Next

Horizon
Low-Stakes Fantasy Roleplaying
Copyright 2021 Purple Aether Games LLC
Table of Contents
Designed & Wri�en by Jacob S Kellogg Chapter 1: Introduc�on ……………….. 2
Page background by Figu Design Chapter 2: Playing the Game ………. 4

Page 13 illustra�on by Daniel Comerci -

Chapter 3: Your Adventurer ……... 11
danielcomerci.com
Chapter 4: For the GM ……………….. 16
Page 15 illustra�on by Bruno Balixa Character Sheet ……………………….. 18

Character sheet designed by Jacob S Kellogg

All other illustra�ons are stock images used in

accordance with their respec�ve licenses.

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 Chapter 1:
Introduction
What Is This Game?
Next Horizon is a roleplaying game (RPG), which means players take on the roles of fic�onal
characters and direct them through an imaginary world as protagonists of a story that you create
together. Unlike a board game, you’re not limited to a small list of prescribed ac�ons; you can
engage the world as though you were in it yourself. Basically, if it makes sense that your character
could do something, you’re free to have them a�empt it.
Roleplaying games can cover any number of genres and themes. The premise for this game is
that the protagonists are fantasy adventurers, exploring the wilderness and villages of a magical
world. Your character will journey across the countryside, explore ruins of the old world, discover
relics or treasures, and interact with the people they meet along the way.
Exactly how that story plays out, however, will be unique to your own experience. Although
Next Horizon sets the baseline that you’ll be sending adventurers on journeys into ruins and
wilderness, the details—who these adventurers are, what they find, who they meet, and what
happens on their adventure—will depend on the decisions you and your friends make, as well as
a bit of unpredictability from the game itself. Let’s dive in!

The Basics
Let’s go over what you need to play the game, as well as some common terminology. First, you
will of course need people: usually around 3-5 par�cipants, though you can go higher or lower if
desired. One par�cipant will fill a role called the Game Moderator, or “GM,” while everyone else
is a “player.” Players mostly focus on direc�ng the ac�ons of their own “player characters” (PCs)
while the GM connects the players to the game world by describing what the PCs see, hear, or
otherwise perceive. The GM also directs the ac�ons of non-player characters, or NPCs, o�en in
response to the ac�ons of the PCs.
Like many RPGs, Next Horizon uses a variety of dice with different numbers of sides. These
dice are referenced by a lowercase “d” plus the number of sides on the die. For example, the
classic six-sided die is a d6. This game uses a standard set, which includes a d4, d6, d8, d10, and
d12. (Standard sets also include a d20, but this game doesn’t use it.) It’s o�en easiest if each
player has two sets, but sharing dice or using digital dice-rollers is fine too.

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The Whole Thing In a Nutshell
Let’s set some expecta�ons about what it will look like to play Next Horizon. There’s plenty of
room for you to deviate from this template in big and small ways, but this is your star�ng point.

1. PCs either establish an objec�ve or decide to go exploring.

2. PCs journey to their des�na�on, rolling dice (when desired) to see how smoothly they
overcome any obstacles in their path.
3. PCs reach their des�na�on and either pursue their objec�ve or just inves�gate the site
for interes�ng discoveries. Again, roll dice when you want to randomize how smoothly
things go.
4. A�er finishing at the site, the PCs take some �me to rest and grow from their experiences.
5. Choose a new goal or des�na�on and repeat.

That’s the baseline: travel, discover, rest, repeat. Some�mes you’ll deviate from it: perhaps
you’ve got some business back home for a while, or maybe an expedi�on gets interrupted by
some other event. These variables—along with the unique experiences produced by your
choices and the rolls of the dice—are what will produce the stories that Next Horizon is all about.

Where To Go From Here

If you want to start by learning more about how the game is played, proceed to Chapter 2,
with special focus on the “Player Ac�ons” sec�on if you have some RPG experience and just want
to browse the system. If you’re more interested in knowing what sort of fantasy adventurer you
can play as, skip ahead to Chapter 3 and have a look at the character crea�on rules. Finally, it will
be important to read Chapter 4 if you plan to be the GM, but you probably don’t need to start
there. You can find a printable character sheet at the end of the book.

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 Chapter 2: Playing the
Game
Session Zero
Before you jump into playing Next Horizon, there are some things that you and your friends
will need to do to get ready. Once you’ve tackled the absolute basics (like who’s going to be part
of your gaming group), it’s �me for something called “Session Zero.” The most successful
roleplaying adventures (especially the long-term ones) begin with Session Zero. This is a special
meet-up in which you all agree on various parameters for the game. Start by ge�ng everybody
on board with a premise for the game, and then start establishing some finer details.

