Broken Compass Adventure Journal Final

This manual is more what you’d call guidelines
than actual rules

A project by: Two Little Mice
Authors: Riccardo “Rico” Sirignano and Simone Formicola
Art: Daniela Giubellini
Layout design : Michele Paroli
Graphic design : Antonio D’Achille
Translation: Caterina Arzani
Revisions: Jamie Peter Watkins
Playtesters:
Arturo Benzi, Nico Borgogni, Marco B. Bucci, Enrico Buscaroli, Andrea Buzzi,
Claudia Cirillo, Claudia D’Aniello, Eleonora Ferrarini, Daniela Giubellini,
Francesco “Sisco” Panitti, Michele Paroli
B ETAREADERS:
Luca Carbone, Elisa Ciatti, Claudia Cirillo, Alessandro Savino
Thanks to:
Claudia Cirillo, Gloria Comandini, Simone Maccapani, Riccardo Gallori e Yari Montorsi
(Cercatori di Atlantide), Andrea Felicioni, Chiara Listo e Giuseppe Vitale (Morgengabe),
Admin T e Sesso Droga e D&D, Andrea “il Rosso” Lucca, Lucandrea Massaro (Io
non gioco da solo), Mauro Monti (Casa Kilamdil), Eugenio M. Lauro, Roberto Petrillo,
Raven Distribution, Daniele Priore, Selena Sanesi, QCBN - Quelli Che Ben Nerdano,
Michele Paroli and all our backers on Kickstarter
©2020 Two Little Mice. Any reproduction, even partial, of the manual or elements
thereof without prior express authorization of the authors is strictly prohibited
CULTURAL
REFERENCES
This game was inspired by the great sagas of our childhood, stories that took
us and still take us around the world, traveling light-heartedly thanks to their
over-the-top narration.
Among our movie inspirations, notable mentions are “The Mummy” tril-
ogy, the “Indiana Jones” saga, as well as “Jumanji”, “National Treasure” and
other gems of the genre like “Romancing the Stone”.
Several videogames were born in the wake of these cinematographic mile-
stones, most significantly “Tomb Raider” and “Uncharted”, with their remark-
able protagonists, but also “Assassin’s Creed”, a game centered on historical
research and discovery. We wouldn’t be here, now, writing this rulebook, had
it not been for the many hours spent with a controller in hand in those worlds.
We hope those of you who loved the incredible Adventures listed above can
find the same spirit, the same voices and ideals in this book. Likewise, we
hope to incite the curiosity of those of you who aren’t familiar with these
popular titles and encourage you to go live those experiences. That would be
a worthy discovery!
CONTENTS
SECTION 1 6
BROKEN COMPASS 8
CORNERSTONES OF ADVENTURE 12
HOW TO PLAY 14
PLAYING TOGETHER 15
JUST LIKE THE MOVIES 20
FOLLOW THE BROKEN COMPASS 22
SECTION 2 24
WHO ARE YOU, ADVENTURER? 26
ADVENTURER SHEET 28
HOW ADVENTURERS ARE BORN 36
TAG EXPERTISE 41
ITEMS, WEAPONS & GEAR 46
YOUNG, OLD, TRUE 52
THE ACCIDENTAL ADVENTURER 54
SECTION 3 58
CHALLENGES 60
DIFFICULTY OF A CHALLENGE 62
FACING A CHALLENGE 64
SUCCESSES 66
FAILING A CHALLENGE 76
HOW DO YOU FEEL? 82
SECTION 4 92
DANGERS 94
IT TAKES LUCK 102
LUCK COINS 106
TRAPS 112
ENEMIES 114
BRAWL 118
SHOOT-OUT 122
DANGERS AND ENEMIES THAT HURT 132
EXAMPLES OF DANGERS AND ENEMIES 134
END OF AN ADVENTURER 136
SECTION 5 138
THE JOURNEY BEGINS 140
ACTION! 142
EPISODES 144
PILOT 146
TOO MANY, ALONE 149
SEASON 150
GROWTH OF AN ADVENTURER 154
A SAFE PLACE 160
THE TREASURE 164
N.P.C. NOT A PROTAGONIST, CLEARLY 170
YOUR RIVAL 172
TRAVEL DIARY 176
DOOMSDAY CLOCK 178
VEHICLES 180
THE PYRAMID OF WEALTH 182
HARDMODE 186
SECTION 6 190
1999 192
TECHNOLOGY 194
SUPERNATURAL 198
TREASURES 200
EXTRAS 208
PILOT 214
THE FIRST STEP 216
DEFINE THE CONTEXT 220
INTO THE STORM 221
THE QUETZALCOATL S FURY 228
'
GOOD LUCK! 234
| 6
SECTION 1
THE SPIRIT OF
ADVENTURE
THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE | 7
BROKEN
COMPASS
I know that look when I see it.
Don’t tell me: you’re looking for a cursed temple, or maybe hunting some bastards who
don’t realize that that statue belongs in a museum!
No, not a word, you’re one of those tomb raiders, or maybe you’re looking for your father,
who mysteriously vanished some time ago. Or you need to “borrow” the Constitution
to unearth some clues on the National treasure. Perhaps you were just hiking peacefully
when you happened to find the City of the Dead or maybe even El Dorado!
I can see it on your face, you’re an Adventurer. That smug grin tells me you’re itching for
a lesson you clearly didn’t understand the first time around. Your eyes are glued on the
Treasure, there’s no mistaking it. And those bruises, the scratches on your cheeks, that
torn-up shirt and dusty hat... It’s clear that harm’s way is your trade and reckless your
middle name!
That’s why I like your lot. No matter what you’ve gone through, how many beat-
ings you’ve taken, how many rope bridges have given way under your feet or how
many poison darts have come shooting out of the walls, you can never get enough. The
Treasure might be far away and hidden, but you never give up the search.
BROKEN COMPASS is a Role-Playing Game in which Players assume

the role of Adventurers in search of a Treasure. Adventurers in BROKEN
COMPASS are men and women of action, traveling the World to face the
Challenges of great cities and wild, unwelcoming lands alike. Adventurers
risk their lives every day, driven by their will to discover, learn or obtain some-
thing priceless to them.
BROKEN COMPASS is based on the Fortune System: a set of game me-

chanics that use small pools of six-sided dice (from now on d6) to determine
the outcome of any task that might entail risks or end in accidents.
| 8
THE WORLD OF
BROKEN COMPASS
An exotic city, teeming with people who speak an unknown language. An
impenetrable forest where no man has ever set foot. An abandoned monastery
atop a steep, snowy mountain. A lost shipwreck, laying at the bottom of the
ocean. Any and all of these places exist, scattered around the World.
The Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania are there, where maps and geogra-
phy books depict them, pretty much like you learned in school.
Put in play everything you know about these places. What you don’t know,
you can discover little by little, just like a true explorer. Read, learn, ask
around: every little piece of information is important to live the Adventure to
its fullest! The more details you add to your World, the more alive and real it’s
going to become, and the greater your discoveries will be.
But remember, this is your story! The World you play in is what you want
it to be, and it follows your rules. Maybe the police are always ready to help
people, maybe they’re rotten to the core. Maybe the president of the United
States looks a lot like Harrison Ford, maybe he’s more of a Morgan Freeman.
Maybe the legends told by natives are just legends, but maybe not. Everything
is in your hands!

WHERE AND
WHEN
Wait a minute! Where do you think you’re going? Before venturing out that
door and setting out to explore the World, you should take a moment to get
to know it.
First of all, you should know where you are and where your Adventure
begins. You may be in beautiful Paris, strolling down the boulevard, or maybe
sipping a tea in the Cairo heat. There are many cities and wild places where
Adventure might come a-knocking, you just need to choose one and Luck
will do the rest!
Your adventure can start in a city you visited, or even in your hometown,
or you can spin the globe to choose a random place. You don’t really need to
know the location as much as you need to understand it. Each region of the
world has its customs and traditions, its climate and social norms: variety is
the spice of the world! Wherever you decide to go, do your best to make the
place unique and unprecedented.
Once you know where you are, you’d better ask when you are. A good indica-
tor could be your clothes: if you’re wearing khakis, a shirt and a hat, or a long
skirt, you could be in the middle of the two Wars. If your jeans reach below
your heels, you’re way ahead in time.
You don’t need a degree in History to travel the world looking for forgotten
pyramids and lost Treasures, but some information may come in handy. In
Section 6 - 1999, you can find all you need to go adventuring in the denim-
clad and smartphone-less era of the nostalgic 90s.
A whole different expansion entitled BROKEN COMPASS: GOLDEN
AGE will be dedicated to the 30s, the heyday of twentieth-century explora-
tions. And more expansions will follow, each dedicated to an epic era.
But feel free to explore History as you please, you’ll see that Adventure can
happen in any time or age!

CORNERSTONES
OF ADVENTURE
Adventure is the cornerstone of BROKEN COMPASS, and the cornerstones
of Adventure are Travel, Discovery and Action.
I see you rolling your eyes; after all, you’re an Adventurer, who am I to tell
you how to do your job. I don’t doubt you’re more than capable, but hear me
out. If you want to spice up your life and find some fine treasure, all you need
to do is journey, discover and act. Everything else just happens!
After all, an Adventure without a Journey is just a backyard scuffle and an
Adventure without Discovery is just a boring expedition. An Adventure with
no Action? Well, that’s just tourism. And you? You’re no tourist. You’re an
Adventurer, so here’s what you have to do:
TRAVEL
It doesn’t matter if you’re going to the other side of the Country or to the
Guatemalan Jungle, the important thing is setting foot outside your house,
because stuff happens out there, and stuff has happened out there, a lot of
| 12
stuff that has been forgotten and now lies buried somewhere. And a lot of
this stuff that happened is made of solid gold, if you catch what I mean. A true
Adventurer knows legs are made for walking and roads to be walked, seas and
skies to be sailed. The World awaits!
DISCOVER
On your travels, look around. Meet new people, discover new cultures, un-
earth the wonders and mysteries hidden all around you. Once upon a time,
Adventurers could discover entire continents, but you’ll have to settle for a
lost city or two, maybe a temple or, why not, some travel companions and
some new civilizations along the way.
ACT
You’re not the only youngster with high hopes, an arrogant smirk and a
leather jacket, you know. Treasure is out there somewhere, and rest assured
everyone’s looking for it! If you want to get there first, you’re going to need
to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Action is the spice of life,
and scars are there to remind you of it. And if there’s nobody in your way,
Nature’s going to set up more than a few roadblocks. Remember, the only
thing that matters is the Adventure, and the Adventure is now!

HOW TO
PLAY
To start your Adventure, you need some friends, a sheet of paper, a pencil and
a handful of d6s. First of all, one of you will need to be the Fortune Master,
and everyone else can play as the Adventurers.
The Fortune Master will be in charge of knowing the story and the loca-
tions where it takes place: they will be the one describing the challenges the
Adventurers will have to face along the way. They also play as all the Extras
and Rivals that come into the story as the Adventure progresses. And last but
not least, the Fortune Master has to have fun. After all, they are a Player like
everyone else!
Each of the other Players assume the role of an Adventurer, a man or woman
of action, setting out in search of something. Generally, Adventurers act and
speak in response to the scenes the Fortune Master stages. Sometimes, for
example when risks need to be taken or when they are presented with unfore-
seen circumstances, Adventurers can use their Skills and roll a number of d6s
to determine if Luck is on their side.
Each Player has an Adventurer Sheet where they can keep note of their
Abilities, Expertises and any feeling they might have.
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PLAYING
TOGETHER
After determining the roles of Fortune Master and Adventurers, you can for-
get them.
Don’t think of being the Fortune Master as a responsibility, or that Adventurers

just get to be spoon fed the story and roll some dice. You are creating this story
together, all of you!
Before starting an Adventure, talk about it. Choose where you are, what
the Treasure is and why you are looking for it together. Choose what ties the
Adventurers to one another and who will be your Rival, if you know them.
Once the journey begins, be proactive and open to ideas. I’ve said it once
and I’ll say it again: this is not just an excursion, it is an Adventure, and any
Adventure worth its salt is made of opportunities to seize and accidents to
deal with.
BROKEN COMPASS is a game, and like many other games, it has a lot
of rules on how to manage several situations, but there are things you can’t
write rules about, like fun. So, the following are not strict laws to follow, but
guidelines that point to ways to use this game to have fun with your friends
and live a glorious Adventure together.

SHARE THE WORLD
If you’re the Fortune Master and an
Adventurer asks you “Do I know a pub in
town where I can find information?” consid-
er the situation and don’t just answer “Yes”.
Allow the Adventurer to be the one who de-
scribes the pub and who they hope to find
there. It’ll be easier on you both and you will
be sharing the World and the fun!
Whether you’re a Fortune Master or an

Adventurer, listen to your friends when
you’re describing your actions and hear them
out: you’ll be surprised at the ideas you can
come up with by working together. The goal
of a role-playing game is to allow all those at
the table to live the same stories and act in
the same World. Do not forget this!
BE OPEN
If you know where you’re from and where
you’re going, then you do not need to play.
The best Adventurers are those who set out
on an Adventure without knowing what their
destiny will be, maybe not even who they re-
ally are. Doubts, empty spaces to fill, ques-
tions without answers, all of these are more
interesting than absolute certainty. Anything
you don’t know about your Adventurer is go-
ing to be an opening for your story and your
personality that can be filled with real emo-
tions during the game.
If on the tenth day of your Adventure, a

friend pops out talking about that time you
saved their life ten years ago, roll with it. If
the Fortune Master brings back your elder
| 16
brother, who your Adventurer believed dead
(and maybe you knew nothing of), roll with
it. Add new details to your story, let your
Adventurer grow along the way. The Journey
won’t just take you to discover the Treasure,
but also new things about yourself!
So, leave all your prejudices and expectations

at the door: a true Adventurer must have the
strength to let their discoveries contradict and LEAVE IT TO
marvel them. Assuming how things will end CHANCE
is a road that only leads to disappointment. Sometimes it’s fun to
decide things together,
MAKE ROOM but sometimes it’s better
Not everything is going to be about you. This to let Luck take the
is a lesson we all assume we have learned, but wheel!
we sometimes just forget. Sometimes the sto-
ry will require a few Adventurers, or maybe If you feel like you’re
just one of them, to be in the spotlight for a really ready for
while. anything, later on you’ll
find detailed rules to
You might not be one of them: you will be randomly determine
one of them sooner or later, but not all the the Location, Rival
time. Have fun listening to others and learn- and Treasure for your
ing more about your friends, be transported Adventure... and even
into their World and watch them grow. Your who you’ll be!
turn in the spotlight will come soon enough,
and your friends will be there to share the
moment, making it even more moving. Even
the best stories mean nothing if you have no-
body to share them with.

SCENE #1 - NARRATION EXAMPLE
FORTUNE MASTER
It’s a beautiful sunny day, Laura and Stone have just
disembarked from a small plane and find themselves on an
expanse of dusty concrete. Standing in front of a rental
jeep, Didi and Jake are waiting to take them to the
archaeological site.
STONE
I take both my bag and Laura’s and go to load them into the
jeep. When I see Jake, I can’t believe it. Out of all the
deadbeats in this field, they had to pair us with him?
JAKE
I wave at Stone, even if he ignores me, and I go to
introduce myself to Laura: “Miss Benoit, welcome to...”
LAURA
I interrupt him immediately: “It’s DOCTOR Benoit.” I then
walk past him and up to the jeep. “You must be Mister
Dalton. Let’s hurry, I’d like to tour the site before dark.”
DIDI
I wipe my hands off on my pants and take off my hat before
offering a hand to the doctor. “Call me Didi.”
JAKE
Since everyone is ignoring me, I go to the jeep and sit in
the front passenger seat. I sprawl comfortably and turn to
look at Stone, who’s busy with the luggage. I wink at him.
“Hey Stone, you’re not still mad about what happened in
Panama, right?”
LAURA
I take my diary and go to the back seat. I talk to Didi as
I leaf through the diary. “Mister Dalton, would you be so
kind as to tell your colleague we’re not here to chat?”
| 18
STONE
I finish loading the bags and go and sit next to Laura. As
I get in, I give Jake a thwack on the shoulder that’s more
than a pat but less than a blow.
“Forget it, Doctor, blabbering is all Jake ever does.”
DIDI
I put on my best smile and put my hat back on. Then I take
the driver’s seat and rev the engine a couple of times,
trying to start the jeep. When it finally turns on with the
usual dark smoke, I mutter to Jake under the roar of the
engine:
“Looks to me like you’re doing great.” Then I put it into
gear and drive toward the archaeological site.
JAKE
“Yeah, yeah, I get it! I’ll shut up all right.” I start
cleaning my pistol, just to pass the time.
FORTUNE MASTER
The first encounter might not have been the best, but you’re
all in the jeep now and traveling to the archaeological
site. You’ll just have to make yourselves comfortable and
try to enjoy a thirty-minute drive among dusty trails and
rough turns. Your journey starts here.

JUST LIKE
THE MOVIES
Real life explorers wander for years to make small discoveries, sometimes
spending their whole life looking for some cracked pots. To start an expedi-
tion, they need to obtain the approval of the local authorities. And if they get
the idea to go full throttle to jump over a gorge, they have to deal with the
laws of physics.
It’s no walk in the park out there.
Why are you frowning? Don’t worry, you’re an Adventurer: life is different for
people like you!
For normal people, life is not like in the movies, but for Adventurers it is!
In BROKEN COMPASS, each game session is like an Episode of a Season

of your favorite TV series, with you in the role of the protagonist.
In brief, when you get together with your friends to play, you are living an
Episode. One after the other, the Episodes will take you from the begin-
ning of the Adventure to the finale. So a Season, a game campaign, is much
like the Season of a TV series, movie or novel. By playing several Seasons,
you can see how the series progresses or live through the sequels and prequels
of your story.
| 20
I see you’re eager to jump at a new Adventure,
that’s the spirit! Backpack on, you have
no time to lose taking notes. Don’t worry,
the On-Demand Episodes of BROKEN
COMPASS are designed to be easily altered
and adapted to all your needs. Think of them PILOT
as a Swiss army knife: once they’re in your Not sure about how to
pocket, you always have the right blade for tackle the Season? Play a
the job. Want to know how? Have a peek at Pilot!
the last few pages. Pilots are special
introductory Episodes
All Expansions of BROKEN COMPASS that can take place
will contain a new Season and several On- months or years before
Demand Episodes to expand your Adventure the rest of the Season.
in new contexts and Eras. The sky’s the lim- They explore the reason
it! The expansion BROKEN COMPASS: that led you to become
GOLDEN AGE , for example, contains a an Adventurer or drove
whole new ready-to-play Season set in the your crew together for the
30s. journey.
We will talk about how you can create and or- Pen and paper at hand,
ganize Episodes or whole Seasons in Section fill your Sheet and start
5 - Hunting for Treasure. But for now, you your Adventure without
need to focus on the basics. needing much else.
At the end of a Pilot,
feel free to make some
changes here and there
or to completely reinvent
your style. After all,
Pilots are made for a
reason: to see what works
and what doesn’t.

FOLLOW THE
BROKEN COMPASS
A broken compass doesn’t point North, but North is not where you’re going.
Let’s be clear: many of the Treasures you might be looking for are surrounded
by some alleged curse or are said to possess some strange power, or maybe leg-
ends tell of some monstrous guardian. I’m talking about Supernatural stuff.
I don’t know if any of these stories are real or if all or none of them are. What
I know is that there are rumors, rather worrying ones. Faraway places from
which no soul has ever returned, temples crammed with crazy traps and con-
traptions, even old pharaohs’ mummies ready to step out of the sarcophagus
on the wrong foot to unleash the Plagues of Egypt!
What I can tell you for sure is when you get closer to something mysterious or
supernatural: the compass will go crazy and won’t know which way to point.
Only a fool would go there where the compass needle spins like a pinwheel,
but you do look crazy enough to go following the broken compass!
When you encounter something Supernatural, it’s up to you to decide how

to handle the situation. The Fortune Master will describe what happens and
ask each Adventurer how they wish to interpret it and what explanations they
give themselves for what they see. The most skeptical of you might find a
scientific explanation even while staring at the Pharaoh’s mummy stepping
out of the front of a sandstorm, or they’ll blame hallucinations. The most
impressionable might see the supernatural even where there are only cheap
tricks, smoke and mirrors. You decide!
To manage the Supernatural convincingly, it’s important to measure out the

credible and the incredible, offering at least some partial explanation about
everything that happens. Maybe the mummy is actually cursed and has su-
pernatural powers. Maybe the pharaoh was sealed in the sarcophagus because
of a rare disease that gave him an unnaturally long life but was a plague to all
who came in contact with him. Everything is possible!
| 22
Each Adventurer reacts differently when facing Supernatural events, and
each of them chooses what to believe and what to have faith in. There’s no
single truth, but many truths will belong to as many points of view and as
many ways to see the World.
In Section 6 - 1999, you’ll find

everything you need to make the
Supernatural believable yet en-
gaging, treading the fine line
between science and magic.
SECTION 2
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN
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HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 25
WHO ARE YOU,
ADVENTURER?
Before you set off on your journey, take a moment to look in the mirror and
decide what kind of Adventurer you’re going to be.
There are many different stories, but this one is yours and only you can
decide how to live it. You can be reckless or careful, friendly or withdrawn,
honest or traitorous. You can be almost anything you want, but there’s one
thing you’re never going to be. You are not an average person, you are an
Adventurer, and there are three reasons for that.
EYES ON THE TREASURE

You are looking for something. It might be an ancient artifact of incredible
value, a person or a lost truth, but whatever you’re looking for, you call it a
Treasure and to you, it is the most important thing.
Doesn’t matter if you’ve been searching for it your whole life or if you don’t
even know you’re looking for something yet. Doesn’t matter if you’ve found
others before, if this one is your first or if you’ll ever find others again. Today,
you are searching for your Treasure and it couldn’t be otherwise, I can see it
in your eyes.
NO RISK, NO REWARD
Explorers, archaeologists, grave-robbers, amateurs... there’s plenty of people
going around looking for treasures, but that doesn’t make them Adventurers.
To find the Treasure, you need to be willing to leave everything behind and
even put your life at risk. It doesn’t matter if you were resolute before. The im-
portant thing is that today, you are determined to put everything on the line.
The road to the Treasure is paved with sacrifices and hard choices, but you’re
an Adventurer and you live your life one rope bridge over the void at a time.
WHEN THE STAKES GET HIGH...

Let’s be clear: the places you’re going to are full of skeletons of people who
went looking for a Treasure and were willing to end up like that in order
to find it... but you’re different. First of all, you haven’t given up the ghost
| 26
yet, so you’re still in the game.
But most importantly, you’re an
Adventurer, and Adventurers
are men and women of action.
Doesn’t matter if you’re a sol-
dier or a high-school Spanish
teacher. Doesn’t matter if you’re
a skilled mountaineer, if you
break a sweat after the first
flight of stairs, or if the only
time you’ve ever sweated before
was in a sauna. The only thing
that matters is that today, you’re
ready for action and you have all
the skills you need to get your-
self out of any jungle, pyramid,
castle or cursed temple standing
between you and the Treasure.
Ah, and one last thing. Before

you set off, you need an
Adventurer Sheet, a piece
of paper where you can note
everything you need to play and
live great Adventures. Here, let
me explain what’s on this Sheet
and then we’ll fill in yours.
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 27
ADVENTURER
SHEET
PERSONAL DATA
The top section of your Sheet is dedicated to your “personal data”: all the basic
information on who you are and why on earth someone would want to take
you looking for treasures. If you’re good at it, you might even draw a nice
self-portrait: otherwise, just stick a recent photo up there.
I am: This doesn’t need explaining, right? Well, I’ll do it anyway. Here you
write your name, surname, and any applicable titles, like Professor or Doctor.
Call me if you need a: Describe yourself using two Tags from the Tag list: for ex-
ample you can be a “Daredevil Action Hero”, a “Hunk Soldier” or a “Rebel Pilot”.
Place to call home: You call home those places where you know the culture
and language, they are: Heritage, Homeland and Workplace. When you
find yourself in a place you call home, you always know your way around
and you can certainly count on a couple people here and there. When you’re
somewhere else, you can always use this information as topic of discussion or
points of contact with your compatriots.
Your Heritage represents the place and culture you were born into, where your
parents are from. It might be a country you have never seen, but your roots
are there. Your Homeland is the place where you grew up. Your Workplace
represents the country to which you moved for professional purposes. For
example, you might be a USA citizen (Homeland) born to African parents
(Heritage) who moved to Egypt (Workplace) to study the Valley of the Kings.
You may be a Briton, born and bred in England from English patents and only
feel at home in the United Kingdom. But Adventurers tend to be citizens of
the World and born travelers.
Words to live by: A sentence describing what you believe in or that guides
you during your Adventure. It could be “Together we are strong” or “That belongs
in a museum” or maybe “I’ve been through worse!”.
| 28
I am
Call me if you n e e d a
Plac es I call Home

H eritag e Home lan d Workplac e

Words to live by
ACTION co
in
FIGHT
k
LUCK
Luc
LEADERSHIP
STUNT
GUTS
COOL
DRIVE I FEEL
SHOOT
POWERFUL + ACTION BLEEDING ¯
KNOWLEDGE DARING + GUTS SHOCKED ¯
CULTURE FOCUSED + KNOWLEDGE DIZZY ¯
FIRST AID CONFIDENT + SOCIETY EMBARRASSED ¯

TECH FIERCE + WILD BROKEN ¯
UNTOUCHABLE + CRIME SCARED ¯

SOCIETY + ¯
CHARM + ¯
ELOQUENCE EXPERTISE
OBSERVATION
WILD WEAPONS & GEAR

SCOUT
SURVIVAL
TOUGH
CRIME
ALERT
DEXTERITY
STEALTH
Pockets Backpack
Pockets Bag Backpack
/2 /2 /9
SCARS AND EXPERIENCES Bag Mags
Download the Adventurer’s Sheet PDF on our page: https://t wolittlemice.net/bcrpg
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 29
LUCK
You can be as good as you want, but without a bit of Luck, you’re not surviv-
ing out there! The section of your Sheet dedicated to Luck is divided in two
parts: Luck Points and Luck Coins.
Luck Points: Luck Points reflect how much Luck you have left before being
Out of Luck. On your Sheet they’re represented by ten white dots. Every time
you lose Luck, you fill in one of the dots, from left to right. When all dots are
filled, you’re Out of Luck
Luck Coin: Each Adventurer has one or more Luck Coins. A Luck Coin
can save you when you’re Out of Luck or grant you success for any desperate
or very dangerous action. The number of Luck Coins you have can be noted
inside the coin on your Sheet.
We will talk about how you can use and manage Luck Points and Luck Coins
in the specific chapter of Section 4 - Traps and Bullets.
I FEEL...
Adventuring involves both great risks and great satisfactions. While play-
ing BROKEN COMPASS, you might find you’re collecting Good and Bad
Feelings, which will influence your ability to face Challenges and Dangers.
Good Feelings are listed in the left column on your Sheet and grant you
an Advantage on all tasks in a certain Field. In the right column, you can find
Bad Feelings, which will give you a Disadvantage.
Each column in the I Feel section also has two empty lines where you
can note any Feelings that aren’t standard or were specifically created by the
Fortune Master.
We will talk about how you can receive or remove these Feelings in Section
3 - Face the Challenge.
| 30
EXPERTISE
When you’re hunting for Treasures, you get used to taking massive risks and
always taking a chance. The good news is that at least you have some strengths
you can always rely upon.
Expertises are those contexts where you feel in your element, techniques you
learned by heart and can be summed up in simple words like “Medicine”,
“Seduction” or “Guns”. Expertises will allow you
to Re-roll any dice that aren’t a Success
in relevant tasks. Each Adventurer has
three Expertises: two deter-
mined by their Tags and
one of their choosing.
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 31
SKILLS AND FIELDS
Like all good Adventurers, you have at your disposal a vast array of Skills
that you’ll need to employ in order to overcome Challenges and Dangers. All
Skills are divided into six different Fields, that represent the context in which
they are most often required.
ACTION: Action is the Field you find yourself in when you’re fighting, run-
ning, or you have to take the situation into your own hands.
Fight: Fighting (with or without weapons) enemies in close combat. Escaping
a grapple.
Leadership: Inspiring or leading others. Commanding or giving orders that
leave no room for doubt.
Stunt: Doing stunts. Moving in dangerous or acrobatic situations. Jumping
off a runaway train. Running through a volley of bullets.
GUTS: Guts is the Field you find yourself in when you need to keep calm or
concentrated while reacting quickly to stressful or dangerous situations.
Drive: Driving or piloting any kind of vehicle when you are doing dangerous
maneuvers or trying to outrun or reach somebody.
Cool: Keeping your cool in the face of danger. Not reacting to a shocking
scene. Acting with lucidity at the right time.
Shoot: The ability to shoot a firearm, use bow and arrow or any other ranged
weapon.
KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge is the Field you find yourself in when you must
rely on your studies and technical or theoretical notions you acquired.
Culture: General knowledge on a vast array of topics. Academic education.
Comprehension of local uses and customs.
First Aid: Treating wounds and diagnosing illnesses. Allows you to remove
certain Bad Feelings.
Tech: Using, constructing or repairing mechanical, IT or electronic devices.
| 32
SOCIETY: Society is the Field you find yourself in when you deal with other
people, domesticated animals and man-made environments (both modern
and ancient).
Eloquence: Discussion, persuasion, deception and negotiation. Seeming lik-
able and trustworthy to others.
Charm: Appearing attractive or elegant. Making a good impression. Seducing
or charming others.
Observation: Spotting someone or something. Noticing hidden details.
Sense other people’s emotions and lies.
WILD: Wild is the Field you find yourself in when you’re interacting with
natural or harsh environments and wild animals, when you need to tap into
your primordial brain.
Scout: Traveling through wild places. Climbing and trekking. Swimming
and diving. Finding your bearings in the wild.
Survival: Surviving in harsh environments with no equipment. Hunting and
tracking. Building a camp to create a Safe Place.
Tough: Endurance to adverse conditions and pain. Lifting, pushing or mov-
ing heavy objects. Showing off physical resistance and raw strength.
CRIME: Crime is the Field you find yourself in when you’re acting secretly or
try to avoid hidden dangers and ambushes.
Alert: Spotting dangers. Avoiding pursuit and not falling for traps. Noticing
details that can lead to unexpected events.
Dexterity: Accomplishing tasks that require exact and nimble hands. Lifting
purses and picking locks. Doing sleight of hand tricks.
Stealth: Hiding or moving quietly. Treading softly and with extreme preci-
sion. Following somebody or avoiding pursuit.
We will talk about Fields, Skills and how to use them to decide the result of
tasks involving Risks and Dangers in Section 3 - Face the Challenge.
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 33
WEAPONS & GEAR
I’m pretty sure you’ll find a way to do anything reasonably doable with bare
hands, quick wits and fast legs. You’re an Adventurer, when you set your mind
to it there’s really nothing that can stop you... Except maybe a smooth, vertical
wall two stories’ high.
Faced with things like that wall, you’ll need specific weapons and gear to
overcome any obstacle fate might throw your way. These specific objects allow
you to accomplish tasks you couldn’t do otherwise and have a place of honor
at the center of your Sheet. Some of these weapons and gear will give you one
or more Advantages for certain tasks, if you know how to use them right.
You should write the name of the weapon or piece of equipment on the left,
something like “Pistol” or “Grappling hook”.
And on the right, you add what you can do with that object “Allows you to
shoot” or “With rope. Can be hooked to climb or swing”.
| 34
INVENTORY
Any object that is neither weapon nor gear will end up straight in the Inventory.
Your Inventory is divided in three sections: Pockets, Bag and Backpack.
Pockets: contain everything you can carry in a pocket or wear, like watches,
necklaces and lighters. You can’t lose something that’s in your pockets unless
someone steals it or takes it by force.
Bag: you can take with you a purse, cross-body bag, briefcase or other small
container in which you keep slightly bigger objects, like a statuette, a book or
a box of chocolates. Bags don’t hinder your actions but might be lost in some
circumstances.
Backpack: if you need to take with you a tent, a sleeping-bag or a set of pots
and pans, you clearly need a Backpack. A Backpack is the largest portable
container, but can be a hindrance to some tasks and can easily become a bur-
den. Besides, to take something out of a Backpack, you need the time to stop
and look for it!
Mags: You don’t need to keep track of how many bullets you have, but mag-
azines are pretty handy. This section allows you to note how many mags you
have and where you keep them. Bag and Pockets can each hold up to 2 Mags,
while a Backpack can hold up to 9.
So if you have a pistol mag in your pocket, note “Pistol” in one of the
squares for Mags and 1 in the square titled Pockets next to it.
SCARS & EXPERIENCES

As you complete your endeavors, the Adventure will leave its mark on you
in the shape of Experiences or Scars that will determine your growth and
development throughout the story.
Scars and Experiences are short sentences you can note at the bottom of
your Sheet when the time comes. We will talk about these in the “Growth”
chapter of Section 5 - Hunting for Treasures.
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 35
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN
Filling in an Adventurer Sheet is a simple procedure that takes only a few
quick steps. You don’t need to define who you are down to the smallest details.
No need to worry too much. Your past doesn’t define you, and frankly nobody
cares. You go out there and show what you’re made of through actions!
If there’s something you don’t like, you can always change it after the
Pilot... But more on that later.
1. CHOOSE 2 TAGS: First of all, choose two Tags from the Tag list. These
two words are all you need to know to set out on your Adventure. In this
rulebook you can find 18 Tags, and each BROKEN COMPASS expansion to
come will add new specific Tags.
TAG LIST
• Action Hero • Hunter • Reporter
• Cheater • Medic • Soldier
• Daredevil • Pilot • Spy
• Explorer • Playboy/Femme Fatale • Techie
• Gunslinger • Professor • Thief
• Hunk • Rebel • Wingman/woman
Each Tag is composed of a Field, a Backup Field, eight Skills and one
Expertise.
Once you’ve chosen your Tags, you can write them down in the “Call me if
you need a:” section on your Sheet and start filling in your Diamonds.
For example, this woman here is an Explorer Professor.
You can find the complete description of each Tag and its Expertises below.
| 36
Dr. LAURA BENOIT
Explorer Professor
"You must finish what

you started"
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 37
ACTION HERO CHEATER
FIELD SKILLS FIELD SKILLS
Action Fight Society Leadership
(Guts) Leadership (Crime) Cool
Stunt Culture
EXPERTISE Cool EXPERTISE Charm
Heroism Shoot Lies Eloquence
Charm Observation
Scout Alert
Survival Stealth
DAREDEVIL EXPLORER

Action Fight Wild Stunt
(Guts) Stunt (Crime) First Aid
Cool Observation
EXPERTISE Drive EXPERTISE Scout
Heights Shoot Orienteering Survival
Charm Tough
Scout Alert
Dexterity Stealth
GUNSLINGER HUNK

Guts Fight Wild Fight
(Action) Stunt (Action) Stunt
Cool Cool
EXPERTISE Shoot EXPERTISE Drive
Pistol or Tech Strength Charm
Revolver Observation Scout
Alert Survival
Dexterity Tough
| 38
HUNTER MEDIC

Wild Fight Knowledge Leadership
(Guts) Shoot (Action) Cool
Tech Culture
EXPERTISE Scout EXPERTISE First Aid
Hunting Survival Medicine Eloquence
Tough Observation
Alert Survival
Stealth Dexterity
PILOT PLAYBOY / FEMME FATALE

