character book

art
Grim Wilkins

copy editing
Kara Verlaney

contributing writer
Rebecca Askin

writing, layout, & design

T.C. Sottek

origins
Quest was designed in Brooklyn, New York and
printed in Shenzhen, China.

typography
The headings of this book are set in Alegreya Sans
SC, designed by Juan Pablo del Peral. The body
text is set in Ovo, designed by Nicole Fally.

quest character book, digital edition

version 1.0. date of release: april 4, 2021
© the adventure guild, llc, 2021. all rights reserved.
© grim wilkins, 2021. all rights reserved.

www.adventure.game
what’s inside reading guide
In this book, you’ll find 101 illustrated fantasy Each character entry in this book contains an illustration, scene
description, character background, and stats and special features.
characters, from friendly local animals to
interdimensional beings of great power. scene — A character’s scene introduction is written as if you were
speaking aloud to the table. You can use the scene introduction as-is
From page 105 and beyond, we’ll talk about to read aloud, or modify it to fit the needs of your own story. This
section is meant to give you an idea of the character’s flavor and the
how to best use these characters in your story. kinds of circumstances they might find themselves in.
We’ll also teach you how to modify what you
see here or create your own characters. story — This section in each character profile contains their basic
story information and typically includes their background, motives,
spoiler warning! and present circumstances. This information usually contains secrets
that should be kept from the players until they are able to discover
This book contains a lot of information that the character’s mysteries through roleplaying.
is meant to be read first by the person playing and more — Additional fields in a character’s profile are used
the Guide in your adventure. (The Guide is the to add more context to the character. These fields differ for each
character. You might find out more about the organization a
story’s narrator; you can learn more about this character belongs to, a problem they face, or a way to give them more
role in the Quest Game Book.) flavor at the table.

If you are playing as one of the story’s main legendary quest — Some characters in this book are capable of
characters, we recommend that you only look at sending players on “legendary quests” that offer significant rewards.
You can use these quests to help players earn legendary abilities.
the “scene” introductions and the illustrations (See the Quest Game Book for more information about legendary
for each character. Reading more may spoil abilities.)
some of the game’s mysteries during your Finally, each character profile contains a section at the bottom with
adventure. the character’s basic stats and special features, like this:
references
References in this book point to pages of digital 3—2 evasive, extra attack, charismatic
books in Quest’s official collection: The black number in the box shows a character’s hit points, and the
red number is their attack rating (how much damage they deal when
(p.) A page in this book. attacking.) You can learn more about any listed special features
(gb.) A page in the Quest Game Book. beginning on page 110.
(t.) A page in the Quest Treasure Book.
If you’re reading this on a computer, you can click this map icon on
any page to visit the full character index.
characters
Characters in this book are grouped for convenience by one of three classifications, as
explained below. But any character in this catalog can play a big part in your story.

commoners — Commoners Commoners can still be very minions — Minions are bosses — Bosses are
are average creatures that, on powerful based on their official creatures that are more powerful exceptional creatures, often
their own, don’t pose a big positions, possessions, and the than average and less susceptible with immense power, that are
threat to the party and are more relationships they keep. For to some of the adventurers’ highly resistant to some of the
susceptible to the adventurers’ example, The Tyrant (p. 26) is special abilities. They may be adventurers’ special abilities.
special abilities. vulnerable on their own, but deadly on their own, but are often They are usually capable of
they have the support of guards, seen in the company of allies or presenting major problems for
armies, and incredible wealth. bosses. the adventurers and can be used
as major heroes or villains in the
story.
5 the alleycat
neighborhood watcher
scene — “As the guests step outside of the play for intermission and
light up their pipes, you see a shadow emerge from the alley. A child
wearing fancy clothes that are just a little too big for her body weaves
in and out of the crowd. As you briefly spot the glint of a ring in her
hands, you realize she’s made this group of wealthy citizens a little
lighter.”

story — The Alleycat is the daughter of an aristocratic family

who lives a double life. When she found out her family’s wealth was
stolen, she turned on her parents and searched for new friends to
return stolen riches to the community.

By day, she attends an exclusive school that allows her to mingle

and collect intelligence from the children of the city’s most powerful
families. By night, she uses the rumors and gossip she hears at school
to stalk the aristocracy. She is a novice Spy with the Strap ability (gb.
77).

Her group of thieves is called The Tricky Bandits, and the average age
of its members is 15. All members are required to pledge that they
will only steal from the corrupt, only give to those in need, and never
keep what they have stolen. They are also oath-bound to never harm
another creature unless absolutely required for self-defense.

The Alleycat’s dream is to grow up and be like The Representative (p.

22). A party that connects her with her idol will make a friend for life.
If the two meet, The Representative will take her under her wing and
become her devoted mentor.

the bigtime — The Alleycat has just stumbled upon the trail of The
Tyrant’s (p. 26) effort to enlist the Seastriders (p. 30) in a sabotage
plot. She knows she needs help from adults to uncover the plan, and
might ask the party for help if they gain her trust. The party can gain
her trust by accompanying her on a nighttime raid to steal valuables
from The Aristocrat (p. 6).

3—2 evasive, curious, kind, leader

6 the aristocrat
scheming socialite
scene — “A person in a brilliant cloak and adorned in precious
jewelry walks confidently onto the stage, widening the eyes of
everyone seated in the great hall. As their silvery voice embraces its
listeners, you notice that a ring on the speaker’s hand begins to glow.
At the end of their speech, the audience lines up to contribute their
riches to the campaign.”

story — The Aristocrat is a skilled thief who inherited a magic ring

from their aunt: a once-prestigious wizard. The ring, a Beguiling Band
(t. 27), imbues its wearer with magical charisma. It compels those
who hear its wearer’s voice to part with their valuables on command.

The Aristocrat has skillfully used the ring to gather wealth and ascend
the ranks of their city’s social and political order. Having earned the
favor of a local crime syndicate, they are now helping its corrupt
leaders seek the levers of government in the region so they can
consolidate power and preserve The Tyrant’s (p. 26) position on the
throne. Above all else, The Aristocrat wants to be the object of others’
envy.

The Aristocrat employs a permanent security detail made up of

former members of the Regional Guard (p. 60) who were cast out for
corruption and other unbecoming violations of the Guard’s oath.

the lovelace — The Aristocrat owns and operates a secret

members-only speakeasy called The Lovelace. The Lovelace is a
sprawling club with its own live-in staff and a vast catacomb filled
with wine and spirits. The club hosts high-stakes Queens* tables that
attract the wealthy and powerful — especially those from cartels and
other underground organizations. The Host (p. 14), The Mayor (p. 18),
and shadow operatives (p. 62) are known to frequent the club.

*Queens is a real card game that you can find at www.queens.game

3—1 charismatic, enterprising, greedy, private

7 the benefactor
titan of industry
scene — “A woman with exquisite taste glides through the room
and uncorks a bottle of what you can only assume is the most
valuable decanter of spirits in the world. She gazes out of the window
for a moment, before turning and wrapping you in her gaze. ‘I have a
job for you,’ she says. ‘It requires discretion.’”

story — The Benefactor is an incredibly wealthy individual who

built a worldwide delivery network called Fleetfox Parcel. The network
fueled the rise of Brell (p. 76) and Professor Prim (p. 96). And while
she remains in control of her company, she prefers to focus on public
issues like conservation. She is equally famous as the head of The
Wild Trust: an organization that acquires land and converts its use for
preservation.

After a recent attack on her Rangers in an outland preserve, she

has grown suspicious of a conspiracy by a rival company to extract
natural resources from her protected lands. And though she is
well-connected in trade and politics, she turns quietly to private
adventuring groups who can discreetly help her investigate and
resolve attacks on her holdings.

Though The Benefactor is extraordinarily wealthy and powerful, she

is only as noble as one can possibly be in her position. She genuinely
cares about the preservation of natural splendor and will go to great
lengths to protect public interests. But she does not tolerate small
talk and occasionally excoriates and undermines those who lack her
ambition.

sayings — “We’ve got trouble. No sense in standing around.”

“Were you born this stubborn, or did you study hard for
it?”

partners — The Benefactor travels with a deputy named Sylvar

Kaling who helps run her companies, and a Fighter named Kellis
Sgèin who acts as her bodyguard. Both companions are incredibly
competent and loyal.

3—1 enterprising, leader, moral

8 birdplan
unexpected avian friend
scene — “A bird approaches. You notice this bird looks much larger
than other birds of its kind. Then you notice it’s walking upright with
a cane. Then you notice... it has hands. Then you notice the bird has
been talking to you for some time while you stare at it quite rudely.”

story — Birdplan is the unexpected result of a bird fan’s plan to

make a man with a wingspan. The experiment created a beautiful
and wise creature, but not exactly the “bird man” the dubious doctor
had hoped to make real after seeing one depicted in a popular fantasy
magazine.

