A Terrible

Fate

A game of Doom
and Transformation
Headline
Sub-heading
Game Design by Mint-Rabbit.
Layout by Mint-Rabbit.
Graphic Editing by Mint-Rabbit.
Playbook Design by Mint-Rabbit.
This is a Forged-in-the-Dark game
suitable for 3-4 players and mid-
length campaigns.
This pdf uses the Wild Breath of
Zelda font by Chequered Ink, the
RocknRoll One font by Fontworks
Inc., and the Canela Deck font by
Commercial Type.
The Mask mechanics of this game
are inspired by the Masks of
Brinkwood: Blood of Tyrants, by Far
Horizons Co-Op. The SRD for
Brinkwood can be found by clicking
on the attached link.
2
2 3
Doom
The world is ending. A comet is
falling; the moon is fading; the sun
is growing dark. In three days, we
will succumb to the heavens
abandoning us to the cold and dark,
or burning us up in a whirlwind of
fire and ash. That is, unless the four
Great Spirits can awaken.
You are heroes, called upon by
the people to dive deep into the
dungeons in which the Spirits
slumber. Discover what has put
them to sleep, and free them from
whatever traps them deep within
their winding halls. Keep your
promise to the people, and the land
will be free.
A Terrible Fate is a lightweight
Forged-in-the-Dark game
about cursed heroes using a
time loop to free the land
from impending doom. These
heroes will use magic masks
that they have been granted in order
to open up cursed dungeons and
free the Spirits that can save the
land from this tragedy.
Over the course of the game, you
will continuously turn back the clock
to give your troupe more time,
learning how to unlock and cleanse
dungeons in order to reach the
Great Spirits within. Your dungeon
progression is only saved if you can
finish it in a three-day loop; if you
re-set the clock, you'll find fresh
complications popping up in places
you have already trod.
You are also tasked with healing
the aches and pains of the people
around you, helping them soothe
their sorrows and resolve their
regrets. Helping these folks fix their
problems will give you the inner
strength to persevere, granting you
new abilities as you adventure
deeper into darkness.
The Characters
You likely have a rich and storied
history, of heroism, adventure and loss.
You might be lost, cursed, or a refugee
from another dimension, but for the
folks who live here, your stories do not
matter. The world is ending in three
days, and they won't remember you
anyway. What matters is the fact that if
you do not do something to save this
world, you will die with it. When you
create your character, your character
might have many different kinds of
stories about who they were before, but
in this land, you are a stranger who can
help - and that's all that matters.
Your Doom
Navigate - You might use Navigate to
find your way in a misty forest, or
search through a sandstorm. You might
use it to get through a maze full of
armoured guards, although Maneuver
might be better.
Scry - You could use Scry to find ghosts
in the walls of an old castle, or speak
the language of someone long dead.
You could use it to read the text of a
long-dead king, although Study might
be better.
Tinker - You might Tinker with
components to make them last longer,
or add magic to mundane weapons. You
could Tinker with explosives to blow
open a door - although Wreck might be
better.
Skirmish - You might Skirmish by
entering in a sword fight against a jelly
monster, or trade insults with a local
brawler. You might use it to tear
through a spider-web, although Wreck
might be better.
Wreck - You could Wreck a clay pot to
gain access to the treasure inside, or to
set fire to something flammable. You
could Wreck a horde of oncoming
skeletons, although Skirmish might be
better.
Study - You might Study the signs on
an ancient ruin to determine the
location of a key, or Study an enemy's
movements to discover its weaknesses.
You could Study the mechanisms of a
treasure chest to open it - although
Tinker might be better.
Your Items
You have a sword, and one
consumable item of your choice. As
you play, you will acquire more items
to help you survive the dungeons
and the things that plague them.
You can hold 5 items other than
your sword, whether they be single-
use healing potions or valuable
weapons like a bow.