The Adventure Pitch

Although Next Horizon provides a basic premise for the game, you’ll want to zero in on what
exactly your own group’s story will be about. Does your game start with the party discovering a
single massive ruin, whose explora�on is the focus of the whole game? Are your adventurers
wide-eyed newbies star�ng a journey together, encountering a different ruin or village every
�me you play? Or does your team live in a city and go out on expedi�ons for a couple of game
sessions at a �me, maybe even as formal quests for some kind of organized adventurers guild?
O�en, it’s the GM who will pitch a specific game idea, but it’s everyone’s responsibility to talk
about what kind of game they want to be in. Nobody wants to spend hours at a �me doing
something they don’t like, nor is it fun to get partway into a game and realize everyone’s made
characters appropriate for different types of games. Ge�ng everyone on the same page is the
founda�on of a fun �me.

Safety & Consent

Some topics can be a problem for some players, whether due to past trauma or just feeling
strongly about certain things. (A�er all, there’s a whole website dedicated to le�ng people know
whether the dog dies in a movie.) The game is supposed to be enjoyable, and a par�cipant can’t
enjoy the game if they’re ge�ng hit by upse�ng content. Establish ahead of �me what types of
content need to be avoided, what needs to be handled carefully, and what’s fair game. Also,
make sure you have a tool in place (such as an “X card”) for when something uncomfortable
comes up during play that might have go�en overlooked or forgo�en.

Preparing for Adventure

Okay, so you have your group, you have an idea for your game, and you’ve established
boundaries. Now you need a “campaign checkpoint.” Checkpoints—described in more detail in
“Experience and Growth” later in this chapter—are ongoing goals which fuel the PCs’ growth
when they take ac�on toward those goals. There are three universal checkpoints (traveling to
new places, exploring ruins, and making discoveries), three personal checkpoints (tailored to

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individual characters), and one campaign checkpoint (universal to all characters, but specific to
your game). Agree together on what that checkpoint should be.
Relatedly, everyone except the GM will need to establish the personal checkpoints for their
adventurers. This is discussed more in the character crea�on rules in Chapter 3, but Session Zero
is a good �me to establish them so that everybody can get an idea of what to expect from each
other. These checkpoints will be driving PCs’ behavior throughout the game, so it’s good to
communicate and make sure there are no issues.

Hitting the Road

You and your adventuring compatriots could get up to any number of things over the course
of a game, but adventuring is by nature a travel-heavy profession. You might be heading out on
your latest quest, venturing into the unknown to chart lands reclaimed by nature, or following a
treasure map you just found. Whatever the party’s objec�ve might be at any given moment, it’s
probably going to involve traveling.
It’s possible—and in fact, tradi�onal in fantasy roleplaying—that the GM has established a
map of the territory to be covered, and knows roughly what will be encountered on whatever
path the PCs travel. You get a similar effect if you’re playing a published adventure. However, if
you would rather generate the landscape as you go, here are some simple steps to do just that.

Terrain
Start by determining the actual physical landscape. You can do this quickly by rolling a d8 and
a d6, then consul�ng the points below:
On the d8: A low roll means low eleva�on and smooth ground, while a high roll means higher
eleva�on and more mountainous terrain. In between are various levels of hills, mesas, ridges,
and so forth.
On the d6: A low roll means very li�le vegeta�on, such as a grassland or even a desert. A high
roll means dense vegeta�on, such as thick forests.
Even or odd: If both dice show odd numbers, there are few to no visible bodies of water. If
both dice show even numbers, there’s a lot of water, maybe a massive lake or even the coast of
the ocean. If one die is odd and the other is even, then it’s somewhere in between: rivers, lakes,
or marshes sca�ered across the area.
Note that it’s o�en going to be possible for adventurers to see more than their immediate
surroundings. For example, maybe the party stands atop a hill to look in every direc�on and
decide where to go based on what they see. In that case, you can use graph paper, hex-grid
paper, or a hand-drawn grid to divide the region into li�le chunks. Then, roll the terrain for each
chunk and mark it down.

Important Sites
When it’s �me to canonize the contents of a region (usually when the PCs decide to explore
it, but possibly when viewed from a distance, as with the terrain) you can generate some sites of
interest by rolling a d10 and a d12 and consul�ng the points below.

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 On the d12: This die shows the volume of ruins in the area. 1-4 means no ruins at all, while 5
and up means increasingly more ruins. A 5 might be the crumbling remains of a single tower,
while 12 would be a massive ruin, such as an en�re castle town.
On the d10: This die indicates whether people live in the area. 1-6 means nobody lives there
(though you could s�ll meet travelers), while higher numbers show increasingly large
communi�es. A 7 might mean just one or two homesteads, while a 10 would be a large village or
small town. Truly large ci�es are very rare and most people know where the nearest one is, so
they’re not included on this roll.
Doubles: If both dice show the same number, there’s a special quirk to the site. For example,
perhaps the trees are currently filled with millions of bu�erflies on an annual migra�on, or
maybe a lake glows and makes eerie noises at night. Something sets the area apart from other
regions.