Guts Stunt Society Leadership
(Crime) Cool (Action) Stunt
Drive Drive
EXPERTISE Shoot EXPERTISE Charm
Vehicle of Tech Seduction Eloquence
choice Charm Observation
Alert Dexterity
Dexterity Stealth
PROFESSOR REBEL

Knowledge Leadership Crime Stunt
(Society) Culture (Wild) Shoot
First Aid Tech
EXPERTISE Tech EXPERTISE Scout
Archeology or Eloquence Sabotage Survival
Degree Observation Tough
Alert Dexterity
Stealth Stealth
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 39
REPORTER Soldier
Society Leadership Action Fight
(Knowledge) Drive (Wild) Leadership
Culture Shoot
EXPERTISE Tech EXPERTISE First Aid
Journalism Eloquence Military Scout
Observation Survival
Alert Tough
Stealth Stealth
SPY TECHIE

Crime Leadership Knowledge Fight
(Society) Cool (Wild) Drive
Shoot Shoot
EXPERTISE Charm EXPERTISE Culture
Espionage Eloquence Mechanics, Tech
Observation Electronics Survival
Alert or IT Tough
Stealth Dexterity
THIEF WINGMAN/WOMAN

Crime Stunt Guts Stunt
(Knowledge) Drive (Knowledge) Drive
Tech Shoot
EXPERTISE Eloquence EXPERTISE Culture
Pickpocket or Observation Support First Aid
Lock-picking Alert Tech
Dexterity Eloquence
Stealth Scout
| 40
TAG
EXPERTISE
Archeology (or Degree): Establishing the age of an object or site, decypher-
ing ancient languages, knowing the past or the practice and theory of
your field of studies.
Espionage: Acquiring information, eluding security systems and creating
disguises.
Heights: Running on rooftops, jumping across chasms and into the void.
Heroism: Acting selflessly, showing courage, sacrifice.
Hunting: Tracking, preparing traps, catching prey by surprise.
Journalism: Interviewing people, following leads, finding contacts.
Lies: Tricking people, cheating.
Mechanics, Electronics or IT: Knowing and being able to repair and create
mechanical, IT or electronic devices.
Medicine: Diagnosing illnesses, recognizing drugs, surgery.
Military: Knowing military ranks and protocols, organizing operations, mil-
itary training.
Orienteering: Finding and keeping your bearings using environmental clues,
a compass or a map.
Pickpocket or Lock-picking: Lifting a purse or picking a lock.
Pistol or Revolver: Managing, recognizing, evaluating, repairing and using a
pistol or a revolver. Allows you to shoot with two weapons.
Sabotage: Tampering with equipment or vehicles, placing explosive charges
and creating nuisances.
Seduction: Charming people, flirting and stealing people’s hearts.
Strength: Lifting, breaking, bursting things and exhibiting physical strength.
Support: Helping people, providing covering fire, helping somebody else’s
action (i.e. holding a vehicle steady while somebody is jumping off).
Vehicle of choice: Knowing, evaluating, repairing and driving a type of ve-
hicle (i.e. automobiles, planes, seaplanes, etc.) Allows you to have one
vehicle of the chosen type.
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 41
2. FILL IN THE DIAMONDS: Next to each Field and Skill there are 3
Diamonds. Some are already filled in, but most of them are blank.
When you choose a Tag, you can fill in a Diamond for its Field and one for
each of the Skills.
You might choose two Tags that give you the same Field. When this happens,
you can fill in a Diamond in that Field and one more in the Backup Field of
your choice for one of the two Tags.
ACTION Once you’ve filled in all Diamonds you ob-

FIGHT tain from your tags, you can personalize your
LEADERSHIP Sheet by filling in two more Skill Diamonds
STUNT
of your choosing (these may also be in one
GUTS Skill you already have).
COOL
DRIVE
When you find yourself facing a Challenge,
SHOOT
you can roll a number of d6s equal to the
KNOWLEDGE number of your Diamonds for that Field plus
CULTURE those of the tested Skill. We will talk about
FIRST AID
TECH
these in Section 3 - Face the Challenge.
SOCIETY For example, take a look at our friendly

CHARM
Explorer Professor.
ELOQUENCE
OBSERVATION
The Diamonds in black are common to all
WILD Adventurer Sheets. The Diamonds in blue
SCOUT
SURVIVAL
were obtained through the two Tags and
TOUGH Diamonds in yellow were chosen by us.
CRIME
ALERT
No need to rush for your pencils and markers,
DEXTERITY this is just an example! Normally when you
STEALTH play, you don’t need to use different colors for
the Diamonds. You can just use the pencil
you’ll find attached to this manual.
| 42
3. MARK YOUR EXPERTISES: With every Tag, you also gain an Expertise
that represents an activity, subject or context in which you feel particularly
secure. An Expertise reduces your chances of failure in certain situations to a
minimum by giving you a free Re-roll. For example, the Expertise “Heroism”
comes into play when you are risking your life to save somebody or to do the
right thing, the Expertise “Pistols” comes into play when you use, evaluate or
repair a gun, and the Expertise “Support” comes into play when you are giv-
ing covering fire or when you are acting to help a friend. Remember that if a
Tag is tied to more than one Expertise, you don’t get both: you have to choose
one of them. For example, being a Thief can give you either the Expertise
“Pickpocket” or “Lock-picking”.
After noting the two Expertises given by your Tags, you can personalize your
Sheet by adding a third one. This new Expertise might come from the Tag
List or you can create your own. Here are some interesting Expertise ideas:
“Archery”, “Surgery”, “Martial Arts”, or “Acting”.
We will talk about how to use your Expertise to Re-roll in Section 3 - Face
the Challenge, while in Section 5 - Hunting for Treasures, we’ll tell you
about how you can obtain new Expertises.
For example, our Explorer Professor obtains the Expertise “Archeology” (as
a Professor) and “Orienteering” (as an Explorer). As a third Expertise, she
chooses “Climbing”.
4. MARK ONE LUCK COIN: At the beginning of the game you have one
Luck Coin. Mark “1” inside the Luck Coin on your Sheet. We will talk about
how you can use, lose or gain Luck Coins in Section 4 - Traps and Bullets.
At the moment you only have one, so be sure to hold onto it!
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 43
JUST LIKE BUDAPEST
Whatever happened before today doesn’t matter, the important
thing is what is going to happen from now on. Writing an
autobiography where you explain exactly what happened in your life
to this day won’t take you one step closer to that Treasure: you can’t
waste time with these trifles.
While playing you create not only your future, but your past too.
You can do it with a few words or small gestures to your companions.
Create chemistry, share your World and be open to suggestions from
others.
If they’re shooting at your group and someone turns to you smiling
“Just like Budapest”, answer “The good old days”, or maybe
“Don’t get yourself in trouble this time” or “You and I remember
Budapest very differently”.
Anyways THAT’s the past, not whatever you have written
on a piece of paper. Give it a try!
5. NOTE DOWN YOUR PERSONAL DATA: By now your Sheet is almost

done, there’s only a few important details left. First of all, it’s time to tell us
your name and choose which places you call home. Remember that these
places also determine which languages you speak.
Once that’s done, take a minute to decide which words you want to live by
when the going gets tough.
Name, surname, a couple places and a few words to live by. That’s all you have,
really. Your past is your own, but you won’t be the one to decide it: it will
be determined by events, by your friends and maybe even Luck. If you have
already started jotting down some ideas about background, you can save it for
your CV. Where we are going, we don’t need backgrounds!
For example, all we know about our Explorer Professor is her name, Dr.
Laura Benoit, that she grew up in Canada (Homeland), born to French par-
ents (Heritage). And that today Laura lives in France (Workplace), and her
motto is “You must finish what you started”.
| 44
6. NOTE DOWN YOUR GEAR: Finally, you need to take note on your
Sheet of all weapons, gear and any other important objects you’re taking with
you. You can start with a Bag and/or a Backpack, as you prefer, but you only
have a limited number of objects. In this phase, you can choose 3 useful items,
weapons or pieces of equipment that you commonly use. In the next pages,
you’ll find a list of items to suit all tastes, and in Section 6 - 1999, you’ll find
specific Gear and information on the technology level of the time, although
you can always add your own.
Any weapon comes with 2 mags of the correct type.
We will talk about how to buy additional items in Section 5 - Hunting for
Treasures. You can always ask the Fortune Master to allow you objects that
may be useful or meaningful for your Adventurer.
For example, our Explorer Professor travels with a pistol and its mags, some
archeology tools to use just in case and a compass. She has also asked and
received permission from the Fortune Master to carry a diary to note her
discoveries.
You can find her complete Adventurer Sheet at the end of the manual.
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 45
ITEMS, WEAPONS
& GEAR
On your Adventurer Sheet, Weapons & Gear have a specific section in
the center, separate from the Inventory which contains all normal Items. If
you’re wondering what the difference between a Weapon, adventuring Gear
and any other Items is, well, it’s quite simple:
Weapons are things you use to hit your enemies. In BROKEN COMPASS,
most weapons are firearms and in general ranged weapons. No sane
Adventurer would rather go around twirling a sword when they could carry
a gun, if you catch my drift. It’s best to leave the machete for when you need
to cut vines and rope.
Adventuring Gear consists of things you take with you to travel through
harsh environments, equipment that can give you an Advantage or allow
you to carry out actions that would otherwise be impossible. Something like
a grappling hook or diving gear.
Any object that doesn’t fall in either category - like watches, diaries, torch-
es, compasses and wrenches - is called an Item and since it doesn’t need a
specific description, it can go right into one of the three areas of Inventory:
Pocket, Bag or Backpack.
The next few pages present a list of the most common Items, Weapons and
Gear, but feel free to add new objects to the list working with your Fortune
Master. In Section 6 - 1999, you can find a list of Weapons and Gear typical
of that era.
| 46
POCKETS, BAG AND BACKPACK
Your Inventory is divided into three sections: Pockets, Bag and Backpack.
You must choose one of these three sections to store each Item you carry for
a very specific reason.
Pockets represent objects you wear, like a watch or a necklace, or things

that can be kept in your clothes. This means they are relatively small Items,
like a compass or a lighter. The fun thing about Pockets is that, unless some-
one flips you like a pancake, it’s highly unlikely you’ll lose anything you put
in there.
The Bag is a portable receptacle you can more or less literally hang from
your shoulder by a thread. Like your Pockets, a Bag allows you to quickly
reach any Item within it, but it also allows you to carry something larger (say
a book or a statuette) while leaving your hands free. However, you could lose
your Bag by Accident or when you fail to pass a Danger. This might not be
a big deal to you, but for the Fortune Master this might be a wonderful plot
device to spice up your Adventure.
Weapons & Gear do have their own section on your Sheet and they’re
usually carried in your Pockets, but they might get lost as a consequence of
a failure, especially if you had them in your hand at the time.
The Backpack is a completely different story. It can hold almost any Item,
but it’s not easily accessible under many circumstances. It can also constitute
a Disadvantage in some cases due to its size... And obviously you run the
risk of having it lost or destroyed. The main thing you need to remember
is that during action scenes, you can’t reach for anything in your Backpack
unless that is the only thing you do on your turn.
Mags are held in one of the three sections of your Inventory, but they have
a separate place on your sheet for convenience’s sake. Remember, you can
store up to 2 Mags of any kind in your Pockets and Bag, and up to 9 in your
Backpack.
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 47
TOOLS AND INSTRUMENTS
Lock-picks, tool bags, archaeological tools, surgery kits and any set of in-
struments needed for skilled labor are considered Items and can be noted in
your Inventory. These tools don’t necessary give you mechanical Advantages,
but they’re needed to carry out specific tasks, or at least in order to do them
without Disadvantages.
For example, a mechanic needs a toolbox to carry out complex repairs on a
device without receiving a Disadvantage, and the same goes for lock-picks,
which are very much needed to use your Dexterity Skill to pick difficult locks.
As always, the usefulness of these items in each specific case is determined by

the Fortune Master. For example, if you try to pick the lock of a very old door
with a good lock-pick, you clearly deserve an Advantage, but if the door is
solid and built to last, the lock-picks are a necessity and not having them gives
you a Disadvantage. If you’re facing an armored security door, any Advantage
is out if the question: you either have the tools for the job or you don’t.
PACKAGE DEALS
Some items, like lighters and watches, are self-standing and must be treated
as such, but in some cases it’s best to combine several instruments in a single
“Item” to save space and time.
This is the case for many tools, so you don’t need to write down “hammer,
wrench, pliers, etc.” but you can just jot down “tool box” and set out Treasure
hunting without worrying about leaving home without your trusty quar-
ter-inch spanner.
Same goes for those items which would have no use on their own. So, if you’ve
noted a “diary” as part of your inventory, rest assured you also have a pencil
and eraser or a pen to write in it. No need to write them down. To sum it up,
while you can fit a tent and every item you can imagine in your backpack,
sometimes it’s better to write them down as package deals, so as to have an
“amenity kit” and a “ration box” rather than an endless list of items!
| 48
COMMON ITEMS
There are many different items, and you probably don’t need me to tell you
what they are, but I’ll give you some examples nonetheless. Here’s a list of
the first ones that come to mind. I’ve separated them into three sections, but
it’s clear that anything you can stuff in a Pocket will fit into a Bag and even
more so into a Backpack.
P ockets
• Amulet • Lock-picks
• Archeology tools • Map
• Comb • Notepad
• Compass • Swiss-army knife
• Lighter • Watch
B ag
• Binoculars • Flashlight
• Book • Flask
• Diary • Rope
• Diving mask • Thermos
• First aid kit • Toolbox
B ackpack
• Amenity kit • Food rations
• Blanket • Pickaxe
• Clothes • Shovel
• Camera tripod • Sleeping bag
• Crowbar • Tent
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 49
COMMON WEAPONS AND GEAR
Elegant clothes: Very classy. Give Advantage to Charm tasks
Winter clothes: Protect from cold
Bow: Two handed, silent. Allows you to shoot arrows
Climbing gear: Give Advantage to climbing tasks
Hat: Protects from the sun
Quiver: Can store arrows
Rifle: Two handed. Gives Advantage to shooting tasks
Sniper rifle: Two handed. Gives 2 Advantages to shooting tasks so long as
you’re laying still
Camera: Allows you to shoot photos. With roll of film.
Machete: Cuts through the vegetation
Ice pick: Allows you to climb icy walls
Pistol: Allows you to shoot
Grappling hook: With attached rope. Can be hooked to climb or swing
Revolver: Allows you to shoot
| 50
MAGS
Each weapon needs a specific magazine in order to function. When you pick
up a Mag, you can write the type of weapon it belongs to in the designated
section of your Sheet.
It’s important to have the right Mag. A pistol and a revolver work the same
way with our mechanics, but each needs its own specific Mag to work. So if
you find yourself with a pistol mag in one hand and a revolver in the other,
you’re closer to having a paperweight and a hammer with a trigger than a
functional weapon.
We also say that bows have their mags, although it’s actually just a handful of
arrows, but in game they work the same. Arrows placed in your Pockets are
usually held in your hand or tied to the bow, but to carry any in your Bag you
need a quiver.
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 51
YOUNG, OLD,
TRUE
Not to pry, but are you sure you’re old enough to be traveling around the
World hunting for Treasures? And if you are, are your legs as firm as they
used to be?
Most Adventurers are healthy adults in their prime, and importantly, they
don’t require parental consent to get on a plane and don’t need to take a hand-
ful of pills every day. I said most, not all of them.
If you’re a different kind of Adventurer with more or fewer miles on the clock
than one would expect, then you’ll need a third Tag. Yes, we have Tags for
that too now!
YOUNG
If you’re a YOUNG Adventurer, you’re somewhere between 12 and 16 years
old. Like, I’m not calling you a child, but I wouldn’t pour you a glass of wine,
either. Anyway, your mind is set and you’ve decided to leave home, there’s noth-
ing anybody can do to stop you, so you’re lucky to have
the Young Tag.
You add the Tag Young before your other Tags. So
if you want to be a Pilot Wingwoman, then you’ll
have to write Young Pilot Wingwoman on your
Sheet.
| 52
As a Young Adventurer you won’t have a third Expertise, as you probably
haven’t had the time to get that quite yet. On the other hand, you obtain a
permanent Good Feeling called “Young”, that you can note in the left column
under “I feel...”
The “Young” Feeling will be refreshed at the beginning of each new Episode
and gives no Advantage other than avoiding certain Bad Feelings. We will
talk about this in the relative chapter of Section 3 - Face the Challenge.
OLD
An OLD Adventurer has seen some more winters in their life and they’re starting
to catch up with them: not only in the form of back pains, but also from within.
You haven’t seen your last Adventure yet, but you’ve certainly seen better days.
You add the Tag Old before your other Tags. So if you were a Cheater
Gunslinger, you’ll now need to write Old Cheater Gunslinger on your Sheet.
As an Old Adventurer, you gain a fourth Expertise of your choosing and one
Experience or Scar... But more on this in the Growth chapter of Section 5 -
Hunting for Treasures. On the other hand, the years have also left you with a
permanent Bad Feeling called “Old”, that you can note in the right column under
“I feel...”
The “Old” Feeling can’t be lost and gives you no Disadvantages, but it will make it
easier for you to go out of commission. We will talk about this in Section 3 - Face
the Challenge.
TRUE
You’re clearly an Adventurer, but are you a True Adventurer? That depends on
the Tags you choose.
Long story short, if you pick the same Tag twice, you instead acquire the
“True” Tag. So if you’re an Action Hero - Action Hero, you instead get to
be a True Action Hero. In most cases, being a True Adventurer means you
get one less Expertise, unless your Tag allows you to choose two of them (for
example, as the Professor tag does).
But every cloud has a silver lining, and a True Adventurer has lady Luck
always on their side. It might be a small comfort, but you start the game with
two Luck Coins instead of one.
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 53
THE ACCIDENTAL
ADVENTURER
If you have no idea about how to start filling in your Adventurer Sheet, you can
always roll some dice and let Luck take the wheel.
There’s a simple method to randomly determine the contents of your Sheet with
the help of just two d6. Assuming you’re okay with whatever Luck has in store for
you! Here, let me explain.
First of all, you have to determine your Tags with the help of the table below. See?
The 18 Tags are divided in groups of three, depending on their main Field.
Roll one d6 to decide which Field your first Tag will concentrate on. Then a
second d6 to decide which of the three Tags in that Field will be yours. After
choosing your Tags, remember to fill in the two additional Diamonds!
1 ACTION 2 GUTS 3 KNOWLEDGE

1-2 Action Hero 1-2 Gunslinger 1-2 Medic
3-4 Daredevil 3-4 Pilot 3-4 Professor
5-6 Soldier 5-6 Wingman/woman 5-6 Techie
4 SOCIETY 5 WILD 6 CRIME

1-2 Cheater 1-2 Explorer 1-2 Rebel
3-4 Playboy/Femme Fatale 3-4 Hunk 3-4 Spy
5-6 Reporter 5-6 Hunter 5-6 Thief
Now that you’ve decided your Tags, you just need to choose the places you
call home, your third Expertise and, last but not least, the words you live by.
To accomplish this with just a couple more rolls, you can use the following
lists.
For each list, roll one die to choose the group and a second to choose the
element within the group that will become yours.
Repeat this operation three times for your places to call home to determine
your Heritage, Homeland and Workplace.
| 54
PLACES TO CALL
HOME
1 NORTH AMERICA 2 SOUTH AMERICA
1 Alaska 1 Colombia
2 Canada 2 Venezuela
3 USA East Coast 3 Perù
4 USA Central 4 Brazil
5 USA West Coast 5 Chile
6 Mexico/Central America 6 Argentina
3 EUROPE 4 AFRICA
1 England/Scotland/Ireland 1 Morocco/Algeria/Tunisia
2 Spain/Italy/Greece 2 Libia/Egypt
3 France/Belgium/Netherlands 3 Nigeria/Chad/Congo
4 Germany/Austria 4 Sudan/Etiopia/Kenya
5 Sveden/Norway/Finlan 5 Madagascar
6 East Europe 6 South Africa
5 Asia 6 OCEANIA
1 Russia 1 New Zealand
2 China/Mongolia 2 Papua New Guinea
3 Japan 3 Pacific Islands
4 India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka 4 Western Australia
5 Turkey/Syria 5 Central Australia
6 Arabia/Iraq/Iran 6 Eastern Australia
Do you want to use the Dice from the BROKEN COMPASS Kickstarter
to roll your Adventurer? Use this key.
1 2 3 4 5 6
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 55
EXPERTISE
1 Combat 2 VEHICLES
1 Pistol 1 Motorcycle
2 Rifle 2 Car
3 Brawl 3 Plane
4 Martial Arts 4 Helicopter
5 Archery 5 Boat
6 Revolver 6 Heavy Truck
3 Techniques and theory 4 WORLDLINESS

1 Archeology 1 Style
2 Medicine 2 Lies
3 Zoology 3 Seduction
4 Mechanics 4 Dance
5 Journalism 5 Negotiation
6 Draw 6 Intimidation
5 SCOUTING 6 OTHERS
1 Climbing 1 Strength
2 Diving 2 Heroism
3 Orienteering 3 Cooking
4 Speleology 4 Sixth Sense
5 Heights 5 Riding
6 Hunting 6 Knots
| 56
WORDS
TO LIVE BY
1 L eader 2 OPPORTUNIST
1 No one gets left behind 1 Your death, my life
2 There’s strength in numbers 2 In life, nothing is free
3 A true captain goes down 3 Don’t shoot the messenger
with their ship 4 When two fight, the third wins
4 My word is my bond 5 Nothing personal
5 It’s my burden to bear 6 You’ve made your bed, now
6 I never asked for any of this lie in it
3 DETERMINED 4 WISE
1 It’s never too late 1 Knowledge is power
2 Love conquers all 2 Trust me, I read it
3 If at first you don’t succeed, somewhere
try and try again 3 Every cloud has a silver lining
4 You finish what you started 4 The ancients knew something
5 Follow my lead which we have forgotten.
6 It’s my destiny! 5 Life is more precious than
gold
6 There is no such thing as chance
5 CAREFUL 6 RECKLESS
1 Be happy with what you have 1 Nothing ventured, nothing
2 Live to fight another day gained
3 You catch more flies with 2 I’ve been through worse
honey 3 Fortune favors the brave
4 I trust only myself 4 The best defense is a good offense
5 The enemy of your enemy is 5 Better to ask for forgiveness
your friend than permission
6 My conscience is clear 6 Shoot first, ask questions later
HOW ADVENTURERS
ARE BORN | 57
SECTION 3
FACE THE
CHALLENGE
CHALLENGES
I’m sure somebody somewhere has left a Treasure on a delicate wooden table sat
in the middle of a lush English garden. But the harsh truth is that more often
than not, Treasures are hidden at the top of a mountain or buried in the middle
of the desert or at the bottom of the sea. So, if you thought the Adventurer’s life
would be a stroll in the park, I have bad news: the road to the Treasure is paved
with Challenges.
We call Challenges any action an Adventurer attempts with a specific goal that
could end in an Accident.
“Climbing a rock wall”, “Shooting at a target” or “Translating an ancient manu-

script” are all examples of Challenges.
When facing a Challenge, you will have to roll a number of d6 determined by

the amount of Diamonds you have in the relevant Field and Skill and hope for
the best. But remember, not every action poses a Challenge. I don’t know a single
Adventurer worth the title that can’t easily get the lid off a jar or hop a fence! For
people like you, those things go without saying.
You don’t need to roll dice for every little thing that strikes your fancy. You only
need to put your Skills to the test when what you’re trying to accomplish might
go wrong, resulting in one or more Accidents.
Accidents are the result of an actions that ended badly in any way, leaving you
somewhere you’d rather not be.
For example, an Accident for the Challenge “Translate the manuscript” might be
that you need more time than you have to finish to the translation, or that you
mistranslate something, or even that you translate everything correctly and find
something dangerous that will lead you off track!
| 60
A Challenge that can end up with you hurt or
worse is called a Danger, but we’ll talk about
that in Section 4 - Traps and Bullets. DO OR DO NOT:
THERE IS NO TRY
When the Fortune Master decides you’re facing When Adventurers set
a Challenge, you need to follow a few steps: their minds on doing
1 Don’t panic, you can do it something, they’ll find
2 Define your objective a way to do it! To fail a
3 Determine the difficulty of the Challenge doesn’t mean
Challenge you’re left there in a glassy-
4 Decide which Skill is being put to the eyed daze or making a fool
test of yourself. Failing can
5 Roll the dice and count your Successes simply mean that things
6 Rejoice over your victory or deal with go differently from what
your failure you expected, and you have
7 Keep going, the adventure must go on! to deal with Accidents.
DEFINE YOUR OBJECTIVE For example, if an

You must be careful not to mix up what you’re Adventurer is trying to
doing with the REASON you’re doing it. If burst through a door,
you try to bust through a door, it’s because Failure doesn’t necessarily
you need to get in (or out) ASAP. If you mean the door stands firm.
translate a text, you’re doing it because you It might just burst right
need information. If you’re trying a desper- in front of the jailors on
ate move it’s because you need to get out of a patrol!
tight corner.
I mean, Failure is like
If you successfully overcome the Challenge, any other part of the
everything goes as planned and you manage Adventure. The only rule
to reach the stated goal. Failing a Challenge is to keep moving, living
means the action you tried wasn’t the right the action and going on
one, or that it didn’t lead to the desired with the story. Success
outcome. or Failure make no
difference, the Adventure
To better manage success and failure, it is es- must go on!
sential to understand what the objective you
are trying to reach through the Challenge is.
FACE THE CHALLENGE | 61

DIFFICULTY OF
A CHALLENGE
All Challenges are challenging, but not equally so. Some are rather easy to
deal with, others might seem near impossible. To help you, I’ve divided them
in four categories:
BASIC: Climbing to the second floor, hitting a target at short range, convinc-
ing a well-intentioned passerby
CRITICAL: Climbing a snowy mountain, hitting a target at long range,

translating a text written in some ancient and forgotten language
EXTREME: Keeping your bearings during a blizzard, hitting a fast-moving

target with the sun shining right in your eyes, convincing security you’ve been
sent here by the boss and you’ll take care of closing up
IMPOSSIBLE: Hitting a target in the dark relying only on the sound of their
footsteps, having the Colonel salute you, remorseful and humiliated because
he blew your “cover”
DETERMINE THE DIFFICULTY OF THE CHALLENGE
When you find yourself facing a Challenge, you need to determine if it’s go-
ing to be a Basic, Critical, Extreme or Impossible Challenge. This is usually
the job of the Fortune Master, since they’re the only one who know the ins
and outs of the story, but if the situation is extremely controversial, it’s always
better to talk it out with the Players and listen to their doubts.
Most Challenges you will be facing are Critical Challenges, while Basic
Challenges are small problems with little to no repercussions and a low
chance of an Accident. Extreme Challenges are rare and represent obstacles
that may seem impossible to overcome. Even rar-
er are Impossible Challenges, the ones that can
bring even the most seasoned Adventurers to their
knees.
Anyway, the Fortune Master can decide not

to disclose the difficulty of a Challenge to the
Players, but they have to tell them the difficulty
of any Danger.
FACING A
CHALLENGE
After you’ve established the objective and the difficulty, you’re ready to face
the Challenge. To do so, you need to face a Task by rolling a handful of d6s
and trying to get one or more Successes.
The number of d6s to roll is determined by the number of Diamonds the

Adventurer has for the Skill put to the test, plus the number of Diamonds for
the relevant Field.
WHICH SKILL TO CHOOSE?

The action you’re trying to do is often linear enough that the Skill put to the
test will be clear. For example, if you’re trying to shoot a standing target at the
shooting range, you’re probably going to use the Shoot Skill.
But there will be occasions, depending on the desired outcome, where it’s
not so easy.
When you have any doubts on the Skill put to the test, you just need to
stop and ask yourself: what could go wrong? So, if you’re shooting at an ene-
my that is holding your friend hostage, maybe it’s not a Challenge regarding
Shoot. It’s more likely a Cool task since your objective is not to “hit a target”
but to “save the hostage”. Failing this task might mean you don’t have the
courage to pull the trigger because you don’t want to hurt your friend.
Just try this, it takes some getting used to.
WHICH FIELD TO CHOOSE?

In the vast majority of cases, Skills have a relative Field they are already linked
to, so if Shoot tasks are in the Guts field, Stealth tasks are in the Crime field.
But in some rare occasions, the Fortune Master might require a Skill to be put
to the test in a different Field to manage unusual or complex situations. For
example, usually the First Aid Skill is tied to the Field Knowledge. So, when
you try to patch up a friend with a bullet in the leg, you need to roll a number
of d6 equal to your Diamonds for Knowledge, plus those under First Aid.
| 64
However, if your friend is in shock and is
flailing like a madman and you’re operating
on a plane that is free falling, the Fortune
Master might determine this specific First
Aid task to be in the Field of Guts. LEND ME A HAND
There’s strength in
ADVANTAGES AND numbers, it’s true. When
DISADVANTAGES an Adventurer is facing
After adding up all Diamonds from the Skill a Challenge, somebody
and the Field, you have a pool of d6 that can else can give up their
go from 3 to 6. action to lend them a
To this you might need to add or subtract hand and try to grant
up to 3 dice depending on the Advantages them an Advantage.
and Disadvantages you have. In these cases, the
Fortune Master must
Each Advantage gives an additional die (up decide if the person
to a total of 9) and each Disadvantage re- helping does have the
moves one (but never more than 2). means and abilities
to actually make the
You gain Advantages from specific weapons difference.
or gear, or by having Good Feelings. You
gain Disadvantages from Bad Feelings. In Sometimes the Fortune
addition, the Fortune Master has the right Master might determine
to grant an Advantage if the Adventurer that you need the help of
does something clever, effective and/or if two or more Adventurers
they’re in a position of clear superiority or to gain an Advantage.
strength for the Challenge. In the same way, Sometimes you might get
the Fortune Master has the task to burden an Advantage for each
Adventurers with Disadvantages if they do helpful character.
something silly or are in a clear position of If the action becomes too
inferiority. easy, maybe you can just
say that it’s not even a
After determining the number of dice to Challenge anymore!
roll, you can proceed and then calculate the
Successes.

SUCCESSES
After determining the number of dice to roll, take a deep breath and roll
away! Just hope to get a couple Successes.
You get a Success for each set of two or more dice that land on the same side.
The number is unimportant: a pair of ⚁ is just the same as a pair of ⚂, and
three ⚀ have the same value as three ⚅.
As for Challenges, there are 4 kinds of Successes.
BASIC: [Two of a kind] When 2 dice land on the same number.

CRITICAL: [Three of a kind] When 3 dice land on the same number.
EXTREME: [Four of a kind] When 4 dice land on the same number.
IMPOSSIBLE: [Five of a kind] When 5 dice land on the same number.
WHAT A HERO!
On the off chance an Adventurer rolls six
of a kind (6 dice landing on the same face),
the normal way to calculate Successes is out
the window! The Adventurer becomes the
absolute protagonist of the scene, solving the
situation however they wish. No matter how
many traps or enemies they might be facing,
everything will go better than expected!
COUNTING SUCCESSES
For every two matching dice you get a Basic THE DICE ARE
Success, every three a Critical Success. Four ALWAYS RIGHT
of a kind and five of a kind correspond to an You don’t always need to
Extreme and Impossible Success respectively. roll the dice, but any time
you do, they’re always
If you roll a full house, you get one Basic and right. If you’re searching
one Critical Success. If you roll a straight for a weapon and you roll
(one of each number), you just get a wonder- an Extreme Success, you
ful failure. Congratulations! find one, doesn’t matter
where you are. For this
To pass a Basic Challenge, you need a Basic reason, it’s important to
Success, and to pass a Critical Challenge, you decide WHETHER you
need a Critical Success. It’s that easy! need to roll for an action
or not.

H igher and L ower S uccesses
If you roll a Success higher than what you
need, you can accomplish more than what
you were trying to do.
So, if you’re trying to hit a target (Basic

Challenge) and you get a Basic Success,
then you make the shot. If you roll Critical
Success, you might even take the enemy
down in a single hit.
However, if you roll a Success lower than

3X1 what you need, you still failed the Challenge,
When it comes to but you might decide, together with the
Challenges, three small Fortune Master, to use your Successes to do
Successes may transform some damage control.
into a greater one. In this
case, 3 Basic Successes M ultiple S uccesses
equal a Critical Success If you roll more than one Success, you can use
and 3 Critical Successes them to accomplish multiple actions.
equal an Extreme
Success. This rule does For example, if you’re trying to hit a tar-
not apply for Dangers get (Basic Challenge) and you roll 2 Basic
and Enemies. Successes, you may hit twice or hit once and
then roll behind cover.
| 68
NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS
What are the odds that you’re the only one with the clue, artifact or map
that proves the existence of a legendary Treasure, and you also know how to
follow these indications to get to the right temple, pyramid or forgotten city?
And once you’re there, what are the odds you manage to solve the barrage of
riddles, overcome all obstacles, dangers and traps before having to face your
Rival and their goons, win, pocket the Treasure.... And even get out of there
alive?
These might be the questions normal people ask themselves while reading a
book or watching a movie, but you’re an Adventurer: people like you don’t
want to know the odds because you like to follow your instincts and go with
the flow of action. So, you can turn the page, walk away from the numbers
and live your Adventure with your mind at peace and your heart light, be-
cause no amount of numbers can change your mind anyway.
But if you’re a Fortune Master and you think that a bit of probability theory
might do you good, you can find it below. The numbers you see indicate the
percentage chance to roll at least one kind of Success depending on the num-
ber of dice rolled. So the percentages under Critical also include the chance to
roll an Extreme or Impossible Success.
Keep in mind that players have the possibility to re-roll some of the dice
(more on this later on), so there are many different variables and these percent-
ages are somewhat rounded, but still true. After all, you only need them to
fine-tune the Challenges. For this reason, you won’t see the numbers regard-
ing rolls with seven, eight or nine dice as can happen through Advantages.
Advantages are Advantages, you shouldn’t calibrate with them in mind!
BASIC CRITICAL EXTREME IMPOSSIBLE

2 15% - - -
3 45% 10% - -
4 70% 30% 5% -
5 90% 50% 10% 1%
6 99% 75% 20% 3%

SCENE #2 - CHALLENGE AND SUCCESS
FORTUNE MASTER
Once you’ve passed the entrance to the temple, you find
yourself in a long hallway that gets darker and darker the
further you walk. After a while, you see an opening and
feel a strong draft. It’s only then you realize you have
stepped to the edge of a ravine, one so deep that not even
your flashlight can illuminate the bottom. On the other
side of the ravine there’s something that looks like the
underside of a draw bridge: to get to the other side, you
just need to find a way to lower it.
JAKE
I raise the torch and take a careful look, searching for
another way around or some contraption that could lower the
bridge.
FORTUNE MASTER
There’s a large metal lever right on the left of the
drawbridge. Pity it happens to be on the opposite side of
the ravine.
JAKE
Looks like the last one to come through never made it out...
but no time to think about them. What I can do is draw my
trusty pistol and aim. I want to shoot at the lever to lower
the bridge.
FORTUNE MASTER
The lever is pretty far away, but also relatively big
and, most importantly, isn’t going anywhere. It shouldn’t be
a hard target to hit. Consider this a BASIC Challenge.
JAKE
[Rolls a Shoot task. Rolls 6 dice (3 for the Diamonds in GUTS,
3 for those in SHOOT) and gets ⚀⚀⚁⚂⚄⚅. The two ⚀ amount
to a BASIC Success]
I hit the lever on the first try and hope that’s enough to
lower the bridge.
| 70
FORTUNE MASTER
The bullet hits the lever, pushing it to the wall. You hear
a loud clanking noise from rusty cogwheels and the bridge
moves for a second, shaking off the dust of centuries.
Then the lever slowly comes down and everything stops. You
now realize there’s a second lever on the opposite side of
the bridge. You’d need to pull them both simultaneously in
order to lower the draw bridge, it’s not going to be easy.
You are now facing a CRITICAL Challenge.
JAKE
Well that’s a bummer. I roll my shoulders a bit and hold
the gun with both hands. I take a deep breath while aiming
for the lever on the left. In less than a second, I shoot,
aim at the right lever, and shoot again.
[Rolls a Shoot task. Rolls 6 dice and gets ⚀⚂⚂⚂⚄⚅. The

three ⚂ amount to a CRITICAL Success]
FORTUNE MASTER
The left lever snaps down, hit by your bullet.
The lever on the right gets hit right after and it, too,
lowers. Once both the levers are pushed, the bridge lowers
and shows you the path to continue your Adventure.
JAKE
“Piece of cake”, I say as I re-holster my pistol.

