GM Guide

If you’re a GM and you’re reading this guide to figure out how to best run a game of Windrose
for your players—hello! That’s very nice of you! Running games takes a good deal of effort. So,
well, before we even start, I feel it needs to be said: you’re doing a good job!

Now with that firmly established, let’s talk about beginning your game of Windrose and what this
guide can do for you! This document is broken up into three distinct sections: ​Running the
Game​, ​FAQ ​and ​Sample Gifts​. The first two sections should answer most of your questions
about running the game and the third section gets more in depth about creating Gifts. This guide
will in the future feature chapters on creating NPCs and bosses!

Running the Game

Let’s begin with the most basic of the basics: how to do things. If a player has a question about
how to cause or react to any action, remind them that all action is tied to one of two rolls: the
Roll to Do​ and the ​Roll to Dye​ detailed in the Core Rules. ​Roll to Do​ is meant to cause action,
Roll to Dye​ is meant to react to action.

Remember that the color and ​Attributes​ systems are the foundation on which Windrose runs,
and players are encouraged to narratively invent reasons to employ them where ever they can,
especially whenever they ​Roll to Do​. If your players have any questions about colors or
Attributes​, you can try to explain it like this:

“Colors are tied to each of the ​Attributes​ on your character sheet. Whenever you do something,
like trying to cut down a tree for example, if you possess an ​Attribute​ that logically could help
you accomplish this task, you’ll get a bonus to your action AND the action will become the same
color as ​Attribute ​you employed.”

Your goal as a GM is to make sure that your players are adequately challenged and rewarded
for using their ​Attributes​ cleverly. But, on your end, what do the colors actually do? Let’s break
down your options to determine if players succeed or fail, based on their color:
 If players are a different color than their target:

•They succeed if their roll beats the target’s ​Roll to Dye.​ 3d6 is the average ​Roll to Dye​,
but sometimes you may want to edit a ​Roll to Dye​ by adding or subtracting a dice from it
depending on the resilience of the person or thing being acted on. Remember that ​Roll
to Dye​ is also affected by the target’s current ​Pulse​ status!

•They succeed if their roll exceeds a set number. Generally, the numbers are 10 for easy
tasks, 15 for challenging, and 20 for hard.

If players are the same color as their target:

•They succeed spectacularly if their roll beats yours in a contested ​Roll to Do​ (1d20 +
1d6 or 1d20 + Swing if you have it) and fail spectacularly if their roll does not exceed
yours.

Note: See ​Clashes and Assists​ in the Core Rules

These are your fundamental mechanics for determining if a task succeeds and fails in windrose!

There is, however, an additional tool at your disposal. If a player fails their roll, but either you or
they really want to succeed, you can offer them success at the cost of hit points. There are no
hard or fast rules when it comes to your implementation of this offer, so use your best judgment.
Generally, it’s wise to reserve this for situations where a success would have moved the story
along.

Example: If the players KNOW that there’s a hidden door in this room, but fail to find it in
game with their ​Roll to Do​, you can offer them a chance to locate it instead at the cost of
3 HP.

The amount of HP taken from a player can depend on the severity of the action. Ideally, though,
it’s usually best to keep the price within the single digits. This means that higher level characters
with more HP will be able to do more simpler tasks by exerting themselves, i.e. befitting from the
amount of experience and skill they’ve accumulated over the course of their journey. It’s a great
option to use during moments where you REALLY want the player to succeed but don’t want to
give things to them for free.

Swing and the Roll to Dye

Swing​ is your ability to functionally set aside or “preserve” a single d6 whenever you ​Roll to
Dye​. You get to keep its value for use later, and it dyes you the matching color as that dice. You
MUST use the ​Attribute​ corresponding to the ​Swing​ in your ​Rolls to Do​ narratively or you will
lose your ​Swing​.

This is not an ability exclusive to player characters! NPCs, entities, and even inanimate objects
also have the ability to possess ​Attributes​ and to set a ​Swing​.

Running your first Session

Before running your first session decide on whether or not you want your players to determine
their ​Attributes​ BEFORE the session or DURING the session.

If you want your players to decide on their ​Attributes​ BEFORE the session, make sure to talk
with them about what they want their characters to do. Make sure that their ​Attributes​ are
general enough to be used in a variety of situations but not so general they can be used in
every​ situation. Furthermore, if they’re struggling with an ​Attribute​ or two, it’s perfectly fine for
them to “leave it blank” and to fill it out in-session!

