T h e W i z a r d s

& the Wastes

BAtl tl S
 There are the cities and villages. Then there’s the Wastes.
Beyond. Where the witches and wizards hide. Kings and Queens
lead armies of flying war machines against each other, bombing
countrysides into ashy echoes. Soldiers with rifles and bayonets
guide tanks down village streets. This is the backdrop for the
world, where Spellcasters hone their craft, probe the Wastes, and
try to make a difference before the Corruption
turns them into monsters.
 SPELLCASTER APPLICATION
NAME (choose or make one up)
Jasper, Micah, Dulian, Arga,
Terra, Louisa, Don Lotta,
Bang, Fire Fist, Agathon,
Gwyndolin, Orion, Stardust,
Pony-boy, Coleen, Thorns.
(choose three traits)
APPEARANCE
Handsome, Striking, Gaudy,
Lurid, Pretty, Scarred, Tan,
Rough-shot, Sparkly, Fae,
Bruised, Decrepit, Draconic,
Guarded, Muscular, Elfish,
Garish, Determined, Serious,
Quiet, Debonair, Translucent,
Ghastly, Blonde, Haunted,
Rotund, Twigish, On-fire.
KINGDOM(who do you serve?) MAGICAL ORIGIN (how did you
Vermillion City
The Red Queen
The Southern Empire
The Colonies
The Endless City
Arinople, the Glass Palace
(Please do add more to this list.
Allow new Spellcasters to teach of
their hometown.)
TITLE (choose one)
Wizard, Witch, Sorcerer,
Warlock, Mage, Magus,
Magician, Alchemist, Seer,
Conjurer, Enchanter,
Necromancer, Medium.
(what were
BACKGROUND you before?)
Child, Gardener, Performer,
Musician, Soldier, Hunter,
Painter, Lover, Father, Wife,
Physician, Decorator, Talker,
Escort, Hatter, Janitor,
Gatekeeper, Poet, Prisoner,
Architect, Driver, Pilot, Guard,
Cartomancer, Circus Act,
Traveling Salesman, Thief.
Kissed by a magic frog get your magic?)
Caught a falling star
Raised by the daughters of Malus
Lost in the Wastes
Married the Spider Queen
Made a pact with the Metal God
Siphoned power from a City spirit
Trained in the Beacon Academy
Rescued from illegal arcane research
(Allow new Spellcasters the freedom
to create their own origin.)
 INSIGHT (set to 20)

CORRUPTION (set to 0)
TOXICITY (set to 0)
YEARS (write your age)
SAVE (set to 6)
DARING DIE (check no)

BONDS FEATURES
(write down 3 desires, hopes, (gained magical abilities will go here,
dreams, friends, or memories) leave blank for now)

INVENTORY SPELLS
(write down your clothes, what (this is where to write any spells that
you use to cast spells, and one spell have not been cast yet)
source)

GEAR BUBBLES
(erase after each session, fill them in
to already have a piece of gear that is
needed)

APPLICATION CRITERIA
All of the pieces of the application serve to help the Spellcaster.
Every session, the Spellcaster can call on any of their Application
criteria to reduce the Corruption for the casting of a spell by 1.
After calling on a criteria, it cannot be called on until the next
session. More than one may be called on at a time,
but each must be applicable.

WHAT ELSE IS NEEDED?

20 sided die (d20)
Pencil and paper
A few favorite novels
NAME APPEARANCE
TITLE KINGDOM
BACKGROUND MAGICAL ORIGIN

INSIGHT INVENTORY
CORRUPTION
TOXICITY
YEARS
SAVE
DARING DIE y n GEAR BUBBLES

BONDS FEATURES
1.
2.
3.

SAVES SPELLS/SOURCES
 A r c an e O ath
I, [state your name], hereby declare fealty to [your kingdom], in
service of its people, its nobility, and its ruler, for now and for
all time. I swear to uphold my kingdom’s laws and serve out its
judgements upon those who stand against it. I swear to never
refuse a request from its people and I shall answer any call, be it
to war or to supper, from its Queen. From this day, I shall claim
the title [your title] and will uphold the respect given by such a
prestigious mark. All magics done within the Kingdom will be
of sanctioned practice by this royal academy. I understand that
if this oath is broken by any laws, arcane or man-made, that my
title will be stripped and I will be cast out to the Wastes.
Forever in your name, amen.
T h e W i z a r d s
& the Wastes
a game of arcane bargaining
by
BATTS
art by
Ilana Steinberg
edited by
Coleen Wakeland
Tabl e o f C on t e nt s
CHAPTER 1 page 10 CHAPTER 5 page 36
spellcaster monsters
insight indestructible
casting spells harm
doesn’t want
corruption doesn’t have
mitigation common monster
bonds
features CHAPTER 6 page 40
toxicity wastelander
time remember
bargaining
intent
CHAPTER 2 page 18 insight
saves save
cost
harm harm guides
daring die
gear bubbles CHAPTER 7 page 44
CHAPTER 3 page 22 running the game
experience
spellbooks
CHAPTER 8 page 54
scrolls running a shop
potions rebel mages
curses
relationships
CHAPTER 4 page 26 the wastes
familiars
demons
spirits
creation
monstrous form
 CHAPTER ONE
SPELLCASTER
Witches, Wizards, Warlocks, and Sorcerers. They’re all the same.
They choose the title that suits them, but every Spellcaster gains
their magics in mysterious ways. Marrying a being of great power
to give up their life and freedom in exchange for a taste of that
power. Making a pact with a familiar in order to translate ancient
magic texts found in the Wastes. Replacing their heart with that of
a monster’s, siphoning off their soul to become something more.
Or training from childhood at one of the rigid academies under
an archmage.

INSIGHT
The mind of a spellcaster becomes labyrinthine in order to store
the required knowledge to cast spells. In those carved halls there
are hidden horrors lurking, and probing deeper and deeper can
uncover them when least expected. Mages spend Insight to do
research, store new spells, and use powerful and forgotten anima.
Every spellcaster begins with 20 Insight that they can spend to
research magics, understand the unknown, and bargain with.

CASTING SPELLS
Magic is always a bargain. When casting a spell, a magic user
declares the intent of the spell and what they hope to accomplish
with it. After that, the table talks about how much Corruption
should be gained from a spell of that power, magnitude, and reach.
Then the bargaining begins. The spellcaster can make counter
offers, give up Insight, take on Toxicity, or offer up other things in
order to get a good bargain and cast their spell.
After the spell is cast, it is lost forever.
 WHAT SPELLS?
Magic cannot be tied down by a single list of spells.
When a Spellcaster first takes their oath, they choose their spell
source and use it to create their own spells. This can be any text,
image, or music from the real world. By spending Insight, a
Spellcaster can probe their spell source to produce more spells.
LITERATURE
If a fiction or non-fiction book is chosen, the Spellcaster can sift
through and circle three words, phrases, sentence fragments, full
sentences, paragraphs, or pages to use as a source for a spell. The
interpretation of the source is up to the Spellcaster at the time of
casting. Think about vibe, context, subtext, punctuation, and tone.
GRAPHIC NOVEL
If a comic, anthology, artbook, or graphic novel is chosen, the
Spellcaster can flip through and choose three panels or images to
use as a source for a spell. The interpretation of the source is up to
the Spellcaster at the time of casting. Think about motion, color,
atmosphere, and relationships.
MUSIC
If an album or pre-made playlist is selected, the Spellcaster can
listen through and choose three lyrical sections, songs, song
titles, or solos to use as sources for spells. The interpretation of
the source is up to the spellcaster at the time of casting. Think
about movements, tone, instrumentation, and emotion.
POETRY
A Spellcaster can choose any three poems as a source for their
spells. The interpretation of each source is up to the Spellcaster at
the time of casting. Think about imagery, structure,
layout, and meaning.
 BONDS
When becoming a Spellcaster, an apprentice writes down three
loves, wants, or memories. These are called Bonds and represent
their humanity. Every 5 Corruption gained permanently alters the
mage’s mind, body, and soul, giving them a magical Feature, and
erasing one of their Bonds. The mage then writes down some-
thing they’ve accomplished with their magic in the Bond’s place.