AFTER THE DICE ROLL
If you roll the dice and get the Success
THAT 'S MY JOB! you needed or even multiple Succeses or a
An Adventurer’s Higher Success, well, congratulations: you
Expertise represent passed the Challenge.
those fields they are But if you didn’t roll the Success you
particularly well versed hoped for, or you rolled no Success at all
in and they don’t fear there’s still a couple things you can try to save
failure. Every time an yourself from failure.
Adventurer rolls for a
task, they can ask the R isk
Fortune Master and their If you rolled at least one Success of any kind
fellow Players whether but you’re not happy with the result, you can
one of the Adventurer’s choose to press on and take a Risk.
Expertises is relevant to
the task as to gain a free When you do this, you take all dice that
Re-roll. The Expertise weren’t part of a Success and re-roll them.
“Pistols”, for example, Bear in mind you can’t choose which dice to
doesn’t just come into keep and which to roll: you have to keep all
play when it comes to dice you rolled in some kind of combination
shooting, but can also and re-roll the rest. If you get at least one
be useful to recognize additional Success, all the better, you im-
a specific model or to prove your situation.
repair a gun or assess its
value. For example, if you roll for a task with 4
dice and get ⚀- ⚂- ⚂- ⚅, you might
Some Expertises, want to risk it. To do so, you keep the two
like “Heroism” and ⚂ on the side and re-roll the other two
“Support”, are less dice. If at this point you roll another pair
specific than others and or at least one additional ⚂, you’re in luck.
can be applied in a variety If, instead, you’ve taken a Risk and rolled
of situations, depending no additional Successes, you have to for-
on the inventiveness and feit one of the Successes you had previously
reasoning of the Players. rolled. Grasp all...
| 72
For example, if you rolled five dice, got ⚁- ⚂- ⚃- ⚃- ⚄, took a Risk and
gained no additional Successes, it means you wanted too much. You lose the
two-of-a-kind you had previously rolled.
R e-roll
There are cases in which you can take a Risk... But risk nothing at all. When
you get the chance, you better take it, since you’ve got nothing to lose and
everything to gain.
When you’re rolling a task related to one of your Expertises, you can rely
on a Re-roll. A Re-roll replaces the normal Risk mechanic and allows you to
re-roll dice without the risk of losing any Success.
For example, if you’re a Medic and roll for a task in First Aid, you can use
your Expertise “Medicine” to gain a Re-roll. This way, even if you don’t roll
any additional Successes, you don’t have to forfeit any Success previously
rolled, as you would with a normal Risk.
In case you’re wondering, yes, this means you may use a Re-roll even if you
obtained no Successes with your first roll.
K eep on R isking
After you took a Risk or Re-rolled the dice thanks to your Expertise, you
might still be dissatisfied with the results. If after taking a Risk or Re-
rolling, you gained at least one additional Success, you might feel lucky
enough to try and go All or nothing.
By going All or nothing, you re-roll all dice that are not part of any Successes
one last time. If you gain at least one additional Success, well you’re still in
luck. Otherwise you lose ALL Successes previously rolled. It’s called “All or
nothing” for a reason.
Long story short, after you roll once, you can choose to take a Risk or a
Re-roll (in case you have a relevant Expertise). If with the second roll you
get at least one additional Success, you can try and go All or nothing, and
then see how it goes.

SCENE #3 - RE-ROLL AND RISK
FORTUNE MASTER
You split some hours ago to gather the two pieces of the map
and you both succeeded in your missions... but now you’re
lost in the jungle, with the sun as your only landmark, and
even that seems to be setting at a worrying pace. Each of
you has to find a way to get your bearings and get back to
camp before dark. It’s a CRITICAL Challenge. If you have no
better ideas, you can roll SCOUT.
DIDI
I found my way here, how difficult can finding my way back be?
I fold the map and put it in my pocket, then I turn around
and look for my own footprints.
[Chooses to roll a SCOUT task to find his own footprints. Rolls

4 dice (2 for the Diamonds in WILD, 2 for those in SCOUT) and
gets ⚁⚃⚃⚄. It’s just a BASIC Success]
Well, that’s not enough. I have no Expertise that could help

me, so I have to Risk it. Here I go!
[Sets aside the pair of ⚃ and re-rolls the other 2 dice,

getting ⚀⚄ . Having rolled no additional successes, he loses
even his first BASIC Success]
FORTUNE MASTER
That’s a total failure! Looking at the ground you find only
mud and roots, so you start hesitantly following a random
direction. You sometimes think you can recognize this or
that tree, but in truth you’re just lost.
LAURA
I roll up the half map and put it in my bag. I look around.
I’m worried more about Didi than myself, but I still decide
to start walking back towards camp, hoping to meet him
there.
[Chooses to roll a SCOUT task to find her way back. Rolls 5

dice (3 for the Diamonds in WILD, 2 for those in SCOUT) and
gets ⚀⚀⚂⚄⚅. It’s just a BASIC Success]
| 74
A simple BASIC Success is not enough, but I have an
Expertise in Orienteering that suits this situation to a T.
I proceed to Re-roll.
[Sets aside the BASIC Success ⚀⚀ and re-rolls the other 3

dice, getting ⚀⚀⚅. Her BASIC Success has become an EXTREME
Success]
FORTUNE MASTER
You find your bearings so easily that you have no problem
reaching camp. On your way there, your EXTREME Success
allows you to see the clumsy tracks left by Didi that go in
a completely different direction and you can follow them to
find him.
LAURA
I obviously do, and I also try to make it quick.
FORTUNE MASTER
Didi, your head is spinning by now and you’re pretty sure
that you’re utterly lost... luckily, Laura seems to appear
out of the vegetation, and you can breathe a sigh of
relief.
LAURA
“Where did you think you were going? Come on, let’s get
back.”
DIDI
I grin at her. “I was looking for you. I’ve been waiting at
camp for an hour already...” I might not have an Expertise
in Orienteering but Lies are my specialty!

FAILING A
CHALLENGE
If you didn’t get the required Success or any Success at all after rolling, Re-
rolling or even Risking it, well, it means you failed the Challenge.
After failing, don’t lose heart. It happens to the best Adventurers and
you’re far from the best!
If that sounds harsh, look at it this way: Failure is nothing but a broken step
on the ladder to success. It might make you stumble and slow down, but it’s
still a step forward in your journey. These words of comfort might ring hollow
now, but truth is, you’re an Adventurer, and people like you never admit
defeat.
Facing Challenges simply means doing something to get closer to your objec-
tive. Looking at it from this angle: failure is not about your actions, but about
your trajectory to the goal. When you look at it this way, Failure doesn’t mean
you don’t reach your goal, but that things go sideways along the way.
You might have successfully barred the door, but enemies will break through
the window; you climbed the mountain, but ended up on the wrong side; you
got the statuette, but set off a trap... classic! It’s stuff that happens constantly,
no big deal.
The only true difference between succeeding and failing is that the road of
failure is paved with Accidents.
Accidents are frequent and disparate, it’s up to the Fortune Master and to
all Adventurers to try and describe them and engage in acting through them
with one rule: the Adventure MUST go on!
| 76
T he C rossroad
Each Challenge is a crossroad. You can pass it and take the sunny road that
takes you strolling directly towards your goal, surrounded by bunnies and dai-
sies. Or you can fail and end up on the long, dark, winding road, surrounded
by the stares of ravenous beasts.
The result doesn’t matter, but you can’t just stay still and stare at the cross-
road. Whatever happens next will keep the story moving.
And in the end, things will go however they need to go, and the Adventure
will always win. If your life doesn’t feel like a movie, you’re doing it wrong.
People like you live exactly like in the movies. Each Adventurer is a protago-
nist, and protagonists never have boring downtime or insurmountable tasks,
and above all, they never make the wrong choice.
With or without Accidents, the Adventurers always manage to go where

Luck wants them to go. They may be late, they may be battered, or they might
arrive from a completely unexpected angle. Going forward is all that matters.
Hesitation means you’re already lost!

ACCIDENTS
When you face a Challenge, you need to ask yourself, “What can go wrong?”,
and decide the Skill put to the test based on your answer. Once you’ve got
that down, it’s easy to see what kind of Accidents may happen in case of
Failure.
Let’s say you’re strolling through the hallways of an abandoned pyramid

and you want to be sure to keep your eyes peeled. You roll an Observation
task and fail. When you notice the pressure plate you hear a CLANK and
the tile beneath your foot lowers slightly under your weight. The Accident
in this situation could be that you triggered the trap and now have to face
a Danger. Or maybe you can’t lift your foot from that tile until you find a
way to lock it in place. Another possible Accident could be that the floor in
front of you just collapses and you now need to shinny your way around it.
Alternatively: you’re at a nice party and try to seduce the spouse of your host,
thinking you can milk some information out of them. You roll a Charm task
and fail. It doesn’t mean that your advances are unwelcome, but rest assured
there will be consequences. An Accident in this situation could mean that
you’ve made such a good impression that now the host is jealous and pro-
ceeds to pull you away to another room with a bunch of guys with guns that
make jokes you don’t understand.
Your action didn’t really help your recon mission, but it took you to a place
where you might nonetheless try to gather some intel. A dangerous place,
there’s no denying that, but it’s still better than being thrown out the door
with a slap in the face!
You’re sneaking through the corridors of a jail, bringing the keys to the cell
of your friend who got caught. You roll a Stealth check to manage to free
them and fail. It doesn’t mean you have alerted the guard and need to abort
mission. An Accident could be that the guards here a strange noise, come to
check on it and you have barely the time to get away. After breathing a sigh
of relief, you peek at the guards who pick up a key ring from the ground.
That’s what caused the noise! Now you have to retrieve the keys or try and
break into the cell. It will take you some time, but it’s better than a full jail
lock-down.
| 78
D elaying Accidents
On some occasions the Fortune Master
might decide that a failure doesn’t result in
any Accident... or at least, not immediately. NO FAIL
What happens is that the failure seems to In BROKEN
have a few repercussions that go unnoticed COMPASS, failure is
and lay waiting for a while, waiting to am- not an option. This might
bush you with an Accident at the worst time. seem weird, but it’s not
just a slogan. It’s a rule.
You’re walking through a tunnel teeming Maybe even the most
with all kind of insects and fail a Scout task. important rule of the
One of the pests sticks to you and you don’t book!
even notice. Further on, when you draw your
pistol to shoot, the crawler comes out of your At times, it might be hard
sleeve to bite your hand. The distraction caus- for the Fortune Master
es you to get a fat Disadvantage on the roll. to respect this rule,
You leave the auction to try and steal you need some trained
something from the stock and you find your- improvisation muscles
self facing a security guard. You roll a Fight and a limber, flexible
task to try and knock them out and fail. You mind to find ways to
whack them behind the head with a wooden transform each failure
board and they fall forward, limp. It’s going into a success with some
to be sometime before the drop of blood that Accidents.
fell on your shoe shatters your cover: and
you’d almost got away with it! If, as a Fortune
Master, you find you’re
struggling, try asking
your Adventurers for
some ideas: together
you can find ways to
transform any failure
into a device that keeps
the Adventure going and
makes things interesting.

SCENE #4 - CHALLENGE AND FAILURE
FORTUNE MASTER
Your Rival’s camp is large and well equipped. Teams of
heavily armed men walk swiftly back and forth between the
large tents, moving crates and machinery.
Nobody seems to have noticed you yet.
STONE
I try to remain hidden, peeking out from time to time to
safely keep an eye on things. I want to wait for the right
moment to sneak into one of the larger tents.
FORTUNE MASTER
Nobody’s looking for you, so it’s not hard to go unnoticed.
As soon as two people exit from the tent, muttering to one
another, you take the chance while they’re distracted and
sneak in unseen.
STONE
I must find a way to warn the group that we’re not alone.
Someone might be following them already!
I look on the tables and in the crates, hoping to find a
radio.
FORTUNE MASTER
The radio is right in front of you, sitting on a wooden
table with other papers and machines. But when you try to
turn it on, you realize it’s disconnected. Seems like they
aren’t done setting up this tent just yet. If you want to
use the radio, you need to switch it on first by rolling a
BASIC TECH Challenge. Or you can go and search for something
else and hope to get lucky.
| 80
STONE
No time to lose. How hard can it be to set up a radio? I
start wiring it up as best I can. If I manage to turn it
on, I set it to the frequency the group uses and speak in a
low voice to warn them about the encampment I’m in.
[Rolls a TECH task. Rolls 3 dice (2 for the Diamonds in

KNOWLEDGE, 1 for those in TECH) and gets ⚀⚂⚅. No Successes]
FORTUNE MASTER
It’s a Failure! You hear your friends’ voice from the other
side “Where are you?”
STONE
I talk quickly and quietly, I’m worried because the enemies
could come back any minute. “I’m South of you, in an
encampment. There’s a hundred armed men here!”
FORTUNE MASTER
Your friends’ voice breaks down and fades to statics “Ok...
Stay... Coming”
Then it stops. You think they got the message and sigh with
relief. Looks like you’re in the clear for now.
Sadly, as you’re about to hang up the radio, here comes an
Accident. An unknown voice comes on the radio.
“Who’s using this frequency? Men, we have an intruder!”
Outside the tent an alarm starts blaring at full volume.
You managed to send your message, but at what price?

HOW DO
YOU FEEL?
The Adventurer’s life is a hard one. People keep asking where you’re going, but
nobody cares how you’re feeling!
Your Sheet has a column labeled “I feel” dedicated to keeping track of how
you feel physically, psychologically and emotionally. I know you’re tough and
you always think you’re at your best, but it might not be so. You can be hyped
up one day and be a total wreck the next. Even the best have their bad days!
In the left column you find all the Good Feelings you can have when you feel
like, really good, while on the right you find all the Bad Feelings. Stuff that
makes you feel bad. There are several ways to gain and lose Good and Bad
Feelings, but we’ll talk about that in a bit. The general rule is that Adventurers
can experience up to three Feelings at a time. The only exception is when
you feel A Wreck.
Advantages and D isadvantages
The most common Feelings are already listed on your Adventurer Sheet and
they are tied to the six Fields.
All the Feelings you find in the left column offer you an Advantage when
you have to roll for a task using a Skill in a specific Field. For example, so long
as you feel Powerful, you have an Advantage for all rolls in the Action Field.
The Good Feelings are:

Powerful: Advantage in Action
DARING: Advantage in Guts
FOCUSED: Advantage in Knowledge
CONFIDENT: Advantage in Society
FIERCE: Advantage in Wild
UNTOUCHABLE: Advantage in Crime
All Feelings you find in the right column offer you a Disadvantage when you
have to roll for a task using a Skill in a specific Field.
The Bad Feelings are:

BLEEDING: Disadvantage in Action
SHOCKED: Disadvantage in Guts
DIZZY: Disadvantage in Knowledge
EMBARRASSED: Disadvantage in Society
BROKEN: Disadvantage in Wild
SCARED: Disadvantage in Crime
But there are other Feelings that can offer you different benefits or work
against you in different ways.
For example, the Feelings Young and Old offer no Advantages or
Disadvantages, but they’re still effective in determining how easily you can
feel A Wreck.
Other Feelings might offer Advantages or Disadvantages in more spe-
cific contexts. We will now discuss in detail both Good and Bad Feelings
and explain the more unusual Feelings. It’s up to the Fortune Master and
Adventurers to create and suggest new Feelings for your specific situation.

I FEEL GOOD
Let us start with the positives.
Some people live their life at ease, but you’re an Adventurer and people like
you really go heavy on their feelings. When you’re facing a great Challenge
and come out on top, this gives you a boost to get right back in action.
If you rev the car up and manage to land on the other side of a ravine in one
piece, it’s understandable to feel Daring. If you manage to fight a bear with
your bare hands, goes without saying that you feel Fierce. These are not just
words, they are feelings, sensations that light a fire in your soul and awaken
your thirst for Adventure.
Whenever you do something particularly exciting or get exceptionally good

results in a certain Field, the Fortune Master may reward you with a Good
Feeling.
Good Feelings are listed in the left column under “I feel”. The ones you
find already on the Sheet all grant you an Advantage to the tasks rolled in a
certain Field.
You can have up to three Feelings at a time, so you can only have three Good
Feelings simultaneously if you have no Bad Feelings. If you have at least one
Good Feeling and you get a Bad Feeling, then you have to lose one Good
Feeling of your choice... but hey, at least you dodge the Bad one.
For example, if you feel Powerful, but you fall from a great height and you
should now feel Broken, you avoid getting the Bad Feeling. You hit the ground
harsh and are happy to survive, but you no longer feel so Powerful.
If you already have three Feelings and at least one of them is Good, when you
gain an additional Good Feeling, you can choose to exchange it for another
Good Feeling. If you already have three Bad Feelings, you can’t get any Good
Feelings.
You’re too beaten up to feel any good.
| 84
GOOD FEELINGS
On your Sheet you find six Good Feelings:
POWERFUL: You feel ready for anything, nothing can stand in

your way
DARING: You’re pumped up and ready to go, no risk is too great for you
FOCUSED: You’re in the zone, nothing can break your concentration
CONFIDENT: You’re on top of things, nobody can hope to oppose you
or trick you
FIERCE: You feel strong and ready to endure, you can face anything
UNTOUCHABLE: You’re so far ahead of everyone that they have no
hope of catching you
These are the most common Feelings and, with some flexibility, can cover just
about any situation. There might be times, however, where you feel it would
be right to give an unusual Feeling that better represents the current mood of
the Adventurer. These Feelings usually grant Advantages in certain contexts,
whatever the Field of action.
Some examples could be:
IN LOVE: Your passion is so strong that you feel like love will indeed
conquer all. You gain an Advantage any time you act to defend or show
your love.
BRUTAL: You are the strongest now, there is no competition. You gain
an Advantage for every attack you make during a brawl or shoot-out
STEADFAST: Your will is strong and nothing can make you falter. You
gain an Advantage any time the odds are stacked against you, when
you’re in dire need or at the end of your rope.
Lastly, there are Good Feelings that give you no Advantage at all but give you
something to lose instead of getting a Bad Feeling right away. The clearest
example of this kind of Good Feeling is Young, the Feeling associated with
the Tag of the same name. Don’t underestimate it: the more Good Feelings
you have, the harder it is for you to feel A Wreck!
As I already said, these are just some examples: Fortune Master and
Adventurers can always create and suggest new Feelings that fit the story.

I FEEL BAD
If the Adventurer’s life was nothing but great satisfactions and successes, don’t
you think there would be a queue standing between you and the Treasure?
If at times you might feel really good, more often than not you’ll also have
to live with some bad feelings.
If you open an ancient tomb and find yourself buried under a mound of
moldy skeletons, it’s understandable if you feel Scared. If you “land” a rubber
raft in the middle of a river and then get get flung this way and that by rapids,
rest assured you’re going to feel Dizzy.
Anytime something bad happens or you fail miserably in front of an im-

portant Challenge or an extremely lethal Danger, the Fortune Master might
burden you with a Bad Feeling.
Bad Feelings are listed in the right column under “I feel”. The ones you
find already on the Sheet all impose a Disadvantage to the tasks rolled in a
certain Field.
If you have a Bad Feeling, you can’t benefit from the Good Feeling regard-
ing the same Field.
If you already have three Bad Feelings, you can’t gain any Good Feelings.
If you receive an additional Bad Feeling, it means you’re A Wreck.
I FEEL A WRECK
When you already have three Bad Feelings and you receive a fourth, you
instead get the Bad Feeling “A WRECK”.
When you’re A Wreck you have a Disadvantage in any task. If you’re
wondering, yes, this is in addition to all other Disadvantages from the
Bad Feelings you previously had. No need to pull that face! Look at
the positive: once you are A Wreck you can no longer receive any Bad
Feelings. To stop feeling A Wreck, the only thing you can do is find
yourself a Safe Place.
| 86
BAD FEELINGS
On your Sheet you find six Bad Feelings:
BLEEDING: You feel hurt, truth be told you probably are

SHOCKED: You feel stunned, what you’ve just witnessed has shaken
you to the core
DIZZY: You feel dazed, you’re confused, your head spins and you can’t
concentrate
EMBARRASSED: You feel ridiculous, you’ve just made a huge blun-
der and lost all credibility
BROKEN: You feel as if you’ve broken something, that blow really
made it hard to stand up again
SCARED: You feel vulnerable, something scared you and now you’re a
bundle of nerves
As above, these Feelings can probably be adapted to any situation, but you can
always create or suggest new Feelings that give Disadvantages depending on
the context rather than the Field of the roll.
Here are some examples:
BLINDED: Your vision is blurred and you can’t see anything clearly.
You get a Disadvantage for all tasks requiring sight.
FROZEN: You feel cold to the bone, you can’t stop shivering and your
teeth are chattering. You get a Disadvantage for all tasks regarding
movement or trying to aim
FILTHY: You feel disgusting, you stink and you’d kill for a bath. You
get a Disadvantage for any task related to elegance and seduction
And then there are Bad Feelings that give you no Disadvantage at all but take
you one step closer to being A Wreck. The clearest example of this kind of
Bad Feeling is Old, the Feeling associated with the Tag of the same name.

ACTING HOW YOU WHEN TO ASSIGN A FEELING
FEEL Whenever an Adventurer does something
Adventurers are tough amazing, when they have a stroke of genius
folk who’ve been to hell that saves the day or they get a very lucky
and back. They rarely if roll, when all Players go “WOOOOO!” and
ever show how they feel. cheer, then, then you grant a Good Feeling.
You might be Shocked If you’re the Fortune Master, be proud to
and just joke about it tell a Player “Nice one, you feel Powerful!”
with a defiant grin on or “Of course, everything is clear, you feel so
your face. You may feel Focused!”. There’s nothing like the rush of
Daring and still act cool confidence that gives to put the stamp on a
and collected. Even if Success or a great idea!
you’re Broken, you can On the other hand, when there’s an epic
say that it’s just a scratch. Failure, when not even Luck can hope to save
You don’t necessarily the Adventurer or simply when the story goes
need to act the way you that way, that’s when the real trouble starts.
feel unless you think
it’s relevant. The same For example, when an Adventurer falls from
can’t be said about a great height and doesn’t get even a measly
Disadvantages. They’re Basic Success, you’ll have to bite the bullet
still there and you can’t and say things like “You hit the ground and
act your way out of them! feel BROKEN.” In these cases, Luck isn’t
enough: indeed, they should call themselves
DANGERS AND lucky to get away with a slap on the wrist!
ENEMIES Similarly, if an Adventurer Fails a crucial
You will meet Dangers Cool task when facing a bear, you’ll need to
and Enemies that won’t tell them “The beast roars and the vibrations
be satisfied with taking shake you to your core, you are SCARED”.
away your Luck Points: Or still, when an Adventurer decides to take
they want to make you a bullet in order to save a friend, you might
suffer. The first time you need to say “The bullet pierces through you.
fail a task against them, You are BLEEDING”.
you will also get a Bad
Feeling. Use Bad Feelings responsibly. They should
But we will talk about this not become a way to punish Adventurers,
in Section 4. but some spice to make the journey even
more exciting.
| 88
LOSING A FEELING
Good Feelings can be lost by suffering the effects of Bad Feelings, but they’re
also lost at the end of an Episode or after the Adventurers get flash-forwarded
several days or hours into the future. However, I’m pretty sure a person like
you is more interested in getting rid of Bad Feelings.
Well, the easiest way is to use a Luck Coin. But if you don’t really like that
idea, then you have to go the long way around, and this depends on the Feeling.
All the Feelings you find on your Sheet can only be cured by finding a Safe
Place. The Feelings Bleeding and Broken require a character to try and patch
you up by rolling at least a Critical Success in First Aid. You can also try and
patch yourself up, but you have a Disadvantage. If you feel Dizzy, you have
to spend one of your actions in the Safe Place doing absolutely nothing and
trying to empty your mind, while to stop being Shocked or Scared, you have
to spend an action speaking with someone about what happened to get it off
your chest. You need to act this scene out, no matter how difficult it may be for
you. And don’t waste time blabbering, because another Adventurer is using
their own action to listen to you.
Finally, if you feel Embarrassed, all you need to do is spend your action
helping somebody else successfully get rid of a Bad Feeling. And if nobody
has a Bad Feeling, you can just repair something or successfully complete a
round of sentry duty.
Other Feelings will have different ways to be removed. For example, you
could stop being Blinded by washing your face or sleeping; if you’re Frozen
you have to find a way to get warm; if you’re Filthy you’ll need a shower and
a change of clothes.
F irst Aid
You can try to use the Skill First Aid to remove Bad Feelings like Bleeding and
Broken even if you haven’t found a Safe Place yet. An Adventurer that gets
patched up this way will instead get the Bad Feeling Hurt.
Being Hurt gives you no Disadvantage, but the only way to remedy this Bad
Feeling is finding a Safe Place. To completely remove this Feeling a character
needs to perform a First Aid task as they would for Bleeding and Broken.

SCENE #5 - BAD FEEL, GOOD FEEL
FORTUNE MASTER
You’re sitting around a little fire in your improvised camp. It’s
the dead of night and the flickering light is barely enough to
illuminate the pages between Laura’s hands. Together, they should
show you a map, but the two halves don’t seem to line up.
JAKE
I get close to Laura and offer a shot from Didi’s flask, he’s
sleeping anyway. “Need help?”
LAURA
The last thing I want, other than a map that doesn’t make sense,
is to listen to Jake’s nonsense when I’m trying to focus. I don’t
even look at him. “Mister O’Donnell, if you really wanted to help
me, you’d be quiet.”
JAKE
Well, since she’s always so nice, I leave the shots on the ground
and stand up, trying to whisk the papers from her hands. I have
an idea...
FORTUNE MASTER
If Laura agrees, I’d say you have no problem doing that, since
she’s not even looking at you.
LAURA
I agree but I don’t like it anyway. I spring up, angry: “Listen
here, Mister O’Donnell...”
JAKE
“Jake. My name is Jake!” And while she’s talking, I want to try
something. I go to the fire and try to rekindle the flames a bit,
when they’re nice and bright I put the pages one in front of the
other and look at them now they’re backlit.
| 90
FORTUNE MASTER
I don’t know if this was a stroke of luck or genius, but as you
put the papers one in front of the others you see what you were
looking for. You finally found a trail to follow.
LAURA
When I see the map I’m completely speechless. I take a step
forward, hand out, wanting to look at it “Mister... Jake, I
underestimated you.”
FORTUNE MASTER
Congratulations, Jake. This bright idea got you through to Laura
and earned you her respect: you feel CONFIDENT. You can write it
on your Sheet.
JAKE
I hand her the map and cross my arms. “I really think you did.”
Then I go and get the shots.
FORTUNE MASTER
As you kneel to get the glasses you feel the distinctive, rough
hand of Didi on your shoulder. But as you turn, you realize it’s
actually a huge snake hanging from a nearby tree. Roll for COOL!
JAKE
[Rolls a COOL task. Rolls 6 dice (3 for the Diamonds in Guts,
3 for those in Cool) and gets ⚀⚁⚂⚃⚄⚅. No Successes,
that’s bad luck!]
“Come on, it’s just a couple shots...” I turn around, expecting

to face Didi and find myself staring at a forked tongue. I throw
the glasses and run away.
FORTUNE MASTER
You take a couple steps back, stumble and face plant right in
front of Laura. You should feel SCARED (or EMBARRASSED) but
luckily you have a Good Feeling to lose, so let’s just say you
don’t feel so CONFIDENT anymore.

SECTION 4
TRAPS AND
BULLETS
DANGERS
Now that you know what to do when you’re facing a Challenge, you think you
can finally go out there and get yourself a slice of the Treasure, right? Well
maybe people forgot to tell you about the Dangers you’ll find along the way.
What were you thinking that an ancient tribe just up and left their golden idol
at the center of a room, closed the door and forgot about it? Not by a long shot.
They put it in the lowest, deepest, farthest room of the temple. And what’s
more, those people spent their entire lives building who-knows-what kind of
traps and other deadly contraptions just so they could rest easy, knowing that
folk like you won’t get out of there alive!
Take it from me, if you really want to save your neck, you have to learn how
to overcome the Dangers you’re going to find along the way.
Dangers are nothing but Challenges that put your health, maybe even your
life, on the line. “Plunging down a waterfall”, “Fighting enemies” or “Running
from a giant rolling boulder” are all considered Dangers.
Successfully navigating a Danger means living to tell the tale... and to get
yourself in trouble again.
DIFFICULTY OF A DANGER
Just like Challenges, there are four kinds of Dangers:
BASIC: Facing a couple of brawlers, crossing a decrepit rope bridge, stopping

the car before it reaches the ravine.
CRITICAL: Facing a group of mercenaries, grabbing a vine as you’re falling

from a precipice, taking off while people are shooting at the plane.
EXTREME: Facing a troop of well-equipped soldiers, diving off a waterfall

and avoiding the rocks below, landing a burning plane unscathed in the mid-
dle of the jungle.
IMPOSSIBLE: Facing a line of armed tanks,

surviving the fall from a plane with no
parachute and walking off in one
piece and with your sense of hu-
mor intact.
FACING DANGER
A giant boulder rolls your way. The rope bridge you were halfway across snaps
beneath your feet. The machine gun on an enemy truck opens fire. If you
chose to go Adventuring, you may face many kinds of Dangers.
You face Dangers pretty much the same way you face Challenges, just follow-
ing the same list of instructions. The main difference between a Danger and
a Challenge is that all Dangers have the same goal: getting out of there alive.
It’s still important to understand what’s at stake in these cases, meaning
what kind of consequences you’d face in case of a failure.
S et the stakes
Essentially, when you’re facing a Danger, you’re either at risk of getting hurt
(or worse, sorry to repeat that), or of losing something that is crucially impor-
tant: a weapon, a key artifact or even the Treasure itself!
For example, if you set off a trap and a giant boulder comes rolling towards
you, the situation is pretty dire. The Fortune Master decides that failure im-
plies getting turned to mush.
D etermin e the difficulty of the D anger

Just like with Challenges, most Dangers you will face in your daily adventur-
ing are Critical Dangers, and Basic Dangers are really a problem only when
they pile up on you. Extreme Dangers are rare and they represent the limits of
what is humanly possible to survive. Impossible Dangers should only be faced
in the most desperate of times, or when too many Dangers get added together.
If a parapet suddenly breaks, it puts you in a Basic Danger, while a blade that
comes swinging at full speed from a wall is a Critical Danger.
It’s up to the Fortune Master to determine the difficulty of a Danger by
calculating not what is at stake, but how likely the Adventurers are to avoid
the Danger. If you have any doubt, towards the end of the chapter you can find
some examples of Dangers and their difficulty.
For example, when the boulder starts rolling toward the Adventurers, the
Fortune Master might say it is a Critical Danger. The Adventurers will need
a Critical Success to escape it.
| 96
With Dangers, unlike what you saw for Challenges, the Fortune Master must
always establish the difficulty ahead of time.
C hoosing a S kill
Like with normal Challenges, the Fortune Master might want to suggest to the
Adventurers which Skill they can put to the test to escape a Danger. However,
in this case Adventurers might also suggest alternative ways to face the Danger
by testing a different Skill and explaining their choice with the steps they aim
to take. The Fortune Master will still have the last word on whether a Skill is
actually applicable to a situation and if it is used outside of the normal Field.
For example, to escape the rolling boulder the Fortune Master might request a
Stunt (Action) task to be rolled. But one of the Adventurers decides they want to
jump and hold onto the ceiling, asking if they may roll the task as Tough (Wild).
A second Adventurer would like to roll a Shoot (Guts) task to try and fracture
the rolling boulder, but the Fortune Master decides that it’s better for them not
to use that Skill.
TRAPS AND BULLETS | 97

R oll the dice
Once you’ve established the stakes, the diffi-
culty of the Danger and the Skill you’ll use to
face it, you’re ready for action. Gather your d6,
adding any Advantages and Disadvantages as
1x3 you already know, and maybe try to Risk or
When facing a Danger, a Re-roll. Good luck!
Critical Success is equal
to three Basic Successes, M ultiple dangers
and an Extreme Success So now you feel as if you know everything
is equal to three Critical and you think you can go out there and face
Successes. In the same the world, as if only a few rolling boulders
way, an Impossible stood between you and your Treasure. Sorry
Success is equal to three to disappoint.
Extreme Successes.
Dangers have the bad habit of popping up
So, if you roll a Higher in groups, so you might find yourself hav-
Success, you can use it to ing to deal with several Dangers in one
avoid ALL Dangers of a roll. This means you might have to face two
lower difficulty. or three Dangers at a time, and even if each
Danger will have their own stakes and diffi-
Just remember that if culty, you’ll have to choose a single Skill to
you’re facing one Critical roll to get all the Successes you need.
Danger and two Basic
Dangers and you only roll For example, let’s say you’re crossing a rope
a single Critical Danger, bridge with your trusty machete in hand and
you will need to choose a holy stone in the other. The rope bridge
whether to use it to breaks, as they do, and you’re in a pickle.
escape the single Critical The Fortune Master decides you’re fac-
Danger or the two Basic ing 3 Dangers at once! The first is a Critical
Dangers, it won’t cover Danger and if you fail, you’ll fall down and
all three. that’s that. The second is a Basic Danger and
if you fail, you’ll lose the machete you were
recklessly holding in your hand. The third is
another Basic Danger, and if you fail, you’ll
lose the holy stone.
| 98
So, to overcome this task, you will need to
have two Basic and one Critical Success with
the same roll. And for each failure, you’ll
have to face the specific consequences, but it’s
up to you to decide how to use your Successes.
Keep in mind you can also choose to use a LET ME HELP

Critical Success to pass all Basic Dangers and When a group of two or
an Extreme Success to overcome all Critical more Adventurers faces
and Basic Dangers in one fell swoop. the same Danger, they
can try to help each other.
T hree dangers at a time By helping a friend you
As you might have guessed, around here practically gift them
when it rains, it pours! If “Plunging down a some of your Successes
waterfall” is a Critical Danger and “Dodging as you choose. The only
arrows” is a Basic Danger, then “Plunging condition is that to help
down a waterfall while dodging arrows” is somebody else, you first
a Critical Danger plus a Basic Danger. It need to pass all Dangers
might be a small comfort to you, our unlucky that have your life at
Adventurer, but there’s a limit to the amount stake. You’ll find it quite
of Dangers you can face at one time. hard to help anybody
while you’re falling in the
And this rule is NO MORE THAN 3 void!
Dangers at a time. Not one more.
If you find yourself facing four Basic Dangers During a Danger,
in a single scene, they all combine into a Adventurers can only
Critical Danger, and so on. What matters is receive help from their
that in the end, there should be three Dangers friends. If an Adventurer
or fewer. is receiving help
themselves, they can’t
FAILING IN THE FACE OF DANGER help anybody else.
If you face a Danger and fail, tough luck. If
the stakes were losing an object, your Bag or
your Backpack, well sorry but it’s lost. Deal
with it! If your life or physical integrity was
at stake, maybe all is not lost!