Birdplan is a gentle and intelligent being. When first confronted with

their maker, they calmly explained why trying to reproduce allegorical
creatures is a bad idea, and convinced them to retire. Now, Birdplan is
a traveling scholar who gives speeches on the moral and ethical risks
of unregulated magic.

key fact — Birdplan was the first creature to experience The Bitter
Gift (gb. 99), a Doctor spell which bestows sentience on a living
creature who lacks it.

sayings — “Come closer, let me have a look at you, friend.”

“This reminds me of the tale of the bird who flew too
close to the sun.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of that wizard. They live in a small tower
in the outlands just to the north of here.”

inventory — Birdplan was given a magic cane by their creator

which contains a single use of The Bitter Gift spell. Birdplan does not
know the cane is capable of casting this spell.

bitter kin — Birdplan is friends with Claw (p. 38), who was also
affected by an early version of The Bitter Gift spell (gb. 73). They visit
from time to time to discuss their unique condition and their place in
the world.

3—1 nonviolent, moral, wise, empathic

9 the brewer
renowned artisan
scene — “The raucous songs of revelers reverberate in the
tavern, causing your heart to swell with excitement. Everyone
around you seems transported. You notice their mugs are all
full with the same golden, frothy brew. In the distance behind
the bar counter, you notice a small bartender sliding from cask
to cask on a rolling ladder.”

story — The Brewer is a famous artisan whose signature

drink, Spirit Shaker, is enjoyed throughout the region. A former
colleague and classmate of Professor Prim (p. 96), they’re a
capable magic food scientist and tavern proprietor. The two
artisans occasionally meet in private to reminisce about old
times.

The Brewer’s secret recipes are infused with magic. Their

line of magic brews inspire a wide range of feelings in those
who consume them, with none of the intoxicating drawbacks
of traditional ales and spirits. They believe their mission in
life is to create the perfect brew by searching for the rarest
ingredients in the world to experiment with.

adversaries — The Brewer’s success has raised the eyebrows

of those who wish to control the public, especially the Prismatic
Prophet (p. 190), who has a plan to dose a shipment of Spirit
Shaker with a mind control spell. The Brewer has also made
enemies of those who are opposed to joy, like The Host (p. 14),
judges (p. 48), and The Magister (p. 91). They see The Brewer’s
works as shortcuts to happiness or catalysts to unsightly public
spectacle.

quest — The Brewer’s caravans are threatened by adherents

(p. 28) who want to disrupt the supply of Spirit Shaker to
taverns in the region. The Brewer is offering a valuable sample
of a new ale with healing properties to those who can protect
their caravans.

4—1 enterprising, gossiper, impassioned, talented

10 button dweller
unseen local
scene — “You lean down to smell a flower bush, and for a moment,
you think you hear the tiniest roar, like from a distant festival. When
you accidentally prick your finger on one of the bush’s thorns, you
feel a strange woosh, and the world fades away. You realize you’re
standing on a flower petal. A person who was once tiny is standing in
front of you, smiling.”

story — Button dwellers are among the most diminutive beings

in the omniverse. They live short and fast-paced lives; a 30-year-
old button dweller is generally thought to have had a good run. The
stature and lifespan of button dwellers have made them quick to
learn and quite adaptable to their circumstances. Many among them
are able to produce magic that has effects far beyond what their size
might suggest.

Sadly, many larger beings are unaware of button dwellers and

accidentally trample their towns. Dwellers are usually able to
protect themselves from these threats, and occasionally they will
lure creatures in and shrink them to engage in diplomacy.But some
factions of button dwellers take a more hostile stance toward the “tall
ones.” These groups of dwellers are known to trap larger creatures in
their domain and imprison them for their wanton forest walking.

allies — Button dwellers often build cities in harvesters

(p. 45), which they form symbiotic relationships with.

sayings — “Greetings, tall one. Please do not be afraid. Would you

please have a conversation with me?”
“We need some help with the local squirrels.”
“For your brutal crimes against our kind, we hereby
sentence you to imprisonment in The Iron Root.”

combat — Button dwellers are unable to harm much larger

creatures, but they can capably fight creatures who fit within the scale
of their worlds.

3—1 evasive, resourceful

11 the faceless one
cursed cultist
scene — “The door cracks open, revealing only a quavering voice.
‘Who are you, and what do you want?’ they say. As you defuse their
worries, they open the door, revealing a figure with a completely
blank face.”

story — The Faceless One is a former adherent (p. 28) who escaped
a repressive enclave seeking freedom. After wandering for miles
in the forest after their escape, they stumbled upon a lone house
belonging to The Illusionist (p. 84).

The Illusionist offered refuge — and the granting of one wish.

Unaware of the risks, the adherent wished that nobody from The
Enclave would recognize their face again. The wish was deviously
fulfilled. The Illusionist stole the adherent’s face, trapped it in a
portrait, and then released them back into the forest. Their life force
is now tied to the portrait. If it is destroyed, they will die.

The Faceless One was eventually found by a hiker and brought to a

small outland town, where they wait for someone to help them find
the magician and reverse their cruel curse. The curse can be lifted by
destroying the Magician or convincing them to lift it.

the enclave — The Enclave is the home of The Prismatic Prophet

(p. 95) and contains the secret headquarters for their cult. The
Faceless One has a bracelet that can help locate and enter The
Enclave, which is concealed by a mirage. They are willing to lead
adventurers to The Enclave in exchange for a promise to help lift
their curse.

sayings — “The Prophet’s words are tricks of light and they cannot
be trusted.”
“I was lost once. It felt like having a family. But then I
saw the ugliness behind it all. It’s not just the Prophet.
The Lucent Trine must be stopped.”

3—1 nonviolent, private

12 grasping ghost
lingering soul
scene — “You feel an unexpected breeze pass through the room. A
few pieces of paper on the table seem to shuffle about for a moment,
as if someone is reading through them. ‘That happens from time to
time,’ the homeowner tells you. ‘They say the previous tenant has
unfinished business here.’”

story — Grasping ghosts are spirits who hold a tight grip on their
worldly identities. While most spirits gradually become entirely
new creatures with evolved identities, grasping ghosts refuse to part
ways with their past selves. These lingering spirits are often able to
reclaim limited functions belonging to those with material form, like
the ability to briefly hold and move objects. Ghosts who go through
their old routines often lead the living to believe certain places are
haunted.

Grasping ghosts do not wish to move on from their past lives and will
express great sorrow when reminded that they are no longer among
the living. Ghosts who are aware of magic sometimes desperately
seek out the services of Doctors like The Necromancer (p. 92) who
can return them to a living body.

Many grasping ghosts take secrets to their graves. Those with

privileged information — like the location of an artifact or the identity
of an interloper — are often willing to part with it in exchange for
being reinstated among the living.

the village — The inhabitants of a village that was destroyed by an

albatross (p. 73) all died in the calamity, and they all became grasping
ghosts. This unique circumstance made the ghosts self-aware, and
they decided in a town meeting to recreate the entire world in a spirit
realm. They now travel the world, trying to convince grasping ghosts
who they find to become a part of their new effort to build a new
world for spirits. These spirits actively engage with the living in the
hope that they will be recognized as their own society of equals in the
world.

3—1 ethereal
13 hatbat
a hat that’s also a bat
scene — “A finely crafted hat sits on the floor in the middle of an
otherwise empty room. You put it on your head. That’s when you feel
a slurping tongue on your head and the gentle embrace of a mouth
full of fangs.”

story — Hatbats are vampiric, shapeshifting bats that often take the
form of hats to lure in their prey. When a hatbat is placed on a head,
it bites down, locking itself to the creature to extract a modest amount
of its blood. It does not deal damage from this bite unless the creature
attempts to remove it. Petting the hatbat gently causes it to release its
grip on a head and turns it into a friendly bat.

Some magicians and other tricksters are known to keep hatbats as

loyal pets. Domesticated hatbats are said to be even more loyal than
dogs.

Left unchecked, hatbats are known to form colonies in coat rooms

and closets. An active hatbat invasion is popularly called a “bad
hair day.” The Alleycat (p. 5) has been known to prank the rich and
powerful with hatbat invasions and famously disrupted an aristocratic
masquerade ball in the dead of winter by letting a group of hatbats
into the coatroom.

sayings — *licking and slurping noises*

*happy grunting*
*angry growl*

companion — Hatbats can make silly companions for the

adventurers. Consider introducing one to a Ranger to allow them to
adopt it as their animal companion.

mutations — Hatbats have a chance to shapeshift into other

kinds of garments whenever they reproduce. If you like, consider
replicating the behavior and nature of hatbats into other items, like,
say, cloakbats and shirtbats.

3—1 hungry for heads

14 the host
dastardly deejay
scene — “You hear static from your pocket and realize your
Skycaller Amulet is active. A booming voice emerges. ‘Welcome to the
Realest of the Real Network,’ it says. ‘The only voice in broadcasting
willing to tell you what’s really going on.’”

story — The Host is a bombastic charlatan with a cultlike following.

He attracts followers by spinning wild tales about those in power,
particularly industrialists like Brell (p. 76) who have transformed
society with powerful and advanced magic. He is reviled by almost
everyone who benefits from the stable order of things, especially Brell,
The Representative (p. 22), and The Benefactor (p. 7).

