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Children of Midnight
A Forged in the Dark Game

v1.21 QUICKSTART RULES

Written by Gavin and Áine Moore

UPDATED OCTOBER 31, 2021

BALSAMIC MOON GAMES COLLECTIVE

Children of Midnight is based on Blades in the Dark, product of One Seven Design, developed and authored by
John Harper, and licensed for our use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

Art by Vilina Ardashirova (@nemesis_forsa_art)

Logo by Francita Soto (byfrancita.com)

Cover, Additional Art, Photos and Sigils by Áine Moore

Additional Photos licensed from Unsplash and Shutterstock

Sovereign Morningstar’s Model: Morningstar (@the_cytherean)

Morningstar’s Photographer: Megaloceros Design (megalocerosdesign.com)
Kami and Maki’s Model: BubblyZelda (@bubblyzelda)
Kami and Maki Photo Editing: Dlaiver (@dlaiver_228)
Dylan Dee’s Model: Vespertine Ipomea d'Astra (@swords_and_lace)
Vespertine Ipomea d'Astra’s Photographer: Allan K. Crain (@allankcrain)
Jack Spiderstripe’s Model: Mason Freiberg (@hbvisualarts)
Jack Spiderstripe’s Make-up Artist: Cara Bebop (@creationsofcara)

Playtesters:
Nicholas Gosey, Dean Jay Smith, Keith Fuller, Lydia Fuller, Madeline Steiner, Comprehensible, Kieran, Violet
Harper, ohnomyfeelings, Morningstar, Megan Nighswander, Vespertine Ipomea d'Astra, Marty Moore, Carol
McQuiston, Violet Moore, and Ariadne Thomas

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 Children of Midnight Quickstart
M agic was practiced in relative secrecy for thousands of years by
tens of thousands of peaceful practitioners of over a hundred unique
paths. But until 1596, as far as learned humans of the time knew, there
were no real witches. The real witches were cunning enough to remain
hidden, privately practicing magic in the same ways their ancestors did
for centuries.
A trio of witches living in Scotland had enough of the false accusations
humans heaped upon one another. These witches finally made their
presence known, sparing nearly 400 falsely accused of witchcraft that
day and ten thousand to come.
The world changed forever in the days and months that followed as a
great number of witches, many with enough power to conquer and rule
the planet, stepped from the shadows and greeted the communities they
hid within successfully for generations. In the years that followed many
humans shed their old ways and embraced the witches. The era was not
without its problems, but it was a peaceful time overall.
One day though, that generation of witches, content with the world they
created, passed on. Their children tried to follow in their parents’
footsteps but faltered more often; and the next generation strayed even
further from that vision.
13 generations later the world was recovering from the Second Witch
War. A group of witches that stayed neutral during the carnage, The
Order, took power and instituted a registration for young witches; all
powers would be documented, witches causing havoc would have their
powers bound. They promised that under their leadership things would
not get out of control again.
It has been 75 years and things have not improved for mundane humans
or witches. Registration is enforced with an iron fist and human distrust
of witches is higher than it has been in centuries.
You have avoided the registration and would be branded a Wyld Witch
and your powers restricted, if caught, but you have a small Coven that
watches your back and with your unbridled powers you and your Coven
can make allies, gain power and maybe even fix some of the problems
you inherited while surviving an oppressive world of wealthy and well
connected government organizations, the soulless corporate sector, the
Fae courts and the military.
The world of Children of Midnight looks very much like our world;
except witches have joined society and technology has advanced at a
more rapid pace (it is one of the few things that allow non-magically
inclined humans, aka mundanes or sapes, to feel like they have any
power over witches). While there are mundane influencers in every field,
it is more difficult than ever for them to make it to the upper echelons
of society and business. Everyone is looking for an advantage; these
often include excessive amounts of electronic currency, bleeding edge
technology and hired magical backup. The ultra-wealthy and
congregations of registered witches hold the majority of positions of
power, and hold to that power tightly.
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The setting for Children of Midnight is along the northeast coast of
North America, primarily Manhattan and the surrounding areas, an
ecologically interesting and varied location full of industrial and tech
giants with diverse populations of mundanes and witches from around
the world. The puritanical culture that rooted here never fully
disappeared, rather, it has branched out significantly. The setting can be
ported to nearly any other region with a small amount of tweaking.
The world has suffered two massive wars in the last 120 years that have
changed the way magic is seen by mundanes and used by witches. The
rise of The Order and the binding of witches will be a predominant
factor in most campaigns, but every Faction has goals that the PC’s
Coven might want to thwart or assist them with.
There are too many historical differences to list, but a few important
ones are: The colonialization of the Americas was quickly halted by the
formidable magical powers of native people, Lady Liberty’s promise,
“Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me…” was kept, and
chattel slavery was disrupted and destroyed as quickly as it began.
Wyld Witches eschew technology, but not for a lack of interest. A
Wyld Witch's magic and some places of great power play havoc with
electrical systems and are even disruptive to wireless technologies. An
unbound witch might carry a cell phone for emergencies, but there is
no guarantee it will work when they need it most; they are better off
studying a spell or ritual that allows them to communicate
telepathically. Wyld Witches are unable to access Manhattan’s
electronic currency, UnionBits (UB), leaving unbound witches reliant
on bound or mundane relatives for access to basic care and resources.
Tech works against unbound witches quite well. The batteries in a cattle
prod aren’t going to explode if it is used against them, but if the
unbound witch were to snatch it and try to wield it, it very well might.
There are disabled and chronically ill bound and unbound witches the
world over in every walk of life. If your character has a disability you
can choose to play it however you choose; with a support animal, human
companion, mechanical or magical assistance, or entirely without
assistance. You may choose for your character to gain a custom General
Power (at no cost) that allows them to do some or any of the things
their disability would generally preclude or make difficult. Characters
made with a disability or who gain a disability or chronic illness during
play may modify their xp trigger: “Struggled with issues from your
Trauma, Casting Style, *Disability* or consequences of harm”.
The Fae are a varied and enigmatic bunch. Having only recently re-
emerged from Arcadia during The Awakened Age (about 300 years
ago), they are having a long-awaited heyday playing tricks, stealing
children and tormenting anyone that presses their buttons, even
inadvertently. The Fae are willing to “help” witches with fae bargains
and fae fruits, but there is always a cost.
Other Questions?
Some historical events have not been detailed and many questions are
left purposely unanswered in this Quickstart. Encourage your players
start long-term projects to discover what they mean in your game. To
quote John Harper (author of Blades in the Dark), “Play to find out!”
 Children of Midnight Quickstart

Timeline
Construction begins on Stonehenge -3000
Construction begins on The Great Pyramids -2600
Southwestern Asian witch starts showing off his ‘miracles’ -3
Witches begin to self-regulate, ‘The Shadow Age’ officially begins 0
Witches are revealed; ‘The Shadow Age’ ends and ‘The Awakened Age’ begins 1596
British and Spanish expansion into America is halted by Native witches 1603
New Amsterdam (later known as Manhattan) is shared with the Union, westward expansion ends 1624
The Great Witch War (WW1) starts when… 1914
WW1 ends when…, “The Awakened Age” is declared truly over and “The Twilight Age” begins 1918
The Second Witch War (WW2) starts when… 1939
WW2 ends when… and The Order forms shortly after 1945
The Order begins full-scale registration of witches, “The Twilight Age” gives way to simply, “Midnight” 1948
The Internet launches 1983
The International Space Station launches 1998
Today 20XX

Music
Chaos Chaos, Skating Polly, Aurora, Big
Thief, Dodie, Paul Banks, Cibo Matto.
Movies
The VVitch, Howl's Moving Castle,
Labyrinth, Kiki's Delivery Service, Stardust,
Dune, Gretel and Hansel, Willow, Beautiful
Creatures, Priest, Suspiria.
Touchstones
TV Shows / Books
A Discovery of Witches, The Magicians, Buffy
the Vampire Slayer, Chilling Adventures of
Sabrina, Motherland: Fort Salem, Over the
Garden Wall, American Gods, Dresden Files,
True Blood, American Horror Story: Coven,
Bewitched, Dirk Gently, Emerald City, The
Owl House, Penny Dreadful, Tin Man,
Carnival Row, Salem.
TTRPGs
Blades in the Dark, A Fistful of Darkness,
Witchpunks, World of Darkness.
Actual Play / Podcasts / YouTube
Scum & Villainy: Stardancer, The Magpies,
Old Gods of Appalachia, Welcome to Night
Vale, Party of One Podcast, Dave
Thaumavore, Hacked in the Dark.

