1

Credits
Games Design & Writing Freddie Taylor-Bell

The Flock Playbook Dennis Salvaty

Artwork Kristin Olsen Askland

Handouts Harald Eckmüller

Editing Steven Ticehurst

Woodland Advice Lefty

Design Consultant Chloe Montgomery

Powered by the Apocalypse Vincent Baker

Simple World Avery Alder

Skeleton World Cromlyn Games

Vision Based Games Design Artificer Games

Lines & Veils Ron Edwards

The X-Card John Stavropoulos

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 Contents

Preface 5
Briar & Bramble 6
Player Safety 8
What You Need 11

How to Play 13
Stats 18
Clocks 19
Map Making 21
Basic Moves 23
Character Creation 29
Character Progression 34
Harm 35
Relationships 37
The Community 39
Community Moves 42

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Playbooks 44
The Diplomat 46
The Flock 52
The Guardian 57
The Hound 63
The Outsider 68
The Scout 74
The Sneak 79
The Wyrd 85

The Narrator 91
Narrator Principles 92
Narrator Moves 93
Creating an NPC 94
Making an NPC Community 99
Environments 105
Example Environment 110
Example NPCs 113
Community Tags 116

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 Preface

This is the free pre-Kickstarter edition of Briar &

Bramble, a full colour version is planned for release
once a Kickstarter can be arranged. This version will
always be available for free, the release of a colour
version won’t change that. The only thing that will
change between now and the Kickstarter is this preface
message.

Please give any feedback or share your experiences with

the game with me:

On Twitter @TheDrunkWizard_
On Discord https://discord.gg/X5BMGZVYzd
Or email me directly at Drunk_Wizard@Outlook.com

If you download this for free and like what you see,
please consider paying for it, backing the Kickstarter, or
giving it a 5-star rating at DrunkWizard.itch.io/Briar.

Thanks for checking out Briar & Bramble.

Freddie Taylor-Bell (The Drunk Wizard)

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 Briar & Bramble
Briar & Bramble is a Powered by the Apocalypse,
Table-Top Roleplaying Game set in the English
countryside at the turn of the 20th century. Humans
have begun to expand into what was once peaceful
woodlands, chopping down trees, filling in ponds, and
redirecting rivers, all for the sake of industry. It is this
destruction that has forced a small Community of
woodland creatures to band together despite their
differences in order to traverse the countryside and find
themselves a new home, one that is safe from the
dangers of man.

In Briar & Bramble, Players take on the role of these

woodland creatures, and become valuable members of
The Community. Together they will overcome obstacles
such as:

● Travelling between dangerous environments.

● Negotiating between other animal Communities
you encounter.
● Avoiding humans.
● Internal Community conflicts.
● External predator threats like wolves, hawks, and
snakes.
● Keeping their Community together and safe.
● Foraging for food.
● Finding shelter.

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Briar & Bramble is a game about Community and
Survival. Only by working together can these wayward
souls hope to find somewhere safe to call home, lest
they fall victim to the cruelties of nature.

Don’t worry if you want to play an animal that isn't

typically found in England; you can be any animal that
wouldn’t look out of place next to a squirrel, a mouse, or
a Fox: Raccoons, Possums, and even Beavers are all fine
additions.

The key thematic inspirations for Briar & Bramble are

darker animal tales such as The Animals of Farthing
Wood by Colin Dann and Watership Down by Richard
Adams. The name was inspired by the song Detectorists
by Johnny Flynn.

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 Player Safety

In a world where everyone is a cute woodland critter,

animals are going to get hurt. This is a game primarily
influenced by media like The Animals of Farthing Wood
and Watership Down, where the grim reality of the
animal world is on full display.

Talk to your Players about how much you want to

include descriptions of violence against animals and if
anyone isn’t comfortable with having that described
around them, then do not. Instead, describe abstract
harm rather than describing the wounds; allow the
Players to have their characters unable to continue their
journey without harm or death befalling their
characters.

Describing violence against animals is often far worse

and far more evocative than describing a knight slaying
another knight and needs to be handled as delicately as
everyone at the table requires it to be. Please take the
time to discuss with your Players how comfortable they
are with scenes of animals in pain, animal death,
animal-on-animal violence, and human-on-animal
violence before you start playing this game. No one
wants to be made to feel uncomfortable, especially by
their friends.

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To further aid in player safety, this game uses Lines &
Veils by Ron Edwards, and The X-Card by John
Stavropoulos.

Lines & Veils by Ron Edwards

Lines and Veils are a way to handle player boundaries

during play.

A Line is a hard limit, something we do not want to

cross. Lines represent places we don't want to go in
roleplaying, the limits of discussion, exploration, or
portrayal. As discussed above, scenes of animals in pain
could be listed as a Line for one of the Players; if it is,
then that’s something never discussed or included
during play.

A Veil is used when there is something we are

comfortable with being included in the game to some
degree, but we don’t want to overly focus on it. Think of
it as a way to deal with certain themes whilst avoiding
having to describe them in a manner graphic or explicit
which might cause harm. Using the notion of violence
against animals as an example again, the Players might
be aware that there are two animals fighting, but the
exact details are never described, almost as if the
violence happens ‘off screen’.

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 The X-Card by John Stavropoulos

The X-card is a physical card with a large X placed on the

table where everyone can reach it. If at any time anyone
feels uncomfortable, they may simply touch the X-card.
The Narrator and other Players will change the scene
immediately either by skipping it or changing what is
happening.

The person who activated the X-card is not expected to

explain their reasons.

If playing in a digital setting, then there should be an

X-Card on the screen and each player should have a
token that they can place on the card to the same effect
as them placing their hand on the card.

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 What You Need

To start playing Briar & Bramble, you’re going to need

between 3-6 Players, including yourself. Like most
table-top roleplaying games, Briar & Bramble is played
over a series of sessions rather than all in one go,
therefore when you’re finding people to play with it may
be best to make them aware of this and that they have
space in their schedules.

One of these Players will take the role of Narrator; the

rest will take the role of Players.

Players take the role of individual characters within the

world. Each character is tied to a playbook which tells
that Player what role they fulfill within The Community
and what unique abilities they have compared to
everyone else. Players should first look over the How To
Play section before jumping to Character Creation in
order to get started on making their woodland
creatures.

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The Narrator is everything else. It is their job to expand
the world of the game by creating fiction, asking the
Players questions, and creating consequences for the
Players’ actions - Fundamentally Briar & Bramble is a
game about actions and consequences and it’s the
Narrator's job to create those consequences. The
Narrator will need to read over the How To Play, The
Narrator, the Narrator Principles, and the Narrator
Moves sections, though it’s a good idea to have a quick
look over the book as a whole.

Everyone playing this game should read over the Player

Safety section before anyone gets started. Making sure
everyone involved is comfortable with what is
happening at the table is very important and shouldn’t
be overlooked.

Once you have your Players, to play Briar & Bramble you
will also need:

● A copy of this book to reference during play.

● Printed handouts of each Player’s chosen
Playbooks.
● A printed handout of The Community Playbook.
● A printed handout of the Basic Moves.
● And a blank sheet of paper to draw a map on.
● At least 2 six-sided dice.
● Paper and pencils.

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 How to Play

Role-Playing games are essentially an improv with

mechanics attached. All the Players take turns talking
about their characters and the consequences of their
actions. The mechanics of this game kick in when
someone describes their character performing a Move.

Moves & Dice

When a Player describes themselves performing a Move,

that’s when dice are rolled. Each Player has access to
the same list of Basic Moves and each Playbook offers
unique moves.