Travel
There are lots of different ways to handle
the actual travel from place to place. Some
people prefer to gloss over it, in favor of
focusing on the ac�on at the site. Others
prefer to introduce a li�le bit of uncertainty
into the trip, with a few minor events or
chances to lose a bit of �me due to ge�ng
lost. S�ll others get really into the journey,
packing it to the brim with chance encounters,
tests of skill, and opportuni�es to get
sidetracked. This is something you’ll want the
group to hash out during Session Zero. If one
person is expec�ng Oregon Trail levels of
minu�a while someone else is expec�ng a
brief travel montage, then somebody’s in for a
nasty surprise.
If you’re looking to summarize the travel
rela�vely briefly without glossing over it
en�rely, start by deciding what the biggest
challenge or other factor is. If the travel is
meant to be a challenge in itself (such as by
risk of ge�ng lost or trying to make good �me), then have someone take the lead in naviga�on
and make an appropriate roll—see “Player Ac�ons” later in this chapter for more about rolling
for character ac�ons. This will tell you how well the endeavor fared overall.
Alterna�vely, you can engage the travel sequence with more detail, dividing the journey into
days or even hours and playing out the interac�ons between the adventurers and their
environment, scene by scene. The possibili�es are endless for the encounters which will fill the
journey, so the GM may wish to compile some possibili�es ahead of �me. Alterna�vely, you can
roll 2d8 and consult the list of possibili�es below based on the total.
2-4: You meet another traveler, or small group of travelers. If you rolled doubles, they need
something from you, such as help or supplies.

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 5: You cross paths with a poten�ally dangerous creature. If one of the dice was a 1, the
creature is hungry.
6-8: You encounter (or find the tracks of) one or more creatures that aren’t par�cularly
threatening, such as poten�al meals or pets. If you rolled doubles, the creature is rare, valuable,
delicious, or otherwise noteworthy.
9: Nothing especially even�ul happens during this leg of the journey.
10-12: You discover (or find signs of) useful natural resources, such as wild vegetables, magical
crystals in a cave, or a relaxing natural hot spring. If you rolled doubles, then the discovery is
par�cularly rare, precious, pleasant, or otherwise noteworthy.
13: You encounter a bizarre magical phenomenon, such as unexplained lights in a forest or
some kind of elemental storm. If one of the dice was an 8, the phenomenon appears dangerous.
14-16: You discover a waysta�on of some sort: a lone well, a roughly-furnished campground,
a cooking pavilion, or some other installa�on meant for use by random travelers. If you rolled
doubles, someone is already at the waysta�on when you arrive.
It’s up to you and your group to decide how frequently you want to roll for these events. You
could roll once for every day of travel, twice per day (for example, before and a�er stopping for
lunch), or if you really want an ac�on-packed journey, every single hour of travel.
As these encounters come up, you’re free to decide how (or even whether) to engage them.
You can narrate your way through them with freeform roleplay, or sprinkle in some rolls as
described later in this chapter. It all depends on where you want to focus your �me, so be sure
you and your group are all on the same page.

At the Site
Sooner or later, the party of adventurers will arrive at a ruin (or other adventure site) and have
a look around. O�en—especially if arrival was planned rather than randomized—the GM will
know what’s there. The players can then direct their adventurers to explore the site while the
GM reveals its contents to PC and player alike. This may include opportuni�es for hijinks or
danger, which can be resolved using the player ac�on rules later in this chapter.
If you and your group would rather generate the contents of the site randomly, you can roll a
d12 and a d6 and consult the list of results below. Note that this list assumes ruins as the most
common type of adventure site, so you may wish to customize or replace the list if the party is
exploring a different type of site, such as a natural cave or a recent shipwreck. Also, a par�cularly
large ruin might warrant dividing it into sec�ons and rolling for each part.
On the d12: If the roll is an odd number, the ruin contains something from the prior age, such
as historical relics, books of lore, or even treasure. If the roll is an even number, the ruin contains
no relics, but has natural items of interest, such as plants with medicinal value or eggs that make
really good omelets.
On the d6: If the roll is higher than the d12 roll, then whatever is in the ruins is not easily
accessible. Perhaps there’s a rusted gate in the way, or all you actually found were clues which
could lead you to the prize if you do some work.
Doubles: If the d12 and the d6 show the same number, then the ruins also contain a nest of
one or more creatures—specifically, something which complicates the situa�on more
significantly than, say, squirrels. If the doubles were 6s, then instead of a nest of creatures you
find a person (or a few people), such as travelers or fellow adventurers.
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Going to Town
In all likelihood, your party of adventurers will visit a large city at least once or twice. You might
structure your whole game as a series of excursions from a city where you make your base, or
you might just visit a big city occasionally when you have cash that needs spending or are seeking
specialized labor or luxuries that are easier to find in a larger se�lement. Here are some things
to keep in mind when bringing ci�es to life in your game.
Money lost all value at the end of the prior age (hence why treasure is some�mes found
among the ruins) but it’s making a comeback in large ci�es and their surrounding areas. Currency
is salvaged coinage from the prior age: golden suns, each worth 100 silver moons, in turn worth
100 �n stars. Although the cash economy doesn’t deal in necessi�es like food and shelter—
society was built on the communal support networks of the original survivors—but money can
get you fancy cuisine, bespoke equipment, or a luxury spa day.
The few big ci�es in existence are also good places to find organiza�ons or ins�tu�ons that
smaller se�lements can’t support. Read for research or pleasure in a library, check out the latest
developments in spellcra�, or join a formal guild of adventurers to go on excursions on behalf of
clients. Hit up markets or taverns to hear tales from distant travelers, or regale interested
listeners with stories of your own.