SCENE #6 - SEVERAL DANGERS
FORTUNE MASTER
You lift the gem from its stony pedestal. For a second you
think you’re in the clear, but as soon as you turn around
the stone emits a loud “CLANK” and lowers a few inches.
It only takes a brief moment for the whole room to start
shaking, almost like an earthquake. The only way out is
through the hallway, but the ground is starting to crumble
under your feet.
JAKE
I look at the gem smiling. They’ve been making such a fuss
about it, but it was a piece of cake. Then I hear that
oh-so-typical trap sound and I realize that I have been
counting my chickens before they hatched.
No time to lose. I grip the gem and start running towards
the exit, hoping to get out before the floor crumbles
completely.
FORTUNE MASTER
And you’re right to run, since the floor is already falling
apart under your feet. In order to reach the other side,
you’ll need to jump from tile to tile. There’s much at stake
here: for one, you risk falling down to your bitter end
[CRITICAL Danger], and on top of that, you also risk losing
the gem you worked so hard to get [BASIC Danger].
JAKE
[Rolls a STUNT task. Rolls 6 dice (3 for the Diamonds in
ACTION, 3 for those in STUNT) and gets 1 CRITICAL and 1 BASIC
Success]
Without looking back, I hold the gem to my chest as if my

life depended on it. As soon as I see my friends I shout
“Get out! It’s falling apart!”
| 100
FORTUNE MASTER
You have a successful escape and finally see the literal
light at the end of the tunnel while your friends are
already safe and sound. Unlucky for you, the temple has
one last trap in store, and it has been activated by the
cave in! As you keep running and the floor keeps crumbling
under your feet, a volley of poison darts come hurtling
out of the walls in your direction. The stakes keep getting
higher. Now, on top of the risk of falling down [CRITICAL
Danger] and losing the gem [BASIC Danger], you also risk
being hit by the darts [BASIC Danger]. There are 3 Dangers!
JAKE
[Rolls a Stunt task and gets 2 CRITICAL Successes. A true
stroke of Luck]
I hold the gem under my jacket and keep my head down as

I run through the volley of darts. As soon as the exit is
close enough, I jump headfirst towards the light. I’ve had
enough of this damned temple!
FORTUNE MASTER
Your first CRITICAL Success leads you sprinting through the
corridor before it can crumble completely, the other allows
you to easily navigate all other BASIC Dangers. A volley of
darts passes inches away from your nose, the other hissing
behind your ears. You heroically get out of the temple,
throwing yourself past the threshold that crumbles to a
pile of rubble mere seconds after you get out. You can
finally take a Break. The gem is safe in your hands!

IT TAKES
LUCK
Let’s get one thing straight. You wouldn’t be alive if you weren’t on Luck’s good
side. The only unlucky Adventurers are those hat-wearing skeletons you find
here and there, skewered in traps along the way.
When a normal person faces Danger, there are two options: they either step up
or face the bitter end. You, however, you’re an Adventurer. You can rely on a
good dose of Luck to help you get through even the most hopeless of situations.
Every time you fail a task while facing a Danger with serious harm or life at
stake, your Luck comes to the rescue.
LUCK POINTS
On your Sheet you have ten Luck Points in the form of ten white dots. And
your life depends on those.
When you fail in the face of Dangers, you lose a number of Luck Points tied
to the difficulty of it and come out unscathed, thanking your lucky star.
Here’s how it works:
BASIC DANGER: You lose 1 Luck Point

CRITICAL DANGER: You lose 3 Luck Points
EXTREME DANGER: You lose 9 Luck Points
IMPOSSIBLE DANGER: You end up Out of Luck and need to use a
Luck Coin to survive.
Long story short, so long as you have Luck Points, you can’t really fail and you
always manage to somehow get out in one piece.
For example, if you take a leap off a cliff and try to grab a vine in order not
to end up mushed on the ground, failing doesn’t necessarily mean you bite the
dust. If you have enough Luck Points, you spend them to change the failure
into a success. Maybe you don’t grab the vine you were aiming for, but while
falling you get caught on another one. Pure blind Luck!
Every time you fail while facing a Danger or an Enemy, you lose Luck and fill
in one or more dots on your Sheet, starting from the left. Once they’re all full,
you’re Out of Luck. Now that’s ugly.
Even Luck has its limits though. Remember that Luck can only come into
play when your life or safety are at risk, it won’t help you when you only risk
losing a weapon or some item... unless it is a KEY item. We will talk about
this in the relative chapter of Section 5 - Hunting for Treasures.
Additionally, Luck Points won’t help you escape Bad Feelings inflicted by
those Dangers and Enemies when you fail.

OUT OF LUCK
Should you ever lose all or more Luck Points than you have remaining, simply
fill in all remaining dots. From then on, you’re officially Out of Luck.
The good news is that so long as you have at least one Luck Point remaining,
you can still survive one Danger of any kind.
For example, if you fail while facing three Critical Dangers, you’re nine Luck
Points shorter. If you have less than nine (but more than one), you fill in all
remaining Luck Points and are Out of Luck.
Being Out of Luck, you can no longer rely on Luck to save your life. If you
fail again when facing Danger, then you’re really putting your life on the line.
The only way to escape Certain Death is to use a Luck Coin.
DAMAGE CONTROL
If you can’t overcome a Danger, you can always try to do some Damage
Control. For Damage Control you can use Successes you rolled to avoid los-
ing part of your Luck, even though you can’t complete the task you rolled for.
For each Basic Success you recover 1 Luck Point and for each Critical Success,
you recover 3.
So, if you fail a Critical Danger but roll a Basic Success, you only lose 2 Luck
Points instead of 3, and if you roll 2 Basic Successes, you only lose 1 Luck
Point. If you fail an Extreme Danger but roll a Critical Success, you only lose
6 Luck Points instead of 9, and so on!
But you can’t do Damage Control when facing an Impossible Danger.
And in any way, you can never avoid damage entirely. If an Adventurer man-
ages to do enough damage control that they would lose no Luck, they still lose
1 Luck Point. Fair’s fair!
| 104
RECOVERING LUCK
Call it statistics, call it karma, call it magic, call it fate. No idea how or why,
but at some point, Luck turns her back and you’re left on your own.
The only way to recover Luck is to get yourself out of the troubles you put
yourself in. Thank goodness Luck Points are fully recovered when you’re out
of dodge and can breathe a sigh of relief.
A B reak
At the end of a sequence, for example after getting out of a temple filled with
traps and pitfalls, the Fortune Master might declare that the Adventurers can
take a Break and recover all their expended Luck Points.
After all, Adventurers deserve to take a Break after surviving many dangers,
when they can actually let their guard down and relax without risking their
life for a second.
In some cases, the Fortune Master might allow Adventurers to take a Break
after facing a series of Dangers and before another batch comes in. Maybe
after you’ve parachuted from a flaming plane, while you wait for the armed
mercenaries that have been tailing you, the Fortune Master might declare you
get a Break to recover your Luck. This won’t always be possible, so take the
chance when you get it!
A S afe P lace
Safe Places are houses, hotels or even camps where you can rest and fully
recover your Luck Points.
We will talk about how to create and manage Safe Places in the relative chap-
ter of Section 5 - Hunting for Treasures!

LUCK COINS
Your Luck Coin is your best friend, your ace in the hole and your lifeline all
wrapped in one!
If you’re Out of Luck and you fail an additional Danger roll, you just need to
use a Luck Coin to save your skin.
To use a Luck Coin you just need to tell your Fortune Master about it. That’s
all. After using a Luck Coin, you need to flip a coin to find out if your Luck
Coin remains with you or if it’s used and goes to the Fortune Master.
TAILS: Lucky dog! You took a chance and you made it. Not only did
you manage to dodge a danger thanks to your Luck Coin, you also get
to keep it.
HEAD: Let’s look at the bright side, your Luck Coin did its job an-
yways. Now you have to wave it goodbye and pass it to the Fortune
Master, you’ll have to find another one.
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THE MANY USES OF LUCK COINS
Far from only being there to save you from your bitter end after one too many
failures, your Luck Coin can be used in a multitude of ways. You can use a
Luck Coin to:
• Save yourself from Certain Death when you are Out of Luck
• Achieve an Extreme Success without rolling any dice
• Remove or avoid a Bad Feeling
• Keep hold of one Item
• Save a Vehicle from destruction
• Get a Clue you didn’t find
Not too shabby, huh?

If you use your Luck Coin to escape Certain Death, some serendipitous
accident happens or one of your friends intervenes to save you by the skin of
your teeth at the last second. For example, if you set off a trap, a blade comes
swinging towards you at full speed, and you’ve lost all hope of survival, you
have to use a Luck Coin. If you do so, the blade may stop one inch in front of
your nose... You’re off the hook!
Clearly, few things are better than managing to get back home on your own
two feet, but the other uses of Luck Coins are almost as good. If you find
yourself facing a Challenge that’s too great, you can choose to not roll dice at
all, use your Luck Coin and enjoy the benefits of an Extreme Success, no risks
attached. Must have been your lucky day.
Similarly, if you have to deal with a Bad Feeling, or maybe you’ve been
dealing with one long enough to be done with it, you can rely on your Luck
Coin to be rid of it, and that’s not to be sniffed at either. Or when, in the
midst of an Accident, you find yourself losing your grip on an item, your Bag,
or even your Backpack, you can call on your Luck Coin to deal with it. Same
goes for those occasions when your Vehicle should go Out of Commission and
you really don’t feel like pushing it to the nearest town.
And last but not least, you can use your Luck Coin when you find yourself
lost after skipping an important Clue to show you the way to the Treasure. I
know you haven’t heard about Vehicles and Clues yet, it’s okay, we will talk
about it in Section 5 - Hunting for Treasures.

GAINING A LUCK COIN
While filling in your Adventurer Sheet
and setting out on your journey, you have
one Luck Coin, same as your friends. At
the same time, the Fortune Master has one
Luck Coin for each Adventurer.
In sum, we can say that in every Series
there are always twice as many Luck Coins
as there are Adventurers.
GIFTING A
LUCK COIN As the Adventure progresses, every time an
Luck Coins belong to Adventurer uses their Luck Coin, they flip
you and they can’t be a coin and, if it lands on heads, the Luck
given to anyone for any Coin goes to the Fortune Master.
reason. However, if an The Fortune Master has no use for Luck
Adventurer is facing Coins, but they can choose to give them to
Certain Death and has Adventurers as a reward for their achieve-
no Luck Coins to save ments, good ideas, strokes of luck, and in
themselves, you can any other occasions when they feel the need
decide to use your Luck to mark the importance of their actions or
Coin to help a friend last Oscar-worthy role-playing.
minute. By doing so, you Once the Fortune Master has no
sacrifice your Luck Coin Luck Coins, they can’t give any more to
and give it directly to the Adventurers until they use or lose one, put-
Fortune Master, without ting it back in the Fortune Master’s pool.
flipping it and with no
possibility to keep it. Having a Luck Coin is a safety net, but
Respect. do not rely on your rabbit foot too much.
The rabbit had four and look where they
brought it!
| 108
W hen to give a L uck C oin
The Words an Adventurer Lives By aren’t just a fancy saying on their Sheet.
Those are words these men and women build their lives around. When you act
in accordance with your Words to Live By even if it goes against your personal
gain, when it makes you face hard choices or live like a true hero... Those are
the perfect moments for the Fortune Master to give you a Luck Coin.
Broadly speaking, the Fortune Master should give away Luck Coins to re-
ward fair play or meaningful actions, when, for example, an Adventurer
accomplishes something amazing, they turn the whole Episode (maybe the
whole Season!) upside down thanks to a brilliant idea, or when they evoke
true feelings with a role-playing moment worthy of a movie.
A good rule of thumb for Fortune Masters is to follow their heart rather
than their head, let instinct guide you. Other good benchmarks to understand
if what you just witnessed deserves a Luck Coin are popular request and the
opinion of other Adventurers.
Finally, when Adventurers succeed against all odds and play their hands ad-
mirably, maybe by rolling an Extreme Success with just four dice, they might
deserve a Luck Coin for it.
The rule above all other rules is that when an Adventurer uses their Luck
Coin to carry out a task, however crucial and wonderful it may be, they can’t
gain another Luck Coin for it. That’s just not how it goes.

SCENE #7 - FAILURE AND LUCK
FORTUNE MASTER
In front of you, a rock spur extends above the overhang
of a waterfall. Behind you, four jeeps loaded with soldiers
shouldering their rifles. Seems like this day is off
to an awful start.
DIDI
I look at the spur, then at the soldiers in my rear-view
mirror. There’s no other way. I slam my foot on the gas
and drive at full speed toward the edge. Maybe if I build
up enough speed, I can make the jump. Well, I’d much rather
try my luck than sit here and take those bullets!
FORTUNE MASTER
As you get closer to the spur, your jeep revs up, coming
to its top speed. The gap between you and safety is
large enough to be an EXTREME Danger, while the soldiers
shooting at you have gone down to a CRITICAL Danger, since
they’ve already slowed down and they’re further away. It
seems they’re not as crazy as you and have no intentions of
getting that close to the overhang.
DIDI
I lower my head and don’t even look in the rear-view
mirror, there’s no mirror anyway, bullets have taken it
down!
I just try to hold the steering wheel steady and my eyes on
the destination. I stomp the pedal with all my strength,
even though I’d already been flooring it. I have to do it.
[Makes a DRIVE task. Rolls 5 dice (3 for the Diamonds in

GUTS, 2 for those in Drive) and gets 1 CRITICAL Success].
| 110
FORTUNE MASTER
With your CRITICAL success, you only avoid the CRITICAL
Danger. Your enemies’ bullets hit the ground all around,
kicking up a giant dust cloud. Some ricochet off the
jeep’s body, but you’re untouched. However, you failed to
pass the EXTREME Danger! As the jump comes closer, you
realize you can’t do it. Panic takes hold of you for a
second and you subconsciously slow down. When you reach
the end of the overhang it’s impossible for you to make
the jump. You must thank your lucky star because seconds
before the wheels leave the ground, one of the Enemies
decides to shoot at you with a rocket gun! They miss you,
but the rocket explodes with a bang a foot or so behind
your rear wheels. You almost feel light for a second, then
a gust of hot air whips your hair around. The blast from
the explosion has generated enough of a shock wave to hurl
your jeep to the other side of the waterfall.
You LOSE 9 Luck Points, but you get to the other side with
a smoking wreck that might still work.
DIDI
I close my eyes, ready to say goodbye to the World. When
the explosion hits my back, I’m certain that I’m done for.
Then I feel the jeep hit the ground, open my eyes and
I’m still behind the wheel. The soldiers behind me can’t
believe this any more than I can. It’s on days like this
I remember why I love this job... to think that back home
they didn’t even renew my license!

TRAPS
There will be times when Danger comes unexpectedly, with really nobody
to blame. But it’s more likely for Dangers to be placed where they are for a
reason: people like you.
I’m referring to traps, those devilish contraptions thought and created by
grinning people who, 100, 500, or 1000 years ago went around chuckling at
the thought of the poor sod who’ll come trying to steal the Treasure.
C hekhov 's trap

Traps can be avoided thanks to clues and strokes of luck or genius. But if
there’s a trap on your way, rest assured it’s going to trigger some way. It might
be defective and trigger suddenly, it might start shooting randomly once
you’ve got the Treasure, or maybe you’ll set it off on purpose to distract your
Rival’s goons. One thing’s sure, a Trap is a promise, and promises must never
be broken. If there’s a trap, sooner or later it must be triggered.
DIFFICULTY OF A TRAP
Traps are Dangers and can be categorized in the same way. Usually, traps
that let loose a volley of darts, like the classic arrows coming out of the walls,
are considered as two or three Basic Dangers, while larger traps - say a nice
curved blade going back and forth and blocking the corridor - represent a
Critical Danger. When the blades become two or three, well, then you’re
facing two or three Critical Dangers.
Some traps might trigger suddenly and the only thing you can do is try
to dodge them, usually using Skills such as Stunt or Alert depending on the
situation. Others might have no immediate consequence when triggered. For
example, if the ceiling starts lowering, you can’t really dodge that. You must
find a way to stop it. In these situations, you’ll most likely have to rely on your
Tech and Observation Skills, although it always depends on the situation and
how you deal with it. You can find examples of traps and their difficulty at the
end of this Section.
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WHAT 'S AT STAKE
The nice thing about traps is that they’re both
classic and diverse, and just plain fun (well, if
you survive them), so the Fortune Master has
to be inventive in order to create new, com-
plex traps. A good way to do this is to put at
stake something that isn’t the same old “life
and safety”.
You can spice it up by adding to the stakes

the risk of gaining a Bad Feeling in case of
failure, as you’ll see soon.
Other interesting things to put at stake
include a valuable item, a Bag or a Backpack.
In such cases a single trap can represent two
or more Dangers, and failure might result in
either the loss of an item or Luck Points.
Such is the case for a bridge giving way
under your feet, forcing you to jump haphaz-
ardly, potentially losing hold of your pistol.
The rule of thumb for such situations is that

at least one of the things at stakes should
be your safety, and that you can’t lose Luck
Points to avoid losing an item. Similarly, you
can’t choose to use a Success to keep hold of
an item if the same Success could save your
Luck Points.
Let’s say that the bridge gives way and
you’re about to fall (Critical) and lose your
pistol (Basic), if you rolled a Critical Success,
you must use it to save your life and avoid
burning Luck Points. If instead you rolled a
Basic Success only, then you lose Luck Points
and can keep your pistol. Yes, Luck favors the
bold, but you have to save yourself first.

ENEMIES
You’re almost ready to go, but there’s one last thing I want to warn you
about: you’re not the only one who wants to get their hands on the Treasure!
There’s plenty of people out there willing to do anything in order to
steal the work of a lifetime from under your nose, and most of them have
enough money to pay even more armed goons to do their bidding. Catch
my drift?
But don’t lose heart: you see, if the Challenge is a task that could go
any way, and a Danger is a Challenge with your life at stake, an Enemy is
a Danger you can shoot at. It’s always a matter of perspective.
AN ENEMY 'S STRENGTH

Enemies are like Dangers in every way, and just like Dangers there may be
Basic, Critical, Extreme, and very, very rarely, Impossible Enemies.
So, the first thing to do when facing an Enemy is to understand what kind
of Danger they put you in.
BASIC: A couple of brawlers, a civilian with a gun, a small group of people

shooting at you from far away, a guard dog
CRITICAL: A couple of mercenaries, a substantial group of drunken brawlers,

some trained goons shooting at you, a single, very large or very armed brute,
a pair of wolves
EXTREME: A group of fully armed soldiers, a military heavy vehicle or chop-

per, one extremely well trained soldier, an angry grizzly
IMPOSSIBLE: A battalion of soldiers, a last-gen tank, one single person

with superhuman abilities, a great white shark that tasted blood (well, only if
you’re in the water, on land I’d say you’re pretty safe from the last one)
| 114
As you might have noticed, an Enemy is not necessarily a single individual.
More often than not, an Enemy is actually a group of people or animals that
pose a threat to the Adventurers.
The Fortune Master is tasked with describing the Enemies in a way that
is both thrilling and spectacular, the actual number is secondary. It doesn’t
matter if you’re facing four soldiers or five wolves, the important thing is that
you are surrounded by armed man or bared teeth. Long story short, a Critical
Enemy could be a single soldier, two to three soldiers or even seven of them,
shooting at you with the laughable aim of classic movie bad guys.
Just like with Dangers, most Enemies you will face are Critical Enemies, and
you can face up to three of them at once. Basic Enemies are more of a nuisance
than a problem, and you usually have to face two to three of them at a time.
Extreme Enemies, as you’ll understand, are pretty rare: if you ever meet
one, you probably know you’ve been asking for it. Impossible Enemies are
even rarer, and I really hope you’ll never meet one of them.
To sum it up, once the Fortune Master has described the Enemies as if they
were setting the scene for a movie, not really focusing on number, they declare
the difficulties. For example, “1 Critical Enemy”, “3 Basic Enemies”, or “2
Basic Enemies and 1 Critical Enemy”. Once all is clear, we can roll the scene.
Anyways, at the end of this Section you will find a list of Enemies and
their difficulty so you can have a rough measure, but nothing’s set in stone!

FACING AN ENEMY
Once you’ve established what kind of
Enemies you’re dealing with, you can start
teaching them a lesson... well, you can try.
In brief, Enemies can be faced two ways:
in a Brawl or in a Shoot-out.
HE SHOT FIRST! During a Brawl you face Enemies in melee

Someone’s trying to play range, with no chance for cover.
you for a fool or worse, During a Shoot-out, you and your
or you’re trying to trick Enemies keep the distance and alternate
them, maybe even for a shooting at each other and taking cover.
worthy cause. There’s a
multitude of situations, The main difference between a Brawl and a
but they all tend to end Shoot-out is this: during a brawl you roll once
up with things getting to determine both whether you hit or get hit,
tense and punches and while during a Shoot-out these two “turns”
bullets start flying! are separate. The Adventurers can engage or
When the fight begins, run away during their turn and have to de-
the Fortune Master has fend themselves from Enemy attacks in the
to decide who shot first next. But more on that later.
or who threw the first
punch. During combat, W hat S kill do I roll?
the Adventurers decide During a Brawl the most obvious skill to
their order and how to use is Fight. In a Shoot-out, you’ll use your
best move to coordinate Shoot Skill to attack and the Stunt Skill to
their actions, but they dodge bullets.
all act before or after the As always, you can suggest an alterna-
Enemies depending on tive course of action as you would do with
who moves first! Dangers, a way to put a different Skill to the
test. For example, you could roll Eloquence to
create a diversion, or Tech to bring a whole
chandelier crashing to the ground in the
middle of the room. The final decision is in
the hands of the Fortune Master and the
group’s common sense.
| 116
B eating an E n emy
To hit a Basic Enemy, you need a Basic Success, to hit a Critical Enemy you
need a Critical Success and so on. If you roll 2 Basic Successes while facing a
Basic Enemy, it means you hit them twice.
Each enemy can resist up to 3 hits before going KO. Once an Enemy has
been hit 3 times, they’ve had enough. Either they run away, they’re KO or the
joke’s on them.
Within the story, if the Fortune Master described a group of soldiers as a
Critical Enemy and you hit them once, the Fortune Master could say a couple
of them are down, or maybe one is down and another one is taking them away,
or simply you’ve beaten them enough that they’re starting to lose confidence.
If you don’t have the patience to hit your enemies three times, there are a
couple ways to get rid of them quickly:
HEADSHOT!: If you roll a Higher Success than needed (i.e. a Critical Success
against a Basic Enemy, or an Extreme Success against a Critical Enemy) it
means you hit their weak spot. The Enemy goes KO with a single, well placed
blow.
TELL ME YOU SAW THAT!: If you roll a Higher Success two levels above
the one you need (Extreme Success against Basic Enemies, Impossible Success
against a Critical one) you manage to knock out ALL Enemies of that kind
in one fell swoop. You might have shot an explosive barrel or demolished the
scaffolding they were standing on. Doesn’t matter, you better hope somebody
saw you doing that. That stuff doesn’t happen every day.
C atching a beating
If an Enemy hits you, you lose the appropriate number of Luck Points depend-
ing on their difficulty, as if you were dealing with a Danger. Some Enemies
are particularly dangerous or well-equipped and they can inflict Bad Feelings,
but let’s put a pin in that. Keep in mind that Adventurers who fail rely on their
Luck to dodge the consequences. So you could describe it as an Adventurer
not getting hit, successfully deflecting the blow, getting grazed by a bullet, or
overall not being afflicted by the hit.

BRAWL
Each time you face an Enemy in hand to hand combat, with or without
weapons, you’re in a Brawl.
And I say face because if all you want to do is run, that is not a Brawl
but an assault, and you’re dealing more with a Danger to avoid than with
an Enemy.
Anyway, if you find yourself in the middle of a Brawl and want to fight,
all you need to do is choose a Skill, roll your dice with all applicable
Advantages and Disadvantages as you normally would.
With this one roll you’ll determine whether you manage to hit the
enemy or if you’re the one to take the lumps.
First of all, you have to understand who’s participating in the Brawl. In

some situations, Adventurers might have the chance to choose whether to
enter the fray or not, other times the Fortune Master might decide that
you’re all caught in the flurry of blows, ready or not.
Be it as it may, there’s only one rule to these fights: if you try to hit, you
risk being hit. So, if all Adventurers are facing a Critical Enemy together
and they ALL decide to fight, they ALL risk being hit and have to defend
themselves.
Each Adventurer taking part in the Brawl rolls the dice. If they get a
Success that is equal or higher than needed, it means they hit the Enemy
or even knock them out. If they don’t get the required Success, they risk
being seriously hurt and have to lose Luck Points as if they had failed
when facing a Danger. The normal rules for Damage Control still apply.
Once all Adventurers have rolled the dice, if an Enemy is still standing,
then they go for another round (or attempt to escape).
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If an Adventurer remains out of the Brawl but have a ranged weapon, they
can try to hit the Enemies by rolling a Shoot Task. To do this, they get 2
Disadvantages and, in case of failure, all Adventurers within the Brawl lose
one Luck Point.
U nusual S kills
Usually, during a fight, you use the Fight Skill. I’m stating the obvious
here because it’s not necessarily true.
If an Adventurer wants to face the Brawl using a creative approach,
they might ask the Fortune Master to roll for a different Skill to try and
not get hurt, or even to hurt the Enemies.
For example, when the Enemies attack, you may decide to put your
hands up and go, “Now, gentlemen, there is no need for violence here”. If
the Fortune Master thinks your Enemy is stupid enough, or drunk enough
to fall for it, they could ask you to roll an Eloquence task (maybe in the Guts
Field!). Otherwise they can say that trained soldiers or a bear don’t really
pay attention to what you say, and they’ll have you fall back on the classic
Fight roll.
If you do roll for Eloquence and get the necessary Success, it means you
weren’t hit. The Fortune Master might even say that you distracted the
Enemy enough that somebody else manages to take them from behind:
congratulations, your Eloquence reaped a victim.
You should generally avoid turning to unusual Skills just to roll a couple
more dice. The final decision falls on the Fortune Master and the other
Players, who must use their logic and common sense. Usually, if something
seems right, it probably is, and if it doesn’t sound so good... roll for Fight.
One last thing: if the Adventurers are not the first to throw a punch, or if
the Brawl takes them by surprise, the first roll must always be a Fight task.

ENEMIES, BIG ONES
At the worst possible time, when you feel like
you barely got away with it, here comes the
big bald guy, ripping his shirt off and squar-
ing up to you. People like him are worth two
LENDING A HAND or three normal goons, and it’s not just a fig-
DURING A BRAWL ure of speech.
If you and a friend are in
a Brawl together, you can In cases like this, a single opponent might
try to help each other as actually count as two or three Enemies on
you would with normal their own.
Dangers, but there’s a You manage these Enemies like all the
difference. If one of you others, it’s just about how you describe it.
rolls 2 Successes and the
other rolled none, the When an opponent is big enough to be two
one who succeeds can or three Enemies, you need to act exactly as if
choose whether to hit you were facing two or three Enemies.
twice and let their friend
catch a beating, or they For example, a brute that’s 7 feet tall and just
can choose to use one of as wide is worth 3 Critical Enemies, so you
the Successes to protect deal with him as you would deal with 3 sep-
them. In the end you only arate Critical Enemies. If you roll a Critical
hit the Enemy once, but Success you hit him once, and if you roll an
both of you manage not Extreme Success you hit him bad enough
to lose Luck Points. that he’s down to being 2 Critical Enemies.
And if you roll an Impossible Success, you
If an Adventurer rolls knock him out with one blow. Wham, bam,
a Higher Success, they thank you ma’am.
can choose whether to
knockout an Enemy or BRINGING A GUN TO A
protect all their friends. FISTFIGHT
You can fight in a Brawl bare-handed or with
a weapon, usually it makes no difference, but
if you wield a weapon you have Expertise
with it will allow you to use a Re-roll.
Additionally, if an unarmed Adventurer
is facing many Enemies, they might get a
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Disadvantage and, on the other hand, an Adventurer with a weapon fighting
against an unarmed Enemy might get an Advantage.
You can also use guns (except rifles) during a Brawl. In such cases your reflexes
are more important than your aim, and for this reason you will need to roll
under Fight rather than the usual Shoot Skill.
Using a gun in a Brawl, you can Empty the Mag to gain an Advantage, or end
up with a useless weapon if you fail. Yes, so long as the Brawl is ongoing you
cannot reload your weapon. You can, however, use a Basic Success or higher to
draw another gun out and use a Critical Success to draw two of them, so long
as you also succeeded against your Enemy. Otherwise you’re kind of too busy
to do that.
Remember, fighting bare-handed allows you to knockout an enemy without

killing them. Weapons of whatever kind are always lethal and leave a mess.
Don’t get me started on the mess a firearm makes!
SHOOT-OUT
You know the situation where someone shouts “Freeze!”, but you draw your gun,
grit your teeth and roll behind a fence as it gets riddled with bullets, waiting for
the right moment to return fire? Those situations are what we call Shoot-outs.
Shoot-outs are divided into two turns. One for you to shoot, one for you to
dodge the bullets and stay alive. Quite easy, right?
After you and the Fortune Master decided who shot first, you and your
Enemy are ready to roll.
WE SHOOT
When you shoot at an Enemy, you roll a Shoot Task trying to hit them. As
before, if you want to do something different or unusual, you can roll a Shoot
task in a different Field. For example, if you try to shoot at the hook of some
heavy machinery to have it fall on the enemies, you could roll a Shoot task
under Knowledge. In some, rarer, circumstances, you can even find ways to hit
far away enemies without using a ranged weapon, hence using another Skill
for the roll. For example, you could send a car rolling at full speed from a
ramp to have it collide with the Enemies and jump off of it at the last second,
and it would be a very clever Drive task to roll during a Shoot-out. But don’t
go getting ideas.
If you fail to reach the required Success to hit at least one Enemy, you won’t
lose Luck Points, but ammunition. If you’re using a firearm, this means you
run out of bullets and need to change the mag. If you were using a car...
Well, sorry to say but it won’t be drivable anymore. I hope you had insur-
ance, but as an Adventurer I doubt it. People like you probably aren’t eligible
for insurance anymore.
If you roll several Successes, you can hit an Enemy multiple times,
but you can always choose to use your Successes to do some-
thing else. For example, you can use a Basic Success to reach
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partial Cover or recharge a weapon by using a mag you keep in your Pockets
or Bag, or one you have at hand (not in the Backpack). You can also use a
Basic Success to exchange weapons, pick up a weapon from the ground or
carry out simple secondary actions.
If you want to reach total Cover during a turn, you don’t need any Successes,
but you can’t attack the Enemy. You can, however, do something else. Any
action taken during the same turn as you are getting behind total Cover gets
one Disadvantage, as do any movement actions you take while remaining
behind total Cover.
There are different kinds of ranged weapons: they can be hand-held or cum-
bersome, they can be silent or... explosive. The rule here is that any heavy
automatic weapon, namely all weapons you can’t lift from the ground or can’t
carry because of their weight, always offer 2 Advantages, and explosive weap-
ons can even grant 3. These weapons also have a cartridge, which is the same
as one mag, or single-use ammunitions (like grenades, rockets, etc.) and you
need to keep track of them.

E mptying the mag
It doesn’t matter how many bullets you
shoot and how many you have left. So long
as you Succeed, your weapon keeps shooting
and that’s fine. Failure in a Shoot task means
you Emptied the Mag and didn’t manage to
GUNS AKIMBO hit the target or that you are just plain shot
You just learned how out. You need to reload!
to use a gun and you
already want to go dual But there are times when you can choose to
wielding? I knew I liked Empty the Mag on purpose and with posi-
you for a reason! To go tive results.
guns akimbo, you need
an Expertise with one If you say you want to Empty the Mag, you
kind of firearm, be it get an Advantage for your next task but,
Pistol or Revolver, either it goes without saying, you will also find
will allow you to do it. yourself out of bullets on the next turn and
When wielding two you’ll need to reload. The good news is this
guns, you can’t take any Advantage might be the one you needed to
action requiring a free get the Basic Success that will allow you to
hand, like holding onto a reload, so long as you have another mag at
rope. On the other hand, hand. Or not.
you can keep shooting
for as long as you have Another good reason to Empty the Mag on
one loaded gun, and purpose is to give someone Cover Fire. To
you can even choose provide Cover Fire, you need to Empty the
to empty both clips Mag but you get no Advantage, on the con-
simultaneously, gaining trary you have to shoot at a Disadvantage.
two Advantages. Isn’t But in return, all your friends who didn’t
that cool? reach Cover, still have the same advantag-
es they would have gotten if they did. But
careful: you don’t.
| 124
THEY SHOOT
You can’t always be the one doing the shooting. Your turn will come to be
the target. After you and your friends have taken your turn, or when your
enemies are the ones to set off the Shoot-out, they get a turn to try shooting
at you.
During your Enemies’ turn, the Fortune Master will decide what happens
and the Adventurers need to roll the appropriate tasks to avoid being hit,
losing Luck Points, or worse.
Here the typical Skill used to get behind cover, throw yourself to the
ground and generally to dodge bullets is Stunt.
As before, you can always try to describe an unusual action that will allow
you to use the Stunt Skill in a different Field, or to use a different Skill
entirely. This is not so common, but they do happen from time to time and
are completely dependent on the surrounding terrain and the Adventurers’
creativity.
For example, if you’re being shot at and you try to jump aside, you have
to use the Stunt Skill in the Action Field, but if you jump off a bridge and
into the river you might have to use the Stunt Skill in the Wild Field. And
if you want to lower the lever to have a load of crates fall between you and
the bullets, then you might have to use the Dexterity Skill in the Guts Field.
Whichever Skill you put to the test; you need to roll for the required Success
to avoid losing Luck Points. If you get a Higher Success, you might even
manage to counter the Enemy fire with your own, so long as you have a
loaded weapon or any way to hurt them.
And, as always, you can use an extra Basic Success to reload, pick up or
change a weapon.

