Griffin Tung (Order #26100580)

WE ARE ALL
MAD HERE

Griffin Tung (Order #26100580)

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Woods Are Real and Dark and Full of Wolves 4

PART 1: Once Upon a Time 7

Chapter 1: Upon Fairy Tales 8
Chapter 2: Building Fairy Tale Settings 13
Chapter 3: Building Fairy Tale Campaigns 29
Chapter 4: Running Fairy Tale Games 46
Chapter 5: Playing in Fairy Tale Games 56
Chapter 6: Creating Your Character 60
Chapter 7: Equipment 69
Chapter 8: Cyphers and Artifacts 73
Chapter 9: Beasts and Beings 100

PART 2: Adventures Three 141

Chapter 10: Cypher Short: The Apple-Pip Witch 142
Chapter 11: Cypher Short: I’ll Gnaw Your Bones 144
Chapter 12: Full Adventure: Between Worlds 146

PART 3: Lost in the Heartwood 157

Chapter 13: Welcome to the Heartwood 158
Chapter 14: Mental Health in Games 159
Chapter 15: Running Games in the Heartwood 163
Chapter 16: Creating Heartwood Characters 166
Chapter 17: Heartwood Atlas 179
Chapter 18: What the Moon Dreamt 203
Chapter 19: The Prince Who Would Seek Death 210

BACK MATTER: Happily Ever After 217

Inspirations and Resources 218
Story Index 220
Index 223
Fairy Tale Game Consent Checklist 224

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 WE ARE ALL MAD HERE

THE WOODS ARE REAL AND

DARK AND FULL OF WOLVES

W
hen I was little, fairy tales scared When I think about many of the
me. Little girls like me were choices I’ve made in my life, I realize
Acknowledgments always in danger. There were that at nearly every fork in the path, I
During the making hungry wolves and evil stepmothers took the one that I thought would lead
of this book, I
received invaluable and evil regular mothers and curses and me not to the wolf, but to becoming the
assistance—directly dead sisters, and horses that seemed wolf. I wanted to know that I was in
or indirectly—from
the following people, nice but really just wanted to drown you control, that I had the autonomy to save
places, and things: in the river. Your brothers depended myself. This is the great value of fairy
on your silence and knitting skills (I tales (and truly, all kinds of stories):
Ampersand, the sucked at both) to save their lives. Your they can help us make sense of the
Best Black Dog
grandmother was sometimes your dangerous parts of the world, work
Brown-butter chocolate
chip cookies grandmother and sometimes a wolf and through deep internal conflicts, and give
Bullet journals sometimes just missing forever. You us the power to change our own lives
Carrie Fisher, the never knew what hungry maw you’d find for the better.
Original Princess at the end of the path. The first section of this book, Once
Danny Elfman And yet, scared as I was, I could not Upon a Time, is all about fairy tale
Days Gone stop reading them. I sensed that there games in general. You’ll find notes
Dermot Kennedy was something deep beneath the skins for running and playing in fairy tale
High King Margo of the little girl, of the wolf, even of the games, tips for creating your own fairy
Looking Glass Coffee grandmother, that I deeply needed to tale settings, and myriad creatures and
Lost in the Trees understand. Also, I wanted to befriend characters to put into your game.
Mumford and Sons animals, find the magic ring, talk to the The second section, Adventures
Sera Gamble west wind. Three, offers three starter adventures,
Thrive Fitness including two Cypher Shorts, which are
Woods Coffee
The entire Monte Cook Using We Are All Mad Here
Games team. And a We Are All Mad Here is designed to work For ease of use, this book uses the
special shout-out to our
Kickstarter backers, as a companion to the Cypher System term “fairy tales” to encompass a much
playtesters, and Rulebook. While We Are All Mad Here larger set of story types, including fables,
sensitivity readers. focuses specifically on using fairy tale parables, folklore, legends, myths, urban
Thank you for helping
elements and settings in a Cypher System legends, and so on. There’s a short
me believe at least six
impossible things before game, it doesn’t go into details on description of these types in the section
breakfast. character creation, rules, or other related called Fairy Tales and More, as well as
concepts. For that, you’ll need a copy of notes on how to use them in a game.
Fairy Tales and the Cypher System Rulebook.
More, page 11

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 THE WOODS ARE REAL AND DARK AND FULL OF WOLVES
easy ways to dip your toes into fairy
tale games while doing almost no prep
work.
And the third section (because you
can’t have a fairy tale book without
invoking the rule of threes), called
Lost in the Heartwood, is something
completely different. Lost in the
Heartwood is a setting that gives
players the opportunity to explore fairy
tales from the perspective of mental
health and illness.
Lost in the Heartwood invites
characters whose lives have been
touched by mental health issues
and mental illness to explore those
experiences with magic, pain, empathy,
and power. You can read more about
how this works in Chapter 13: Welcome
to the Heartwood and Chapter 14:
Mental Health in Games.
Mental health issues manifest in
different ways for each of us. For me,
depression and anxiety still make me
feel like I am the scared little girl again,
wandering in the dark, dangerous
woods alone. I hear wolves around
every corner, see the poison in every
apple half, worry about the well-dressed
stranger coming to the door. But
living with depression and anxiety for
so long has also given me survival
skills, strengths that are mine alone. I
have learned how to heft an axe, look
Throughout this book, you’ll see page
references to various items accompanied
by this symbol. These are page references
to the Cypher System Rulebook, where you
can find additional details about that rule,
ability, creature, or concept.
Griffin Tung (Order #26100580)
a stranger in the eye, howl a song of
strength or need to my pack. I can’t give
fairy tales all the credit for that, but they
certainly started me on this path toward
power.
As fairy tale author Kate Forsyth
writes, “Fairy tales . . . give us hope that
we can somehow be saved, rescued,
healed. Transformed in some way for “Life itself is the most
wonderful fairy tale.”
the better. As we travel with the fairy ~Hans Christian
tale protagonist through the dark and Andersen
dangerous forest, as we suffer with
them and triumph with them, we
follow them back into the brightness
of a world renewed. Fairy tales are an
instruction manual for psychological
healing.”
This is the idea behind the Heartwood
setting—that each of us has both Chapter 13: Welcome to
the Heartwood, page 158
weaknesses and strengths due to our
experiences with mental health issues Chapter 14: Mental
Health in Games,
and illnesses. And it is this combination
page 159
that makes us who we are.
However you use We Are All Mad
Here, I hope you find yourself immersed This book refers to
in a wondrous world of magic and many fairy tales that
appear in different forms
whimsy, where your unique story helps (including books, films,
you survive and thrive on the dark and musicals, and cartoons).
For example, there are
dangerous paths of the world. many versions of the
Alice in Wonderland
story. Titles used in this
book are often general
references to the source
material, not necessarily
any one specific version.
Whenever you see this symbol, it means
that the accompanying text offers a bit
of fairy tale lore or background. These
notes are designed to provide you
with additional interesting thoughts,
comments, and details about fairy tales
to enhance and deepen your games.
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 WE ARE ALL MAD HERE
Chapter 1

UPON FAIRY TALES

In the old times, when wishing was still stories and lists the creatures, characters,
effective . . .  cyphers, equipment and more that come
from each of these stories. That way, if you