You may save the world, but the toll
on your character will be great. Choose
which Doom will haunt your character
as they strive to save the world. If you
role play or invoke your character's
Doom, you gain XP at the end of the
session.
Your Action Ratings.
Your Action Ratings are things you
can do as you navigate the world
around you. Highlight 3 Action Ratings.
If your Action Rating is highlighted, you
can add an extra dice to a roll when you
attempt something dangerous or
daring.
Insight
Charm - You might use Charm to
convince a circus performer to tell you
their secrets, or to put a nervous bride
at ease. You could use it to convince an
old grandmother to tell you a legend -
although Negotiate might be better.
Prowess
Command - You might use Command to
order a number of skeletons to follow
you, or to tell a city guard to stand
down. You could use it to get a group
of local boys to give you their journal,
although Charm might be better.
Maneuver - You could Maneuver over a
wall with vines, or across a pool of
water while being chased by angry
goblins. You could also use Maneuver
to gain the high ground in a fight,
although Skirmish might be better.
Starting Consumable Items
• 5 Torches
• A Healing Potion
Resolve • 5 Stun-Nuts
• A Secret-Seeker Beetle
Hunt - You could Hunt a small animal by • A Length of Rope
following its tracks, or by drawing a
bow to shoot something at a distance.
You could use Hunt to follow a ghost
through an empty tomb - although Scry
might be better.
Negotiate - You may Negotiate with a
local banker to get him to sell you a
larger wallet, or to convince a snake
charmer to teach you his song. You
could use it to convince a weary spirit
to stop haunting a local village -
although Soothe might be better.
Soothe - You can Soothe the haunted
soul of a spirit in anguish, or calm a
worried villager who has regrets. You
could Soothe someone through the
playing of an instrument, or simply by
listening to their story - although
Charm might be better.

4 5

Your consumable item is a
remnant of your life before you
showed up here. After you use up
the item or turn back the clock, you
no longer have it, and you'll have to
find a way to get more of it. You can
do this re-doing quests for NPCs
who you have already met. As you
play, you can also work with the GM
to come up with new consumable
items that make sense
for various NPCs to
carry.
Promises
As you have learned about the
oncoming doom, so too have you
heard of some of the regrets and
hopes of the people around you. List
up to three promises that you have
made to various NPCs; these will be
motivators that will grant you XP at
the end of each session.
These NPCs will not remember
the effort you take to solve their
problems, and their problems will re-
set every time you turn back the
clock. However, your knowledge
about the world you are trying to
save will grow with every cycle, and
you'll gain access to more and more
items, improving your ability to
complete your missions efficiently.
You have made a fourth promise
to the people of this land: to rid
them of the
Terror that will
End the World.
Every time you
spend a session
delving into a
dungeon, you
are working to
fulfill this
promise.
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Harm, Stress and Curses
Your character has three levels of
Harm, which you may incur as you
venture deeper and deeper into
Dungeons. Taking on a 1-level harm
imposes a penalty on how effective
you are at any task that would suffer
from your wounds. Taking on a 2-
level harm subtracts a dice from any
dice pool that you roll, reducing
your chances of success. Taking on
a 3-level harm indicates that you
Need Help, and cannot do anything
unless you have help from someone
else, or you push yourself to
perform the action.
Your Stress is a mark of the aches
and pains you accumulate through
the dangers of the Dungeons. You
can mark Stress to improve your
chances of success when you roll, or
to indicate how you resist harsher
consequences, such as Harm or
various complications.
When you fill your Stress inside a
Dungeon, you take on a part of the
land's curse. Mark one of the Cursed
conditions on your character sheet,
and clear your stress track. If you
mark all 4 Curses, you have
succumbed to your