HELP DURING A G etting behind C over
SHOOT-OUT Very well, now that you’ve shot your shot, don’t
Even during a Shoot-out, just stand there looking at the bullets coming
you can try to help your your way. You know your Enemies didn’t really
friends. During your turn appreciate the lead and probably will want to
to shoot, the only thing return the favor. In your shoes, I’d try to reach
you can do is use a Basic Cover as soon as possible if you want to survive!
Success to toss a weapon
to someone, or a Critical If you take no other action, or if you roll an
Success to throw a friend additional Basic Success, you can choose to
behind Partial Cover. reach Cover. Being behind Cover gives you
several important advantages that can be cru-
During the enemy’s cial to your survival in a shoot-out.
turn, you can use your
own Successes to protect There are two fundamental types of cover:
friends just like you partial and total. Partial Cover protects you
would during a brawl. We less, but leaves you more freedom of action,
literally talked about it one while Total Cover protects you completely so
page ago, go read it if you long as you sit tight.
forgot.
Partial C over
During a Shoot-out, you Using a Basic Success you can reach Partial
can also jump in front of a Cover, by rolling behind a fence, flipping a
bullet that would hit one sturdy table, crouching behind a car or even
of your friends, so long as grabbing a poor passerby and using them as
you rolled the necessary a human shield. So long as you are behind
Success and they didn’t. Partial Cover, you gain one Advantage dur-
If you do it, you lose the ing the Enemy’s turn to shoot.
same amount of Luck If you decide to reach Cover, you’re almost
Points they would have certainly going to use the Stunt Skill, since
and get the Bad Feeling Enemies are shooting at you as you finish
“Bleeding” on top of your turn and go behind cover. Depending
it. If you were already on the type of cover available, you might also
“Bleeding”, you get an need to roll for different Skills, like Tough or
additional relevant Bad Fight to grab a human shield.
Feeling. When you start your turn behind Partial
Cover, you can choose to remain there and
| 126
make your attack with a Disadvantage, or
leave Cover and act normally, while hoping
to roll that additional Basic Success to reach
a different Cover.
Total C over SNEAK ATTACK

Total Cover is something like a thick wall, a If you attack an unaware
statue, or any other large obstacle that hides Enemy, whether with
you completely while standing between you your bare hands or with
and the Enemy. a firearm, the truth is,
During your turn to shoot, you can you aren’t even facing an
choose not to attack and try to reach Total Enemy.
Cover, if it is available. If you choose to do
this, you can take any action that isn’t attack- To make a sneak attack
ing the enemy, and you can only move with you need to face a
a Disadvantage. While behind Total Cover, Challenge with the goal
you take no action during the Enemy’s turn to knock your opponent
to shoot and they can’t hit you in any way un- out. In this situation, the
less they move toward you. In addition, you Fortune Master decides
can reach items and mags in your Backpack. the difficulty of the
Challenge, and can make
If you start your attack turn behind Total it public or not.
Cover, you can take any action that isn’t at-
tacking the Enemy without losing the bene- Succeeding in passing
fits of the Cover and with no Disadvantage. this Challenge means
If you want, you can freely move to get away you knocked the
or move around the enemies, but if you face opponent out without
any Challenge during this movement (for ex- the need to hit them
ample, if you need to climb) you have to roll three times or roll for a
for it with a Disadvantage or find yourself out higher Success.
in the open.
R un
Some say, “Live to fight another day”.
If the situation is dire, there’s no shame in
retreat. No, really, run. Nothing wrong with
it. I’m serious.

SCENE #8 - FIGHT
FORTUNE MASTER
“Why, thank you.” you hear your Rival coming into the
cave with a handful of armed men. “We couldn’t have
done it without you. Now, if you don’t mind, hand me the
manuscript.”
LAURA
I put the manuscript in my bag and grab my gun.
STONE
“Come and get it if you really want.” I try to keep him
occupied as I step to the rock where I left my rifle.
LAURA
“What are you doing?”
FORTUNE MASTER
“Ah, yes. See, I don’t think
you’re in the position to make
demands,” the Rival gestures to his
men and you find yourselves looking
down the barrels of several rifles:
“There’s two of you and ten of us...”
Meanwhile, Stone has reached his rifle behind a boulder
and nobody but Laura has noticed.
LAURA
I see what he wants to do. I don’t want to give him away,
but I try to shake my head “no”. That’s not a good idea.
| 128
STONE
I reply to Laura’s worried look with a wink and talk to
the Rival “To tell you the truth, there’s three of us! Me,
Doctor Benoit... and my little friend.” I shoulder the rifle
and shoot at the men. Just to be sure, I’ll Empty the Clip
on them!
[Rolls a SHOOT task. Rolls 7 dice (5 for his Diamonds, 1 for

the Advantage granted by the rifle, and 1 for Emptying the
mag) and gets 2 CRITICAL Successes].
FORTUNE MASTER
Your Rival’s men are a CRITICAL Enemy and so you hit them
twice! You’re out of bullets, but the barrage takes the
Enemies by surprise. Three to four of them fall to the
ground and those still standing are eager to return fire.
It’s their turn to shoot!
STONE
[Chooses to roll a STUNT task to dodge the bullets. Rolls 5
dice (3 for the Diamonds in ACTION, 2 for those in STUNT) and
gets 1 CRITICAL and 1 BASIC Success]
Didn’t expect anything less. I roll behind the rock. With

my CRITICAL Success, I dodge the bullets and I use the
BASIC Success to reach Partial Cover!
LAURA
I hug my bag and try to roll behind cover too.
[Chooses to roll a STUNT task. Rolls 5 dice (2 for the

Diamonds in ACTION, 3 for those in STUNT) and gets 2 BASIC.
Given the situation, she decides to Risk it, but gets no ad-
ditional Successes, hence losing one of her BASIC Successes.
Final result: 1 BASIC Success]

FORTUNE MASTER
Laura, you needed a CRITICAL Success, so this is a failure!
You get low to the ground, trying to avoid the bullets, but
don’t make it in time and find yourself out in the open. One
of the enemies is aiming at you, finger on the trigger and
ready to shoot, but your Rival’s hand stops them, lowering
the rifle.
“Idiot, you’d risk ruining the manuscript!” That’s the only
reason you’re safe, and you owe it to your lucky star and
your enemy. You should lose 3 Luck Points but since you
rolled a BASIC Success, you only lose 2!
The Rival shouts at their men,
“Stop shooting! Get me that damned book!” The men lower
their rifles and move in.
Even unarmed, they’re still a CRITICAL Enemy.
STONE
“Take the book away! I’ll deal with them.” I step between
Laura and the enemies to cover her retreat.
LAURA
I don’t want to leave Stone, but I can’t risk the Rival
getting their hands on the manuscript either. I nod and run
away, but instead of leaving him I want to hide behind the
first large rock I find.
[Makes a STEALTH task. Rolls 5 dice (2 for the Diamonds in

CRIME, 3 for those in STEALTH) and gets 1 CRITICAL and 1 BASIC
Success]
With the CRITICAL Success I get out of harm’s way and hide
somewhere. Since I also rolled a BASIC Success, I use it to
open the manuscript and start reading. I could lose this at
any moment, so I better take advantage of every second!
STONE
I’m not going to back down just because I’m outnumbered. I
try to fight them best as I can with the unloaded rifle and
dodge their punches. Doesn’t matter if I get hit, I’m just
playing decoy.
| 130
[Makes a FIGHT task. Rolls 5 dice (6 for his Diamonds,
minus 1 for the Disadvantage he gets for being so great-
ly outnum bered by armed Enemies) and gets 1 CRITICAL
Success]
FORTUNE MASTER
You both Succeeded. Laura manages to hide, open the
manuscript and start reading. The pages are written in
some ancient language, looks like Sumerian. It’ll take
some time (and a good roll for Culture) to decipher
anything. Meanwhile, Stone rolled a CRITICAL Success,
that’s enough to parry the enemy attacks and deal some
in return. This is the third and final blow this Enemy
can withstand! Despite their num ber, the Rival’s men
fall one after the other under Stone’s well-placed
kicks and punches. The enemies are beat, and they fall
all around, while he still stands, staggering. Your
Rival won’t give up yet, though. More men come from the
tunnel
“Come on, you useless idiots! Can’t you see they’re
getting away?” Better start running.

DANGERS AND
ENEMIES THAT HURT
I see you smiling there. Think you already know everything and you can’t
get hurt so long as Luck’s on your side, right? Well, when you think you
know it all and feel like you’re completely safe, you’re usually wrong. As
you are now.
It’s true that often the worst that can happen to you when you fail is losing
some Luck Points or, if you’re in really big trouble, you have to use a Luck
Coin. But sometimes, Luck can only do so much, and after a failure you
find yourself with a Bad Feeling. Don’t you pout at me. You don’t know
what would have happened to you were it not for the lucky star watching
over you.
If you fail when facing Critical or higher Challenges, Dangers or Enemies,

the Fortune Master might decide that losing Luck Points is not enough,
and what happens leaves you with a Bad Feeling. For example, if you fail
a Cool task you could become Scared, and if you fail when trying to help a
friend, the results might leave you Shocked.
If a rocket explodes a few yards off and sends you flying in the air, you can
easily end up Broken, and if a crocodile gets a hold of your leg, you bet
you’re going to be Bleeding. General rule here is that the Fortune Master
should inflict Bad Feelings when an Adventurer fails miserably at the task,
when there’s really no way they come out from the experience unscathed,
or when the situation is so dire that, all in all, you can call yourself lucky
for escaping with just a Bad Feeling.
Consider, as a guideline, that Dangers and Enemies that could pierce

through an Adventurer - like traps with big stakes or a Gatling gun - can
inflict the Bad Feeling “Bleeding”, as can Enemies armed with sharp
weapons and the techniques to use them.
Dangers and Enemies that involve hard impacts, like a fall from a great
height or an armored truck hitting you at full speed, the shock-wave from
| 132
an explosion or a huge boxer from Russia who “must break you”, can all
inflict the “Broken” Feeling.
Bad Feelings aren’t just there to give you Disadvantages, they are, all in
all, the only indicator of the physical conditions your Adventurer is in.
Getting a Bad Feeling is also a good way to remember that even Luck has
its limits, and that if you bite off more than you can chew, you’re going to
have trouble swallowing the consequences.
So be careful!

EXAMPLES OF
DANGERS AND
ENEMIES
The specific shape of a Danger or an Enemy only matters to the plot, so
Dangers and Enemies could be of any difficulty depending on the circum-
stances. As a rule of thumb, you can’t go wrong with one or two Critical
Enemies/Dangers, but in the long run they get boring, so here are a few
examples.
A small trap door that opens suddenly [1 Basic Danger]
A pack of rabid dogs surrounds you [3 Basic Enemies]
A beam falls on you and you have to do your best to get dodge our of the
way. Meanwhile, a guy of dubious ethics draws a gun to shoot at you [1
Basic + 1 Critical Dangers]
A punk pulls out their brass knuckles and cracks their neck [1 Basic Enemy]
A couple mercenaries knock their pistols and attack you [1 Critical Enemy]
Two huge blades come out of the walls and crisscross the corridor repeatedly
[2 Critical Dangers]
A jeep comes towards you and tries to run you over, while a soldier is shoot-
ing at you with a machine gun from the car roof [1 Basic Danger + 1 Critical
Enemy, being run over leaves you Broken]
You’re walking on a thin wooden beam with a bag of gold in each hand. The
beam breaks and you have to jump to the other side [1 Critical Danger, + 2
Basic Dangers, each regarding your grip on one of the bags of gold]
A dozen gun-wielding men of ill intentions break in, guns blazing [3 Critical
Enemies]
| 134
A thug steals your Key and jumps off a waterfall. You follow suit without
hesitation to get them [1 Critical Danger + 1 Critical Enemy]
An armored mercenary grabs the handles of a Gatling gun and takes po-
sition right in front of the only exit [3 Critical Enemies, if you don’t roll at
least 2 Critical Successes, you become Bleeding]
The armored mercenary with the Gatling has a friend, as big as the first one
[1 Extreme Enemy, if they hit you, you become Bleeding]
Fire comes spewing out of the walls in huge blazes, burning the air [1
Extreme Danger that can cause Shocked or Scared]
A soldier who’s clearly over it grabs a rocket launcher and fires at you [1
Extreme Danger, if you’re hit, you become Broken]
A guy built like a tank and his goons get out their metal bats and come at
you [1 Extreme + 2 Basic Enemies]
As you’re running away from the palace, the road is sinking into a river
of magma and the enemy artillery is not holding back either [2 Extreme
Dangers, if you fail, you become Bleeding]
A chopper hits the ground, rolling like a ball of fire in your direction...
While you’re busy having a fistfight with a soldier that looks more like a
bear [1 Extreme Danger + 2 Critical Enemies]
The room seals up and is filling with water. You are on a ship that is already
more than 100 meters underneath the surface [1 Impossible Danger, if you
fail, you become Shocked]
A spotlight strikes you. You’re surrounded by an army of soldiers and armed

tanks [1 Impossible Enemy, if you fail, you become Bleeding or Broken]

END OF AN
ADVENTURER
We both knew this chapter had to come sooner or later. By now I’m quite fond
of your arrogant grin and that smug weasel face, I’d be saddened to hear you
went out only to find the end of your road. Still, such is life in the World: for
every hundred who go Adventuring, only one gets to the Treasure!
When you’re Out of Luck and you’ve finished your Luck Coins, you can’t
afford to make any mistakes. If you Fail when facing a Danger or an Enemy,
then it’s the end for real. I’m talking Certain Death.
CERTAIN DEATH
Adventurers who face Certain Death maybe fell down a bottomless precipice,
got stuck in the chopper as it went crashing into the ground or got hit by one
too many bullets. To put it bluntly, their Adventure has come to an end. At
this time more than ever, the Fortune Master should consult the Adventurers,
especially the Adventurer facing Certain Death, and let them have a heroic,
memorable end.
Adventurers don’t just die, they fight to the end, and even when they lose,
they lose like heroes!
When an Adventurer faces Certain Death, the Player gives the Sheet to the
Fortune Master for future memory and can choose to join the Adventure in
the guise of a new Adventurer or take control of one of the Extras previously
introduced by the Fortune Master.
COMING BACK FROM THE DEAD

The funny thing about Certain Death is that it’s all but certain. An Adventurer
is never really gone until they’ve been buried six feet under. That’s why most
Adventurers prefer throwing themselves down a precipice or disappearing in
the ocean and, generally, they go to great lengths to make it so their bodies
are never found.
| 136
If an Adventurer faces Certain Death, the only thing that’s sure is that we
won’t be seeing them for a while.
But nothing stops them from coming back from the dead with a hell of a
story about their miraculous survival. This sort of thing happens all the time!
But we will talk about this in the “Growth” chapter of Section 5 - Hunting
for Treasures.

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SECTION 5
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES
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THE JOURNEY
BEGINS
Look at you! A few chapters ago you were just a pup full of hopes with no
idea of where to start, and now you already know how to fill out your Sheet
and face Challenges, Dangers and Enemies.
I knew it. You’re a born Adventurer, and how could you be any less? You
have and know all you need to get out there and show the world what you’re
made of. But now for the fun part!
If you’re ready, we can open the door and take a look at what awaits you out
there. Who are your friends, what Treasure are you looking for and why?
Where does your journey begin, where will it take you and what roads will
you travel? How many traps and Enemies are scattered along the road to
your destiny? And who has the guts and the nerve to be your Rival?
We will answer these questions one at a time, blazing the trail until all
that’s left is for you to travel it.
Remember, it’s not about where you come from or where you’re going: the
important thing is what you’re looking for. Numbers do not define you: your
actions in the game and the Risks you’re willing to face to go home with the
Treasure say much more about you. Journey, discover and act, don’t fret too
much about your past or future. What matters is the Adventure, and the
Adventure is now!
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WHAT 'S IN STORE
This section of the rulebook has all you need to know to create and face a great
Adventure.
Over the coming pages we will see:
EPISODES AND SEASONS: Each game session for BROKEN

COMPASS is called an Episode. A cohesive set of Episodes makes up
a Season. We’ll look at the best way to structure Episodes and Seasons,
in order to keep your players coming back to the table and make each
story a success.
GROWTH: The Story shapes the Adventurers just as much as they

shape the Story. A breathtaking journey has its consequences: beautiful
Experiences and terrible Scars will change you forever. Growth will
make you better, stronger, and ready to face new adventures.
RIVALS AND EXTRAS: Adventurers aren’t the only ones traveling

through jungles and snowy mountains. You’ll meet several others, some
friendly and some less so. Extras are all the secondary characters, both
allies and enemies, created by the Fortune Master. The most fearsome
among your opponents is going to be your Rival.
CLUES AND TREASURE: A good Treasure is like the horizon:

self-evident and unreachable. Clues are the only way to reach the
Treasure and complete your life’s work.
No Clues means no Treasure, and no Treasure means no Adventure.
TRAVEL DIARY: To keep track of all that has happened in the past
Episodes, of the Clues, Extras and Rivals you found, and of your most
important Assets, you’ll need a Travel Diary: a group sheet that sums
up the whole Adventure in just one page.
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ACTION!
I’ll say it one last time: you’re not at the movies, but it’s like you’re in a movie.
Your Adventure will be fast-paced, action-packed, and adrenaline-charged,
and most importantly, it never stops. What’s going to happen to you will be
so engaging that you’re going to feel like you’re in an Episode of your favorite
TV series.
Whenever you and your friends sit at the table with the Fortune Master to go
Treasure hunting, you are all part of an Episode. A typical Broken Compass
Episode lasts between 2 and 4 hours, but it can last any amount of time de-
pending on your other commitments, your life and your preference.
A series of Episodes one after the other makes up a Season, a self-standing

story that usually takes you in search of a specific Treasure.
Ideally, a Season lasts 3 to 6 Episodes, and can be easily linked to a Sequel,
Prequel, or Spin-off.
Many Seasons with the same Adventurers as protagonists or following the
same story are like a movie saga that can last decades, or until you run out of
stories to tell.
The Fortune Master has the task of organizing the Episodes and the Season
in such a way as to give the Adventurers a unique and engaging story to live.
However, a good Episode or a well-crafted Season are built with enough ad-
aptability that they can make room for any choices and suggestions from the
Players. The key is to understand what the fundamental elements of the story
are, what makes an Episode exciting, what keeps them coming. Don’t worry,
we will talk about this in a second. But first...
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IMPROVISE. ADAPT. OVERCOME.
It’s only right for a Fortune Master to know this. And it’s better for me to tell
you now, than for you to learn about it when you’re up to your neck in troubles.
You are not Destiny. More like, a sort of Fate that’s also at the mercy of Fate.
Your job is not writing a whole story and making sure it runs just like you
planned. Each Player has their part to play, and yours is just a little different.
But you’re still here to have fun, above all, to suggest ideas and listen to others.
You don’t have all the power, you don’t carry all the weight, and this is good
because, believe me: nothing goes as planned!
Even the best written, most organized Episode can go askew. There’s no tam-
ing the Adventure, so why even try? The Fortune Master doesn’t need to
know it all, but they must be ready for anything!
No shade: Adventurers are just like that, you never know what they’re
going to poke their noses into or which lead they’re going to follow.
There is not one way to be a good Fortune Master, but there are three rules
to help you stand up to the challenge.
IMPROVISE: Explore beyond limits, make it up as you go. If you’re

struggling to come up with something, don’t panic! Ask the Adventurers
or just take a deep breath. The beauty of the game is that everyone can
chime in, and they all know you’re not all-knowing. Why would they
expect that?
ADAPT: Follow the Adventurers’ reasoning, humor their ideas and

play with them. If they take a completely different road from what you
planned, it’s not a mistake! Just an excuse to follow the first rule.
OVERCOME: Whatever you do, do not stop. Add irons to the fire,
take a note of it and press on. Your first idea doesn’t have to be perfect;
you can always make adjustments along the way. Once you’ve reached
the other side of the problem, you can take your time to puzzle it out
together. Everything will make sense in the end, and if it doesn’t, it’s
not the end of the world.
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EPISODES
Every time you and your friends get together to continue the story and spend
some hours Adventuring, you’re playing an Episode.
A good Episode in BROKEN COMPASS is like the column of a temple: it

must be well-grounded and self-standing.
Each Scene is like a stone block, placed on top of its predecessor while trying
not to cause a collapse. These stacking stone blocks represent the EPISODIC
PLOT of an Episode. They are, in other words, the fundamental facts that
compose the beginning, middle and end of a single Episode.
An Episode with a good episodic plot can “stand on its own”, making it
easier for it to be entertaining and memorable. If you manage to put a finely
decorated capital on top of the pillar, something exciting in the finale, well,
then you did your job to perfection. It doesn’t matter if the temple will never
be finished, a good column is still a piece of art worth admiring!
When you decide you want to build a set of columns one after the other,
building them as self-standing won’t be enough. The Episodes need to be able
to support a RUNNING PLOT. Just like a massive architrave placed on top
of a colonnade, the running plot goes through all the Episodes and can only
be appreciated in its entirety by going through the whole Season.
Episodes with a good running plot are like a series of well-lined columns, they
all play an equal part in supporting the weight of the architrave. Discovering
such a well-crafted temple, where stories big and small come one after the
other, pieced together to create a strong storyline, is a rare and unforgettable
experience.
Too much episodic , too much running

An Episode containing too much episodic plot might seem majestic, like a
column reaching for the sky, but is not a good support to build the rest of the
temple on. This type of Episode can work really well as a stand-alone, not as
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part of a Season, where it runs the risk of becoming awkward and breaking
the pace of the running plot.
An Episode containing too much running plot, on the other hand, is like a
metal beam. It might hold the architrave up exactly in the right place, but
it’s an eyesore! If an Episode holds too much running plot, you run the risk
of it being useful only as a steppingstone for revelations and plot twists in
the Episodes to come. But BROKEN COMPASS is a game that hinges on
Adventure, and the Adventure is now! Adventurers really can’t sit and wait
patiently to see how the storyline unfolds while twiddling their thumbs.
T he right balance
A good Episode holds equal elements of running and episodic plot, allowing
Players to find interesting things to live in the present that are tied to the past
and projected into the future. For example, an Episode might show a team of
Adventurers taking on a dangerous job and being betrayed by their employer
(episodic plot), and in the same Episode the Adventurers might discover a
thousand-year-old cult, seeking the Treasure (running plot).
The next Episode might tell about how, after the betrayal, the Adventurers
find themselves lost in the jungle and meeting with an indigenous tribe who
worship the Treasure (running plot). This tribe, however, has been enslaved
and is being exploited, so the Adventurers have to free them (episodic plot).
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PILOT
I don’t quite remember: Did I tell you already about how BROKEN COMPASS
hinges on Adventure and Adventure is now?
So, while we’re here wasting time, the Adventure is out there, and nothing
can stop it. If you’re sure about who you are and where you’re going, all the
better, but if you still have any doubts there is one thing you shouldn’t do: stop
and think about it as the Adventure escapes.
What you can do is start playing a Pilot.
Pilots are special introductory Episodes that can take place months or years
before the rest of the Season. They usually explore the reason that led you to
become an Adventurer or drove your crew together for the journey. The best
thing about the Pilot is that it can be improvised in a few easy steps.
1. C hoose a location and time

The Fortune Master might suggest a few options for the Adventurers to
choose from, or better yet let them decide and just enjoy the ride.
You can choose a very specific location (i.e. Panama), something vague
(i.e. China), or just a general environment (i.e. somewhere cold and icy)
You can chose a time that has been explored in our manuals (like 1999 and
Golden Age), or any other historical period.
Choosing a location and time should only take a few seconds: think about
it as if you had a last-minute offer for a plane to take you anywhere you want
in time and space... But that only lasts for a minute!
2. F ill in your S heet

Now each Adventurer can fill in their Sheet based on just four pieces of
information: where they are, when they are, what they want and what the
other players want. As the Adventurers fill in their Diamonds and choose
Expertises, the Fortune Master has a few minutes to crack an encyclopedia
open and read up on the place and time you chose (if they need it).
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3. C hoose a T reasure
Once you’re all reasonably sure of who you are, where and when you’re go-
ing, it’s time to decide why you’re all traveling there. You should come to-
gether and decide on the Treasure you’re searching for. You can call on what
you know, what you can imagine or what the Fortune Master found during
their encyclopedia dive.
The Treasure can be something very specific (i.e. the Holy Grail) or
something vague (i.e. the source of eternal life), and it can be based on
something historical or be your own creation. In Section 6 - 1999, you can
find all you need to randomly choose a Treasure compatible with that era.
4. K now your R ival

If there’s a Treasure, there’s someone who already thought about grabbing
it, especially since you all started your journey some four minutes ago. It’s
up to the Adventurers to decide who’s their rival, or they can choose to leave
it up to fate and roll a couple of dice with the table you can find further on.
The Fortune Master can decide whether the Adventurers already know their
Rival by fame or previous encounters, or not.
5. D ecide your relationships

Going around the table, each Adventurer can say a couple of sentences to
clarify their relationship with one or more of their friends. For example,
one Adventurer might say “I’ve been best friends with Stone since forever”.
Anything they say in this phase is automatically true, but this is not to say
that, on his turn, Stone can’t say “That one has been following me since
forever, saying we’re best friends, and I don’t know how to get rid of them”.
6. F inal touches
To conclude, each Adventurer can ask for a single object they think will
be useful or interesting in the story, and the Fortune Master can distribute
other items that will be relevant to the plot.
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7. F inal review
The previous six steps should take you no
more than fifteen minutes, since, if it wasn’t
already clear, the Adventure is now. Not in
half an hour.
After all is said and done, the Fortune
A RIGHT NOT Master has to take a deep breath and a couple
TO KNOW of minutes to evaluate all the information at
As the Fortune Master, their disposal. They should sum up in a few
you should try not to sentences the starting point of the story and
panic and to have fun present all the elements you have decided to-
with all the others. As an gether to set in motion the first scene of the
Adventurer, you should Pilot.
keep in mind that a few
minutes ago the Fortune The beauty of a Pilot is that nothing is final
Master had no idea about and you can always change details, even after
the story behind the it is finished.
Pilot, so they won’t have After the Pilot, the Players can decide if
all the answers and they they want to develop a Season from it, they
won’t know everything. can each point out something they didn’t like
This is true when you’re and suggest improvements to make the story
playing the Pilot, more cohesive. At the same time, after the
but also for all other Pilot, the Adventurers can choose to change
Episodes. Adventurers their Tags, Expertises or Personal Data as
are responsible for the they see fit. After all, Pilots are made for a
story they are creating reason: to see what works and what doesn’t
together, and they must before you roll out a whole Season.
realize the Fortune
Master is probably If you want one example of ready-to-play
making it up as they go, Pilot, which you can still customize to your
and rightly so! liking, well, you’re in luck. You can find it at
the end of this book.
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TOO MANY,
ALONE
If you ask me, the right number of Players for a game of BROKEN COMPASS
is between 4 and 5 (Fortune Master included). If there’s more or fewer of you,
well, no problem. You just need to take a couple of small steps to ensure you
have the best experience.
A C rowd of A dventurers
If at your table there are 5 Adventurers, you should be careful on how you
allocate Tags, and you should try and make it so no Adventurers share a Tag
with someone else as they fill in their Sheets. This way it will be easier for each
of you to have their moment in the spotlight.
With 6 or more Adventurers the best thing to do is act as if you were two
separate groups of 3 to 4 Adventurers, at least when you’ll be facing Dangers
and Enemies. Dividing the Adventurers into two groups simplifies the help
network and makes fights easier and more streamlined, creating two smaller
Brawls or Shoot-outs instead of a giant, complex one.
This separation is a small alteration to the normal way of playing but al-
lows you to keep a better balance with the Dangers and eases the calculations
regarding Difficulties.
A lon e A dventurer
If you only have 2 Adventurers, well no biggie, they’ll manage! But if you have a
lone Adventurer, the situation might get tricky for them fast. If a Fortune Master
plays with a single Adventurer, they need to first of all make sure to create a
story compatible with the Adventurer’s skills, or vice versa. Next, the Fortune
Master might grant a trusty helper to the Adventurer, which is a Sidekick.
A Sidekick is an Extra with an Adventurer Sheet. So long as they are not needed,
the Fortune Master will move them like a normal Extra, but once the dice start
rolling, they get into play. In these moments, the Adventurer will decide the
Sidekick’s actions and roll dice for them.
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SEASON
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you can’t unveil all the city’s secrets in a single
Episode. If you decide to set off on a long journey and live great Adventures
like you saw in the movies, you have to embark on a Season.
In BROKEN COMPASS, a Season is what you get when you string togeth-
er all the Episodes that share a running plot, like the search for the same
Treasure.
A typical Season is between 3 and 6 Episodes long, but with some tweaks,
it could last a lot more. When you play a Season, all Episodes matter, but the
most important ones are the first and last one.
THE FIRST EPISODE
The first Episode in a Season sets the tone for the Adventurers’ relationships
and motivations, and as such it is the load-bearing column of the plot. A good
first Episode needs to set up some involving scenes before the Adventurers
(either as a group or individuals) that will allow them to immediately show
what they’re made of.
How does an Adventurer react to unjust provocation? What is their pri-
ority: the Treasure or their friends? How do they face defeat? Do they trust
others?
The first Episode should contain scenes aimed at answering important
questions like these. You won’t need a large background or complex sequences,
sometimes, you just need to bump into some distracted fellow and have them
shout “Watch where you’re going!” in your face. Your reaction will be worth
a thousand descriptions.
The first Episode also has a fundamental role in the Adventurers’ Growth.
By the end of this Episode, all Adventurers should have gotten to know each
other and will have the chance to move 2 Skill Diamonds as they see fit,
regardless of their Tags.
P itch
As we said, if you and your friends don’t really know what you want, you can
always play through a Pilot to settle things once and for all. If you completely
trust your Fortune Master and leave it in their hands to come up with a plot
and all the details, you might need a brief Pitch to establish the situation.
A Pitch is a short presentation that shouldn’t last more than 10/15 minutes
and is a chance for the Fortune Master to tell you (without spoilers!) what they
have in mind for the Season. A Pitch is a great way to hear the opinion of all
Adventurers and bake some of their requests into the plot, or to responsibly
manage the presence of touchy subjects and difficult circumstances that could
stunt the players’ fun.
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SEASON FINALE
The last Episode of a Season is usually the most memorable of all and takes
the glorious title of Season Finale.
A Season Finale should be so packed full of revelations and twists that you
could find yourselves having to divide it in Part I and Part II and spend two
game sessions playing it. Even if this happens, the Finale will still count as a
single Episode when it comes to rules regarding Adventurers’ Growth.
The Finale has the hard task of pulling together all the narrative lines and
giving a very present meaning to all the adventures lived in past Episodes,
while still projecting them into the future! It’s obvious that a Finale is never
really the end, so it should always hold some elements that can pull players
into the next Season.
The Season Finale is also a fundamental Episode with regards to
Adventurers’ Growth. At the beginning of the final Episode, all Adventurers
receive new Diamonds to use for their Skills and new Expertises that repre-
sent the path traveled to reach the final confrontation. We will talk about it
over the next few pages.
M id- S eason F inale

As hinted above, a longer Season might need a few tweaks to bring everything
together. When you and your friends decide to live through a story that will
require more than 6 Episodes, what you need is a nice Mid-Season Finale!
A Mid-Season Finale is the Episode you find right in the middle of your
story and it plays two roles: first of all, it is there to give the Fortune Master
the chance to tie up a few loose ends and avoid carrying on too many sub-
plots while running the risk of losing or forgetting them. In addition, the
Mid-Season Finale works exactly as a Finale with regards to Adventurers’
Growth. This allows the Adventurers to gain new Diamonds and Expertises
twice within a single Season.
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S02E01
At the end of Season 1, the Players might hang up the dice and take off their
dusty Adventurer clothes. But maybe they won’t!
After Season 1 you can start a Season 2 and so on, having your Adventurers
come back together a few years later for a new discovery. The transition be-
tween Seasons is also the perfect time to retire an Adventurer and meet a new
one, or to pass the Fortune Master’s hat to another Player.
The second Season usually takes place after the first and with the same
protagonists... but it’s not a given!
P requel
A Prequel Season takes place some years before Season 1 and features young-
er, less experienced Adventurers. Or it could be set in a different era and
follow the Adventures of their parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.
The only rule for a Prequel is that an Adventurer who has Grown can
never go back. So if the Adventurer gained new Diamonds and Expertises in
Season 1, they will have them in the Prequel. This does not apply to Scars and
Experiences, which will be marked with an X and be temporarily discarded.
Additionally, during a Prequel an Adventurer might gain the Young Tag, or
lose the Old Tag, if applicable.
It might sound weird, but it’s how it works in movies! The adventurers
become ever stronger.
S pin-off/C rossover
If at the end of a Season you don’t want to immediately jump on the next one,
you could also try for a Spin-off. This is a Season that follows a different group
of Adventurers, which might have been simple Extras in Season 1. You just
need to define these protagonists by filling in their Sheet, and you’ll be ready
to roll. But if one of the former Adventurers appears in a Spin-off Season, they
get to keep any Diamonds and Expertises they gained in the first Season. It’s
not their fault if they’ve been the protagonist longer!
Finally, after playing several Seasons, you can try to create a Crossover. This
is an Episode or Season during which Adventurers from different story lines
come together for an epic journey. You’ve got to try that.
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GROWTH OF AN
ADVENTURER
You’re an Adventurer. People like you are men and women of action who
already wield all the Skills they need to face great challenges and frightful
dangers.
But Adventure has the power to change people and maybe, if they work
for it, make them better. A journey is always a chance for growth, and twice
as much if you’re an Adventurer.
NEW DIAMONDS, NEW EXPERTISES

Whether you’re playing a Pilot or a first Episode, in the end, you will know
your Adventurers and the story better. After the first Episode, all Adventurers
should have gained a better understanding of who they are and what they’re
looking for. As such, they have a chance to alter their Adventurers Sheet to
better suit them.
Between the first and second Episode, each Adventurer can move 2 Skill
Diamonds as they see fit, regardless of their Tags, and they can also change
their third Expertise for something more suitable.
During a Season, you will also learn new Skills and Expertises. Fieldwork is
the best teacher. This is why, at the beginning of a Season Finale, you can fill
in 2 additional Skill Diamonds and choose an extra Expertise to use during
the last Episode. Same goes for the Mid-Season Finale, if you’re playing one.
You can grow this way up to three times, gaining up to 6 additional Diamonds
and 3 extra Expertises. Once you’ve reached 24 Skill Diamonds and 6
Expertises, you stop growing normally. But, if you reach a new Season Finale,
you can choose to move 2 Skill Diamonds and substitute any one of your
Expertises with another one of your choice.
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NEW PLACES TO CALL HOME
In the beginning, you call three different places Home, representing your
family heritage, the place where you grew up, and the one you often visit
for work or other travels. But as you go Treasure hunting, you can meet new
cultures and visit new places. You could even find out that your roots are not
where you always thought them to be.
If, at the end of a Season, both you and the Fortune Master agree that the
discoveries you made and what you felt gave you a new place to call Home,
you can add it to your Sheet in one of the three sections. There’s nothing like
the feeling of looking at a globe and being home!
PEOPLE CHANGE
There could be gaps of several years between one Season and the next, and
Adventurers might come back different than how you left them. If you think
the time and experiences you lived through changed you enough, you can
completely redo your Adventurer Sheet, keeping only your Name and the
Places to call Home, and changing Tags, Words to Live by and everything
else (or any combination of these).
For example, the Gunslinger Action Hero we meet in Season 1 could come
back ten years later and still be a Gunslinger Action Hero. But it’s just as
likely for the years to have changed them into an Old Rebel Hunter, who lost
that confident spark in their eyes.
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SCARS &
EXPERIENCES
The time has come to speak about that corner at the bottom of your Sheet
where you can note your Scars and Experiences. Setting off on your journey
you know you won’t only learn new skills: you’ll also discover many things
about others and yourself. Some of these might leave you richer, others might
leave their mark.
E xperiences
An Experience is a short sentence that sums up what happened or something
you’ve learned, that might be useful down the road and will change the way
you behave and relate to others. Some examples of Experiences might be “I
can rely on others” or “I bested a bear” and “I’m not buying it”.
The Fortune Master might grant an Experience after something big and
memorable happens, and Adventurers can call onto them to gain Advantages
in certain situations.
For example, the Experience “I can rely on others” can be granted to a
particularly wary Adventurer who trusted their friends for the first time and
received a great help, and it could offer them an Advantage when they act as
a team player. “I bested a bear” is a pretty self-explanatory Experience that
could grant an Advantage when the Adventurer finds themselves facing in
single combat an enemy which is weaker than a bear this or that way. “I’m not
buying it” could be the right Experience for a typically naive Adventurer who
uncovers a lie or becomes more careful, and it could give them an Advantage
against people trying to swindle them.
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S cars
Scars are like Experiences, but they are inflicted by traumatic events and
remain as a permanent mark on an Adventurer’s heart. Some examples of
Scars might be “I hate snakes” or “I’ve seen things...” and “I’m not what I
used to be”.
The Fortune Master might inflict Scars after something traumatic
and disenchanting happens, and they can then call onto them to give a
Disadvantage to the Adventurer in certain situations.
For example, the Scar “I hate snakes” could be inflicted after an
Adventurer gets sealed in a tomb alone with hundreds of slithering reptiles,
and could impose a Disadvantage to all snake-related tasks. The scar “I’ve
seen things...” could befall an Adventurer after they’ve witnessed some-
thing terrible or supernatural that scared them to the point of giving them
a Disadvantage every time they have to roll tasks that relate or seem to
relate to something unnatural. “I’m not what I used to be” could be a scar
left on an Old Adventurer who miserably fails at a task, maybe risking their
friends’ lives, and could give them a Disadvantage any time they have to
take on responsibilities alone.
MANAGING SCARS & EXPERIENCES