FEATURES
Read/Write the language of dragons
Walk on water
Change your face to any others
Talk to animals
Sprout and grow plants
Wither a material to ash
Speak the language of the wind
Eat magical artifacts to remove corruption
Start and control fires
Summon a storm
Learn the music of the forest
Appear ageless
Grow a simulacrum
Create a magic artifact of your design
Brew potions out of exotic plants
Lucid dream and enter the Dreamland
Learn the song the song of the sea
Take on an apprentice
Commune with nature
Heal the sick
Revive the dying
Speak the language of falling stars
Become immune to flame
Breathe the unbreathable
 Levitate
Floating invisible hands
Gain the love of the sleepless night
See with no sun
Hear the notes of the magic auras
Smell the blood of fairies
See invisible tracks
Take on the form of many bats
Reduce to slime
Find familiar
Learn the ritual of Corruption transference
Speak with the dead
Hallow the unhallowed
Drink poison and lava unharmed
Summon crows
See through mirrors
Control those with shadows
Regenerate limbs
Eyes that reveal secret doors
Somewhat stretchy limbs
Supernatural beauty
Rusting metal touch
Superheated blood
Acid saliva
Hypnotizing eyes
Devil’s tongue

These are examples and should be treated as such. As soon as a

Spellcaster feels confident enough, they can begin to bargain for
different Features or use the ones they’ve gained as part of a much
larger bargain.
 CORRUPTION
Every time a magic user casts a spell, they gain Corruption equal
to the power of the spell. Corruption wittles away the humanity
of a Spellcaster until they turn into a monster. When it reaches
20, the Spellcaster forfeits all control to the DM and becomes a
monster. Spellcasters make use of various methods to mitigate the
accumulation of Corruption.

MITIGATION
The following are the known ways a Spellcaster can avoid gaining
as much Corruption when casting spells. Be warned,
they can be just as dangerous.
Time - each year of life traded, one Corruption is negated, but a mage
can only trade years equal to the Corruption they’ve already taken.
Toxicity - turning a spell into a potion requires more time and special
training, but mages don’t gain Corruption from potions, only Toxicity.
Insight - putting Insight into researching magics and understanding
the unknown lowers the amount of Corruption to cast a spell.

Familiars - making a pact with a familiar and doing favors for them
allows regenerating Insight for research.

Demons - binding or befriending a demon can force them to take on

some Corruption.

Spell Sharing- a Spellcaster can allow another Spellcaster to choose the

sources of their spells, reducing the Corruption of them by 1.

Anima - finding and utilizing powerful artifacts from the Wastes will
produce magics at the expense of Insight or Toxicity.
Monstrosity - spellcasters can release small amounts of Corruption by
taking on a semi-monstrous form and committing carnal acts.
 SPELL SHARING
When a Spellcaster allows another Spellcaster to gaze at their
spellbook and select the source of a new spell, the Corruption cost
is lowered by 1. The Insight cost to discover new spells from a
source can be shared between both Spellcasters.
RESEARCH
When a Spellcaster needs new spells, they can spend an Insight
to dig through tier magic source to create a new one. This can
only be done when the Spellcaster is not busy, as it takes time and
concentration.
After a new spell has been circled or chosen from the
source, further research can reduce the Corruption of the Spell
at a rate of 1 to 1. In effect, the more time spent preparing a new
spell, the less Corruption the Spellcaster gains.

TIME
A Spellcaster can negate Corruption by trading years of their own
life. Each year traded negates a point of Corruption. They remain
their same age regardless of years spent as long as they keep their
total years spent below their total Corruption. If that changes,
their body rapidly age the number of years they’ve spent. This can
be midly inconvenient or fatal depending on the age of the Spell-
caster and the amount of years they gain.

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 BREWING POTIONS
To turn a spell into a potion requires the same bargaining that
casting a spell does. The Spellcaster is essentially pulling the spell
from their brain and making it physical, figuring out the effect,
power, duration, number of targets, and area of effect before
needing to cast it. It requires 1 Insight to perform the alchemy,
but further bargaining is to determing the Toxicity of the potion.
Most potions are only 1 Toxicity but an exceptionally
powerful spell can be 2 or more Toxicity.

TOXICITY
The organs of a Spellcaster are subject to weird, magical effects
through the ingestion of potions. Toxicity, like Corruption,
builds in the mage and measures how close their organs are to
polymorphing permanently into animals. This is known as the
Mage’s Sickness. When a mage reaches 10 Toxicity, the kidneys
will turn into large toads and need to be removed or cured in
some arcane way. At 20 Toxicity, the rest of the organs will begin
to morph and change until there are none left and the Mage
becomes a chimeric monster.
1. Kidneys to Toads 10 Toxicity
2. Bladder to Crocodile 20 Toxicity
3. Intestines to Snakes 25 Toxicity
4. Stomach to Butterflies 27 Toxicity
5. Heart to Bird 28 Toxicity
6. Lungs to Carp 29 Toxicity
7. Brain to Bees 30 Toxicity

CHIMERA
A chimera can be any three animals combined.
The rest is up to the imagination.
 CHAPTER TWO
SAVES
Whenever a mage reacts to a risky situation in which the outcome
is not made clear, they roll a d20 attempting to get under their
Save. If they succeed, they avoid any Harm. If they fail, they take
any Harm and create a new Save named after the situation they
were reacting to and increase it by 1.
When becoming a Spellcaster, an apprentice sets their
Save at 6. But with each subsequent failure, new Saves are created
at different and higher values. The next time a Save is called for,
they look through past failures to see if any are applicable, giving
a better chance at avoiding the Harm this time around.

something check for an

reacts applicable save

roll d20
do a thing succeed
to save

make new save

take harm fail
+1

Example: avoiding being set on fire could create a Save

called “Fire 7”, and if a future save has anything to do with fire, the
target to roll under would now be a 7.
A failure for that could create a Save called “Magical Fire
8” or “Set on Fire 8” which makes the association harder, but the
roll easier to make.
Further, if afterward a large, barbed fish wasn’t avoided, a
new Save could be made called “Fish 7.” The system benefits from
repeat exposures, growing Saves over longer periods of time.
At the end of each session, a sorcerer erases all but one of
their new Saves which they now carry with them through the rest
of their short life.
 HARM
Harm is any ailment, status effect, or injury that is collected
through a session. Each one creates disadvantages, issues, or det-
riments for a Spellcaster, the severity of which is based on the
Monster they suffer the Harm from. A goblin might only be able
to trick and annoy, while a dragon can swallow whole.
Monsters will list specific Harms they hope to put upon
the Characters, but there will always be situations in which Harm
needs to be thought up on the spot. Remember that everything is
a bargain. Mages can offer up ideas for Harm in exchange for help
somewhere else, or another Spellcaster at the table might have
some ideas they are willing to trade for favors from the witch that’s
harmed. Let the bargain shape the effect.
At the end of each session, a witch chooses one Harm to
keep and erases the rest. This is the passage of time, natural heal-
ing, and wisdom.
Examples
Tripped Sprawling
Bloodied Lost
Blind Cut
Embarrassed Disarmed
Confused Off-target
Dizzy Coughing
Sleepy Hungry
Aggravated Dehydrated
Downtrodden Exhausted
Bruised Burdened
Broken Unfocused
Scraped Sleeping
Grappled Bruised Ribs
Tackled Fractured Bone
Prone Sprained Wrist
Unconscious Crying
 DARING DIE
A single d20 belonging to the DM is chosen to be the Daring
Die. Whenever a witch does something to protect or aid another
Spellcaster, they can take the Daring Die and roll it along with
their own die for their Save, taking the lower of the two results.
Afterward, no matter if the Save succeeded or failed, they pass the
Daring Die to the Spellcaster they were helping. Only the mage
holding the Daring Die can use it, and it can only be passed in this
manner.