Often it will be obvious when a Player needs to perform

a move:

“Something doesn't feel right about this

place. I start sniffing the air and looking for
tracks, is that Lay of the Land?”

“Yes, please roll +Sense.”

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Sometimes a Player will trigger a move without
intending to; this is why the Narrator should always ask
if a Player intends to trigger a move rather than
assuming and asking them to roll:

“I dart to the bushes!”

“Ok, are you trying to Hide?”
“No, I just want to get out of the way; I don’t
want to be hidden”.

“Ok, that sounds like you’re trying to Stay

Safe is that right?”
“Yeah, I want to avoid getting hurt.”

The reason behind always asking isn’t to allow the Player

a chance to decline to roll, but rather to give the Player a
chance to rethink what their character plans to do in
that situation, especially if they didn’t intend to make a
specific move.

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If a Player declares “I want to perform this Move.” The
Narrator should prompt them for their character’s
in-fiction actions rather than the mechanic they intend
to perform:

“As a Guardian I can use the move “Bare

Your Fangs” to intimidate people. I’d like to
do that!”

“Ok, what do you do?”

“Well, I’m a Stag and don’t have fangs, so I’ll

lower my head, presenting my antlers
towards my target and start scraping my
hoof along the floor as if I’m about to
charge!”

Each Move should have a stat or value that Players add

to their roll. To roll, a player rolls 2 six-sided dice; they
then add the value of the roll together with whatever
extra value they are required to add.

If the sum total is 6 or lower, then they don’t get what

they want, and there are consequences.
If it’s between 7 and 9, then the Player is successful but
there are still consequences.
If it’s a 10 or higher, then the Player is successful
without any consequences.

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All moves say what the 10+ and 7-9 results are; only
some will say what the 6- result is.
For moves that don’t declare what the 6- result is, the
Narrator progresses the Community Conflict Clock on
the Communities Handout and is allowed to make a
Move of their own. Narrators may make moves from the
Narrator’s Move list; any Move of an NPC in the scene; a
Move from a Community within the Environment, or a
Move from whatever Environment the Players find
themselves within.

Some Moves use terminology like “+1 Forward” or “-1

Ongoing”.
Forward means that on your next roll you add or
subtract whatever the modifier is from your roll while
Ongoing means you add or subtract the modifier from
all rolls you make until the effect ends. Any move that
has an Ongoing modifier should declare when that
modifier ends.

Each Playbook has their own “Defining Moment”.

A Defining Moment is a Move that a Player cannot
unlock via character progression; it is a move that must
be unlocked by an in-fiction action unique to the
corresponding Playbook. These moves represent that
character doing something only they could possibly do,
something which cements them as an important pillar
of The Community.

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For example, The Guardian’s Defining Moment is:

Defining Moment (Harmony)

My whole life has led up to this moment.

This move cannot be taken as a move when you level up.

This move must be unlocked during play when you

stand against an insurmountable threat in defence of
your Community.

You face the threat alone and in doing so guarantee the

safety of your Community from that threat, regardless
of what happens to you. Reset your Harm Clock and
face this foe.

Improve your Communities Harmony by +1 and clear the

Community Conflict Clock.

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 Stats

Player Characters have 4 stats:

Fierce: Physical strength, Fighting,

Bravery, Intimidation, Resilience

Reflex: Speed, Finesse, Agility, Hiding,

Stealing

Sense: Exploration, Perception,

Detection, Survival, Foraging

Social: Charisma, Negotiation,

Community, Relationships

The highest a Stat can go is +3.

The lowest a Stat can go is -1.

Temporary bonuses or negatives can allow you to roll

with a modifier higher than +3 and lower than -1,
however the stat itself can never exceed these
boundaries.

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 Clocks

In Briar & Bramble we use Clocks to track certain

events. A clock is a circle which has been divided into
sections known as ticks. For instance, a 4-tick clock has
4 sections, a 6-tick clock has 6 sections etc.

When something tells you to “Tick” a Clock, you should

mark off one of the sections. When all the sections of a
clock are filled, something happens.
When something tells you to “Clear” a Clock, you
should remove all the ticks currently on that Clock.

Clocks are used to track three things:

Harm
How much health or will to press on a character has. For
more on Harm and Healing please read the Harm
section.

The Community Conflict Clock

The Players’ Community is held together by its only stat:
Harmony.

Whenever the Community Conflict Clock is filled, we

reduce the Community’s Harmony by -1. For more on
this clock and The Community as a whole, please read
The Community section.

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Character Progression
Each Playbook has a 4-tick clock listed under its Growth
section.

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 Map Making

At the start of the game, put a blank sheet of paper in

the middle of the table. On this sheet of paper, The
Narrator draws a symbol that represents where the
Players are starting before labelling it. This symbol
should be towards an edge of the paper rather than in
the centre.

During play, whenever a new Environment is discovered

a new symbol is drawn on the map to represent that
new Environment; this is then given a name. Whoever
discovered that location, be it a Player or the Narrator,
should be the one to draw this symbol and label it. The
symbol should represent an aspect of the location
discovered. For instance, a Human Farm could be drawn
as a tractor, barn, or pitchfork and accompanied by the
label ‘Human’s Farm’.
Players shouldn’t add any extra notes to the map.

This map acts as a living tapestry of the story being told,

something which is expanded as soon as new elements
are introduced. It should last for the entirety of the
game.

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At the start of each session, one Player should point at
the previous location on the map and explain what
happened there, then another Player should point at the
group's current location and explain what has
happened there so far. This is a chance to recap what
has happened in your campaign so far.

At the end of each session, one Player should point at

the Players’ current location and recap what has
happened that session.

At the end of the game, whether the Player Community

found a new home or fell apart, each Player - Including
the Narrator - should take turns in telling the story of
how they got to where they are by pointing at a location
on the map and explaining what happened there.

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 Basic Moves

The following is a list of moves all Player Characters have

access to.

Homeward Bound
May the road rise to meet you.

When your Community embarks on a journey to another

Environment, roll +Harmony.
10+ You have enough resources to reach your
destination, untick The Community's
Resources.

7-9 You almost had enough Resources to reach

your destination, but some had to go without.
Untick The Community's Resources and tick
the Community Conflict Clock.
If you make this move while The Community does not
have Resources, you automatically get a 6-.

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Negotiate
Why escalate when we can negotiate?

When you need something from an NPC who isn't a

member of your Community, roll +Social.

10+ The NPC in question will give you what you

want if you promise to help them.

7-9 The NPC will only give you what you want in
exchange for something they want.

Fight or Flight
Instincts don't fail me now!

When a predator attempts to intimidate you, roll

+Fierce.
10+ You are able to keep your cool in the face of
danger.

7-9 You can fight your instincts if you take a -1

Forward.

6- You must either Freeze or Flee. Your choice.

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Hide
Just because you can see them, doesn't mean they can
see you.

When you attempt to seek cover and hide from

something roll +Reflex.
10+ You are able to hide and remain hidden from
your foe.

7-9 You are able to hide from your foe but they still
have your scent. It will only be a matter of time
before they figure out where you are.

Lay of the Land

Just let me get my bearings.

When you attempt to understand your surroundings,

roll +Sense.
10+ You may ask 2 questions from the list.

7-9 You may ask 1 question from the list.

● What resources could be gathered here?
● Are there any Predators nearby?
● Are there any Humans or Human traps nearby?
● What has passed by here recent

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All Together Now
Many hands make light work.

When you attempt to use a Community Move that your

Community has access to, roll +Harmony.
10+ The Community manages the task!

7-9 The Community can manage the task but this

puts undue stress on The Community. Tick the
Community Conflict Clock.

Voice of Authority
It’s my job to know about this.