W
Fairy tales are also
sometimes called hat do you think of when you think
wonder tales, from of fairy tales? Maybe it’s one of the
the German word
Wundermärchen. oldies but goodies—Cinderella or
The Little Mermaid or Peter Pan. Maybe
it’s one of the more obscure ones that you
love for deeply personal reasons: The Little
Match Girl, Tatterhood, or The Magic Lotus
Fairy Tales and More, Lantern. Or maybe it’s something newer
page 11 like the comic book Fables, which combines
fairy tales, myths, and legends into a single
setting. Or movies like Frozen or Brave, TV
shows like Grimm or The Magicians, or video
games like American McGee’s Alice or The
Wolf Among Us. Or perhaps it’s a mishmash
of your own making, a setting that takes fairy
Chapter 2: Building Fairy tales in an entirely new direction.
Tale Settings, page 13 Whatever your fairy tale jam, this book
Chapter 3: Building Fairy is designed to help you turn it into a
Tale Campaigns, page 29 full-fledged roleplaying game. You’ll find
rules and guidelines for making all kinds of
characters, from Pinocchio and Thumbelina
to a fairy princess and a magic-wielding
mermaid. Creatures and characters from
a wide variety of fairy tales make an
appearance, along with common archetypes
(like witch) that you can alter to fit any
number of settings and stories.
The Story Index in the back of the book
includes common (and not-so-common)
want to run something in a specific story
or setting, you have a handy list of options
at your fingertips. In addition, if you’re
wondering where a particular character or
cypher comes from, you can find it there and
then read the story from which it is drawn.
Preparing For a
Fairy Tale Game
Preparing for a fairy tale game is similar to
preparing for any other game, with a few
exceptions. Because “fairy tales” is such a
broad category, you’ll likely want to spend
some time homing in on exactly what kind
of setting, mood, and experience you want.
The chapters Building Fairy Tale Settings
and Building Fairy Tale Campaigns go into
more details on these ideas, but here is a
basic step-by-step plan for getting ready to
run a fairy tale game.
Step One: Decide Your
Setting and Mood
One of the hallmarks of fairy tales is that
they change and morph over time. With
every retelling, something new is added and
something is taken away. The early versions
of Grimms’ tales are almost nothing like the
Disney versions of those same-named tales.

“The wisest thing—so the fairy tale taught mankind in olden times, and teaches
children to this day—is to meet the forces of the mythical world with cunning
and with high spirits.”
~Walter Benjamin, “The Storyteller”

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 UPON FAIRY TALES

“Faërie contains many things besides elves and fays, and besides
dwarfs, witches, trolls, giants, or dragons; it holds the seas, the sun,
the moon, the sky; and the earth, and all things that are in it: tree and
bird, water and stone, wine and bread, and ourselves, mortal men,
when we are enchanted.”
~J.R.R. Tolkien, “On Fairy-Stories”

And myriad modern writers have taken
stories a step further, putting their own spin
on the ancient tales. So you would be one of
many to jump on board with creating your
own setting.
Stay traditional or mash everything
together that seems like it fits, and run
with it. Want to make Snow White a
down-on-her-luck detective in New Orleans
for your dark and dangerous noir fairy tale
game? Go for it. Have a vision for putting
the Three Little Pigs on a space station for a
comedic romp? Perfect.
Throughout this chapter and the ones
that follow, you’ll find lots of suggestions,
tips, and tables that will help you create a
setting and mood to suit your desired game
perfectly. There are additional suggestions
for creating original settings and for using
existing settings in your game in Chapter 2:
Building Fairy Tale Settings.
The battle of good versus evil is a
common element of fairy tales and one that
often helps answer the question of what
characters do in a setting. Are they hunters
of some kind, authorized to track down and
kill creatures or witches (Grimm, Hansel Creating original settings,
& Gretel: Witch Hunters, The Witcher)? Or page 15
perhaps they’re tasked with protecting the Using existing settings,
creatures, the kingdom, or even magic page 13
itself from a curse or other threat (Frozen, On Fairy Tale Magic,
Moana). Maybe there’s a magic object that page 27
will save the world and only the characters
can find it and use it.

Step Two: Make Magic Awesome

The section On Fairy Tale Magic goes into
this concept in more detail, but in general,
remember that in fairy tales, magic is big.
It’s bold. It’s unexpected and wondrous
and weird and has no rules. Don’t constrict
magic—use it to its fullest. Get wild with
it. Let players get in there and mess things
up with magic that is too powerful for their
own good.

Step Three: Decide

What Characters Do
When creating a new setting or game (or
even playing in an existing one), one of the
most important things to ask yourself is:
what do the characters do? You can make a
beautiful world, full of magic and wonder,
but if the characters don’t have anything to
do, it will likely be a boring game.

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 WE ARE ALL MAD HERE
Urban Legends Urban Legends
Inspiration Overview: Urban legends and fairy tales
Candyman (1992 movie) have a lot in common. In fact, many people
Freeway (1996 movie) feel that urban legends are the modern-day
Slender Man fairy tales due to how they’re transmitted
The Black-Eyed Kids and shared, the fact that they often have a
Goatman warning attached (don’t go in the woods,
don’t talk to strangers, don’t go off the
“Fear isn’t so difficult to path), and the types of creatures that lurk
understand. After all, inside them.
weren’t we all frightened
as children? Nothing
has changed since Little Elements and Motifs: Origin stories, getting
Red Riding Hood faced lost and found, deep dark forests, breaking
the big bad wolf. What the rules.
frightens us today is
exactly the same sort
of thing that frightened Risks: Urban legends can easily shift into
us yesterday. It’s just the realm of creepy and scary, losing their
a different wolf. This
fairy tale sense. Using well-known fairy tale
fright complex is rooted
in every individual.” characters in a modern urban legend game
~Alfred Hitchcock or putting an urban legend in a particular
setting (such as Oz or Wonderland) are
good ways to combine the two without
losing one or the other.
Magic and Wonder: Much of the magic and
wonder of urban legends comes from the
breathless retelling of the tales—the “This
actually happened to someone I know”
mythos. And, of course, the creatures that
seem both possible and impossible at
the same time. Magic might come from
technology in an urban legend/fairy tale
crossover, or it might be old magic from
long ago that can be used against modern
monsters.
Fairy Tale Clichés,
Themes, and Motifs
Using clichés, themes, and motifs is an
important part of fairy tale games. While
you probably don’t want to present the exact
setting and story that everyone already knows,
you can use the expected elements to settle
players into the world that you’re creating.
This is particularly true if you’re planning
to break away from traditional fairy tales—
keeping just one or two common tropes is
usually enough to make any game feel “fairy
tale-ish” even if everything else is set in
space or takes place in the modern world.
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Common Tropes
• Recurring patterns and numbers,
particularly three and seven
• Colors, particularly red, white, and black
• Haven or civilization vs. wilderness
• Poverty vs. royalty
• Rituals
• Breaking the rules
• Bargains and rash promises
• Wishes
• Good and evil, or light and dark
• Getting lost and found
• Deep, dark forests
• Going off the path, or straying
• Magic and enchantments
• Talking, sentient animals and objects
• Keys and passwords
• Glass and mirrors
• Magic words and phrases
• Origin stories
• Shapeshifting or transformation
• Tricksters, guardians, monsters, or
helpers
• Youngest vs. oldest
• Loathly women
• Knights who battle monsters
• Impossible tasks or quests
• Blessings and curses
• Animals stealing children
• Calumniated or cast-adrift characters
(especially wives, queens, and youngest
children)
• Debasement of the hero(es)
• Death by burning
• Weddings, marriage, and children
• Journeys to discover identity
Example: the Rule of Threes
Almost every fairy tale has at least one use
of the rule of threes (and sometimes many).
In The Three Little Pigs, there are three pigs,
three houses, and three huffs-and-puffs.
Three wishes, three siblings, three tasks.
Part of the reason for this is that having
three of something made the original oral
stories more memorable. It also has to do
with how we anticipate and understand
stories, which typically have three parts: a
beginning, a middle, and an end.
In fairy tales, the rule of threes typically
includes an escalation of some kind. The
first of three fights or encounters is tough,