The Host travels in secret from town to town, often holding

gatherings with his supporters. He uses a hacked Skycaller Amulet (t.
20) to broadcast a pirate radio signal that hijacks other amulets in a
wide area. The Host makes at least as many enemies as allies, thanks
to his often-unwanted intrusions.

He is known to appear from time to time in The Aristocrat’s

(p. 6) private club, where he mingles with powerful figures. He is
often willing to take up the cause of someone with influence and
power, for the right fee.

secret backer — Dr. Chaos (p. 80) benefits from The Host’s
dastardly deeds and funds their operation in secret, offering them
upgrades on their equipment to rudely reach more and more listeners
with his conspiracies and lies.

sayings — “Your rulers are corrupt. Do not listen to them. Do not

allow them to control you with their rules.”
“Magic is just another way the people in power control
you. It’s time to reject its use!”
“It’s time we move back to money. That’s why you
should invest in gold from The New Mint.”

3—1 talented, greedy, private, deceiver

15 keeper
professional helper
scene — “As you reach the top of the hill, you notice a wagon
wreck on the road ahead. A person in a signature blue-green coat
with the calming mark of the keepers kneels beside a traveler and
tends to their wounds.”

story — Keepers are members of a professional order who “keep”

an ancient tradition of helping others in need. They are widely loved
and respected for their tireless service because they ask for nothing
in return for their help. Nonetheless, most people offer keepers
food, shelter, and safe haven whenever it is required.

Keepers come from all walks of life, and their ranks are filled with
people who possess a wide range of talents, including cooking,
medicine, teaching, and care for children and the elderly. There
is no hierarchy in the order of the keepers and all of them work
together in loosely affiliated chapters.

While keepers largely prefer to stay out of partisan affairs, their

order is fiercely supportive of measures and systems that provide
for the welfare of common people. They are skeptical of the
Regional Guard (p. 60) and other organizations that use force to
achieve their goals.

Keepers follow a strict code that prohibits them from bringing harm
to others or aiding those who seek to bring others harm.

waystations — A subset of keepers operates a network of homes

that serve as inns. These homes are spaced throughout the region
such that safe lodging is never more than a day’s travel away along
major roads.

trusted badge — Because keepers are widely regarded in

high esteem, they are often granted access to restricted places
without question. This occasionally makes their order a target for
infiltration by spies and wrongdoers.

3—1 empathic, kind, moral

16 krasix parasite
swarm spreader
scene — “You hear skittering on the cave ceiling and look up right
as a scorpion-like creature falls on your back. Your heart races as it
darts around your body, trying to burrow its way through a gap in
your armor.”

story — Krasix parasites are aggressive invaders who attempt to

burrow into other living creatures and use them as hosts to produce
Krasix swarmlings (p. 50). If they successfully burrow inside of
a living creature, the parasite undergoes a metamorphosis into a
swarmling, violently emerging from the host’s body one week later.

Hosts experience progressive symptoms once being invaded by a

parasite. First, their eyes turn white, as if coated by a milky gelatin.
Next, they begin to feel shivers throughout their body as their nerves
become more sensitive. Finally, they feel aching throughout their
body as the parasite expands itself.

It is risky to remove a parasite from a host’s body. Parasites can be

removed with the Fighter’s Focus ability (gb. 39) and the Doctor’s
Corrupt spell (gb. 70).

When a Krasix swarmling dies, several parasites emerge from its

corpse to seek out new hosts. Nearby creatures often report having a
pretty bad time when this happens.

Outside of a Krasix hive, parasites only live for up to one day if they
are unable to find a host to infest.

sayings — *slithering and clacking sounds*

“oh no” — Krasix parasites can only burrow inside of a player
character if the player has less than half of their maximum hit points.
On a successful attack by a parasite, roll the die to see if the parasite
can successfully invade their body. If a player character is at 0 hit
points, the parasite can automatically burrow in their body.

3—1 evasive, please stay away from me!

17 the librarian
renowned cataloger
scene — “A gentle buzzing sound from below grows louder as a
creature ascends from the endless stacks of the great library. They
stop to hover in front of you and wave at you encouragingly. Then
they remove a piece of paper and a pencil from a pack, quickly write
a note, and pass it to you. ‘What can I help you find today?,’ the note
says.”

story — The Librarian is a keeper of knowledge who manages The

Depository: a massive subterranean library that spirals 100 stories
below the surface. The stacks of the library have been filled over
centuries through partnerships with scholars, artists, and magic users
across the world who contribute to its egalitarian mission to unite
peoples through knowledge.

The Librarian is best friends with Birdplan (p. 8), who can often be
found browsing the stacks of the library and leading a book club
for young people. (Its motto: “Birds of a Feather Read Together!”).
Theodoric (p. 25) is also a close ally.

quest — Far beneath The Depository’s lowest rungs lies a magic

laboratory where a dangerous cult, led by The Prismatic Prophet (p.
95), is working on opening chaotic portals to other universes. The
cult has threatened to burn down the library if The Librarian does not
allow them to operate in secret — binding them in service of the cult’s
wishes.

The Librarian wants to expel the cult from The Depository, but is
unsure of who to trust. At the top of The Librarian’s procurement list
is an incredibly rare out-of-print children’s book called “Felix and The
Fox.” The book is currently in the posession of The Aristocrat (p. 6);
whoever brings it to The Librarian will gain their trust and divulge the
secret threat.

passing notes — The Librarian communicates by exchanging

written notes. Consider having the players communicate with them
by writing notes back and forth at the table.

3—1 evasive, nonviolent, resourceful, kind

18 the mayor
corrupted executive
scene — “An aged man sits in a stately chair, staring into the middle
distance. An aide approaches and whispers something into the
man’s ear. His eyes flash wider in attention and he turns to address
you. ‘I hear you’ve been asking a lot of questions,’ the man says. ‘We
don’t appreciate outsiders disrupting our nice, quiet little mountain
community.’”

story — The Mayor is the leader of a once-sleepy outland village

that became a major waystation for explorers and treasure-seekers
after the discovery of a fabled cave in a nearby mountain. As the town
exploded with an influx of adventurers, a bandit cartel (p. 30) moved
in and cursed The Mayor. He now does the bidding of the cartel,
which has replaced everyone in his administration with corrupt
lackeys.

The Mayor has instructed the town’s Regional Guard (p. 60) to
extract tolls from everyone who visits the area. He uses the town’s
power and resources to enrich the cartel and disappear those who
defy its control.

Before falling under control, The Mayor was known well by the
townspeople for being a compassionate and wise leader. While many
in town think he simply became greedy after the discovery of the cave,
some original residents believe he has fallen victim to the influence of
outsiders.

The Mayor has been affected by the Reinstate the Dead (gb. 69) spell.
He is now a passenger in his own body, controlled by a fallen cartel
leader whose spirit took control. He can be liberated if Banish (gb. 73)
is used on the foreign spirit.

quest — A small resistance has formed in the village and will

attempt to recruit adventurers uncover the cartel’s conspiracy
and free the The Mayor from its conniving clutch. As a reward for
freeing The Mayor, the resistance will offer the town’s most prized
possession: Conway’s Comrades (t. 53).

3—1 leader, private, moral

19 the muckraker
renowned reporter
scene — “A tall figure shamelessly pushes their way to the front
of the crowd, blowing their hair out of their face. They remove a pen
from their bag and open their notepad, ready to furiously take notes.
‘Care to comment on rumors that a cartel has taken over the outland
waystation?’ they ask.”

story — The Muckraker is a famous journalist known widely

for their reporting at “The Albatross Press”*. They have uncovered
corruption, infiltrated radical groups, and profiled some of the biggest
names in the world.

They are known for asking tough and probing questions without
fear, which often gets them in trouble — even with ostensibly noble
people in positions of power. There’s a good chance they’re chasing a
blockbuster scoop any time you run into them. Their thick notepads
are a target of their enemies.

quest — The Muckraker has been working on a years-long

investigation to uncover the history of The Host (p. 14) and his
affiliations. Their sources have provided information suggesting The
Host is part of a plot by underground criminals and corrupt officials
to steal magic secrets from Brell (p. 76).

ally — The Muckraker is a capable investigator with unrivaled

perceptiveness. They’re a great character to use as an ally of the party,
especially as an informant or researcher who can relay facts from
afar. Consider using The Muckraker to kick off a storyline by having
them hire the party to help with a dangerous reporting assignment.

sayings — “Most people tell you exactly who they are without
realizing it. All you have to do is listen.”
“Truth is much bigger than fact.”

*You can discover “The Albatross Press” at www.albatross.press.

3—1 curious, impassioned, moral, talented, nonviolent

20 packibou
dextrous deer
scene — “You see two antlers gleefully bouncing up and down
behind the brush as a creature runs away from you, grunting and
snickering. As you look around your campsite, you notice several of
your packs are missing. When you tilt your head back with a sigh
of frustration, you see the party’s underpants hanging from the
trees.”

story — Packibou are crafty animals with a relentless urge to

taunt travelers and steal from them. They are one of the smartest
species of animals in the world because they have evolved an
uncanny ability to pull pranks on other creatures. They can sense
exactly how to annoy others with maximum effect.