Experience and Growth

Your adventurer grows over �me, as a result of their experiences. This is reflected in the use
of checkpoints and experience points (XP). You mark off an assortment of checkpoints as you
perform or accomplish various things during gameplay. Then, when your character rests, you
convert those checkpoints to XP, thus freeing space to mark them off again in future adventures.
You can then spend that XP immediately or save it up for a future rest.
Every character has seven checkpoints. Three of them are personal, custom for that
adventurer. The character crea�on rules in Chapter 3 will tell you more about those. The rest of
the checkpoints are the same for every PC, and reflect the primary goals of the game. These
checkpoints are as follows:
Journey: Travel to a new place, or a place you haven’t visited in a long �me.
Explore: Take �me to thoroughly inves�gate an adventure site, such as a ruin.
Discover: Obtain or document a relic, treasure, natural specimen, etc.
Campaign: This should be a goal that reflects the type of game you want to play.
The campaign checkpoint should be established before gameplay begins, in Session Zero, to
reinforce the intended themes of the game. It could even be a second copy of one of the other
three universal checkpoints, if you want to really emphasize that aspect of play.
Whenever your character par�cipates in the ac�vity of a checkpoint, �ck the box for that
checkpoint on your character sheet. You can’t �ck a box that’s already checked; this is one reason
you might make your game’s custom checkpoint a second copy of an exis�ng one. In order to
clear your checkpoints so you can mark them again, your character must take some down�me.
When your adventurer takes at least one day off to relax, they gain XP. See how many
checkpoints are currently marked on your character sheet. Add that much XP to your running
total, then uncheck all the checkpoints. Those checkpoints are now refreshed and ready for

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gaining more experience. Meanwhile, if you’ve accumulated enough XP, you can spend it to grow
your character. You can do this on the same day off as you cleared your checkpoints.
You can spend XP to improve your a�ributes or skills, or master new skills (more details about
a�ributes and skills in Chapter 3). You can upgrade an a�ribute or skill die to the next die size (for
example, from d8 to d10), or you can learn a new skill (which starts as a d6). In either case, the
XP cost is based on the incoming die size. Skills cost XP equal to the new die (for example, 8 XP
for a d8) and a�ributes cost twice that amount. Remember that you can never upgrade the
Improvise skill.

Player Actions
Throughout the various ac�vi�es of gameplay—traveling, exploring, or any other hijinks you
get up to—you will o�en have your adventurer a�empt things whose outcomes are not certain.
Whenever you and your group think it would be fun to let fate have a say in the results, you can
roll a pair of dice to see how your endeavor fared. Although details will vary, this will always
involve rolling two dice and adding them together, with a higher total represen�ng a more
successful outcome.
When rolling for the outcome of an endeavor, select two dice to roll: one a�ribute die and one
skill die from your character sheet. A character’s a�ribute dice represent their core ap�tudes in
broad strokes, while their skill dice represent specific things they know how to do. Pick
whichever two dice seem most appropriate for the situa�on. See the character crea�on rules in
Chapter 3 for more about specific a�ributes and skills.
When going head-to-head with an opponent, the roll is called a clash. The opponent likewise
rolls a pair of dice (generally determined by the GM, or defaulted to 2d6) and the higher roll wins.
Ties go to the player.
When rolling to overcome an obstacle, basically whenever there’s no opponent, the roll is
called a check. If the roll is to resolve a simple pass/fail scenario, then rolling a 7 or higher is a
success. If the roll is to summarize a less binary endeavor, then a 6 or less means it went poorly,
7-9 means you fared decently, while 10 or higher is a strong showing.
In general, the player who rolled for their PC describes the in-universe results. Usually the
stakes are clear before rolling, thus making this mostly a ma�er of ge�ng to be the storyteller
for a moment. It’s also important in terms of failed rolls, as the player gets to decide on the
consequences that affect their character (such an injury, equipment breakage, or social
embarrassment). The main excep�on for this is when the results mostly represent how an NPC
responds to the PC’s efforts, in which case the GM probably describes it. In either case, however,
anyone at the table can offer sugges�ons (or raise objec�ons) in order to canonize events in a
way that everyone can feel good about.

