Emberfall is a quick, story-first adventure system built for one hero, or a party of up to three. The story describes the world and voices everyone in it, and offers you choices. When the outcome is uncertain, dice decide, and the dice are always rolled by the game itself, in the open, never by the storyteller.
If you have ten minutes, read The Roll, Fighting, and Getting Hurt. Everything else you can learn by playing.
01The Roll
Almost everything uses one roll: d20 + Stat + Talent (if trained) against a Difficulty. Meet or beat the number and you succeed.
| Difficulty | Number | Feels like |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 8 | Most people could do it |
| Standard | 12 | Needs some skill or nerve |
| Hard | 16 | Skilled people fail often |
| Heroic | 20 | The stuff of songs |
| Legendary | 24 | Almost nobody |
A natural 20 is a Triumph. You succeed spectacularly regardless of the Difficulty.
A natural 1 is a Mishap. You fail and something else goes wrong.
Edge: roll two d20 and keep the higher. Burden: roll two and keep the lower. Clever plans, good positioning, and helpful spells earn Edge. Darkness, injury, and bad odds bring Burden. They cancel each other out.
A choice only asks for a roll when failure would be interesting. Walking across a room does not need a roll. Walking across a rope bridge in a storm does.
02Stats
Every hero has four Stats, each from 0 to 5. A 0 is ordinary. A 3 is remarkable. A 5 is the best in the realm.
| Stat | Governs |
|---|---|
| Might | Muscle, toughness, heavy weapons, breaking things |
| Grace | Agility, stealth, aim, light weapons, dodging |
| Wits | Reasoning, lore, noticing details, arcane magic |
| Presence | Force of personality, persuasion, courage, divine and wild magic |
New heroes spread the values 3, 2, 1, 0 across the four Stats, or roll a spread of their own (four values from 0 to 3 that add up to 6), then add +1 from their Folk.
03Talents
Talents are things you have trained at. A trained Talent adds +3 to the roll. Each Talent leans on a Stat.
| Talent | Stat | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Athletics | Might | Climb, swim, jump, lift, shove |
| Brawl | Might | Grapple, trip, fight dirty |
| Stealth | Grace | Move unseen and unheard |
| Nimble | Grace | Balance, tumble, pick pockets, pick locks |
| Survival | Wits | Track, forage, navigate, read weather |
| Notice | Wits | Spot, hear, and sense what is hidden |
| Lore | Wits | History, places, creatures, legends |
| Mysticism | Wits | Magic, spirits, curses, relics |
| Healing | Wits | Treat wounds, poison, sickness |
| Persuade | Presence | Convince, charm, negotiate |
| Deceive | Presence | Lie, bluff, disguise |
| Intimidate | Presence | Threaten, command, stare down |
04Folk
Your Folk is your people. Each gives +1 to one Stat and one trait.
| Folk | Bonus | Trait |
|---|---|---|
| Human | +1 to your Calling's main Stat | Adaptable: once a day, reroll a test that rolled a 1 |
| Sylvan | +1 Grace | Nightsight; magic cannot put you to sleep |
| Stonekin | +1 Might | Edge against poison; always know which way is down underground |
| Wayfolk | +1 Grace | Lucky: once a day, reroll any die and keep the better |
| Ironblood | +1 Might | Relentless: once a day, stay at 1 Vitality instead of falling |
| Emberborn | +1 Presence | Half damage from fire; Burden to Persuade strangers, Edge to Intimidate |
In the written chapters the engine applies each Folk's Stat bonus; the traits colour the hero but are not worked into its tests and fights.
05Callings
Your Calling is what you do. It sets your starting Vitality (the number below plus twice your Might), how much you gain per level, which armour you can wear, how well you fight, and your Knacks.
| Calling | Main Stat | Start Vitality | Per level | Armour | Knacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warden | Might | 14 | 5 + Might | Any, shields | Rally: once per breather, heal 1d10 + level as a quick action. Surge (level 2): once per breather, strike twice in a turn |
| Shadow | Grace | 10 | 4 + Might | Light | Ambush: +1d6 damage when striking with Edge or at a distracted foe. Slip Away: hide or disengage as a quick action |
| Spellbinder | Wits | 8 | 3 + Might | None | Focus: once a day after a breather, regain half your Energy. Casts with Wits |
| Oracle | Presence | 10 | 4 + Might | Light, medium, shields | Repel the Dead (level 2): the undead nearby must resist or flee. Casts with Presence |
| Hunter | Grace | 12 | 4 + Might | Light, medium, shields | Pathfinder: Edge to track, forage, navigate. Keen Shot: ranged strikes ignore cover. Wild magic with Presence from level 2 |
| Berserker | Might | 16 | 6 + Might | Light, medium, shields | Fury: twice a day (three times from level 6), +2 melee damage, Edge on Might, half physical damage taken for one fight. Thick Hide: unarmoured Guard is 8 + Grace + Might |
Every Calling is trained in certain weapons and adds a small bonus to Strikes with them: Wardens +2 with heavy weapons and +1 with the rest, Berserkers +2 with heavy weapons and +1 with light ones, Shadows +2 with light and ranged weapons, Hunters +2 with ranged and +1 with everything else, Oracles +1 in melee. Spellbinders have no weapon training and should lean on their spells. In the written chapters Slip Away, Keen Shot and Pathfinder are left to the story, and Ambush adds its die when the Shadow strikes with Edge.