the second is tougher, and the third is
nearly impossible. This is also true of tasks,
riddles, and even siblings—the third sibling
is always the most beautiful, the strongest,
the wickedest, and so on.
Alternatively, the last one is almost the
complete opposite of the first two—perhaps
two evil fairies dole out curses to a young
child, but the third fairy gives her a blessing
instead. Someone is given three wishes and
asks for such dumb things with the first two
that the final wish must undo that damage.
When creating fairy tale settings, here are
some ways you can use the rule of threes to
your advantage.
• Three tasks to complete
• Three attempts to accomplish
something
• Three days to complete a task or until a
big event happens
• Three encounters with the same being,
or encounters with three different beings
in a row
• Three wishes
• Three tries at a thing, only the third of
which is just right
• Three objects
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BUILDING FAIRY TALE SETTINGS
• Three riddles
• Three gifts
• Three curses Just the place for a Snark!
• Three siblings, daughters, or sons I have said it twice:
• Songs with three rounds That alone should
• Creatures with three heads encourage the crew.
• Ask your players to give their characters Just the place for a Snark!
something in their backstory having to I have said it thrice:
do with three What I tell you three
times is true.
Individual Story Touchstones ~Lewis Carroll,
Each fairy tale also has key elements, parts The Hunting of the Snark
of the story that are essential to that story. If
you’re planning to run a game that’s based
around one or more existing stories, be
sure to include the important elements that
symbolize that story to your players.
Start by listing the key elements. Let’s
look at one of the most commonly retold
stories: Little Red Riding Hood. When you
think of that story, what are the three or four
main elements that come to mind? For me,
it’s a girl in red, a wolf, a path through the
woods, and a grandmother. If you tell me a
story that doesn’t have any of those things
and try to convince me that it’s Little Red
Riding Hood, I’ll be very confused. What if
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 WE ARE ALL MAD HERE
who is skilled in curse removal to do the
deed.
Curse Removal table, See the Curse Removal table for some
page 52 ways that curses can be removed.
Curse Intrusions and Curse Mode
In addition to dealing with the original effect
of the curse, a cursed character is more
likely to have bad things happen to them.
There are two ways for the GM to work this
into the game: curse intrusions and Curse
Mode. Ideally, you’ll want to use both of
Horror Mode, page 283 these, as they each add something unique
to the experience of being cursed.
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Curse intrusions. Curse intrusions work
like regular GM intrusions, and the cursed
character gets XP. However, they only get
1 XP instead of the usual 2, and they must
decide whether to keep it or give it to
another player. Introduce additional curse
intrusions from the Curse Intrusions table
when it feels appropriate. This might be
anytime the character has a big success,
when they’re in a particularly risky position,
or when they start to feel like they’ve
forgotten about the curse.
Curse Intrusions
d6 Curse
1 An insect stings or bites the
character at just the wrong
moment.
2 Something in the area makes
the character sneeze loudly and
repeatedly.
3 The character shimmers in and
out of view.
4 A deep sense of despair comes
over the character.
5 The character feels an
overwhelming urge to start
dancing.
6 The character’s clothes are
suddenly much too large.
Curse Mode. When using this rule, the GM
increases the range of numbers that trigger
a GM intrusion. As soon as a character
is cursed, every time they roll a 1 or a 2
(instead of just a 1), they trigger a GM
intrusion. As time passes, GM intrusions
happen on a roll of 1 to 3, then a roll of 1 to
4, and so on. This potentially means that a
die roll in Curse Mode can indicate success
in a task and still trigger a GM intrusion.
Curse Mode is similar to the Horror
Mode optional rule in the Cypher System
Rulebook, with one exception: the escalation
works at a much slower pace. This is
because Curse Mode is not designed to
heighten immediate tension, but rather to
create a long-term sense of being saddled
with an unwanted and unpredictable
negative effect.
 RUNNING FAIRY TALE GAMES

Typically, the intrusion range is increased d20 Effect

by 1 when:
1 Turned into an animal (bear,
• The character is cursed.
toad, hedgehog, swan, dog, etc.)
• The character starts a new day (or makes
their ten-hour recovery roll). 2 Becomes invisible
• The character actively takes an action to 3 Turned into a living object
remove the curse (curses like wreaking 4 Turned into a great beast
havoc, which is part of the reason they’re 5 Turned into someone much older
so hard to get rid of). 6 Forced to dance all night
• The character attempts to resist an
7 When speaking, bugs and toads
additional curse being cast upon them. While not all regular
fall from mouth GM intrusions are
8 Enchanted sleep necessarily bad for the
Once all curses are removed, Curse Mode character, curse intrusions
is no longer in effect. 9 Forced to wear iron shoes always make the cursed
(hinders all Speed actions) PC’s situation worse.
Curse Table 10 Turned into a flower
Roll 1d20 on the Curse table to determine 11 Voice taken away
the effect of the curse, or choose one that
12 Unable to remember their true
feels appropriate to the situation and the
love
characters. Feel free to combine one or
13 Nose grows every time they tell
more options from the table to create
a lie
unique curses, particularly when they seem
to go together. For example, someone 14 Positive social interactions are
could be cursed to have bugs and toads fall hindered
from their mouth when they speak, which 15 Number of points regained by a
would likely hinder their positive social recovery roll is decreased by 1
interactions. 16 Grows weak (Effort on Might
Typically, curses that have simple tasks costs +1 Might)
roleplaying effects (such as the character’s 17 Brain is in a fog (Effort on
inability to speak their own name) are Intellect tasks costs +1 Intellect)
lower-level curses, while those that affect
18 Moves slowly (Effort on Speed
gameplay (such as decreasing recovery roll
tasks costs +1 Speed)
points) are higher level. Curses that have
multiple effects are likely the highest level 19 Can no longer say, write, or spell
of all. However, sometimes an incredibly their own name
simple curse is still very high level because 20 No one else remembers or
the caster wants to make it very hard to get recognizes the character
rid of. The GM should feel free to use their
discretion and creativity when deciding the
level and effect(s) of a curse.

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 WE ARE ALL MAD HERE
Anywhere Door
Level: 1d6 + 3
Form: Chalk, pen, pencil, lipstick, or marker
Effect: Creates a door to anywhere. The
door remains for one day, and then
disappears. While the door exists,
anyone or anything that can discern the
door can use it. Erasing the drawn line
erases the door.
Apple of Discord
Level: 1d6 + 1
Form: Beautiful golden apple that catches
the eye of all who see it
Effect: When tossed up to a long distance
away, it affects all foes in short range
of the apple, causing them to attempt
to take it for themselves. Foes spend
their next two actions doing nothing
but fighting among themselves for
possession of the apple.
Azure Dust
Level: 1d6 + 1
Form: Handful of dust from the Fairy with
Sing a song of sixpence, the Turquoise Hair
A pocket full of rye; Effect: Sprinkling the dust on someone’s
Four-and-twenty hair, skin, outfit, or other object
blackbirds permanently dyes it bright blue.
Baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened Baba Yaga’s Spiced Cookie
The birds began to sing; Level: 1d6
Wasn’t that a dainty dish Form: Rye cookie flavored with spices and
To set before the king? honey
Effect: Eating the cookie increases the user’s
Intellect Edge by 1 for one hour.
Bellman’s Map of the Ocean
Level: 1d6 + 2
“Other maps are such Form: Blank sheet of paper rolled and tied
shapes, with their with a hair tie
islands and capes!
Effect: When unrolled, convinces everyone
But we’ve got our brave within short range that the character
Captain to thank holding the map knows far more than
(So the crew would they do. For the next ten minutes,
protest) “that he’s affected beings look upon the map-
bought us the best—
holder as their leader or guide, will not
A perfect and attack them, and generally will do as
absolute blank!” they ask (all social interactions with
~Lewis Carroll, those affected are eased by two steps).
The Hunting of the Snark
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Beloved’s Kiss
Level: 1d6 + 3
Form: Ruby red ring
Effect: When pressed to the lips of a
character, beloved’s kiss prevents the
occurrence of one specific condition of
the cypher level or lower. Additionally,
it ends any such ongoing effect, if
any, in the user’s system. Roll a d6 to
determine the result.
d6 Condition
1–2 Renders the character immune to
poisons for one hour per cypher
level (and ends any ongoing
effects)
3–4 Renders the character immune
to curses for one hour per cypher
level (and ends any ongoing
effects)
5–6 Renders the character immune
to mental effects for one hour
per cypher level (and ends any
ongoing effects)
Bird’s Nest Coronet
Level: 1d6 + 3
Form: Beautifully woven bird’s nest
Effect: When worn like a crown, the bird’s
nest creates an illusion over the wearer,
making them appear like royalty.
Others are more likely to follow their
suggestions, defer to their wishes, and
treat them well. All social interactions
are eased by two steps for one day.
Seeing through the disguise is an
Intellect task equal to the cypher’s level.
Blackbird Pie
Level: 1d6
Form: Four-and-twenty blackbirds baked in
a pie
Effect: When the pie is cut open, the
blackbirds begin to sing a haunting
dirge of pain and sorrow. All foes within
long range who hear the song are
hindered on all tasks for ten minutes.