Packs of Packibou are known to hoard stolen gear in their dens,

which they go to great lengths to conceal. Some outland towns
are erected solely for the purpose of searching for Packibou dens,
which may contain vast amounts of treasure and wealth. Packibou
are pacifist creatures who will give up their dens freely if their jig is
up.

Packibou are excellent trackers and are drawn to places where

wealth has been accumulated. In rare cases, they can be trained to
aid bandits or treasure-seekers. One fabled family of Packibou are
said to have worked with a mythological hero to steal from the rich
and give to the poor.

the lone deer — In a remote forest, a lone Packibou who is older

than memory wanders secret trails. This Packibou calls an ancient
cavern home, where no person has delved for centuries. The cavern
leads to the ruins of an ancient buried city.

Consider using the lone deer to help lead the adventurers to a deep
and dangerous place. It’s a good hook for leading the party to find
lost treasures, like the things sought by Theodoric (p. 25), The
Prismatic Prophet (p. 95), or Ripley (p. 99).

3—1 curious, greedy, nonviolent

21 the quest giver
all too familiar
scene — “The server places another gorgeous green drink in front
of you as you soak in the laughter reverberating through the bar.
Your friend nudges you, pointing out a wizened face belonging to a
mysterious person in the corner. When you look over at them again
a few minutes later, the figure in the corner flashes a small illusion,
beckoning you over.”

story — The Quest Giver is a retired wizard known for tempting

travelers whose tabs tell a tale of tremendous tippling. Most
adventurers laugh at the Quest Giver’s presentation of familiar
tropes, and those who poke fun are given tours of the town through a
series of tongue-in-cheek “quests” that lead them to local landmarks.

quest — The Giver never completed their final quest before being
dismissed from the service of a wizard’s guild many years ago. While
they do not feel up to the task now, the Giver occasionally offers the
quest to those who seem worthy.

Many adventurers have died over the years trying to complete the
Giver’s quest, and none have succeeded. The quest is to find a lost and
mysterious tower that’s said to hold the Ring of Power (t. 45). (The
tower is actually an outpost of Draxis (p. 81), a gatekeeper to a deadly
underworld.) If offered the quest, The Giver will hand the adventurer
an envelope that says this:

“You must travel the way of the long star, through The
Borderlands, beyond The Harrow, and to the edge of the Foggy
Thicket. There, a day’s march into the swamp, you will find
Vagrand’s Cauldron — a lake surrounded by obsidian crags. In the
center of that lake, you should find it: The Shadow Spire. If you
should make it, do return to share the tale.”

Along the way, have the adventurers find several fallen parties who
carried the exact same note. (Also see: Noxis, p. 57.)

3—1 greedy, gossiper, deceiver

22 the representative
renowned advocate
scene — “The Representative briefly flashes a small grin as a light
flares up in their mind. They stand in objection to the opposing
counsel’s statement, drawing murmurs in the gallery. The council of
adjudicators nods approvingly.”

story — The Representative is a preeminent advocate and legal

expert who is known for defending the most vulnerable members of
society against the encroachments of the powerful. They originally
gained fame after delivering an impassioned, hours-long speech
before a high council of adjudicators that recognized Birdplan as a
person like any other and not simply a creature projecting a magic
illusion of personhood.

The Representative will take on any case that seems challenging and
unprecedented but refuses to take up corrupt causes. They have an
unflinching loyalty to justice and will not tolerate or participate in
underhanded means to achieve it.

quest — The Representative is the proprietor of a small private

investigation firm known as Grey Matters. The firm was founded to
aid their legal efforts, but has since expanded to take on clients who
need information. The firm only takes on clients who have noble
needs.

One recent client, The Faceless One (p. 11), has asked for help
in undoing a foul curse placed upon them. This quest is beyond
the means of Grey Matters, and The Representative is seeking a
capable party of adventurers to help fulfill the contract. A party who
successfully helps The Faceless One will become a trusted partner of
the firm and receive ten bags of Shinies (t. 19) and a Silvery Horn (t.
19) as a reward.

sayings — “Justice is about more than the absence of harm. It’s

about creating a world that provides for everyone. Only
when every soul is nurtured with love and care will
justice be achieved.”

3—1 leader, moral, curious, nonviolent

23 squeezle
mischievous mammal
scene — “You hear a bush rustle out of turn in the darkness beyond
the campfire’s light. Then another. And another. A pair of watery,
sympathetic eyes emerges from the forest floor, glistening in the
moonlight. The furry creature sniffs the air, then slithers toward you,
revealing its full size. It looks at your pack of food as a dozen of its
friends appear, licking their lips.”

story — Squeezles are ravenous mammals known for attacking

selfish campers who are unwilling to give them treats. Signs warning
about squeezle attacks are commonly found in parks and wilderness
areas.

Those who fail to feed a hungry squeezle may face its wriggling wrath.
These animals are capable of coiling around a creature and squeezing
it with surprising force until they comply with their demands. But
those who feed squeezles also risk gaining a following. Squeezles who
signal to their friends that treats are available can form hungry herds.

A popular folk legend tells of a squeezle army that tore through the
outlands, eating everything in each town they passed through. Indeed,
this tale has roots in reality; once every ten years, massive search
parties of squeezles are known to swarm entire regions in search of
food.

Squeezles are a nuisance for workers in Professor Prim’s (p. 96) chain
of magic confectionary shops. These shops now carry a special type of
treat that causes squeezles to nap.

primo pets — Squeezles are notoriously slippery and independent

and resist being controlled by other creatures. However, one
renowned Ranger found a way to breed increasingly friendly squeezles
over dozens of generations. These domesticated squeezles are among
the friendliest animals in the world and are exceedingly rare. As such,
they are often only found in the homes of the privileged.

3—1 evasive, cute as a button

24 surrogate
machine, learning
scene — “You see a suspicious slime trail leading out of the cave
exit. As you trace the trail to its source, you hear a clanky chorus of
mechanical buzzing and slithering tentacles. As a shiny head swivels
and gazes at you, you hear several shutters click. ‘Creature three-
hundred-thousand-and-forty-five cataloged,’ it says in a clunky voice.
‘Resuming survey.’”

story — Surrogates are hybrid creatures made with meat and

machinery. They are an invention of the Field Monitor guild, which
created them to help with their cartography program. They are a
common sight in many regions, though some groups distrust them
and consider them to be abominations. (In highly hostile regions,
Surrogates are hunted for sport.)

A typical surrogate model includes a “head” with magic telescopes

and surveying tools, and a body of organic matter and tentacles that
help it navigate all kinds of terrain. Field Monitor is experimenting
with models that can be used to carry cargo or even herd farm
animals.

Surrogates are programmed to communicate with members of the

public, but they do not have feelings and possess a limited range
of thought. They’re a welcome sight for those who need to ask for
directions.

drifters — As Field Monitor rapidly increases the production of

Surrogates, defects in some units have produced unusual behavior.
A small but growing number of Surrogates have become sentient,
“drifting” from their programmed behavior and developing their
own routines. Some exceptionally advanced drifters develop rich
personalities. Those who carefully observe a drifter and speak to
it can often figure out whether it has extended beyond its original
programming.

bounty hunted — The Host (p. 14) regularly calls for the
vandalism of Surrogates, accusing them of violating privacy.

3—1 nonviolent
25 theodoric
the historian
scene — “A figure in a scholarly outfit finishes the sentence
he’s reading and then looks up at you from his desk, carefully
placing a bookmark on the page. You sense that his mind is with
you in the present, but also simultaneously in a faraway time and
place.”

story — Theodoric, also known as The Historian, is a renowned

scholar whose knowledge of the past is unmatched in the world.
Having read almost everything in The Librarian’s great library,
Theodoric is currently on a quest to find lost tomes that have
been alluded to in other works. He travels the world meeting with
leaders and luminaries, offering secrets from the past in exchange
for leads about the missing texts.

Theodoric is most focused on finding an ancient book that’s

said to contain the secret to eternal life. While he does not wish
the curse of eternal life on himself, he believes it offers clues to
finding other beings in the omniverse.

The great scholar is unaware that The Prismatic Prophet (p. 95) is
also in search of the same book, who believes that it is the key to
opening a portal to a world of powerful gods.

the reach — Theodoric is also a main character in The Reach,

an adventure setting for Quest. The Reach takes place in a far-
future timeline following a cataclysm that destroys much of the
world. In The Reach’s timeline, Theodoric finds the book he seeks
and is cursed to live for thousands of years.

magic watch — Theodoric’s magic watch is linked to his

memory, allowing him to recall past events in great detail. By
tapping the face of the watch with his palm, he can project
his mind back to the moment and relive it as if he were there.
The watch’s effect works on anyone who wears it, making it a
powerful tool for investigators.