Messy Situations
Some�mes, when rolling for a player ac�on (or for an opponent in a clash), some outside
factor is interfering with the task at hand: bad weather, help from a friend, or a supernatural
ability might all influence your efforts. These factors are represented by modifying the dice.
Posi�ve interference boosts dice, while nega�ve interference hinders dice. You might modify
only one die or both dice, and the dice could even be modified in opposite direc�ons.

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 A modified die is rolled twice. If the die is boosted, discard the lower result and keep the
higher result. If the die is hindered, do the opposite. If the interfering factor affects the character
themselves (such as a fantas�c ability or a debilita�ng injury), modify the a�ribute die. If the
interfering factor is outside their person (such as weather or assistance), modify the skill die.
Any given die is either modified or not. There’s no extra modifica�on if there are lots and lots
of factors, though in such extreme cases it might be worth considering whether it makes sense
to roll in the first place. If there are both posi�ve and nega�ve interferences that would apply to
the same die, figure out which “side” is stronger and modify the die in that direc�on. If it’s pre�y
even, then don’t modify the die at all.

Thumb On the Scales

It makes sense that PCs usually perform well in their special�es. O�en, it’s easy enough to
curate those results by simply not relying on dice rolls when the character should obviously
succeed. However, some�mes you’ve commi�ed to using rolls for the ac�ons in a special scene,
but by sheer bad luck your character keeps failing in their specialty. That can get frustra�ng, so
you have a pressure release valve in the form of concept tokens.
Whenever you roll for something your PC is supposed to be good at—meaning both dice are
d8s or be�er—and you don’t like the result, you can expend a concept token to override the
result with the maximum possible result for those dice. For example, if you rolled a d8 and a d10,
spending a concept token replaces whatever you rolled with an 18.
You start each game session with exactly 1 concept token. You regain tokens by playing into
your PC’s weaknesses. Whenever you roll for something that’s supposed to be outside your PC’s
area of exper�se—meaning both dice are d6s or smaller—and you roll poorly, you gain 1 concept
token. Rolling “poorly” means rolling a 6 or less on a check, or less than your opponent in a clash.
You can have up to 2 concept tokens at any one �me.

Scene Management
Although it’s possible to play Next Horizon using just freeform narra�on sprinkled with quick
rolls to summarize player ac�ons, some�mes you might want to focus on a specific scene—such
as a chase, a nego�a�on, or a fight—and make a whole thing of it. Or, you might have ongoing
aspects of the story—such as a lingering injury or a long-term baking rivalry—that you want to
track over �me. You can accomplish either of these goals through the use of progress clocks and
tug-of-war tracks.
To use a progress clock, draw a circle and divide it into segments like you’re slicing a pizza. The
number of segments could be anywhere from 4 to 8, depending on how much �me or effort
makes sense, but default to 4 if you’re not sure. Whenever progress occurs, mark off a segment.
When all segments are marked, something comes to frui�on: the wound is healed, the treasure
chest is opened, the meal is prepared.
Use a tug-of-war when progress is rela�ve to an opponent rather than simply linear, just like
in a real tug-of-war. The tug-of-war starts at a neutral state, then whoever first makes progress is
“advantaged”. If the advantaged party makes more progress, they win; if the disadvantaged party
makes progress, the tug-of-war is back to neutral. Note that although a tug-of-war can represent
actual opponents (such as in a fencing duel), it can also represent a solo struggle (such as carrying
a precarious stack of books without �pping over).
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 Chapter 3: Your
Adventurer
Your Avatar In a Fantastic World
Everyone but the GM will play the game by controlling an adventurer of their own crea�on.
This chapter will walk you through making your own adventurer to send roaming through the
wilderness. The order of these steps is only one way to do things; you might make decisions in a
different order, or even bounce between each step mul�ple �mes. It’s up to you!