GEAR BUBBLES
When a wizard needs a mundane piece of gear that’s not currently
in their inventory, they may fill in an empty bubble and declare
that they had the item all along, then write it in their inventory. At
the end of each session they erase all Gear Bubbles and keep
1 piece of gear that they acquired.
 A P T E R T H REE
CH
EXPERIENCE
Spellcasters gain experience from researching magics,
understanding the unknown, killing monsters, finding anima,
and helping citizens with their daily toils. They can gain 1exp from
each one, each session. EXP can be spent to regain Insight, make
bargains, acquire new spellbooks, scrolls, or potions, or increase a
wizard’s Corruption capacity.
Gaining exp
Researching Magics - reading ancient texts, discovering dusty
spell scrolls and using them, performing magical experiments,
anything of the arcane nature.
Understanding the Unknown - facing a problem with no obvious
solution and overcoming, learning the secret history of the world,
studying the stars and what lies beyond.
Killing a Monster - hunting and slaying ex-Spellcasters who have
fallen to Corruption, usually for the monarch of the region, but
also for small villages without the proper means.
Finding Anima - exploring the Wastes, finding dungeons, going
into the minds of your colleagues, and coming out with whatever
magical artifacts hide there.
Helping Citizens - brewing potions for hair loss, settling disputes
between despots, finding the runaway cattle, helping run the local
potluck, etc. Everyday problems.

thinking of casting
a spell a spell
 Spending exp
Regain Insight - exchange rate of 1exp to 1 Insight, can only be
done between sessions
Make Bargains - memories that can be used to exchange for spells
and other bargains
Acquire - spend 3 to gain a new spellbook, spend 4 to acquire a
scroll, and spend 5 for a potion
Corruption Capacity - every 1exp over 20 equals another
Corruption that can be had over 20. These are memories after all.
Further connections to humanity.

SPELLBOOKS
When 3exp is spent to gain a spellbook, the Spellcaster can choose
another source to pilfer spells from. This expands the Spellcaster’s
depth and allows them to create three potential spells following
the guides from earlier. If they choose to do Spell Sharing, they
can reduce the Corruption cost for each of them.

SCROLLS
When 4exp is spent to gain a scroll, the Spellcaster can write down
any spell from any other game they own. They do so in their own
words, adjusting what needs to be adjusted, noting only what they
think is necessary. These should always be free, or cost only
1 Insight, because scrolls are one-time use.

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 POTIONS
When 5exp is spent to gain a potion, the Spellcaster can choose
one of the following. Each one is only 1 Toxicity due to them
being crafted by archmages of the region.
Giant growth - grow 3x as large
Healing - removes the last Harm suffered
Goblin speech - speak to fae and be understood by children
Dragon breath - breathe a gout of flame
Invisibility - lasts for 1 minute
Spider climb - climb walls and ceilings with bare hands and feet
Second head - grow a second more intelligent head that talks fast
Spectral gut - store one item in your stomach for 3 days
Hidden drought - saliva dries whatever it touches to uselessness
Snail cleaners - snails clean out any sickness from your body
Extra eyes - you grow eyes on the back of your head
Elixir of youth - de-age 5 years
Dust of Suffering - causes agony when mixed with food or drink
Tea truth juice - looks and tastes like tea, but is a truth serum
Turtle flesh - back becomes armored like a turtle’s shell
Big boot punch - gain super strength for 5 minutes
Lightning in a bottle - run at blinding speeds
Potion of eaten success - causes extreme elation then melancholy
Dreaming drought - causes 72hrs of uninterrupted sleep
Ghost juice - become ethereal for 30 seconds
Liquid whispers - listen to one conversation from anywhere
Bottled imp - know the answer to one biology question
Bottled goblin - know the answer to one art-related question
Bottled newton - know the answer to one science question
Flower juice - smell good and attract all nearby insects
Hive flesh drink - arm becomes a bee’s nest
Technolyze - meld consciousness with nearest technology
Drunk potion - float through air with the force of a cannonball
King monkey - grow a monkey tail
Tuesday - return to last tuesday
Oozington - turn into a gelatin blob that melts through anything
Cat’s grace - turn into a black cat and grant bad luck to someone
Shattered mirror - become unrecognizable, unidentifiable
Memory tea - gain a new memory
Grenade - it’s a grenade, it blows up when smashed
Capture jar - throw it at target to trap them inside until released
Celestial sight - see the nearest source of celestial might
Shadow step - mold with shadows for 30 minutes
Bright tea - see the growing streets of the creeping city
What once was - see a place as it was sometime in the past
Flight - grow wings and soar through the sky for 10 minutes
Chialacrum - spit up a small, chia-pet version of your love
Spirits - alcohol, any kind, for getting drunk
Geas - get bestowed with a random quest
Heated flesh - glow red hot
Evaporation potion - turn to steam for 30 minutes
Rabbit hole - find a secret door where there wasn’t one
Potion of last breath - appear as a zombie
Love potion - fall in love with the next object seen
Octopod - throw up a golfball-sized octopus that grows steadily
to the size of a mid-sized sedan over 24 hours before going to
find the sea

Create a potion by
thinking
of feelings
you want to
forget
 CHAPTER
FOUR
FAMILIARS
Beings from beyond, hiding in the form of a common woodland
creature. A wizard that bonds with a Familiar rolls a d20 every
session. If they roll over their Insight, that becomes their new
Insight score. If they roll under, the Familiar needs something and
must be satiated or it will whisper a curse before fleeing.
Form Desire
Rat Strange food
Snake A soda pop
Cat Revenge on a former mage
Raccoon Eat intelligent brains
Toad A special monster part
Raven An ancient tome to read
Owl Smouldering patch of forest
Dog Destroyed shrine
Fox Strange personal vendetta
Iguana To see a sight it hasn’t seen
Squirrel Eat an anima
Skunk A couple tasty memories
Vulture To replace a bond with its own
Hedgehog Steal from an innocent man
Elf Anger the local princess
Tortoise Rob a store
Mass of Worms Start a tavern brawl
Ant Hill A mountain of candy
Hornet’s nest A new body
Tarantula A new spellbook
 BONDING
Familiars don’t follow any sort of logic that has been recorded.
Besides their desires (which fluctuate and change by the moment)
they do not have any hard-coded needs. They are beings of whim,
made to confound and manipulate mortals. Bonding with one
requires a dedication to their mood and greath depth of empathy.
If a Spellcaster is a creature of habit, then those habits must be
broken. If they are a being of passion, they must become lethargic.
It is in the Spellcaster’s own fluctation that the
Familiar can feel safe.
THE RITUAL
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Spellcasters keep their methods secret.
A path must be forged without guide.
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 DEMONS
Fallen stars that desire seeing people (wizards especially) give in
to temptation. Each one embodies a sin, element, or idea and likes
to trade favors with Spellcasters. Help them tempt people and
they will eat your Corruption. When talking to a Demon, a mage
rolls a d20. If they get under their Corruption, the Demon asks a
favor to remove the difference in Corruption. If they roll over, the
Demon’s not interested and will require convincing.
Known Demons
1. Fire
2. Water
3. Stone
4. Mud
5. Dirt
6. Ice
7. Steam
Demon names
8. Shadow have six letters
9. Shine six letters &
six letters
10. Smoke
11. Wind
12. Wood
13. Gluttony
14. Wrath
15. Lust
16. Vanity
17. Melancholy
18. Sloth
19. Pride
20. Envy
 FAVORS
Give a demon
s o m e t h i n g
you hold dear
y o u t h
b l o o d
f r i e n d s
h o p e s
b e a u t y
c h a r i s m a
s t r e n g t h
q u i c k n e s s
a t t i t u d e
c h a r m
a n y t h i n g p e r s o n a l
a n d i t w i l l
e a t y o u r c o r r u p t i o n
o u r c o r r u p t i o n e a t y
d i t w i l l a n
h i n g p e r s o n a l a n y t
h a r m c
t i t u d e a t
i c k n e s s q u
r e n g t h s t
a r i s m a c h
a u t y b e
o p e s h
i e n d s f r
l o o d b
o u t h y
hold dear you
m e t h i n g s o
a demon Give
 SPIRITS
Talked about less because of their power and immense danger,
mages can call Spirits with their names, giving them a body or
object to inhabit in exchange for lowering Corruption. Doing so
surrenders your body or the object to the Spirit, which is a risky
offering, as Spirits are desperate, jealous, and maddeningly quick
to anger. If a mage learns a spirit’s name, they should keep it close
for times of great need. And only those times.