If you want your players to decide their ​Attributes​ DURING the session, let them know that
they’ll essentially designing their character as they play. If they’re struggling with deciding things
in the moment, that’s okay! There’s plenty of time to refine the wordings and specifics of each
Attribute​ as they play.

Remember to take it slow. If you don’t understand something about the rules, falling back to a
Roll to Do​ + relevant attribute or a ​Roll to Dye​ simplifies the situation and keeps it moving.

Remind players that this is a cooperative game and even if they don’t understand what’s
happening right now, the most important part of playing the game is the story you’re telling
together. Try to calm or avoid any frustrations associated with adopting a new game by
emphasizing that it’s fine fall-back on simple, familiar options when they’re confused, such as
rolling a colorless d20 when you can’t figure out how to integrate an ​Attribute​.

Over the course of the first session, it’s common, but not necessary, to develop the very first ​Gift
for each member of your party. This is a good chance to introduce the concept of ​Gifts​ as a
whole. In creating your first gift for a player, you should aim to make it on the slightly stronger
side—a strong first gift often leaves the biggest impression!
Creating Gifts

At first glance, creating your own custom abilities, classes and weapons could seem daunting,
but it’s actually far simpler than you expect! As far as what ​Gifts​ could be, the answer is
anything! Weapons, armor, fighting styles, memories, the choice is yours!

Gifts​ are broken down into two distinct categories:

⠀ Metaphysical ​Gifts​ such as memories, classes, concepts, etc. They can be enhanced
with Experience.

⠀ Physical ​Gifts​ such as weapons, armor, tools, etc. They can be enhanced with Gold.

Conceptually, each ​Gift​ should enhance or alter the way that characters interact with the game.
The most common form of ​Gift​ is one that enhances the result of your ​To Do​ or ​To Dye​ roll if
certain conditions are met. For example, the “Ancient Katana” gift could grant a +1 bonus to
your ​Roll to Do​ if the blade is used as part of the action.

There are endless options for ​Gift​ creation, and your unique voice as a GM will shine through
what ​Gifts​ you present to your players. As an example, take the following scenario into
consideration: a player performs the “Mountain Shaking Fist” and sends a car flying into the air.
You want to give them a Gift for it, manifesting as a memory. The following sample options are
all viable:

-Mountain Shaking Fist grants a +2 bonus to attacking cars

-Mountain Shaking Fist grants a +1 bonus to Red when firmly planted on the ground

-Mountain Shaking Fist allows you to ​Roll to Dye​ versus incoming attackers while a Red
swing is set, and if your roll exceeds theirs, you may counter attack immediately and
send them flying.

Each of these variants is balanced and valid. The +2 bonus to attacking cars is VERY
situational, the +1 bonus to Red while firmly planted on the ground is more general but requires
a specific color to be set, and finally the last one grants no actual bonus to the dice but allows
the player to interact with the game in a new way.

In addition to the ​Gift’s​ effect, there are a few other things to consider. First of all, does this ​Gift
have a ​Primary Ability​? A ​Primary Ability​ is something that activates only while the ​Gift​ is
equipped in the Primary Slot. Since you can functionally only have one ​Primary Ability​ active at
a time, they tend to be more powerful and unique than most ​Gift​ abilities.
 Example: The “Fighter Class” ​Gift’s​ ​Primary Ability​ allows them a 7th ​Gift​ Slot that
MUST be used to equip a weapon.

The second and last thing to consider when designing ​Gifts​ is whether or not it has multiple
levels of Enhancement. ​Gifts​ that level up are Enhanced through either Experience, Gold, or by
fulfilling other decided objectives which should be detailed on the ​Gift​ descriptions themselves.
Such objectives include small side-quests or other interesting things to engage with that, when
tackled and conquered successfully, will enhance that ​Gift​. In this way you can incentivize
player interaction with the smaller details of your world!

Otherwise, the (tentative) Experience and Gold costs for levelling ​Gifts​ is equal to the current
level of the ​Gift​ x10 if spending Experience and x100 if spending Gold.

Example: The ​Gift​ “Mountain Shaking Fist” will level up when you either spend 10 EXP
on it OR when you “discover another person who has punched a car over a hill”.
(Hypothetically, the second option would automatically level the ​Gift​ should the player
come across an NPC in the world that has punched a car over a hill OR even if another
player does it!)
FAQ
General

Q: What’s the difference between the way play normally happens and a Conflict?