Step 1: Main Concept

It can o�en help the character crea�on process if you start with a general concept and then
use that concept as a reference point, an anchor, for the various decisions you’ll be making in this
process. This concept doesn’t need to be detailed (that’s what the rest of character crea�on is
for), it just needs to have clear themes or “hooks” that make it easier for you to answer the
ques�ons that will come up during this process.
Your concept could be as simple as “bookish mage” or as elaborate as “cat-eared thrill-seeker
with s�cky fingers and a heart of gold.” You could even pick a handful of random character tropes
from an online database somewhere and see what you can cobble together. All that really
ma�ers is that you have a founda�on on which to build a character you will enjoy sending out
into the magical wilderness.
This is also when you would consider various personal details, such as gender, disability, and
so forth. Remember to be careful when giving your character traits which translate to real-life
experiences you don’t have, lest you unknowingly fall into stereotypes which could hurt the
people who are supposed to be having fun alongside you. Communica�on is key!

Step 2: Background & Checkpoints

Where did your adventurer come from, and where are they going? Your adventurer will need
a background as well as three personal checkpoints. Their background will be summarized by a
special Background skill to represent the capabili�es they bring with them into their new
adventuring life. Their personal checkpoints represent goals or interests which they will pursue
on a regular basis during their adventures.
Establishing your character’s background doesn’t have to mean wri�ng their whole life story
(although some people like doing so, which is fine). All that’s necessary is understanding the gist
of their pre-adventuring iden�ty. Were they an ar�san, or perhaps an appren�ce to one? Have
they only just reached adulthood and are leaving the family farm? Are they a scholar who
decided they wanted to get out of the library and see their subjects first-hand? Knowing who
your character used to be—and why they decided to change—can really help bring them to life!
While background looks to the past, your adventurer’s personal checkpoints point to the
future. Checkpoints (described more in Chapter 2) help your character grow when they’re
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pursued, so make them things which can drive ongoing ac�on. Goals which can be pursued,
interests which can be indulged, and so forth. Good examples could include “Add to my pressed
flower collec�on,” “Protect my friends from danger,” or “Eat something I’ve never tried before.”
You can always change your personal checkpoints later; in fact, that’s a great way to reflect
character development!

Step 3: Fantasy Quirks

As a person born in a magical world, your being is suffused with otherworldly poten�al. As a
result, you could have any number of supernatural features or magical talents. This is sort of like
the features common in “fantasy races” from other media, except they vary randomly at the
individual level instead of as a ma�er of ancestry. You can pick familiar features like pointy ears
or devil horns, or you can make up something new.
Features that are mostly cosme�c are freebies: your character can look however you like. You
can also have features with prac�cal applica�on—such as a prehensile tail or supernatural night
vision—which are called quirks. You don’t have to include quirks for your character, but doing so
can help you to reinforce a theme or set your character apart. You can have up to two quirks by
default, but your group might decide to change that number or make excep�ons.
Since quirks can be almost anything you could imagine, there is no one-size-fits-all method for
represen�ng them in gameplay. Instead, keep these guidelines in mind:

• Quirks func�on as you would expect in-universe, whether dice are involved or not.
• If a quirk would require ap�tude to wield, see if it can be lumped in with an exis�ng skill.
If not, then you can create a custom skill for its use.
• If you make a roll for something most people could do but your quirk makes you be�er at
it (such as supernatural hearing), simply boost the a�ribute die used in the roll.

Step 4: Attributes & Skills

Now things will get a li�le more concrete. Every PC has dice of various sizes assigned to short
lists of a�ributes and skills. A�ributes describe your adventurer’s broad capabili�es, such as
physical strength, while skills define the specific things they actually know how to do. Whenever
you make a roll for your character (see Chapter 2) you’ll be using one a�ribute die and one skill
die.
There are four a�ributes: Agility, Brawn, Cunning, and Determina�on. They mean basically
what they sound like; Agility is speed, coordina�on, and flexibility; Brawn is brute strength,
toughness, and physical endurance; Cunning is mental speed and precision; and Determina�on
is willpower, courage, and a sort of “mental brute strength.” Assign a die to each a�ribute: one
gets a d4, one gets a d8, and the other two get d6s.
The list of skills is a bit longer, since it’s more precise. To start with, each PC gets two freebie
skills: Improvise and Background. The Improvise skill gets a d4, which is worse than any other
skill, but can be used for any endeavor. It’s what you roll when nothing else applies. The
Background skill sums up the non-adventuring exper�se your character gained prior to becoming
an adventurer. It gets a d8. This skill can’t be rolled in place of an adventuring skill (see below).