Blood Pearl Blossom
Level: 1d6 + 4
Form: Rare blood-red flower with a beautiful
pearl in its center
Effect: When ingested, removes one curse (of
the cypher level or lower) from the user.
The curse-removal process can take from
one round to one day, depending on the
level, severity, and type of curse.
Bone Key
Level: 1d6 + 2
Form: Human finger bone carved into a
skeleton key
Effect: Unlocks one lock of the cypher level
or lower, or provides an asset to open a
lock of higher level.
Bones of the Beloved
Level: 1d6 + 3
Form: Handful of ground bones
Effect: When eaten, the bones begin a
process of lowering the eater’s apparent
age. Over the next three days, the user
begins to look younger and younger, until
they reach the appearance of someone
no younger than their mid-twenties.
Their hair shines, their teeth glow, their
wrinkles disappear, their back unstoops.
The effect lasts for three days (five days
if the cypher is level 6 or higher). This
does not change the actual health or age
of the character.
Bowl of Porridge
Level: 1d6 + 3
Form: Just-right bowl of porridge
Effect: Restores a number of points equal to
the cypher level to the user’s Might Pool.
Also protects the user from the effects
of cold for ten minutes.
Cat Sidhe Medallion
Level: 1d6 + 2
Form: Medallion in the shape of the white
symbol on a cat sidhe’s chest
Effect: When activated, the medallion
protects the wearer from the next curse
(of the cypher level or lower) that is
cast upon them. The curse goes into
the medallion, which shatters into
thousands of tiny pieces.
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CYPHERS AND ARTIFACTS
Cheshire Smile
Level: 1d6
Form: Mischievous grin
Effect: When hung in the air, the grin slowly
transforms into a grey Cheshire Cat that
seems to be made mostly of smoke
and shadow. It has huge blue eyes and
an enormous grin. The cat acts as a
creature (level equal to the cypher’s RIDDLE: What kind
level) with a mind of its own, although it of a cat can grin?
likely helps the person who activated the ANSWER: A catenary.
cypher. It sticks around for ten minutes,
and then fades away slowly, until even
the original smile has disappeared.
Coalheart’s Beard Balm
Level: 1d6
Form: Jar of balm
Effect: When rubbed on the face, the balm
grows into a long, golden beard in
about ten minutes. When the user Many dwarfs have
tugs on their beard, it points them beards with magical
powers. It’s possible to
in the direction of valuable treasure, find other beard balm
the location of which was previously cyphers out in the world.
unknown to the user. If someone else
cuts the beard before the treasure
is found, it loses its power. After the
treasure is found, the beard remains.
But once it is shaved or cut, it does not
grow back.
Cat sidhe, page 108
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 WE ARE ALL MAD HERE
ENCHANTER 5 (15)
Enchanters include magic-users of all genders. They may choose to call themselves
Enchanters can use wizards, sorcerers, mages, or diviners, depending on their strengths, abilities, and desired
long-lasting or even reputations.
permanent versions of
their magical abilities,
Enchanters usually take great pride in their appearance, including their outfits,
but doing so usually accoutrements, and equipment. They often incorporate living or dead elements of
requires minutes or dangerous creatures, such as spiders, snakes, crocodiles, and dragons, into the objects
hours of time. that matter to them. Additionally, they may imbue objects with powerful magic.

Most enchanters have

one or more apprentices
or helpers, typically
animals that have
been made human
temporarily or humans
who are in the service of
the enchanter until some
debt of theirs or their
family’s has been paid.

Sorcerer’s apprentice:
level 3

If an archetype doesn’t
include certain elements,
such as Interaction or
Combat, it typically
means those are listed
for individual creatures
within the archetype.
Feel free to mix and
match to create unique
combinations.

Alternatively, if an
individual creature
doesn’t have an element
(such as Armor),
use the one listed
in the archetype.

A creature’s health
is always equal to its
target number unless
otherwise stated. So a
level 3 creature has a
target number of 9 and
thus 9 health, unless its
Health stat line states
something different.

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 BEASTS AND BEINGS

Motive: Control magic, power

Environment: Everywhere, particularly in places where magic is present and powerful
Health: 20
Damage Inflicted: 5 points
Armor: 2
Movement: Short
Modifications: Using and controlling magic as level 7
Combat: Magical weapons and artifacts (such as a whip made of living snakes, a staff with a
biting wolf’s head on top, or a sword that acts of its own accord) do 5 points of damage.
Additionally, an enchanter may employ a number of magical abilities, including the
following:
Animate: Takes any material (such as wood or stone) and turns it into an animate level
4 creature. The creature has a mind and will of its own, and acts just as that type of
creature would act if it were born instead of created.
Blood to Stone: Turns living creatures into stone, or immobilizes them in their current form.
Breaking free is a level 6 Might task.
Enchant: Imbues a normal object with a magical power. The object works under the
enchanter’s command, and does as the enchanter asks of it. For example, an enchanter
might imbue a foe’s weapon and force it to attack the foe, or they might imbue a door
and have it close tight against incoming dangers. Witch, page 132
Endless Passage: Creates an endless series of thick spiderwebs, invisible barriers, rings of Faerie, page 121
flame, or other hurdles across an entrance, exit, tunnel, or
passage. Every time one of the hurdles is broken, another
forms. Characters’ movement is halved while going
through the endless passage, and they take 2 points of
Intellect damage each round.
Invisible: Turns anything (including themselves, others, and
entire areas up to 30 feet by 30 feet [9 m by 9 m]) invisible
for ten minutes. It’s a level 6 Intellect task to be able to
see something that has been made invisible.
Persuasion: Convinces all victims in long range that what they
believe is not real or that what is false is real. Sometimes
this ability just affects others’ minds, creating a mental
dissonance. Other times, the enchanter creates an
illusion or other visible, auditory, and tactile element
that persuades a character to believe everything they are
experiencing. The effect lasts for ten minutes.
Additionally, an enchanter may have one or more of the same
abilities as a witch or a faerie.
Interaction: For the characters, an enchanter may be a
terrifying foe or a powerful ally. Enchanters are fickle,
perhaps due to their close relationship with magic, and
may change their loyalties on a whim or an imagined
slight.
Use: The characters need to have an object imbued, a person
returned to life, or a curse undone, and they turn to the
enchanter for help. The characters accidentally insulted
the enchanter in some way, and now the enchanter is hunting
them down to get revenge.
Loot: Enchanters often protect their precious items with spells and
magical locks (level 8). Behind those wards are 1d6 cyphers, an
artifact, and an elegant or interesting outfit.