Doom; you are pulled
inside the Mask and
fade from memory, and
another adventurer
rises to take your
place.
Outside of the Dungeon, you can
clear Stress by taking time to relax.
For every pip of Stress you wish to
relieve, you must fill in a slice of the
Clock. By spending your downtime
in this manner, you edge ever closer
to the End of the World, so make
sure you have your Mask of Time
handy in case you need to go back
to the beginning!
The Masks Every Mask also has a restriction:
something that limits you or harms you
In fighting the Great Terror, you are in some way. Embracing these
not alone. You have each-other, and restrictions is one way to gain
you also have the Masks. experience when you are wearing this
Mask.
The Masks are the physical
embodiment of heroes' souls, the You can level up your Mask at the
courage of past adventurers preserved end of a dungeon run, by answering the
into a tangible form. If you die, you are Mask prompts. You can only level up
sure to find yourself among them. the Mask you used. If you have
These Masks contain the skills, unlocked all four Mask abilities on any
knowledge, and magic of various given Mask, you can instead unlock a
peoples and cultures, which can be new Mask for the party to use.
drawn upon when inside a place of
great danger, such as a Dungeon. When you enter into a new Dungeon,
characters may wish to choose a
When you dive into your first different mask to wear. When they do
Dungeon, your characters will each so, their player can re-configure the
pick up a Mask. You will have the three mask, re-assigning the mask ability for
basic Masks, and an additional mask to their own use in the Dungeon.
match each member of the party, plus
the Mask of Time.
• 2-3 Players: Forest, Ocean, Volcano.
• 4 Players: Forest, Ocean, Volcano,
Mountain.
• 5 Players: Forest, Ocean, Volcano,
Mountain, Death.
The Mask of Time will help you re-
set the time loop should you get too
close to the End of the World. You can
also choose to bring it with you into a
Dungeon.
Each Mask has 4 abilities; every time
a new person picks up a Mask, they can
choose which ability (or abilities) the
Mask grants them. Some abilities cost a
point of Magic in order to be able to
use; you can fill your Magic by fulfilling
promises. Each Mask can hold up to 4
pips of Magic.
Mask
Of Time
The gentle purple of
lavender, petrified wood,
amber encasing ancient
insects. The Mask of Time is
a silent observer, always
watching, remembering
everything, the healer of all
wounds.
Restriction: You cannot
speak when wearing the
Mask of Time. Also, all
abilities require Magic to
power.
At the end of a session, if
your actions reflected one of
of the prompts below once,
mark 1XP. If you met one of
the prompts below twice,
mark 2XP. When you fill the
XP Track, increase the
Mask's Level or open up
access to a new Mask.
The Mask of Time has 4 Abilities.
Time Skip: You can move
time forward a few seconds. In
order to move forward more
than a minute, you must spend
a point of Magic.
Rewind: You can spend a
point of Magic to move time
back a few seconds or replay a
round of combat.
Slow Time: You can spend a
point of Magic to slow time
down, giving you +Effect on
tasks that require precision or
timing.
Freeze Time: Spend a point
of Magic. You can freeze time,
for you and your companions.
This lasts for up to a minute.
A three-eyed frog, moss
crawling over rough bark, a
tusked, pig-nosed boar. The
Forest Mask is the
embodiment of curiosity and
desperation, of looking for
secrets, for solutions, for
answers
Restriction: You are
fragile in this form. All Harm
received while wearing this
mask is one step higher.
At the end of a session, if
your actions reflected one of
of the prompts below once,
mark 1XP. If you met one of
the prompts below twice,
mark 2XP. When you fill the
XP Track, increase the
Mask's Level or open up
access to a new Mask.
Forest
Mask
The Forest Mask has 4 Abilities.
Camouflage: You can blend
in with forested areas and
foliage, or your surroundings.
Animal Speech: Animals can
understand you and talk to you.
Summon Insects: You can
spend a point of Magic to
summon a horde of insects to
you, and have them do your
bidding for a scene.
Snout: You grow a snout-like
orifice, from which you can
shoot projectiles.