Spirit is made of and has dominion over

1. Paper 1. The oldest tree
2. Tin 2. A ruined keep
3. Light 3. An old family heirloom
4. Insects 4. The crypt of an Archdruid
5. Balloons 5. A knight’s promise
6. Black and white shapes 6. Slow falling rain
7. Renaissance art 7. Half-truths
8. Space filled with stars 8. Violence between two rivals
9. Watercolor paints 9. All those that sleep
10. Origami 10. Motionless stars
11. Impressionistic paintings 11. Well spent youth
12. Marble 12. Rusting metal
13. Optical illusions 13. The fool’s time
14. Glitter 14. Nature’s savagery
15. Mirrors 15. Mishapen clouds
16. a Collage 16. The fresh fallen snow
17. Butterflies 17. An old woman’s beauty
18. Thin black lines 18. A craftman’s passion
19. Spray paint 19. The night-time lanterns
20. Rust 20. The darkest place in town
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 ANIMA
Machine artifacts from long ago, hidden in the Wastes, dungeons,
and the labyrinths of spellcasting minds. A mage can use Insight
to learn how they work and what mythic, arcane powers they hide.
But their machine nature makes them Toxic to use. Average cost
of Insight is 1, and average activation is 1 Toxicity.
CREATION
Spellcasters are vain creatures, leaving marks on the world. Anima
are large marks with long impact. To create one, a Spellcaster must
give up a part of themselves (a bond, years, etc.) and infuse it into
an item. This is a process that can only be done within the dreams
of the Spellcaster. And once created, someone must go in, traverse
the Spellcaster’s mind, find it, and bring it out.

Bustard Wreath
Wraps around the neck and creates two duplicates of the wearer
who act under control of the wearer.

Small Water Engine

Can be carried, and projects an aura that allows air to be treated as
water. It’s loud while active.

Pulveriser
Motorized piston that can smash through any surface in one or
two shots. Sounds like thunder.

Blackbird’s Hex
Whistle that sparks when blown in, creating a note that calls
blackbirds from the surrounding area.

Cursefish of the Lake

A spiraling tube no bigger than a football that can hold a pond of
water in it
 Lilith’s Eye
Metallic eye filled with flakes of gold dust. Projects up-to-date
images of a person, place, or thing if shaken.
Carcass Jackhammer and Gloves
The jackhammer is immovable and immensely heavy, crushing
or pinning anything underneath it. The gloves make it weightless.
Starry Eyes
Face mask with big, black circles of glass for eyes. Staring at an
object catches it on fire after a few seconds.
Sealmaster Overspark
Buzzing orb that floats around a mage’s head. If they fall uncon-
scious it jolts them back to life.
Flamestrike
Sword that can absorb fires and wreath itself in flame.
Zombie Ward
Small orb that pulses in time with the holder’s heart. Produces an
aura that doesn’t allow anything with a beating heart to pass.
Golem Hive
Fist-sized seed. When planted in dirt, it creates a child-sized ho-
munculi made of earth.
Rescue Mission
Ray gun projects an aura of protection around a single target.
Cannot be harmed while the ray gun is active and pointed at them.
Apex Vanguard
Crying robot that knows the horrid, desolate future. Will answer
one question about the future before falling apart.
Mantra of Creation
Metal disk that a single person can stand on. When activated it
tears the person apart and sends them to a second metal disk
somewhere else. Two can be linked with proper research and un-
derstanding.
 MONSTROUS FORM
Corruption can be leaked out by giving in to magic’s force,
growing monstrous in some way. Up to 5 Corruption can be spent
in this way, but the more spent the more that mutates, and the
more volatile the transformation becomes. A mage can choose
their form, but after choosing it they’re stuck with it for all future
transformations. This form lasts until the mage does a number of
monstrous action equal to the Corruption spent.
Dragon
1. Dragon heart, must belch volcanic steam
2. Scaled arms and claws, must cut and smash
3. Leathery wings and scaled back, must show your might
4. Toothy maw, must chew and crush
5. Winged lizard form, must destroy the town
Blackbird
1. Feathered face, bird eyes, must stalk prey
2. Winged arms, must soar far away
3. Gnarled beak, must chew and crush
4. Grow larger and twisted, must eat and hide
5. Horrible bird creature, bus-length wingspan, must destroy
Snake
1. Forked tongue, must taste the scent of evil
2. Snake eyes and nose, must slither for prey
3. Fangs, must bite and poison the innocent
4. Snakes for arms, must wrap and choke and kill
5. Serpentine body and head, must swallow your enemies whole
Wolf
1. Wolf claws, must run free and naked
2. Hairy mane, wolf snout, must hunt and play
3. Elongated limbs, sharpened teeth, must eat and fight
4. Twisted spine, wolf head, must howl with your kin
5. Quadrupedal, covered in fur, huge wolf jaw, must eat
and tear and kill
 CHAPTER FIVE
MONSTERS
When a Spellcaster reaches 20 Corruption, they become a mon-
ster. These monsters can be tamed by other Spellcasters--vile
sorcerers with a penchant for domination--but more often than
not they are left to wander the Wastes, occasionally finding their
way into a town or city and running rampant until stopped.
Kings and Queens send squadrons of troops with rifles,
tanks made of hellfire, and bombing strafes of their flying war-
ships but to no avail. The monsters keep living, or, in some miracle
cases, the monster is destroyed along with the surrounding mile
of land, all being scorched in bomb-fire.
So instead they hire wizards, witches, warlocks, sorcerers,
and mages.
INDESTRUCTIBLE
Every monster is as powerful as the Corruption they accumulated
over 20 before transforming. This is known as their Indestructible
Rating. It’s the number of bombs that’s needed to wipe them out,
according to the kingdom’s recent records. But for Spellcasters, it’s
equivalent to the amount of Corruption needed to harm it.
A goblin has an IR of 1, meaning the most basic of spells
can be used to Harm and defeat them. While a dragon might
have an IR of 9 or higher, depending on how much it’s eaten.
That means a minimum of 9 corruption per spell must be used to
even Harm it. This is why research, spellbooks, and anima are so
important for the continued slaying of monsters.

I N D E
I B L E

S T R

U C T
 HARM
Monsters are made of a list of Harms they cause to others.
Reference it whenever a monster is attacking a Spellcaster or
destroying a town. Use them as a jumping off point when trying
to come up with Harm that can be done in unique situations. The
Harms listed are the comfortable and average actions the monster
will take when going about its day.
When it comes to slaying a monster, its list of Harms
doubles as its life. For every successful Harm inflicted on the
monster, cross one Harm off of their list and that action can no
longer be performed by the monster.
Through research, a Spellcaster should be able to discover
some or all of the Harms on the list, and tailor their spells to affect
the aspects of the monster that make those Harms possible. When
all Harm have been crossed off, the monster has been slayed.

DOESN’T WANT
The weak point of the monster. A soft spot that could be
exploited by a deft Spellcaster. It could be a fear, a part of its body
that’s weaker, a past injury, or a natural aversion to something,
such as fire or iron. If Harming a monster with something it
doesn’t want, cross off two of its listed Harms.

DOESN’T HAVE
This is what the monster wants, what it’s searching for. It could be
looking for the basic survival needs: food, water, and shelter. Or it
could be looking for something more abstract, carried over from
its former life as a Spellcaster; love, stability, or revenge. This is a
tool in the Spellcaster’s arsenal against the monster and could be
used to anger it into rash decisions, quell its rampage, or alter the
way it interacts with the Spellcaster in some way.
 COMMON MONSTERS

Goblin
IR 1
Harm
[wounded, kidnapped]
Doesn’t Want to be seen as an embarrassment to their Queen
Doesn’t Have a child to bring back to the Fae Queen

Werewolf
IR 3
Harm
[savaged, frightened, infected]
Doesn’t Want to be near anything silver like the moon
Doesn’t Have a pack to roam with

Zombie
IR 1
Harm
[infected, bitten, grappled, outnumbered]
Doesn’t Want you to stay yourself
Doesn’t Have enough “friends”

Dragon
IR 9
Harm
[roasted, destroyed, torn to shreds, devoured, smashed, stolen]
Doesn’t Want their home to be discovered
Doesn’t Have all the pretty little things their heart desires

Lich
IR 12
Harm
[zombified, disintegrated, experimented on, mind wiped]
Doesn’t Want their phylactery to be discovered
Doesn’t Have the magical artifact they desire
 Pre-war Artifact
IR 2
Harm
[bruised, dizzy, paralyzed]
Doesn’t Want to be shut down again
Doesn’t Have its laser gun
 CHAPTER SIX
WASTELANDER, KING & QUEEN
And here now I talk to You, dear reader. It’s come that time.
This game plays different from the kinds of games that rely on the
chance of dice rolls to determine success and failure. This game
is a balancing act of a few counters or currencies, all running
against each other. Success is based on the thinking and intent of
the Spellcasters you are guiding and not a set of stats or hit points.
It could appear daunting from the outside,
so please come in and get warm.