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 WE ARE ALL MAD HERE
Chapter 13

WELCOME TO THE HEARTWOOD

Although the Heartwood
setting is designed with a
focus on mental illness,
it isn’t necessary to keep
that focus to use the
setting. The world is full
of interesting places,
characters, and creatures
that work in a traditional
fairy tale game as well.
P
art 3 of this book is all about the
Heartwood, a fairy tale setting where
the player characters are drawn out
of the modern world into one that’s very
different from their own. The Heartwood is
a mystical fairy tale world filled with magic
and wonder, and when characters enter it,
they too are filled with magic and wonder.
But there’s one caveat to entering
the Heartwood. In order to do so, the
character’s life must be touched (or have
been touched) in some way by a mental
health issue, disorder, or illness. This
covers a broad range, and the way in which
people’s lives are touched can be large
or small. Perhaps they live with a mental
illness or disorder themselves, or perhaps
a loved one does. Possibly they are grieving
the loss of a loved one, overcoming a past
trauma, or dealing with overwhelming social
anxiety.
This experience—however it may
manifest or touch a character’s life—is what
creates their connection to the Heartwood
and to the magic within it (and within
themselves). It doesn’t mean that the
characters are superheroes with powers,
because that isn’t how mental illness works.
Instead, they bring their own strengths and
weaknesses, their complexities, their very
humanity, and it is this combination that
guides their magic.
Chapter 14: Mental Health in Games
includes suggestions for managing mental
health topics at the gaming table. This
chapter is for both GMs and players, and is
recommended reading for everyone who’s
going to set off into the Heartwood.
Chapter 15: Running Games in the
Heartwood is specifically for the GM,
and talks about ways in which to use the
setting and adventures to create unique and
complex roleplaying opportunities for the
group.
Chapter 16: Creating Heartwood
Characters walks players through the
process of creating characters with
Heartwood foci, descriptors, and character
arcs.
Chapter 17: Heartwood Atlas is mostly for
GMs, as it details the Heartwood setting—
including places, people, and situations—
and offers suggestions for how to best use
elements of it in games.
Chapter 18: What the Moon Dreamt is an
adventure about finding and rescuing the
moon to keep the darkness at bay. It covers
topics of insomnia, depression, grief, and
discovering our true selves.
Chapter 19: The Prince Who Would Seek
Death is an adventure in which an undying
prince asks the characters to help him find
his death. It deals with issues of death and
dying, autonomy, love, and friendship.

If you’re thinking of ways to make fun of mental illness or those

who deal with mental illness in their lives, this setting is
definitely not for you.

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 MENTAL HEALTH IN GAMES

Chapter 14

MENTAL HEALTH IN GAMES

T
alking about mental health problems
and illnesses can be hard—there
is a lot of misinformation and no
shortage of stigmas about the topic. Those
who live with a mental illness may feel
shame or anxiety when talking about it,
and those who don’t may not have a good
understanding of mental illness concerns
and experiences. In fact, reading this
section may make you feel overwhelmed or
anxious, and that’s okay. It’s fine to close
this book, go take a walk, and return to it
when you’re able.
We’ve known for a long time that
storytelling is a form of healing—whether
we’re talking through our problems or
making up stories about the things that
scare us. They provide us with ways to deal
with illness, disasters, trauma, and loss.
We all have our own dark woods, where we
find ourselves easily lost—grief, depression,
anxiety. Being able to talk about and explore
these dark woods through the remove
of player characters is one of the great
advantages of roleplaying games. When
sensitive, marginalized, or stigmatized
topics are approached in-game with respect,
sensitivity, and compassion, they can
benefit everyone (and create a unique game
experience as well).
It’s important to remember that mental
illness is complex, as are those who live
with it. Characters who live with mental
illness are not superheroes with powers,
because that isn’t how mental illness
works. Instead, these characters bring Forests are sublime
their own strengths and weaknesses, their and dangerous, full
of mystery, magic,
complexities, their very humanity, and it is terror, and monstrosity;
this combination that guides their magic. an enchanted place
where anything can
happen. On one hand,
[the forest] is a site of
Why Fairy Tales? threats, the precinct
Fairy tales have a long precedent for of monsters—the wolf
including characters with what we recognize waiting for Red Riding
Hood, the witch for
today as mental health issues and
Hansel and Gretel, the
neurodivergences, such as Attention Deficit briars covering Sleeping
(Hyperactivity) Disorder, dyspraxia, autism Beauty’s castle—but
spectrum disorder, and so on. In fairy tales, it’s also a place where
abandoned children can
postpartum depression can cause parents take refuge: Snow White
to endanger their children. Those labeled flees to safety in the
“witches” often exhibited syndromes of forest because it’s home
mental or physical ailments. To someone that is full of monsters.
~Maria Tatar, German
with obsessive-compulsive behavior, a key folklore and children’s
may appear bloodstained or dirty no matter literature scholar at
how many times they scrub it. And many Harvard University
a stepmother might have been suffering
from a narcissistic personality disorder. It’s
possible that the idea of changelings could
have come about because children were
changing (either mentally or physically) in

If reading this book makes you uneasy or brings up feelings that you feel
unable to handle, please seek the advice of your mental health professional
or other qualified health provider. If you’re having suicidal thoughts,
call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a skilled, trained counselor
at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline). If you are located outside the United States, call your local
emergency line immediately.

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 WE ARE ALL MAD HERE

“Is [the Nothing] very a way that no one could explain, and thus issues. Today we talk about Little Red Riding
painful?” Atreyu asked. they were clearly a malicious spirit and not Hood syndrome (in which the person
“No,” said the second the “real child.” The young man in “The experiences cognitive dissonance and feels
bark troll, the one with Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn as though nothing bad could happen to
the hole in his chest.
“You don’t feel a thing.
What Fear Was” goes out into the world to them). Dorian Gray syndrome (named
There’s just something try to feel something—anything—because after Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of
missing. And once it gets he’s numb, which is exactly how many of us Dorian Gray) describes being obsessed
hold of you, something feel when dealing with depression. There with appearance and unwilling to age, while
more is missing every
day. Soon there won’t are coping mechanisms, too, that many Peter Pan syndrome is typically ascribed to
be anything left of us.” of us might find familiar. In stories like people (mainly men) who seem to be stuck
~Michael Ende, The Tattercoats and the She-Bear, for example, in adolescence and are unable to make
Neverending Story the characters disguise themselves, often decisions.
You might remember after traumatic experiences, in an attempt to Not surprisingly, in the time that fairy
that one of the characters make themselves feel safe and inaccessible tales arose, those with mental illness were
Alice meets in Alice
in Wonderland is the
to those who might harm them. often labeled as wicked, evil, and so on.
Mad Hatter. It is likely Fairy tale characters can provide Fairy tales are fraught with ableist language,
that he was so named invaluable metaphors to explore and in no small part because people didn’t have
because of the symptoms express the experiences of mental health the understanding of mental illness that we
that hatters (also called
milliners) suffered due
to the use of mercury
in hat-making. Chronic
mercurial poisoning It’s important to remember that while roleplaying games have been
led to hallucinations,
anxiety, memory successfully used as therapy for mental health issues, this book is not
loss, and tremors.
designed for that purpose. There are programs and resources available
See Problematic
if that’s something you’d like to pursue, ideally with someone who is
Elements (page 42) for specialized or trained in that type of therapy.
additional information.

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 MENTAL HEALTH IN GAMES

The Heartwood is a setting based on fairy tales, so while it is

whimsical at times, at other times it’s mature, adult, nuanced,
and sometimes quite dark.

do now. Thankfully, as our understanding or don’t think you can handle, perhaps it’s Fairy tales since the
of mental illness has changed, so have our best to go a different route. Some people beginning of recorded
time, and perhaps
labels and our way of talking about and have difficulty knowing where they end and earlier, have been “a
thinking about people living with it. where their character begins (this is called means to conquer the
“bleed”); if that happens to you, this might terrors of mankind
not be a good choice for you. through metaphor.”
~Jack Zipes, The
Issues to Consider Alternatively, you could play a character Brothers Grimm: From
Before joining a game with a mental health who is the exact opposite of you. If you find Enchanted Forests to
focus, consider the following questions. yourself clamming up with social anxiety in the Modern World
real life, consider playing a talky character.
Do I trust my GM and group to tackle this On the other hand, if you feel comfortable
in a way that works for me? creating a character whose mental health It is not too much of a
stretch to imagine that
Trust is paramount to all games, but even is similar to yours, it could be a great many characters in
more so when you expect to cover topics opportunity to explore some of what you’re fairy tales had physical
dealing with mental health. Do you feel that going through, to share that experience with ailments that caused
your GM or group will be able to handle this others, and even to use the skills you’ve their personalities
as well. Perhaps the
well? Sometimes, such as at a convention learned to your advantage. main character in
or a one-shot, it’s impossible to know the The Princess and the
answer ahead of time. In that case, do you Should I play a character whose mental Pea had fibromyalgia,
making it hard for her
have an exit strategy for getting out if you health is different than my own?
to get comfortable.
need to? The answer to this, as it is to similar An older woman
Alternatively, if you are the GM, ask questions about race, gender, sexual with chronic arthritis
yourself if you truly feel ready to run a game orientation, and so on, is: it depends. If you or other ailment
might go off and live
like this. Do you feel comfortable that you do so, be sure to follow basic guidelines alone, because she’s
and your group can do your best to handle about how to do it in a respectful and so often in pain.
any issues that come up? Is there more you informed matter. Do some research (but
could learn or do to help your group create don’t expect another player to be your
a great experience? source, as it may not be comfortable for If you know a person in
them to do so). your group is dealing
with mental illness,
Should I play a character whose mental A good practice is not to think about how you shouldn’t attempt
health mirrors my own? to accurately portray a diagnosis, but to to use the game as a
This is a tricky question that only you can figure out what elements you are drawn to therapy session without
answer, and ideally after spending some time when creating your character, and then delve their knowledge,
permission, and consent.
considering the repercussions. If it’s likely to into what those behaviors mean, as both a
bring up issues for you that you don’t want boon and hindrance for the character.
The mental health issue
or neurodivergence
that you choose to play
should never be the only
No matter what kind of character you choose to play, there’s defining feature of your
nothing wrong with starting small. Creating a character who is dealing character. Go deeper.