Did you feel the pain of

the Mask's Restriction? Did you feel the pain of
Level the Mask's Restriction? Level
Did you meet an obstacle
with calm and patience? Did you look for
explanations or answers?
Did you use this Mask to Magic Magic
fulfill a promise? Did you use this Mask to
fulfill a promise?

8 9
Volcano
Mask
Black gritty charcoal,
cracked stone with lava
veins, bright-red painted
wood carved into flames.
The Volcano Mask is full of
energy and anger, bursting
with a desire to strike back
at everything that hurts.
Restriction: You cannot
swim or touch water while
wearing this mask. Touching
water deals Harm: Sodden.
At the end of a session, if
your actions reflected one of
of the prompts below once,
mark 1XP. If you met one of
the prompts below twice,
mark 2XP. When you fill the
XP Track, increase the
Mask's Level or open up
access to a new Mask.
Did you feel the pain of
the Mask's Restriction?
Did you let your anger
boil over and engulf
everything around you?
Did you use this Mask to
fulfill a promise?
10
The Volcano Mask has 4 Abilities.
Iron Stomach: Spend a point
of Magic to eat anything, even
stone. Poisons cannot harm
you.
Heat Protection: You can
withstand intense temperatures
and searing flames.
Super Strength: You are able
to lift heavy boulders and large
objects that you could not
normally carry.
Fireball: You can shoot blasts
of molten lava.
Level
Magic
Ocean
Mask
Mother-of-pearl inlay, a
carved-out abalone, turtle The Ocean Mask has 4 Abilities.
shells, a carved piece of
driftwood. The Ocean Mask Gills: You can breathe
carries the tears and grief of underwater.
a thousand souls, the
regrets and ache for actions
that cannot be undone. Echolocation: You have the
ability to detect obstacles at
long distances, both
Restriction: Your underwater and in the dark.
movement is as if you were
moving through water. -1d
to any actions that require
speed. Bubble Manipulation: Spend
a point of Magic to create a
At the end of a session, if Bubble. These bubbles can hold
your actions reflected one of small objects, provide a
of the prompts below once, reflective surface, and float
mark 1XP. If you met one of upwards unless held.
the prompts below twice,
mark 2XP. When you fill the
XP Track, increase the Water Blade: You grow razor-
Mask's Level or open up sharp fins on your forearms,
access to a new Mask. which you can use like a bladed
weapon.
Did you feel the pain of
the Mask's Restriction? Level
Did you struggle to bear
the grief of loss and regret?
Magic
Did you use this Mask to
fulfill a promise?
11
Mountain
Mask
Chipped stone, bitter ice,
gems embedded into the
eyes. The Mountain Mask is
the durability borne of
necessity, the cold,
unfeeling core of someone
who has seen far too much
for far too long.
Restriction: You are
susceptible to fire while
wearing this mask. If you
come close to fire, take Lv 2
Harm: Cracked. If you touch
fire, Lv 3 Harm: Scorched.
At the end of a session, if
your actions reflected one of
of the prompts below once,
mark 1XP. If you met one of
the prompts below twice,
mark 2XP. When you fill the
XP Track, increase the
Mask's Level or open up
access to a new Mask.
Did you feel the pain of
the Mask's Restriction?
Did you bear the
unbearable?
Did you use this Mask to
fulfill a promise?
12
The Mountain Mask has 4 Abilities.
Glide: You can withstand falls
from tall heights, and always
land on your feet.
Eagle Eye: Spend a point of
Magic to see from a far
distance, and gain +Effect when
aiming.
Withstand Cold: You can
survive (and operate well) in
freezing temperatures.
Speed of the Rabbit: You can
run twice as fast as your
companions, without breaking a
sweat.
Level
Magic
White dove feathers,
gleaming gold snakeskin,
scarred wood with golden
veins. The Mask of Healing
is a product of the hard,
slow work of restoration and
recovery, and the scars that
remind us of how far we've
come.
Restriction: You are
unable to cause harm or
damage to other living
creatures while wearing this
Mask.
At the end of a session, if
your actions reflected one of
of the prompts below once,
mark 1XP. If you met one of
the prompts below twice,
mark 2XP. When you fill the
XP Track, increase the
Mask's Level or open up
access to a new Mask.
Did you feel the pain of
the Mask's Restriction?
Did you struggle to bear
the grief of loss and regret?
Did you use this Mask to
fulfill a promise?
Mask of
Healing
The Mask of Healing has 4 Abilities.
Powers of Persuasion: You can
calm an angry monster or
creature, and convince a
stubborn person to stand down.
Magical Healing: Spend a point
of Magic to clear one level of
Harm for yourself or another
character.
Soothing Song: You can sing
a musical tune or play an
instrument (and spend a point
of Magic) to clear 2 marks of
Stress.
Extended Stamina: You have
the ability to climb, run or swim
for farther or longer than a
regular person, even if you are
carrying something heavy.
Level
Magic
13
Mask of
Change
A pair of faces, an animal
face, a blurred eyeless
facade. The Mask of Change
holds the feeling of looking
into the mirror and not
recognizing the body in
which you reside.
Restriction: Your
transformations are
unstable. You must accept a
Devil's Bargain if the GM
offers one; you can bargain
the terms, but cannot
refuse.
At the end of a session, if
your actions reflected one of
of the prompts below once,
mark 1XP. If you met one of
the prompts below twice,
mark 2XP. When you fill the
XP Track, increase the
Mask's Level or open up
access to a new Mask.
Did you feel the pain of
the Mask's Restriction?
Did you bear the
unbearable?
Did you use this Mask to
fulfill a promise?
14
The Mask of Change has 4 Abilities.
Change Shape: Spend a
point of Magic. You can alter
your physiology to resemble
that of another person or
monster for a scene.
Illusion: For a scene, you can
create an illusion of an object,
person or creature.
Growth: For a scene, you can
grow to fill a room or shrink to
fit in a tight space.
Armour: Spend a point of
Magic. You can surround
yourself with tough
impenetrable armor for the
duration of a single fight.
Level
Magic
Death
Mask
A bone-white skull, a
toothy grimace, a stain of The Death Mask has 4 Abilities.
blood trailing from the
crown. The Death Mask is a Invisibility: You can turn
grim reminder of what invisible for a scene.
comes for us all, a final and
still embrace.
True Sight: You can see
through illusions and facades.
Restriction: The Death You can also see the invisible.
Mask is incredibly taxing on
your mind and body. Each
use of a Special Ability costs
a point of Stress.-1d to any Speak With Undead: You can
actions that require speed. speak with undead creatures
and ghosts.
At the end of a session, if
your actions reflected one of
of the prompts below once,
mark 1XP. If you met one of Ghost-Walk: Spend a point of
the prompts below twice, Magic to walk through walls and
mark 2XP. When you fill the other obstacles.
XP Track, increase the
Mask's Level or open up
access to a new Mask.
Did you feel the pain of
the Mask's Restriction? Level
Did you cause someone
to fear you or fear death?
Magic
Did you use this Mask to
fulfill a promise?
15
 Rolling the Dice

Playing To do something interesting in A

Terrible Fate, roll 1d6. Take +1d if
you have a highlighted Action Rating
and +1d if you have a relevant item.