06Fighting
Fights happen in turns. On your turn you act, then your enemies act. One exchange per turn keeps things moving.
Strike: roll d20 + Stat + weapon training against the target's Guard. Each weapon uses the Stat in the table below: Might for most, Grace for knives, short blades, bows and crossbows.
Damage: the weapon's die plus the same Stat. A Triumph adds the maximum roll of the weapon die on top.
Guard: 8 + Grace + armour + shield. Heavier armour gives more but limits how much Grace counts.
Enemies Strike against your Guard the same way. If they meet it, you take their damage.
Edge comes from flanking, surprise, higher ground, a held or blinded foe, or a well-placed spell. Burden comes from darkness, being held, fighting prone, or shooting into a melee.
Besides striking you can defend, cast, use a knack or skill, drink something, or run, if there is somewhere to run to.
07Armour and weapons
| Armour | Weight | Guard bonus | Grace still counts | Needs Might | Stealth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padded Coat | Light | +1 | All | 0 | Fine |
| Leather Jerkin | Light | +2 | All | 0 | Fine |
| Scale Coat | Medium | +4 | Up to 2 | 1 | Burden |
| Mail Hauberk | Medium | +5 | Up to 1 | 2 | Burden |
| Plate Harness | Heavy | +7 | None | 3 | Burden |
| Shield | +1 | ||||
| Tower Shield | +2 |
| Weapon | Damage | Stat | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knife | 1d4 | Grace | Light, thrown |
| Staff | 1d6 | Might | |
| Hand Axe | 1d6 | Might | Light, thrown |
| Cudgel | 1d6 | Might | |
| Spear | 1d6 | Might | Thrown, reach |
| Short Blade | 1d6 | Grace | Light |
| Long Blade | 1d8 | Might | |
| War Axe | 1d8 | Might | |
| War Hammer | 1d8 | Might | |
| Greatblade | 1d12 | Might | Two hands |
| Short Bow | 1d6 | Grace | Ranged, two hands |
| Long Bow | 1d8 | Grace | Ranged, two hands |
| Crossbow | 1d10 | Grace | Ranged, two hands, one shot per turn |
Two-handed weapons cannot be used with a shield.
08Getting hurt
Your Vitality is how much punishment you can take. Damage reduces it. At 0 Vitality you are Down: unconscious and dying.
While Down, each turn you roll a plain d20 with no bonuses. This is a Last Breath roll.
10 or higher: you hold on.
9 or lower: you slip.
Three holds and you are stable. Three slips and you die.
A natural 20 brings you back to your feet with 1 Vitality. A natural 1 counts as two slips.
Taking damage while Down counts as a slip.
A stable hero wakes in an hour with 1 Vitality. Healing of any kind brings a Down hero back at once.
The written chapters keep fights moving and skip Last Breath rolls: a member at 0 Vitality stays down until the fight ends or something like Dawn Hymn raises them (see The party), and if the whole party falls, the story says what happens next.
09Rest and recovery
Breather (ten minutes, twice a day): regain 1d6 + level Vitality and half your Energy. Breather Knacks like Rally recharge.
Full rest (a night's sleep with food and some safety): everything returns. Vitality, Energy, and all Knacks.
Healing Draughts restore 2d6+2 Vitality and can be drunk in the middle of a fight. You cannot drink one while Down; someone else has to help.
10Magic
Spellbinders, Oracles, and Hunters cast spells. Casting draws on Energy.
Energy = 4 + (casting Stat x 2) + level. Hunters start at 2 instead of 4 and only begin casting at level 2.
Spells come in four tiers. Tricks are free. Lesser spells cost 2 Energy. Greater spells cost 4. Mighty spells cost 6.
Spellbinders unlock Greater spells at level 4 and Mighty at level 7. Oracles match them. Hunters run a level behind: Lesser at 2, Greater at 5, Mighty at 8.