with very mild anxiety or occasional bouts of depression rather than

someone with symptoms of greater intensity and severity
is an absolutely valid choice, particularly if you’re just getting
your feet wet.

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 WE ARE ALL MAD HERE
“No need for a bunch of trees.
You can lose your way anywhere.”
~Christine Heppermann,
Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty

As a general rule of thumb, do everything
with respect and knowledge. This won’t
make you perfect, but it will likely keep you
out of the worst pitfalls.
Tips for Talking About Mental
Health Issues In-Game
• Living with a mental health issue or
mental illness does not mean that
someone is broken or “less than.” It
also does not mean they are perfect
or “more than.” It makes them, as we
all are, human. Characters living with
mental health issues and illnesses have
both benefits and drawbacks due to their
symptoms.
• Remember that while many people
deal with difficult emotional spaces
and mental health concerns in their
lives—such as bouts of depression or
social anxiety—a diagnosis of mental
illness typically requires extensive
testing and conversation with a qualified
professional.
• The topic of mental health and illness
can be difficult for many people.
Consent and Before you start a game with these
Boundaries, page 55 themes, be sure to have everyone’s
Fairy Tale Game Consent consent regarding topics, language,
Checklist, page 224 and boundaries. You can download the
For additional Consent in Gaming PDF for free, and the
information about back of this book has a consent checklist
consent in gaming,
download the free
specifically designed for this topic.
Consent in Gaming PDF Alternatively, offer players the chance to
at myMCG.info/consent have a private conversation before the
game begins about their boundaries and
safety needs, as some players may find
checklists difficult.
• Do research on the topic. If you
have people in your life who are
knowledgeable about mental health and
you sense that they would be interested
in helping, you might ask if you can
talk with them about it. However, be
aware that they have the right to say
no (it’s possible that they get asked
often to be someone else’s source of
information, which can be exhausting
and frustrating).
• There is no perfect set of terms or
phrases to use when talking about
people living with a mental illness, as
everyone has different ideas of what
works best for them. Many people prefer
to use person-first language to make
it clear that they are not defined by a
diagnosis (such as “Lisa has bipolar
disorder” rather than “Lisa is bipolar”).
Others disagree, feeling that person-first
language has a reductive impact. It’s
always good to have the table discuss
what feels most comfortable to them.
• Most of all, respect each person’s
preference for how they wish to refer
to their own mental health status, and
understand that those preferences
may change over time. Respect and a
willingness to hear other people are vital
parts of a good gaming experience, and
that’s even more important when talking
about mental health and illness.

Remember that the player and the player character are not the same. Be
sure not to conflate the two, particularly when it comes to assumptions
about the player or character’s mental health status.

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Chapter 15
RUNNING GAMES IN THE HEARTWOOD
“But I don’t want to go among mad
people,” Alice remarked.
“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the
Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad.
You’re mad.”
“How do you know I’m mad?” said
Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you
wouldn’t have come here.”
~Lewis Carroll,
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
T
he sample campaign setting is called
the Heartwood because it is designed
to emulate the heartwood of a tree.
In a tree, the heartwood is the central wood.
It is often darker, denser, and more resistant
to attacks by insects and decay. And its main
function is to support the tree. This is one
of many metaphors for the way that mental
health issues can affect us: the things we
learn by dealing with our mental health
challenges are similar to the heartwood. We
might become more resilient, stronger, and
better able to support ourselves (or ask for
support from others).
Tips for Game Masters
Running a game in a setting where the
characters (and the setting itself) deal with
mental health issues can be tricky and
challenging, but very rewarding as well.
The following suggestions can help GMs
prepare to run games in the Heartwood.
Be Upfront About the Setting
Right out of the gate, it’s important to tell
players what they can expect. They need
to know that this setting involves mental
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RUNNING GAMES IN THE HEARTWOOD
health, and that every character is likely
going to be touched by some type of mental
health concern or illness. Explain how the
Heartwood works—that in order to enter
it, their characters will need to be touched
by mental illness in some way, and that the
Heartwood is also a place where mental
illness and magic work hand in hand.
Do not try to surprise your players with
this information. It’s not clever, and it’s
not likely to be appreciated. Respect your
players, tell them everything they need
to know, and give them time to consider
whether this setting and experience is right
for them.
Use the Heart of the Heartwood
If you haven’t already, read the Heart of Heart of the Heartwood,
the Heartwood section in chapter 16. The page 180
Heart is a location that is designed to
be a grounding point for the characters.
Additionally, at any time, one or more
characters can retreat to the Heart to allow
them (or the player) to take a break, gather
their thoughts, or just step away from the
experience. This is similar to an X-card or The X-card is a game
other gameplay device that allows a player safety tool. The Consent
in Gaming PDF
to call a timeout.
summarizes how to
Be sure to explain this to the players at use it and provides a
the start of a game, and don’t be afraid link to more detailed
to remind them of it throughout. Putting information.
it out there often helps normalize it and myMCG.info/consent
encourages players to use it whenever they
may need it.
Know Your Limits
Do you as the GM have a way to give
yourself a few minutes of respite if you
need it? Do you have a support system in
place? A way to handle difficult or emotional
situations should they arise? Note that
this is not all on you; the group should
be able and willing to help you out with
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 WE ARE ALL MAD HERE
these things. Ask someone else to be your
lookout—if they see you struggling, they can
call a timeout for you.
Also, consider the difference between
running a Heartwood game for your friends
and running one for a group of strangers.
While every type of game is valuable and
has the opportunity to be amazing, let’s
be honest: playing a game with issues
of mental illness front and center can be
tricky. It can be even trickier with a group
of strangers, such as in a one-shot at a
convention. And if this is your first time
GMing in the Heartwood? Even more so.
Running a game in the Heartwood for
a bunch of people who don’t know each
other has the potential to go south, so be
aware of possible pitfalls. All it takes is one
person to start making fun of the concept,
the characters, or (worst of all) the other
players, and things can quickly take a turn
for the worse. Of course, this doesn’t mean
it can’t be done well. Just that it’s difficult,
and might be best reserved for experienced
GMs and those who feel comfortable
managing people and their expectations.
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Don’t Try to Teach or Heal
As the GM, don’t try to teach lessons about
mental illness or play the role of a therapist.
Instead, allow and encourage any revelations
to come from emergent play. Provide the
characters with challenges and interesting
things and places, and allow the group to
create the story. Because it is within the story
where any inspirations, lessons, or healing
will occur for the characters. For example, if a
character in the group is dealing with anxiety,
provide them with ample opportunities to use
their anxiety to accomplish something. They
may choose not to do it, they may try and
fail, or they may try and succeed. Either way,
the character has learned something about
their abilities and can use that information
in the future, in any way they choose.
Provide Campfire Moments
Campfire moments are times when the
characters sit around the proverbial
campfire to reflect, catch up, rest, and share
their experiences. In most games, they’re a
nice touch, but they’re not necessary.
In games set in the Heartwood, campfire
moments are an important component
of the experience. It’s the kind of setting