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 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Glossary
Arcadia: The world from which Fae originate. Apparently a verdant,
fruitful and calm land.
Astral: A realm somehow attached to the minds of sentient creatures.
Spirits residing in the Astral are embodiments of concepts and emotions.
Bound Witch: A slang term for a registered witch used by wyld witches
to hint that perhaps a little more of their power was bound than most
registered witches would like to admit.
Coven (or Wyld Coven): A group of wyld witches who share a covenant
and regularly assemble.
Congregation: An organized group of registered witches.
Earth (or Terra, Gaia): The natural world.
Essence: A difficult to harvest source of magical power found in small
amounts anywhere on Earth. Witches use Essence to use their powers.
Fae: A creature which has come from Arcadia, one born to Fae parents,
or anything seemingly ‘alive’ which was constructed using Fae magic.
Fae Fruits: A fruit which only grows in Arcadia, related to the poppy.
Consuming one can restore a mundane’s failing health and nourish them
for a month, though consumption places them in an addled, complacent
state. Witches bargain with them or consume for an energy boost.
Fledge: A human who is expected to become a witch, but has not yet
shown any magical ability.
Frank: A term for non-magical humans making specific note of their
dangerous mastery of technology (origin Frankenstein).
Heritage: A witch’s ancestry which sometimes manifests in noticeable
morphological changes.
Hoard: A stockpile of fae fruits, prolonged contact with large amounts
of fae fruit is said to extend a witch’s lifespan.
Human: A member of the genus Homo; usually referring to only Homo
Sapiens Sapiens and Homo Sapiens Striga.
Registered Witch: A witch who was submitted to The Order to have
their magical abilities bound; at minimum, their Wyld Magic.
Mundane (or Mundie), Sape (or Sapien): Homo Sapiens Mundanus; a
non-witch. A non-gendered term for person without magical abilities.
Derogatory when used to describe a fledge.
Medean: A witch heritage lacking the visible morphological changes of
immortal blood. Derogatory when used to describe a witch.
Shadow: A dark mirror of the physical world. Spirits that reside in the
Shadow are nature spirits and mythical creatures in hiding. The most
powerful Shadow spirits tend to be primordial beings.
Underworld: A realm containing the spirits of sapient creatures after
their physical body is gone. The deepest parts of the underworld contain
all of the classical heavens and hells of various afterlives.
Witch: Homo Sapiens Striga; a non-gendered term for a person who has
(or had) access to magical abilities.
Wyld Witch: A witch of the proper age that has avoided registration.
Young Witch: A fledge or a witch who has not yet reached the age at
which they must be submitted to The Order. Their powers are not yet
bound, but also not yet mature enough to channel powerful Wyld Magic.
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What is a Quickstart?
This guide is intended to get a GM and group of players started playing
Children of Midnight. You’ll need four or more 6-sided dice. If anything
is unclear, look to the Blades in the Dark SRD for clarification. Grimoire
sheets, Coven sheets and other game materials can be downloaded free
from quickstart.childrenofmidnight.com.
The Game
Children of Midnight is a game about a group of daring Wyld Witches
building an enterprising Coven. We play to see how the fledgling Coven
thrives amidst the teeming threats that surround it.
The Player Characters
Each player takes the role of an unregistered Wyld Witch with a
Grimoire and a Familiar. Players assist the GM in making judgment calls
about the mechanics, dice and consequences of actions. Players take
responsibility as co-authors with the GM in narration and story-telling.
The Coven
After creating characters, the players all work together to create the
Coven to which their characters all belong and choose which type of
magical activities they’re interested in exploring. The Coven works with
the Game Master to establish the tone and style of the game, and
develops by performing Undertakings and contending with threats from
their enemies.
The Game Master
The GM establishes the dynamic world around the characters. The GM
plays all the non-player characters in the world by giving each one a
concrete desire and preferred method of action. The GM helps organize
the conversation of the game, pointing it toward interesting elements of
play. The GM isn’t in charge of the story and doesn’t have to plan events
ahead of time. They present interesting opportunities to the players, then
follow the chain of action and consequences wherever they lead.
Playing a Session
A session of Children of Midnight is like an episode of a TV show.
There are one or two main events, plus maybe some side-story elements,
which all fit into an ongoing series. A session of play can last anywhere
from two to six hours, depending on the preferences of the group.
During a session, the Coven of Wyld Witches work together to choose
an Undertaking to accomplish, then they make a few dice rolls to jump
into the action of the Undertaking in progress. The PCs take actions,
suffer consequences, have flashbacks, and finish the operation (succeed
or fail). Then the Coven has downtime, during which they recover,
pursue side-projects, and use ceremonial magic. After downtime, the
players once again look for a new opportunity or create their own goals
and pursuits, and we play to find out what happens next.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Willpower
Characters in Children of Midnight have a special reserve called
Willpower. When they suffer a consequence that they don’t want to
accept, they can spend Willpower instead. The result of the Resistance
roll determines how much Willpower it costs to avoid a bad outcome. If
an Action or Resistance roll causes you to lose all of your remaining
Willpower (or more) the action or resistance still resolves before the
character suffers Trauma (see below).
Push Yourself
You can Push Yourself for greater performance. For each bonus, spend
2 Willpower:
• Add +1d to your roll (for an Action or Resistance roll).
• Add +1 level to your effect.
Trauma
When a PC marks their last Willpower box during an Undertaking they
suffer Trauma, mark a condition below on your Grimoire Sheet.
Cold Haunted Nightmares Numbness
Paranoia Reckless Shock Soft
Unstable Vicious
When you suffer a Trauma, your character is taken out of the action,
“left for dead” or otherwise dropped out of the current conflict, only to
come back later, shaken and drained. After the undertaking, your
Willpower is restored and you return to your Covenstead (unless the
fictional situation demands otherwise). Your character acquires the new
semi-permanent personality quirk indicated by the condition and can
earn xp by using it to cause trouble. When you mark your fourth Trauma
condition, your character cannot continue as a playable character.
Essence
Essence powers a character’s General Powers, Grimoire Powers and
Wyld Magic. A witch may continue to spend Essence after spending all
of their reserves, but will face escalating magical consequences.
Disconnection
If a character suffers Trauma while also out of Essence, they become
disconnected. Disconnected witches can no longer use their General or
Grimoire Powers, Grimoire Sense and Abilities, are cut off from their
Familiar. They cannot regain Essence and cannot lead, participate in or
benefit from Rituals. This condition is recovered by skipping the next
Undertaking to reconnect to their magical abilities.
Character Death
Character death should only ever happen on the player's terms. While
fatal harm will kill a character, the player can always choose to resist the
damage. If the PC runs out of Willpower from resisting harm, they are
removed from the current Undertaking. You might ask, “aren’t there
fictional scenarios that could arise in the game that a character could not
survive?” Not really, at least in a world with witches whose powers that
rival that of mythic gods.
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Actions
The player chooses which action rating to roll, following from what their
character is doing on-screen. You can’t roll a given action rating unless
your character is performing that action in fiction.
• Brawl - You engage an opponent in close combat or use brute force.
• Command - You compel swift obedience.
• Consort - You socialize with friends and contacts.
• Craft - You use tools and components to make mundane and magic items.
• Finesse - You employ dexterous manipulation or subtle misdirection.
• Focus - You concentrate, command essential forces and perform spellwork.
• Prowl - You traverse skillfully and quietly.
• Spring - You leap into action, beat a quick getaway or take prepared action.
• Study - You scrutinize details and interpret evidence.
• Survey - You observe the situation and analyze outcomes.
• Sway - You influence with guile, charisma or argument.
• Target - You follow your quarry or predict their movements to intercept.
ACTION ROLL
⊗ 1d for each Action rating dot.
⊕ +1d if you receive Assistance (see Teamwork).
⊕ +1d if you Push Yourself -or- accept a Fae Bargain.
CONTROLLED - Act on your terms, exploit dominant advantage.
Critical: You do it with increased effect.
6: You do it.
4/5: You hesitate. Withdraw and try a different approach -or- do it
with a lesser consequence: a lesser complication occurs, you have reduced
effect, you suffer lesser harm or you end up in a Risky position.
1-3: You falter. Press on by seizing a Risky opportunity or withdraw and
try a different approach.
RISKY - Go head-to-head, act under fire. You take a chance.
Critical: You do it with increased effect.
6: You do it.
4/5: You do it, but there is a consequence: suffer harm, a complication
occurs, you have reduced effect, you end up in a Desperate position.
1-3: Things go badly. You suffer moderate harm, a complication occurs,
you end up in a Desperate position or you lose this opportunity.
DESPERATE - Overreach your capabilities. Get in serious trouble.
Critical: You do it with increased effect.
6: You do it.
4/5: You do it, but there is a consequence: you suffer greater harm, a
greater complication occurs, you have reduced effect.
1-3: It’s the worst outcome. Suffer greater harm or a greater complication
occurs, and you usually lose this opportunity for action as well.
Setting Position & Effect
The GM sets position and effect for an Action roll at the same time,
after the player says what they’re doing and chooses their action. Risky
/ Standard is the default combination, modified by the action being used,
the strength of the opposition, and the effect factors.
The ability to set position and effect as independent variables gives you
nine combinations to choose from, to help you convey a wide array of
fictional circumstances.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Flavoring Mundane Actions with Magical Effects
When describing a mundane action, players may add a magical flourish.
A powerful enough flourish may have the effect of Push Yourself
(player’s choice of +1d or +Effect), simply describe the magical effect
and spend Essence based on the chart below.
Effect: Non-Grimoire Push Grimoire Push Cosmetic Flourish
Cost: 2 Essence 1 Essence No Cost
Consequences
When a PC suffers an effect from an enemy or a dangerous situation, it’s
called a consequence. Consequences are the companion to effects. PCs
have an effect on the world around them and they suffer consequences
in return from the risks they face.
Enemy actions, bad circumstances, or the outcome of a roll can inflict
consequences on PCs. There are five types of consequences: Reduced
Effect, Complication, Lost Opportunity, Worse Position and Harm.
You may even face more than one consequence, depending on the
situation. The GM determines the consequences, following the fiction in
the style and tone established by the group.
Reduced Effect
This consequence represents impaired performance. The PC’s action
isn’t as effective as they’d anticipated. You hit him, but it’s only a flesh
wound. She accepts the forged invitation, but she’ll keep her eye on you
throughout the night. You’re able to scale the wall, but it’s slow going—
you’re only halfway up. This consequence essentially reduces the effect
level of the PC’s action by one after all other factors are accounted for.
Complication
This consequence represents trouble, mounting danger, or a new threat.
The GM might introduce an immediate problem that results from the
action right now: the room catches fire, you’re disarmed, a covenmate
leaves evidence or is spotted by a witness, you lose status with a Faction,
the target evades you and now it’s a chase, reinforcements arrive, etc.
Or the GM might tick a clock for the complication, instead. Maybe
there’s a clock for the alert level of the guards at the manor or the GM
creates a new clock for the suspicion of the guests at the masquerade
party and ticks it. Fill one tick on a clock for a lesser complication or
two ticks for a complication.
A greater complication is severe: reinforcements surround and trap you,
the room catches fire and falling ceiling beams block the door, your
weapon breaks, etc. Fill three ticks on a clock for a greater complication.
The GM should never negate a successful roll with a complication.
Lost Opportunity
This consequence represents a shifting circumstance. You had an
opportunity to achieve your goal with this action, but it slips away. To
try again, you need a new approach—usually a new form of action or a
change in circumstances. Maybe you tried to Brawl with the noble to trap
her on the balcony, but she evades your maneuver and leaps out of reach.
You’ll have to try something else.
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Worse Position
This consequence represents losing control of the situation—the action
carries you into a more dangerous position. Perhaps you make the leap
across to the next rooftop, only to end up dangling by your fingertips.
You haven’t failed, but you haven’t succeeded yet, either. You can try
again, re-rolling at the new, worse position. This is a good consequence
to choose to show escalating action. A situation might go from
Controlled, to Risky, to Desperate as the action plays out and the PC
gets deeper and deeper in trouble.
Harm
This consequence represents a long-lasting debility (or death). When
you suffer harm, record the specific injury on your Grimoire sheet equal
to the level of harm you suffer. If you suffer lesser harm, record it in the
row marked 1 (harm level). If you suffer moderate harm, write it in the
row marked 2. If you suffer greater harm, record it in the row marked 3.
Players may choose to have their character suffer penalties from any harm
recorded on their tracker. They can take -1d to an Action or Resistance
roll for level 1 harm, reduced effect on an action for level 2 harm or be
incapacitated and unable to act without help from someone else (or
Pushing Yourself) to perform the action for level 3 harm. To reiterate,
the consequences of harm are handled by the player, the GM may
sometimes remind them of their harm, but if the player thinks it does
not apply, they can describe why or how they are compensating.
Considering their harm and self-penalizing is an xp trigger.
If you need to mark a harm level, but the row is already filled, the harm
moves up one level. So, if you suffered level 2 harm (moderate) but had
no empty spaces in the second row, you’d have to record level 3 harm
(greater), instead. If you run out of level 3 harm spaces and need to mark
harm there, your character suffers a catastrophic, permanent consequence
(loss of a limb, sudden death, etc., depending on the circumstances).
Mental harms are a good fallback if there’s nothing else threatening a PC.
Recovering from Harm
Recovery is a downtime action detailed on page 20, but some harm can
be resolved sooner by taking the proper fictional actions. If you have a
recovery idea, discuss it with your GM.
Player Character Death
There are a couple ways for a PC to die: If they suffer fatal harm and
choose not to resist it, they die. Sometimes this is a choice a player wants
to make, because they feel like it wouldn’t make sense for the character
to survive, or it seems right for their character to die there.
If they need to record level 3 harm and it’s already filled in, they suffer a
catastrophic consequence, which might mean sudden death (depending
on the circumstances).
 Children of Midnight Quickstart

Resistance Roll Summary Fortune Roll Summary

When your PC suffers a consequence that you don’t like, you can choose The Fortune roll is a tool the GM can use to disclaim decision making.
to resist it. Just tell the GM, “I’m resisting that.” Resistance is always You use a Fortune roll to make a determination about a situation the
automatically effective—the GM will tell you if the consequence will be PCs aren’t directly involved in and don’t want to simply decide the
reduced in severity or avoided entirely. Then, you roll an attribute based outcome -or- when an outcome is uncertain, but no other roll applies to
on the nature of consequences (GM’s choice): the situation. When you make a Fortune roll you may assess any trait
rating to determine the dice pool of the roll.
Insight: Consequences from deception or understanding.
Prowess: Consequences from physical strain or injury. If no trait applies, roll 1d for sheer luck or create a dice pool (from one
Resolve: Consequences from mental strain or powers. to four) based on the situation at hand. If two parties are directly
opposed, make a Fortune roll for each side to see how they do, then assess
You may only roll against a given consequence once.
the outcome of the situation by comparing their performance levels.
RESISTANCE ROLL
⊗ 1d for each Attribute rating.
⊖ -1d if you are carrying 4 or more Fae Fruits.
⊖ -1d if you are carrying 6 Fae Fruits.
You reduce or avoid the effects of the consequence (GM chooses).
Critical: Reduce or avoid the consequence and regain 1 Willpower.
6: Reduce or avoid the consequence and spend 0 Willpower.
4/5: Reduce or avoid the consequence and spend 1 Willpower.
1-3: Reduce or avoid the consequence and spend 3 Willpower.
Note: Carried Fae Fruit have a sedating effect on witches making
Resistance rolls more difficult.
FORTUNE ROLL
How Much Do They Resist?
⊗ 1d for each Trait rating.
This is an important question to consider as a group and can set the tone
⊕ +1d for each Major Advantage.
for the entire campaign. For all consequences aside from harm, I tend to
⊖ -1d for each Major Disadvantage.
err on the side of “avoid the effects entirely” to preserve PC autonomy.
Harm is a special case where there are a number of powers and abilities Critical: Exceptional result / Great, extreme effect.
that reduce harm levels, thus treating it differently may diminish the value 6: Good result / Standard, full effect.
of those powers and abilities. 4/5: Mixed result / Limited, partial effect.
1-3: Bad result / Poor, little effect.