When you use your role to advise or give a command to a

member of your Community, that the target would
reasonably consider, roll +Relationship with your target.
10+ They will do what you ask.

7-9 They will do it but there’s a complication.

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Stay Safe
How do I get out of this mess?

When you act despite immediate danger, say how you

keep yourself safe and roll. If you do it by…

An act of strength, roll +Fierce.

A feat of speed or dexterity, roll +Reflex.
A keen awareness of your situation, roll +Sense.
A few well placed words, roll +Social

10+ You avoid the danger.

7-9 You avoid the danger, but the Narrator will

describe what it cost you, how your situation
is worse, or an unforeseen consequence of
your actions.

Engage a Foe
Kill or be killed

When you engage with a hostile opponent, roll +Fierce.

10+ You deal your harm while avoiding taking any
harm.

7-9 You deal your harm at a cost to yourself or

others.

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Help / Hinder
Keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.

When you help or hinder another Player's actions, roll

+Relationship.
10+ PC: Add or subtract 1 from their roll.
NPC: Choose if they succeed or fail at their
task.

7-9 The Narrator names a complication if you

choose to get involved.
PC: If you accept, add or subtract 1 from their
roll.
NPC: If you accept, The NPC succeeds or fails
their task (Your choice).

This move is how we handle Players acting against each

other.

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 Character Creation
There are 6 steps to creating a character in Briar &
Bramble.

1: Character Concept

Each Player should come up with a concept for their

character and discuss it with the rest of the table. This
should include what sort of animal they are and a vague
idea of how they fit in with the Community.

I really like the idea of being a well-mannered Hedgehog

who acts as the Community’s mayor!

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2: Picking a Playbook

Apart from The Hound, the animal a Player has chosen

to play doesn't decide the Playbook, nor does the
Playbook decide the animal - What a Playbook
determines is what sort of role the character will fulfill
within The Community.

The Playbook also decides a lot of other factors for a

character, including:

● A choice of tag to add to the Community.

● A Non-Player Character member of the
Community that represents the chosen tag.
● How large a Harm Clock the character has.
● What Moves that character will have access to
outside of the Basic Move list.

If I’m going to be the Mayor, then I’m going to pick The

Diplomat Playbook!

Ideally, each Player should choose a different Playbook.

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 3: Pick Your Starting Move

Each Playbook starts with one of its Moves unlocked;

the Player can pick another move from the Playbook to
unlock straight away.

Whenever a Player levels up, they have the option to

pick another move from their Playbook.

By default, I get the move “Befriend” and I think I want

to continue the friendship theme, so I’m picking the
move “We’re All Friends Here”.

4: Assign Your Stats

Each Playbook comes with one stat already at +2 and

Players must assign the following values to their other
stats:

-1, 0, +1,

The Diplomat +2 Social The Outsider +2 Social

The Flock +2 Sense The Scout +2 Reflex

The Guardian +2 Fierce The Sneak +2 Reflex

The Hound +2 Fierce The Wyrd +2 Sense

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5: Build Your Community

Each Playbook has a choice of two Tags that can be

applied to the Community. Each Player should pick one
tag from their Playbook and add the chosen tag to a
shared Community handout that all Players have access
to.

Since I want to be the Mayor, I’m going to pick the

“Leader” tag for our Community. Since we’ve all been
discussing our character concepts everyone is happy
with my polite hedgehog being the Mayor to fulfill that
Leader role created by the tag.

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6: Relationships

At the start of the game, each Player will assign the

following relationship scores that their character has
toward the other Players’ characters:

+2 For the one they know best.

-1 For the one they don’t know at all.

+1 For all other Player Characters.

+0 For all NPCs.

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 Character Progression
Each Playbook has its own Growth Criteria that ticks its
Growth Clock. Once a character has ticked their clock 4
times, they can pick one of the following options:

● Pick a new move from their playbook.

● Pick a move from a different playbook. This can
only be done once.
● Increase one of their stats by +1. They may do
this three times.

Players should do this immediately upon filling their

clock. Once a Player has chosen their growth option,
they clear their Growth Clock.

Defining Moments
Defining Moments are events that happen when a
Player Character takes actions that fully embody their
Playbook. Every Playbook has its own unique criteria for
what unlocks their Defining Moment. When a Player
unlocks their Defining Moment, as well as that
Playbook's unique effect, improve The Community’s
Harmony by +1 and clear the Community Conflict Clock.
A Defining Moment can only happen once per character.

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 Harm
Each Playbook has its own Harm Clock.
Whenever a Player takes Harm, they ‘Tick’ or mark a
number of sections equal to the amount of harm they
took.

Minor (1) Falling from a safe height; being

bitten by a Rabbit.

Moderate (2) Falling down a cliff; being bitten

by a Wolf.

Major (3) Harm from a Human or a

Human’s Trap; being bitten by a
Bear

Animals have no means to heal themselves; only time

can do that. At the beginning of each session, each
Player Character removes 1 Harm from their Harm
Clock.

Inanimate objects such as traps or walls do not have a

harm clock since inanimate objects cannot be killed or
hurt.

Humans do not have a Harm clock as they are an

unstoppable force compared to even the mightiest Stag.

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All Player Characters deal 1 harm by default.

When a character's Harm Clock is filled, that character

is taken out of action and is unable to continue their
journey.

There is always a final scene narrated by that character’s

Player explaining how and why that character cannot
continue any further. Perhaps their wounds are too
severe and there’s no chance of recovery? Maybe they
could continue, but their wounds would slow everyone
else down too much?

Please refer back to the Player Safety section when

describing these scenes to make sure that everyone at
the table is comfortable with what is being depicted.

Regardless of how a Player’s character leaves the story,

this isn't the end of the game for them. If the Player
wishes, they can pick an NPC member of The
Community to take up or they can introduce a totally
new character that wants to join The Community.

The taking over of an NPC or introduction of a new

character should happen at an appropriate moment
rather than straight away.

36
 Relationships
Relationships refer to the bonds between the Player
characters and important NPCs in the game.
Relationships have a Tag associated with them based on
the strength of that relationship. A relationship can
either be positive or negative.

-1 Unknown You do not know this

person.

0 Neutral You have no strong

feelings either way
about this person.

+1 Acquaintance / Either you like this

Annoyance person well enough but
wouldn’t consider
them a friend or you
find them a general
annoyance.

+2 Friendly / Either you know this

Unfriendly person well and believe
them to be a friend or
actively dislike this
person.

+3 Trusted / Hated Either you trust this

person with your life or
truly hate them.

37
Relationship scores will go up and down over play.

● At the end of each session, each Player must

adjust one PC score up by one, and another
down by 1.
● Whenever two characters have a special scene
together, their scores go up or down by 1; this is
decided by the relevant Players.
● Whenever two characters work against one
another publicly, their scores go down by -1.
● Characters can make meaningful sacrifices for
someone and their relationship score toward
that person will go up by +1.
● When characters put aside their differences for
the sake of The Community, their scores go up by
+1.
● A character has a Move that raises or lowers their
relationship score.
● A Relationship can never go higher than +3 or
lower than -1.

38
 The Community
The Community represents the group of animals the
Players find themselves with, as well as all the Players
themselves. The Community has a collection of Tags that
define what its strengths and weaknesses are, as well as
how others view it. These Tags give the community
access to Moves. During character creation every player
adds a Tag to the community and names an NPC that
represents that Tag. These NPCs should be named on
The Community handout with a brief descriptor of who
they are and what they represent.
Harmony starts at +2.
The highest Harmony can ever go is +3
The Lowest Harmony can ever go is -1.