The Game If you want extra dice, you can

Push yourself. This involves taking 2
Stress to add another dice. You can
also get help from a friend, who can
give you +1d and only take 1 Stress.

Instead of Pushing Yourself, you

can instead take a Devil's Bargain. If the GM dishes out a
This involves the GM invoking a consequence or harm that you don't
complication or cost that will want to take, you can choose to
Effect is a measure of how happen regardless of what you roll, Resist it. You roll your lowest stat
Position and Effect powerful a success might look like. and then between Insight, Prowess or
The most common roll will operate at giving you Resolve, and take the highest
When you are about to do Standard Effect, but circumstances +1d. number. Then mark 6-that number
something interesting in A Terrible may downgrade your roll to Lesser to figure out how much Stress it will
Fate, the GM will first tell you about or even No Effect if your solution to You can cost you.
your Position and your Effect. the problem doesn't seem to fit it also choose
very well. Using the right tool for the to trade in For example, Tara chooses to
Your player can approach a job or operating in ideal your Item resist a broken ankle. She rolls her
problem from three different levels circumstances may see you rolling dice or look lowest attribute: Insight, in this
of difficulty: Controlled, Risky or at a Greater or even Extreme Effect, to special case, and rolls a 4. She only needs
Desperate. A Risky Position is the and you will have some assets on abilities on to mark 2 Stress on her Stress clock.
most common difficulty and is likely your character sheet that will help your current
going to be the default place where you boost how effective you are if Mask to improve your Effect. If you When your Stress Clock fills, you
most of your rolls will start. you don't like your chances. choose to make your roll more mark a Curse, and clear the clock. If
dangerous (From Controlled -> you character marks their 4th Curse,
If you are in a Controlled Position, Risky or from Risky -> Desperate), they are consumed by the magic
you likely have a pre-defined Controlled Risky Desperate you can also increase the level of within the Masks, and are lost to
advantage, have plenty of time to your Effect. their Doom. Create a new
complete your action, or are adventurer, and continue on your
perhaps operating with the most No Effect If the highest dice is... quest.
information you can possibly have.
Your consequences of failure are Lesser • 1-3: Lose your position, take
small, and you may even have the Effect harm, lose time, or take a major
chance to try your action again, just Standard complication.
in a slightly worse position. Effect
• 4/5: Have a partial success, or
If you are in a Desperate Position, Greater succeed with minor harm or a minor
you are operating at a disadvantage; Effect complication.
perhaps you have to act quickly, or Extreme
are going up against multiple foes. Effect • 6: You do it; major success if
The consequences of failure or a you roll multiple 6's.
partial success are likely to be Position & Effect Matrix
especially dire or painful on a If you roll more than one 6, you
Desperate roll. also take increased effect.