A: Normal play isn’t metered out, as in, there isn’t a harshly enforced “everyone acts once”
structure. Basically, ​Conflict​ is the exception and not the rule! While playing the game, ​Rolls to
Dye​ only exist in response to hardship, and players only gain ​Swing​ as a sort of “comeback”
mechanic against harsh situations. In this way it isn’t always PURELY a bad thing to have
something terrible happen to your character. Being able to adopt a ​Swing​ gives you the chance
to not only keep the number on a dice, it gives you the chance to ​Clash​ against anything of the
chosen color that happens to you ​passively.​

Example: An arrow trap fires three ​Red​ arrows at you. If you are hit by the first, but adopt
a ​Red​ ​Swing​, you can ​Clash​ with the following two arrows, easily striking them out of the
air! Furthermore, you could keep that ​Red​ ​Swing​ into the next room, ideally tackling a
threat in there with your new advantage!

In ​Conflict​, your ​Swing​ is forcibly reset at the start of each new turn rotation. Out of ​Conflict​,
remember that your ​Swing​ only resets when you ​want​ it to or when you want to use another
Attribute​!

Q: What constitutes a rest?

A: Any period of time that enables the characters to actually relax, sleep, talk with each other
and compose themselves. It could be as short as a 10 minute break in a dungeon or as long as
an overnight stay at a hot spring. Let players roleplay rests out. As well, there’s no better time to
give them a ​Gift​ than their memory of a good meal or fun night together.

Q: At what rate should players heal wounds?

The nature of the wound is determined by the player. As a rule, ​Wounds ​ONLY have an
opportunity to heal during rest, but whether or not it actually heals depends on the determined
nature or severity of the wound. In these cases it’s best to negotiate with the player the alternate
healing options available to them. As well, only one ​Wound​ may be healed per rest.
Regarding Swing

Q :How long does a Swing last?

A: A ​Swing​ only expires when it is either taken away from its holder as a result of failing a
Clash​, or it’s removed at the end of each turn rotation during a ​Conflict​. Otherwise, a ​Swing
lasts for as long as the player wishes!

Q: Can I change my Swing?

A: Players can change their ​Swing​ whenever they ​Roll to Dye​.

Q: When I Roll to Dye, do I use my Swing dice?

A: Yes! Your Swing dice is used at its current value when you ​Roll to Dye​, and you do not need
to trade it out once the roll is resolved.

Q: What happens if I want to use a different Attribute during a Roll to Do, like my Red, but I have
a Blue Swing?

A: Characters are always dyed the same color as heir ​Swing​. Therefore, if you want to change
colors, you have to discard your ​Swing​ first. You then ​Roll to Do​ employing the desired
Attribute​ with no ​Swing​ (1d20 + 1d6). You can pick up a new ​Swing​ the next time you ​Roll to
Dye​.

Q: What happens if I can’t figure out a way to logically use any of my Attributes in my Roll to Do,
even if I have a Swing?

A: If no ​Attributes​ can be employed yet you still wish to make an action, then you lose your
Swing​ and act as if you were making a ​Roll to Do​ colorless (1d20).
Regarding Gifts

Q:What happens if I trade in a Gift that I’ve already invested Experience or Gold in?

A: You’ll get all of your investment back as well as the default Gold or Experience reward.

Q: How much Gold or Experience is my Gift worth?

A: The most common values for the generic ​Gifts​ players receive for doing cool stuff are 1
Experience Point or 10 Gold, but rarer or more powerful ​Gifts​ could go for many multiples of
this. Ultimately, however, the GM decides!

Q: As a GM, when is the best time to give Gifts?

A: Any action you deem reward worthy is the perfect time to start handing out ​Gifts​. Do your
best to give ​Gifts​ to players who are falling behind or to encourage players who are struggling to
come out of their shell. Think of them like golden stars! Reward good behaviour, and hammer
home cool moments.
Sample Gifts

NOTE:​ This section is still VERY MUCH a work in progress as we delve more into what Gift
creation is. Less time has been spent on editing and formatting this section, so I apologize
ahead of time for any errors you might find. I need to stress: do not take this section’s word as
law. We are still testing Gifts on the whole, so much of what you see here will be out of date
soon!

Hey! Welcome to the sample gifts section! This section exists to give you examples of what your
gifts might look like-- it does NOT exist to provide you with ideal starting gifts. They are in no
way balanced against each other and are here simply to illustrate how one might construct gifts
for their own campaign.