Instead of having a Harm Clock, like characters do, The

Community has a Community Conflict Clock.
The Community Conflict Clock ticks whenever someone
rolls 6- or when a move tells you to.

When this clock is filled, clear the clock and The

Community loses 1 Harmony.

39
The Community Conflict Clock is 6 ticks.
You can clear a tick on the Community Conflict Clock
when:
● When a 10+ is rolled on the “All Together Now”
basic move.
● The Community gains a new member.

You can clear all ticks on the Community Conflict Clock

when a player achieves their Defining Moment.

If The Community’s Harmony stat ever reaches -1,

immediately make the “Hold It Together” move.

Resources
The Community also needs to have Resources to
undertake the journey ahead. Resources are binary, The
Community either has them, or it doesn’t. Resources are
needed for The Community to successfully traverse
between Environments with the “Homeward Bound”
basic move.
The Community has only 1 Stat: Harmony.

40
Hold It Together
United we stand, divided we fall

If The Community’s Harmony ever reaches -1,

Roll +Harmony.
10+ The Community will band together for now.
Increase the Harmony score by +1.

7-9 The Community immediately devolves to

in-fighting. If this issue can be resolved then
increase the Harmony score by +1.

6- If The Community has any Tags:

Take the 7-9 result and the Community loses 1
tag.
If The Community has no Tags:
The Community dissolves, each creature
setting forth to find their new home, alone.

41
 Community Moves
Community moves are a list of Moves that the
Community has access to. Players can trigger these
moves when they make the “All Together Now” basic
move.

These moves are defined by what Tags The Community

has. A full list of all Community Tags and the moves they
offer can be found at the back of the book.

42
Example;
A wide open field stands between The Community and
where they want to be. One player is a Raccoon using
the Scout playbook. They climb a tree and use the “Lay
of the Lands” basic move to see if the way is safe. After
asking “Are there any Predators nearby?” The Narrator
explains how they see a hawk circling overhead.

The Community has the Cautious tag, so the Narrator

triggers its move “Avoid a dangerous situation.” as the
lack of cover and presence of a Hawk has the smaller
prey creatures of The Community wanting to stick
where there is cover.

One of the Players is a Guardian and gave the

Community the Brave tag and wants The Community to
venture through, promising that xe will keep the small
creatures safe. The Guardian performs the “All Together
Now” move attempting to trigger the Community Move
tied to the Brave tag; “Knowingly enter a dangerous
situation.”

Xe rolls a 10!

The small prey creatures of The Community swallow

their fear believing their Guardian will keep them safe
from the Hawk. Following The Guardian’s lead, they
venture out into the open field.

43
 Playbooks

Each Playbook represents the unique role a Player fulfils

within their Community. Each one has its own set of
moves, its own conditions for character progression,
and a Defining Moment.

The Diplomat The Flock

The voice of reason, You are a group of
the negotiator, the one the animals rather than an
Community turns to for individual and there is
guidance. strength and utility in
numbers.

The Guardian The Hound

The protector of the A domesticated hunting
Community, the one dog who has left the
people turn to for acts of comforts of human
strength and bravery. society to help this
Community of woodland
creatures.

44
The Outsider The Scout
In the past you did The one who ventures
everything you could to forth into the unknown
avoid being a member of to blaze a trail for your
The Community but with Community.
the loss of your home you
now find yourself doing
what you can to become a
valuable member.

The Sneak The Wyrd

The one who knows how Strange visions of the
to get things without future haunt your mind.
others knowing. You may not understand
all you foresee, but you
will use what you can see
to help those around
you.

45
 The Diplomat
Charisma, Negotiation, Community, Relationships

Whenever there’s trouble, you’re the one looking to talk

through the problem. Whether you’re a softly-spoken
hedgehog, a boisterous toad, or an elegant doe; with
your guidance, your Community can more easily band
together as a unit to tackle whatever obstacle is in their
path.

+2 Stat: Social

Harm Clock: 4-Tick

Helping Hand (Growth Criteria)

Help is on the way dearie!

After rolling to help an ally, tick your Growth Clock.

46
Community Tags
Choose 1
Tag Description Community
Move

Friendly This Community is Help another

friendly towards other Community.
Communities that it
encounters.

Leader This Community has a Wait for orders

de facto leader who from the top.
they turn to in times of
crisis for guidance.

47
Defining Moment
My whole life has led up to this moment.

This move must be unlocked during play when you

dedicate yourself to negotiating a peaceful outcome
between two hostile Communities.

The Narrator will tell you what either side wants from
the other; it is then up to you to find the compromise
and negotiate a peaceful outcome.

Befriend (Starting Move)

You’ve got a friend in me

When you attempt to befriend a non-hostile animal, roll

+Social.
10+ The animal in question views you as a friend,
take a +1 Ongoing whenever you need to talk
to them.

7-9 They don’t immediately view you as a friend

and will give you a task to prove your good
intentions.
Do it and you can take the +10 result.

48
We’re All Friends Here
Clear minds make clever decisions

When you attempt to defuse a tense situation within

your community, roll +Social.
10+ You calm everyone down and prevent the
situation from escalating.

7-9 You calm everyone down, for now.

This issue will arise again.

Expert Negotiator
I’m sure we can find some middle ground here

This move replaces the “Negotiate” basic move.

Whenever you would roll the Negotiate basic move, roll
+Social.
10+ The NPC in question will give you what you
want if you promise to help them.
Your Community gains a 1+ Ongoing while
solving this issue.

7-9 The NPC will only give you what you want in
exchange for something they want. Everyone
in your Community gains a +1 Forward to their
next action if it helps solve their issue.

49
Self-Sacrificing
Time to set a good example

Whenever you would roll the ‘All Together Now’ basic

move, you can choose to take the 10+ result if you take 1
harm; you push yourself too hard to set a good example.

Law Maker
Following the rules, rules!

When you attempt to establish a new rule for your

community to follow, roll +Social.
10+ The Community fully embraces the new rule
and will attempt to follow it as well as
possible.

7-9 Most of The Community will accept and follow

your new rule, but there are some who clearly
aren’t happy about it.

50
Filibuster
I think we can do better and I’m here today to make a
strong stand against it.

When you attempt to distract or delay a hostile

creature's actions by talking to them, Roll +Social.
10+ You manage to keep them busy until help
arrives.

7-9 You can keep them distracted until help

arrives, but talking for so long is exhausting,
take a -1 Forward.

51
 The Flock
Community, Acting as a group, Collective effort

Rather than an individual creature, you are a group that

acts as one. Whether you’re a herd of deer, a murder of
crows, or a mischief of mice, you will show The
Community that there is strength and utility in
numbers.

+2 Stat: Sense

Harm Clock: 10-Tick

Strength In Numbers (Growth Criteria)

Ape together strong.

After using your numbers to aid your Community, tick

your Growth Clock.

52
Community Tags
Choose 1
Tag Description Community
Move

Collective This Community Make a

doesn't have a specific decision as a
leader, and instead group.
acts based on what the
majority of the group
wants to do.

Large This Community is a Cover a large

large collection of area.
animals.

53
Defining Moment
My whole life has led up to this moment.

This move must be unlocked during play when The Flock

becomes larger than The Community itself, The Flock
splits. Half of them will remain with The Community,
the other half will create a new friendly NPC
Community.

The New Community has the Friendly and Collective

tags; choose two other tags for it.

One of Us (Starting Move)

First of all, it’s not a cult.

This Playbook does not heal 1 harm at the beginning of a

session.
When you attempt to invite an animal that you have at
least a positive +1 Relationship with to your flock, roll
+Social.
10+ They are more than happy to join your flock,
heal 1 harm.