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 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Gathering Information
When a player wants to know something specific about the fictional
world, gather information. The GM will ask how your character gathers
the info (or how they learned it in the past).
Each attempt takes time. If the situation allows, you can try again if you
don’t initially get all the info that you want. Other times, the opportunity
is fleeting, and you’ll only get one chance.
You may need to maneuver into position before you can gather
information, such as Prowling to a good hiding place first, then Studying
the cultists when they perform their dark ritual.
Some questions are too complex to answer immediately with a single
gather information roll. For instance, you might want to discover the
network of contraband smuggling routes in the city. In these cases, the
GM will tell you to start a long-term project that you work on during
downtime.
Track the investigation project using a progress clock. Once the clock is
filled, you have the evidence you need to ask several questions about the
subject of your investigation as if you had Great effect.
GATHER INFORMATION
Ask a question and make an Action roll or a Fortune roll. The GM
answers you honestly, with a level of detail depending on the effect level.
Great: Exceptional details. The info is complete and follow-up questions
may expand into related areas or reveal more than you hoped for.
Standard: You get good details. Clarifying/follow-up questions possible.
Limited: You get incomplete or partial information. More information
gathering will be needed to get all the answers.
Faction Tier
Each notable Faction is ranked by Tier—a measure of wealth, influence,
and scale. The highest level is Tier 5, the true powers of the city.
Coven Tier
Your Coven is effectively a Faction and begins at Tier 0. You’ll use your
Coven’s Tier rating to roll dice when you acquire an asset, use Wyld
Magic or for any Fortune roll for which your Coven's overall power level
is the primary trait. Your Tier determines the quality level of your
Personal and Coven Assets as well as the quality and scale of those your
Coven employs (usually Experts).
Faction Status
Your Coven's status with each Faction indicates how well you are liked
or hated. Status is rated from -3 to +3, with zero being the default. Track
Faction status on the Coven sheet. When you create your Coven, you
assign positive and negative status ratings to reflect recent history.
Ratings will then change over time based on your actions in play.
Personal Contact Status
Your status with each personal contact indicates how well you are liked
or hated. Status is rated from -3 to +3, with zero being the default
starting status. Track status of NPCs you meet on your Grimoire sheet.
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Detailed Actions
When you Brawl, you engage a target in close combat or use brute force.
You might scuffle or wrestle, hack and slash, seize or hold a position in
battle. You could try to fight in a duel (but Finessing might be better).
When you Command, you compel swift obedience. You might
intimidate or threaten, lead a group action. You could order people
around to persuade them (but Consorting might be better).
When you Consort, you socialize with friends and contacts. You might
gain access to resources, information, people, or places, make a good
impression, win someone over, or make new friends. You could
manipulate your friends with social pressure (but Sway might be better).
When you Craft, you fiddle with mechanical devices and study magical
formulae. You might create a new mundane asset, alter an existing item
or create a Charm to empower you to try karaoke. You could try to use
technical expertise to pick a lock (but Finessing might be better).
When you Finesse, you employ dexterous manipulation or subtle
misdirection. You might pick someone’s pocket, pick a lock or disable
an alarm or trap. You might handle the controls of a vehicle or direct a
mount. You might formally duel an opponent with grace. You could try
to employ those arts in a chaotic melee (but Brawling might be better).
When you Focus, You concentrate, meditate, command essential forces
and perform spellwork. You might attempt to use a Grimoire or General
Power or activate an Artifact. You could try to align your resonance with
a spirit to make it feel more comfortable (but Consort might be better).
When you Prowl, you traverse skillfully and quietly. You might sneak
past a guard or hide in shadows. You might run and leap across the
rooftops. You might attack someone from hiding. You could try to
waylay a victim in the midst of battle (but Brawling might be better).
When you Spring, you unleash a trap. You might leap into the fray of
battle from the sidelines, or use an unexpected magical ability to catch an
opponent unaware. You might activate an unseen magical sigil. You
could try to leap onto a moving vehicle (but Targeting might be better).
When you Study, you scrutinize details and interpret evidence. You
might gather information from documents, newspapers, and books. You
might do research on an esoteric topic. You might closely analyze a
person to detect lies or true feelings. You could try to examine events to
understand a pressing situation (but Surveying might be better).
When you Survey, you observe the situation, anticipate outcomes. You
might spot signs of trouble before it happens, uncover opportunities,
weaknesses. You might detect motivations or intentions. You could try
to spot a good ambush point (but Targeting might be better).
When you Sway, you influence with guile or charm or lie convincingly.
You might persuade someone to do what you want, argue a compelling
case that leaves no clear rebuttal. You could trick people into affection
or obedience (but Consorting or Commanding might be better).
When you Target, you carefully track your quarry. You may follow a
target or discover their location. You might arrange an ambush or attack
with precision or cast a spell from a distance. You could try to bring a
gun to bear on a target in a melee (but Brawling might be better).
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
PC Advancement
Players keep track of the experience points (xp) that their character earns.
During a session, mark 1 xp in the appropriate Attribute when the result
of an Action roll is a 1 and the position is Risky or Desperate. In a group
action, each character that rolled 1 marks xp.
At the end of the session, review the xp triggers on your Grimoire sheet.
For each one, mark 1 xp if it happened at all. If it happened multiple
times or in a major way during the session, mark 2 xp.
You may mark end-of-session xp on any xp tracks you want (any
Attribute or your Grimoire).
When you fill an xp track, clear all the marks and take an advance. When
you take an advance from your Grimoire track, you may choose an
additional Grimoire Power or General Power. When you take an advance
from an Attribute, you may add an action dot to one of the actions under
that attribute (max 3). You can also earn xp training during downtime.
When you train, mark xp in the attribute or in your Grimoire. A given
xp track can be trained only once per downtime phase.
Coven Advancement
At the end of the session, review the xp triggers on your Coven sheet. For
each one, mark 1 xp if it happened at all. If it happened multiple times
or in a major way during the session, mark 2 xp. All end-of-session xp in
the Coven xp section.
When you fill up your Coven xp track, clear all the marks and take an
advance. When you take a Coven advance you may choose and add a new
Coven Upgrade or Greater Ritual.
ENGAGEMENT ROLL
⊗ 1d for sheer luck.
⊕ +1d for each Major Advantage.
⊖ -1d for each Major Disadvantage.
Critical: Exceptional result. You’ve already overcome the first obstacle
and you’re in a Controlled position for what’s next.
6: Good result. You’re in a Controlled position when the action starts.
4/5: Mixed result. You’re in a Risky position when the action starts.
1-3: Bad result. You’re in a Desperate position when the action starts.
If the players want to include a special preparation or clever setup, they
should do so with flashbacks during the Undertaking. This takes some
getting used to. Players may balk at first, worried that you’re skipping
over important things that they want to do. But jumping straight into the
action of the Undertaking is much more effective once you get used to
it. When they see the situation they’re in, their “planning” in flashbacks
will be focused and useful, rather than merely speculations on
circumstances and events that might not even happen.
Outcomes
The outcome of the Engagement roll determines the position for the
PCs’ initial actions when we cut to the Undertaking in progress. A 1-3
means a Desperate position. A 4/5 is a Risky position. A 6 yields a
Controlled position. And a Critical carries the action beyond the initial
obstacle, deeper into the action of the Undertaking.
9
No matter how low-Tier or outmatched you are, a Desperate position is
the worst thing that can result from the Method + Detail + Engagement
process. It’s designed this way so planning matters, but it doesn’t call for
lots of optimization or nitpicking. Even if you’re reckless and just dive
in and take your chances, you can’t get too badly burned. When you
describe the situation after the roll, use the details of the target to paint
a picture of the PCs’ position. Then, let’s get to it.
How long does the Engagement last?
The Engagement roll determines the starting position for the PCs’
actions. How long does that hold? Does the situation stay Desperate?
No. Once the initial actions have been resolved, follow the normal
process for establishing position for the rest of the Undertaking.
Giving up on an Undertaking
When you give up on an Undertaking you go directly into downtime.
Follow the phases for downtime presented in the next chapter. You’ll
still face Fate, Reputation and Entanglements as usual.
Downtime
After the Coven finishes an Undertaking (succeed or fail), they take time
to recover, regroup, and prepare for the next operation. This phase of the
game is called downtime. NPCs and Factions also do things when the
PCs have downtime. When the PCs conduct the Drawing Down the
Moon Lesser Ritual the GM advances Faction project clocks and
chooses a downtime maneuver for each Faction that they’re interested in
at the moment.
Flashbacks
The rules don’t distinguish between actions performed in the present
moment and those performed in the past (as well as those performed by
your character vs your familiar). When an undertaking is underway, you
can invoke a flashback to roll for an action in the past that impacts your
current situation. Maybe you convinced the district Watch sergeant to
cancel the patrol tonight, so you make a Sway roll to see how that went.
The GM sets a Willpower cost when you activate a flashback action.
0 Willpower: An ordinary action for which you had easy opportunity.
1 Willpower: A complex action or unlikely opportunity.
2 (or more) Willpower: An elaborate action that involved special
opportunities or contingencies.
After the Willpower cost is paid, a flashback action is handled just like
any other action. Sometimes it will entail an Action roll, because there’s
some danger or trouble involved. Sometimes a flashback will entail a
Fortune roll, because we just need to find out how well (or how much,
or how long, etc.) it goes. Sometimes a flashback won’t call for a roll at
all; you can just pay the Willpower and it’s accomplished.
If a flashback simply involves a downtime action, the player should
remove it from their next downtime.
A Familiar can also make use of flashbacks, see page 12 for details.
A flashback isn’t time travel. It can’t “undo” something that just occurred
in the present moment.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Teamwork
When the team of PCs works together, the characters have access to four
special teamwork maneuvers. They’re listed at the bottom of the
character Grimoire sheets to help remind the players of them. Spend 1
Willpower to do one of the following four maneuvers:
Assist another PC with an action or spellwork.
Lead a Group Action (might require additional Willpower).
Protect a covenmate from a consequence.
Set up a covenmate’s action which they may follow through with a bonus.
Assist
When you assist another player who is rolling, describe what your
character does to help. Spend 1 Willpower and give them +1d to their
roll. You might suffer any consequences that occur because of the roll,
depending on the circumstances. Only one character may assist a given
roll. If you really want to help and someone else is already assisting,
consider performing a set up maneuver instead. This does not apply to
powers and abilities, though group actions are possible, see below.
A character may assist another character in a group action, but only if
they aren’t taking part in it directly. You decide which character in the
group action gets the bonus die.
Lead a Group Action
When you lead a group action, you coordinate multiple members of the
team to tackle a problem together. Describe how your character leads the
team in a coordinated effort. Do you bark orders, give subtle hand signals
or provide charismatic inspiration?
Each PC involved makes an Action roll (all using the same action) and
the team counts the single best result as the overall effort for everyone
who rolled. However, the character leading the group action spends 1
Willpower for each PC that rolled 1-3 as their best result.
This is how you do the “we all sneak into the building” scene. Everyone
who wants to sneak in would roll an Action (such as Prowl), and the best
result counts for the whole team. The leader suffers Willpower loss for
everyone who does poorly; it’s tough covering for the stragglers.
The group action result covers everyone who rolled. If you don’t roll,
your character doesn’t get the effects of the action.
PCs can use Grimoire and General Powers as a group action if they all
know the same power and each member pays all costs individually. Use
the highest result for the effect. When three or more casters work
together on a Grimoire or General power, it receives +1 effect level in
addition to any other bonuses.
Your character doesn’t need to be especially skilled at the action at hand
in order to lead a group action. This maneuver is mostly about leadership,
less about ability.
Protect
You step in to face a consequence that one of your teammates would
otherwise face. You suffer it instead of them. You may roll to resist it as
normal. Describe how you intervene.
10
Set Up
When you perform a set up action, you have an indirect effect on an
obstacle. If your action has its intended result, any member of the team
who follows through on your maneuver gets increased effect or improved
position for their roll. You choose the benefit, based on the nature of
your setup action.
Since a setup action can increase the effect of follow-up actions, it’s also
useful when the team is facing tough opposition that has advantages in
quality, scale, and/or potency. Even if the PCs are reduced to zero effect
due to disadvantages in a situation, the setup action provides a bonus
that allows for Limited effect.
Tier 1 Factions:
The Ever-Vigilant Eye: Sape snoops, zealously watching witches.
Shadowdawn: A loose organization of Fae whose madness is legendary.
Crescent Systems: Entrepreneurial witches claim tech can be harnessed.
Rara Avis: Island welcoming to those whose heritage make life in
Manhattan difficult.
Tier 2 Factions:
Cyberautics: Tech firm owns a self-driving cab business called ROVR.
Ascendium: Astral obsessed witches trying to leave the physical world.
Destiny Research Group: Pharma org studies witches to cure diseases.
The Scarlet Incarnation: Assassination funded blood magic practitioners.
Forsaken Saints: Warrior monks, nuns with innocent public appearance.
Gaian Guardians: Witches focused on radical ecological protection.
Tier 3 Factions:
The Redwatch: Well-armed overseers with a sixth sense for Wyld Magic.
Hollowmight: Organized, militant fae who fight to reclaim throne.
The Exiled: Peaceful unbound witches on a flotilla off the coast.
House of the Ram: Cynical bound witches who worship no one.
Corpus Templi Solaris: Cult with vast magical knowledge, no ability.
Vulture Votary: Witches focused on cleaning up society, eat the rotten.
Tier 4 Factions:
Grail Hunting Club: A front org protecting mythical creature poachers.
The Floating Market: Massive fae ferry appears under the moonlight.
Vile Legion: Pirates causing disruptions along Upper Bay and East River.
Altar of Cewrus: Bound witches with strange dogmatic rituals.
Golden Oath: Mishmash of religions wrapped in finery of Catholicism.
Sisters of the Serpent: Witches help others break deceitfully taken oaths.
Obsidian Council: Mundane government, justice & discipline system.
The Ailumana: The High Fae, fae rulers, gatekeepers to Arcadia.
Tier 5 Factions:
shopHub: Influential commerce organization; employs many mundanes.
Keepers of the Old Ways: Witches that claim descent from the druids.
Legion of the Griffin: Griffin-riding military forces dominate the skies.
The Order: Private army, registers young witches, punishes the unruly.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart

New Rules, Terms and Concepts Material Link - An item with a powerful empathetic link to a place or
individual; can be used to target that with a General Power, Grimoire
Artifact - A magical item crafted by a witch using a Mythical
Power or Ritual even when you can’t locate or aren’t near it.
Component. Artifacts can alter the fabric of reality somewhat; some can
even be used by mundanes. An Artifact is not a Material Link. Mythical Component - A magical component, usually taken from a
Mythical Creature, which can withstand significant magical power being
Bartering with Fae Fruit - Fae Fruit has immense value to mundanes and
channeled through it. Required for some Powers and crafting an Artifact.
is decently valuable to witches, but useless to fae except as currency.
A Mythical Component determines the max quality of an Artifact.
Charm - A temporary magical item crafted by a witch such as a spell jar,
Torpor - A state of existence much like a coma from which a witch
hex bag, poppet, potion, concoction, poultice, brew, magic circle,
cannot be roused. This can be caused by powerful magical maladies, self-
doorway mark or nearly any other type of physical spellwork made with
inflicted or caused by the death of a Familiar. A character in Torpor
natural components and intention. Charms count as a Material Link to
cannot take Actions or make Resistance rolls on their own behalf. In the
their creator.
case of the death of a Familiar; if this occurs during an Undertaking
Conditional - An effect placed on a sigil which will be activated if the remove them from play as if they spent all of their Willpower (this may
conditions specified by the caster are met. A good rule for determining include Trauma, player’s choice). If this happens during downtime or
if a condition is viable is if the caster (or the assisting Arcanist) would free-play they lose any additional Downtime Actions and are not able to
be able to passively sense the change if it were to happen nearby. After engage in any rituals during the remainder of Downtime. Afterward they
activation, the magic ends. Using the Drawing Down the Moon Lesser recover fully (Harm, Willpower and Essence) and normal play continues.
Ritual does not automatically dispel a sigil.
Wheel of the Year - Phases are Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha,
Concentration - These powers and abilities require a moment of Lammas, Mabon and Samhain.
concentration and are generally safe and consequence free. However,
doing them quickly or in a rough situation drastically increases the
potential consequences. Make a Focus roll to Concentrate anytime your
position is not Controlled.
Covenstead - The location that a Coven meets after each Undertaking as
well as for rituals, sabbats and esbats. If destroyed, desecrated, or
occupied by enemies the Coven can regroup at a new location, but during
this time their Coven Tier counts as 1 lower (minimum 0).
Domain - This refers specifically to the home and Covenstead of a Baba
where some of their Grimoire Powers and Grimoire Senses extend.
Essence - Magical power reserves witches draw from. If an ability requires
Essence which the caster cannot pay, they take consequences (which can
be resisted) based on how many Essence they were unable to spend. 1:
lesser, 2: moderate, 3+: greater.
Fae Fruit - Witches consume fae fruits to take additional downtime
actions. A witch can carry up to 6 Fae Fruit before they are rendered
completely unconscious by the prolonged contact.
Hoard - Witches can transfer Fae Fruits freely to and from their hoard
in downtime (stored wherever they call home).
Karma - An abstract measure of the amount of good you have done in
your community.
Resonance - Residual emotional, psychic or magical energy left on an
item or location. Strong resonance is like a magical fingerprint left behind
from Wyld Magic. Innate and passive abilities do not generally leave
resonance. Learning a witch’s resonance alone will not allow you to
identify or track them, but if you see their resonance again in the future
it will be obvious who cast the spell. Resonance fades relatively quickly
and disappears entirely when Drawing Down the Moon is cast.
Magical Component - An item with a particular resonance and specific
uses in magic (yes, this includes nearly everything in existence). Magical
Components are required for Charms.