The first gift that most players will interact with will most likely be a Class! So, we’ll begin this
section with a powerful, but approachable, Class that a player might see in their very first
session!

Fighter
Class
Primary - ​Weapon of Choice​: Grants an additional Gift slot that may ONLY have a weapon
equipped in it.

Level 1
Attacks of Opportunity​: Whenever an enemy moves out of your attack range (5ft, unless
specified otherwise. Max 10ft.), you may make an attack against them immediately. You may
not do so again until you Roll to Dye.
Good Health​: HP +1
Link Available!

Level 2​ - 10xp
Signature Steel​: The Gift slot granted by Weapon of Choice is treated as a second primary slot.
Good Health II​: HP +2. Replaces Good Health.

Level 3​ - 20xp
Master-of-Arms​: At any time, the Fighter is allowed to swap any weapon in a gift slot into their
Weapon of Choice Gift slot for free. You may not do so again until you Roll to Dye.
Good Health III​: HP +3. Replaces Good Health II.
Link Available!
Level 4​ - 30xp
Opportunistic​: A fighter does not need to make a Special Action to perform an unconventional
action along with an attack, so long as it's with their Weapon of Choice (e.g. slicing an
opponent's leg to slow them, knocking someone off a ledge with a hammer, etc.).
Good Health IV​: HP +4. Replaces Good Health III.

Level 5​ - 40xp
Double Attack​: After you attack, you may choose to drop Swing to attack again instantly. Your
second attack is colorless.
Good Health V​: HP +5. Replaces Good Health IV.
Link Available!

The Fighter class is a solid boost to any character that likes weapon combat. Furthermore, its
secondary abilities boost your overall health pool. Note that it has five levels of advancement--
not all classes need this, but standard, reliable classes should have multiple levels of power for
players to work towards.

Note that Fighter gives a critical mechanic very early in its progression. In most cases, players
should not have to wait to unlock the core ability of the class!

Fighter relies on the assumption that it is in your Primary slot-- a lot of its abilities depend on you
using its ​Weapon of Choice​ primary ability. For some players who want to equip Fighter as a
non-primary gift, this may be a turnoff! So, if you were designing this class, and your player
didn’t want it as their Primary class, you could change the Level 2, 3 and 4 abilities to alternate
skills that would work even if Fighter wasn’t equipped as a Primary!

For our next class, we’ll design one where the core ability that the class is built around is at
Level 1. This class can function either in the Primary slot or another slot perfectly fine!

Rogue
Class
Primary - ​Incredible Reflexes​: When attacked, the Rogue can use their excellent reflexes to
attempt a dodge. The Rogue drops their Swing (if they have it), and instead of rolling, all of their
available Heart dice count as having rolled 6. The Rogue then drops one attribute of their choice
and its associated Heart dice. Incredible Reflexes does not count as a Dye roll, and it cannot be
used to generate a Swing or restore an Attribute.
Level 1
Cheap Move:​ Whenever the Rogue uses a Do roll against a Colorless opponent, they may add
an additional 1d6 to their Swing. Drop your Swing after the Do roll.
Nimble Step I​: Rogues gain +5 to movement speed.

Level 2​ - 10xp
Undetected Danger:​ Any opponent unaware of the Rogue’s presence counts as Colorless for
the usage of Cheap Move.
Link Available!

Level 3​ - 20xp
Kick Them While They’re Down:​ When the Rogue succeeds on a Do roll against an opponent
with a Cheap Move, the opponent cannot lock in a Swing from their failed Dye roll.
Nimble Step II​: Rogues gain +10 to movement speed. Replaces Nimble Step I.

Level 4​ - 30xp
Hardcore Parkour:​ A Rogue does not need to make a Special Action to perform great
acrobatic feats or maneuver around the environment as a part of an action.
Link Available!

Level 5​ - 40xp
Always Prepared:​ Before a roll, the Rogue can choose to roll 1d6 and lock it in as their Swing.
This swing can be any color, even if its from an unavailable attribute. You may not use this
again until you Roll to Dye.
Nimble Step III​: Rogues gain +20 to movement speed. Replaces Nimble Step II

Rogue adds a pseudo sneak attack mechanic on top of a boost to movement speed! It’s a
reliable class that adds its Cheap Move to, obviously, attacks but beyond that note the wording:
Cheap Move works on ​all​ actions not just attacks! Remember that classes exist not JUST for
combat! While Fighter, naturally, works primarily in FIGHTS, Rogue gets a 1d6 bonus on actions
versus ​unaware​ targets. This could be anything from stealing, attacking, or even surprising a
victim with a sudden guitar solo.