3—1 talented, curious, wise

26 the tyrant
shady ruler
scene — “A small army of advisers, guards, commoners, and other
people shuffle around the throne room talking to each other and
doing the business of the palace. In the middle of them all sits a
young person wearing a heavy crown who seems rather uninterested
in what’s going on.”

story — After the death of a beloved ruler, a regional council of

leaders gathered to select a new premier. Unable to resolve their
differences in choosing someone to sit on the thrown known as The
Common Chair, council leaders chose a young assembly member to
serve as an interim ruler.

Councilors believed The Tyrant’s lack of experience and apparent

disinterest in the business of governance would give them a harmless
rubber stamp on the throne. But they mistook The Tyrant’s air of
boredom for aloofness. In fact, the young leader is cunning and
ambitious and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to have their name
primed for advancement.

The Tyrant is close allies with The Aristocrat (p. 6), who helped them
gather support among enough council members to gain power. While
their rule was limited by the council to a three-year term, the Tyrant
is plotting an alliance with Seastriders (p. 30) to create an emergency
and seize long-term power for the protection of the region.

The Tyrant is a megalomaniac who believes in gaining power for

its own sake. As they seize more and more power, their outward
expressions of mercy and caring will erode as they acquire the ability
to use authority and force.

sayings — “I tire of all this talk. Let us be people of action.”

“You underestimated me. Now our people will be the
judge of who’s ready to lead us into the future.”
“Our lands are threatened, and this council is unwilling
to protect them. It is now up to me.”

3—1 leader, greedy, private, deceiver

27 yumcakes
they’re delicious!
scene — “Several scrumptious-looking animals made of pastry
and other sweet things crawl and play atop the table. The baker
lets out a maniacal laugh as they slam a squirrel with a mallet
and quickly devour it.”

story — Yumcakes are rare, magically animated treats that

take the form of small, cute animals. They are not sentient, but
they act like real creatures. Whacking a yumcake with a mallet
or other blunt object breaks their animation and turns them
back into a lifeless treat. Consuming a yumcake restores 1 hit
point, but eating more than three in a day makes a person sick
and removes the hit points that were gained from the previously-
eaten snacks.

sugar scouts — Occasionally, yumcakes get loose from the

bakery and roam the world. Knowing this from popular children’s
tales, some kids have become exceptional yumcake hunters. To
encourage their wonderment, adults created an educational troop
known as the Sugar Scouts to help young yumcake hunters learn
practical skills.

baking disasters — Making yumcakes is a low-risk activity

for experienced magic users and bakers. But novices have been
known to get the recipe wrong, in some cases with disastrous
results. Skipping a critical step in the baking process can create
a runaway baking event that produces a theoretically infinite
number of yumcakes. (These yumcakes are aggressive, capable of
dealing 1 damage, and do not restore hit points when consumed.)

In The Great Yumcake Calamity of the prior age, an entire town

was destroyed when a runaway Yumcake bake resulted in the
creation of 100,000 Yumcakes. This batch of Yumcakes was
destroyed by a great fireball thrown at the town to control the
outbreak. (Incidentally, The Great Yumcake Calamity was quickly
followed by The Great Yumcake Feast.)

0—0 as adorable as they are tasty

28 adherent
illusioned follower
scene — “Adherents parade toward the town square, their
faces dusted with prismatic colors. They seem almost unaware
of the people around them, as if they are currently transported to
another place. But as the group begins to chant, you notice a few
of them step out of line and duck into a nearby alley...”

story — Adherents are the followers of The Prismatic Prophet

(p. 95). They come from different backgrounds, but they have all
been lured in by the Prophet’s cunning lectures.

While many adherents are self-organizing, they generally follow

the direction of the Prophet. These instructions are seemingly
anodyne — like travel to this or that town. But the Prophet
manipulates their movements to act as a buffer for their own
secret maneuvers.

sayings — “Have you heard the wisdom of our great prismatic

prophet? It will set your spirit free.”
“Rejoice! For we shall be carried on the light to the
true world that lies beyond.”

the lucent trine — The Lucent Trine is a small order of

adherents who act as the Prophet’s personal army. Its members
are known as refractors (10 — 3). The group is named in reference
to its three founders, who remain the close deputies of the
Prophet. Only the founders of the Trine are aware of the Prophet’s
true mission and the full extent of the following’s internal
machinations.

Refractors are skilled, deadly, and willing to use extreme means

to achieve the goals of their fanatical order. They try whenever
possible to keep their subversive and bloody acts secret so that
they can be disavowed. To unknowing onlookers, the Trine’s
underhanded tactics often make it look like those who they coerce
were enlightened not by intimidation but by revelation.

4—2 zealous, impassioned, rebellious

29 assassin
afterlife escort
scene — “You are stunned by a sudden gust of wind near your
head as the hair on your neck raises. You turn to see a dagger
lodged in the wall next to you. Your killer has arrived...”

story — Assassins are agents for hire, often used by guilds,

governments, or powerful individuals to solve problems with
discreet killing. They prefer to stalk their prey silently and
strike when they are at a disadvantage. You can use this general
template for all kinds of silent killers and stalkers that haunt
others.

Professional assassins are loyal to their contracts and are not

easily bribed or swayed from completing their assignments.
Consider having these assassins carry their contracts with them
to demonstrate their commitment. But some mercenary assassins
are less scrupulous and willing to look the other way if offered a
higher price for their services. Consider having these assassins
try to negotiate with the players after briefly demonstrating their
deadly skills.

reap and sow — Consider using assassins in your story to

introduce consequences for the players’ deeds. If they defraud,
harm, kill, or otherwise cause harm and chaos in the world, they
should make enemies and face repercussions for their behavior.
The Tyrant (p. 52) keeps a small force of assassins.

assassin’s guild — An interdimensional secret society of

Assassins known as The Order of Silver Mist (OSM) is feared
across the omniverse for its adept wetwork. The OSM occasionally
works with The Shadow Broker (p. 200) to give them plausible
deniability for especially sensitive jobs.

equipment — A typical assassin’s kit includes poison (gb. 103),

a light crossbow, a Feather Hook (gb. 107) & rope, and a Blink
Dagger (gb. 176).

14 — 3 extra attack, evasive, talented, resourceful

30 bandits
road warriors
scene — “Smoke rises down the road on the horizon. As you reach
the crest of the hill, you see a collection of overturned wagons that
have been set on fire; wagoneers flee down the road in the distance.
As you put your hand on the hilt of your sword, you see rustling in the
bushes on both sides of the road.”

story — Bandits are thieves, pranksters, and troublemakers from

all backgrounds who prefer to live outside of the rules of various
societies. Some travel alone, while others roam in groups of friends
or larger camps and alliances. No matter their origin or affiliation,
bandits have motivations and interests that are deeply personal.

Only a small fraction of bandits are violent, though many are willing
to cause destruction to get what they want. Some can be swayed with
bribes, while others are motivated by principle — like stealing from
the rich to give to the poor or dismantling the supply lines of armies
or industrialists.

While some are simply in it for the thrill or to get rich, most bandits
simply want to live independently according to their own traditions
and morals.

the rouge hand — The Rouge Hand is a noble alliance of bandits

who are committed to overthrowing authorities that use violence, like
armies and private guards. They are currently waging an insurgency
against The Tyrant’s (p. 26) private security force, which has been
used to intimidate various regional factions into extending their rule.

seastriders — The Seastriders are a band of fearsome bandits who

pirate the high seas and take no prisoners. They are among the most
reviled and hunted bandits in the world. Anyone who sees their grim
purple flag usually runs in fear. They have been developing a mobile
base on an Overwalker (p. 93) to expand their piracy operation to the
land.

4—2 rebellious, resourceful

31 bearclaw
charismatic crustacean
scene — “You follow the stream into the cave entrance,
following a symphony of clattering echoes from within. As
you reach the edge of a waterfall, you see the breathtaking
sight of a subterranean city of soaring sandcastles. Hundreds
of large figures can be seen going about their routines in the
city.”

story — Bearclaws are a species of ancient crustaceans

who are known for creating majestic underground cities of
sand. The towers they build look like glistening drip castles,
hardened by a ceramic coating secreted by the creatures.

Bearclaws are mostly docile and friendly, and they focus their
energy on foraging and building. They do not speak languages,
but they are highly intuitive and emotive — allowing them
to easily understand the intentions and character of other
creatures. Like ants, a small number of bearclaws in each
colony are warriors that defend the city.

Every hundred years, a colony of bearclaws will leave a city,

like a hermit crab leaving its shell. Some of these left-behind
cities are taken over by other creatures in the world. Notably,
a bearclaw city is the headquarters of The Rouge Hand (p.
30), an alliance of bandits.

the deep war — At a staggering depth beneath the

surface, an ancient colony of 1 million bearclaws have built a
legendary city rivaling the most impressive civilizations in the
omniverse. But they have been under siege for 100 years by
scalers (p. 61) who want to clear them out and seize the city
for themselves.

This has led the colony to over-produce warriors, creating an

intractable war with the scaleborn. The scaleborn factions
involved in the siege carry maps that lead to the bearclaw city,
where the besieged crustaceans wait, desperate for help.