11
 Children of Midnight Quickstart

Heritage Familiars

Squatch, Asterian, Hydra, Gorgon, Nereid, Medean, Satyr, Gob and Mandrake.
Many witches, and even some rare mundane humans, exhibit signs of
immortal blood. We call this their Heritage. Heritage is often
accompanied by noticeable physical traits (of the player’s choice). They
should be used in the fiction. Heritage traits may give potency to some
actions at GMs discretion. Listed order from most to least common.
Medeans are by far the most common heritage and assumed by most to
be mundane. Mundane-passing witches have no inherent difficulty
learning and using magical abilities. They may gain potence on actions
when blending in with mundanes is helpful.
Nereids are believed to be descendants of merfolk. Common traits
include blue or green skin, gills, and webbed feet and hands. Rare traits
include fins, a fish-like mouth, and other fish-like traits.
Satyrs are believed to be the descendants of a powerful nature spirit.
Common traits include hooves, a furry chest and horns. Rare traits
A familiar is half-spirit and half-animal, usually a healthy adult of a
include horse, faun or goat-like legs.
particular animal species. You created or summoned one (possibly before
Asterians are believed to be the descendants of the minotaur Asterius. you knew you were a witch) which shares its conscious mind and senses
Common Asterian traits include powerful, broad shoulders, thick fur-- with you. It is generally assumed that your familiar is near you (hiding
especially around the neck and prominent horns. Rare traits include tusks on your person or just off-screen) unless you specify its current activities.
and a bull like snout.
A familiar’s traits and capabilities may give potency to some actions at
Gobs (also called Hobs or Hags) are believed to be the descendants of the GMs discretion. When a familiar takes an action, any necessary rolls
unknown fae progenitors. Common Gob traits include brightly colored are made using the PCs action ratings. Any costs required of a familiar
skin, speckled, splotchy or bumpy skin, claws and long ears. Rare traits (Willpower, Essence, Harm, etc.) are paid by the PC. Familiars cannot
include tusks and even vestigial wings. cast spells, but can have spells placed upon them using the Sigil-Craft
Gorgons are believed to be the descendants of the great gorgon, Medusa. Arcanist Grimoire Power.
Common Gorgon traits include brown- bronze skin, a snake like tongue, When a witch has no familiar, they may begin a long-term project to
snake like eyes, razor sharp claws and tiny snakes as hair. Rare traits create or summon a new one. The new familiar need not be of the same
include heat pits and fused legs in the shape of a tail. species as the previous.
Squatch are believed to be the descendants of a giant bipedal primate. If a familiar is subjected to harm the witch may choose to resist the
Common Squatch traits include a thick fur coat of one of various color, damage as if it were caused directly to them, no matter how physically
an oversized mouth and exceptional strength. Rare traits include antlers distant. If the familiar’s body is destroyed the witch falls into Torpor
and bony ridges on the head and chest. (missing the remainder of current downtime or the undertaking).
Hydras are believed to be the descendants of one or more dragon or bird- Familiar Flashbacks
like progenitors. Common traits include claws or talons, a tail, and scaly
or feathered body. Rare traits include beaks or snouts and patagia. Just like normal flashbacks, the GM sets a Willpower cost when you
Hydras are often larger than sapes and Medeans while weighing less. activate a flashback action.

Mandrakes are the least common and most varied heritage. They are
believed to be descendants of plant or fungi-like progenitors. Common
traits include flowering or fruiting branches, mushroom caps and bodies
covered in moss or leaves.
Familiar Species (this list is not exhaustive)
Badger, Bat, Bear, Bee, Beetle, Boar, Butterfly, Cat, Chameleon, Chicken,
Cow, Crow, Deer, Dog, Dragonfly, Duck, Eagle, Falcon, Fly, Fox, Frog,
Goat, Goose, Gorilla, Groundhog, Hare, Hedgehog, Hummingbird,
Lemur, Mouse, Octopus, Opossum, Otter, Owl, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Raven,
Seabird, Sheep, Skunk, Snake, Spider, Toad, Wasp, Wolf.

12
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Fae Bargains
Wyld Witches are sometimes reckless and do not always act in their own
best interests. To reflect this, any player or the GM can offer a bonus die
to an action if you accept a Fae Bargain. The position of the action
should be the primary factor for determining the severity of the bargain.
Each player may choose how fae bargains manifest for them, or if they
happen without their knowledge.
A Fae Bargain generally includes one of the following (the player and
GM must agree):
● Collateral damage, unintended harm
● Lose an item
● Sacrifice an item
● Appear to betray a friend or loved one
● Offend or anger a Faction
● Start and/or tick a troublesome clock
● Add Fate from evidence or witnesses
● Suffer harm
● …or any other agreed upon devious or mischievous complication
The Fae Bargain occurs regardless of the outcome of the Action roll. You
make the deal, pay the price, and get the bonus die.
When you accept a Fae Bargain, tick a segment on the Fae Bargain clock
on your Grimoire.
The Fae Bargain is always a free choice. If you don’t like one, just reject
it (or suggest how to alter it so you might consider taking it). You can
always just Push Yourself for that bonus die instead.
The GM has final say over which Fae Bargains are valid.
Fae Bargains Clock
When the Fae Bargain clock fills add 1 to the Fae Contracts on the left
side of the tracker. Whenever your Fae Contracts level rises clear your
Fae Bargains clock, if there are additional Fae Bargain ticks required to
mark, remember that the clock “rolls over” (see example below).
Fae Contracts
As the number of Fae Contracts grows, more (and more powerful) Fae
seek out the PC to repay the debt they have incurred.
Daniel’s character Silas performed a feat of Wyld Magic and gains 3 ticks on his Fae
Bargain clock. His Grimoire sheet already has 9 of 10 Fae Bargain boxes marked and 2 Fae
Contracts:
FAE BARGAINS
2 < Fae Contracts X X X X X X X X X
To mark 3 boxes Daniel marks the final box under Fae Bargains, adds 1 to his Fae
Contracts, clears all Fae Bargain boxes and then marks the first 2 boxes again. The final
tracker looks like this:
FAE BARGAINS
3 < Fae Contracts X X
13
Wyld Magic
Wyld Witches can use powers beyond those listed in their Grimoire in
times of great need. Drawing both on raw inner power and the ambient
magical energy of the world around them, they can pull off feats of magic
that cause mundanes to quake in fear or drop to their knees in praise.
Create a Wyld Magic Effect (or multiple effects that logically flow
together) based on your character’s Grimoire, Aspect and Disposition
with the assistance other players and GM.
The position of Wyld Magic is always Desperate, but the magic energies
channeled tend to halt most (mundanes and witches alike) in their tracks;
the consequences are grand and occult in nature. Spend 3 Essence (or all
remaining Essence, if you do not have enough), +3 Coven Fate, +3 Fae
Bargain and start a 6-clock for the imminent intervention of The
Redwatch, then make a Coven Tier Fortune roll.
This Fortune roll cannot benefit from abilities that allow you to reroll
dice such as Augury and cannot make use of Pushing Yourself, Fae
Bargain, Group Action or Assist.
WYLD MAGIC ROLL
⊗ 1d for each Coven Tier rating.
Critical: You do it with increased effect (player’s choice).
6: You do it.
4/5: You do it, but a Wyld Magic Complication occurs.
1-3: You lose the opportunity, and a Wyld Magic Complication occurs.
Wyld Magic consequences cannot be mitigated by abilities or powers
unless they specify otherwise.
If the Complication would not meaningfully affect the Wyld Magic or
the caster you may ignore it.
Consequences of Wyld Magic
Regardless of the results of the Fortune roll, casting Wyld Magic creates
a scar in the magical field of the local area while attracting the attention
of powerful entities. Draw one minor arcana card:
Value Complication (effect lasts until the end of the Undertaking unless otherwise noted)
Ace Caster regains all lost Essence from their brief connection to the Wyld
Two A nearby spirit merges with the caster imparting a Trauma until the spirit is Banished
Three Ringing in the caster’s ears makes Concentration impossible for the rest of the Undertaking
Four Modify the Scale or Area (1d Fortune roll, 1-3: -3 to -1, 4-6: +1 to +3; min 0, max 6)
Five Modify the Duration (1d Fortune roll, 1-3: -3 to -1, 4-6: +1 to +3; min 0, max 6)
Six Modify the Range (1d Fortune roll, 1-3: -3 to -1, 4-6: +1 to +3; min 0, max 6)
Seven Caster’s (1/2: Arms, 3/4: Legs, 5: Torso, 6: Head) shapeshifts to a random animal
Eight A randomly chosen angry mythical creature appears nearby and is focused on the caster
Nine A randomly chosen angry mythical creature appears nearby and is focused on spell’s target
Ten Caster loses all Essence; gains increased effect on all non-mental & non-magical Action rolls
Page Caster becomes Disconnected until the end of the Undertaking or Downtime
Knight Caster is trapped between worlds (at least one Undertaking, returning with new Trauma)
Queen If the effect is elemental in nature, substitute another element at random
King If the Wyld Magic has a target, a new target is chosen by a seemingly malevolent force
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Character Creation
Choose a Grimoire (print a Grimoire Sheet), this determines the magical
abilities you’ll learn most easily and contains your xp triggers.
○ Animist: Witches who focus on life magic and nature spirits.
○ Arcanist: Witches who focus on the science of magic.
○ Baba: Witches whose focus includes the home and the Underworld.
○ Empath: Witches who focus on emotion reading and manipulation.
○ Eclectic: Witches without a focus, can do nearly anything other witches can.
○ Green: Witches who focus on flora and making the best use of them.
○ Psyche: Witches who focus on mind reading and manipulation.
○ Shifter: Witches who focus on shapeshifting and their familiar.
○ Storm: Witches with great power over the elemental forces.
Choose and record a Heritage (list ordered from most to least common):
○ Medean: Little enough blood from any mythical creatures to show outwardly.
○ Nereid: Underwater dwellers; often androgynous, blue tinted skin, with gills.
○ Satyr: Shorter than average with hooves, furry legs, horns or antlers.
○ Asterian: Minotaur-like horns and tufts of fur, especially around the neck.
○ Gob: Twisted fae blood; splotchy or bumpy colored skin, claws and long ears.
○ Gorgon: Medusa-like dark skin, unmatched beauty, thick hair and a withering gaze.
○ Squatch: Sasquatch-like; very tall and often extremely furry.
○ Hydra: Reptilian or bird-like; quite varied in appearance.
○ Mandrake: Flora or fungi traits, the most varied heritage.
Choose and record your Aspect & Disposition from page 26; they are xp
triggers & character traits.
Record your starting Action ratings based on your chosen Grimoire:
○ Animist: Consort, Focus, Study, Survey
○ Arcanist: Craft (x2), Focus, Study
○ Baba: Command, Craft, Focus, Survey
○ Empath: Consort, Focus, Survey, Sway
○ Eclectic: Craft, Focus, Survey, Target
○ Green: Consort, Finesse, Focus, Survey
○ Psyche: Command (x2), Focus, Study
○ Shifter: Focus, Prowl, Spring, Target
○ Storm: Focus, Spring, Target (x2)
Assign two more action ratings; six total Action dots should be marked.
Choose and mark one of the six Grimoire Powers.
Choose an animal as your familiar, give it a name and write down its
capabilities.
Choose two additional areas of focus (you may select the same item
twice): mark one additional Grimoire Power, mark one additional
General Power, or add one Action Dot (max rating 2).
Mark your Attributes by counting the number of Actions with a dot in
the first column below it.
Create one NPC who is a close friend, long-time ally, family relation,
lover, etc. and create one NPC who is a rival, enemy, betrayed partner,
etc. Give each a name, a profession and a relationship.
Choose and record a Name and/or alias for your character. Record a few
evocative words that describe your character’s aesthetic.
Choose Personal Assets: 2 adequate quality personal assets, 2 fae fruits,
1 fine quality personal asset or 2 Grimoire xp. Asset list is on page 22.
Your Grimoire Sheet is complete. For a one-shot, skip Coven Creation
and begin play, the PCs are simply working together. Otherwise…
14
Coven Creation
To make your own custom coven print a blank Coven Sheet and skip to
Lore, then follow all prompts (or edit one of the four listed below).
Otherwise, only the items in italics should be completed, the other
prompts simply explain the pre-filled choices on the Coven Sheet.
Choose a Coven (print a Coven Sheet) from the four Covens provided.
○ Nightsky Sanctum: Relic hunters liberating stolen artifacts and exploring oddities.
○ Righteous Eclipse: Honor-bound emancipators of wyld witches and coerced cultists.
○ Argent Storm: Revolutionaries intent on tearing down The Order by any means.
○ Brilliant Circle: Wyld witches working covertly for The Order to ensure peace.
The coven you chose has some previous experience. Their initial Lore
shows what reputation they have gained. You’ll earn coven xp when you
bolster your coven's Lore.
Describe your covenstead, likely an abandoned place since it begins at
Tier 0. Decide where it is located; write this on your Coven Sheet.
When you prepare to execute an Undertaking of any of your Favored
Types, gain +1d to Gather Information rolls to assist with the
Undertaking. This can help you discover opportunities, find a client, or
better choose the method and detail.
Your covenmates have learned three Lesser Rituals which the entire
Coven can use. They are already recorded on your Coven Sheet. You can
learn more Lesser Rituals in the future with a long-term project.
Your coven begins with one Greater Ritual and one Coven Upgrade
which are also already recorded. You can get more Greater Rituals and
Coven Upgrades in the future by earning coven xp.
Your coven has one Coven Asset (a set of adequate quality tools) that all
covenmates can use freely during undertakings.
You have a Coven Contact who is a close friend, long-time ally, or a
partner in crime which is recorded.
Four Factions have been impacted by the decisions your coven made
during its formation and since it was formed:
● Two Factions like your coven, you get +1 status with them.
● One Faction is unfriendly to your coven, you get -1 status with them.
● One final Faction was screwed over, they loathe you, you get -2 status with them.
Decide how these Factions are aware of your Coven. Have you worked
for them in the past, did it go well or poorly? Did the founding of your
covenstead impact them, or one of your Coven Upgrades?
Write down at least one short-term goal and one long-term goal.
Consider your coven’s aesthetic and ceremonial magic casting style.
Note your coven’s Patron, a powerful spirit that shares your goals (and
likely has some of its own) and may act as a mentor. They grant the coven
a Patron Gift in exchange for loyalty and participating in a Patron Ban.
The Patron Gift adds dice to specific Action rolls and/or negates certain
expenditures (Essence, Willpower, etc.). This can be used once per
undertaking for each covenmate involved in the undertaking (and in
good standing). This resets when Drawing Down the Moon is cast.
If the Patron Ban is not followed by a particular covenmate, they cannot
use the Patron Gift for the next three undertakings, during which time
they must atone appropriately (player’s choice, coven should agree).
Your Coven Sheet is complete, you are ready to begin play.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart

General Powers Animist Grimoire

Empowering a General Power costs 2 Essence; each can raise the range,
duration, scale or area from the Magnitude tables on page 23 by one
level. Individual powers may specify other costs and limitations.
Augury - 3 Boxes - Mark 1 Box: Reroll one die from any Action or
Resistance roll you initiated. Concentrate + 1E: Clear all boxes. Unmark
all boxes when the Drawing Down the Moon Lesser Ritual is cast.
Chimeric Familiar - Your familiar need not be a simple animal, rather a
hybrid or mythical creature. You may begin with such a familiar.
Clairvoyance - 1E: Gather Information from a remote place using your
hearing and sight. You are limited only by ash and wards. You cannot
communicate or interact with your surroundings.
Cutaneous Talon - 1E: Grow dagger-like weapon on your body.
Evil Eye - 1E: Curse a mundane you can see or have a Material Link to;
treat their Tier as 1 lower for the remainder of the Undertaking. Multiple
castings do not stack, even from multiple witches.
Hypnotism - Concentrate + 1E: Make eye contact with a mundane or
fauna and give a verbal command which they will immediately follow
Grimoire Sense: When you Gather Information you may also ask, “What
(unless it will mean their certain death).
is the health of this mundane, fauna or witch?”
Mending - Craft: Fix simple parts of an object without any tools or Grimoire Ability: Rainbow Connection - Gain +1d on the Restore
materials if no parts are missing. For 1E: Generate simple materials to Essence Downtime action, if another coven member joins you in this
replace up to 25% of missing materials. action, they benefit as well.
Lesser Creation - Craft + 1E: Create materials (permanent but devoid of Grimoire Ability: Awaken the Spirit - Concentrate: Once per
resonance) for mundane asset crafting a personal asset. +2E: Enough for Undertaking awaken the spirit of an item granting a minor effect or fine
a coven asset. See page 21 for specifics. quality for the Downtime or Undertaking. The spirit may end the effect
early if it disapproves of the way the item is being used.
Lesser Illusion - Action + 1E: Create a single-sense illusion nearby.
Grimoire XP Trigger - Addressed a tough challenge with spirit assistance
Lesser Telekinesis - 1E: Weak telekinesis of nearby objects; use a Finesse or love for all things.
roll for manual dexterity.
Animist Grimoire Powers
Prescience - Once per Undertaking you can ignore all Willpower loss on
Banishing - Focus: Begin banishing or exorcising a manifest or possessing
one group action you lead -or- on one Resistance roll; afterward, explain
spirit; each action reduces its Quality (Tier, Magnitude, etc.) based on
the vision you had and how you prepared. the results of the roll. At zero such levels it is forced to its home plane.
Psychometry - 1E: Touch an item to Gather Information about Treat powerful spirits as up to 3 levels higher.
emotional events in its past. Breath of Life - Concentrate + 1E: Remove a poison -or- ease the ravages
of an individual's diseases. Focus + 5E: Resurrect an individual with a
Servant’s Sacrifice - Concentrate: Transfer the harm of another to
mostly intact (or re-formed) corpse. The target takes a Trauma based on
yourself with a prolonged touch. During the painful transfer, the caster the circumstances of their death or afterlife.
may spend 1E to reduce each level of harm as it is transferred. Harm can
Commune with Spirits - Focus + 1E: Communicate with a spirit to
only be moved into the caster’s unfilled harm slots of the correct level.
Gather Information.
Threefold Curse - 3E: After suffering harm by an opponent this causes Reveal the Inner Self - 1E: Shapeshift a mundane into a natural animal
a curse to befall them which will cause them three times the harm that representative of their attitude, manners, etc. (player's choice).
they caused you; a scratch might be repaid with a crippling blow. This Spirit Companion - Focus + 1E: Materialize nature spirit nearby. Harm
may be sudden, drawn out, coincidental or magical, but harm is certain. clock by Focus roll: 1-3: any consequence will dismiss, 4/5: 4, 6: 6, Crit:
Witches’ Flight - You own a large item enchanted for personal flight. 8. Fill clock from consequences; when filled it is dismissed. Action rolls
made at Coven Tier.
Grimoire Powers Twin Souls - Treat a Spirit Companion as a Familiar (inhabit it, use its
Not all witches have a Grimoire, but PC witches do, like a “calling”. senses, resist its harm).
Empowering a Grimoire Power costs 1 Essence; each can raise the range,
duration, scale or area from the Magnitude tables on page 23 by one
level. Individual powers may specify other costs and limitations.