and game where you really want to leave
time for self-reflection and conversation
about issues that are deeper than stats
and damage. Provide a bit of time between
important encounters—sharing a meal,
traveling through the countryside, sitting
around a campfire, having a drink at the
tavern, or pretty much anything else that
gives the characters an opportunity to
breathe and feel some catharsis and respite
after the challenges they’ve faced.
Not all characters in the Heartwood might
be chatty about their experiences—a PC
with social anxiety, for example, might take a
long time before they trust even their friends
with important things—so encourage the
players to have their characters find other
alternatives. Perhaps they sing a song, write
in a journal, draw a sketch, or pen a letter to
another PC or NPC. The characters or the
players can choose whether or not to share
these items with others.
You can also encourage the players to
have their characters take these types of
actions between games. This might be done
via email, Slack, Discord, or some other
messenger service with the GM or the group.
Make Time for
Character Summaries
Plan on taking a few minutes after every
session to chat with the group. Let the
players know that this is coming ahead of
time so they can look forward to it. During
the chat time, the group makes a safe space
for everyone to talk about how the session
went, any issues that came up, and hopes
or concerns for what’s next. Sometimes a
player will feel the need to say they’re sorry
for something their character did, and check
in with the other players. Sometimes the
session might be as simple as saying, “Wow,
that was intense. Is everyone doing okay?”
This is also a great opportunity to do
character summaries and check in on
character arcs to see if anyone has made
progress. Asking questions like “Does
anyone want to talk about their character
arcs?” and “Do you want to share any
struggles that your character had during this
session?” invites participation but doesn’t
make it required.
Having a chance to connect as players
(away from the PCs) at the end of a session
helps open communication and creates
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a sense of safety for the actions that take
place during the game.
What the Characters Know
About the Heartwood
It doesn’t matter if the players have played
in the Heartwood before. The question
is whether their characters have been
here previously. It’s really a matter of
preference—how much time do you want
to spend at the start of the game with the
characters exploring this new world and
asking questions? If you have the time and
want to make that part of the adventure,
great. If you don’t, you can handwave all of
that by giving the players a brief overview of
the setting and sharing the information that
their characters would know from previous
visits to the Heartwood.
Alternatively, you can have the characters
simply know about the Heartwood already.
Most characters dream of it long before
they get there, so when they arrive, it seems
familiar. Here are two ways to handle that:
• If the characters haven’t been to the
Heartwood before, or if the characters
have been there but the players haven’t
(meaning that this is everyone’s first
game using the Heartwood), give
them an overview of the setting. They
should have a general sense of its fairy
tale nature, the shifting landscape,
the connection to mental health, and
anything else that might be useful for
that particular adventure. Also be sure
to tell them about the Heart of the Heart of the Heartwood,
Heartwood and how it works, both page 180
in-game and out of game.
For more on aftercare,
download the free
• If the characters have been to the Consent in Gaming PDF
Heartwood during a previous game at myMCG.info/consent
session, just remind the players of
anything their characters did and saw
that was of import (or, even better, have
the players remind you of what they did
and saw, which makes the story more
alive for them).
Either way, if you start the story with the
characters being drawn into the Heartwood,
have them arrive at the Heart. Read over the
description of the Heart for suggestions on
how to describe it to the players.
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3. Choose Your Equipment
Chapter 7: Equipment, and Other Items
page 69 Heartwood Character Examples Choose weapons, armor, and equipment
from the lists in chapter 7, unless your
An Appealing or Charming Princess GM specifies otherwise. Consider whether
Appealing, page 38
who Befriends the Black Dog could be you want the equipment to represent an
Charming, page 41 a character who lives with depression, internal aspect of your character, or if you
grief, anxiety, or sadness, but puts on just want to swing a big sword. Some
Creative, page 42
a happy face in order to perform the characters might feel particularly attached
Chaotic, page 40 expected duties of their role and station to various pieces of equipment—perhaps
(or as a way to cope with or hide their their loved one gave them that cloak, or
Virtuous, page 58 they’ve named their bow Eliza and carry it
feelings).
Doesn’t Do everywhere because it gives them comfort.
Much, page 67 A Creative, Chaotic, or Bewitched It’s an opportunity to roleplay your character
Entertainer who Lived Among the by using the things they carry in deeply
Grows to Towering
Fey might be someone who uses art, emotional ways.
Heights, page 69
storytelling, music or some other Your GM will give you cyphers and
creative outlet to help them manage anything else you need to get started.
Befriends the Black post-traumatic stress, manic depression,
Dog, page 174 hyperactivity, or hallucinations and 4. Have a Conversation
Lived Among the delusions. With Your Group
Fey, page 175 Because you’ll all be playing characters
Bewitched, page 169 A Virtuous or Fragmented Knight who touched by mental health issues or
Fragmented, page 171 Made a Deal With Death might be a illnesses, it’s good to start the game with
Made a Death With character with obsessive thoughts and a short conversation where you discuss
Death, page 175 compulsions, difficulty focusing, or any concerns you have about the character
Lost, page 172 dissociative identities. They might also be you’ve created, the experience you’re
Haunted, page 172 a parent dealing with the death of a child, about to have, and any topics or issues
Feigns No Fear, page 175 a child dealing with the loss of a parent, that you don’t want to cover or deal with.
Sheds Their Skin, or an adult grieving the loss of a lover. Ideally, you’ll have already filled out and
page 176 talked about the Fairy Tale Game Consent
A Lost or Haunted Dreamer who Doesn’t Checklist at this point, so this conversation
As part of building your Do Much or who Feigns No Fear could will be a reiteration of things you’ve already
character, consider doing be a character who lives with depression, discussed. If you haven’t done so, now is a
some reading on the
various types of mental chronic illness, or anxiety. They could good time for the group to fill those out and
illnesses and what it’s also be someone who is dealing with talk about their choices.
like to live with a mental overwhelming grief, loss, or addiction.
illness. Also check out the
section of this book on
playing a character living A Bewitched Woodcutter who Grows to Heartwood Descriptors
with a mental illness. Towering Heights or who Sheds Their In the Heartwood, as elsewhere, descriptors
Skin might be a character with symptoms are designed to provide additional
Chapter 14: Mental of body dysmorphia, obsessive- information about how and why characters
Health in Games, compulsive thoughts about their take actions. Descriptors provide motivation
page 159
appearance, or concerns about showing and incentive, and place characters in the
Fairy Tale Game Consent others their true self. starting adventure. As with other elements
Checklist, page 224 of Heartwood characters, descriptors
combine the idea of magic and mental
health. So a Bewitched character might have
been cursed or enchanted by someone in
the world, or they might be experiencing
auditory and visual hallucinations, or
a combination of the two. How you

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 CREATING HEARTWOOD CHARACTERS

choose to portray the character, and their

understanding of their situation, is up to
you. Heartwood Descriptors
• Bewitched • Frumious
Inabilities • Changeling • Haunted
Typically, Heartwood descriptors include • Fragmented • Lost
at least one inability. This is because living Inability, page 207
with magic and mental illness often comes
with both benefits and costs. For example,
a character who takes the Frumious Heartwood Descriptors
descriptor isn’t good at holding back their
anger, and that can make it hard for them to Bewitched
interact with others in a positive way. You’re not sure that your thoughts are
Characters can typically cancel out or always your own. You often hear a voice or
overcome inabilities by becoming trained in voices, guiding you and attempting to force
that skill. In the real world, someone might your hand. Sometimes these voices are
see a therapist, meditate, take medication, helpful and kind. Other times, not so much.
or use another tool to help them manage Where do they come from, and are you
their mental health. In the Heartwood, cursed or blessed by them?
characters are more likely to use magic in
some way—perhaps they have a magical
potion or object, perhaps they teach
themselves a magic spell, perhaps they
have a fairy godmother who is a great ally
and support.