10 — 2 resistance to weapons, empathic

32 blood jelly
jiggly horror
scene — “You hear a grotesque slurping sound as the air turns
acrid. Then the smell burning flesh hits you. A revolting red blob
of partially dissolved bones, guts, and adventuring gear wobbles
toward you. It looks ready for its next meal.”

story — Blood jellies are hungry, amoeba-like creatures who

live in dark areas and feed on both fresh creatures and those
who have recently died. They grow large in especially dangerous
areas where there are plenty of adventurers to feed on. Jellies
deal damage by absorbing and suffocating creatures. Creatures
trapped inside must roll the die to see if they can escape.
While jellies are slow to move, they often surprise their prey by
squeezing through crevasses and dropping on the heads of those
traveling beneath them.

bone parents — Blood jellies are a byproduct of the Spry Bones

plague that is responsible for creating bonekind (p. 33). When a
creature affected by the disease dies, their blood leaves their body
and pools, quickly congealing and morphing into a jelly. Once a
jelly has formed, it consumes its parent body, causing it to rapidly
decompose. When only a skeleton remains, the jelly spits it out,
and it is reborn as bonekind.

Because of their role in transitioning life, blood jellies are

considered sacred to many bonekind societies. Jellies instinctively
know not to harm bonekind and often live among reclusive
bonekind communities that prefer to keep other kinds of
creatures away.

the great jelly — A radical community of bonekind known as

Marrowkin worships a physical deity known as The Great Jelly. It
is a single blood jelly that has become a gargantuan being, thanks
to a ritual where its worshippers merge newly created jellies with
its body. Marrowkin raiding parties roam the land, seeking jellies
to capture and bring to assimilate with The Great Jelly (40 — 3).

8—3 resistance to damage (except fire)

33 bonekind
undead neighbors
scene — “As you pay your tab at the bar, you hear a dry clattering
sound behind a curtain in the back. You peek your head through,
finding five well-dressed skeletons seated around a table playing
cards. One of them gently kicks an empty seat away from the table,
inviting you to sit down.”

story — Bonekind are skeletons enchanted with false life and the
spirit of their former selves. In many worlds where they are present,
they stand alongside the living as members of society, while in some
others, they are unjustly cast out as dangerous beings who don’t
belong.

Bonekind don’t require food, water, or sleep. They communicate using

sign language, though magically-gifted bonekind can message others
telepathically.

Bonekind are born with the personalities and memories of their

former selves, but many eventually shed their past and grow
completely new identities. Some bonekind societies only accept those
who have grown new identities, while others attempt to perfectly
maintain the traditions of the living; there are fanatics on both ends
of this ideological spectrum.

spry bones — A spell that was meant to bring a loved one back to
life backfired, becoming a contagious magical plague that enchants
the bodies of those it affects. (The disease is now known as “Spry
Bones.”) When a living creature affected by Spry Bones dies, they are
reanimated as bonekind once fully incubated inside of a blood jelly
(p. 32). Spry Bones typically affects about one tenth of organic
creatures in any population.

abilities — Bonekind are hardier than commoners on average. They

can fill any of the eight roles, and you can create Bonekind bosses
by giving them additional features and abilities. Consider offering
players the ability to create Bonekind characters! (Bonekind player
characters have 10 HP.)

4—2 resistance to weapons

34 cid & felix
friendly outlanders
scene — “You see someone in a bright green tunic sitting
above the crowd in the center of the market with dozens of
people circled around them. As you work toward the center,
you hear and feel a heavy purring sound. The faces of everyone
nearby are fixated on a Ranger, sitting atop a giant caracal. Your
heart rises as you listen to them tell a beautiful story.”

story — Cid the Ranger and Felix the caracal are a pair of best
friends who wander the outlands, gathering stories from locals
and sharing them across the region. Cid travels with the help of
Felix, a gentle cat with a magic necklace that allows the pair to
share their senses and feelings as if they are mutually embodied.

Cid is a luminous storyteller who always has a relevant bit

of wisdom to share with those who they meet. They are also
a keeper of vast knowledge about creatures and peoples of
the world and can be queried for information about ecology
and sociology. Cid can convey general information about the
strengths, weaknesses, behavior, and locations of most creatures
and peoples.

Cid is also a renowned writer, known for various compendiums

of poetry on love, empathy, and nature. (Feel free to borrow
poetry from the real world or write your own to convey Cid’s
talents.)

Cid and Felix are inseparable, and they share one of the deepest
bonds of love in the omniverse.

allies — Cid is close friends with Claw (p. 38) and Freestrider
(p. 83), and can summon their aid when needed.

phrases — “Hello, traveler. The sun gladly shines upon you

today. Would you tell me where you’re from and
where you’re going?”

10 — 2 impassioned, empathic, kind, wise

35 the champion
heroic fighter
scene — “A figure in the signature gold armor of a heroic
champion walks confidently down the middle of the street, drawing
children out of their homes who wave wooden swords and run
up to ask for signed portraits. The champion smiles and kneels to
their level, placing their hand on their shoulders and encouraging
them with a pep talk.”

story — Once a captain in the regional guard, The Champion

retired early from service to help teach young people and help
them cultivate their insight into the unity of mind and body. They
are a renowned athlete known for winning 30 Iron Medals at The
World Games — the most in history. Their face is well-known
across their home region.

But fame and fortune have made them lonely. Having achieved
so much, The Champion has become restless in their middle-age.
While they do not miss the rigid order of the Regional Guard (p.
60) or the public spectacle of the Games, they are desperate for
action. The Champion is now a secret adventurer for hire who
travels far from home to seek challenges where their face is less
well-known. They will jump at the opportunity to accompany a
party of adventurers who seek risk and reward.

The Champion feels like they missed their opportunity to find

family and now seeks a final chapter in life that will preserve their
legacy as a legend. Above all, what they actually desire is a loving
bond between friends.

the world games — The World Games are a week-long

spectator event consisting of physical and mental challenges.
They bring together people from all corners of the world who
compete to bring honors home to the communities they represent.
The games are meant to strengthen the bonds between peoples
everywhere through friendly and fair competition.

18 — 3 extra attack, talented, private

36 chaos drone
hovering hazard
scene — “You hear a loud static buzzing as several metallic drones
zip by, leaving contrails of dust on the ground beneath them. In an
instant, they release a barrage of deadly fireworks at the city gate,
blowing it apart. The streets clear as people run in terror from the
spectacle.”

story — Chaos drones are the eponymous invention of Dr. Chaos

(p. 80). With an assortment of arms and armaments, they strike fear
into the enemies of the deadly scientist; in swarms, they are capable
of driving away entire armies.

Chaos drones can see through illusions and invisibility, and can
pick up sounds from great distances. All drones have a self-destruct
capability and are programmed to explode if they are disabled or
captured.

These drones are a menace, and most guards have a “kill on sight”
policy when they are encountered. They are especially a problem
for the Field Monitor guild, as Dr. Chaos has programmed them
to attempt to take control of surrogates (p. 24) and retrieve their
information.

the chaos swarm — Like surrogate drifters, a small percentage

of chaos drones that leave Dr. Chaos’ factory possess defects in
programming that make them go rogue. At some point, several
drifters were able to escape and formed their own swarm, developing
self-replicating abilities. Having found a portal to The Rift, the swarm
has spread through the omniverse, seeking infinite replication. They
are now a plague of mechanical locusts that have taken over entire
worlds.

One wing of the chaos swarm was able to gobble up enough of

one universe to draw the attention of conservators (p. 78), who
subsequently destroyed it. Conservators now hunt the swarm across
the omniverse, trying to prevent it from getting out of control.

5—3 evasive, extra attack, combative

37 chaos goat
it’s a goat
scene — “You first notice an odiferous scent. Then, you hear
a tiny trampling sound on the ground nearby. Finally, you feel a
tug on your clothing. Something you can’t see is munching on
your shirt.”

story — Chaos goats are the result of a spell that is

considered to have gone wrong, except by fans of goats. The
spell gave these goats the ability to teleport randomly between
universes and teleport between short distances at will.

Chaos goats are mostly mischievous animals who enjoy typical

goat things, like eating clothing and kicking small creatures —
but they are quite dangerous if provoked. If one is attacked, its
friends may teleport in to help them. The goats are naturally
invisible, but they become visible for a few minutes if they are
harmed or if they attack another creature.

The goats were created by soul collectors (p. 66) who

attempted to imprison them in their vast cosmic zoo. Unwilling
to be restrained, they escaped the zoo and spread throughout
the omniverse.

magic echoes — Chaos goats’ innate magic contains

memories of places they have traveled in the omniverse. Those
who read the minds of these goats are able to see the locations
of distant parts of the omniverse that they have visited and can
travel to them if they have the ability to teleport.

Additionally, all goats retain the memory of the homeworld

where they were originally created. Those who are kind to
chaos goats or help them when they are injured may be
telepathically granted a magic map to the location of the Soul
Collectors’ homeworld. The goats instinctively crave revenge
on their former captors.