REMEMBER!
When you’re unsure about whether a certain spell should be able
to do the exact thing a Spellcaster wants that:
• There is always a cost, you can increase it
• The other Spellcasters are just as skilled and can have input
• Focus on the intent, get to the root of what they want
• The world is big and empty so it’s okay for a big explosion
BARGAINING
The meat of this game is in the bargain. The more the Spellcasters
open up to bargaining, the more that’s possible with their magic. If
success is still unclear...always come back to the bargain. You can
feel okay with letting them do something that feels overpowered
as long as the focus is on the bargain. Magic doesn’t care about the
balance of this game.
INTENT
It’s always best to focus on intent because in a game like this, the
intent of an action is important. Just ask the Spellcaster, “what do
you hope to accomplish?” or have them frame their actions in an
intent-focused way. “I want to do this thing in order to
accomplish this goal.”
 INSIGHT
Give information freely but don’t be afraid to make it cost some-
thing. If you’re ever unsure whether they should/would know
something, ask them for an Insight.
The most basic form of information are the five questions:
who, what, when, where, and why? Answering those questions
will help to give the basic information to the Spellcasters. Ask for
their help in regards to town, dungeons or anything else to flesh
out ideas.
Redhill, the town from beyond war
Who war veterans turned miners and their hungry families
What gargantuan vampire bat with a thirst for human blood
When thirty years after a war, but more specifically at night
Wheresome dried up canyon, but more specifically
by the new quarry
Why the gargantuan vampire bat wants shelter, but there is a
source of heat in the mines that also draws it here
Do this with your hometown or any city you’ve lived in or just
passed through. When you start connecting them up, eventually
you’ll have a countryside. Put as much onto your plate as you feel
capable of eating.
SAVES
Make the Spellcasters Save often. Character progression can be
measured in exp gained and the growth of their Saves list. There is
a strong sense of pride in getting several double-digit Saves while
not succumbing to Corruption. So make them Save, and often. By
the end of each Session it should be a tough choice as to which
Save a Spellcaster will keep.
 COST
If you’ve played other games that divide spells into levels, you can
use that as reference for power and cost, but always keep in mind
the power of the target, and the area of affect. Monsters have IR to
help measure power, but when it comes to other targets, the more
powerful they are, the moer it takes to affect them. This can be
social power, emotional power, or raw physical power. Reference
the chart below for help in coming up with Cost.
Person Cost # of Targets Cost
Child/Average Adult 1 Single Target 1
Soldier/Decent Artist 2 Two Targets 2
Nobility/Celebrity 3 3-5 Targets 3
Hero 4 Small Groups 4
Prince/Princess 5 Gatherings 5
King/Queen 6 Crowds 6
The greater the area of effect a spell intends to have increases its
cost as well. A single target won’t increase the Corruption gained,
but expanding it to two or more people will make the spell more
costly. Reference the above chart for help in coming up with Cost.

Distance between mage and spell target plays a part as well.

Anything that is within reach (meaning the mage can extend their
arms and touch it) would not increase the Corruption gained, but
pushing beyond that can make it more costly to cast. Reference
the below chart for help in coming up with Cost.
Distance Cost Things that might add cost
Reach 1 Can’t see the target/area
A few big steps 2 Cast spell without speaking
Quick walk 3 Cast spell without moving
Jog 4 Extending the spell after casting
Full sprint 5 Hiding the spell’s signature
Within Earshot 6 Already holding a spell
 HARM
When it comes to deciding non-spell-related things and their
effects, have the Spellcaster be at risk for Harm. If a Spellcaster asks
if they can locate some old hermit in the woods outside of town
and you have no idea, you can answer with, “I don’t know, there
might be. If you go searching you’ll be Saving against exhaustion.”
Sometimes making it risk something they weren’t expecting will
make them think of a different course of action, which is good!
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 CHAPTER SEVEN
RUNNING THE GAME
Pull the Spellcasters in every direction you can. They are wizards,
after all. The townsfolk are going to want something from them.
The ruling monarch will need a favor. Some other rich snob who
thinks they know what magic is will come asking for something.
Every so often there will be a legitimate problem thrown in and
having to balance that against all the minutae of the town should
make some tension.
But if it’s not, throw in the growing threat of war from the
surrounding kingdoms, as well as the monster, and you’ve got a
whole mess of conflicting desires and requests. To help start your
game off, roll once on each of the following tables and ask the
Spellcasters what they want
to do.