Descriptors From Elsewhere

When playing in the Heartwood, you don’t
have to choose a Heartwood descriptor—
you can choose any of the descriptors
in the Cypher System Rulebook. Some of
the descriptors, such as Chaotic, Craven,
Doomed, and Mad, might seem like a
perfect fit based on their names, but they’re
a little more exaggerated and less nuanced
in their take on mental health than the
Heartwood descriptors. However, you can
roleplay those descriptors into something
that better fits the Heartwood setting. Mad
is a good example—it was originally created
to fit the “mad scientist” type of character,
but by toning the language down just a bit,
you could use Mad to create a character
living with post-traumatic stress disorder or
obsessive-compulsive characteristics.
Feel free to work with your GM to adjust
descriptors to better suit the setting and
the character you want to create.

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Lost ones: level 3; Armor
1; carry bows and spears Jack’s Back
Oh, Jack. You giant killer.
Beanstalk climber. Well-faller.
House builder. You’re nimble
and stingy, you’re lean and
green, frosty and naughty.
You’re half of Jill. Master of
none. You win as much by luck
and give-a-fuck as by ruck and
pluck. You’re a fool and a tool,
and ever so cool.
Jack, oh Jack. May you
always come back.
~ Anonymous,
Tales of the Heartwood
Angry Roger
The Angry Roger is the largest pirate
brig sailing the sea. Once helmed by the
The Piper: level 7; notorious Captain Hook, the ship is now
plays a magic flute that run (some might say overrun) by a crew of
causes those who hear
it (within long range)
foxes, wolves, and other misaligned beasts.
to act as if they’re A tiny fairy called Bluebell does her best to
hypnotized (resisting a captain the crew—she has enough sense of
persuasion attempt is mischief from her grandmother, Tinker Bell,
hindered by three steps)
to keep them all in line, mostly.
Bluebell: level 2, The Angry Roger has a fierce reputation for
command and taking defending the nonexistent borders of the Sea
charge as level 3
of Innumerable Echoes from those who wish
to steal things that do not belong to them, as
well as for hosting the annual But a Dream
party, where everyone dresses as the person
The Coachman: level 6 their child self thought they would become.
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The Cave of the Lost
This cave is home to those who’ve lost,
destroyed, or otherwise become parted from
their islands. These lost ones have become
unmoored in time, some days appearing
older than they are, other times seeming to
be a child again. They barely remember the
Heartwood—it is as if a dream of a dream
of their child selves. Most have nicknames,
such as Tootles, Nibs, and Thrice, but they
can’t remember where they got them, or
what their real names are, if they have any.
Catchfools
Deep inside the belly of the Terrible
Dogfish—a great and monstrous sea
creature—is the city of Catchfools. Despite
being in the belly of a beast, the city always
seems warm and sunny, with just a hint of a
fishy breeze.
Run by an emperor known only by his
nickname, the Piper, Catchfools is a city
where every vice is for sale, every sin is kept
secret, and every living thing is one criminal
act away from being turned into a donkey.
Gambling, prostitution, drugs, horse and
dog and chicken racing—if it’s a sin or a
vice, you can find it here. The hardest part
about Catchfools is knowing what’s a sin
(and thus not just acceptable, but condoned
and encouraged) and what’s a crime (and
punishable by being turned into a donkey).
Crimes include (but are not limited to):
• Being idle and lying about all day
• Not having any obvious vices or sins
(particularly ones that cost money)
• Attempting to proselytize to others
about why they should deny or give up
their sins
Crimes are subject to change from day
to day. Sometimes the Piper changes them
just to suit his outfit.
The Coachman
As the Piper’s hired henchman, the Coachman
takes great pride in tracking down and
prosecuting (read: turning them into donkeys)
those who’ve just committed their third crime
within the city limits. He drives a coach
pulled by two dozen donkeys, all of which

wear white shoes, and makes extra money
on the side by selling donkeys to farmers,
circus owners, and dog-food factories.
Undertaker Rabbits
In addition to the Coachman, undertaker
rabbits work to keep the peace and safety
(relatively speaking) of the city. They walk
the streets in pairs, wearing dark hoods,
humming minor-chord mantras, and
carrying small ornate coffins with people’s
names on them. Anyone who sees their
name on one of the coffins must commit a
sin or indulge in a vice as soon as possible
to keep the undertaker rabbits and their
death coffins at bay.
Billy Goats Gruff
The best-known gambling parlor in all
of Catchfools, and perhaps all of the
Heartwood, Billy Goats Gruff features every
type of game imaginable, and some that
aren’t. The building is set up so that the
majority of the gambling takes place on the
ground floor. Only those with special access
are invited to the Bridge, where high-end
games take place.
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HEARTWOOD ATLAS
Getting to Catchfools is easier than one
might think. Load a seafaring vessel
with preserved meat in tins, biscuits,
bottles of wine, dried raisins, cheese, Undertaker rabbits: level
coffee, sugar, candles, and boxes of wax 8; if a character’s name
is on their coffin and
matches and set sail in any direction, and that character doesn’t
after one day and one wish, you will find indulge in a vice or sin in
yourself at the gate to Catchfools. Or you the next few rounds, the
character is teleported
can allow yourself to be swallowed by the
into the coffin, where
Terrible Dogfish, in which case you will they move one step
flow through the beast’s digestive system down the damage track
into its belly, and there you will land in for each round they’re
trapped inside, until
the city. they’re dead. It’s a level 8
Might task to break free.
Wild Hunt
Allowing only six participants per hunt,
and even then only by invitation, the Wild “Feeling that Peter was
Hunt takes place along the tail-end of the on his way back, the
Neverland had again
city once each year. Led by the hunters woke into life. We ought
extraordinaire—Bright Day, Radiant Sun, to use the pluperfect
and Dark Knight—the chosen participants and say wakened, but
must hunt down, capture, and kill the ones woke is better and was
always used by Peter.”
who are being hunted. ~J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan
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STORY INDEX
T
his index is designed to gather all of the
disparate elements of a fairy tale story or
setting in a single place to make it easier to
create and run a game using that story or setting.
This index includes characters, equipment, places,
abilities, magic, cyphers, artifacts, and more.
Alternatively, it can be used to learn more about the
story that a particular item, place, character, and so
on originally comes from.
Note that not all of the included elements are the
same as they were in their original stories or setting.
Many have been altered in significant ways, so you
may need to adjust some items if you’re hoping to
run a game that is true to the original.
Traditional Fairy Tales
Aladdin
Genie’s lamp (artifact) 95
Baba Yaga
Baba Yaga’s spiced cookie (cypher) 78
Beauty and the Beast
Beast (NPC) 106
Rose of red (cypher) 88
Bluebeard
Aristocrat (NPC) 137
The Buried Moon
“What the Moon Dreamt” (adventure) 203
Cinderella
Dressmaking nut (cypher) 81
Fairy godmother (NPC) 123
Silver slippers (cypher) 89
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The Death of Koschei the Deathless
Deathless (cypher) 80
Kozel the Immortal Prince (NPC) 216
“The Prince Who Would Seek Death” (adventure) 210
Famous Flower of Serving Men
Sweet William’s (location) 200
The Frog Prince
Iron bands of three (cypher) 84
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Bowl of porridge (cypher) 79
Hansel and Gretel
Blind Witch (NPC) 134
Father’s betrayal (cypher) 82
Gretel (as the Kitchen Witch, NPC) 186
Iron stove (artifact) 95
Neverlost (cypher) 85
Pebbled path (place) 212
Jack and the Beanstalk
Magic beans (cypher) 85
Welkin Barrier (location) 201
The Juniper Tree
Song of the dead (cypher) 89
Little Match Girl
Memory’s match (cypher) 85
The Little Mermaid
Sea Witch (NPC) 135
Little Red Riding Hood
False grandmother (cypher) 82
Flowers for grandmother (cypher) 82
Huntsman/woodcutter (NPC) 139
Path of Pins and Needles (location) 192
Red riding hood (artifact) 97