhelmed by the perils of your profession, several factors determine your fate.

Subdued

If your Hits reach zero, you are subdued. You must take a knee. You cannot move, speak, or take actions of any kind, and are unable to perceive your surroundings. Any effect that restores Hits, such as Heal, Revive, or Share, will restore you to normal at the indicated amount. If another character lays a weapon on you and declares "Slay," however, you are Slain. If you are damaged while Subdued, you are Slain. If neither happens within five minutes, you are left to your fate.

Slain

If you are Slain, your character has suffered a fatal injury. This is the same as being Subdued, but only a Revive effect can restore you to normal and you are left to your fate after one minute.

Monsters & Death

Unless directed to do so by a narrator for story purposes, monsters must leave subdued characters alone: They cannot slay them, drag them, use combat abilities on them, or actively prevent other characters from reaching them (i.e., camping). Furthermore, monsters cannot be left to their fate; they die, which causes them to go out of play after one minute of being subdued or immediately upon being slain.

Left to Your Fate

If you are left to your fate, you suffer a brush with death. You must go out of play and report to the Dragon's Den. Your fate is determined by drawing a random card from a deck of the following 10 Tarot cards.

  • Chariot - You managed to recover but suffered a severe injury to your lower body. One of your legs is Maimed and cannot be restored for the remainder of the event. If you have already drawn this card this event, draw again.
  • Death - Your character's life has ended. See the rules pertaining to Resurrection below.
  • Emperor - You escaped harm but your supplies were damaged. All of your supplies are unusable for the remainder of the event. If you draw this card again, destroy all of your supplies instead. If you cannot apply this card's effects, draw again.
  • Empress - You escaped harm, but your armor was damaged. Your armor props and item tags do not grant Armor for the remainder of the event. If you cannot apply this card's effects, draw again.
  • Fool - You managed to recover but suffered a blow to the head. You lose all memory of the events surrounding your death. Furthermore, your Spirit is reduced to two thirds its normal value (rounded down) until the end of the event. If you draw this card twice, it is reduced to one third its normal value (rounded down) instead. If you draw this card three times, you lose memory as above and must draw again.
  • High Priestess - You managed to recover but suffered a blow to the head. You lose all memory of the events surrounding your death. Furthermore, you must choose one of your combat abilities. You can no longer use that ability for the remainder of the event.
  • Star - You managed to recover but suffered a severe internal injury. For the remainder of the event, your Body is reduced to half its normal value (rounded down). If you have already drawn this card this event, draw again.
  • Strength - You managed to recover but suffered a severe injury to your upper body. One of your arms is Maimed and cannot be restored for the remainder of the event. If you have already drawn this card this event, draw again.
  • Sun - You managed to recover but suffered a blow to the head. You lose all memory of the events surrounding your death. Furthermore, you must choose one of your passive abilities. You can no longer use that ability for the remainder of the event.
  • Temperance - You escaped harm but your equipment was damaged. Your most valuable piece of equipment loses all properties for the remainder of the event. If you draw this card again, destroy that item instead. Subsequent draws affect the next most valuable item in your inventory. If you cannot apply this card's effects, draw again.

Death & Resurrection

When your character dies, you must give your character sheet and treasure to a staff member, go out of play, and remain in the graveyard as a ghost. Other characters may speak to you, but this is the only interaction you are allowed.

A character with the Resurrect narrative ability can perform a ritual to resurrect you. This ritual takes five minutes, can be interrupted, and costs gold according to the following formula:

Cost = (Hours Since Death ^ 2 + Level) ^ 2 / 5

Level Within 1 Hour Within 2 Hours Within 3 Hours Within 4 Hours Within 5 Hours Within 6 Hours Within 7 Hours Within 8 Hours
1 0.8 5 20 57.8 135.2 273.8 500 845
2 1.8 7.2 24.2 64.8 145.8 288.8 520.2 871.2
3 3.2 9.8 28.8 72.2 156.8 304.2 540.8 897.8
4 5 12.8 33.8 80 168.2 320 561.8 924.8
5 7.2 16.2 39.2 88.2 180 336.2 583.2 952.2
6 9.8 20 45 96.8 192.2 352.8 605 980
7 12.8 24.2 51.2 105.8 204.8 369.8 627.2 1008.2
8 16.2 28.8 57.8 115.2 217.8 387.2 649.8 1036.8
9 20 33.8 64.8 125 231.2 405 672.8 1065.8
10 24.2 39.2 72.2 135.2 245 423.2 696.2 1095.2
11 28.8 45 80 145.8 259.2 441.8 720 1125
12 33.8 51.2 88.2 156.8 273.8 460.8 744.2 1155.2
13 39.2 57.8 96.8 168.2 288.8 480.2 768.8 1185.8
14 45 64.8 105.8 180 304.2 500 793.8 1216.8
15 51.2 72.2 115.2 192.2 320 520.2 819.2 1248.2
16 57.8 80 125 204.8 336.2 540.8 845 1280
17 64.8 88.2 135.2 217.8 352.8 561.8 871.2 1312.2
18 72.2 96.8 145.8 231.2 369.8 583.2 897.8 1344.8
19 80 105.8 156.8 245 387.2 605 924.8 1377.8
20 88.2 115.2 168.2 259.2 405 627.2 952.2 1411.2

For example, it costs 16.2 gold to resurrect an 8th-level character within the first hour, 28.8 within the second, 57.8 within the third, and so forth. None of your personal gold or treasure is available for this purpose.

You may ask a staff member to be excused from the graveyard for practical reasons such as eating, going to the bathroom, or avoiding bad weather. If you give up waiting or nobody resurrects you by the end of the event, your character passes on, and your death is final. You must start a new character (see “The End” for details).