16 17
 The Dungeons
The Dungeons of this world were
majestic places once, sacred, cared
for and beloved. But the Terror that
has gripped this world and pulled
the Comet down upon you has
seeped into these places and
corrupted them. These Dungeons
must be cleansed if you are to free
the Great Spirits living
within them.
In order to do this,
your heroes must brave
the obstacles placed
within each Dungeon,
and fight the source of
the Dungeon's
corruption (more
colloquially known as the
dungeon Boss). Inside
these dungeons, you will also find
items that will help you enter new
dungeons, and help fulfill your
promises to local villagers.
To save the world, you must
cleanse 4 Dungeons. If you do not
completely cleanse it, the Dungeon
re-sets after you turn back time.
This means that you must clear the
Dungeon in three days. When you
will have freed the 4 Great Spirits,
they will help you save the world.
The Dungeon Elements
Each Dungeon has a number of
elements that will need to be
designed beforehand. These
elements are the Dungeon's
Context, Monsters, Loot, and
Obstacles.
18
Context: Where is the Dungeon,
and how is it corrupted? What is this
dungeon used for and how has that
use been taken away?
Monsters: What creatures plague
the Dungeon? How do they fight and
what are their weaknesses? What is
a commonality amongst most of
these monsters?
Loot: What special item is
within this Dungeon? What
does it grant you that you
didn't have before?
Obstacles: What puzzles
are involved in this dungeon?
What is special about this
Dungeon's layout, and how
does it relate to the
monsters, the Loot and the Context?
You'll also need to design the
Dungeon Boss. This should happen
after you've determined the other
elements; you'll want to incorporate
some commonalities from the other
Monsters in the dungeon, and if you
can make the Dungeon Item crucial
in fighting the Boss, that is even
better! You'll also want to think
about how this Boss is part of (or a
victim to) the corruption that is
plaguing this dungeon.
There is more
information
about this in
a later
section,
Running the
Game.
Promises and NPCS
The people of this land are
wracked with grief, regret and guilt,
over words said or unsaid,
mementos lost or misplaced, and
milestones un-met. As the end of
the world comes ever closer, they
see you as a source of hope; and so
they come to you, weary with their
burdens, asking you to carry some
of the weight.
Your character will
begin the game with up to
three promises they made
to various NPCs during the
first 24 hours of their stay here.
These promises may come in the
form of lost pets, undelivered
letters, missing relatives and more.
You must define the name
of the NPC, what is
troubling them, and what
kind of quest they have for
you.
After the first time you fulfill a
promise for an NPC, you can fulfill
the quest again, but you will not get
another point of XP. Instead, the
NPC can become a resource for a
consumable item. In order to get
new XP, you will need to find a new
NPC and fulfill a new quest.
Example Quest
Tarana is grieving the loss of her
father, because she feels like she never
lived up to his expectations. She wants
to see one of her chicken eggs hatch,
in order to prove to herself (and her
father's spirit) that she's learned how
to take care of something.
Quest: Find a chicken that will sit on
an egg long enough to
get it to hatch.
When Toron, the
adventurer, finds a coop
of chickens on the way
to the Great Hollow
Tree, he decides to Study the chickens
to determine which one is the laziest.
He takes this one back with him to
Tarana, and gifts her the chicken,
granting him an additional XP at the
end of the session.
In the future, the GM rules that
Toron can go to Tarana for Chicken
Eggs, which can be thrown to startle
enemies or eaten to heal Harm.
However, Toron will need to seek out
another NPC to help if he is to gain
experience and grow as an adventurer.
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Cycle of Play
There are two modes of play that
happen within A Terrible Fate;
outside and inside the Dungeons.
When you are outside the
Dungeons, you are in Free Play. You
might go on small quests to fill your
Promises, stock up on supplies to
help you when you delve, spend
time healing your wounds, or find
clues as to where you need to go
next.
When you are inside the
Dungeon, you are in Dungeon Mode.
You will have to progress through
the Dungeon, learning how to fight
the creatures within and navigate
through blocked passages,
inaccessible platforms, and hostile
environments. Each Dungeon
contains a special Item that you will
need in order to complete the
dungeon, as well as a Dungeon
Boss, the source of the corruption
that is trapping the Great Spirit
inside the Dungeon.
Progress inside the Dungeon will
only be saved if you can complete
the Dungeon within three days. If
you leave the Dungeon to heal harm
or complete a different quest, any
creatures that you killed through
your first run will come back - and
might be less forgiving this time
through.
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Turning Back the Clock
When you Turn Back The Clock,
you must roll a dice pool. You start
with 1d, and add an extra dice for
each Spirit that you have awakened.
The corruption grows more
concentrated in the places you have
yet to free. You must use the highest
result of whatever you roll.
On a 6+, a monster is spotted
outside of a dungeon. You must fight
it before you can enter the next
Dungeon.
On a 4/5, the path to the next
Dungeon has been obscured. You