During a Season, each Adventurer should gain one Scar and one Experience.
However, if the Fortune Master feels they are required, they can assign
more. There’s not really a set rule for this: an Adventurer could get both their
Scar and Experience in the first Episode, just as they could live through a
whole Season without any.
Usually, an Adventurer gets a Scar or an Experience when they’re in the

spotlight, when they are protagonist of a scene, so the Fortune Master can
use these tactics to ensure that each Player has the right amount of space in
a Season. For example, if by the third Episode all but one Adventurer have
already gained an Experience, it might be time to focus on them for a while
and give them a moment of glory.
If the Season is long enough for you to play through a Mid-Season Finale,
you should make sure that all Adventurers have either an Experience or a
Scar by the time Mid-Season comes.
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Once they’re on the Sheet, Scars and
Experiences are just as important as an
Adventurer’s Words to Live by for them
to remain in-character and to decide when
they’ll be rewarded with a precious Luck
CONSEQUENCES Coin.
TO ACTIONS
The best Scars and Scars and Experiences can be lost if the
Experiences are direct Fortune Master decides the Adventurer is
consequences of the acting as if they didn’t learn the lesson, or
Adventurers’ actions and they overcome their trauma.
they don’t just come out For example, the Experience “I can rely
of the blue. on others” could be lost if the Adventurer re-
peatedly displays hostile and untrusting be-
To an Adventurer, Scars havior to their friends. Similarly, the Scar “I
and Experiences are like hate snakes” could be lost if the Adventurer
stepping stones to their brilliantly and heroically solves a problem
Adventure. They are regarding reptiles.
what gives weight to their
actions. You can have up to 6 Scars and Experiences.
Should you get any other Scars, you’ll have to
To the Fortune Master, erase one of your Experiences to make space.
Scars and Experiences If you should get any other Experiences, you
should be a means of can substitute them to other Experiences or
driving an Adventurer even Scars, provided that both the Fortune
towards their destiny, of Master and other Players feel like the sub-
showing them how the stitution is pertinent and right.
road they’ve walked up For example an Experience like “I can
until now has changed rely on others” could substitute the Scar “I’m
them and where it will not what I used to be” to symbolize how an
take them next. Adventurer has learned that they’ll need
somebody’s help from time to time.
| 158
BACK FROM THE DEAD
You already know that if you happen to lose
all your Luck Points and Luck Coins and face
Certain Death, all is not lost. We all know
Adventurers can come back from Certain
Death with some brilliant plot-twist during
the Season or Mid-Season Finale or come
back ready for the next Season.
How this return goes down should be agreed

between the Adventurer and the Fortune
Master, but there should always be a surpris-
ing fact, an unbelievable story they can tell all
the others about how they managed to come
back from the dead!
Coming back from Certain Death, you gain

a Luck Coin and a relevant Scar. If all Luck
Coins are already in play, one of the other
Adventurers might give you theirs: other-
wise, sorry buddy!
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 159
A SAFE
PLACE
Normal people go home in the evening, feed their cat and need only to worry
about locking the door, but you’re an Adventurer: people like you are always
in the eye of the storm.
If you need more than a Break here and there, you’ll have to find a Safe Place
where you can finally unbuckle your holster and rest for a while.
A Safe Place is a house where you feel at ease, but it can also be a rundown
motel room, or a campsite in the middle of the jungle. You just need someone
to be there and stand guard.
Getting to a Safe Place is important because it allows you to regain all your
Luck Points, but most of all, it’s the only way you have to rest for a while and
get rid of most Bad Feelings.
Being in a Safe Place is not as exciting as delving through cursed temples and
underground pyramids, but it’s still a pivotal moment of your journey. When
they’re in a Safe Place, Adventurers can freely interact with one another, talk
it out and digest what just happened. It’s also the best moment for the Fortune
Master to listen carefully and take note of their feelings, ideas and intuitions,
so they can understand what’s really important and interesting to them.
A good moment to play out a Safe Place scene could be the beginning of the
Episode, when it can be a chance to gather ideas and recap what happened
before, but this shouldn’t become too predictable: sometimes it’s good to start
with an action scene. Another, equally good, option, is to put a Safe Place
at the end of an Episode, so Adventurers have time to stop and catch their
breath in a Safe Place, having time to celebrate or be sad after a particularly
crucial event.
It might seem weird, but the exact center of an Episode is also a great moment
to get to a Safe Place, especially if your plans for the Episode start in one
location and end up in another one, or when the episodic plot is divided into
two separate parts. This last solution is well suited for longer Episodes since it
gives all Players time to take a breather when passing from one action-packed
scene to the next.
Not all Episodes need to involve a Safe Place. Actually, it’s best to only use
Safe Places when you really need them, and even then, there’s no guarantee
that you’ll find one. For the same reason, it’s best if Adventurers don’t come
back to the same Safe Place twice in an Episode. This isn’t a relaxing holiday,
after all!
WHAT TO DO IN A SAFE PLACE

Once you get to a Safe Place, things work somewhat differently. During a
night or a half-day spent in a Safe Place, you and your friends have 2 turns at
your disposal. Each of you can take a single action that requires quite some
time, and after everyone has taken their turns, you can start from the top for
the second one.
Making a call, searching for information or speaking to someone are
all great example of actions that you can take in a Safe Place. All these
actions can pose Challenges or require Skill rolls, but not necessarily. Some
tasks always require dice to be rolled in order to be undertaken: repairing
a Vehicle or another object, giving medical care and deciphering an old
text, just off the top of my head. To repair a Vehicle, you need to use your
Tech Skill, and for each Critical Success, the vehicle regains one Luck Point
(more on this later). When you treat someone, you need to roll the First
Aid Skill, and for each Critical Success you can remove a Bad Feeling like
Broken or Bleeding. I’m warning you, for this last case, both the medic
and the patient need to use one action, but at least they get to have a chat
between the two of them as well.
Don’t underestimate the power of words! Talking about what happened
is the only way to get rid of Bad Feelings like Shocked or Scared... So long
as someone has the time to listen to you and they’re not all too busy doing
something else.
| 162
SAFE, ALMOST
Let’s put it like this: some Safe Places aren’t ACTING FOOLISH
really safe. More like potentially safe. Sites In addition to the two
like a refuge, a campsite, a motel room or a standard actions, an
studio you rented are all places where you Adventurer in a Safe
could be safe, but you don’t know them well Place can also decide
enough to be sure. to wait until everyone’s
In these occasions, you need someone to backs are turned and
stand guard. Basically, someone standing go out to do something
guard spends both their actions to make sure foolish, like sneaking
that others can be safe, and they stay at the into the Rival’s camp, or
door or walk the perimeter for as long as going back to explore the
needed. ruins alone.
The Adventurer or Adventurers standing Adventurers choosing

guard face an Alert Challenge if they’re in an to act foolishly will not
urban environment, or a Survival Challenge take part in the Episode
in the wild. The difficulty of this Challenge or in the next Episode,
equals one Basic Success for each Adventurer depending on when they
in the Safe Place who is not standing guard. do the foolish thing. This
So, if you decide you stand guard for your is a good gimmick to use
three friends while you’re camping in the when a Player can’t be
woods, you will need to roll 3 Basic Successes present for the Episode
in a Survival task. If there’s 4 of them, you’ll and you need to justify
need a Critical Success, if there are 5, you need the Adventurer’s absence
one Critical and a Basic, and so on. If you roll in some way.
all the Successes you need, everything will go
smoothly. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with When the player gets
some Accident or there will be consequences, back, so does the
either while the group is resting or later. Adventurer. Maybe
they’ve been rescued,
maybe they just pop out
from an unexpected
corner. Let’s just hope
they don’t make a habit
of it!
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 163
THE TREASURE
There you go again, I see that glimmer in your eyes... I knew I wasn’t wrong
about you. You’re a true Adventurer: the mere mention of a Treasure gets your
blood pumping, bringing a smug grin to your face and a dreamy look to your
eyes.
Just think how you’ll feel when you finally find it!
A Treasure is something lost or forgotten that belongs to nobody, and lays

hidden, awaiting to be found and become the fortune of whoever discovered
it. To you, it is priceless. You’d risk your own life just to hold it in your hands.
A Treasure can take many shapes. It is usually made of gold and gems,
but sometimes it could just be the cup of a carpenter, a cure that could save
thousands of lives or a key piece of information to reveal the past.
| 164
The heart of the matter is that without a
Treasure, you could be an explorer, a mer-
cenary, an archaeologist, but never an
Adventurer. Without a Treasure there is sim-
ply no Adventure. Once you discover that the
old legends are true, that Shangri-La exists, THE JOURNEY
that your father is still alive somewhere, or MATTERS MORE
that the natives hid their holy stones, well, THAN THE END
then you’ve caught a glimpse of the Treasure. You might set out with
Your whole life now hinges on it. You don’t a clear idea of what
care how far you’ll need to go: you are ready. Treasure you’re looking
for, or you might need
TO EACH THEIR TREASURE to leaf through an
You and your friends didn’t necessarily set encyclopedia and do
out on an Adventure for the same reason, you some research. Other
just know you have the same goal. times, you’ll just want to
come up with your own
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to find out Treasure, as you’d do for a
the truth about your father and your friend movie. All good options!
just wants to get rich. What’s sure is that
there’s a Treasure out there you can reach But if you’re coming
for together and that will take both of you to up short on ideas and
your objective. want to let fate decide,
each Broken Compass
That’s all you need to live a thrilling, excite- setting will suggest some
ment-packed Adventure to the end. By the Treasures in line with
time you reach the last Episode, things might the Era to start your
have changed. You could find yourself having Adventure right away.
to choose between what’s important to you Take a look at the 1999
and other people’s priorities. Whatever you Treasures further on, in
choose, keep your guard up. Adventurers Section 6!
won’t necessarily go home empty-handed,
but they rarely get home with the Treasure
they went looking for.
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 165
KEYS
If you think that people who spent their lives building traps are weird, you’ll
be bummed to find out that those who hid Treasures are even worse. Luckily,
this might play in your favor.
I’ll have you know that the same person who set out to make the Treasure
near-impossible to find usually also leaves a series of clues, maps, items and
riddles to solve, so that someone can one day find it. I know this sounds
strange, but it happens constantly!
During your Adventure, you’ll encounter items that will be more or less instru-
mental to finding the Treasure. We call these items KEYS. A KEY is what you
need to enter somewhere, reach some unreachable place, overcome a deadly
trap, or solve a century-old riddle. It is usually the most precious thing you’ll
find, short of the Treasure itself. Basically, you’ll have to spend the Season
going around the world gathering Keys and following Clues just so you can
draw the map that will lead you to your goal.
When the Fortune Master says you find a KEY, you can usually note it
down in your inventory and draw a small key right beside it, so you can re-
member it’s not a normal item.
Whether the KEY takes the form of a sealed box, a statue, a ritual dagger, a
map, a medallion, or maybe, you know, a key, it will be very important to your
story and you will need to hold onto it or fetch it in order to get to the Treasure
before your Rival.
The good thing is that Keys are so important you can even use your Luck
Points to avoid losing them or having them stolen, pretty much like you can do
to save your life from Dangers (well, at least until you get captured). Remember
that the Fortune Master might decide an item stops being a KEY after having
fulfilled its role, and that you could find several KEYS during a single Season.
Also, although the Treasure isn’t usually a KEY, the Fortune Master could
decide it becomes one.
CLUES TO THE TREASURE
Listen closely: as you’re traveling, especially
when you’re somewhere you’ve never seen
before, you better keep your eyes peeled and
your ears pricked. Talk to the locals, gather
intel, get to know their customs and tradi-
A SMALL tions, look around and try to get the best
TREASURE possible read. Even the smallest detail could
Treasure is something hide a Clue you’ll need to remember in order
that you only get at the to find the Treasure.
end of the journey, if you
get it at all! Clues and A Clue is any piece of information that will
KEYS are the real prizes become essential when you least expect it,
an Adventurer gains and will help you solve a riddle, escape a trap,
along the way, they are or even help you find the way to a KEY or
the fruit of their labor show you what to do to use it correctly.
and must be regarded as
such. For example, if you stop to talk with the old
lady selling flowers at the side of the road,
If the Adventurers come you might learn that your parents were born
out of a trap-infested there, among the last people to know ancient
temple with nothing to traditions. Maybe by the end of your conver-
show for it, they won’t sation, she will proudly tear up and gift you a
be walking away with red flower “like the eye of our god”.
a happy heart. But if That is a Clue, and the Fortune Master
they find a Clue or even should make it very clear to you, so you can
a KEY, well, then they write it down and remember.
know they’re on the right Perhaps, further down the road, you’ll find
path and they’re one step yourself at the entrance of the temple, in front
closer to the Treasure. of its great stone doors. On the stone, you see
a depiction of that god, looking at you with
empty eyes, and around the room lay scat-
tered big gems of different colors. Thanks to
the Clue, you’ll know that you have to pick up
the rubies and put them in the stone to act as
the god’s eyes. Who knows what would have
happened if you put the wrong gem in there...
| 168
Remember, the Fortune Master has to make
it clear that you found a Clue, but it’s up to
you to realize when the Clue will become
relevant.
Anyway, the Clue might be something
clear or enigmatic, it could be useful very
soon or in several Episodes, but it’s some-
thing quite concrete, like “red-eyed god”.
CLUES CREATE THE
In your Travel Diary there’s a section dedi- WORLD
cated to noting down Clues you gather along The Clues aren’t
the way, but more on this later. If a Clue just a reward for the
won’t be useful anymore, the Fortune Master Adventurers or a
might tell you to erase it to leave room for gimmick to allow the
other Clues. story to continue, they’re
also a way for the world to
D id I miss something? show itself.
Let’s say you’ve reached a point where you
don’t know how to continue. It’s clear you They might come from
missed a Clue somewhere, and you’ll have an encyclopedia or your
a hard time going on without it. Well, even imagination, but Clues
normal people can experience epiphanies and are small sentences of
suddenly recall a piece of information or de- great weight that the
tail they hadn’t noticed as they experienced Fortune Master reveals to
it. And with you being an Adventurer and all Adventurers to let them
the rest, you can have this kind of revelation discover something more
any time. about their world. They’re
a big deal!
In brief, if you’re lost and at your wits’ end,
you can always use a Luck Coin to get a Clue
you’ve missed and recall it or have a stroke of
genius.
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 169
N.P.C.
NOT A PROTAGONIST, CLEARLY
Not all characters who appear in the story can be protagonists. No need to
pull that face! I’m clearly not talking about you, but about the other charac-
ters, both friendly and not, that the Fortune Master will have you meet along
the way.
Extras are, to put it briefly, those characters in the story who are moved by
the Fortune Master and are not Adventurers. They might be a help you or a
hindrance on your way to the Treasure, depending on their own interests.
Extras can be managed in three ways. Most often they won’t need any specific
statistics, just a name and a face, and their action will be freely described by
the Fortune Master.
There is also a small, simplified Sheet for Extras in the Travel Diary. This
will allow you to manage them during Challenges and Dangers without wast-
ing time to roll dice. Finally, there are Extras with an important role in the
Adventure who may even merit a full Adventurer Sheet, to be managed by
the Fortune Master.
EXTRA SHEET
The Extra Sheet is very simple: it just consists of a
square for the portrait, a line for their name and a
small section where you can mark Fields and Luck.
Extras don’t have all the Skills of a full-fledged

Adventurer, but they rely only on the six Fields. So,
they will shoot by rolling Guts, and repair things
ACTION with their Knowledge.
GUTS
Knowledge Extras can have up to 3 Diamonds in each Field,
society indicating not how many dice they will roll under it,
Wild but the level of Success they automatically get in it.
crime
| 170
o Successes. An Extra with just one Diamond will fail all
N
Challenges and Dangers in that Field.
Basic Success. When facing a Challenge or Danger in that Field,

the Extra gets a single Basic Success every time.
ritical Success. When facing a Challenge or Danger in that

C
Field, the Extra gets a single Critical Success every time.
If an Extra fails before an Enemy or Danger, they lose one Luck Point. For
example, if an Extra has a Critical Success against an Extreme Enemy, they
lose one point. But they also lose a single point against three Critical Enemies.
Extras have 3 Luck Points total, and should they lose all three, they will have
to face Certain Death... Who knows if we’ll ever meet them again!
Extras regain one Luck Point during Breaks and all Luck Points when
they get to a Safe Place.
This Sheet can also be useful to represent a whole group of guides or mer-
cenaries acting as a unit.
SACRIFICE AND BETRAYAL

It’s true what they say, “A friend is a treasure”, but remember that “it is better
to be alone than in bad company”.
When the Fortune Master, or the majority of Adventurers, think it would
be fitting, an Extra can choose to sacrifice themselves for the good of their
friends. By doing so, they obtain a Higher Success than normal. So if they
have 2 Diamonds, they get a Critical Success, and if they have 3, they get
an Extreme Success... Before facing Certain Death or tragically exiting the
stage.
Extras can also choose to betray you, and that’s when you can find yourself
in a pickle, since after changing sides, all their Successes mysteriously double
and you have to face them as an Enemy. This means that an Extra with 2
Diamonds in Action and 3 in Guts, after betraying you will be an Enemy
requiring 2 Basic Successes during a Brawl and 2 Critical in a Shoot-out.
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 171
YOUR
RIVAL
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: you’re not the only one with their
eyes on the Treasure. Amid the two-bit grave-robbers and the bored collec-
tors dreaming of getting their paws on ancient artifacts, there’s a few really
dangerous people. At least one of them has decided to search for the same
Treasure you want. That’s a bummer!
A Rival is an Adventurer with the same objective as you, but with completely
different and incompatible motives. If you want to get that statue to the mu-
seum, your Rival wants to sell it on the black market. If they want to attain
some mystical power, you probably think no human should wield it. In short,
it’s impossible for you two to find a viable compromise.
| 172
Add to this that your Rival always has more
money, more men, more means, and gener-
ally more assets than you do. Don’t ask me
how, you’re the one who made the life deci-
sions that made you a penniless Adventurer!
In a nutshell, if both you and your Rival could THE CRONIES

cooperate to reach the Treasure it would be a You’re an Adventurer
no-brainer. But that’s impossible. So you’ll and as such, you throw
have to try and exploit one another, throw yourself into the fray
spanners in each other’s works, butt heads and trudge through the
repeatedly and maybe even cooperate for an jungle with muddy boots
hour or two, but no more. and a dusty coat. Your
Rival wouldn’t even
Usually Rivals are snotty, arrogant archae- dream of doing such
ologists working for some rich collector, or things!
maybe local warlords that know the jungle
like the back of their hands, or even bored They might be a seasoned
billionaires who just want to change the veteran, an art dealer or
World (for the worse). All people you don’t just a spoiled dandy, but
really want to deal with. But they also have your Rival always has
their own motives and their own story. Do some Cronies by their
not underestimate them. side, ready to do the dirty
work in their stead.
As the Season progresses, you might find
Clues regarding them and try to understand These Cronies are more
how to leverage their past and their wishes than simple Extras, as
against them, and just maybe you’ll get them you’ll realize very soon,
to change course. I wouldn’t count on it, since you’ll most likely
though. have to get to the Rival
over their dead bodies.
On the next page you’ll also find a table to
generate a Rival randomly with a few dice
rolls!
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 173
THE RIVAL'S STRENGTH
All Rivals are rich and well connected, but they all have their specific flavor.
Your standard Rival has two of the following things on their side: The law
turning a blind eye, control over a local mob, a native tribe as their subjects,
a whole private army, eldritch knowledge and finally their own physical or
mental prowess.
For example, they could be a burly military leader or a mob boss with a
mania for the supernatural. In some cases, your Rival might be particularly
fearsome and have three or even four of the characteristics above on their side!
FACING RIVALS AND CRONIES

A Rival and their Cronies can have an Extra Sheet where the Fortune Master
keeps track of their abilities, but it’s usually better for them to be managed
more organically, deciding for each encounter what kind of Danger they pose
depending on the circumstances and the gear at their disposal. Anyway,
Cronies and Rivals are often flanked by groups of Enemies that will increase
their level of difficulty, and even when faced alone, they might be worth two.
Once per Season (maybe twice in longer Seasons) a Crony that gets defeated
might be kissed by his lucky star and find some hazardous path to safety.
Similarly, a Rival might be caught, but they can never die or be completely
written off before the Season Finale. And if they do, rest assured that a new,
even more dangerous Rival will immediately take their place.
CLUES ON THE RIVAL

By gathering information during your travels and paying attention, you might
find Clues on something other than the Treasure: your Rival. These Clues
can be just as precious to you, since they will allow you a better understanding
of their motives and you can try to use them to get the upper hand in crucial
situations.
For example, if your Rival is looking for the Spring of Life and you dis-
cover they’re doing it for their terminally ill daughter, that’s a Clue. During
the final showdown you might shout to them “And what would your daughter
think about this?”
| 174
THE ACCIDENTAL
RIVAL
They are Their C ronies are
1 A bored billionaire 1 Mercenaries
2 A survivor 2 Faithful followers
3 A visionary 3 People without a choice
4 An old friend 4 One is their lover
5 A lunatic 5 One is their relative
6 A member of the “Society” 6 Traitors
Their opinion of the

They're from Adventurers
1 North America 1 The Adventurers are inferior
2 South America 2 The Adventurers are a threat
3 Europe 3 They have a score to settle
4 Africa 4 They’re in love with an
5 Asia Adventurer
6 Oceania 5 The Adventurers are worthy
of respect
6 They want to see the
Adventurers suffer
Their reason for seeking What they can rely on

the Treasure (roll 2 to 4 dice)
1 Glory 1 Law enforcement
2 To save someone 2 The mob
3 For themselves 3 The local tribe
4 To sell it 4 A private army
5 Because they believe the 5 Eldritch knowledge
legends 6 Themselves
6 To change the world
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 175
TRAVEL
DIARY
Episodes, Season, Rival, Extras, Treasure, Clues... There’s a lot of things you
need to keep track of during an Adventure. If you and your friends decide to
play through a real Season, you’ll need a Travel Diary. This is a special Sheet
that doesn’t relate to any character, but to the journey as a whole. Keep in
mind, you don’t have to keep a Travel Diary, but it could be very useful!
CLUES, TIME AND ASSETS

Here is what your Travel Diary looks like. If you decide to use it, one of the
Adventurers will take on the responsibility and honor of keeping it together
with their Sheet and filling it in with the others’ help. The Travel Diary is
divided into three main sections:
CLUES: The first part of the Diary is a space where you can take notes regard-
ing the Treasure you’re seeking and the Rival you’re facing. There’s also room
for the Clues gathered along the way.
TIME: In this section, you can note the title of your Season, its number and
the era in which it is set. Immediately below, you can jot down a brief sentence
about what happened in each Episode, so you can follow the storyline. Last
but not least, in the Time section, you find the Doomsday Clock, but more
on this on the next page.
ASSETS: The final section of the Diary is reserved for your assets. Here you
find two Extra Sheets where you can note any guides and helpers, and a
Vehicle Sheet for your trusty means of transportation.
The most important element of this section is the Pyramid of Wealth, that
shows what you can and can’t afford. But more on Wealth and Vehicles in a
few pages.
| 176
TRAVEL DIARY
We ' re looking for
But so is
TREASURE CLUES RIVAL CLUES
TIME
season Era
e01
E02
e03
e04
e05
e06
e07
e08
e09
e10
ASSETS
ded
L oa
h
Ric
ff
ll-o
we
by
t ing
Get ACTION ACTION
GUTS GUTS
VEHICLE Knowledge Knowledge
Water society society
name
Luck Land Wild Wild
Mod e l Air crime crime
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 177
DOOMSDAY
CLOCK
Without a Rival, you’d have time unlimited to search the world for the
Treasure. Unluckily for you, you do have a Rival on your hands, so you’d
better get a move on! In the race for the Treasure there is no prize for second
place: you either get there first, or you go home empty handed.
The Doomsday Clock is an imaginary timepiece that tracks how much
Time is left in your Adventure. On its face you see twelve white dots that we
symbolically call Hours. Each time you fill in an Hour, your Rival is one step
closer to getting the Treasure.
The use of a Doomsday Clock is totally optional, and it’s recommended
only for Seasons lasting more than four Episodes.
The first Hour of the Doomsday Clock is always filled in the Travel Diary. At
the beginning of the Adventure, whoever has the Travel Diary must fill in an
Hour on the Doomsday Clock for each Adventurer. The more Adventurers
in the group, the more time Luck will have needed to get you all in the same
place, and in turn, the less Time you will have at your disposal.
The Hours you have left are among the most important assets in your kit,
and you have to be careful to use them right. When the Doomsday Clock
strikes twelve, then you’re Too Late.
MANAGING TIME, LOSING TIME

I said the Hours on the Doomsday Clock are an asset. This means you can use
them to your advantage when the situation gets dire or when you want to avoid
calling upon other assets, like your money fund.
Every time your group is faced with a problem that can be solved by investing
some time, you can choose to fill in an Hour and voilà, done deal!
For example, if your Vehicle is now Out of Commission and you want
to pull it to town by hand, if you need to recover all your strengths and heal
from all Bad Feelings without the limitations of a Safe Place, or if you want
to embark on a long journey with little to no money and you have to do a
| 178
thousand layovers, or even if you want to go back to town to gather supplies
for the next expedition, you can do so just by spending Time. Basically, each
Hour is a chance you have to take your time and do things the slow way, even
in the middle of the Adventure.
On the other hand, you could also lose Time against your wishes. In some
cases, the Fortune Master might ask you to fill in an Hour after a sequence or
an Episode that sees you defeated. For example, if you crash a plane and have
to walk to your destination, if you get captured, lost or go the wrong way, if you
linger too long to try and settle things that might be important, but don’t take
you closer to the Treasure, in any of these situations, the Fortune Master can
ask you to fill in an Hour that will be forever lost.
IT 'S TOO LATE

When the clock strikes twelve, you can no longer decide to invest your time as
you want, and if you do something that results in losing Hours, you’ll have to
face major accidents. If, at the beginning of your Season Finale the Doomsday
Clock is at twelve, it means you’re Too Late and you start the Episode or get
to the destination only to find yourselves in the middle of a bad situation.
Your Rival hasn’t won yet, but they’ve done something irreparable and you’ll
have to deal with the consequences of their actions. At the beginning of the
Finale, for each two hours left on the Doomsday Clock, an Adventurer of
the group’s choice is awarded a Luck Coin. Additionally, during the Season
Finale it’s impossible to use or lose Time in any way.
If the story includes a Mid-Season Finale, the Fortune Master can draw a
line on the face of the clock to indicate the Hour that will be regarded as the
“midnight” of the Mid-Season Finale.
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VEHICLES
A seaplane traveling both in the sky and on the sea, a custom bike haphaz-
ardly traversing the jungle, an old 70s van, a rubber raft that fell from the sky
to plough through the rapids. On your Adventure, you’ll have the chance to
encounter and drive the most diverse ensemble of Vehicles to their bitter end!
A Vehicle is considered a piece of equipment that allows you to travel by
land, sky or sea.
If you chose the Pilot Tag, you own one from the beginning, otherwise
you’ll have to buy or... procure one some other way.
V ehicle S heet
The Vehicle Sheet is even simpler than an Extra Sheet, and it can be easily
divided into three sections.
First you have a place where you can note the name, make and model of
your Vehicle. And depending on how sappy you feel, you can have a vehicle
that is a “Short S.23 Empire” called either “Seaplane” or “Old Betsy”.
Beside the name, you see three small Diamonds which represent Earth,
Water and Air. Filling them in accounts for the mediums your Vehicle is
designed to travel. For example, in Old Betsy’s sheet, you should mark the
Diamonds for Air and Water. Remember, if you have no relevant Expertise,
you always roll tasks to drive air and water borne Vehicles at a Disadvantage.
Finally, each Vehicle has three white dots on its sheet that represent its
Luck Points.
VEHICLE
Water
nAme
Luck Land
Mod e l Air
A VEHICLE 'S LUCK

Just like Extras, Vehicles have three Luck Points at their disposal, represent-
ing how lucky you are to own it. When a Vehicle loses the fourth Luck Point,
it goes Out of Commission instead. Keep in mind that most Vehicles you can
| 180
steal or improvise won’t be in the best conditions and, either at the Fortune
Master’s discretion or as the result of the Challenge you face to procure them,
they might already have some Luck Points filled in.
A Vehicle loses Luck Points each time its pilot fails a Drive task, when it
gets attacked, hit or tampered with, and when some Accident occurs due to
the Adventurers’ failings during Challenges. In some cases, the integrity of
a Vehicle can be one of the many things at stake when facing a Danger. For
example, if you try an emergency landing, you have to face two Dangers: one
with the passengers’ lives at stake, and another risking sending the Vehicle
Out of Commission. The person driving a Vehicle can choose to spend one of
its Luck Points to gain an Advantage when doing a risky maneuver.
To restore a Luck Point to the Vehicle, you need to get to a Safe Place and roll
a Critical Success in a Tech task.
V ehicles O ut of C ommission
Once a Vehicle is Out of Commission, you can no longer repair it normally
and, in most cases, you’ll have to bid it farewell. If you’re particularly fond of
that piece of junk, you might find a way to get it back into shape. In those
cases, it’s up to the Fortune Master to decide what kind of action or actions
you need to take to recover Vehicle once it’s Out of Commission. For exam-
ple, you might just need to take it to a good garage and invest some time and
money into having it repaired, or you might need to get specific spare parts,
and maybe the only place you can find them is in your Rival’s camp. So, yes,
if you really want to get your trusty vehicle back on track, it’s going to be
something of a challenge.
HUNTING FOR
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THE PYRAMID OF
WEALTH
If you’re playing a stand-alone Episode, you don’t really need to keep track of
your Wealth, so it’s probably better to manage money as it pertains to the story
and only base the narrative on the Adventurers’ personal data.
But if you and your friends are playing through a Season, it could be inter-
esting to see your Wealth rise and fall as the story progresses. That’s when the
Pyramid of Wealth comes into play.
The Pyramid of Wealth is a tower of ten ingots at the bottom of your Travel
Diary. Each ingot contains a small square that represents a Wealth Point. At
the start of your Adventure, you have 6 Wealth Points.
In general, the ingots on the Pyramid of Wealth are divided into four
levels, representing your Status: Getting By, Well-Off, Rich, Loaded.
Filling in the first Wealth Point in a level, you reach that Status. Losing all
Points in a level, you get demoted to the previous Status.
Wealth Points can be used to acquire goods and services or to gain Advantages,
while your Status represents what you can easily afford without spending
Points.
KNOW YOUR STATUS