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For example, even if your background is that you’re a mage, that doesn’t mean you can use the
Background skill in lieu of all the magic skills.
A�er that, you get to pick five adventuring skills from the list below. Two of them get d8s, and
the other three get d6s. The list includes “custom,” because it’s okay to name your own skills. This
is especially important if the use of one of your character quirks (see Step 3) doesn’t fit neatly
into an exis�ng skill, but it need not be restricted to that scenario.
The adventuring skills are briefly summarized here, but you can see more details about them
(especially the magical ones) later in this chapter.
Aethershaping (magic) — sense and manipulate the aether around you
Arbormancy (magic) — do magical stuff with plants
Athle�cs — climbing, swimming, leaping, that kind of thing
Beastsoul (magic) — commune with animals or channel their essence yourself
Custom — for wielding certain quirks, or other crea�ve ideas
Conjure Element (magic) — pick an element to wield magically
Figh�ng — figh�ng off cri�ers who think you look yummy
First Aid — iden�fying and trea�ng injury and disease and so forth
Hun�ng — tracking, shoo�ng, or trapping prey, and related exper�se
Naviga�on — finding your way around when it’s not obvious
Parkour — flips, jumps, rolls, that kind of stuff
Stealth — sneaking around and hiding
Once you’ve assigned dice for your a�ributes and skills, the bulk of your character crea�on is
complete.

Step 5: Finishing
Touches
Now it’s �me to �e up any loose ends. Your
character is assumed to start with whatever
clothing and equipment makes sense for your
concept, likely including things like camping
gear and at least a small weapon. Write down
any such equipment that you want to be sure
to remember, but don’t fret: the wri�en
record is less important than what makes
sense, so it’s okay to add something later if it
would make sense that they had it this whole
�me.
See if there’s anything about your character
that hasn’t been addressed. For example,
perhaps they have a quirk that’s more than
cosme�c but didn’t seem to fit the idea of a
“skill,” such as being able to hear really well.

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These can o�en be handled by boos�ng your a�ribute die on relevant rolls (see Chapter 2), or
they might simply expand the range of what you can do without directly interfacing with the
rules (like seeing in the dark). In any case, get the whole group on the same page about it, and
make a note on your character sheet.
Does your character have any disabili�es? They can have mobility aids or other adap�ve
equipment as desired; talk to your group about tech level, but priori�ze feeling good about the
character you’re playing. You can also, if desired, use the dice-modifying rules from Chapter 2 to
represent the effects of a disability or chronic illness when making rolls, but that doesn’t mean
you have to invoke those rules all the �me. Nobody gets to tell you how your disability works.
Finally, note that your character has one concept token to spend. This represents a means of
influencing dice rolls during gameplay, and is discussed in detail in Chapter 2. For now, all you
need to know is that you have one concept token to start out with.

Skills & Magic

Let’s take a closer look at how the various adventuring skills work, especially the ones
involving magic.
Aethershaping: You can close your eyes and perceive the flow of aether in an area around you
the size of a large castle. Creatures and other aether-rich subjects appear as fuzzy blobs of light
in your mind. If a subject is a bit closer—no more than a stone’s throw—you can try to examine
its aether for abnormali�es, learn how a magical effect works, or wrap ambient aether around
an object to levitate it.
Arbormancy: You can a�une with the otherworldly essence that fills all plant life, using it to
sense and manipulate plants no further than a stone’s throw from you. You can use this power
to detect or examine plants, as well as wither, grow, or shape them. If this reminds you of
someone’s cool plant powers from TV, you’re probably on the right track.
Athle�cs: This skill covers difficult forms of moving around, such as swimming against the
current, climbing a rock wall, or trying to leap across a large hazard. If it’s something a decathlete
might do, this is probably the right skill. If it’s more about acroba�cs and whatnot, you’re
probably looking for the Parkour skill.
Beastsoul: You can mentally sync up with the shared soul of all animals, and magically draw
on its power. You can a�empt to communicate simple thoughts and feelings with animals no
further away than a stone’s throw. You can also perform a par�al shapeshi� to gain aspects of an
animal, such as an eagle’s eyes or a dog’s nose. You can only use one such aspect at a �me.
Conjure Element: You can pull pure elemental substance, such as fire or earth, from an
otherworldly source into Adhara. It appears somewhere within reach, and you can telekine�cally
move or hurl it up to a stone’s throw away. If the conjured element is something flee�ng (like fire
or wind) then it dissipates as soon as you’re not ac�vely controlling it. If it’s a material (like stone
or water) then it slips back into its otherworldly source a�er about a minute.
Figh�ng: You can handle yourself in a physical alterca�on. This includes knowledge and use of
weapons as well as hand-to-hand brawling. This doesn’t include stuff like shoo�ng magic
lightning at your enemies, just ordinary physical combat.
First Aid: You know how to help people who are sick or hurt. You may not be as skilled as a
professional doctor, but you can s�ll help people, even when you’re out in the field. This covers
both treatment and iden�fica�on of maladies.