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 Common problems that don’t need magic
1. Mr. Johansson is going bald prematurely at the ripe age of 43. He needs
some hair ointment or his husband will leave him, surely.
2. The Great Dane Twins from down the way have a doll that they say belongs
to both of them and neither will back down. They demand a magic-infused
duel.
3. Ernest Rathbound has an upset tummy after too much cheese. What can
you do?
4. Mrs. O’Leary keeps losing her place while reading her book. She claims
pixies keep blurring her vision.
5. Baxter, the town sheep dog, keeps running away. The boy that cares for
him says that he’s real, real nice to Baxter. Can you find him?
6. The town drunk was struck on the head last night during an excursion and
is now doing advanced maths in the town square. Make him stop.
7. Kids are memeing on Mr. Wexler, the languages teacher. He wants to
reverse-meme them and is coming to you in earnestness.
8. Old Man Henderson has been showing kids his war paraphernalia from
way-back-when. A mother caught her son with a deactivated landmine.
9. Mrs. Julia’s garden is growing exceptionally beautiful this year. Or so the
Garden Society says. You don’t notice a thing.
10. The fishermen say the fish they’re catching are sparkling a different shade
of green than they normally do.
11. The sewer gratings are going missing. Is it giant rats, or just common
thieves looking for easy money?
12. The tavern is brewing its own beer that’s supposedly giving people
supernatural powers after they’ve had too much. The mayor’s worried.
13. Pie eating contest in town today. John Black wants you to help him not
throw up like he has the last couple years.
14. Little Tim is constantly bullied at school. He wants to learn karate or just
get ripped so he can beat them all up.
15. Ms. Connoley has a crush and needs help concocting the right words to
say so she doesn’t look like an idiot.
16. Bella says her father has gone a little loopy in his old age and she can’t take
care of him anymore. Can your magic help?
17. The tomato cart comes a little late on Saturday. The tomato demands keep
coming in and the cart has to start arriving early. Can you take care of that?
18. Someone keeps painting over the town welcome sign. The Mayor is
sickened by the obscene gestures presented. Find the punks responsible.
19. The neighborhood watch doesn’t like street performers. Is there anything
you can do, non-violent, to make them not want to perform?
20. The lack of summer jobs is making the children fat and lazy. How many of
the kids can you put to work at your shop?
 Only magic can solve these problems but they aren’t important
1. All the clocks in town begin running backwards. No adverse effects have
been noticed except the superstitious people pounding on your door.
2. Part of the town claims it rained frogs and they come with all these tiny
caskets for the frogs. They want an explanation and a sanctified burial.
3. All the cows are producing chocolate milk instead of the normal cream
they do. The farmer is concerned the town’s teeth will rot.
4. A tooth fairy has been snatching kids’ teeth from under their pillows and
leaving small chunks of gold, not coins. The parents feign ignorance.
5. The town’s small dogs have runaway to start a gang. They patrol the woods
and attack anyone who approaches them.
6. The kids in town are having a problem where their noses grow when they
tell a lie.
7. A shopkeeper’s broom and mop are animating every night and cleaning
the shop head-to-toe. He wants to question them.
8. A woman made a deal with the devil, supposedly, and can now play the
guitar better than any musician, living or dead.
9. The farmers think it’s raining too much and the crops are going to be
ruined. But the fishermen like it cause the fish are surging.
10. Joel needs his ex removed from his mind. Their breakup was bad and
apparently she had him removed, so why can’t you do the same for him?
11. The whole town was painted red overnight. No one knows why, or at least
that’s what they say. They just want you to find the culprit and fix it.
12. Kids are skipping class to go hang out in the woods. Mrs. Brookes says she
saw them with glowing crystals and booze.
13. A UFO flew over the bar last night and was heading for the fields. Now
Farmer Joseph is saying one of his cattle is missing.
14. Junior says he hears buzzing in his ears and he sneezes honey.
15. A shipment of jam hasn’t come in yet. The local bakery needs to locate that
jam cart or they’re ruined.
16. The oldest house in town is rumored to be haunted. People see ghostly
figures at night.
17. There’s been a series of graverobbings in nearby villages, but none in your
village. There are rumors that you’re a necromancer.
18. Agatha wants to speak to her husband once more before he is cremated.
Can you help her with that?
19. Papa Horatio can’t work with his back all messed up, and his kids are too
young to tend to the horses. Can you help get him?
20. A cartomancer rolls into town and starts doing tarot readings. People look
to them like a prohpet. Apparently they’re spreading rumors about you.
 The Nobility has a request
1. Reginald Von Schmute needs their twenty dogs walked.
2. Ms. Betsy has a greenhouse with exotic plants. Please take care of them
and don’t kill them.
3. The aloof Donald Conan is going hunting and needs assistance.
4. Princess Leona needs her room cleaned before her parents come home
tomorrow.
5. The Lord of the town’s manor is throwing a party, but he doesn’t have
booze. So can you get some?
6. The rain is annoying and these rich folk want it to go away. Can you do
that?
7. A rich person has died and they want to be buried in lava. You’ve been
tasked with accomplishing this.
8. The Mayor has written a novel and wants you to read it, critique it, and
then get it published.
9. Prince Harry doesn’t want to die and needs you to take care of that.
10. The Reading Club needs your deep critique on their latest erotic reading
choice.
11. The catering for the latest party fell through and they need you to fill in.
12. Mrs. Dewberry’s tea gets cold too quick. She needs you to find a way to
keep it hot for longer.
13. The weekly duel is about to occur between two fencers and both of them
want you to sabotage the other.
14. The Yacht Club is looking for an easy way to clean the barnacles off of their
boats.
15. The Richardsons are going out of town and need a babysitter.
16. The airship academy captain is in town and needs to be shown the sights.
17. The Royal Academy is sending advisors to check on your work. They will
be harsh and vocal.
18. Ms. Swanson cannot stand the ruffians that hangout by the town well.
Please get them to leave.
19. Harold and Jessica Quick need someone to play boardgames with. They
are lonely but nice people.
20. All the rich people in town want to throw a rave. They are coming to you
because you know magic.
 Actual problems
1. A dragon flew over town last night and now one of the children has scales
growing on their neck. The mother is worried they’ll grow on his face.
2. An old man keeps saying the world “Delicious” and other townsfolk think
it’s weird...until they start saying it too. It’s another memetic curse.
3. Nobody old has died recently and several people are having their 111th
birthday today. You smell plastic in the air. What could this all mean?
4. A body was found in the well. A child. But not one of the townsfolks’. Upon
inspection it’s found to be the Mayor, who was 54 just yesterday.
5. Someone new came into town saying they’re from a future where this plot
of land is nothing but ashes. They know a lot about you and others.
6. A meteor is aimed to break apart above the town. It could either be
beautiful or beautiful and destructive.
7. The local election is today and there were several tips sent in about an as-
sassination attempt on the current Mayor’s life.
8. Somebody in town is a shapeshifter. You received this information through
messenger dog. Blood was splattered on the note.
9. Strange smells from the bakery. What seems innocent turns out to be a
secret potions lab, illegally producing magical ointments for the black
market.
10. Pirates come into town looking for a little girl. They’re roughing people up
and threatening to snatch children.
11. There’s a crossroads in town that’s rumored to be a devil’s meeting place.
People swear they ain’t making deals, but it’s inevitable at this point.
12. An old book full of runes is found at the local library. When Thelma the
librarian looked at them she was possessed.
13. There’s an earthquake. You feel the early tremor and know a bigger one is
coming. You barely have time to prepare.
14. There was a strange flute played last night and now the town is full of rats.
15. Lucious plays a sad song on his cello and half the town begins to cry. No
one wants him to stop, they just want to keep crying.
16. A kid has a new pet jellyfish. Whenever she feeds it something, the whole
town forgets about it. Including history books.
17. It begins to rain for forty days and forty nights. The town will surely drown.
18. A few townsfolk come down with a wicked flu which quickly reveals itself
to be a fatal disease.
19. A missing kid returns more beautiful than when they left. They will reveal
themselve to be a troll, shapeshifting into a massive hideous beast to smash
their family.
20. The townsfolk light up their torches and grab their pitchforks to run you
out of town. This is sudden and unexpected. Do they even have a reason?
 Growing threat of war
1. Refugees from a foreign kingdom are scheduled to come in to town today.
You are tasked with determining who gets to stay and who has to go to the
next town.
2. Wounded platoon of soldiers comes in. They lost their tank and most of
their men. They need a place to lie low.
3. A child runs into town covered in ash and blood. They yell about the dead
walking. They quickly fall into a coma.
4. Two of the farmers shot at each other this morning. They don’t remember
a thing. In one of their barns there is a half-built war machine.
5. Undead are marching close to the village later today. The militia are ready
to fight but want to avoid that if possible. Can you detour them?
6. There’s a real homeless problem and the Mayor is getting anxious with the
reelection coming up. What should he do?
7. A small, dog-like robot shows up in town. Feeding it technology and metal
makes it grow, and its growing steady by the day.
8. The Mayor thinks there’s a spy in her midsts. Can you smoke them out?
9. The local militia were supposed to receive military battle plans yesterday
and they fear the messenger dog was attacked.
10. A captain in the royal navy declares the village the “front lines” and installs
themself as acting ruler.
11. A warship pulls into the bay, sinking from a recent battle. An enemy
bomber soars overhead to finish the job.
12. Rival nation’s warship flies low overhead. It’s crashing. There are civilians
onboard.
13. Cargo ship goes down outside of the village. They were carrying something
ancient and sacred...and living.
14. A green mist rolls over town and the dead begin to rise. Chemical warfare
from some far off battlefield has drifted to your village.
15. The town takes a few rogue mortar shots from far off. Misfires or
something far more sinister?
16. The kingdom is bombed. No one is sure what’s going to happen to them. Is
the village next? Is there even a King/Queen anymore?
17. Enemy military supply caravan rolls into town. Militia want to attack it.
Others want to let it pass. What do you do?
18. Enemy army is requesting permission to pass. The King/Queen is the only
one with that authority and you’re the only one that can reach them.
19. New artificer is brought into your apprenticeship to make weapons for the
kingdom. They are not friendly and don’t listen to you.
20. You are tasked with building a biological weapon for the kingdom. The
orders come from a third party as this is strictly illegal and could be
considered a war crime.
 Monster problems
1. A few kids have gone missing over the last two days. One of them had
complained to mother about a goblin before they disappeared.
2. Tiger paw prints were found circling the well. The water bucket was
scorched and the water all gone.
3. Turns out that at the bottom of the well, a Demon is trapped within its
perfect circle.
4. Sheep are being turned various shades of blue by a melancholic demon
that’s poisoned the watering hole
5. Large mushrooms are being found in the forest, each one producing a
strange odor that can only be described as “nostalgia incarnate.”
6. Dead fish are washing up on shore. Most of them untouched but drained
of blood.
7. A great crab is dropped from the sky, cracking on the ground. It was
dropped by a gargantuan bird.
8. Trees melt like Salvador Dali paintings and leak paint like blood.
9. The water dries up as a massive heat wave rolls in. The sun feels impossibly
closer.
10. Unnatural snowfall. It comes and goes every other day.
11. People sleepwalk at night, all trying to get out of their houses and go
somewhere. They aren’t sure where. When they wake up they only
remember a strange dream about a big fish.
12. Wax copies of townsfolk start walking into town, pretending they belong,
and melting at high noon.
13. Howls are heard at night. They grow louder as the moon grows fuller. On
a full moon, several deaths will occur.
14. Townsfolk swear they are seeing ghosts. They swear that the dead are
talking to them in dreams. They swear they are walking among us.
15. Black cats move into the surrounding area and start meeting in the town at
night. Some kids are fascinated.
16. A warmachine is uncovered beneath the town and for some reason there’s
too many people who cannot stop touching it.
17. Everyone in town is suddenly a very talented artist and drawing lots of
praise and acclaim from other kingdoms.
18. A melancholic haze settles on the town. Everyone laments their deepest
shames and secrets.
19. Megafauna sprouts up and overtakes the main thoroughfare. Eyes can be
seen in their depths.
20. A large set of prints is found outside of town. A grown man can lay down
in the print and spread eagle without touching the edges.
 ACTORS FOR YOUR PLAY
Making people up on the fly can be annoying for some and totally
impossible for others. Use the following charts to create the most
basic understanding of a character for you to act as.