15
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Arcanist Grimoire
Grimoire Sense: When you Gather Information you may also ask, “What
resonance does this item or place have?”
Grimoire Ability: Impart Essence - Concentrate: Transfer Essence
between one or more willing witches and Artifacts. No additional
Essence can be gained through this process.
Grimoire Ability: Recharge Enchantments - During the Drawing Down
the Moon Lesser Ritual refill ticks split between Charms you created
equal to the Essence an additional ritual participant would gain.
Grimoire XP Trigger - Addressed a tough challenge with an artifact you
crafted or calculation.
Arcanist Grimoire Powers
Arcane Mastery - Permanently fill one box on your Grimoire xp tracker.
You begin with one additional General Power.
Arcane Supremacy - 1 or 3E: 1E: Lock, unlock or hold open a non-
magical door, box or portal no matter what physical force impels it to
close. Focus + 3E: Dispel an enchantment already in effect -or-
counterspell a spell as it is being cast (fully resisting the spell’s effect).
Artificer - When you design or craft an Artifact, you get +Effect (1-3
becomes 4/5, etc.). You begin with one Artifact design (player’s choice).
Greater Telekinesis - Focus + 1E: Distantly manipulate items with both
strength and dexterity. May use Lesser Telekinesis General Power at will.
Sigil-Craft - 1E: Make a General or Grimoire Power conditional or assist
another witch doing the same ( cannot be used with Wyld Magic). The
sigil is invisible except to the rare mythical creature’s senses. Sigils can be
placed on the skin of a willing individual or unwarded inanimate objects.
Words of Power - Choose three Words of Power when you take this
ability. You can learn additional Words of Power as long term projects:
4 clock for 1E effects, 6 clock for 3E effects. Use an 8 clock (or more,
work with your GM) to create an entirely new effect. Speak a word of
power + 1E: Single target; Blind, Calm, Deafen, Pain, Silence, Sleep, 3E:
single target; Die -or- 3E: closet sized area; Destroy.
16
Baba Grimoire
Grimoire Sense: When you Gather Information you may also ask, “Is
there Underworld resonance nearby? What’s occurring in my domain?”
Grimoire Ability: Speak to the Dead - Concentrate: Touch a corpse to
Gather Information from it.
Grimoire Ability: Underworld Affinity - Gain +1d when using the
Restore Essence Downtime Action from an Underworld place of power.
Grimoire XP Trigger - Addressed a tough challenge with wisdom or
underworld knowledge.
Baba Grimoire Powers
Death’s Blessing - 1E: Alter yourself to take an aspect of death from
which you can quickly recover; use rigor mortis to deflect a blow or
desiccate your hands nearly to bone to slip free of bonds.
Fearsome Omens - 1E: Affect the minds of anyone who seeks to harm
you or your domain. If their Tier exceeds your Coven Tier the victims
perceive disturbing sights and smells around you or your domain (player
chooses the imagery), otherwise minions and bystanders flee and
important NPCs reconsider facing you.
Helm of Darkness - Concentrate: Become invisible by merging into the
underworld. The effect is exceptionally draining; every action taken in
the Helm of Darkness costs +1 Essence.
Invoke Tartarus - Focus + 1E: Summon an Underworld element;
balefire, frigid water, grave dirt or a wicked wind against an individual
(base Scale 0, increase with Essence, max 4). Focus: Reduce the cost of
the next Invoke Tartarus by 1E.
Siphon Life - Focus + 0-2E: Touch to channel the pain of a single harm
you are suffering; cause the target damage (and torturous pain) while
simultaneously healing your harm. 0E: Inflict level 1 harm, “Desiccated”,
1E: level 2 harm, “Enervated”, 2E: level 3 harm, “Ossified”.
Underworld Oracle - You are aware when you are being watched from
the Underworld; can hear and understand the whispers from the
Underworld; take +1d when you Speak to the Dead. If the GM forgets
gain 1 xp at the end of the session.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Eclectic Grimoire
Grimoire Sense: When you Gather Information you may also ask, “Is
this individual a witch, and if so, what Grimoire?”
Grimoire Ability: Adaptable Study - If your coven contains any Grimoire
Workshop that you can access you may treat it as an Eclectic Workshop.
Grimoire Ability: Shift Resonance - You count as another Grimoire
(instead of or in addition to Eclectic) for purposes of activating or using
an Artifact for the remainder of the current Downtime or Undertaking.
Grimoire XP Trigger - Addressed a tough challenge with adaptability or
flair.
Eclectic Grimoire Powers
Drink Deeply - You may choose to spend 1 Willpower to gain +2
Essence from any Downtime action or Ritual that you would regain
Essence from.
Fae Kinship - Gain +Effect to appease the fae on Perform Service (a 1-
3 becomes a 4/5, etc.)
Gremlinbane - 1E: For the remainder of the Downtime or Undertaking
electronics work normally for you: access data stored on computers and
digital devices or Gather Information on the internet.
Knowledge is Power - You may learn Grimoire Powers from a willing
witch of that Grimoire (or another Eclectic witch) though you may not
learn their Special Abilities or Special Senses. List these Powers in the
General Powers section of your Grimoire. You begin with one Grimoire
or General Power you learned from a member of your Coven.
Seeker's Sense - When you Survey to Gather Information, you can also
ask one of the following: Which is the most valuable? Which is the most
powerful? -or- Which is the most interesting?
Tinker - Disassemble a working Charm to gain +Effect on your next
Crafting roll (a 1-3 becomes a 4/5, etc.)
17
Empath Grimoire
Grimoire Sense: When you Gather Information you may also ask, “What
are the surface emotions of this fauna, mundane or witch?”
Grimoire Ability: Therapeutic Connection - Gain +1d on the Restore
Willpower Downtime action, if another coven member joins you in this
action they benefit as well.
Grimoire Ability: Emotion Control - You can lessen or heighten
emotions which already exist in a target’s mind.
Grimoire XP Trigger - Addressed a tough challenge with intuition or
emotional manipulation.
Empath Grimoire Powers
Deep Reading - Focus + 1E: Gather Information from an individual
with a passing touch, the information is primarily emotional in nature.
Empowering Therapy - Gain +1 Willpower for each coven member who
joins you in the Restore Willpower Downtime action (max +3).
Energy Vampirism - Once per Undertaking when you Sway or Consort
with a mundane or witch you may choose to gain 1 Willpower (if the
target is a witch you may choose to gain 1 Essence instead). Affected
mundanes are lethargic and unable to answer follow-up questions.
Group Therapy - Any willing coven members gain the benefits of
Personal Breakthrough and/or Empowering Therapy if you have or gain
those powers.
Personal Breakthrough - Each Trauma becomes a 6 clock, whenever you
would gain Willpower, you may instead use it to fill a Trauma clock.
When the Trauma clock fills for the first time you gain 3 Grimoire xp
and clear the clock, the second time the clock fills remove the Trauma.
Razor Tongue - Once per Undertaking or Downtime you may take a
Critical result on a Sway or Command action, but the NPC immediately
becomes a rival. Tell the group what you learned about them and are
holding over their head.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Green Grimoire
Grimoire Sense: When you Gather Information you may also ask, “Is
this flora or fungi healthy and what resonance does it have?”
Grimoire Ability: Plant Control - You can coax movement out of flora
(make a flower walk on its roots, cause vines to sway and grip, or even
force trees to uproot themselves). While the plants themselves move
slowly (less flexible plants even more so) it can be quite an effective tool.
Grimoire Ability: Commune with Plants - Concentrate: Telepathically
Gather Information about the lived experiences of flora nearby.
Grimoire XP Trigger - Addressed a tough challenge with compassion or
herbal knowledge.
Green Grimoire Powers
Arboreal Graft - 1E: You grow plants from your body to gain a plant-
like ability such as: vines to Brawl from short range, bark-like skin to
reduce physical harm -or- growing thorns to cause level 1 harm
“Punctured” to anyone foolish enough to touch or grapple with you.
Herbalist - When you craft a Charm with herbal components, you get
+Effect (1-3 becomes 4/5, etc.). You begin with one such Charm (with
an 8 clock).
Plant Growth - Focus + 1E: Grow a plant far beyond its natural ability
with extreme speed.
Seeds of Life - Focus + 1E: Entice all nearby flora to show off their
reproductive prowess. This makes flowers bloom, fungi spore, and pine
trees release copious amounts of yellow mist. Seeds and other
reproductive materials produced in this way are ready to be replanted
instantly.
Snakeroot Kiss - 0-3E: Exude a plant-based toxin of your choice from
anywhere on your body. 0E: allergic reactions. 1E: perception altering.
2E: paralytic. 3E: deadly.
Vine Running - 1E: Gain +1d to Prowl and Spring as plants grow to
assist you. They allow you to move silently, leave no trace and even move
at full speed vertically.
18
Psyche Grimoire
Grimoire Sense: When you Gather Information you may also ask, “What
type of mind am I reaching; mundane, witch, fae or something else?”
Grimoire Ability: Astral Affinity - Gain +1d when using the Restore
Essence Downtime Action from a place of power related to the Astral.
Grimoire Ability: Control Witches - Your Grimoire Sense and Grimoire
Powers may target witches and familiars. On a 1-3 (along with any other
consequences) the witch becomes aware of your attempt.
Grimoire XP Trigger - Addressed a tough challenge with manipulation
or astral knowledge.
Psyche Grimoire Powers
Astral Possession - 1E: Summon an Astral Entity with a purpose (choose
one) to ride a mundane in your stead (removing the Torpor condition)
allowing the spirit to continue to control the body if unconscious or
killed. The spirit’s Action rolls are Coven Tier -1, no Resistance rolls,
the spirit is ejected if the body is destroyed. +2E: Action rolls are Coven
Tier. +4E: Action rolls are Coven Tier +1 (max 5).
Master Planner - 1E: Use your telepathic and multi-tasking abilities to
reduce the Willpower cost of a group action you lead by 2 -and- count
multiple 6s from different rolls as a Critical for a group action you lead.
Mental Takeover - Study + 2E: Merge your mind with that of a
mundane and Gather Information from the deepest recesses of the
individual’s mind. Consequences of a poor execution of this power can
be devastating, more often for the victim than the caster.
Physical Takeover - This is required to learn Astral Possession. Focus +
2E: Take control of a mundane body using your Action and Resistance
rolls (you enter Torpor). Your ability to mimic the individual’s normal
actions is based only on your familiarity with them (unless you also use
Mental Takeover). You are ejected if the individual becomes
unconscious or is killed.
Psychic Impulse - This power is required to learn Mental Takeover or
Physical Takeover. Action + 1E: Take control of an aspect of a mundane
mind to do one of the following: control an action or movement -or-
control their thoughts (your will appears to be theirs).
Telepathic Relay - All coven members may share Willpower as if all their
Willpower was in the same0 pool. Additionally, the Telepathic Bond
Greater Ritual no longer has an Essence cost when you lead the casting.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Shifter Grimoire
Grimoire Sense: When you Gather Information you may also ask, “In
what way has this item, individual or place been obscured or altered?”
Grimoire Ability: Shapeshifting - Turn into an animal. Use the familiar
chart to get an idea of the capabilities of a species. Bear in mind that any
harm is fatal when shapeshifted into a fly while a knife wound has little
chance to fell you when shapeshifted into a grizzly.
Grimoire Ability: Familiar Shapeshifting - Change the shape of your
familiar into another animal.
Grimoire XP Trigger - Addressed a tough challenge with many forms or
familiar assistance.
Shifter Grimoire Powers
Animal Senses - 1E: Gain an animal sense or enhanced sense for the
remainder of the Undertaking.
Dire Form - 1E: Grow to do one of the following: perform an incredible
feat of physical force -or- grow to engage a small gang on equal footing
in close combat. This often redirects violent attention toward the Shifter
and away from their Covenmates.
Enigmatic Form - 1E: Shapeshift quickly enough to resist a consequence
from detection or security measures -or- shapeshift to perform a
supernatural feat of athletics or stealth.
Impersonation - Study + 1E: Mimic the appearance, voice and
mannerisms of any specific individual or creature. Your familiar may
even become a copy of yourself (without casting ability).
Lightning Weaponry - 1E: If your position is not Desperate you may
Shapeshift and attack instantly gaining the element of surprise; gain +1d
and +Effect.
Vital Form - Your shapeshifting has advanced so that your natural
recovery is significantly faster than other witches. At the beginning of
each Downtime instantly heal your lowest level of harm. Gain +Effect
on Recovery downtime action.
19
Storm Grimoire
Grimoire Sense: When you Gather Information you may also ask, “In
what way have the natural elements here been manipulated?”
Grimoire Ability: Element Creation - Creating a palm sized amount of a
natural element is trivial to you. This includes variations or combinations
of elements like sand, ice, fog, lava, smoke, stone, etc. Making a larger
than palm-sized amount requires Concentration.
Grimoire Ability: Element Control - You can coax movement out of
natural elements (make a stone roll on its own, smoke move slowly
against the wind, cause fire spread to an area with less fuel, etc.). While
the elements themselves move slowly it can be quite an effective tool.
Grimoire XP Trigger - Addressed a tough challenge with elemental
prowess or quick action.
Storm Grimoire Powers
Disruption - Focus: Match your energy’s resonance with that of an object
to destabilize it; each Action reduces Quality (based on Tier or
Magnitude) based on the results (1-3: 1, 4/5: 2, 6: 3, Crit: 5). At zero
such levels it shatters into pieces. Multiple casting stack. Treat Charms
as Tier 3 and Artifacts as Tier +3.
Elemental Aura - 1E: Draw a natural element to yourself to gain a special
elemental effect (Air, Earth, Fire or Water).
Elemental Balance - The elements in your body have reached perfect
balance. When you critical a Resistance roll regain 2 Essence.
Elemental Flight - 1E: Control the surrounding elements to lift-off and
fly with exquisite grace.
Elemental Projection - 1E: Make a ranged elemental attack.
Purification - Concentrate: You surround an item with a pure element
that you generate (whichever it can withstand) to purify it acting as a set
up action for object reading, enchanting, summoning, banishing etc. -or-
to remove the resonance from a Material Link rendering it inert.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
After the Undertaking
Cast Drawing Down the Moon (see page 23).
Calculate and Apply Fate
Anything you do might be witnessed, and there’s always evidence left
behind. To reflect this, your Coven acquires Fate (the attention of the
Fates) as they conduct Undertakings. After an Undertaking, your Coven
ticks Fate boxes according to the nature of the work. Mark Fate on the
Coven sheet; if the tracker fills add 1 Infamy, any excess Fate “rolls over”:
o 0 Fate: Smooth & quiet; low exposure.
o 1 Fate: Contained; standard exposure.
o 3 Fate: Loud & chaotic; high exposure.
o 5 Fate: Wild; devastating exposure.
o Add Fate equal to the target Faction’s Tier for a high-profile
or well-connected target.
Calculate and Apply Reputation
Forces who might align with you are watching, too. Your Coven acquires
Reputation as they conduct Undertakings. After an Undertaking, your
Coven ticks Reputation boxes according to the nature of the work. Mark
Reputation on the Coven sheet; if the tracker fills add 1 Influence and
new Lore, any excess Reputation “rolls over”:
o 0 Reputation: Wild; devastating exposure.
o 1 Reputation: Loud & chaotic; high exposure.
o 3 Reputation: Contained; standard exposure.
o 5 Reputation: Smooth & quiet; low exposure.
o Add Reputation equal to the Undertaking target’s Tier minus
your Coven’s Tier if you left a calling card.
Payout
Payout is an accounting of anything taken/gained during the
Undertaking as well as how the Coven is paid. Undertakings for higher
Tier factions or against higher Tier Factions generally result in greater
payout. The payout (in whole or in part) may be agreed upon in advance
and/or negotiated after the Undertaking is complete (or renegotiated if
the work was more difficult than expected or the Coven thinks they did
an exceptional job). When unsure about payout consult the Random
Undertaking Payout on page 28 and fill in the gaps with fae fruit.
Downtime
Each PC may take two Downtime actions. The same action may be taken
twice except in the case of Training (see description). If a Faction is at
war with the Coven the PCs may only take one Downtime action until
the situation is resolved. PCs may consume Fae Fruits to add Downtime
actions or take +1d to a Downtime Action roll. If a contact assists with
a Downtime activity, the player may describe how the contact assists
them, then take +1d to the Action roll.
Entanglements and Fae Entanglements
Roll each character’s Fae Contract (only when 1+) and the Coven’s
Infamy. On 1-3: No Event (foreshadow one), 4/5: Event begins in a
Controlled position, 6: Event begins in a Risky position, Critical: Event
begins in a Desperate position. Entanglements affect the entire Coven
while Fae Entanglements affect the individual covenmate.
20
Downtime Actions
Acquire an Asset - Gain temporary use of an asset:
Short term use of a special item (or enough for your Coven for +1 Tier),
an expert or a service (transport, legal representation, etc.). To
permanently acquire an asset permanently, start a long-term project.
Roll the Coven’s Tier with any modifiers. Result indicates the quality of
the asset you get.
● 1-3: Coven Tier -1, 4/5: Coven Tier, 6: Coven Tier +1, Critical:
Coven Tier +2.
Crafting - Craft a Charm or an Artifact (page 21).
Lead a Greater Ritual - Choose a Greater Ritual known by the coven, a
leader and what coven members will participate, pay any costs, then make
any rolls noted in the Greater Ritual’s description.
Perform Service - Choose one: Perform service to the local fae; generating
goodwill with the fae around your covenstead -or- perform selfless deeds
for your community; wind back the threads of doom the Fates are
weaving against you. Say what you are doing, then make an Action roll:
Reduce Fate or Fae Bargain, increase your Karma according to the result:
● 1-3: one and a complication, 4/5: two, 6: three, Critical: five.
If either Fate or Fae Bargain are reduced to 0 remove one Infamy or Fae
Contracts, remaining ticks "roll under" starting from 9. If Karma is
increased to 10 increase Karma Level by 1, remaining ticks “roll over”.
Recovery - Receive medical treatment or otherwise heal harm. PC healer
rolls Coven Tier, NPC healer rolls their quality -or- heal without magical
assistance or treatment (spend 1 Willpower, make 0d Fortune roll):
● 1-3: Clear one level 1 harm or move one level 2 harm down one level.
● 4/5: Clear all level 1 harm and move all level 2 harm down one level.
● 6: Clear all level 1 harm, move all higher level harm down one level.
● Critical: Clear all harm.
Only the recovering character takes the Recovery action.
Restore Essence - Describe the Essence source you are connecting to,
then roll Focus:
● Gain Essence by result: 1-3: one and a complication, 4/5: two, 6:
three, Critical: five
Restore Willpower - Describe your therapeutic situation, then roll the
lower of Resolve or Insight:
● Gain Willpower by result: 1-3: one and a complication, 4/5: two, 6:
three, Critical: five
Long-Term Project - This covers many activities; doing research,
investigating, establishing someone’s trust, courting a contact, changing
your casting style, designing an Artifact, etc. To work on a project, you
must have the means to pursue it—which can be a project in itself.
Discuss the goal with the GM to get clock size.
Describe what your character does to progress, then make an Action roll:
● Mark segments on the clock according to your result: 1-3: one, 4/5:
two, 6: three, Critical: five.
Training - When you spend time in training, mark 1 xp on the xp track
for an Attribute or Grimoire advancement. You can train multiple times,
but can only once per xp track each Downtime.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Other Downtime and Free-Play Actions
The Coven may cast each known Lesser Ritual at most once during each
downtime or during free-play. They may do so even when at war with
another Faction.
Individual PCs may Gather Information, use their Grimoire or General
Powers, Grimoire Abilities and their Grimoire Sense freely during
downtime and free-play.
At the End of Each Session
● As a Group, check Coven xp triggers and gain Coven xp.
○ Each time the Coven xp fills you gain a Coven Advance.
■ Spend a Coven Advance to purchase a new Greater Ritual
or Coven Upgrade.
● Each Player checks their Grimoire xp triggers and gains Grimoire
xp or Attribute xp.
○ Each time a Grimoire xp fills you gain a Grimoire Advance.
■ Spend a Grimoire Advance to purchase a new Grimoire
Power or General Power.
○ Each time an Attribute xp fills you gain an Attribute Advance.
■ Spend an Attribute Advance to add 1 dot to an
associated Action (max 3).
● Increase the related Attribute rating if you added the
first dot to an Action.
Crafting
During downtime, PCs can Craft to produce Mundane Assets, Charms
and even Artifacts. The system for each method is similar, with different
details depending on the nature of the project.
CRAFTING ROLL
⊗ 1d for each Craft action dot.
⊕ +1d if you spend an additional Downtime Action.
⊕ +1d for the appropriate Grimoire Workshop Coven Upgrade.
Increase the result by 1 effect level if you have an appropriate Grimoire
or General Power.
Results for Mundane Assets:
• 1-3: Quality level is Coven’s Tier -1.
• 4/5: Quality level is equal to Coven’s Tier.
• 6: Quality level is Coven’s Tier +1.
• Critical: Quality level is Coven’s Tier +2.
Results for Artifacts:
• 1-3: Failure: A complication occurs, +1d to next attempt.
• 4/5: Partial Success: succeed if drawback is added.
• 6: Complete Success: Artifact is created as designed.
• Critical: Critical Success: remove a drawback (if applicable)
Result for Charms:
• 1-3: Effective only once, then the magic fades.
• 4/5: Start a 4-Clock, fill as the magic is used.
• 6: Start a 6-Clock, fill as the magic is used.
• Critical: Start an 8-Clock, fill as the magic is used.
21
Crafting Mundane Assets
Witches only need general knowledge about an item to be created, some
Crafting ability and the Lesser Creation General Power. This does not
use a Downtime action.
Crafting a Charm
A Charm can be a spell jar, hex bag, poppet, potion, concoction, poultice,
brew, magic circle, doorway mark or nearly any other type of physical
spellwork. Start with an intended effect and primary component in mind,
add any number of other components with resonance matching your
intentions, then spend a Downtime action and make a Craft roll.
Using a Charm
The PC decides when to use a Charm’s effect, even if they are not present.
Create a trivial effect, reduce lesser consequence fills the clock by 1.
Create a lesser effect, negate moderate consequence fills the clock by 2.
Create a moderate effect, negate greater consequence fills the clock by 3.
When the magic is released from the Charm most of the components
become inert, some may be cleansed and used again.
● Aloe Salve (aloe, lavender and nettle in a solution with fragrances):
Soothes recent wounds and promotes mental and spiritual healing.
● Hag Stone Necklace (a hag stone soaked in witch hazel and hung
on a silver chain): Protection from scrying, increased Willpower.
Designing an Artifact
To design any Artifact, you need to Study as a long-term project (clock
size determined by quality).
Crafting an Artifact
Crafting an Artifact requires a Mythical Component which is equal or
higher than the minimum Tier set by the GM, a Downtime action and a
Crafting roll.
What is an Artifact?
Artifacts change the rules slightly. Artifacts always count as fine quality
items. Artifacts which replicate a Power require activation (usually a
Focus roll) and can usually be used only once per Undertaking.
Sample Artifacts
● Everbrite Shoes (Tier 0) - A pair of sneakers that never pick up dirt,
mud, scuffs or grime.
● Amulet of Protection from Possession (Tier 0) - +1d to Resolve
Resist rolls vs possession.
● Smart Needle (Tier 0) - Needle completes work you begin, +2d
Craft to mend mundane items.
● Dagger of Suffering (Tier 1) - Wounds from this cause extreme pain,
forcing victim to scream.
● Ring of Telekinesis (Tier 1) - Wielder can use the Lesser Telekinesis
General Power at will, though a silver cord is visible between the ring
and the target.
● Amulet of Hope (Tier 1) - Once per undertaking, grasp the memento
to regain 1 Willpower.
● Boots of Dodging (Tier 2) - +1d to appropriate Prowess Resist rolls.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart

Mythical Components Coven Upgrades

Mythical Component Rarity Resonance / Association Each Coven Upgrade costs one Coven Advance. The GM may require a
Barghest fang Tier 0 Pain, underworld, rot, wounds, sorrow particular undertaking to procure the upgrade based on the fiction of the
Basilisk scale Tier 0 Protection, reversal, stone covenstead. Not all upgrades need to share an address (e.g., your Boat
Goblin ear wax Tier 0 Stickiness, sickness, dyeing, brewing House does not need to be attached directly to your primary covenstead
Skeleton knuckle Tier 0 Death, spirit communication, chance location to count as part of your covenstead).
Gnome nose hair Tier 1 Illusion, magical prowess, brewing
Mermaid scale Tier 1 Swimming, breathing underwater, animal friendship
Arcane Library: You have a small library of arcane books, documents,
Griffin feather Tier 1 Flight, warmth, kindness and maps which allow you to Gather Information about Mythical
Sprite magic dust Tier 1 Flight, enhancement, magic Creatures, Mythical Components, Grimoire Powers and General Powers
Arachne spinneret Tier 2 Binding, crafting, manipulation without leaving your Covenstead.
Erymanthian boar tusk Tier 2 Sharpness, piercing, fear Boat House: You have a boat and dock on a waterway, and a small shack
Mandagot hairball Tier 2 Balance, leaping, protection from curses
to store boating supplies.
Bandersnatch tooth Tier 2 Efficient digestion, iron stomach, quick attacks
Cyclops toenail Tier 3 Travel, gigantism, protection Expert: An expert NPC who works for your Coven; choose a specialty
Leprechaun coin Tier 3 Luck, wealth, power, trickery and a quirk; their Quality is the Coven’s Tier +1.
Vampire eyetooth Tier 3 Draining, piercing, powers of blood, strength
Expert Specialty: Healer, Investigator, Occultist, Assassin, Spy, etc.
Personal and Coven Assets Expert Quirk: Compromised, Cruel, Loud, Unreliable, Wild, etc.

Personal assets are singular (unless more than one is commonly used such
as a pair of hand axes, or the many elements that make up a kit) while a
Coven Asset is a group of similar items shared with the entire Coven.
This list is not exhaustive. Levels of quality include Poor (Coven Tier -
1), Adequate (Coven Tier + 0) and Fine (Coven Tier + 1).
Climbing Gear - Well-made climbing tools, gloves, pitons, sturdy ropes.
Crafting Tools - An assortment of tools for crafting Charms and
Artifacts: scalpels, hammers, pliers, tweezers and saws as well as tools for
the gathering and refining of magical components: picks, sickles, shears
and other various tools.
Disguise Kit - A theatrical make-up kit.
First-Aid Kit - A well-stocked kit with a splint, a tourniquet and
antiseptic and antibacterial salves.
Lockpicking Set - Various tools for opening mechanical locks without
leaving behind evidence.
Magical Components - A pouch of components for crafting Charms:
crystals, minerals, fresh and dried herbs and various other sundries.
Melee Weapon - A weapon for hand-to-hand combat and the means to
carry it comfortably.
Revolver - A mechanical firearm (as opposed to electronic) which usually
contains six rounds of ammunition and reloads rather slowly. Revolver
ammunition is somewhat hard to come by, requiring its own Acquire an
Asset Downtime action.
Ritual Tool - Used for casting Greater Rituals and Lesser Rituals using
your coven’s casting style.
Spellcasting Tool - Used for casting Grimoire and General Powers using
your personal casting style.
Throwing Weapon - A set of light and well-balanced knives, axes, darts,
etc.
Garage: You have a vehicle and a place to store it or make modifications
and repairs to it.
Hidden Covenstead: Your Covenstead has a secret location and is
disguised to hide it from view.
Holding Cell: Your Covenstead has a secure cell with Tier equal to your
Coven’s Tier + 1.
Insight Training: +1 Insight xp when you train Insight with a Downtime
Action, describe it.
Prowess Training: +1 Prowess xp when you train Prowess with a
Downtime Action, describe it.
Quarters: Your Covenstead includes living quarters for every member of
the Coven. Without this, each PC sleeps elsewhere, and is vulnerable
when they do so.
Reflecting Pool: +1d to powers of scrying, clairvoyance and distance
communication.
Resolve Training: +1 Resolve xp when you train Resolve with a
Downtime Action, describe it.
Secure Covenstead: Your Covenstead has locks, alarms, and traps to
thwart intruders. Roll your Coven’s Tier if these measures are ever put
to the test, to see how well they thwart an intruder.
Vault: Your Covenstead has a secure vault with a Tier equal to your
Coven’s Tier + 1.
Warded Covenstead: Your Covenstead’s defenses include arcane
measures that work against spirits. Roll Coven Tier if these measures are
ever put to the test, to see how well they thwart an intruder.
Workshop (specific Grimoire): Your Covenstead has a workshop
appointed with tools for crafting for a particular Grimoire, gain +1d for
such activities. You may accomplish long-term projects without leaving
your Covenstead and gain +1 Grimoire xp when you use the Training
downtime action for your Grimoire.

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 Children of Midnight Quickstart
Greater Rituals
Each Greater Ritual costs one Coven Advance and counts as a Coven
Upgrade. Use of Greater Rituals is limited to once each per Downtime
and each costs a Downtime action from the ritual leader.
Covenstead Bridge - 3E (from each member): Teleport between the
Covenstead and a distant location where a Mythical Component (with a
minimum Tier equal to the Tier of the Faction visited) was previously
placed. If used to start an Undertaking, gain +1d on the Engagement
roll. Returning to the Covenstead from the location of the Mythical
Component simply requires each ritual participant to Concentrate.
Drawing Down the Sun - 2E (from each member): All Grimoire and
General Powers gain Potency for the following Undertaking.
Mind Wipe - Removes memories of interactions with a coven from a
mundane through a Material Link to the target. Important NPCs require
the expenditure of a Mythical Component of their Tier.
Rite of Consecration - Allows a Coven to cleanse an item, individual or
location of unnatural / negative resonance. This may be needed to reuse
some tainted Charms and Artifacts.
Rite of the Daglock - Requires a Material Link to a person or object:
This ritual locates them instantly if there are no obstacles, otherwise
starts an Undertaking to locate them, gain +1d on the Engagement roll.
Sabbat - This powerful ritual marks passage of time (begin the next phase
of the Wheel of the Year) allowing the Coven time to rest and live
deliciously. Heal all harm, refill all Willpower and all Essence. Factions
get an additional move; cannot be used when at war with another Faction.
Seek Patron’s Guidance - Summon the Coven’s Patron to Gather
Information (roll Coven Tier +1) and/or accept an Undertaking. If
successful, increase Reputation and reduce Fate by the Coven’s Tier.
Summoning Circle - Summons a named spirit entity allowing the Coven
to Gather Information from it, roll Coven Tier.
Telepathic Bond - 1E (from each member): All participants may
communicate telepathically during the next Undertaking.
23
Lesser Rituals
Lesser Rituals can be created/learned by PCs via a long-term project
(usually a 6 clock) and shared with the Coven; they do not count as
Coven Upgrades. Use of Lesser Rituals are limited to one each per
Downtime, however, using one does not require a Downtime action.
Coven Initiation - Allows a new member to gain full access to the Coven
Upgrades and participate in Rituals. When the first member is initiated
the Coven’s Tier is 0.
Drawing Down the Moon - Binds a Coven together, grounds all
spellwork done during the recent Undertaking (including Wyld Magic)
and restores some lost Essence and Willpower to all members. This ritual
makes it far more difficult for NPC Factions to track a spellcaster by
studying the resonance of PC spellwork. NPC Factions get a Faction
Move when the PCs conduct this ritual.
o 1-3: Restore 2 Essence and 1 Willpower to each member.
o 4/5: Restore 4 Essence and 2 Willpower to each member.
o 6: Restore 6 Essence and 3 Willpower to each member.
o Critical: Restore all Essence and 5 Willpower to each member.
Rest on your Laurels - This marks passage of time (begin the next phase
of the Wheel of the Year). Heal all level 1 harm. Factions get an
additional move; cannot be used when at war with another Faction.
Patron Dedication - Dedicates a Coven to a Patron (optionally gaining
a Ban and a Gift). This ritual can be recast to dedicate to a new Patron
and/or alter the Ban and Gift.
Rite of Becoming - Causes the Coven’s Tier to increase from 0 to 1; the
Coven must have 5 or more Coven Upgrades and an Influence of 1+.
Rite of Knowledge - Causes the Coven’s Tier to increase from 1 to 2;
the Coven must have 9 or more Coven Upgrades and an Influence of 2+.
Other Lesser Rituals
Additional lesser rituals could include those that clean an area or return
it to a past state, setting your area for meditation, communing with a
particular friendly spirit or marking a special occasion or holiday.
 Children of Midnight Quickstart

Important NPCs

Kami Whifflethorn & Maki Thornwhiffle, twin Erlking of the Ailumana A faceless soldier of The Redwatch Dylan Dee of the Vile Legion

Jack Spiderstripe and Bumble Woodbud, leadership of Shadowdawn Cultists of Corpus Templi Solaris Poacher from Grail Hunting Club

Sovereign Morningstar, leader of The Order, addresses a mundane crowd from atop Belvedere Castle overlooking Central Park on the dangers Wyld Witches pose.

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 Children of Midnight Quickstart

Starting Undertaking based on Quickstart Coven Advice for GMs

GMs of Children of Midnight (as with most Forged in the Dark games)
Nightsky Sanctum Locate Artifact ☆☆☆☆★
have a relatively small number of responsibilities compared to other
Undertaking Giver Vulture Votary 2
Target Faction N/A 0
TTRPGs, which substantially limits the number of skills to hone:
Locate and retrieve a stolen Artifact (known as the Mugquomp 1. Accountability for all your players’ well-being:
Description Statuette) on display in the Museum of Modern Artifacts.
Learn what you can about it before returning it. a. Session Zero and the RPG Consent Form.
Payout New Contact: Aneirin Days (Vulture Votary Tier 2) b. Use X-Card or another at-the-table ongoing consent tool.
c. Understand and coach the rules and facilitate discussions.
Argent Storm Destroy ☆☆☆★★ 2. Engagement rolls:
Undertaking Giver Gaian Guardians 2 a. Adjudicate the Engagement roll results and set up the action.
Target Faction The Ever-Vigilant Eye 1 b. Introduce exciting Scenes and Obstacles.
Decimate a single-story prison building believed to hold several
Description suspected Wyld Witches. While you are there you may as well
3. Action rolls:
liberate whoever you can. a. Set Position and Effect for every Action.
Payout Mythical Component: Erymanthian boar tusk (Tier 2) b. Pick appropriate, interesting Complications and Consequences.
4. Resistance rolls:
Righteous Eclipse Liberate ☆☆☆★★ a. What attributes can be used to make a Resistance roll?
Undertaking Giver Vulture Votary 2 b. Tell players what will be resisted before they roll.
Target Faction The Ever-Vigilant Eye 1
5. Create/drop in exciting Entanglements and Fae Entanglements.
Liberate several suspected Wyld Witches from a single-story
Description prison building. While you are there you may as well do what If you feel like a player is attempting something too easy, reduce the
you can to disrupt their operations.
Payout Charm: Thurisaz Rune (roll Vulture Votary’s Tier for Craft)
Position. If failure wouldn’t be interesting, simply let the PC describe
what they are doing as if they rolled a 6.
Brilliant Circle Abduct ☆★★★★ If you feel like a player is attempting something too difficult, ask them
Undertaking Giver Destiny Research Group 2 to describe how the action could work. If it seems complex, reduce the
Target Faction Ascendium 2 effect level. If it seems impossible, is it because they aren’t in the right
Covertly gather some blood from an Ascendium witch named
Description Nichola Tenebris. If you can bring them in alive, DRG will fictional situation? What action could they use to get there?
upgrade the Coven Asset to a Fine Coven Asset.
There’s a common rule in FitD; “never negate a successful roll”. This
Payout Coven Asset: First Aid Kits (using proprietary DRG tech)
applies doubly to General and Grimoire Powers. If a player spends a
Advice for Players resource (such as Essence) on a power which claims to do something
Consider the fiction first before you decide on an action. Ask the GM without an action roll, such as “unlock any lock” or “blind an individual”
questions if you need clarification and Gather Information if necessary. it should do what it says on the tin. The only exception is regarding
Important NPCs who might have magical protection in the form of a
Take daring action and fae bargains; failure can be as much fun as success. Charm or Artifact. In those cases, you should telegraph the magical item
Any activity has the potential to get you xp (even things without an whenever possible and create an appropriate defensive clock for the NPC
action roll). Always keep your Aspect and Disposition in mind. (and fill it accordingly) being sure to describe the defensive effect.