Normally, your group starts the Adventure as Well-Off people, and you
can afford to get most common objects and services without pinching pennies
every time. During the story, however, you Status will rise and fall depending
on how you manage your Wealth and how lucky you get. If things go terribly
wrong, you could find yourselves with zero Wealth and become Paupers mid-
way through the Adventure.
Let me tell you how the Status affects you while in play. But first, I have
to let you know that here, “objects” is more of a catch-all term for Items, Gear
and Weapons. When it comes to ammo, you can say that 2 Mags are equal to
an object as far as your buying power is concerned, and each weapon is sold
loaded.
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PAUPER: Your wallet contains nothing but moths and you can’t afford any-
thing. If you need anything, you’ll have to beg, borrow or steal it. You might
have trouble even finding a warm meal and a place to sleep.
GETTING BY: Well it’s clear that your clothes have seen better days, but you
can eke out a living. When you’re Getting By, you can only eat and sleep in
the worst joints and any extra expense has its toll, even if you travel low-cost.
Each Episode you can choose to buy one object: anything else will require you
to spend Wealth Points.
WELL-OFF: You’re comfortable and can indulge in something now and then.
While you’re Well-Off, you don’t have to worry about your next meal and can
easily find a motel for the night, and you can afford to travel if you don’t mind
having a couple of layovers here and there (and investing some Time in them).
Each Episode you can choose to buy one object for each Adventurer, and for
everything else you’ll need to spend Wealth Points.
RICH: You’re doing well for yourselves, that’s for sure. If you’re Rich, there’s
really little you have to worry about, and you can always afford to go out for a
fancy dinner and sleep in a nice hotel. Nice direct flights are also comfortably
within your budget, and you can flaunt your money and bribe and tip people
here and there, with the possible advantages and complications this can bring.
For each Episode, you can buy two objects for each Adventurer or a Vehicle.
If that’s not enough, you can draw your platinum card and use Wealth Points.
LOADED: You can afford almost anything and you’re practically at peak
wealth: good for you! If you’re Loaded, you can live on lobsters and caviar and
have a bottle of champagne waiting in every imperial suite. If your chauffeur
is not enough, you can probably just rent a boat or a private jet to take you
anywhere in the world. It doesn’t matter how low you try to fly, your money
will attract unwanted attentions and greedy fingers. Anyway, each Episode
you can buy as many objects as you want and one Vehicle per Episode. If that’s
not enough, you can always call your friend at the bank and use your Wealth
Points.
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 183
WEALTH POINTS
Wealth Points represent your buying power,
and they regulate how much money you have
on hand and in the bank. These points don’t
AFFLUENT show how much property you own or any
ADVENTURERS checking accounts that aren’t easily accessi-
If you’re an Adventurer ble, but only what wealth you can call upon in
with a fat wallet, you any moment during your Adventure.
can choose to obtain the
Rich Tag, which you can Each time your group gets their hands on a
write in front of your lump sum of money, you sell something of
other Tags. If you do so, great value, or receive a substantial reward,
you start the Adventure the Fortune Master might decide you’ve
without the normal Luck earned a Wealth Point. Clearly, the higher
Coin since you’ve clearly your Status, the more difficult it is to gain
had your good fortune new points, because the richer you are, the
already! less value you give to money. For example, if
you’re Getting By and sell a couple of weap-
In exchange, you get an ons in mint conditions, you gain a Wealth
additional object and you Point, but if you’re Rich, that would be too
and your friends start little money to make a difference.
the Adventure with 8
Wealth Points. So long Wealth Points are an asset much like Time,
as the group is at least which can be invested or lost. Each time you
in the Well-Off Status, get captured or robbed, the Fortune Master
you have the last word on might decide you lost one or several Wealth
how the money gets spent Points.
(since it’s probably yours). On the other hand, each time you want to
Having more than one bribe or hire someone, when you want to pay
Rich Adventurer doesn’t for a long direct flight and not lose Time, you
give additional Wealth can instead use one of your Wealth Points.
Points to the group. Additionally, if during an Episode you have
already bought all objects your Status al-
lows you to buy, you can choose to reset that
amount by spending a single Wealth Point.
So, if you’re Getting By, and spend one
Wealth Point like this, you can buy an extra
| 184
item. If you’re Well Off, you can buy another object for each Adventurer and
so on!
Keep in mind that some roads might be closed on the basis of your Status,
whatever your Point total. For example, if you’re Getting By and want to bribe
the chief of security of a luxury hotel, your money won’t really get you far.
More often than not, money and time are two forces you need to balance,
and you’ll have to choose which one you use in any given situation. With a
little imagination, you can always find a way to ask the fortune master to fill
in an Hour on the Doomsday Clock instead of spending a Wealth Points or
vice-versa.
For example, a direct flight will be a blow to your Wealth and save you
Time, and a flight with four layovers will use your Time and cost you nothing.
It’s about priorities!
D ividing W ealth
So long as the Adventurers are together, the Pyramid of Wealth represents
the collective finances of the group. If they ever split up, however, it’s a dif-
ferent matter.
Often the best thing is to manage your separate Wealth completely via
narration, deciding together with your Adventurers who carries the money
and the credit cards.
Alternatively, rather than filling in the squares, you can write the initial of
the Adventurer it belongs to inside. This way, whenever the Adventurers split,
it’s always easy to determine which part of the wealth they can spend during
their separate Adventures.
ded
L oa
h
Ric
ff
ll-o
we
y
gb
tin
Get
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 185
HARDMODE
These pages are reserved for the Fortune Master.
I know you’re surrounded by boasting, bragging Adventurers that think
they can take on the world and come out smiling. And to your frustration,
they’re always right.
In BROKEN COMPASS, the Fortune Master doesn’t play against the
Adventurers, they’re a Player just like them, interpreting the role of Extras
and the Rival instead of a Protagonist. That’s all.
But if you feel like throwing a curve ball or two, you can suggest playing
the Adventure in Hardmode. Here’s how you do it.
A Hardmode Season is like any other, but it’s vastly more difficult because
they have less Luck Points and money, Time is flying by and their Rival is
deeply evil. Seems like I’ve piqued your interest.
L uck
To start off, not all Adventurers will have a Luck Coin as usual, only half of
them have one. So, if you play with four Adventurers, only two of them will
begin the story with a Luck Coin, and you’ll have to draw lots for who gets
one and who doesn’t. If there are five Adventurers, you won’t need to give half
a coin. One of them will simply be excluded from the ballot and they’ll have
to toss a coin instead. Tails, they get a Luck Coin. Heads, sorry, see you next
time. Furthermore, the total number of Luck Coin in play becomes equal to
the number of Adventurers and not double that. Pity! Unlucky you!
T ime
After filling in an Hour on the Doomsday Clock for each Adventurer as
usual, the Fortune Master fills in two additional Hours, since your Rival is
apparently an early riser. If you do have a Mid-Season Finale, the line for
it lies on the Hour right after the one when you start the story. Better start
running.
| 186
M on ey
Adventurers start the story with 4 Wealth Points instead of 6, and they are
of Getting By Status. If at least one of them has the Rich Tag, they might be
better off, starting with 6 points and the Well-Off Status.
R ival
The Rival is particularly vicious, having four strengths at their disposal rather
than the usual two. Additionally, they have at least two Cronies, and each of
them can have up to two bail outs after being defeated.
That’s all you need to put

any Adventurers to a
hard test, but remem-
ber that from great
dangers come
great rewards.
THE CAPYBARA
The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, Linnaeus 1766),

also known as carpincho, chigüiro or ronsoco, is the largest
rodent on the globe.
The capybara is a great swimmer and lives on the banks of
rivers, lakes, and swamps in the temperate and tropical
regions of South America.
The adult capybara can reach up to 105 and 135 cm in length

and up to 35, okay I think it’s safe now. There’s little
time, but I have to warn you about another type of danger.
Something very different from what we discussed before. I
can’t say much, but know this: not all those in search of the
Treasure and with the strength to find it are good-hearted
Adventurers like you. There’s a group of heartless people
who aim to undermine the world order. You must keep an eye
out for them. They go by the name Hiram Society, or simply
Hiram, but people only call them “the Society”.
Hiram isn’t searching for Treasures to preserve the memory

and legacy of the past, but just to accrue their riches
and political power. I can’t begin to tell you how many
entrepreneurs, senators, generals and famous people of all
eras are part of the Society, but know this: they are many,
they are dangerous, and they will stop at nothing until they
have control over the entire world.
Many members of the Society think that there’s some truth

to the legends and the ancient Treasures hide shards of
otherworldly power that, in their hands, could be the weapon
to bring the world to its knees. As you can clearly see,
you can’t reason with this kind of people. But one step at
a time. At the basis of the Society there are Apprentices.
They are the people that seek entrance to the Hiram and to
be accepted within the circle, essentially pawns who know
nothing about the secrets of Hiram. After the apprenticeship
you can become a Fellow, a full-fledged member of the Society,
part and parcel of the entire operation.
Above the Fellows there are seven Masters, keepers of all

secrets of the Society, who live so deep undercover they
| 188
don’t even know each other. The only one who knows the
identity of all Masters is the so-called Grand Master, an
almost legendary individual who nobody has truly seen.
Depending on the era your Adventure takes place in, the

Hiram might take on a different appearance or name and it
can have many forms. It might even seem harmless. Don’t be
fooled: you’re an Adventurer, and people like you search
for Treasure to defend the legacy of our roots, preserve
traditions, cultures and beliefs that could go lost. The
people from the Society are the complete opposite: they
manipulate the power of the past to pitch the people one
against the other.
I have faith in you, but I can’t tell you anything else. You
probably have many questions, I know, but to get the answer
you need to reach 65kg, with the larger specimens reaching
up to 70. The Capybara has a heavy head, a squared snout
and body, with a cleft upper lip. Their squat shape and
stocky build clash with their small ears and beady, bulging
eyes. They have extremely short legs, with tough, partially
webbed feet and thick nails. Their tail is short and almost
invisible under their thick bristly coat of brown fur. Their
character is extremely calm. Capybaras usually spend the
day rolling in mud puddles or laying along the banks of
rivers in their typical sphinx-like pose.
HUNTING FOR
TREASURES | 189
SECTION 6
1999
1999
Welcome to your first game era: the nostalgic 90s.
I’ll start by saying this is a bit of a gray area, since this is a whole decade
and some, but I’ve still decided to call it 1999 because that is a very symbolic
number.
1999 looks like the meter at the gas pump that has almost turned to 2000
but you’re too short on cash to pay that little more. It’s a transitioning pe-
riod, a millennial divide, the brink of the looming and inevitable ravine of
globalization.
At the end of 1989, the Berlin wall falls, and if you didn’t know, David
Hasselhoff was standing on top of it singing Looking for Freedom. With that
picture, the clocks struck the midnight of January First, 1990, and if that wasn’t
foreshadowing... The 90s were the starting block for the race to open borders
and the eagerness of citizens of the world to get to meet and know each other.
This is why 1999 is a critical era in the history of exploration. People like
you can take the stones from those walls and build bridges through time and
even space, bringing together societies, past and present, in their search for
common roots.
| 192
In 1999, the world looked really small. Some people were even skeptical about
the need for Adventurers, since there was clearly nothing left to discover.
If airliners, tourist helicopter rides and cruises couldn’t reach it, at least the
early reflex digital cameras and 56 kbit/s Internet connections could take the
majority of the world’s population on a tour of those wild, exotic and uncon-
taminated places.
Maps grew fuller and fuller, leaving less space for people like you.
If you still don’t have a clear picture of when you are, imagine CD players,
headphones with wires, torn, wide-leg jeans reaching under your feet, roller
skates and skateboards, virtual pets and Titanic in the movie theaters.
YOUR 1999
Enough with the history lessons! You’re an Adventurer, people like you aren’t
satisfied with reading about History. They make it!
1999 for BROKEN COMPASS is not a year, but an era, and even more
than that, an idea. 1999 is the middle-world where you can freely travel, but
globalization hasn’t fully engulfed everything, and you can still feel the thrill
of discovery that a wonderful exotic place brings. It’s an almost fantasy time,
where technology allows you to communicate across great distances, but the
answers to all questions can’t fit in your pocket yet.
After embracing the spirit of 1999, feel free to get inspired by what you know
about History, study, and broaden your horizons, but don’t be afraid to make
things up and build a realistic world that isn’t real, like in the movies.
To put it simply: the US president is whoever you decide they are and
around the world you can find small, unknown nations that are ripe for
your story.
It doesn’t have to be always accurate, what matters is that you share the
World with the other Players and live a great Adventure!
1999 | 193
TECHNOLOGY
1999 has it all, technology is ready for the jump towards the marvel of the third
millennium. The key word of the era is telecommunication: people have never
been closer than now, with mobile telephones and the Internet at their disposal.
Everybody has a phone in their pocket, an instrument to call any place on
the globe and, if there’s no coverage, you can always count on the small hand-
held devices known as radios. As if that wasn’t enough, you just need to get
to a city to gain access to the Internet and, with some patience, you can find
almost any information there. Laptops are everyday commodities and there’s
even people going around with small palmtops, the smartest technology this
side of the millennium divide. If you feel brave, you can even clip one onto
your belt like a badge, but that’s a personal choice.
Other typical sights of 1999 are last-generation helicopters that can take you
wherever you want, while blowing up only most of the time and not every time.
And if you want to listen to some music during your journey, you can pop on a
CD and enjoy the same 9-10 songs on loop, since that’s the best technology can
offer. Or you can carry around a nice voluminous folder with all kinds of disks
for different occasions. Every friend group has a person like that!
If you really think about it, 1999 pretty much has everything, with the exception
of smartphones, mp3 readers, fiber optic Internet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, high-speed
trains in every city, a common European currency, the concept of last-minute
flights, flat screens in all homes, tablets, social networks, Wikipedia, human ge-
nome mapping and USB drives... Still, the cartoons are bomb.
| 194
THERE 'S NEVER CELL COVERAGE HERE
The real plight of 1999 is not the amount of technology at your disposal, but
how little of that is serviceable. The truth is, you simply can’t rely on technology
100% because it’s most likely going to bail on you at the worst possible time.
Cellphones only have reliable coverage in the cities. If you’re in the middle of
the desert, the forest, jungle or out in the ocean or somewhere on a mountain
top, what you have is really a hammer with no handle. On top of that, inter-
national and intercontinental calls cost a fortune and Internet navigation is so
slow, you’d find results faster in a book.
And even if batteries lasted longer than today, sooner or later they run out
and you won’t have easy or free access to electricity in every place on the plan-
et. Each country has their own makes and components, so sometimes buying
a new device is easier than finding spare parts.
So, yeah, technology in 1999 can be a good shortcut when you’re looking
for a quick solution to an easy problem, but don’t rely on that. Know that in
your moment of need, you’re going to be on your own
and have no coverage to call for customer support!
1999 | 195
1999 ITEMS
In 1999 you can choose from a vast array of telecommunication devices that
people in earlier years could hardly dream of. Mobile phones (even palmtops),
walkie-talkies and portable radios are probably available on the market at a
reasonable price.
If earlier eras saw lock picks and spanners as the main tools, 1999 sees
the rise of a new accessory, the undisputed symbol of cutting-edge Techs:
the laptop. Thanks to this modern high-tech tool, experienced pirates of the
web known as hackers, who are all the craze these days, can get their hands
on classified information, find encrypted Clues and even tamper with those
next-gen security systems that are what this day and age calls Traps.
The 90s saw technologies the military wielded in the earlier decades evolve and
become more reliable and most importantly, available to the public. Among
these, for example, the latest camo patterns for combat fatigues around the
world, the bulletproof vest and the taser, a non-lethal gun built to shoot small
electrified darts up to a distance of 6 to 7 meters (20-25 ft).
In this era at the turn of the millennium, science allows you to explore the
world as never before, producing gear that can withstand underwater environ-
ments and wingsuits that allow humans to take to the skies as never before!
1999 W eapons & G ear

Scuba tank and mask: Allow you to breathe underwater.
Harpoon: Two handed. Allows you to shoot under water. Much like a bow,
it requires specific ammunition and a quiver
Bulletproof vest: Gives you one Advantage when dodging bullets
Digital camera: Allows you to shoot photos and see them
Scuba suit: Protects you from cold underwater environments
Taser: Silent, non-lethal. Allows you to shoot only at short range. Uses up a
Mag for each shot. You can’t empty the mag with it
Wingsuit: Allows you to glide. Equipped with parachute
Combat fatigues: Gives you an Advantage to hiding in a specific environ-
ment. Models include forest, jungle, urban, desert, arctic
Parachute: Allows you to survive falls from great heights
1999 | 197
SUPERNATURAL
I don’t know if the Supernatural exists in 1999. But I’ve heard rumors around
here, stuff that would make anyone’s skin crawl. Normal people only see those
things in movies, but you’re an Adventurer, people like you know firsthand that
you can find something unexplainable behind every corner.
The rule is that in 1999, everything can be explained until it can’t. This means
you can easily find a somewhat rational explanation for what happens, but
sometimes you’ll be faced with some things that are so fast and ravaging that
you won’t have time to check. You can just walk away with the everlasting
doubt of whether you were witness to something truly magical.
If in 1999, people wanted to see a mummy rise from the tomb in the
flesh and trying to destroy the world, they went to the movies to
see The Mummy, which you can clearly see isn’t set in the 90s.
That’s because in 1999, the Supernatural is not embodied

by some monster with strange powers, roaming the city
center, but more subtle, mysterious things. In an era where
people have digital cameras to record anything they see,
people have stopped believing in fairytales, and it looks
like there’s a scientific, or pseudo-scientific explanation
for everything.
Let’s put it this way: everything can be studied and un-

derstood. If you can’t understand it, it’s just because you
haven’t had the time to study it properly.
For example, if you’re ambushed by a warrior tribe of people

with shiny eyes and super-human strength who are said to
be cooperating with an evil spirit, after going deeper into their
| 198
lands, you might discover that in the region grows a bioluminescent plant
that, in great quantities, can fog the mind and increase physical capabilities.
Clearly, there was a logical explanation, and there is no evil spirit of any kind...
although, after your Rival defiled their temple and stole a sacred stone, some
great shadow seemed to engulf them and turn them to ash. However, you were
too busy running, since the temple was collapsing. If you just had the time to
check, you might have understood what happened... but you’ll have to live
with your doubts instead. Such is the way of life in 1999: no truth is absolute,
and everyone is free to choose what
they believe in. After all, one version
is as good as the next.
TREASURES
A Treasure is a Treasure, no matter the era or place. 1999 is a good time for
travelers, who find themselves with a thousand more possibilities to journey
than people in earlier eras. So, if you’re setting off for an Adventure in 1999, rest
assured that there is no limit to the Treasures you can discover.
However, there are Treasures that feel more in line with each era, or some that
simply you couldn’t hope to reach in the past. For example, 1999 is known as a
time of somewhat more muted supernatural events and as such, it is the right
era to search Treasure linked more with mystery than real full-blown magic.
Much in the same way, the urban jungle of this era is the perfect setting for
Treasure hunting among the tall skyscrapers and in metropolises, rather than
in the woods.
Outside of the cities, 1999 offers unlimited chances to explore thanks to
modern vehicles and gear that allow Adventurers to scour both the skies and
the ocean depths to unprecedented levels.
And finally, I’ll have you know that while some Treasures are ancient as the
earth, others are but fifty years old. Hidden bank accounts, ancient artifacts
and hard cold money from the fallen regimes and great powers of World War
II are still out there, waiting to be uncovered and brought back to light by
someone like you.
The following pages look into six Treasures that, in my humble opinion, would
suit 1999 to a T (for Treasure), each in their own way. You can read through
them at your own pace, choose the one you like best and set off on your jour-
ney... Or you can roll a die, as you prefer. I haven’t made a table for this, but I
figure you can manage it: there’s just six of them, after all.
ATLANTIS
the Sunken City
“There was an island situated in front of the straits which

are by you called the Pillars of Heracles; the island was
larger than Libya and Asia put together […] . But afterwards
there occurred violent earthquakes and floods; and in a single
day and night of misfortune all your warlike men in a body
sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like
manner disappeared in the depths of the sea.”
Plato
In the dialogue called Timaeus, Plato speaks for the first

time about a legendary island, a naval power as never seen
before, whose ports laid beyond the Pillars of Hercules. It
was named after the first king of that land, Atlas, son of
Poseidon and Cleito (not the titan, a different one!).
According to Plato, Atlantis waged war on Athens, trying and
failing to invade the Greek polis and, after losing favor
with the gods, sank around 9600 BC.
Over the course of history, many have wondered about the true
nature of Atlantis, and for each historian who only sees it
as a myth or an allegory, there’s an explorer who’s certain
it’s somewhere out there, at the bottom of the sea, waiting
to be discovered.
According to some, it’s a utopia, others think it holds technology
never seen before, others still think it’s the place the ancient
Maya came from, or maybe the cradle of all humanity.
If you’re setting off in search of the sunken city, there are

many seas to explore: some accounts say the
island was located in the Mediterranean
Sea; according to others it was in
the middle of the Atlantic Ocean; a
third school of thought suggests it
might have been in the Antarctic.
The Nazis thought they could find
it in the Northern Sea, since
that was apparently convenient
for them, but you never know!
| 202
GJALLARHORN
Heimdall’s Horn
“When these tidings come to pass, then shall Heimdall rise

up and blow mightily in the Gjallarhorn, and awaken all the
gods; and they shall hold council together.”
Prose Edda, Gylfaginning 51
According to Norse mythology, Heimdall is the watchman of

the gods, who holds guard over Bifröst from his seat at
the threshold of the sky. His senses are so developed, that
although he only has one ear, he can hear the grass growing.
Should a danger large enough to threaten Asgard ever arise,
Heimdall will surely be the first to know, and his duty is to
warn Odin and the other gods.
To proclaim the incoming threats, Heimdall has

been gifted with a powerful horn by the name of
Gjallarhorn,
literally translated as “the resounding horn”,
whose blast can be heard across all worlds.
According to legend, when Ragnarök (the
apocalypse of Norse mythology) comes,
Heimdall shall blow into Gjallarhorn
to call the gods for the final
battle for the fate of humanity.
If every legend holds a kernel of truth, Gjallarhorn must be

hidden somewhere together with other unearthly treasures from
Norse tradition, and it would be a key artifact of ancient
eras. With all the maniacs around these days, I wouldn’t be
surprised if someone was searching for the horn to bring
on who knows what, or even to prevent it from being blown
on the eve of Ragnarök, wanting the earth to be completely
annihilated. It would be nice if such people didn’t exist,
but they do, and you know it.
1999 | 203
THE LOST CITY OF THE KALAHARI
“A relic, may be, of a glorious past,

A city once grand and sublime,
Destroyed by earthquake, defaced by the blast, Swept away by
the hand of time.”
William Leonard Hunt
These words were used by William Leonard Hunt in his 1886 book
titled “Through the Kalahari Desert”. The explorer describes
coming upon the ruins of an ancient and majestic city in the
middle of an African desert.
Hunt became a real celebrity after publishing this book on
his extraordinary discovery, and became famous all over the
world under the pseudonym “The Great Farini” as an inventor
and tightrope walker, who was able to cross over the Niagara
Falls (blindfolded!), but also as a military engineer during
the American Civil War, when he fought for the Union, and
because he was the first westerner to cross the Kalahari
desert on foot and survive. However, nobody managed to find
anything about this lost city of his.
Over the following years, many people attempted to find the

Kalahari desert’s lost city, or at least a reasonable explanation
for it, and from 1932 onwards twenty-five expeditions were
called, all of them failures. By the end, few believed that
Hunt had actually seen proof of an unidentified civilization,
and, according to the explorer A.J. Clement, Hunt was probably
misled by natural dolerite formation, as this specific igneous
rock has been known to take shapes vaguely similar to
buildings.
So, many left on the journey and came back empty-handed, but
I tell you, the Great Farini knew the difference between a
lost city and a couple of square rocks!
| 204
THE FLAMING PEARL
“We do not discuss the dragon’s pearl.”

Mao Zedong
In eastern cultures, dragons aren’t fire-breathing

worms with bat wings who consort with demons only
to be heroically slain by the first knight to come
around. Asian dragons are godly, benevolent beings who lord
over skies and waters. In China, these creatures are loved and
respected to the point that for years they’ve been held as a
symbol of the nation, as well as of the emperor, and even today
the people call themselves “Descendants of the Dragon”.
The dragon is considered a good omen, and it is said to have

many virtues, but you don’t really care about this, right?
You’re here for a real Treasure. You might have noticed that in
China, dragons are often represented battling over a pearl or
wrapped around one as they hold it beneath their chin. There
are several theories regarding the Flaming Pearl, but most
agree that this jewel has the power to grant wishes to those
holding it. Now that’s interesting!
The Flaming Pearl is kept in different places, depending on

which traditions you pay heed to. According to some, it is also
tied to other, similarly powerful jewels in other cultures: the
Chintamani stone of Buddhist lore and the Naga king’s magic
jewel in Hindu legends, for example.
There is one legend, often told throughout of China, that seems

to refer to the Flaming Stone, while actually talking of two
sea pearls held by the dragon-god Ryujin. According to this
version, Kanju and Manju (such are the names of the jewels)
control the ebb and flow of the tides respectively. In the III
century, this power was allegedly given to the empress Jingū,
to aid her in the war against the Korean navy.
It doesn’t matter what power this pearl or pair of pearls hold
that are apparently cared for by dragons: what’s sure is that
there’s some kernel of truth in such a legend, and a century-
old pearl as big as a man’s fist will probably grant many wishes,
with or without magic.
1999 | 205
MONTEZUMA’S GOLD
“There is not the slimmest thread of

reality in this story which is common
throughout Mexico and the southwestern
United States.”
Thomas Pennfield
In February 1519, six hundred conquistadors led by Hernán Cortéz

docked their fleet on the coast of Mexico. They aimed to conquer
the land, convert its people to Christianity and, since there
was a lot of it going around, they decided that all the gold
belonged to them now.
An ancient prophecy of Quetzalcoatl, the plumed serpent who was
the Aztec sun god, told that the gods would return to Earth in
the shape of men with shining hair and white skin... So, we can
all see how emperor Montezuma could be led to greet the invaders
with kingly gifts, hoping they’d leave him on the throne.
Unluckily for him, those presents piqued the attention of Cortéz,

directing his attention towards Tenochtitlán (today’s Mexico
City), the Aztec capital. In November 1519, the conquistadors
entered the palace as gods and deposed the emperor.
After imprisoning Montezuma, Cortéz and his men pillaged the

city, finding a secret chamber filled with so much treasure that
it took them three days just to bring it all out into the sun.
And still, it wasn’t enough to satiate their greed. After months
spent raiding, during a night that would later be known as La
Noche Triste, the Spaniards were attacked and slaughtered by the
Aztecs, and they were forced to retreat, leaving the treasure
behind. The survivors never stopped searching for those riches,
and they found no peace, as Montezuma’s gold disappeared forever.
According to some, a priest led more than two thousand men and
women in their exodus to the North, bringing the treasure with
them to the least expected destination: Utah! Others tell about
how the gold was probably buried in Lake Tezcuco, just so the
conquistadors couldn’t have it, while the archaeologist Thomas
Gann says it probably went south, to the heart of the Guatemalan
jungle. What’s sure is it’s somewhere out there...
| 206
THE TEMPLAR TREASURE
“Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give
glory”
Motto of the Knight Templar
The order of “the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the

Temple of Solomon”, best known as the Knights Templar, was one
of the most famous knightly and religious orders to ever exist.
The first Templar order was founded at the beginning of the XII
century by the Flemish knight Goeffrey de Saint-Omer and the
first Grand Master Hugues de Payns. They were among the protag-
onists of the crusades for more than two hundred years, until
they were disbanded in 1312.
Despite calling themselves “poor fellow-soldiers”, the Templars

were almost revoltingly rich, due not only to the mountains
of riches gathered during their military expeditions in the
Holy Land, but also — and above all — to the fact they acted
as intermediaries and banks to the most important and richest
Christians... Also receiving hefty donations from the worshi-
pers. Indeed, it’s widely believed that King Philippe IV “the
Fair” had the order disbanded with the specific goal of erasing
his debts and taking a hold of their riches. But that’s where
history ends and legend begins. The last Grand Master, Jacques
de Molay, cast a terrible curse from the executioner’s block
(that later came true), and 18 galleys loaded with God-knows-
what sailed from the harbor, never to be found.
Over the centuries, it seems that Templars reorganized them-

selves in different ways, partly thanks to
their near-infinite treasure that granted
them the control over whole nations,
or even the World. Some say that the
Templar Treasure is still in Paris,
or even in Acre’s citadel in the
Holy Land. Others think it sailed
off to the new world following a
mysterious Viking route, or even
on Christopher Columbus’s caravels,
arriving in the neighborhood of Oak
Island or even in Canada!
1999 | 207
EXTRAS
1999 is a strange time, filled with strange people ready for Adventure. Here
in the following pages, I have gathered information about eleven Extras that
might be useful to your Season and who you can use in one of two ways. Each
Extra is a character you can meet and maybe choose to take along on your
journey, on the basis of what little information I found about them. If not,
each Extra has a set of statistics and a keyword representing their general
character, something like “the Detective” or “the Tough Chick”. As a Fortune
Master, if you want to create your own extra to play one of these roles, you
can feel free to use the statistics and ignore everything else. There’s all kinds
of detectives and tough chicks around the world!
THE GUIDES
The Guides are a small group of people you can
hire pretty much anywhere around the globe to
take you through a wild place you don’t know
and help you avoid ugly surprises. The nice thing
about guides is they’re used to going through
jungles, savannas, or mountains just as much as
they’re used to chatting with tourists and trav-
elers. As such, they’re always a good source of
stories and important info.
Some guides are loyal, others will try to exploit
ACTION
you, but there’s one thing they all have in com-
GUTS
mon: there’s no chance in hell they’re going to
Knowledge get killed for this stupid Treasure you’re search-
society ing. When the situation turns sour, you can be
Wild sure they’re going to leave you hanging: no hard
crime feelings!
| 208
THE PILOT
Bernard “Bernie” Beauregard is a famous
plane and helicopter pilot who’s been working
in this sector for years and mainly works in the
Middle East.
He’s a rough guy who speaks curtly, but his gruff
charm has given him a well-earned reputation as
veteran playboy.
Funnily enough, despite his love for the fairer
sex and the fact that Bernie has been known to
do almost anything to help a pretty lady, his one
ACTION
true love has a petrol engine and weighs eight
GUTS tons. Just to be clear, we’re talking about a soviet
Knowledge leftover of the Afghan war, a Mil Mi-24 “Hind”
society D helicopter he calls “BOB”, and for which
Wild Bernie would give his life.
crime
THE BEST FRIEND

King is a smart German shepherd in great
shape. Behind his big puppy eyes, a troubled
past lies hidden.
His strength and discipline are obviously the
result of near-perfect military training, and his
vast experience clearly shows he’s taken part in
his fair share of field missions for who-knows-
what army. After being separated from his unit,
King started wandering alone, accidentally find-
ing his way through a series of ruins and hidden
ACTION
temples one after the other, quickly becoming
GUTS
renowned among Adventurers. They say he can
Knowledge smell Adventure a mile away, and there’s more
society than one young explorer who owes him their
Wild life.
crime
1999 | 209
THE RODENTS
Indiana and Montana are a couple of extreme-
ly curious white mice who live in the pocket of
their Adventurer sidekick.
“Indy” is smart and agile and can easily get in
or out of any cage or room. People who witness
Indy’s deeds say that he wears a small fedora be-
tween his ears and that he would face the great-
est dangers just to save his trusty hat.
“Monty” is larger, arrogant and burly, he never
shies away from a fight. Aside from that, he’s
ACTION
easily distinguishable from his friend thanks to
GUTS his thick tail and the, crazy, I know, small red
Knowledge Hawaiian shirt from the 80s he wears.
society Together, they’re an unstoppable team, with
Wild them being rats and all!
crime
THE TOUGH CHICK

Clara “Calamity” Turner was born and bred
in Australia and fears nothing. It doesn’t mat-
ter how big of a danger she’s facing; she’s going
to charge it head on with her two guns, brazen
cheek and a good dose of courage, landing her
square in reckless territory.
As a driver, she doesn’t know where the brakes
are; as a player, she plays to win. Where others
falter, she always knows just what to do, and while
others think, she’s already acting. Nobody can tell
ACTION
her what to do, and if someone is stupid enough
GUTS
to try, rest assured there won’t be a second time.
Knowledge If she’s your enemy, you better watch your back.
society But if she’s your friend, I’d still tread carefully
Wild and think before I spoke, she has a mean right
crime hook. She’s the boss.
| 210
THE DETECTIVE
Grown in the midst of a guerrilla cell in South
America, Francisco “Sisco” Navarro has
learned many things and is known for his effi-
ciency, but there are things in his past that he’s
not proud of. On the run from a past that is still
pursuing him, Sisco is a new man in search of
redemption. People in the know describe him as
a private eye who only takes on the most des-
perate and worst paid cases and always gets the
job done.
ACTION
He’s half investigator and half vigilante, living
GUTS in accordance with a strict code of honor. Sisco
Knowledge always does what’s right, no matter the cost. His
society only hope is that the good deeds of today might
Wild offset the sins of his old life.
crime
THE HACKER
Nobody’s ever heard of Fabius Teller, a simple
boy born somewhere in Italy to British parents.
On the other hand, everyone who knows any-
thing about IT has heard the name Harlock.
An invisible Hacker that no one can catch, with
great talent and just as much fame.
Both Fabius and Harlock aim to bring the great
corporations ruining the planet with their reck-
less policies to their knees. Activist by vocation
and Adventurer by necessity, Harlock has gained
ACTION
entrance to many top-secret databases, uncover-
GUTS
ing secrets that should have remained hidden.
Knowledge Now he can’t just sit and watch, he’s determined
society to solve the problem at its root. The planet must
Wild be saved!
crime
1999 | 211
MERCENARIES
Mercenaries are people who embody the phrase
“it’s just business”. These groups of soldiers with-
out an army or flag sell their service to the best
bidder and act as bodyguards or escorts, some-
times even dealing with less savory business.
If during your journey you need an armed wing
who won’t ask many questions or leave you at
the first sign of hardship, mercenaries are what
you’re looking for. But don’t expect anything
more from them. They might seem like friendly
ACTION
people, but they’re still in it only for the mon-
GUTS ey. Some mercenaries are cheap, some are quite
Knowledge pricey, but take a word of advice: pay them more
society than your Rival will. You never know with those
Wild folks.
crime
THE SERGEANT
Everyone knows about the great deeds of
Sergeant Gabriel Admintorn. About how he
discovered this and that Treasure with a hand
tied behind his back. It’s not by chance that all
stories describe him as a ruthless and efficient
guerrilla fighter.
In person, Gabriel is an easy-going and amiable
guy. He likes making dirty jokes in front of a
good beer (and he won’t turn down a bad one
either), and he’s nothing but an Adventurer try-
ACTION
ing to make his fortune. But in truth, Sergeant
GUTS
Admintorn is a great expert of the occult, who
Knowledge devoted his life to his foolish expeditions and
society won’t hesitate to betray his employers or friends
Wild to defend ancient powers... Or get his hands on
crime them.
| 212
THE GRAVE ROBBER
The dead hide many secrets, but most impor-
tantly they have really no use for the gold that
has been buried beside them. These are known
facts for the professional grave robber Seleste
Okoro, who’s been roaming for years through
southern Africa in search of treasure.
Local authorities see her as a serial criminal who
should be locked in jail for life. But the truth, as
always, is more complicated than that. Seleste
doesn’t steal for her gain (not always at least), but
ACTION
to aid families and villages in need.
GUTS She aims to preserve local culture and tribal tra-
Knowledge ditions and doesn’t want to see them buried and
society forgotten like the tombs she steals from.
Wild
crime
THE BLOGGER
Most young Adventurers know and frequent the
Flying Explosive Monkey blog, born from the
work of an intrepid reporter.
The actual flying explosive monkey behind the
blog is a British bloke by the name of Francis
Clarke.
He’s an interesting dude, with a true mania for
all things supernatural. His articles that almost
look like fiction have quickly earned him the re-
spect of his peers and the rep of being a lunatic
ACTION
who’ll probably end up dead sooner rather than
GUTS
later.
Knowledge Whether the legends are true or not, the only
society thing that’s sure is that the Flying Explosive
Wild Monkey will be the first in line to get an answer!
crime
1999 | 213
PILOT
INTO THE STORM
THE FIRST
STEP
Look at you! Happily strutting about with your backpack on and your feet al-
most dancing with your eagerness to start. Now I’m really out of tips and tricks,
all that’s left is for you to go out there and show the World what you’re made of.
Why are you still here? Are you having a moment of hesitation? The World is
huge, the Story never-ending and the Treasure beyond imagination. It’s true that
the first step is the hardest one. But not to worry: here’s an Adventure ready to
be played. A Pilot to start you off on your great journey.
In the next few pages, you’ll find everything you need to play without needing too
much preparation or information. All you need to do is choose an Adventurer,
define your context and... well. That’s all!
ON-DEMAND EPISODES
The introductory Pilot doesn’t take place in a specific time or place. It just hap-
pens. That’s because this Pilot is an On-Demand Episode, a structure with no
context you can mold to any story and any circumstance.
In future expansions, like BROKEN COMPASS: GOLDEN AGE, you can find
whole On-Demand Seasons! Those are Seasons made of a number of Episodes
you can either play as stand-alones or one after the other, specifically planned to
adapt to your own Adventure.
In On-Demand Episodes, the Context is made up of variables you can easily

change: the Rival, the Treasure and the Locations. You and your friends can
choose all of these freely.
For example, you won’t find instructions such as “this Episode takes place in
a pre-Colombian temple lost in the jungle”. Instead, you might read that the
Episode begins in some RUINS at the heart of a WILD PLACE.
| 216
You and your friends will need to decide if the RUINS are a castle or a lost
submarine, and if the WILD PLACE is a snowy mountaintop or the bottom
of the ocean!
The Adventure is yours and yours alone, nobody can write it for you. What
you need to play is ready to roll, all the prep is done. You just need to unleash
your imagination and set the course of your story!
READY-TO-ROLL ADVENTURERS
One of the best ways to set out on the Pilot is to choose which of the ready-to-
roll Adventurers you want to play as. Each of them was created with the Tags
we discussed above, and you can find their Adventurer Sheets at the end of this
manual.
All ready-to-roll Adventurers, just like any good Adventurer, have no past and
no set objective. They only need a couple of Tags, Words to live by and a healthy
itch for action!
After all Players have chosen their Adventurer, take a seat at the table and go
around deciding your goals and your relationships with each other. For example,
the first Player might say “I’ve been searching this Treasure for years, found a
new lead and decided to hire the others” or “I only know one of my companions
and they’re the reason I’m here”. You only need a short, clear sentence to decide
your relationship with the other Adventurers for the moment. Before going on,
let’s take a look at the four Adventurers in the next pages.
INTO THE STORM | 217

JAKE O'DONNELL DONNIE "DIDI " DALTON
DAREDEVIL ACTION HERO OLD CHEATER WINGMAN
“I’ve been through worse!” “Two in the hand...”
If you like the adrenaline rush and If you like having the situation under
prefer to act first, think later, Jake is control and think you can talk your
the right Adventurer for you! Put on way out of anything, Didi is your man.
a grin and take out your gun. Grab a cigar and get ready with the
“I told you so”.
| 218
DR. LAURA BENOIT CALEB STONE
EXPLORER PROFESSOR HUNK SOLDIER
“You must finish what you started” “No one gets left behind”
If you feel like the only way to have a job If you think you can wrestle with any
well done is to do it yourself, and you problem and you know how to find
shouldn’t speak about what you haven’t your way around a jungle armed with
studied, Dr Benoit is ready for you. just a knife and an attitude, choose
Follow the compass, find the answers. Stone.