must look for clues to open up the
path.
On a 1-3, you learned something
in your last three-day cycle that
makes it easier for you to find the
next Dungeon. Describe what this
clue is, and how you found it.
If you rolled
more than one
1, gain an extra
item that you
can bring into
the next
Dungeon with
you.
Free Play For longer campaigns or more
relaxed stretches of Free Play, use a
After every Dungeon, the 12-slice clock for each day. For
characters will likely have to head shorter campaigns, or games that
back to town and recover, re-supply, heighten the stress and focus on the
and re-connect. There will be new Dungeons, use a 6-slice clock
NPCs who have regrets you can instead.
soothe through promises, and
familiar NPCs with consumables that
you can receive.
As you enter Free Play, you'll
need to mark ticks on the day clock
for the amount of Stress you wish to
clear, and within that time your
characters will reconnect with the
folks who they've bonded every time
they turn back the clock.
If you think the group spent more
time outside the Dungeon than what
was needed to relieve stress, you
might want to tick more steps on the
Day Clock.
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Running the Game
The bulk of running A Terrible Fate
will involve designing the dungeons
that the adventurers need to cleanse. A
Dungeon is composed of a few
necessary elements. Each element here
(excepting the Dungeon Boss) includes
a list of examples, which you can also
use as roll tables.
Context:
Where is the Dungeon? What was it
before it was corrupted? How has it
been corrupted, and what can you learn
about the Dungeon by studying it?
A tree hollowed out and inhabited
1. by a parasite.
An ancient temple, poisoned and
2. forgotten.
A mine, deep within a rumbling
3. mountain, overrun by pests.
An old house, built for giants and
4. inhabited by ghosts.
A large and living creature,
5. wrestling with sickness.
An old village, hidden and
6. abandoned to rot.
A city in the sky, rusting and
7. submitting to decay.
A fortress, inhabited by a cruel
8. and twisted lord.
Monsters:
What traits do most
of the monsters of this
Dungeon share? What
weaknesses are common here? How
are the monsters representative of the
corruption?
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Style
Vicious: The monster is
1. exceptionally lethal, and does
upgraded Harm when it attacks.
Poisonous: The monster leaves
2. behind a substance or trail that
causes harm.
Stealthy: The monster is sneaky
3. and has very minor tells when it
is about to ambush someone.
Explosive: The monster releases
energy in an explosive burst,
4. dealing damage to everything
within a certain radius.
Greedy: The monster will gobble
5. up and eat anything around it.
Armoured: The monster is heavily
6. armoured and/or protected from
various types of damage.
Juggernaut: The monster is hard
7. to stop or avoid.
Projectile: The monster can
8. attack from a distance.
Weaknesses
Stiff: the monsters are stationary
1. or slow-moving, making them
easy to outrun.
Vulnerable: the monsters are
especially vulnerable to a specific
2. type of damage, such as fire, ice
or sunlight.
Skittish: the monsters startle
3. easily, and hide when they hear
or see you coming.
Blind: the monsters rely on a
single sense; they can only see
4. you but not hear you, or only
hear you but not see you.
Exposed: the monsters have a
part of their body that is
5. particularly vulnerable to
damage, and that part is
highlighted or brightly coloured.
Uncontrollable: the monster
cannot direct its movement, and
6. can be re-directed to harm other
monsters.
Loot:
What item is inside this
Dungeon? How can you use it to
fight the monsters of this Dungeon?
How does the item help you
navigate the Dungeon?
Reach/Range: The item gives you
the ability to access places out of
1. reach. If you roll this a second
time, this is a ranged item that
allows you to do damage at a
distance.
Stun: The item temporarily halts
2. or slows moving things.
Heat/Ice: The item heats things
up and /or sets them on fire. If
3. you roll this a second time, the
item freezes enemies, and/or
generates ice.
Explode: The item is explosive,
4. and may or may not be timed.
Reveal: The item helps reveal
5. secrets of some sort, or
illuminates your way.
Force: The item does large
6. amounts of damage, and/or is
very heavy.
Puzzles:
What kinds of obstacles stand in
your way? What is unique about this
dungeon's construction? When
constructing the Dungeon's puzzles,
ask yourself how some of the
puzzles may require the Dungeon
Loot in order to overcome them, or
how navigating the dungeon might
be easier once you have acquired
the Dungeon Loot.
The Dungeon has blocked
passages that need to be un-
blocked before you can go
1. deeper, such as rocks that need
to be blown up, or ice that needs
to be melted.
The Dungeon has platforms that
move and must be altered or
2. navigated in order to access
certain areas, perhaps by jumping
across them, or hitting switches
that change their path.
The Dungeon has elements that
need to be added or removed,
3. such as torches that need to be
lit, or weights that need to be
lifted.
The Dungeon has elements that
appear to be something else;
4. false walls, pictures that hide
monsters, doors that do not lead
anywhere.
The Dungeon has different kinds
of switches that need to be hit;
these switches may be out of
5. reach, or require a heavy weight,
or may require being activated in
a certain order.
The Dungeon may have different
states that you must move
between, such as on land / under