It’s important to note that a significant portion of Windrose will take place outside of what we
consider traditional combat. As such, abilities that boost a character’s overall proficiency will be
more generally useful than those tied to specifically fighting!

Next up, let’s design a class whose capabilities are focused more on interacting with the world
at large!
Investigator
Class
Primary - ​The Culprit is You!​: Whenever the Investigator discovers the truth behind a crime,
they may instantly learn the attributes, location, and motive of the culprit. If there is no culprit,
the Investigator restores their Heart dice and HP to full.

Level 1
Begin Investigation!​: Roll to Dye the second you enter a place you believe clues are located.
The GM will give you a read of the situation based on your roll, and you can select a Swing
immediately.
Keen Eye​: +1 to Roll to Do as it directly relates to uncovering information, finding evidence or
otherwise investigating something.

Link Available!

Level 2​ - 10xp
Understudy​: Whenever you Clash and fail on finding a clue, synthesizing evidence, or coming
to a conclusion, you overlook something and can immediately have an ally jump in and offer
their own expertise. They take over the Clash and roll in your stead. They may choose between
using their own Swing, or using your Swing and any bonuses to the roll you might have.

Level 3​ - 20xp
It’s all Coming Together​: When rolling to come to a conclusion, you gain a +1 bonus to your
Do or Dye rolls for every clue you’ve acquired while investigating.

Link Available!

Level 4​ - 30xp
Tireless​: Whenever you fail a roll while investigating, and your GM offers you success at the
cost of HP, you may pay 1 HP instead to reroll.

Level 5​ - 50xp
Guess Again​: Whenever you draw a conclusion about the true nature of a crime, or make an
assertion about a culprit and your reasoning proves to be wrong or incomplete, you may
immediately lose one Pulse to attempt another guess. Your GM must tell you if you were wrong,
close, or another factor is complicating your conclusion. If you made a roll as part of drawing
this conclusion (for example, dramatically thrusting your evidence at the culprit while hoping for
a response), you may reroll that dice.
It’s all Coming Together II​: When rolling to come to a conclusion, you gain a +1 bonus to your
Do or Dye rolls for every clue you’ve acquired while investigating. You may also use this bonus
to act against the subject of your investigation once you discover them.

The Investigator thrives, as you would expect, in investigations. This class is most potent in a
game full of criminal intrigue, but the wording is vague enough that this class could make an
excellent tracker: only its Primary ability and Guess Again specify a Culprit. In most cases, the
Investigator is excellent in gathering information and synthesizing a conclusion!

Investigator was very different, but how about we get wild? Let’s make a class with a weird
mechanic that ALSO becomes another class. That’s right, Gifts can unlock further Gifts!

Squire
Class
Primary - ​By My Command​: Once per rest, your Knight may choose to replace the result of one
of your rolls with your current Influence.

Level 1
Apprentice​: Designate another person as your Knight. Whenever you follow their commands,
uphold their code of honor, or embody the virtues they taut, you gain 1 Influence. Should you
disagree with their commands, disavow their code of honor, or go against their virtues, you
MUST Roll to Dye immediately. If you roll lower than your Influence, you lose control of yourself
and cannot act against your Knight.

Level 2​ - Spend 15 XP or reach 10 Influence

Embodying Virtue​: Whenever you would gain 1 Influence as part of an action, add a +1 to any
roll related to that action.

Level 3​ - Spend 25 XP or reach 20 Influence

Full Knight​: You attain proper knighthood of your own. Rename your Influence to Honor, and
gain the Knight class.

Squire is a strange one, it requires you to collaborate with another player or an NPC to guide
your character morally. The Influence mechanic works as both a method of advancement, but
also a leash for the Squire: the higher your Influence gets, the closer you are to knighthood, but
it becomes significantly harder to deny the Knight’s commands.

Eventually, you shed your Influence (and your Knight) and become a Knight yourself!
Knight
Class
Primary - ​On my Honor​: Once per rest, you may replace the result of one of your rolls with your
Honor. You then lose 1 Honor.