DEFINE THE
CONTEXT
All On-Demand Episodes are designed to be adaptable within any story and
be played either as stand-alones or as part of a Season. This allows you to al-
ways have a few hours of game ready to go without needing to prepare much
beforehand!
To help you tailor all On-Demand Episodes to your Adventure, you will find
that they have an established structure but no context.
We define context as the sum of the details that make your story unique. By
defining the context once you’re all at the table, you can modify the Episode
an infinite amount of times for all styles and preferences.
Some details regarding the context are chosen by all players, as we discussed in
Section 5, and they’re usually those that only need to be defined once for the
whole Season: where and when, the Treasure, your Rival. Other elements, on the
other hand, will only come into play for some Episodes, and as such it’s best if
the Fortune Master decides what they are to avoid spoilers.
Once all is decided and everyone is satisfied, the

Fortune Master is in charge of summing up
everything you’ve decided and trying
to tell the story that brought the
Adventurers together in this
journey. Sit tight: the Episode
is about to begin!
| 220
INTO THE
STORM
The last ad has aired. The opening credits are about to roll. The Adventure is
starting.
Go to the next page only if you’re going to be the Fortune Master, because
from here on you’ll find the script for an On-Demand Pilot with the title Into
the Storm.
To play this Episode you need to establish:
THE ERA: For now, it may be best to stick with the 1999 theme but if
you feel knowledgeable enough, you are free to explore History.
THE TREASURE: You’re clearly not finding it today, but it’s best if you
know what you’re looking for before you set off on your quest.
THE RIVAL: Who else is interested in the Treasure? More importantly,
what Cronies can they rely on? Did they hire an army of mercenaries or
a gang of rogues?
THE WILD PLACE: The heart of the Amazonian forest, the snowy
peaks of Nepal, the Sahara Desert. Any hard to reach and explore loca-
tion filled with dangers is good enough!
THE ANCIENT RUINS: A cursed temple, a looming castle, a buried
pyramid. Any building from a distant past.
THE KEY: A ring, an amulet, a book, a statuette: in brief, any physical
object that might be needed to open the way to the Treasure.
THE MAP: A piece of paper or parchment or any other artifact that holds
the information one would need to reach the place where the Treasure is
hidden or, just as often, to another map, which will lead to another, and
so on...
After you answer these few questions, you are ready to turn the page and set
off on your Adventure. If you have no set ideas, don’t worry. After the Pilot
you will find a small present: an entire Context ready to be played titled The
Quetzalcoatl’s fury. The plan’s ironclad!

SCENE 1 - SHELTER, WILD PLACE: - INT/DAY
There’s a storm coming. The Adventurers’ car stops in front of

a solitary shelter in the middle of a WILD PLACE. They have
the KEY and they’re looking for someone who can interpret it.
CUT
The Adventurers are squeezed into the old shelter. On the
other side of the table, an Old man with a weathered face is
pouring himself a drink, ignoring them. If they try to speak
to him, he answers calmly, but in some lost language.
When the Adventurers give him the KEY, the Old man studies
it with his hands. Only then he speaks some strained words
you understand.
OLD MAN
Where... Where did you find this?
His blind eyes pierce through the Adventurers without seeing

them. A single tear runs down his cheek. His shelter is dusty
and cluttered: he’s clearly been alone here for a long time.
Outside the small room, the storm is picking up.
OLD MAN
After so many years. How many have died for this KEY? Many
friends of mine...
He pauses. He grasps the hand of the closest Adventurer in

distress, pushing the KEY back into their grasp. He doesn’t
let go but looks them straight in the eye.
OLD MAN
You’re in great danger. You must go, quick! The KEY will
open the way. Take it to...
There’s a loud clap of thunder. The Old man’s eyes widen as

he stutters and falls to the ground. A bullet has hit him in
the back. Soon after, a hail of bullets pierces the shelter
walls [2 BASIC Dangers]. A group of armed men and heavy-duty
vehicles is closing in at the same pace as the storm. The
RIVAL’s cronies.
The Adventurers need to get the KEY and run.
| 222
SCENE 2 - WILD PLACE: - EXT/DAY
Not a minute to breathe. The Adventurers need to reach their

vehicle as soon as possible if they hope to escape their
pursuers. You can all feel the storm curling the hair on your
neck, the air is filled with lead and tension.
CRONIES
Don’t let them get away! Get that KEY!
They have several vehicles and all look heavily armed. They
split into two groups and try to attack the Adventurers from
both left and right [2 CRITICAL Enemies]. The driver won’t
just need to get you all out of there, but also avoid getting
the vehicle stranded in the wilderness [+1 BASIC Danger: your
Vehicle is at stake here]. If the Adventurers find themselves
stranded and on foot, they each have one Disadvantage on all
tasks against their pursuers.
After 3 rounds of chase, or after all Enemies have been
defeated, the storm hits the Adventurers. The conditions
become so hostile it’s almost impossible to communicate.
Passing through the storm is a tough feat [3 BASIC Dangers]

and the Adventurers need to be wary of the obstacles they
find along the way, as well of the danger of being swept away
by the wind.
As the storm progresses, it becomes unbearable and anything

that is not firmly anchored to the ground will be lifted and
scattered along the way as if it fell from the sky. After 2
rounds or after an Adventurer uses a Luck Coin, the situation
rapidly goes downhill. The Adventurers, or at least one of
them, seems to slip and the ground crumbles under their
feet, opening up a sinkhole. The unlucky ones plunge several
feet to the ground and feel BROKEN by the fall. Anyone left
on the surface has little choice but to jump down to avoid
being taken by the storm [BASIC Challenge].
Falling into this large underground cave has taken the
Adventurers to a place that seems safe from both the storm
and the enemies, so they can all recover their Luck.

SCENE 3 - ANCIENT RUINS: - INT/DAY
The huge cave goes further into the depth of the WILD PLACE.
A careful Adventurer [BASIC Challenge] can spot that the
walls of the cave are natural, but its floor has been leveled
by human hands.
As they walk, the Adventurers can hear the storm roaring above
them. Only someone with a deathwish would go out now. As they go
on, watching their step on the rough terrain, the Adventurers
come face to face with the entrance to some ANCIENT RUINS. The
wide archway that once led into the ruins has collapsed over
time and is now just a pile of rubble, but on the stones is
still barely visible the same symbol that you find on the KEY:
could this be the place the Old man was talking about?
By analyzing the way the rubble is scattered [BASIC Challenge],

you realize the ANCIENT RUINS have been demolished by someone.
It looks as if they tried to bury a dangerous secret forever,
or maybe prevent someone from getting in or out. You need to
find a way to make it through the rubble, whether climbing
over or digging under it: either way, you really need to roll
up your sleeves [CRITICAL Challenge].
CUT
Beyond the rubble, the ANCIENT RUINS continue with a long
hallway. On the flaking walls you see repeated the same symbol
that is on the KEY. Under one of these symbols there’s the
skeleton of a man that left one last message from the past.
MESSAGE
This is the end. Nobody will find the TREASURE. I will die
here with this terrible curse.
It seems the man died of hunger or an illness. From there

on the ANCIENT RUINS go ever deeper and the rooms get ever
wider. Darkness falls quickly and without a light source the
Adventurers will suffer one Disadvantage to any tasks. At the
end of the hallway the ceiling disappears above you and the
floor drops abruptly into a ravine.
Peering over the edge, you can barely see the bottom. Reaching
the other side with a jump might not be impossible [EXTREME
Danger], but there has to be a safer way forward. On the wall
| 224
you find an old mechanism. Once you manage to put it into
action, the earth seems to tremble and from the ravine comes
a stone walkway, held by a single central pillar.
On the closer end of the bridge a sharp eyed Adventurer
might notice [BASIC Challenge] a faded engraving. If the
Adventurers manage to translate it [CRITICAL Challenge] it
reads something like this:
ETCHING
Abandon your friends and family.
This is a very precious CLUE. To proceed safely, the Adventurers

must go one at a time. If two or more people step on the
bridge at the same time, the walkway will begin to spin on
its fulcrum and sharp blades will emerge from the floor [2
CRITICAL Dangers] Furthermore, anyone holding a light source
risks letting it fall [+1 BASIC Danger. Your light source is
at stake here].
If the Adventurers get the CLUE and proceed one at a time,
they can all easily avoid the trap. At least, all but one.
The bridge is very old and battered and the mechanism has
been still for centuries. When the last Adventurer crosses
it not only do all traps trigger out of order, but the
whole structure starts falling under their feet. [3 CRITICAL
Dangers].
CUT
The ANCIENT RUINS run downward, deeper and deeper. Without
a flashlight, the path proceeds in complete darkness. The
Adventurers can’t stop to catch their breath: clearly the
ANCIENT RUINS could crumble any moment, and the storm’s wails
penetrate through the cracks in the walls. The only way out
is forward. Another large hallway takes them to a small round
room.

SCENE SCENE 4 - TREASURE CHAMBER: - INT/DAY
The abandoned chamber contains a large brazier and all you need
to light a fire. Once it has been lit, the flames go forward in
a maze of small drains that spread across the walls, lighting
the chamber from all sides with a spiral of fire. The circles of
light drawn on the floor converge towards a single place: a stone
pedestal branded with the same symbol from the KEY.
Now that it has been lit, the chamber appears well preserved.
Along the walls and on the floor lie a multitude of dusty
skeletons. Carefully analyzing the remains [CRITICAL Challenge],
you can see that they’ve all been killed from behind by other
people, maybe the same ones that destroyed the entrance to the
ANCIENT RUINS. It looks like they really wanted to prevent the
TREASURE being discovered by anyone. Among the skeletons, one
still has a dagger stuck between its vertebrae and lies on the
floor in a strange position. It appears to be holding a hand to
its mouth.
If an Adventurer decides to search the skeleton’s bag, they
risk being SCARED (or ASHAMED, depending on the reaction) after
they put their hand on a large insect [CRITICAL Cool Challenge]
After a moment of shock, somebody can notice a message held
between the teeth of the skeleton. This is a CLUE regarding the
TREASURE.
CLUE
Water. Earth. Fire. Air.
Breaking the light beam where it strikes the ground has no

effect. The spiraling light is a hard CLUE showing where
you should NOT step to remain safe. To reach the other side
safely, Adventurers need to step only in the shadows.
To make it through the largest circle, they only need a little
caution. If one foot is set in the light, it triggers the first
trap and two large scythes come out of the walls, swinging
like pendulums back and forth before lodging back in their
nooks [2 CRITICAL Dangers] The closer you get to the pedestal,
the closer the circles get to one another, and the less shade
you have to step in.
You must proceed with great caution [CRITICAL Stealth Challenge]

to avoid stepping on the wrong spot. If an Adventurer sets
| 226
foot in the light, they’ll be enveloped for a couple of
seconds in a line of flames sprouting from the pedestal [1
CRITICAL Danger] and will need to be careful not to drop the
KEY [+1 BASIC Danger. Your grip on the KEY is at stake here].
On top of the pedestal there’s a dusty hole that, once cleaned,

appears to be in the shape of the KEY. After inserting the
KEY, the ANCIENT RUINS shudder and rock fragments fall from
the walls. Ten small gems reach the surface of the pedestal,
each of a different color. The only way to open the lock is
pressing on the gems in the right order. The combination is
“Blue. Green. Red. Yellow.” and can be understood from the
CLUE. If the Adventurers insert the wrong combination, flames
rise again on the pedestal.
Once the right combination has been inserted, the pedestal

lowers into the floor together with the KEY and the gems. The
chamber shudders as if there were an earthquake. The ceiling
unfurls like petals of a flower. Large pieces of stone crash
to the floor. The storm lashes down furiously into the chamber
and anyone who doesn’t manage to hold on tight is at risk
of being blown against a wall and losing their equipment [3
BASIC Dangers. Failing all three means losing both Bag and
Backpack].
Seeping through long fissures in the walls, the storm winds

activate another heavy mechanism that pushes up a second
pedestal and shuts the ceiling overhead. On the golden
pedestal there’s another precious artifact: a cryptic MAP
that will lead to the TREASURE.
And in that moment, dozens upon dozens of armed men barge
into the chamber. Their ranks open to let through their
leader, the RIVAL.
RIVAL
Why, thank you. I guess I’ll take this.
End of the Episode.

THE
QUETZALCOATL'S
FURY
CONTEXT FOR "INTO THE STORM "
ERA: 1999
WILD PLACE: Mexican jungle
ANCIENT RUINS: Quetzalcoatl buried pyramid
KEY: A golden dagger with a Quetzalcoatl effigy
TREASURE: Montezuma’s gold
RIVAL: Julio Romero, former army colonel dishonorably discharged for
his crimes
The Adventurers start the Pilot seated on a jeep struggling to proceed into the
jungle. They somehow got a hold of a golden dagger with an effigy of the plumed
serpent Quetzalcoatl and believe this is the key to find Montezuma’s gold from
the legends.
One of their contacts assured them that the only person that can help
them decipher the engravings on the dagger is an old hermit living far from
civilization.
After hours spent going around in circles until the tank is almost empty,
the Adventurers glimpse the humble red and yellow tent where they hope to
find some answers.
The sky is getting dark fast, heralding the incoming rain.
Outside of the tent there’s a small, empty garden. Inside there’s a strong smell of
tobacco coming from a handmade cigar in the hands of an old native man. The old
man only speaks an obscure Uto-Aztecan language. When the Adventurers ask
him questions, he only emits unintelligible grunts while grinning annoyingly. He
is completely blind but doesn’t show it since he’s completely at home in his tent.
As soon as he touches the dagger, he stammer out something regarding
the Quetzalcoatl before being brutally murdered by a bullet through the back.
The ones who opened fire are soldiers, wearing the typical green uniform
of the Mexican army and driving military trucks with the insignia of a black
| 228
lightning bolt. An Adventurer who knows the location well can easily recog-
nize the rebel unit lead by a war criminal, former colonel Julio Romero.
Six military grade trucks follow the Adventurers, three on their left, three on
the right, while the rain starts beating down on them heavily, adding even more
complications to the winding jungle road. After a few seconds, the rain becomes
a true tropical storm, falling on the Adventurers like a load of bricks and luckily
collapsing the ground under their feet into a natural cave where they find the
ruins of an ancient pyramid dedicated to Quetzalcoatl.
The skeletons inside the temple are those of Spanish Conquistadors, who
seem to have killed each other. Apparently, they had found the hiding place of
Montezuma’s gold but, maybe scared by the curse placed upon it, they turned
against one another.
It seems some of the Conquistadors killed the others and later collapsed
the entrance to the pyramid to make sure the gold would never be found.
The Map to Montezuma’s gold is a stone coin large as a man’s hand. On one side
it shows the face of Quetzalcoatl, and on the other there are two mountains with
a river snaking between them. Carefully examining the coin, you notice a deep
golden chink running through it like a lightning bolt and pointing to a location
in the middle of a mountain.

I am JAKE O’DONNELL
Call me if you n e e d a DAREDEVIL ACTION HERO
Plac es I call Home IRELAND U.S.A. BRASIL

I’ve been through worse!

Words to live by
ACTION co
in
FIGHT
k
LUCK
Luc
LEADERSHIP
STUNT
1
GUTS
COOL
DRIVE I FEEL
SHOOT HEIGHTS

HEROISM
CULTURE FOCUSED + KNOWLEDGE DIZZY ¯ PISTOL

SOCIETY + ¯
CHARM + ¯
ELOQUENCE EXPERTISE
OBSERVATION
WILD WEAPONS & GEAR

SCOUT PISTOL Allows you to shoot
SURVIVAL
GRAPPLING HOOK With attached rope. Can be hooked to climb or swing
TOUGH
CRIME
ALERT
DEXTERITY
STEALTH
Pockets Backpack
Knife

Pistol 2
/2 /2 /9
| 230
I am DONNIE “DIDI” DALTON
Call me if you n e e d a OLD CHEATER WINGMAN
Plac es I call Home L AKOTA U.S.A. BRASIL

Two in the hand...

Words to live by
ACTION co
in
FIGHT
k
LUCK
Luc
LEADERSHIP
STUNT
1
GUTS
COOL
DRIVE I FEEL
SHOOT CONTRABAND

LIES
CULTURE FOCUSED + KNOWLEDGE DIZZY ¯ LOCKPICKING
SUPPORT

SOCIETY + OLD ¯
CHARM + ¯
ELOQUENCE EXPERTISE
OBSERVATION
WILD WEAPONS & GEAR

SURVIVAL
STRAW HAT protects from the sun
TOUGH
CRIME
ALERT
DEXTERITY
STEALTH
Pockets Backpack
Obsession is a weakness (E) Lighter
Cigar
Lockpicks Pockets Bag Backpack

Flask Pistol 2 2
Binoculars
/2 /2 /9

I am DR. LAURA BENOIT
Call me if you n e e d a EXPLORER PROFESSOR
Plac es I call Home FRANCE CANADA FRANCE

You must finish what you started

Words to live by
ACTION co
in
FIGHT
k
LUCK
Luc
LEADERSHIP
STUNT
1
GUTS
COOL
DRIVE I FEEL
SHOOT ARCHAEOLOGY

ORIENTEERING
CULTURE FOCUSED + KNOWLEDGE DIZZY ¯ CLIMBING

SOCIETY + ¯
CHARM + ¯
ELOQUENCE EXPERTISE
OBSERVATION
WILD WEAPONS & GEAR

SURVIVAL
TOUGH
CRIME
ALERT
DEXTERITY
STEALTH
Pockets Backpack
Compass
Diary Pockets Bag Backpack

Map Pistol 2
Archaeological tools
/2 /2 /9
| 232
I am CALEB STONE
Call me if you n e e d a HUNK SOLDIER
Plac es I call Home SAMOA U.S.A. FRANCE

No one gets left behind

Words to live by
ACTION co
in
FIGHT
k
LUCK
Luc
LEADERSHIP
STUNT
1
GUTS
COOL
DRIVE I FEEL
SHOOT STRENGTH

MILITARY
CULTURE FOCUSED + KNOWLEDGE DIZZY ¯ BRAWL

SOCIETY + ¯
CHARM + ¯
ELOQUENCE EXPERTISE
OBSERVATION
WILD WEAPONS & GEAR

SCOUT REVOLVER Allows you to shoot
SURVIVAL
MACHETE Cuts through the vegetation
TOUGH
CRIME
ALERT
DEXTERITY
STEALTH
Pockets Backpack

Revolver 2
/2 /2 /9

GOOD
LUCK!
Look at you.
It feels like only yesterday when we met and here we are, each going their way. I’ve
shown you all I know. I’ve warned you of the dangers of an Adventure and the greed
of your Rivals. Did I teach you anything? No, of course. You know way better than me
how to do your work. People like me spend their life doing a lot of things, but you’re an
Adventurer. Yours is the privilege to set off on a great journey any time you want.
I’ll miss that rebel grin and punchable face, and something tells me you’ll get your share
of beatings along the way. You never learn those lessons, do you? That’s why I like you.
You’ve read a whole book about wild places, deadly traps, unsolvable riddles, enemy
armies, cruel rivals, savage beasts, deep scars, extreme challenges, all that, with just the
vague hope of finding a Treasure on the other plate of the scales.
But the only thing you heard is “Treasure” and it couldn’t be otherwise.
Oh, come on. Don’t pull that face with me, this isn’t goodbye. Here, take this diary with
you on your Adventures. This way, if you have any doubts, you’ll find me in there, al-
ways by your side. Maybe I’ll be somewhat tattered, but still ready to do my small part.
Travel, discover, and act. Remember, whatever happens, eyes on the Treasure and keep
going. Your past is an experience now, and your future is in the hands of Lady Luck, but
today is yours alone: Adventure is now!
Let’s call it quits with platitudes and clichés, we’ve been stalling enough. Go and show
the world what you’re made of.
Good luck, Adventurer!
| 234
HALL OF FAME
Adriano Delle Donne as Adrian Nash
Alessio Scaccioni as Alex “ Mimmo” Stacciani
Andrea Garrone as Adohorn, il Collezionista
Bernardo Tacchini as Bernard “Bernie” Beauregarde
Daniel Mulato as Sir Daniel Montague III
Fabio Maria Piacentini as Fabius “Harlock” Teller
Francesco Chirico as Francis Clarke
Francesco Panitti as Francisco “Sisco” Navarro
Giacomo Petrucci as Sir William Charles Briggs
Giorgio Giuliani as George “Jay” Dreamer
Iacopo Ciardelli as The Magnificent Manaraja
Paolo Pigozzi as Paul McBear
Sabrina Normani as Filomela Redmiller
Thanks to | 235
THANKS TO
_featherweather, _Morg_(Gabriele), 3rik de πrik, 7thPawn, Aaron
Buttery, Aaron Sissom, Ackinty, Adam, Adam, Adam Fisher, Adam
Coleman, Adam Longley, Adam Stein, AdamDork, Adrian “Eldor”
Skowroń, aikar Alain Stephens, Alberto, Alessio, Alex D., Alex
Touchette, Alexander, Alexander Pearce, Alexandria Brady, Allan
Sugarbaker, Amanda & Eric, Amanda Atkins, ANALOG GAMES,
Andrea Andreo Alemanno, Andrea Aparo, Andrea Ceravolo, Andrea
Micozzi, Andrea Ortale, Andreas Sewe, Andrew, Andrew Beal, Andrew
Carter, Andrew Eugene Mauney, Andrew R H Girdwood, Angus
Abranson / Chronicle City, Angus MacDonald, Anna D, Anne Steffens,
anonymous1453, Antariuk, Anthony Walker, Anton Belov, Aref Dyer,
Arethwyn, Arik Aslanyan, Armin Sykes, Attila Bodor, Austin F,
Bachgames, Bapf, Bart Wolles, beckerzs, Beliyah, Ben Phelps, Benedict
Daniels, Benjamin Madsen-Larsen, Bill Robertson, Blake Taylor, Brad,
Brad Davies, Brian Fitzgerald, Brian Gracey, Brian Koonce, Brian
Reeves, Bruce Kroeze, Bryan Botz, Cameron Edinger, Cameron Switzer
,Carl Fredrik Moen, Carlo Cagnazzi, Carroll J Hunter, CB Ash, Cecelia
Rafferty, Chad Walter, Chema, Chris Armour, Chris Gath, Chris Giesy,
Chris Jahn, Chris S. aka Pepsiman, Christian Knoeppler, Christian
Leezer, Christian Lindke, Christian Nord, christine, Christopher Baker,
Christopher James, Chuck Dee, Chuck McCalla, Cirlot, CJ Prokop,
Clayton Armstrong, Clemens du Bellier, CM Morgado, Cody Grandi,
Cole, Commodore Erickson, Conlan Brown, Constantinos Demetriades,
Contesse, Corrado Rosen, Craig Griffith, cuco fernandez, Dan Atwell,
Dan Culliton, Daniel Lyne, Daniel Nimitz, Daniel Philpin, Daniele,
Daniele Provinciali, Danny, Danny Atwood, Dany, Dario Lazzari,
Darren Struble, Dasor, Dave Stoeckel, Dávid, David Bythewood, David
campbell, David Daniels, David Ford, David Jackson, David Karoski,
David Kenny, David Paul Guzmán, David Stephenson, Davide Paoluzzi,
Davide Ragona, DD (aka André), Dean Kaneshiro, Denis Gaty, Derek
Howard, Devan, Diego, DiPa, Direlda - Kitsune of the Obsidian Order,
| 236
Dmitrii Tretyakov, Domenico Amoroso, Donnie Hanby, Doug “Dhomal”
Raas, Douglas Jessup, Drake Sunryder, Drew Laxton, Drew Wendorf,
Karl Druid, Dustin Laughlin, Dylan Grozdanich, E Blaine, Edward
Kabara, Elenath, Emanuele, Emanuele Pane, Emisario, enrico brunetti,
Epic Party Games, Eric, Eric Mette, Eric Schubert, Eric Troup, Erwan
Gas, Eva MONGNE-OLIVIER, Ewan Martin, Ewan Spence, Fabiano
Ferramosca, Fabio Bottoni, Fabrice Gatille, Federico, Federico Fondacci,
Federico Giordano, Felix, Kirchfeld, Ferfer Gimf, Fleo8, Fraiser,
Francesco Felici, Francesco Raimondi, Francis Helie, Franz Janson,
Frazer Gault, Frederic S. Bacon IV, Frederick Chambers, furstenberg-
er, Gabriel, Gabriel Duden, Gabriel Garcia, Gabriele Albertini, Game
Dave, Gareth Morgan, Gareth Wilson, Garrett, Ge Horcht, Geefax,
Gentleman Berserker, Gerald Kuster, Giacomo Prudenziati, Gianvito,
Gin Boozeby, Giorgio Correnti, Glenn Welser, Gord Cranford,
GRAY WOLF’S DEN, Greg Maroda, Gregory Harsh, Gregory Scaux,
Guido ‘Maicol’ Campanini, Guoccamolé, Gus Ortega, Guy Lévi-Bochi,
Hall Hood, Henry Pfeiffer, hidden traitor, Howard Leather, Hudson
Shock, I. J. Betty, Ian, Ian B., Ida, incandescens, irsonjr, J.C. Connors,
Jack Gulick, Jack Puppo, Jacob Banda, Jacopo Limonta, jacqui richard-
son, Jake Cook, Jambolti414, James Callahan, James Hogshead, James
Tejeda, jamie, Jason, Jason, Jay B, JediPrzemo, Jeff, Jeff Anderson, Jeff
Hessell, Jeff Mone, Jeff Workman, Jeffrey Kyer, Jekan, Jennifer Maglio,
Jens Oliver Murer, Jeremy Allen, Jeremy Cointin, Jeremy Wasik, jes-
per, Jesse Busch, Jesse Kimmel-Freeman, Jesse Nuñez, Jim Hart, Jim
Hohmann. Joachim Jungner, jobreath, John Desmarais, John Taber, Jon,
Jon Smejkal, Jon Terry, Jonathan, Jonathan Hardin, Jonathan Harmon,
Jörg Hartinger, José Luis Porfírio, Jose Placeres, Joseph Johnson,
Joseph Provenzano, Josh, Joshua Gardiner, Joshua Gopal-Boyd, Josiah
Ilgenfritz, Jozsef Lorincz, Julen Marcos Santamaría, Julian Aldinger,
Justin Batson, Justin Prazen, Kacey3, Kaladin Stormblessed, Kanaris,
Karsten Schulmann, Kat Tow, Keith Leonard, Ken Broman, Kenneth
Leyden, Kevin Oliver, Kickbacker, Kim Grønvig Hansn, Kirschbaum,
Kraig Przybylski, Kuba Markowski, Kurt Ellison, Kurt McMahon, kus-
tenjaeger, Laszlo Stadler, Laura, Laura Sempere, Lawrence Anderson,
Leanne Opaskar, Lee Murphy, Leif Mogren, Leó Páll Hrafnsson,
Licenser, Lisa Padol, Lisa Wright, Logan Dustin Whitney, Lorenzo
Cecalupo, Luca Bacciarelli, Luca Beltrami, Luca Papagna, Luca Zago,
Thanks to | 237
Luigi Coccia, Lukas Kreis, Luke, Lyttleton L Callender, MAC, Mack
Schmaltz, Madita, Manlio, Manuel Raza, Marcel Hauptmann, Marco,
Marco Camin, Marcus Overtoom, Mario Gauthier, Mark, Mark, Mark
Finn, Mark Mekkes, Mark Solino, Mark Tresidder, Markus “Rhylthar”
Busse, Markus Plötz, Martin, Martin Legg, Martin Průcha, Martin
Rosales, Marty Chodorek, Marvin Langenberg, Mateusz, Matt,
Matt Blanchet, Matt Good, Matt Gregory, Matt Holzman, Matt
Martinez, Matt Sherman, Matt Wester, Matteo, Matthew B, Matthew
Gray, Matthias Bolte, Matthias Janßen, MauriCave, Mauro Longo,
Max Moraes, Max Motherway, Maxime Lemaire, MetalBeowulf89,
Mgallimore, Michael Knoerzer, Michael Kosmatka, Michael Peter,
Michael Schwartz, Michael Stevens, Microberust, Mike F., Mike
Ratliff, Mike Trisevic, Mike Welham, Mirco, Miyagiyoda, MK, MMR,
MoDragonf lies, MOLINET Régis, Mollie E. Reeder, Mr.Float,
Murray Smith, naaba, Nasekunibert, Neale Carter, Nessalantha,
Nicholas Clements, Nicholas Robinson, Nick Hopkins, Nicki, Nicolas
“Gulix” Ronvel, Nicolò, nilo_core, Obstacle Kid, Oliver Korpilla, Ols
Jonas Petter Olsson, Owlglass, P Tracy, pairatime, paolo0083, Patrice
Mermoud, Patrick Alan DeMinico, Patrick Flood III, Patrick Romanet,
Patrick Schwieren, Patrick Spedding, Paul, Paul Ippolito, Pedro R.
Martínez Pérez, Peter Hollinghurst, Peter Lapp, peterwallis, PHedrick,
Philip S. Bolger, Phillip Bailey, Phillip McGregor, Piergiuseppe, Pierre
Waldfried, Pietro Federico Vergani, PPanda Piriya, Puchisty, Puckett,
Questor Thorn, QuirkyAI, R.G., R1artwork, Randall Wall, Randall
Wright, randomcitizenx, Rebecca Curran, Rebekkah, René Schultze,
Rennarda, Revyl, Richard Barnhouse, Richard Bilsker, Ricky Broome,
Rob Wieland, Robert Bull, Robert Cavric, Robert Cosplay, Robert
Davis, Robert Murray, Robertgadling, Robineau Olivier, Ross, Ross
Nendick, Ross Salerno, Runeslinger, Ryan Bond, Ryan Lester Isaacson,
Sablons Paul, Sam Benke, Sam Blanchard, Sam Hing, Sam Steingart,
Samantha Leigh, Samuel Larsén, Sandor, Sandrine FOUNGUI,
Sarah, Sarah Dillon, Sarah Filkorn, Sarah Hayward,Sarah Williams,
Scalpyonekenobi, Schaeffer Tolliver, Scott, Scott Allen, Scott D,
Forsyth, Scott Maynard, Scott Rhymer, Sean Donnelly, Sean Jack,
Sean McConeghy, Sean Nicolson, Sean Veira, Sean Walsh, Sebastian
D., Sebastian Kehrle, Sebastian Padilla, secondrevan, Shane Stewart,
| 238
Sheogorath, Sheri Bryan, Simon Boris Danielsen Christensen, Simone
Meconi, Sir Robert Bombalier, SNAKE P., Søren Berthelsen Holm,
Stacy Forsythe, Stefano Bichicchi, Stefano Repetto, Stephen Lazenby,
Stephen Sale, Steve Arensberg, Steve Parksmith, Steven, Steven Watkins,
Stuart Chaplin, SuperDéfi, Tailball, talal alyouha, Taliskerr, Tanner
Wilson, Tariq Ghareeb, The Freelancing Roleplayer, The Rangdo of
Arg, Thien Duc “Hazenaizel” Tien, Thomas, Thomas Lind Schmidt,
Thorsten G., Tiest Vilee, Tim Kings, Tim Rumpel, Timothy Davis,
Timothy G Smith, Tobias, Tobias Hadin, Tomás Alarnes Piñeiro, Tony
B, Travis Hartland, Travis Smithson, Troy Ellis, Tyler Barnes, Tyler
Brunette, Tyrell, Tyron Couch, Valerio F, VAQUIER Franck, Vesala,
Victoria Johnsen, Victoria Sieglen, Ville Ojanperä, Volker Weinzheimer,
WaspEater, Wes Baker, Will Farman Emigh, Will Triumph, Williams
Rodriguez, Wollenberg, Wytchwood, Xavier Spinat, Zachary, Zachary
Leonard, Zachary Saragosa, Zachery Bir, Zassimick, Zoltán Déry
Thanks to | 239
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Broken Compass Adventure Journal Final

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This manual is more what you’d call guidelines

than actual rules

BROKEN COMPASS is a Role-Playing Game in which Players assume

BROKEN COMPASS is based on the Fortune System: a set of game me-

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE | 9

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE | 11

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE | 13

Don’t think of being the Fortune Master as a responsibility, or that Adventurers

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE | 15

Whether you’re a Fortune Master or an

If on the tenth day of your Adventure, a

So, leave all your prejudices and expectations

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE | 17

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE | 19

In BROKEN COMPASS, each game session is like an Episode of a Season

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE | 21

When you encounter something Supernatural, it’s up to you to decide how

To manage the Supernatural convincingly, it’s important to measure out the

In Section 6 - 1999, you’ll find

EYES ON THE TREASURE

WHEN THE STAKES GET HIGH...

Ah, and one last thing. Before

Plac es I call Home

KNOWLEDGE DARING + GUTS SHOCKED ¯

CULTURE FOCUSED + KNOWLEDGE DIZZY ¯

FIRST AID CONFIDENT + SOCIETY EMBARRASSED ¯

UNTOUCHABLE + CRIME SCARED ¯

WILD WEAPONS & GEAR

Pockets Bag Backpack

Download the Adventurer’s Sheet PDF on our page: https://t wolittlemice.net/bcrpg

SCARS & EXPERIENCES

"You must finish what

FIELD SKILLS FIELD SKILLS

FIELD SKILLS FIELD SKILLS

FIELD SKILLS FIELD SKILLS

PILOT PLAYBOY / FEMME FATALE

FIELD SKILLS FIELD SKILLS

FIELD SKILLS FIELD SKILLS

FIELD SKILLS FIELD SKILLS

FIELD SKILLS FIELD SKILLS

ACTION Once you’ve filled in all Diamonds you ob-

SOCIETY For example, take a look at our friendly

5. NOTE DOWN YOUR PERSONAL DATA: By now your Sheet is almost

Pockets represent objects you wear, like a watch or a necklace, or things

As always, the usefulness of these items in each specific case is determined by

1 ACTION 2 GUTS 3 KNOWLEDGE

4 SOCIETY 5 WILD 6 CRIME

3 Techniques and theory 4 WORLDLINESS

“Climbing a rock wall”, “Shooting at a target” or “Translating an ancient manu-

When facing a Challenge, you will have to roll a number of d6 determined by

DEFINE YOUR OBJECTIVE For example, if an

FACE THE CHALLENGE | 61

CRITICAL: Climbing a snowy mountain, hitting a target at long range,

EXTREME: Keeping your bearings during a blizzard, hitting a fast-moving

Anyway, the Fortune Master can decide not

The number of d6s to roll is determined by the number of Diamonds the

WHICH SKILL TO CHOOSE?

WHICH FIELD TO CHOOSE?

FACE THE CHALLENGE | 65

BASIC: [Two of a kind] When 2 dice land on the same number.

FACE THE CHALLENGE | 67

So, if you’re trying to hit a target (Basic

However, if you roll a Success lower than

BASIC CRITICAL EXTREME IMPOSSIBLE