Spells that attack use a Spell Strike: d20 + casting Stat + 2 against Guard.
Spells that must be resisted force the target to roll against your Spell Difficulty: 10 + casting Stat + half your level.
A breather restores half your Energy. A full rest restores it all. Ember Tonic restores 4.
Spellbinders choose their spells and learn new ones as they level. Oracles know every spell of the tiers they can reach. Hunters learn a few nature spells starting at level 2.
11Growing stronger
You earn Experience for defeating foes, overcoming challenges, and completing quest steps. Every 150 Experience raises you one level, up to level 10.
At each level you gain Vitality according to your Calling. At every even level your Calling's main Stat rises by 1 (to a maximum of 5). Casters gain Energy every level and new spells as tiers unlock. Some Knacks arrive at level 2.
12Money and trade
Emberfall uses gold only. No silver, no copper. A meal costs 1 gold, a bed for the night 2, a Healing Draught 25, a long blade 15, a suit of mail 120.
Merchants buy your unwanted gear at half its value. Fences pay a little better and ask fewer questions. Each merchant stocks what fits their trade, and prices drift with the merchant's mood and the remoteness of the town.
13The party
Emberfall can be played by one hero or a party of up to three. Every member is a full character with their own Stats, Talents, Calling, gear, Vitality and Energy. The party shares one pack and one purse; weapons, armour and shields are personal.
Who plays whom. Each member is played by you or by the game, and you can change that at any time from the Party screen (or in a fight, from the action bar). Game-played members use plain tactics: heal when low, spend the best spell when it is worth it, otherwise strike.
Story tests. When the story calls for a test, the member best suited to it makes the roll, and the log says who.
Fights. Each standing member acts in turn, then every enemy strikes at a random standing member. A member at 0 Vitality is down and takes no more turns; the fight is lost only when the whole party is down. Members who fell in a fight the party wins come round afterwards at 1 Vitality.
Rests and healing apply to everyone. Experience is shared: the whole party levels together, and a recruit joins at the leader's level.
Scaling. With companions along, a fight with several of one kind of foe gains one more of them, and every enemy gets a little tougher. A named foe or a lone monster is never doubled; a fight with no rank and file to add to hits harder and takes more stopping instead. A full party is still tested.
14Legend: skills, gear and deeds
The side tales, and a few places in the campaign, give rewards no shop sells. They are listed in the Legend tab of the journal.
Skills are taught by the story to one member. Each is used from the fight controls, once per breather or once per full rest: Oath of the Wall draws every blow to you and halves it, Dawn Hymn lifts the whole party, Hunter's Mark sets the party on one foe, and so on.
Legendary gear is one of a kind. Besides its numbers it does something: more damage to the Choir, Vitality back when a foe falls, extra Guard while an ally is down. The sheet says what.
Talent training from someone who knows teaches a talent a member lacked, and opens choices that asked for it.
Deeds are goals met, some in the side tales and some across the whole campaign. Each carries a title. Unearned deeds show a hint, except the hidden ones.
Side tales are offered when a chapter ends and kept on the Legend shelf. Six follow a ready-made companion back to where their story began, and need them in the party, leading or following; the others belong to a region, and one waits until the last chapter is done. Losing a side tale does not end the campaign, and a tale replayed pays out only once.
15Difficulty
Difficulty changes enemy numbers only, and only from the next fight on. Change it whenever you like from the header.
| Mode | Enemy Vitality | Guard | Strike | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Story | x0.7 | -2 | -1 | -2 |
| Normal | as written | - | - | - |
| Hard | x1.25 | +1 | +1 | +2 |
| Hard, alone | x1.25 | - | - | +1 |
| Brutal, party of three | x1.5 | +2 | +2 | +3 |
| Brutal, party of two | x1.5 | +1 | +1 | +2 |
| Brutal, alone | x1.5 | - | - | +1 |
A flat bonus on every blow weighs heaviest on a hero with no one to share the blows, so Hard and Brutal blunt their edge for a smaller party and keep the Vitality. Brutal is still the hardest mode at every size. It is meant for experienced players, and for a party: solo Brutal is very hard, and one bad fight can end the run.
16Playing well
Read the choices for what they cost. A test shows its Talent and Difficulty; the member best suited makes the roll.
Ask questions, look around and talk to people. You find most of the world by being curious.
Failure moves the story forward: a failed lockpick makes noise, and a failed lie costs trust.
You can rest, shop, travel by the map, or simply talk. Not every turn has to be a fight.
If a fight is going badly, change the difficulty from the header. It takes effect from the next fight, and nobody will think less of you.