Names
1. Alden 26. Graysen 51. Oswin 76. Van
2. Alf 27. Graham 52. Paxton 77. Vance
3. Ashlee 28. Hadlee 53. Peyton 78. Villads
4. Bailee 29. Haley 54. Princeton 79. Wade
5. Batilda 30. Harlan 55. Ramsey 80. Walker
6. Benton 31. Huxley 56. Raylee 81. Wayne
7. Byron 32. Jagger 57. Reid 82. Wesley
8. Camdyn 33. Justice 58. Remy 83. Weston
9. Carlton 34. Karter 59. Rowena 84. Willbrord
10. Chelsea 35. Keaton 60. Rovena 85. Willis
11. Coleen 36. Kelsea 61. Rohesia 86. Wilson
12. Dayna 37. Kimberlee 62. Ryder 87. Winston
13. Dwight 38. Kole 63. Rylee 88. Wynton
14. Denver 39. Landon 64. Saywer 89. Yvonne
15. Drake 40. Lawley 65. Scarlet 90. Yvette
16. Earline 41. Leigh 66. Sheldon 91. Yolanda
17. Easton 42. Lilla 67. Shelly 92. Yesenia
18. Edgardo 43. Lindsee 68. Sterling 93. Yasmin
19. Edith 44. Macee 69. Sunniva 94. Yara
20. Fay 45. Meadow 70. Tatum 95. Ysabel
21. Ford 46. Millard 71. Tanner 96. Yoana
22. Freda 47. Milton 72. Thatcher 97. Zoey
23. Frank 48. Neil 73. Tucker 98. Zachary
24. Gage 49. Nixon 74. Tyson 99. Zander
25. Gibson 50. Oakley 75. Uesli 100. Zelda
 They are a who wants
cautious 1 farmer respect 1
devilish 2 merchant the upper hand 2
crabby 3 apprentice to feel safe 3
dangerous 4 blacksmith someone to listen 4
wacky 5 guild member people to shut up 5
pushy 6 acolyte to get away 6
irritable 7 thief to take a break 7
irritating 8 guard intimacy 8
demanding 9 militia love 9
cowardly 10 veteran to not feel so empty 10
spineless 11 bar dweller food 11
lazy 12 hunter sleep 12
energetic 13 ranger to pet their cat 13
lying 14 clergry member to get home 14
monotone 15 stableboy to be at the bar 15
whispering 16 parent to quit their job 16
wheezing 17 babysitter a drink 17
sickly 18 hero a fight 18
creepy 19 carpenter to argue 19
jovial 20 chef to be useful 20

Oswin is a cautious carpenter who wants food

Alf is a crabby guard who wants intimacy
Reid is a lazy hunter who wants sleep
Lindsee is a jovial ranger who wants to get home
Earline is a spineless veteran who wants love
Lawley is a wacky blacksmith who wants to feel safe
Bailee is a pushy militiaman who wants someone to listen
Shelly is a creepy carpenter who wants to be at the bar
Yesenia is a whispering clergyman who wants respect
Sunniva is a lying acolyte who wants to fight
Sterling is a cowardly stableboy who wants to pet their cat
Lilla is a wheezing parent who wants to argue
 CHAPTER EIGHT
BACK TO THE LAB
Being a Spellcaster for the Kingdom is a cushy job. They pay for
the groceries, medical expenses, travel fare, etc. But they also
provide a place of business. Someplace to call home. Use the
below tables to create a Spellcaster’s home.

BUILDING TYPE (choose one)

Apartment, Trailer, Condo, High Rise, Cozy Coastal Home,

Treehouse, RV, Abandoned Airship, 2-Bedroom House,
Mansion Basement, Extra Dimensional Closet, College Lab,
Shed on the Castle Grounds, Traveling Cart, Witch House,
Cottage in the Woods, Lakeside Retreat.

SPECIAL PROPERTY (choose or make one)

Overgrown with poison vines

Undetectable by scrying
Invisible
Floating
Slightly bigger inside than outside
Windows show illusions inside
Secret entrance
Flies
Walks on many legs
Owned by a demon
Filled with several exotic animals
Waypoint for multi-dimensional travelers
Connected to the dreamworld
Connected to the castle by secret tunnel
Bakery attached
Always the proper temperature
 ROOMMATE (choose one)

One of the other Spellcasters, a black-sheep of the nobility, talking

cat, a cute werewolf boy, local high school teacher, ex-military
advisor for the king, a sentient sword, wannabe poet, an old friend
from before you became a Spellcaster, a mysterious
dragon hunter, a theater actor.

SOMETHING HAPPENED HERE (choose one)

A magical accident
Ghost haunting
Demonic ritual
Hiding spot for runaway soldiers
Alchemical lab for a rogue mage
Artificer’s experiment went awry
Local magistrate’s mistress was discovered there
A murder
Site of a military defeat for the kingdom
Supposed alien sightings
Some ancient urban legend
Hideout for a disbarred thieves guild
Horrible hostage situation several years ago
Ground is consecrated by a forgotten religion
Supposed gravesite of an ancient being

SHOW & TELL

Draw a picture of it.
Write a poem.
Tell everyone about the cool house.
It is cool, right?
 RUNNING A SHOP
Spellcasters have hobbies and the Kingdom provides the funds
necessary to enjoy them, as long as the hobby can be used to turn
a profit. If a Spellcaster wants to start a non-magical shop out of
their house or in town, here are some ideas to help that process
along. Or, to help you create a shop when the
Spellcasters may need one.

CREATING A SHOP
Grab a deck of cards and sit with the Spellcaster who wants to
create a shop. It takes time and resources to bring a shop to light.
It takes a bet.

Ask the Spellcaster to make a bet using Insight, or any material

possessions they have. Everything they put in could be doubled,
or, it could be lost.