7-9 They will join your flock, heal 1 harm if you

allow the Narrator to make a move.

54
We Are Legion
For we are many

Even without your Community, The Flock still has access

to the Community Moves that your Community has
access to.

Panopticon
I always feel like sombodys watching me

Whenever there’s a scene that you’re not a part of, you

can have one of your flock appear in that scene.

Many Hands
Make light work

Whenever you perform the “Help/Hinder” basic move,

add or subtract 2 from the person you are helping or
hindering rather than 1.

55
Sacrificial Lamb
You’ll have to get through us first.

When a member of your Community would take harm,

you can choose to take that harm instead.

Wayward Souls
Come wayward souls who wander through the darkness

When you make the “Lay of the Land” basic move, you
have the option to ask “Are there any lost members of
my flock nearby?”
If you can find and secure them they will rejoin your
flock, heal 1 harm.

56
 The Guardian
Strength, Fighting, Bravery, Intimidation, Protection,

Whenever there’s a threat to your Community, you can

be found putting yourself in harm's way for the safety of
your friends. Whether you’re a bold stag, a fierce fox, or
a tough-as-nails badger, you’re the one willing to fight
for the sake of your Community.

+2 Stat: Fierce

Harm Clock: 8-Tick

Protector (Growth Criteria)

You’ll have to get through me first.

When you put yourself in harm's way to protect

members of your Community, tick your Growth Clock.

57
Community Tags
Choose 1
Tag Description Community
Move

Brave This Community is Knowingly

more willing to enter enter a
potentially dangerous dangerous
situations. situation.

Protected This Community has a Ward off

designated protector external
who protects The predators.
Community and makes
it less likely that
external predators will
face The Community
head-on.

58
Defining Moment
My whole life has led up to this moment.

This move must be unlocked during play when you

stand against an insurmountable threat in defence of
your Community.

You face the threat alone and in doing so guarantee the

safety of your Community from that threat, regardless
of what happens to you. You know this isn't a foe you
can beat, but reset your Harm Clock and face this foe.

59
Unshakable (Starting Move)
I’m intimidating, not intimidated.

This move replaces the “Fight or Flight” basic move.

When another animal attempts to intimidate you,
roll +Fierce.
10+ You are not intimidated. gain a +1 Forward
against whoever attempted to intimidate you.

7-9 You are intimidated but are able to keep your

cool.

Show of Force
A vulgar display of power.

When you attempt to exert your physical strength to

move or damage an inanimate object, roll +Fierce.
10+ You can move or break the object in question.

7-9 You can move or break the object in question

if you allow the Narrator to make a move.

60
I’m The Big Bad Wolf
And the fight is on!

This move can be taken twice.

When you deal harm, deal +1 Harm.

Bare Your Fangs

I assure you, my bite is far worse than my bark.

When you attempt to intimidate another animal roll

+Fierce.
10+ You are a constant intimidating presence to
your target; take a +1 Ongoing when
interacting with this creature.

7-9 You momentarily intimidate your target, take a

+1 Forward.

61
Resilient
One tough son of a gun

Improve your Harm Clock by 1 tier, that is:

4 ticks into 6
6 ticks into 8
8 ticks into 10
10 ticks into 12

Any existing harm is transferred over to your new clock

size.

Shrug It Off
I’ve had worse

Once per session when you would mark Harm, you can
choose not to.

62
 The Hound
Human Interaction, Tracking

You might be man's best friend but you’re still an animal

at heart. Leaving your home with the humans, you’ve
decided to help your woodland friends find somewhere
they can be safe.

Let’s just hope you don’t pick up an interesting scent

and vanish into the trees.

+2 Stat: Fierce

Harm Clock: 8-Tick

Man's Best Friend (Growth Criteria)

Man is a Dog's best friend

Whenever you interact with a human, tick your Growth

Clock.

63
Community Tags
Choose 1
Tag Description Community
Move

Local This Community Share local

knows lots about the knowledge.
nearby area.

Wary This Community is Alert the

always on the look-out. Community of
If anyone sees possible
anything that could be threats.
dangerous, they will
alert the others.

64
Defining Moment
My whole life has led up to this moment.

This move must be unlocked during play when you allow

yourself to be captured by Humans to protect your
Community.

Describe the scene that you are captured in.

The Goodest Boy in Town (Starting Move)

Who’s a good boy? I’m a good boy.

Humans are non-hostile towards you unless provoked.

When you interact with a Human in a friendly manner,
roll +Social.
10+ Pick 2 options from the list.

7-9 Pick 1 option from the list.

● They will allow you to accompany them.

● They will offer you food.
● They will offer you shelter.
● They will follow you.
● They will vaguely understand what you’re
barking about.

65
Catch the Scent
Oh no, they’re off chasing Rabbits again!

When you attempt to follow something's scent, roll

+Sense.
10+ You are able to follow the scent trail to
wherever it terminates.

7-9 You will be able to follow the scent trail if you

allow the Narrator to make a move.

Identify
Smells like… Lilac and Gooseberries

When you attempt to identify what something is, roll

+Sense.
10+ The Narrator will tell you what it is and if it is
dangerous.

7-9 The Narrator will tell you what it is if you allow

the Narrator to make a move.

66
Guard Dog
Protector of the Pack

Take a move from The Guardian Playbook.

Sound the Alarm!

Now all the woods know you’re here

When you let out a howl to alert your Community, roll

+Social.
10+ Every member of your community hears your
howl and knows where you are.

7-9 Every member of your community hears your

howl and knows where you are, but so does
everyone else.

Sic ‘em
This dog’s made for hunting.

Once per session when you would deal harm, you can
choose to deal +1 extra Harm.

67
 The Outsider
Relationships, Helping, Belonging

In the past you were a solitary creature, living on the

outskirts of woodlands and avoiding the other
creatures. Whether you’re a grumpy old badger, a
rascally weasel, or a fox who ate one too many of the
local rabbits, you were an outsider. Now you’ve been
forced out of your home and cast to the wilderness,
you’re realising how important community is.

+2 Stat: Social

Harm Clock: 8-Tick

Where I Belong (Growth Criteria)

This place is starting to feel like home.

When you uphold a promise you make to a member of

your Community, tick your Growth Clock.

68
Community Tags
Choose 1
Tag Description Community
Move

Exclusive This Community has a Reject

hard time accepting newcomers.
new members.

Inclusive This Community has Welcome

an easier time newcomers.
accepting new
members.

69
Defining Moment
My whole life has led up to this moment.

This move must be unlocked during play when you

finally belong and are no longer considered an outsider.

Any negative relationships you have with members of

The Community become positive and all relationships
with members of your Community improve by +1.

Trying To Fit In (Starting Move)

If you just got to know me better

When you seek acceptance from a member of your

Community, roll +Social.
10+ They accept you as a member of The
Community. Improve your relationship with
that character by +1.

7-9 They will accept you as a member of The

Community but they don’t especially like that
you’re here.

70
I Can Fix That
Can we fix it?!

When you try to figure out the best way to help

someone, roll +Sense.
10+ Ask two questions from the list.

7-9 Ask one question from the list.

● What do they really want?
● What is something they don’t know they’re
missing?
● Who else in The Community could help them?
● What would make their situation worse?

Survivor
It’s the thrill of the fight

When you make the “Engage a Foe” basic move, on a

12+, as well as the 10+ results, you can pick one of the
following options;
● Relocate your foe.
● Gain your foes undivided attention.
● Deal +1 Harm.

71
Vagabond
Pretty sure I know someone around here.

When you first enter a new Environment and claim to

know someone who lives there, Roll +Social.
10+ You do know someone! Name them and create
a positive +1 Relationship with them.