6. water, right side up / upside
down, or no gravity / heavy
gravity.
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Dungeon Boss:
Ask yourself how the Dungeon
Boss fits in with what you've created
so far. How is it corrupting the
Dungeon? What traits does the
Dungeon Boss share with the
monsters of the Dungeon? How is
the Dungeon Boss weak to the
Dungeon item?
Running the Dungeon
When constructing each of these
elements of the Dungeon, consider
how they might fit together. If
the monsters are greedy and
swallow up everything
they can, perhaps the
Dungeon item should be
something explosive
that can blow them up
when they swallow it. If
this is the case,
perhaps one of the
biggest puzzles in the
Dungeon involves
navigating passages
that are blocked and
require those explosives
in order to un-block them.
You must also ask how the
characters will get access to these
explosives: will they need to stun a
monster long enough to open a
treasure chest? Are there less-
useful explosives stationed around
the Dungeon? Can they distract the
monster with something else?
Finally, how do these elements fit
in with the theme of the Dungeon? If
it is an old village, hidden and
abandoned to rot, perhaps these
monsters are the new inhabitants of
the village. Perhaps there are
elements that hint towards the
dungeon boss and how it ate the
former inhabitants of the village...
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and perhaps the blocked passages
are the debris of ruined houses.
If you have maps of some kind to
help provide visualization, your
players might find this helpful, but
remember that range, or spaces
moved, is not inherently tracked in
this game. Maps may help provide a
point of reference, but whether or
not an action is possible is
translated through Position and
Effect. If a character wants to shoot
a fire arrow at a bundle of vines high
in the air, you can say that this is
Risky because the fire could spread
throughout the Dungeon, or
Desperate because the vines are too
far away, but the shot could have
Great effect if it hits - fire is fire,
and those vines are dry.
Also keep in mind that
your players may not have
the same way of solving
problems that you do. What
may look like a simple
switch-activation puzzle
to you may inspire your
players to try opening up
the switches. You might
be able to roll with the
changes - sure, opening
up the switch tells you
that hitting it a certain way will
unlock the door in front of you - but
you might also need to require
backups: perhaps when you destroy
a moving platform, the magic of the
dungeon summons another one
from a chasm below.
Finally, remember that in the
worst case scenario, everything re-
sets after three days. If the group
feels stuck or frustrated, perhaps
what the characters need to do is
escape, recover, and tackle the
dungeon another day.
Free Play and Promises This makes the person or place
matter to the players, and it also
Free Play is a great chance for the takes some of the pressure off of
players to slow things down a little your back!
bit and role-play, but remember that
taking time to socialize, restock their
inventory, and heal their hurts is
also taking precious time away.
Much of the time spent relieving
stress should be enough to do all of
these other tasks, but once you hit
late game, with players re-doing
quests to get items while also
agreeing to new quests, you may
want to suggest ticking extra slices
of the clock in order to represent the
growing number of responsibilities
the adventurers are taking on.
If your group wants a longer
campaign with more time to focus on
the intricate lives of the people
around them, you can be generous
with the amount of things the
characters can do with a single slice
of the clock, or you can increase the
Day clocks to 12 slices.
As the game extends, you may
find yourself wrangling a large
number of NPCs if the players
decide to seek out new relationships
with every cycle of the time loop. I
recommend using an NPC chart with
a quick description of who the NPC
is, their original quest, and the item
they provide after you've fulfilled
their heart's desire.
Some general GM-ing advice:
When players ask questions about
the world that you donʼt know the
answer to, donʼt be afraid to turn the
question back onto them. Let them
describe the central inn, or perhaps
the general demeanour of a local
merchants. Sometimes I will ask
each player at the table to
contribute one thing that is true Happy Adventuring!
about the new location or setting.
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 Credits
Art
Cover photo, Ruin Art and Mountain Photo by Craftpix.net on Open Game Art.
Comet, Hourglass and Mask Icon by Game-Icons.net.
Tooth Monster, Palm Tree, Potion Bottle and Skull Icon by Pixel Frog on Itch.io
Helmet, Arrow, Boot, Staff , Book and Flower Icons by Kyrise on Itch.io
Time Hourglass by liftarn on OpenClipArt.
Flame icon by raseone on OpenClipArt.
Wave icon by johnny-automatic on OpenClipArt.
Mountain Icon by rdevries on OpenClipArt.
Rose Icon by oksmith on OpenClipArt.
Hatching texture by rejon on OpenClipArt.
Clock Icons by cmartins on Itch.io.
Cave Stone Texture by glitch on OpenClipArt.
Chicken Art by daneeklu on OpenGameArt.
House art by maribell_arts on OpenGameArt.
Plant Monster by bevouliin on OpenGameArt.
Purple Boss Monster by JosephSeraph on OpenGameArt.
Beetle Art by Stephen Challener (Redshrike) on OpenGameArt

This work 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 Un-ported License.

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