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 Hun�ng: You’re good at finding and catching prey. This includes things like following tracks,
shoo�ng arrows, se�ng traps, and knowing how game animals (and their natural predators)
behave in the wild. You’re also good at foraging for water and edible plants.
Naviga�on: As the name implies, this skill is for figuring out where you are and how to get
where you’re going, par�cularly when you don’t have a map or other clear direc�on. This can
include all sorts of methods, from natural markers to reading the stars. This also includes a
certain degree of ap�tude with map-making.
Parkour: Movement that is some combina�on of precision and flamboyance falls under the
Parkour skill. Jumping, flipping, rolling, �ghtrope walking, chandelier swinging, that sort of thing.
If the movement is more about powering past resistance or an obstacle, you’re probably looking
for the Athle�cs skill.
Stealth: This is your ap�tude at not being no�ced. Obviously nothing can save you if you’re
right in front of somebody, but this skill shows how adept you are at picking a good hiding place,
walking without loud footsteps, breathing quietly, and so forth. It can s�ll apply even when
you’re only hiding part of your body (like if you’re picking a pocket) or when you’re trying to
blend in rather than be altogether unseen.

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 Chapter 4: For the GM
Are you the one taking the role of GM instead of playing an adventurer of your own? If so, this
chapter is for you! The GM wears many hats, but ul�mately the summary of your role is that you
offer the point of contact between the players and the world. While the PCs are the avatars
through which players experience the game world, the players can’t actually see through their
PCs’ eyes. You fill that gap, by explaining to the players what’s going on around their characters.
Time for a disclaimer: with a sufficiently crea�ve and energized group of players, any or all of
the GM roles described here could be instead handled by the rest of the group. In fact, it’s not
even strictly necessary to have a GM at all. That said, it’s o�en easiest to play this game if you
have someone in that role, so that will be the assump�on for everything in this chapter.

The World, Personified

Whereas the players each take on the role of a single adventurer who stays “on-camera”
almost constantly, you as the GM will take on the roles of all people, creatures, and even natural
phenomena which shi� in and out of focus along the path of the protagonists. This may sound
daun�ng, but don’t worry, we’ll break it down.
You don’t need to know every detail of every person, place, and thing the players may
encounter. In fact, one of the biggest traps of GMing is over-prepara�on. If you know the basics—
appearance, theme, style—of the handful of primary movers and shakers, you can ad lib the rest
just by having NPCs react like a normal person to whatever it is the players decide to do. For
example, you don’t need to know the baker’s family history and life goals for the PCs to buy a
honey bun. Just keep a list of names handy and grab one when you need it.
That said, it’s helpful to take notes. If your baker has nothing but a name at first but then the
players take a liking to them and get deeply involved in their personal life, then you’ll want to
record whatever details get canonized, so that you can stay consistent later on. It doesn’t need
to be planned in advance, just kept consistent.
Ul�mately, however, the most important thing to remember is that the people you’re playing
this game with are just as invested as you are, and they know you’re just as human as they are.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a moment to collect your thoughts, or to admit you hadn’t thought of
something and need to catch up. In fact, it can be a lot of fun to have the players contribute ideas
when you’re filling in details on the fly. Five heads are be�er than one!

Dice For Opponents

Whenever a player needs to roll a clash against an NPC or a creature in the game world, you’re
the one who will be rolling on behalf of that opponent. That’s easy enough, but you also have to
decide what the opponent’s dice will be for that roll. There are basically two ways of doing this:
planned, or impromptu.
If you’re preparing the game and you come up with an NPC or creature which you expect to
be clashing with the PCs at some point—for example, if you intend for them to serve as a direct
antagonist—then you can plan out exactly what their dice will be. You do not need to build them
as though you were crea�ng a PC. Instead, just choose appropriate-sounding dice for them.

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Cover the four a�ributes, but instead of picking skills from a list, just name a couple of themes
for their strengths and assign dice to those broad categories. For everything else, use a d4
Improvise skill.
If a clash is rolled against someone you weren’t prepared for, just default to rolling 2d6. If the
task at hand is clearly and obviously their weakness, roll 2d4 instead. If it’s obviously their
strength, roll 2d8 or higher. If there’s any ambiguity or it’s just something outside of what the
whole point of that character is, then just s�ck with 2d6 and call it good.

To the Next Horizon

Thanks for playing Next Horizon! If you enjoy it, please consider leaving a review on whatever
pla�orm you acquired it from, and check out my other games while you’re there! Also, did you
know that the underlying dice system for this game—called the Alpha Duo system—is free to use
in your own work? Check out Alpha Duo Roleplaying: Basic Rules, which includes a Crea�ve
Commons license that allows you to publish your own deriva�ve games, royalty free!
Pick up the Alpha Duo system or browse my other games at purpleaether.itch.io today!

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