Be careful when picking a casting style that it isn’t too restrictive.
Don’t forget that you can flavor your mundane actions with magical and
Heritage-based flourishes! Get Potency while spending fewer resources!
Make your spells as grand as you can imagine! Channel Essence into
Grimoire Powers (1E) or General Powers (2E) to increase Range,
Duration, Scale or Area by one Magnitude level, options are limitless!
The Grimoire Power Invoke Tartarus mentions a base Scale of 0 (1 to 2
people), but notes that it can be raised to 4 (up to 40 people). The
General Power Lesser Telekinesis doesn’t mention Scale, but “nearby
objects” probably refers to Range and Scale 0. Want to poltergeist a
small building? You can raise the effect to Scale 4 for +8 Essence.
Remember to use teamwork to help your covenmates with their actions.
If things seem truly dire, remember some things do not cost Willpower:
Fae Bargains, using your Familiar and Wyld Magic.
Giving up on an Undertaking is always an option.
Taking your first Trauma opens up a new xp trigger.
Allow PCs to narrate their own actions whenever possible; only step in
to kick it up a notch or shine a spotlight on it. Let the players guide the
story (whether they are conscious of it or not) and follow their lead.
Prep loosely only when you have the time to do so. Otherwise, use the
minor arcana deck (and tables provided on pages 27 to 29) to make
decisions rapidly or simply pull a random card and study it for an answer.
Think about other Factions that might be involved or impacted by
choices the PCs make; take notes.
Always write down Fae Bargains, especially ones that might pay-off later!
When a player is nervous or having difficulty deciding on a course of
action, describe what success (and, in extremely dire cases, failure) might
look like and get their input before they make the roll.
At the end of each session ask each player what questions are still on their
characters’ minds (take notes). Let them start a long-term project clock
(without marking any ticks) -or- (if it is something the whole group is
interested in) make it the subject of the next session’s Undertaking.

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 Children of Midnight Quickstart

Magnitude
This helps the GM make judgment calls while not being a rigid restriction or mathematical formula. Can help determine quality level of Acquire an
Asset or minimum quality of an Artifact.
QUALITY RANGE DURATION SCALE AREA
0 Within reach A moment 1 or 2 people Closet
1 Dozen paces A few minutes Small group (3-6) Small room
2 Stone’s throw An hour Medium group (up to 12) Several rooms
3 Down the road A few hours Large group (up to 20) Large room
4 Several blocks away A day Huge group (up to 40) Small building
5 Across the district Several days Massive group (up to 80) Large building
6 Across the city A week Colossal group (up to 160) City block
TIER / QUALITY EXAMPLES
0 A rusty knife, worn & tattered clothing, rickety shack on the street, a Charm Poor
1 A fighting blade, ordinary clothing, shared apartment, cheap food or drugs Adequate
2 A pistol, respectable clothing, private rented room, typical spirit Good
3 A coach, boat, military rifle, fashionable clothing, small home Excellent
4 A luxury vehicle, townhouse or a powerful spirit Superior
5 A large townhouse, small ship, custom-tailored clothing Impeccable
6 A mansion, large ship, rare essences, or an ancient spirit Legendary
FORCE EXAMPLES
0 A firm shove, a candle flame, breeze, tiny spark Weak
1 A solid punch, steady wind, torch flame, electrical shock Moderate
2 A powerful blow, howling wind, burning brand Strong
3 A crushing blow, staggering wind, grenade, searing fire, electrical surge Serious
4 A charging horse, burning forge, bomb, whirlwind, electrocution Powerful
5 Ship cannon, raging thunderstorm, massive fire, lightning strike Overwhelming
6 Hurricane wind, molten lava, tidal wave, electrical maelstrom Devastating
Aspects and their Simple Meaning
0 - The Fool Wanderlust VII - The Chariot Momentum XV - The Devil Restriction
I - The Magician Skill VIII - Strength Courage XVI - The Tower Sudden Change
II - The High Priestess Intuition IX - The Hermit Solitude XVII - The Star Hope
III - The Emperor Abundance X - Wheel of Fortune Karma XVIII - The Moon Mystery
IV - The Empress Authority XI - Justice Fairness XIX - The Sun Success
V - The Hierophant Mentor XII - The Hanged Man Suspension XX - Judgement Calling
VI - The Lovers Bonds XIII - Death Endings & Beginnings XXI - The World Accomplishment
XIV - Temperance Balance

Disposition
Adaptable Compliant Dogmatic Independent Misanthropic Obedient Rebellious
Adroit Conformist Egalitarian Introverted Modest Openminded Sensitive
Aggressive Conscientious Egoist Irritable Moody Optimistic Serious
Agreeable Conservative Emotional Liberal Narcissistic Paranoid Sincere
Altruistic Courageous Empathetic Loyal Negative Passive Sociable
Anxious Creative Extraverted Machiavellian Neurotic Perfectionist Suggestible
Assertive Cruel Gregarious Defensive Nonconformist Persistent Timid
Authoritarian Curious Honest Dependent Nurturing Pessimistic Tolerant
Bon vivant Cynical Impulsive Dishonest Objective Positive Vengeful

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 Children of Midnight Quickstart

Random Undertaking Type (draw one card from the minor arcana)
Card Suit → Swords Pentacles Wands Cups
Card Value ↓ Criminal Political Supernatural Trickery
Ace Abduct Ransom Banish/Exorcise Hijack
Two Arson Negotiate Astral Dealings Misdirect
Three Mug Hide Individual Heal/Revive Surveillance
Four Destroy Capture Remove a Spell Stalk
Five Lay Trap Locate Individual Bind/Curse Impersonate
Six Raid Escort Perform a Spell Lift
Seven Poison Smuggle Summon Heist
Eight Threaten Security Underworld Dealings Masquerade
Nine Disappear Liberate Locate Artifact Plant
Ten Assassinate Courier Hide Artifact Burglarize
Page Deface Extort Shadow Dealings Beguile/ Seduce
Knight Terrorize Discredit Scry Con
Queen Strong-arm Blackmail Perform/Stop Ritual Hoax
King Sabotage Espionage Cleanse/Sanctify Arrange Accident

Random Undertaking Giver (draw one card from the minor arcana)
Card Value Quest Giver
Ace Fae
Two Random Stranger
Three Religious
Four Journalist
Five Influencer / Celebrity
Six Person of little importance (draw a Random Faction)
Seven Salesperson / Fence
Eight Bartender
Nine Homunculus / Spirit Companion / Animated Corpse
Ten Important NPC (draw a Random Faction)
Page Rival
Knight Other / Personal Contact
Queen Coven Contact
King Ally

Random Undertaking Complication (draw one card from the minor arcana)
Card Value Complication
Ace Undertaking is intended to harm a Faction (draw a Random Faction)
Two The target is recovering from a recent raid and is in disarray (Tier -1)
Three The location contains a neutral mythical creature
Four The resonance of the location is amenable to yours; regain Essence on any Crit
Five Other agents are working at this location with similar goals
Six The location is (or contains) a hidden Covenstead
Seven Undertaking will cause unintended to harm a Faction (draw a Random Faction)
Eight Undertaking will inadvertently further a Faction’s secret agenda (draw a Random Faction)
Nine The location is a cover for a criminal enterprise
Ten Other agents are working at this location with opposing goals
Page The resonance of the location is anathema to yours; lose may Essence as a consequence
Knight The location contains a hostile mythical creature
Queen Scrying tipped off the target that the Undertaking was about to begin (Tier +1)
King Undertaking furthers a Faction’s secret agenda (draw a Random Faction)

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 Children of Midnight Quickstart

Random Faction (draw one card from the minor arcana)

Card Suit →
Swords & Pentacles Wands & Cups
Card Value ↓
Ace The Ever-Vigilant Eye (1) Shadowdawn (1)
Two Crescent Systems (1) Rara Avis (1)
Three Cyberautics (2) Ascendium (2)
Four Destiny Research Group (2) The Scarlet Incarnation (2)
Five Forsaken Saints (2) Gaian Guardians (2)
Six The Redwatch (3) Hollowmight (3)
Seven The Exiled (3) House of the Ram (3)
Eight Corpus Templi Solaris (3) Vulture Votary (3)
Nine Grail Hunting Club (4) The Floating Market (4)
Ten Vile Legion (4) Altar of Cewrus (4)
Page Golden Oath (4) Sisters of the Serpent (4)
Knight Obsidian Council (4) The Ailumana (4)
Queen shopHub (5) Keepers of the Old Ways (5)
King The Order (5) Legion of the Griffin (5)

Random Familiars (draw one card from the minor arcana)

Card Suit → Swords Wands Pentacles Cups
Card Value ↓ Air Between Earth Water
Ace Bee Ape/Gorilla Badger/Groundhog Crustacean
Two Butterfly Bat Bear Freshwater Fish
Three Chicken Chameleon Beetle Frog
Four Crow Feline Boar/Pig Manta/Ray
Five Dragonfly Hedgehog Cow Otter
Six Duck/Goose Lizard Deer Saltwater Fish
Seven Eagle Mouse Dog/Fox Seabird
Eight Falcon Octopus Goat/Sheep Seal/Sea Lion
Nine Fly Opossum Hare/Rabbit Shark (small)
Ten Hummingbird Porcupine Horse Shark (medium)
Page Owl Primate/Lemur Moose Shark (large)
Knight Raven Rat Skunk Snake (water)
Queen Snake (viper) Spider Snake (constrictor) Swan
King Wasp Toad Wolf Walrus

Random Undertaking Payout (draw cards from the minor arcana)

Card Suit → Swords Wands Pentacles Cups
Card Value ↓ Enchanted Item Spellwork Environmental Personnel
Ace - Eight Charm Lesser Ritual Coven Asset New Contact
Nine - Knight [redacted]* Mythical Component* Fine Coven Asset Status Increase
Queen - King Artifact* Greater Ritual Coven Upgrade New Expert

* Tier varies by Undertaking difficulty (Was the Target Tier higher than your Coven Tier?)
If yes, use the higher of your Coven’s Tier + 1, or the Tier of the Faction you assisted
If no, use the lower of the Tier of the Faction you assisted or the Target Faction’s Tier

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 Children of Midnight Quickstart

Random Witch Names (draw one card from the minor arcana)
Card Suit →
Swords Wands Pentacles Cups
Card Value ↓
Ace Puck Gavin Sybil Aine
Two Wren Vale Adrian Wainani
Three Samantha Jadis Endora Minerva
Four Esprit Harden Garnet Gabriel
Five Kira Kaeru Kotori Trinity
Six Sabrina Cassandra Aradia Circe
Seven Nova Sabine Obsidian Thorn
Eight Alexie Freya Joan Ariadne
Nine Nina Chloe Rowena Ursula
Ten Silver Aiko Thomasin Aeslin
Page Fiona Raven Phoebe Violet
Knight Azra Destiny Jashanna Liana
Queen Alice Lysa Morgan Willow
King Corvus Jean Carlyn Dorian

Random Mundane Names (draw one card from the minor arcana)
Card Suit →
Swords Wands Pentacles Cups
Card Value ↓
Ace Finley Jessie Riley Jaime
Two Kendall Skyler Tyler Peyton
Three Robin Tommie Sidney Ashley
Four Carter Clarke Adrian Jackie
Five Logan Nicky Mickey Parker
Six Rowen Terry Jules Harper
Seven Yoltzin Jaylin Delta Erik
Eight Matthew Jayson Fera Ashley
Nine Angelica Nick Harvey Eliza
Ten Arden Darby Haskell Arrow
Page Vesper Zane Wyatt Rebel
Knight Sacha Sparrow Stirling Tatum
Queen Murphy Owen Orion Rio
King Lux Sloan Jon River

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Grimoire and Coven Sheets
 About the Authors

Gavin and Aine Moore live in the southeast US with their kids and a menagerie of pets and plants.
They have more than 40 years of table-top role-playing experience between them.

Aine (she/they) is an artist, photographer, talent scout, Gavin (he/they) is the marketer, lead game developer and
co-author and behind-the-scenes creative force at Balsamic a co-author at Balsamic Moon Games Collective. He’s
Moon Games Collective. She’s @AineTMoore on twitter. @GavintheGM and @BalsamicGames on twitter.

She prefers to play, but has run a few short campaigns. He is the “always GM” of their gaming groups and loves
Her characters and NPCs are always thoughtfully crafted. to make and run hacks of their favorite systems. His . He
She prefers settings with witches, Norse warriors and has a lot more TTRPG ideas and can’t wait to share some
shield-maidens, werewolves and/or vampires. of the other games he’s working on with you!
Children of Midnight Quickstart is a gender inclusive urban
fantasy Forged in the Dark tabletop role-playing game.

Players take the roles of Wyld Witches and their Familiars who form a
Coven for mutual support in a dark and harsh modern world. The fae-
folk, a witch-controlled military, mythical creatures, and those who
hunt them, other cults, congregations and covens can be allies or
adversaries depending on your coven's beliefs.

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Children of Midnight was inspired by our witchy friends from all over
the world, in various circles and walks of life. We set out to make a
game that celebrates witches rather than tacking them on as an
afterthought like so many other TTRPGs have! Children of Midnight
may appear dystopian, but we intend to show that diverse witches have
the tools to better their coven's lives and reshape society.

Look for the full edition of Children of Midnight in 2022!

CHILDREN OF MIDNIGHT
BALSAMIC MOON GAMES COLLECTIVE