Level 1
Code of Honor​: Take note of the virtues by which you live your life. Spin them into a moral code
that you intend to follow. Whenever you deviate from this code or betray your base virtues, you
lose 1 honor. When you’ve lost all your honor, immediately take the Black Knight Gift. Your
Honor cannot exceed 20.
Virtue’s Reward​: Whenever you embody your core virtues or exemplify your code of honor,
gain 1 honor and take a +1 bonus on any relevant roll.

Level 2​ - XP 10
Squire​: You may grant a willing person the Squire gift. If you do so, they MUST select you as
their Knight. Whenever your Squire embodies your Code of Honor, you may trigger Virtue’s
Reward as if you were the one performing the honorable action.
Smite​: You may lose up to your Knight level in Honor to deal an additional amount of damage
equal to the Honor lost.

Level 3​ - XP 20

Shield of Faith​: Whenever you sustain damage you may instead subtract the damage from
your Honor.

Level 4​ - XP 30
Gallant Gusto​: You may pay 1 Honor to negate the cost of a Special action.

Level 5​ - XP 40
Paladin​: Unlock the Paladin class.

You may have noticed that there were two entire classes nested within this class: Paladin and
Black Knight. What do these classes do? I genuinely have no idea! What would you make a
Paladin that began as a Squire do? What would a Black Knight, a fallen Knight fight like? It’s
your responsibility to answer these questions in game!

This class was a little excessive in terms of design: a unique resource, player dynamic and
entire classes tucked away within this single Gift. This exists as an example of how complicated
and involved you could make a Gift in this system! If you wanted a character whose class
consistently upgraded, you could style them like this!

But enough about Classes, let’s change over to something a little simpler: let’s talk about armor!

Armor has the simple function of providing bonuses to your Rolls to Dye. However, these
bonuses are not universal-- they apply only when you’re being threatened in such a way that the
armor could aid in your defense. While this is ​implied​ due to the way Windrose works, for the
first iteration of armor it may be good to state this so your players understand. As such, here’s a
very basic set of armor:

Leather Armor
Armor

Level 1
Armored​: +1 when you Roll to Dye against a physical threat.

Simple! But where do you go from here? How can you make armor functionally different? How
can I give my players better sets of armor without incredible number bloat? Well…

Fine-Crafted Leather Armor

Armor

Level 1
Armored​: +1 when you Roll to Dye against a physical threat.
Link Available!

By simply adding a Link slot, you vastly increase the power of the armor! Now, players can’t
equip abilities from classes or memories in these Link slots; armor is a physical thing and those
are metaphysical concepts. But, this armor could easily pull an ability from a Tool or other gift!
For example imagine attaching mechanical wings to your armor through a Gift slot. Alternatively,
you can create this Gift with something ​already​ locked in the Link slot to add even more variety.

Much like classes, armor can have multiple levels. These new levels are gated behind gold
rather than experience. Let’s look at an example.
Steel Armor
Armor

Level 1
Armored​ : +2 when you roll to Dye against a physical threat.

Level 2​ - 200 Gold

Link Available​!

Easy! We can also make wackier armor if we wanted!

Phoenix Armor
Armor
Primary - ​Ignite​: When the armour is struck, flaming sparks emerge from the armour and
violently burn your foes. Whenever you’re attacked and take damage, deal 1 damage to
adjacent enemies.

Level 1
Armored​: +2 when you roll to Dye against physical attacks.
Fire Immunity​: You sustain no damage from fire, even a raging conflagration feels cool to the
touch.
Rebirth​: Once per lifetime, the user will violently detonate when killed, dealing damage equal to
their Swing to anything hostile within 30’ while healing friendly creatures for the same amount.
Seven days later they will rise from their own ashen remains in perfect health but without this
armor. Destroy this Gift.

But that’s enough about armor! Next let’s discuss more generic tool Gifts! Instead of providing
us with protection these items should add bonuses and tools to a character’s arsenal!

Magnifying Glass
Tool

Level 1
Tool Spec​: +1 to Rolls to Do to analyze or take a closer look at an object.
Simple! An easy boost to Rolls to Do. Tools can be anything from a small boost like this to
something a little more mechanically intensive.

Portable Glider
Tool

Level 1
Portable Glider​: Allows the user to horizontally glide great distances without losing altitude. Roll
to Dye to glide!

Once again, VERY easy. Remember these tools can be copied into other Gifts in Link slots to
improve them!

As a sort of sub-category of tools, we have weapons! Weapons function VERY similarly to tools
and armor. Remember ​you only gain the benefits of a weapon if your action directly involves
that weapon.​ It may be good to remind players of that within the Gift itself!