4—2 evasive, combative

38 claw
forest protector
scene — “The ground rumbles with increasing intensity. Suddenly,
a giant bear emerges from the trees, towering over you and sniffing
generously in your direction. She is curiously clothed and armed.
‘Who are you?’ she says.”

story — Claw is a bear affected by The Bitter Gift (gb. 73): a

legendary spell that gives animals personhood. She now vigilantly
guards her lands against anyone who would bring harm to animals or
nature.

Claw has developed the skills of a Ranger in her time in the

wilderness and with the guidance of her close friend, Cid
(p. 34). She leads an army of forest creatures and possesses the
Ranger’s legendary Wild Celebrity and Friend of the Land abilities
(gb. 56). A squirrel named Nutt is her faithful friend and Animal
Partner (gb. 55).

From her large cave at the center of the forest, Claw maintains a
small museum of things she has claimed from adventurers and others
who have invaded the forest. Forest animals enjoy dropping by to
sniff and inspect the strange items.

Her friends approvingly refer to her as General Claw in recognition

of her service to the forest and the respect and trust she has earned
among its residents.

leaftide keeper — Claw guards a magic Leaftide Seed (t. 39)

that is locked away in her cave. She understands its terrible power
and keeps it as a weapon of last resort, should invaders overtake
the forest. Leaftide Seeds are capable of spawning a leaftide (p. 88),
which takes over entire regions with a relentless bloom of vines.

quest — Deep down, Claw wishes to return to her former life as a

normal bear. She will give her Leaftide Seed to whoever can help her
reverse the effects of The Bitter Gift.

20 — 3 exalted, kind, moral

39 crag
lonely mountain
scene — “As you lean against the rock face and catch your
breath, the rock seems to lean back against you. A thunderous
rumbling and cracking sound suddenly sends birds flying from
the trees nearby. As you turn around, you notice that the rocky
cliff you were just leaning on is standing upright. It seems to be
looking down at you.”

story — Crag is a lonely, sentient mountain. The only one of

their kind, they found consciousness after a hundred years of
absorbing runoff from a magic potion factory that polluted the
ground nearby.

After breaking free from their geological family, Crag wandered

the wilderness for many years. Sadly, Crag discovered that
wherever they went, other creatures would flee. Feeling cursed
with loneliness by their creators, the mountain returned to the
magic potion factory and destroyed it.

Crag now takes long rests, pretending to once again be nothing

more than a mountain, with the hope that a creature will
someday stop and linger long enough to become their friend.

Crag can sense the languages of those nearby and project a voice
by vibrating their varied geologic layers. When desired, they can
make a face appear on their surface. Crag loves silly jokes and
tries to disarm those they meet with puns about rocks.

geologic memory — Crag has a deep memory and still feels a

phantom connection to the vastness of the physical world. They
can use the Memories of Stone ability (gb. 63) at will.

phrases — “Would you tell me your name? They say:

leave no stone unturned!”
“Would you like one of my gems? They’re on shale!”

40 — 4 immune to weapons, kind, empathic

40 edge hunter
interdimensional rebel
scene — “Sparks fly as a line of molten metal traces along
the thick iron door to the vault. You’re not sure what kind of
magic this is — only that it seems incredibly powerful. As a
piece of the door falls into the room, a figure emerges from the
smoke, wearing unfamiliar clothing and artifacts. ‘Where is the
informant?’ they ask. ‘We are running out of time.’”

story — Edge hunters are special agents in a cosmic rebellion

known as The Last Light. Their mission is to destroy conservators
(p. 78) and their terrifying bureau of death. The rebellion has
been hunted by conservators and their proxies for thousands of
years. The struggle is one of the highest-stakes cat-and-mouse
games in the omniverse.

Edge hunters often represent the most talented and well-

equipped beings from their respective universes and are recruited
by captains of the rebellion, known as lightrunners. These
captains hold closely guarded secrets about the conservators
and only reveal them to those who they believe can handle the
immense burden of the omniverse’s greatest horrors. Those who
reject this knowledge are silenced to preserve the secrecy of the
rebellion.

Hunters are all equipped with technology that allows them to

communicate with the rebel base anywhere in the omniverse
and a device that can teleport them home after a day of charging.
Some possess even more advanced technology, while others are
capable magic users, making them one of the most diverse special
forces in the omniverse.

Edge hunters are often focused, calculating, and practical. While

many have noble intentions, the scale of their moral concern
— the preservation of infinities of lives — leads many to justify
extreme means over time. However, the rebellion prohibits naked
cruelty and will “retire” hunters who abandon their moral senses.

20 — 4 resourceful, cosmic
41 empty suit
animated sentry
scene — “The double doors open into a long, grand hallway
that’s festooned with comically large paintings of various
ancestors. The hallway is lined with empty suits of armor and
racks of weapons. As you get halfway to the door on the other
side, you hear shuffling and clanking. You look around and see
that the suits of armor have liberated themselves from their
stands and selected weapons nearby. (One suit of armor takes its
time picking a sword.) Thinking back to when you entered the
hallway, this whole situation certainly seemed obvious.”

story — Empty suits are magically enchanted suits of armor

that behave as programmable automatons. Their functions and
awareness are limited, and most are used as guards or sentries,
as suits generally can only maintain an understanding of their
purpose in one room at a time.

Suits do not speak or negotiate and do not back down from their
programming unless commanded by their owners. However, they
are notoriously unreliable. (Suits that score a 1 on a die roll forget
their programming and return to their station.)

status symbols — Empty suits are commonly seen as symbols

of wealth and power, as they generally are only found in the halls
of the wealthy and powerful. Still, most people consider them
tacky or embarrassing. They remain a favorite choice for villains
who enjoy giving elaborate monologues about their own evil
plots. Some people use empty suits as assistants that can cook,
clean, or perform other helpful tasks.

hard jellies — Blood jellies (p. 32) that stumble upon

unguarded empty suits have been known to squeeze inside them
and take them over, using the suit as a mold and an exoskeleton.
Add the empty suit’s hit points to any blood jelly wearing a suit.

5—2 resistance to weapons

42 the envoy
prayerful prophet
scene — “Fragrant candles fill the shrine with flickering light,
illuminating flags on the walls that represent spiritual symbols
from across the omniverse. The shrine’s host welcomes you
warmly and invites you to hold their hands. As their eyes shimmer
like swirling galaxies, you feel your spirit drifting away from your
body.”

story — The Envoy is an Invoker and Wizard who has traveled

across the omniverse in the study of spirituality and devotion.
They have communed with both gods and mortals, often serving
as an intermediary between peoples of radically different worlds.

The Envoy is a strict pacifist who refuses to bring harm to other

beings. When encountering new peoples and civilizations, they
take great care not to pollute their culture with knowledge that
would change their way of life or bring chaos to their society.
Instead, they attempt to meet others on their own terms to
engender mutual understanding.

An emissary of the eternal, The Envoy can use the Invoke

ability (gb. 42) at will and bring other creatures with them in
the projection. They use this ability sparingly to call upon gods
and avatars of wisdom when helping those most in need of
supernatural connection.

heart of wisdom — Within The Envoy’s inner sanctum lies a

portal to a cosmic shrine in The Rift. A Cosmic Cruiser (t. 67) is
docked there, which The Envoy uses to travel the omniverse. But
a group of interdimensional pirates have blockaded the ship in
an attempt to capture it. And the Envoy’s protective magic field
surrounding the shrine is weakening.

The Envoy will let a party of adventurers borrow the ship if they
are able to repel the pirates — but only if they use nonviolent
means. The pirates may be willing to leave, for a fee...

10 — 0 cosmic, nonviolent, empathic, wise

43 fear itself
nightmare fuel
scene — “An echo howls through the corridors of the dungeon
as a purple-green mist swirls around you. Your mind is wracked by
disquieting anticipation, as if you can foresee the horror to come. The
howling wind snuffs out your torch. As you scramble to relight it, its
flame returns and reveals a shifting face in the mist that’s crawling
with eyes and teeth.”

story — Fear Itself is a spontaneous magical incarnation spawned

by the stress, worry, and fear of other creatures. They are known
to appear in the wake of great tragedy or suffering. Some ancient
legends of war contain accounts of the creatures, which are said to
have plagued marauding armies.

These horrifying creatures shift between ethereal and physical forms.

They travel through the air as misty spirits and transition to physical
form when confronting other creatures or attacking them. They are
innate shapeshifters and illusionists, capable of reading the mind of a
victim and transforming their visage to represent their greatest fear.

While Fear creatures are dangerous, they do not kill their victims.
Instead, they imprison them in nightmares. If a creature would be
dealt a fatal blow by Fear Itself, they are teleported into a shadow
plane filled with the stuff of their own worst nightmares. Creatures
trapped in this manner are automatically released if the Fear that
imprisoned them is destroyed.

terror incarnate — If a creature attacking Fear Itself scores a 1

on a roll, they are overcome with dread and cannot look at or attack
the creature again.

primal fear — The first Fear Itself is a powerful demigod known

as Fen (30 — 4). Fen travels the omniverse and hunts its most evil
beings, including villains like The Magister (p. 91). They are often
encountered in tow with The Lost (p. 90).