After the bet is placed and you ask “are you super sure about this?”
draw two cards from the deck.
They can be from the top
or the bottom
or some
where
in
b
e
t
w
e
e
n

Ask the Spellcaster to choose their card and you get the other.
Count down from 3 and flip. Highest card wins the bet.
The shop opens and turns a profit if the Spellcaster wins.
It crashes and burns if the Spellcaster loses.
 NAME SHOPPE
Burping 1 Dragon Baker
Yawning 2 Portal Fisherman
Smiling 3 Sinkhole Candlemaker
Pretty 4 Canyon Delivery Service
Winter 5 Garden Tanner
Winking 6 Window Aviary
Flourishing 7 Sound Babysitter
Flying 8 Vote Coffee Shop
Deepest 9 Bottle Sushi Bar
Ever-glowing 10 Manor Tavern or Pub
Blooming 11 Unicorn Carpenter
Chubby 12 Blessing Jeweler
Newborn 13 Storm Smithery
Handsome 14 Flower Leatherworker
Weeping 15 Bride Costume Shop
Joyful 16 Angel Socialites
Ancient 17 North Piano Craftsman
Healing 18 Winds Guitar Makers
Pink 19 Queen Jazz Stores
Best 20 Dog Mechanics
Designers
FURTHER BETS Bottled Spirits Store
On a day off, a Spellcaster with Grocer
a shop can ask to make another Gardener
bet, trying to gain more Insight, Pawn Shop
or duplicate some items they Flower Shop
have, or put up something less Spelunking Store
tangible. Burger Joint
Ice Cream Bar
The same ritual is followed. Used Book Store
Draw two cards and let them Comic Shop
choose one. Winner take all. Beauty Salon
 REBEL MAGES
The Arcane Oath is taken seriously by all, even the Pirate Queens.
To break it is considered a crime and it is punishable by the full
force of each Kingdom’s laws. Depending on the circumstances,
a simple public apology would suffice, but oftentimes with more
serious rebellions, the Spellcaster is stripped of title and land, then
sent out to the Wastes, left to live their days in exile.
The most oft broken law is to “never refuse a request,”
which can be difficult when a town full of people want to bend
your ear. Every missed request is noted by the Kingdom, but some
carry more weight than others. Missing a request from a common
folk is okay as long as they don’t file reports against you en masse.
Missing one from the Nobility could be detrimental to your career
as they have the pull to get their complaint in front of King and
Queen. And ignoring a request from her highness is a deathwish.
You can track a Spellcaster’s crimes by collecting dice and
rolling them at the end of each session. If the total comes out to be
20 or higher, a royal auditor will come to address the situation and
demand the proper punishment. Reference below for dice.
Ignore a request from the Common Folk - d4
Ignore a monster attack - d6
Ignore a request from the warfront - d8
Murder/Misuse of Spellcaster Status - d10
Besmirching Queen and Country - d12
Ignoring a request from the Queen - d20
 THE ROYAL AUDITOR
Get one of your friends to play as the Royal Auditor, but do not let
them participate in the session. It might be better to get your mom
or dad or brother. Someone detached from the situation entirely.
Then you’ll need another friend to take notes. They could
have been present at the session or not. It doesn’t matter. They
will need a way to take notes. Paper and pen is more interesting,
especially if they have bad handwriting.
The Note Taker will listen to the player recap the last
session. You can butt in at any time to remind them of things or
make them look better or worse in the eyes of the Note Taker.
But after they’ve said all they can say, you take the notes and give
them to the Royal Auditor with no further explanation. If they
ask “what’s this about?” you should only state that you need a
judgement for this witch and ask them to please handle it for you.
Their answer is the decree of the Royal Auditor.

punishment
punishment

punishment
punishment

punishment

exile

punishment

punishment
punishment

punishment
punishment
 CURSES
If a plea is made to the Pact Lord, a Spellcaster may place a curse
on someone. The plea must be handwritten or typed and sent
to JohnBattle117@outlook.com and contain the following: a
very, very flattering introduction for the Pact Lord, lots of love,
a biting description of the party that should be cursed (make me
hate them), and what form they should be cursed as (give me a
few options in case the I’m feeling playful). The Pact Lord will
review the claim and send a reply in the form of “Yes” or “No”,
followed by the form that most pleases them.
Titles the Pact Lord Enjoys
His Holy Blatherness
Dark Demented Deed
Twisted Prayer
The Endless Splathering
Edgar Allen Poe
One Who Sees Beyond the Bull
Dark Demented Deed (again)
The Old Mutt
My Queen
The Backwards Sound
Things the Pact Lord Hates
Mentioning the weakness of his mortal coil
Milk
Humid Summer Days
Gin (blegh)
A Needy Subordinate
The Unnatural Shape of her Physical Form
Cheeseburger In Paradise
When he gets gassy
Feeling Bloated
Sleeping In
 FORM
Curses work on what might seem a limited basis, but the
abject purpose of a curse is nothing beyond humiliation.
Sure, a person might learn a lesson while cursed to another form.
We learn things every day. But that is not the point. There are no
planned character arcs. No grand narratives. Just embarrassment
and the joy a Spellcaster gets from watching a fool fumble with a
new form. Roll or choose one from below (though, with a good
argument, the Pact Lord might agree to a different form).
Forms In all manner of curses, since
1. Swamp Frog the Pact Lord is a lovesick slob,
2. Old Person only True Love’s kiss can break
3. Scarecrow it. No matter how many letters
4. Spider you write, the Pact Lord will
5. Bull not interfere with a person’s life
6. Big Fat Pig further after they break a curse.
7. A Mangy Cat You had your fun. Be warned, if
8. Hairy and Hideous Beast you send a second or third letter
9. Sleeping Person the Pact Lord may curse you.
10. Old, Grey Bear

FOR
11. Crooked-Beak Raven
12. Scarred Doe
13. Green Duck
14. Block of Wood
15. Delicate Flower

M
16. Wild Man
17. Small, Crying Baby
18. Dancing Fool
19. Chubby Donkey
20. Stinky Skunk
 THE WASTES
brutal cruel savage inhuman
harsh severe grim bitter
pitiless relentless remorse ruthless
mercy demise end expiration
passing disintegration fall ruin
failure downfall breakdown crash
collapse destroy devestate wreck
lay waste stun shatter
shock dumbfound traumatize crush
stupefy stupor befudle astound
overwhelm submerge swamp engulf
bury deluge flood vanquish
overcome marsh bog cesspool
downpour torrent avalanche stream
storm river gush surge
spout volley battery bombardment
broadside gunfire cannonade profusion
riot pile crowd cloud
billow drove swarm darkness
gloom threat menace shadow
specter blight ghost phantom
wraith spirit soul illusion
hallucination dejection night wickedness
corruption tragic catastrophic cataclysmic
calamitous dismal negative downbeat
glum morose sulky dour
dilapidated derelict incubate hatch
dingy drab terrible unwelcome
wet inclement cold chilly
bitter bleak raw wintry
freezing snowy inhospitable empty forbidding
vacant uninhabited clear meaningless
worthless vain drain void
melancholy misery sadness sorrow
woe distress trouble difficulty
trial tribulation burden load
cargo weight charge onus
liability drift intention oppress
worry pain agony affliction
torture torment discomfort bother
labor exertion strain hurt
throb ache pang twinge
gnawing stabbing grieve pound
biting chomping munching nibbling
nagging plague eroding abrade
crumble grind pulverise powder
annihilate rout retreat dispel
scatter defeat skewer spear
gore spike thrust jab
poke prod dig lunge
puncture slash incision prick
cut spasm cramp shot
chop slice dice mince
carve divide slaughter dispatch
wretched blithering confounded inadequate
meager scanty paltry amazed
astonished surprised startled countered
baffle mystify perplex puzzle
complicate enigma paradox terror
fright fear imp devil
dread nightmare monster fiend
trepidation anxiety awful grave
serious ill unwell sick
nauseous awesome sublime queasy
bilious green emetic drowse
surrender submit arid desert
banal colorless vapid dead
That’s all I got. Tweet @thebestpupper with any questions and
they can be added to the second edition or something.
Based on or Inspired by
Howl’s Moving Castle
Bloodborne
Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Pathologic 2
Fire Emblem
Castle in the Sky
Stay Still. Stay Silent.
The Music of Dark Souls
Breath of the Wild
Infinity on High
Kill Puppies for Satan
Anti-Sisyphus
Doth’s twitter account
This game came from a recent rewatch of Howl’s Moving Castle
and Bloodborn bled its way in. So it goes.

Harry Bombersnatch’s video on Pathologic has plagued my mind

and I have wanted to do a game where you are keeping track of
counters as opposed to stats and stuff.

The Gear Bubbles are stolen from Jared Sinclair’s 6E. I have no
idea if he stole it from someone else.

The layout was inspired by the general layout of paperback novels,

and most notably, Vincent Baker’s layout for Apocalypse World.

Cover and Chapter font is Dream Catcher, header font is

Quicksand (bolded), and the body font is Minion Pro.

All art is done by Ilana Dorothy Steinberg. All writing is done by

Batts. Layout as well. Editing was done by Coleen Wakeland.