Brass Knuckles
Weapon

Level 1
Weapon Spec​: +2 to Rolls to Do that involve this weapon.

Simple! For the following one we’ll cut out the reminder. Take note that this gives a +2 bonus
and nothing else; this weapon is accurate, but lacks any other tricks. Let’s design a weapon that
trades some power in order to have a fun trick associated with it.

Sickle and Chain

Weapon

Level 1
Weapon Spec​: +1 to damage
Range​: Attacks with this weapon can be made up to 15’
Yank In​: When you succeed on a Roll to Do, you may pull your target adjacent to you. This may
require an additional roll if your target is particularly heavy.
Level 2
Link Available!

This weapon doesn’t get much extra power from its level 2 beyond a Link slot, but sometimes
that’s enough! Some weapons can and should be designed to work at level 1. Let’s make an
overpowered weapon for fun!

Sword of One Thousand Colors

Weapon
Primary - ​It Shoots a Beam​: Once per rest, concentrate all power in your blade and fire a beam
in a straight line up to 50’. This doesn’t require a Roll to Do and cannot Clash. Everything
caught within the blast must Roll to Dye vs. 15 or suffer 6d6 damage.

Level 1
Weapon Spec​: +3 To Do, +3 to damage
Charging Might​: You can spend an action, lose your swing and put it into your sword. Your
sword is now that color. Should you get another Swing, you are considered to be both colors at
the same time.
Crushing Superiority​: Whenever you Clash and win, fire a beam and deal an additional 1d6
damage.

This weapon is objectively too good! But that’s fine, this is probably a huge reward for the end of
the campaign or even a weapon that a boss could be using. A 15 is really hard to beat when a
normal Roll to Dye is 3d6, and when you could be down a dice already, it becomes actually
impossible. Oops!

If you want to get ​weird​ with a weapon, you could introduce the concept of weapons that grow
from both experience AND gold. How would that work? Well, it’d be representative of you not
only improving the weapon, but also improving your ability to wield it.

Ancient Katana
Weapon

Level 1
Weapon Spec​: -1 to Rolls to Do -1 to Damage
Draw​: When Unsheathed as part of an attack your blade deals an additional 1d6 damage. Once
it is Unsheathed you must lose your Swing, or spend an action to resheathe it.
Fragile​: If this weapon is used to defeat 10 opponents, it breaks. Lose this Gift.

Level 2​ - 500 gold or successfully defeat 3 opponents in 1 on 1 duels using this Gift alone.
Fixed (Slightly)​: Erase the Fragile ability on this Gift.

Level 3​ - 20xp
Fluid Mastery​: Whenever you attack with this weapon you may Sheathe it as part of the same
action.

Level 4​ - 1000 gold or 30 XP

Weapon Spec II​: +2 Rolls to Do +2 Damage. Replaces Weapon Spec.
Deft Hand​: While Sheathed this weapon gains a range of 10’

Level 5​ - 40 XP
Eyeblink​: When you gain this ability, choose a color for it. Whenever you have a Swing of this
color, you may sacrifice it to attack before your foe has a chance to Roll to Dye.

Realization​: No power was carried within this blade. Though reforged, this is the same tattered
katana you began your journey with. Reset all progress on this Gift. Eyeblink, Deft Hand, Fluid
Mastery, and Draw all become individual memories.

This is a really weird and complex one! It grows through both Experience and Gold. When the
Gift is finished it also dumps a bunch of memories into your Reserve and then ​resets itself.​ That
being said, the investment is absolutely worth it as the later rewards are very powerful!

Finally, let’s talk about memories that you might be rewarded with for doing something cool in a
session. These are frequently single line memories meant to lend an ability to a class or other
memory with a Link slot open. These are the bread and butter of Windrose as these memories
exist to really make every character unique!

Let’s run through some examples!

Steal
Memory

Level 1
Steal​: Lift an item from the target’s person. Roll to Do. If your target has an unattended Gift that
can be stolen, take it and equip it. The GM may grant them an additional d6 as they Roll to Dye
to resist.
Book of Promises
Memory

Level 1
Book of Promises​: You keep a tome of oaths made by you and for you. Whenever you act in
direct violation of one of your oaths, you take a -3 penalty to all rolls related to that oath.
However, whenever anyone else acts against one of your oaths in your direct presence, they
too take a -3 penalty to all rolls related to that oath.