7-9 You do know someone! Name them and create

a negative +1 Relationship with them.

The Hunted
Run rabbit, run as fast as you can. Don’t look back

When you want to lure a foe away from your

Community, roll +Reflex.
10+ You are able to lead the foe away from your
Community and will be able to find your way
back.

7-9 You are able to lead the foe away from your
Community but in the process have gotten
yourself lost.

72
Breaking Bread
What’s mine is yours

When you have enough food for yourself but choose to

give it to a Community member instead, roll +Social.
10+ Improve your relationship with them by +1 and
they will split the food between the two of
you.

7-9 Improve your relationship with them by +1 and

they take all you give for themself. Take a -1
ongoing until you can find food of your own.

73
 The Scout
Exploration, Perception, Detection, Survival, Foraging

Whenever there’s wilderness to explore, we’ll find you

leading the way. Whether you’re a wise old owl looking
down from above; an energetic rabbit darting amongst
the leaves, or a curious Weasel, we’ll find you in the
trees looking ahead for our new home.

+2 Stat: Reflex

Harm Clock: 6

Explorer Extraordinaire (Growth Criteria)

I told you I knew where I was going

Whenever you lead your Community to a new location,

tick your Growth Clock.

74
Community Tags
Choose 1
Tag Description Community
Move

Curious This Community is Investigate

intrigued by the something
unknown. interesting.

Well-Travelled This Community Share

knows of lots of knowledge of
faraway locations. other
Environments.

75
Defining Moment
My whole life has led up to this moment.

This move must be unlocked during play when you

finally locate a place your Community could call home.

Tell everyone how far away it is and add it to the map

then pick 3 of the following options. Any option you do
not pick is not true.

● No other Communities currently occupy it.

● No other Communities plan on taking this land
as their own.
● The land is not inherently dangerous.
● There is no looming Human threat.
● It has space for everyone in your community.

Vantage Point (Starting Move)

How’s the weather up there?

Whenever you find yourself at an elevated position that

allows you to survey the surrounding area, you can ask
the Narrator “What points of interest can I see from up
here?”. Take a +1 Forward when acting on that
information.

76
Superior Senses
I know the sound of each rock and stone

Whenever you roll the Lay of the Land basic move, you
can always ask +1 question.

Shelter Seeker
There’s got to be a cave around here somewhere!

When you attempt to find a temporary shelter for your

Community, roll +Sense.
10+ You manage to find a temporary shelter for
your Community.

7-9 The shelter you find is currently occupied but

there is room for more here.

77
Finder of Food
I know I left some nuts around here somewhere

When you attempt to find food for your Community, roll

+Sense.
10+ You manage to find more than enough food
for everyone.
Each member of your Community gains a +1
Forward.

7-9 You will be able to find enough food for

everyone, if you allow the Narrator to make a
move.

Wayfinder
I know the sound of every rock and stone

When you discover a new Environment declare what

this Environment has in abundance and what predators
lurk here.

Danger Sense
My spidey senses are tingling

When you make the “Lay of the Land” basic move, you
have the option to ask “What is the biggest threat to our
Community here?”.
78
 The Sneak
Speed, Finesse, Agility, Hiding, Stealing

If there’s something worth getting, you’re the one for

the job. Whether you’re an energetic squirrel; a sneaky
little mouse, or a master-thief raccoon, you’re the one
who’s in the shadows, one eye open for shiny things to
collect.

+2 Stat: Reflex

Harm Clock: 6-Tick

Thievius Raccoonus (Growth Criteria)

I’ll get you next time, Cooper!

When you steal something from a Human, tick your

Growth Clock.

79
Community Tags
Choose 1
Tag Description Community
Move

Quiet This Community does Avoid

not draw much attracting
external attention. external
attention.

Small This Community is only Move quickly.

a small cluster of
animals.

80
Defining Moment
My whole life has led up to this moment.

This move must be unlocked during play when you free a

Community held captive by Humans.

Members of the rescued Community will join your

Community. Gain one of the Tags from their old
Community.

Gotta Go Fast (Starting Move)

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom

When attempting to out-pace a foe, roll +Reflex.

10+ You manage to out-pace, out-maneuver,
out-do whatever you were running from.

7-9 If you allow the Narrator to make a move, you

can outrun whatever you were running from.

81
Impressive Dexterity
Super Nimble.

When you attempt to disarm a Human mechanism

(traps, locks, etc.), roll +Reflex.
10+ You manage to disable the mechanism
without harm befalling you.

7-9 You can safely disable the mechanism if you

allow the Narrator to make a move.

Vertical Mobility
Suddenly the world’s upside down

Whenever you use your ability to climb to high

places to your advantage, take a +1 Ongoing to Hide
and Lay of the Land.

82
The Unseen
Like a shadow in the night

This move replaces the “Hide” basic move.

When you attempt to seek cover and hide from
something roll +Reflex.
10+ You are able to hide from your foe and gain a
+1 Forward against them.

7-9 You are able to hide and remain hidden from

your foe.

Startle!
Ta-Da! Here I am!

When you dramatically reveal yourself from a hidden

position, Roll +Fierce
10+ Pick 2 options.

7-9 Pick 1 option.

● You gain your targets undivided attention.
● You gain a +1 Forward against them.
● Your distraction allows an ally to get into a
favourable position.

83
Escape Artist
There’s gotta be a way outta here.

When you need a way in or out of a location, roll +Sense.

10+ The Narrator will tell you what route you could
take to get in, or out, of your desired location.

7-9 The Narrator will tell you what route you could
take to get in, or out of your desired location
and what’s in your way.

84
 The Wyrd
Prophecy, Caution, Advisor

Plagued by confusing visions of things yet to come, your

guidance is what keeps the others out of trouble and on
the right path - Assuming you can interpret the visions
clearly.

+2 Stat: Sense

Harm Clock: 4

Doom-Seer (Growth Criteria)

All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand
enemies.

Whenever a prophecy you’ve foretold comes to pass,

tick your Growth Clock.

85
Community Tags
Choose 1
Tag Description Community
Move

Cautious This Community is less Avoid a

likely to enter into dangerous
potentially dangerous situation.
situations.

Strange There is something odd Put off others

about this Community from joining
and others can tell. due to a
strange aura.

86
Defining Moment
My whole life has led up to this moment.

This move must be unlocked during play when you

foresee your own death, and resolve to face it head on.

Describe the vision and explain what you plan to do to

face that threat.

A Glimpse Ahead (Starting Move)

The visions that cloud my mind grant clarity...
sometimes.
When you attempt to peer into the misty visions of the
future, roll +Sense.

10+ You saw what danger awaits us in our future,

what was it?

7-9 You saw what danger awaits us in our future,

but the vision was hazy. You know there was
something more that you couldn't quite see.

87
Careful Now
Dangerous is the unknown path

When you advise against a course of action, roll +Social.

10+ NPCs will heed your warning and Players take
a -1 Forward to act against your warning.

7-9 NPCs will heed your warning if you allow the

Narrator to make a move.

Intent
An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred
and unguarded

When you attempt to see the greater intent of

someone's actions, roll +Sense.
10+ The Narrator or Player will honestly reveal
what the deeper meaning behind their actions
are.

7-9 The Narrator or Player will give you a hint as to

what the deeper meaning of their actions are.

88
Storyteller
This reminds me of the tale of...

When you tell a cautionary folktale that has bearing on

the current situation, say what lesson should be learnt
from the tale and roll +Social.
10+ Those who hear your tale will take the lesson
to heart. Players gain a +1 Ongoing so long as
they’re following the lesson from the tale.

7-9 Those who hear your tale will take the lesson
to heart. Players gain a +1 Ongoing so long as
they’re following the lesson from the tale but
the Narrator will give you a horrible vision of
what is to come.

Mystic Council
Please, friend, heed my council

Whenever a character accepts your offer of mystic

council, increase your relationship with them by 1 and
give them a +1 Forward.

89
Share the Vision
See what only I can see

This move requires the “A Glimpse Ahead” move.

When you make the “A Glimpse Ahead” move while
sharing your vision with another, in addition to the
results of Glimpse Ahead, whoever you’re sharing your
vision with shares how they play a critical role in regard
to the danger.

90
 The Narrator
The Narrator’s job is not to ‘beat’ the Players. Table Top
Role-Playing games are, if anything, collaborative
storytelling games where everyone is working together
to tell an interesting story rather than to ‘win’ the game.

The Narrator's job is to create dilemmas for the Players

to overcome; they can do this by using the Narrator
Moves, following the Narrator Principles, as well as by
creating dangerous Environments for Players to
navigate and interesting Non-Player Characters (NPCs)
for the them to interact with.

91
 Narrator Principles
● Find out what happens; be open-minded and
exploratory: This means not railroading the action to
pre-planned outcomes.

● Allow the Players’ actions to be impactful to the

fiction surrounding them.

● Facilitate the creation of a Community of woodland

creatures who will work together to overcome
difficult tasks.

● Build a bigger world through play; don’t plan the

entire map before the game starts.

● Create interesting dilemmas, not interesting plots.

● Be a fan of the Players' characters. You want to see

them overcome difficult challenges. To celebrate
their wins and mourn their losses.

● Ask provocative questions of the Players and build

on the answers.

● Reflect questions back on the Players when you

don’t know the answers.

92
 Narrator Moves
Whenever the opportunity presents itself to the
Narrator, they should make a Move. These moves allow
the Narrator to create conflict for the Players to deal
with, help continue the story, and build the world.
Whenever a Player rolls 6-, or there is a perfect
opportunity to perform one of these moves, or the
Players look to you for answers, make a move.

● Ask them questions about the world.

● Reveal how Humanity has complicated things.
● Trigger Fight or Flight.
● Trigger a Community Move.
● Separate them from their Community.
● Return them to their Community.
● Use up their Resources.
● Introduce an outside threat.
● Create conflict within The Community.
● Hint at a future external conflict.
● Hint at a future internal conflict.
● Put someone in a high-risk situation.
● Trade harm for harm.
● Deal harm.
● Give them a penalty or bonus to their roll.
● Give them a difficult decision to make.
● Tell them the possible consequences of their
actions.
● Turn their move back on them.

93
 Creating an NPC

To create an NPC answer the following questions:

What is it?
Name the type of thing you are making.

I am making a Wolf.

How big is its Harm Clock?

Pick 1:

The creature is closer in size to a Mouse than a Rabbit.

Harm Clock = 4-Tick

The creature is closer in size to a Rabbit than a Fox.

Harm Clock = 6-Tick

The creature is closer in size to a Fox than a Rabbit.

Harm Clock = 8-Tick

The creature is a Bear.

Harm Clock = 10-Tick

Humans do not have a Harm Clock.

A Wolf is closer in size to a Fox than a Rabbit. It has an

8-Tick Harm Clock.

94
How much Harm does it deal?
Pick 1:

The Creature does not have sharp horns, claws, or

teeth.
Harm = 1

The Creature does have sharp horns, claws, or teeth.

Harm = 2

The creature is a Human or a Bear.

Harm = 3

A Wolf does have sharp claws. It deals 2 harm.

95
What Moves can it make?

NPCs need moves that they can do. These moves outline
what that creature will attempt to do when the Narrator
has a chance to allow it to act on one of its moves.

To figure out what moves something should have, just

think about the things that you expect it to do.
Ideally, you should give an NPC at least 3 moves.

A Wolf is good at hunting, so I’ll give it a move that

allows it to do that.
It gains the move “Pick up the Scent.”

A Wolf needs a way to attack its prey, so I’ll give it a

move that does that.
It gains the move “Attack my prey.”

Wolves are known to act as a pack, so I’ll give it a move

that reflects that.
The Wolf gains the move “Inform the Pack.”

96
What does it want?

Everything has at least one goal that it is trying to

achieve. Write these as you would write Moves;
however, these are not actions that can be taken, but
are goals that are being worked towards by using its
Moves.
You should always be able to answer the question “How
does it achieve this goal?” by naming at least one of its
moves.

The Wolf wants to bring food back to its pack, so I’ll

write “Feed the pack.” It can achieve this by “Picking up
the scent” and “Attacking my prey.”

It also wants to avoid humans because of how

dangerous they are, so I’ll also add “Avoid Humans” as a
goal. It can achieve this with its move “Inform the pack”
by using it to inform the pack of nearby Humans.

What can it offer?

Every NPC has something that it can offer. This can be

something offered freely or in exchange for one of its
wants. Offers do not have to be resources or services;
some NPCs may only be able to offer friendship or
hostility.

These wolves cannot be reasoned with, the only thing

they have to offer is hostility and they offer it freely.

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Wolf

Harm Clock 8-tick

Harm 2

Moves Pick up the scent, Attack my prey,

Inform the pack.

Wants Feed the pack, Avoid Humans

Offers Hostility

A lot of animals are going to have the same Harm Clock

and deal the same Harm. This is to be expected. A Wolf,
Fox, Stag, Badger are all going to have a 8-tick Harm
Clock and deal 2 Harm. What makes creatures unique is
the moves they have access to, their wants, their offers,
and what role they play as a part of their Community
and the Environment they exist in.

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 Making an NPC Community

A Community is another faction of animals that lives in

the world. Communities can be a large group of animals
or just a single creature; they have something to offer
and something they want. When making a Community
that represents an individual, start them as an NPC as
well as a Community.

Description

To make an NPC Community, first you need a clear

image of what that Community is. Once you know what
sort of Community you’re making, describe it.

A Rabbit Warren that lives in fear of The White Fox.

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Tags

Tags are how we define a Community. Much like the

Player’s Community; Each NPC Community also has
tags of their own that act as shorthand for the Narrator
so they can see at a glance what this community is like.
These Tags give the NPC Community access to
Community moves. Determine what Tags it will have by
choosing what seems most appropriate from the
Community Tags section, or make your own Tags. An
NPC Community has at least 4 tags.

There is a list of Community Tags towards the back of

the book.

These Rabbits have a dedicated Leader called George, so

they get the Leader tag.
They live underground so I’ll give them the Quiet tag.
They have an established settlement, so they get the
Settled tag.
The rabbits have someone on active lookout duty, so
they get the Wary tag.

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Offers

Each NPC Community has something to offer the

Players. Determine what this Community could offer:
Food, Shelter, a new character to join their Community,
a place where a member of the player Community could
stay?

Well I imagine it to be quite a large rabbit warren, so

there would be room for any rabbits or friendly
burrowing creatures to join them.

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Wants

Every NPC Community wants something from the

Players. Determine what this Community wants from
the surrounding area and why they cannot go get it
themselves. This should relate to Threats from the
Environment, other Communities, or NPCs within this
Environment.

Are there Human Traps nearby that they are too afraid to
deal with? Are there predators that need driving off and
they lack anyone capable of dealing with such a threat?

Solving this issue is how Players will gain access to

whatever this Community has to offer them.

These rabbits live in fear of The White Fox and because

they’re a community made entirely of rabbits, they don’t
have the means to drive him off.