Roulette Jet
Memory

Level 1
Roulette Jet​: Fires forward with incredible speed. Roll 1d6 to determine direction, 1 to 4
representing north, east, south and west and 5 representing down and 6 representing up. You
fly 25’ in the chosen direction instantly dealing damage equal to your Swing to anyone you
collide with. Lose your Swing.

Spectral Assistant
Memory

Level 1
Spectral Assistant​: A ghostly shape is bound to your soul. It can assist you with tasks, carry
objects, etc. It can exist up to 30’ away from you. It will automatically follow your commands, but
if you wish it to perform tasks on its own, you must spend all your effort controlling it. Your
Spectral Assistant uses your attributes as well as the first three Gifts you have equipped
(excluding the Spectral Assistant gift).

Heel Impact
Memory

Level 1
Heel Impact​: Strikes the ground with tremendous force, attacking all adjacent creatures. Lose
your Swing and send all targets flying back a number of squares equal to your Swing.
Absolute Finesse
Memory

Level 1
Absolute Finesse​: In a moment of pure clarity of action and purpose, you contort your body in
exactly the right way to pull off the perfect stunt. Roll five times and take your preferred result on
a roll to jump, dive, contort your body or otherwise maneuver yourself. Once per rest.

Defensive Stance
Memory

Level 1
Defensive Stance​: Roll over your swing to reduce damage by that number. You cannot do so
again until you Roll to Dye.

Moment of Clarity
Memory

Level 1
Moment of Clarity​: Make a series of five assertions paired with five Rolls to Do. Each of these
must be based on a clue, circumstance or detail of what you’re pursuing. At the end of your
deduction the GM MUST tell you how many assertions you made are correct, incorrect or
inconclusive. Bad rolls muddy the results. Once per rest.

These provide a wide array of abilities and tools that any player would be excited to get! Some
are once per rest, others are reliable boosts that change the way players can interact with the
game. At first, players are likely to keep these individual memories equipped but as they
accumulate more Gifts they’ll likely start to move these into Link slots. Let’s show an example of
that with the earlier Rogue class, the Steal and Absolute Finesse memories!
Rogue
Class
Primary - ​Incredible Reflexes​: When attacked, the Rogue can use their excellent reflexes to
attempt to dodge. The Rogue drops their Swing (if they have it), and instead of rolling, all of their
available Heart dice count as having rolled 6. The Rogue then drops one attribute of their choice
and its associated Heart dice. Incredible Reflexes does not count as a Dye roll, and cannot be
used to generate a Swing or restore an Attribute.

Level 1
Cheap Move:​ Whenever the Rogue uses a Do roll against a Colorless opponent, they may add
an additional 1d6 to their Swing. Drop your Swing after the Do roll.
Nimble Step I​: Rogues gain +5 to movement speed.

Level 2
Undetected Danger:​ Any opponent unaware of the Rogue’s presence counts as Colorless for
the usage of Cheap Move.
Link:
Steal​: Lift an item from the target’s person. Roll to Do. If your target has an unattended Gift that
can be stolen, take it and equip it. The GM may grant them additional d6 as they Roll to Dye to
resist.

Level 3
Kick Them While They’re Down:​ When the Rogue succeeds on a Do roll against an opponent
with a Cheap Move, the opponent cannot lock in a Swing from their failed Dye roll.
Nimble Step II​: Rogues gain +10 to movement speed. Replaces Nimble Step I.

Level 4
Hardcore Parkour:​ A Rogue does not need to make a Special Action to perform great
acrobatic feats or maneuver around the environment as a part of an action.
Link:
Absolute Finesse​: In a moment of pure clarity of action and purpose, you contort your body in
exactly the right way to pull off the perfect stunt. Roll five times and take your preferred result on
a roll to jump, dive, contort your body or otherwise maneuver yourself. Once per rest.

Level 5
Always Prepared:​ At any time, the Rogue can choose to roll 1d6, and then choose to lock it in
as their Swing. This swing can be any color, even if its from an unavailable attribute. You may
not use this gain until you Roll to Dye.
Nimble Step III​: Rogues gain +20 to movement speed. Replaces Nimble Step II
As you can see at Levels 2 and 4 Steal and Absolute Finesse have been placed within the Link
slots. These can, of course, be swapped out during a Rest!

And, for NOW, that finishes this up. This guide will naturally be expanded as I get more
feedback and the system grows, but this is more or less my process for creating gifts! Please
send me all your wonderful gift ideas, and I hope you have a great time playing Windrose!