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Important Figures

Every Community should have at least one named NPC

that the Players can interact with on behalf of the entire
Community. Name and assign stats to any important
NPCs that exist within this Community.

The only important NPC that I can think of right now is

George, so I’ll list him as an Important NPC and make
him as an NPC.

The Rabbit Warren Leader, Quiet, Settled, Wary

Community Moves Wait for orders from the top,

Avoid attracting external
attention, Alert the
Community of possible
threats, Refuse to leave

Offers Spare room for Rabbits or

friendly Burrowing creatures.

Wants The nearby Fox to be driven

off.

Important Figures George the Rabbit

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George the
Rabbit

Harm Clock 6-tick

Harm 1

Moves Stand on alert, Serve his Community,

Seek help from passers by

Wants Protect his Warren

Offer Spare room for Rabbits or friendly

Burrowing creatures.

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 Environments

This is a game about traversing different, dangerous

environments until the Players’ Community finds
somewhere to settle down, or they fall apart. Narrators
should plan a couple of Environments the Players may
encounter on their journey but should always leave
room for Players to describe upcoming ones and build
off what the Players add to the map.

Each Environment the Players find themselves in is a

combination of the following elements:

Description What is this place?

Threats What is dangerous here?

Moves Extra moves the Narrator can

make which are specific to this
Environment.

Communities Who else lives here?

By combining these elements, the Narrator is able to

create an environment.

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Description

A short description of what the environment is. It can

contain as much or as little detail as you like. The
Narrator writes down whatever they need to create a
clear picture of what the environment is in their mind.

The White Fox’s Woods is a dense tangled mess of

gnarled, mossy roots. The woods sit in permanent
shadow thanks to the thick, overhanging canopy. If the
tangled roots and lack of sunlight weren’t bad enough, a
large white fox has made these woods his home, and all
who enter are his prey.

Threats

Each factor that makes this area potentially dangerous

should be listed as a Threat. These Threats should try to
tie back to the Description. Each area should have at
least three threats.

● Difficult terrain
● Easy to get lost
● The White Fox

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Moves

Every Environment has a list of moves that the Narrator

can make whenever the opportunity presents itself;
these are on top of all the normal Narrator Moves. These
moves are specific to this environment and should
reflect the Threats present there. An Environment
should have at least 1 move for each Threat, but more
can always be added so long as they are relevant for this
Environment.

Examples of Environment Moves would be;

● Introduce someone who lives in fear of The

White Fox.
● Introduce terrain that is impassable for
someone.
● Someone gets lost.
● The White Fox strikes an isolated target.

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Communities

Whether hostile or friendly, each Environment should

have at least one community that the Players can
interact with. Communities can be lone animals
wandering the wild, or a whole collection of animals
that have made this place their home.

Communities are made up of the following things:

Description A brief sentence to describe

what this Community is.

Tags What are the Tags attached

to this Community?

Offers What does this Community

have that they could offer the
Players?

Wants What does this Community

want from the Players?

Important Figures Who are the important NPCs

that exist within this
Community?

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You can learn more about making Communities in the
Making an NPC Community Section.

This is a game about moving through these

environments and not turning back. Should Players
decide to go back to an Environment they have visited
before, you should update the Environment sheet to
reflect what has changed since the last time the Players
visited.

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 Example Environment

The White Fox’s Wood

The White Fox’s Woods is a dense tangled mess of

gnarled mossy roots. The woods sit in permanent
shadow thanks to the thick overhanging canopy. If the
tangled roots and lack of sunlight wasn't bad enough, a
large white fox has made these woods his home, and all
who enter are his prey.

Threats
• Difficult terrain
• Easy to get lost
• The White Fox

Moves
• Introduce terrain that is impassable for someone.
• Someone gets lost.
•Introduce someone who lives in fear of The White Fox.
• The White Fox strikes an isolated target.

Communities
• The White Fox
• The Rabbit Warren

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The Rabbit Warren Leader, Quiet, Settled, Wary

Community Moves Wait for orders from the top,

Avoid attracting external
attention, Alert the
Community of possible
threats, Refuse to leave

Offers Spare room for Rabbits or

friendly Burrowing creatures.

Wants The nearby Fox to be driven

off.

Important Figures George the Rabbit

George the
Rabbit

Harm Clock 6-tick

Harm 1

Moves Stand on alert, Serve his Community,

Seek help from passers by

Wants Protect his Warren

Offer Spare room for Rabbits or friendly

Burrowing creatures.

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The White Fox

Harm Clock 8-tick

Harm 2

Moves Track his prey, Isolate his Prey,

Attack his prey

Wants To eat George the Rabbit.

Offers Safe Passage through his woods.

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 Example NPCs

Wolf

Harm Clock 8-tick

Harm 2

Moves Pick up the scent, Attack my prey,

Inform the pack.

Wants Feed the pack, Avoid Humans

Offers Hostility

Hawk

Harm Clock 6-Tick

Harm 2

Moves Circle above, Strike an isolated target,

Carry away a small target

Wants To carry off a small creature to eat.

Offers A bird’s-eye view

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Human

Harm Clock X

Harm 3

Moves Hunt wild animals, Set up traps,

Destroy nature for the sake of
progress.

Wants Bend the world to suit its needs

Offer Hostility, Captivity

Human Trap
(Harm)

Harm Clock X

Harm 3

Moves Lie in wait, Spring into action, Harm

whoever triggers it.

Wants To be sprung, To harm an animal

Offer Harm

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Human Trap
(Capture)

Harm Clock X

Harm 0

Moves Lie in wait, Spring into action,

Restrain whoever triggers it.

Wants To be sprung, To capture an animal

Offer Captivity

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 Community Tags

Tag Description Move

Brave This Community is Knowingly

more willing to enter enter a
potentially dangerous dangerous
situations. situation.

Cautious This Community is less Avoid a

likely to enter into dangerous
potentially dangerous situation.
situations.

Collective This Community Make a

doesn't have a specific decision as a
leader, and instead group.
acts based on what the
majority of the group
wants to do.

Curious This Community is Investigate

intrigued by the something
unknown. interesting.

Defenceless This Community lacks Seek help from

any member capable of outsiders.
fighting off an external
threat.

Domesticated This Community has Call for Human

been domesticated by assistance.
Humans.

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Exclusive This Community has a Reject
hard time accepting newcomers.
new members.

Friendly This Community is Help another

friendly towards other Community.
Communities that it
encounters.

Hostile This Community is Harm another

actively hostile to Community.
others that they
encounter.

Inclusive This Community has Welcome

an easier time newcomers.
accepting new
members.

In-Group This Community has Make a

an elitist inner circle. decision in
secret.

Large This Community is a Cover a large

large collection of area.
animals.

Leader This Community has a Wait for orders

de facto leader who from the top.
they turn to in times of
crisis for guidance.

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Local This Community Share local
knows lots about the knowledge.
nearby area.

Protected This Community has a Ward off

designated protector external
who protects The predators.
Community and makes
it less likely that
external predators will
face The Community
head-on.

Quiet This Community does Avoid

not draw much attracting
external attention. external
attention.

Roaming This Community does Relocate.

not have a home and is
searching for a new
place to settle.

Settled This Community has a Refuse to

place to call its own. leave.

Small This Community is only Move quickly.

a small cluster of
animals.

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Strange There is something odd Put off others
about this Community from joining
and others can tell. due to a
strange aura.

Wary This Community is Alert the

always on the look-out. Community of
If anyone sees possible
anything that could be threats.
dangerous, they will
alert the others.

Well-Travelled This Community Share

knows of lots of knowledge of
faraway locations. other
Environments.

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