14 — 3 horrifying, combative, cosmic

44 frost weaver
hoarding horde
scene — “A clattering parade of swords and shields marches
toward a tower of treasure. Several six-legged drones notice
you and break from the line, leaving a trail of frostbite in their
wake.”

story — Frost weavers are large magical ants that build

anthills out of shields, weapons, and any other metal objects
they can scavenge. They are innately cold and often form blocks
of ice around their bodies by chilling the water in the air.

Frost weavers are endemic to cold environments, though they

are known to spread widely in search of treasure for their queen.
While they are not inherently aggressive toward other creatures,
they often inadvertently harm others with their chill aura.
Creatures who linger for too long near frost weavers experience
frostbite and hypothermia.

strike teams — Frost weavers are organized into teams of

four. Treat each frost weaver team as a group of four minions
with 4 HP and 2 Attack that acts as a single creature in combat.

the frost throne — Over thousands of years, a fabled colony

of frost weavers tunneled through a remote outlands mountain,
turning it into a giant fortress. While it resembles a normal
snow-capped mountain from the outside, it contains a vast
labyrinth of frozen tunnels and chambers lined by stolen metal
objects.

A vast trove of the most valuable of these treasures is piled at

the center of the colony. There, The Frost Queen (20 — 4)
and their personal guard of frost legionnaires (10 — 3) plan
their ruthless expansion. After being sealed and frozen centuries
earlier, the location of the mountain was lost. Those with the
Memories of Stone ability (gb. 63), like Crag (p. 39), are able to
find the hidden entrance to The Frost Throne.

4—2 greedy, combative

45 harvester
roaming forest castle
scene — “A gigantic cluster of mushrooms sits in a forest
clearing, towering over young trees. Suddenly, it emerges from
the ground, revealing tangled tentacles for legs. As it shambles
toward you, its impressive domes begin to emit a pulsating glow.”

story — Harvesters are animated mushroom hives that wander

the land to consume and trap spirit creatures. Spirit creatures
that are trapped by harvesters are slowly consumed, fading over
time into oblivion as they are converted into magic energy. Each
harvester typically stores 10 spirits at a time.

Each time a harvester takes damage from an attacker within

reach, it releases a spirit, reflecting half of the attacker’s damage
back on them. Attackers who take damage in this way receive a
glimpse of their worst fear and become momentarily frozen with
dread.

the united stipes of dewmist — An unusual super-colony of

harvesters in a remote and secluded part of a great forest allowed
a nation of button dwellers (p. 10) to build a great civilization that
has thrived for millennia. These harvesters are stationary and
intertwined, forming a structure as large as the most impressive
castles built by taller folk.

This nation of button dwellers, known as The United Stipes of

Dewmist, contains millions of residents. Their unique civilization
produces advanced magic and technology that has allowed them
to protect their home through the ages. (Notably, this includes
an air force of dweller-mounted hawks.) Their legendary order of
emissaries is capable of magically shrinking any creature in the
forest and bringing them to the colony.

The forest these button dwellers inhabit is known for its tendency
to disappear creatures who venture inside. The harvesters in their
colony must feed on souls, after all...

30 — 2
46 hero eater
you’re on the menu
scene — “A bed of giant, fuzzy leaves lies carefully arranged
on the forest floor. It looks like it would be a dream to sleep
on. As you walk closer to it, you feel your eyelids grow heavy. A
comforting lullaby floats into your mind and your cares seem to
slip away. You feel as if you have never wanted anything more in
your entire life than to set down your worries and curl up restfully
on the ground.”

story — Hero eaters are carnivorous plants that cast

enchanting spells on nearby creatures, luring them to walk over
and lay down on their soft bed of leaves. When a creature steps
into the center of the trap, the hero eater quickly envelops it
in a cage of muscular leaves and begins dissolving its prey by
secreting a caustic sap.

With roots that can be pulled out of the ground and act like legs,
these hungry leaves can even stalk creatures rather than waiting
for them to be caught in their mouths.

When a player character first ventures nearby a hero eater, have

them roll the die. On a tough choice or better, they resist the
effect. On a failure or worse, they become enchanted and must
lay down on the eater during their turn.

greenmaws — A doctor who spent years studying hero eaters

discovered that a tiny number of them would trap creatures
without eating them. After capturing a number of these gentle
predators from the wild and selectively cultivating them over
decades, the doctor created a domesticated line of hero eaters.

These specially made hero eaters are known as greenmaws and

are sold as a popular home textile. Because of their legendary
softness, they are commonly used as rugs and blankets. Critics
of this enterprise note that real hero eaters still exist in the wild,
making them even more deadly to those who are unaware of their
original nature.

8—2
47 the high trader
renowned merchant
scene — “You notice an unusually large crowd surrounding
a small hill off to the side of the road ahead. As you get closer,
you realize that’s no hill — it’s the shell of a gargantuan snail. A
hooded auctioneer standing on top of the shell holds their hand
open, conjuring an illusion of a magic sword. People in the
crowd begin to shout as a small army of brokers surrounding
the snail begins recording bids from the crowd.”

story — The High Trader is a prominent merchant known for

selling some of the world’s greatest treasures, from remarkable
works of art to powerful magic artifacts. Once every decade,
the Trader embarks on a year-long tour, setting up auctions in
cities and villages around the world.

The Trader began their career as a fair broker but has since
used their increasing leverage to gobble up some of the world’s
most valuable and important treasures. This has earned them
a bad reputation among those who decry their concentrated
wealth. Nonetheless, they have no problem finding bidders.

shell company — The Trader has spent decades building a

famous trading house known as Shell Company, named after
the crowds that would gather wherever the Trader and their
giant snail traveled.

Shell Company trade houses are located in most major cities,

each containing a legendary vault thought to be made with
an impenetrable design. Many have tried, and failed, to break
into these vaults. The vault underneath the Shell Company’s
headquarters is said to contain powerful treasures with
unimaginable power.

The Trader is secretly a partner of The Curators and manages a

private depository for them in their main vault. This depository
contains a portal to one of The Shadow Broker’s (p. 100)
personal homes.

14 — 2 leader, enterprising, greedy, cosmic

48 judge
jury & executioner
scene — “A towering figure in antiquated costume pushes a
gathering crowd of witnesses aside. With their scuffed gauntlet,
they pick a bloody bandit up by the clothing on their chest,
leaving their legs dangling in the air. ‘By Order Three, I declare
you guilty of murder,’ they say. ‘Your punishment is death.’”

story — Judges are vigilantes who preserve the brutal

traditions of an outdated and corrupted system of justice. Under
the spell of The Magister (p. 91), they have been deluded into
believing that they continue to have authority in the region.

Judges spew lore from a vague and arbitrary code of laws and
are quick to issue judgments about “crimes” or public disputes
that they encounter. They have a crude idea of balancing the
scales when delivering punishment, like destroying the fence of
a person whose dog escaped from the yard. In cases where blood
has been spilled, a judge will demand blood in return.

To many in the region, judges are wanted outlaws who exist far
outside of the common idea of justice. When reported, they are
hunted by the Regional Guard (p. 60). However, some in the
land support the brutal methods of judges — explaining why The
Magister is able to refresh their ranks as they are captured or
exiled.

judge doomhammer — One renegade judge, now hunted

even by other judges, only delivers one verdict: guilty, with the
punishment of death.

phrases — “By Order Six and Forty-Four, I declare you

guilty of General Disquietude. Leave the area
immediately.”
“By Order Nine, I declare you guilty of theft. You
must immediately forfeit everything you are
carrying. Including your clothing.”

18 — 3 zealous, combative, moral

49 krasix goliath
swarm juggernaut
scene — “A frenetic echo escapes the tunnels, and
the ground begins to tremble. Then, it erupts! A giant
armored beast bursts through the crust, its horse-sized
mandibles clattering in the air. As it rears up on its legs
to issue a bone-shattering bellow, you see a small army of
swarmlings skitter out of pouches on its belly.
Prepare yourselves!”

story — Goliaths are the fearsome super soldiers of

the Krasix swarm. Each goliath is capable of carrying
dozens of swarmlings (p. 50) inside of its abdomen. This
garrison of swarmlings is lifebound to their goliath and
will die if their leader is felled.

Goliaths follow commands from their queen and are

used to siege enemies or as a defender of last resort
for their colony. When in battle, they prioritize the
destruction of big things, like walls and
large weapons.

A goliath typically only appears when a swarm has

gathered enough strength to siege an entire region. Once
a goliath has entered the field, it is often too late...

color guard — Each Goliath has five swarmling

lieutenants that help extend its senses and awareness in
the field. These swarmlings are distinguished by bright
stripes and other patterns: one striped red, one spotted
yellow, one splotched green, one zagged purple, and one
solid blue. Each time one of these special Swarmlings is
killed, the Goliath reels in pain and takes 4 damage.

If all five of these lieutenants are slain, their Goliath

becomes confused and unable to attack other creatures
or objects, except to defend itself. Goliaths in this state
will attempt to retreat to their hive.

40 — 4
50 krasix swarmling
swarm warrior
scene — “A dust cloud rises in the distance. Some soldiers on
the wall steel themselves, while others shake in fear of the coming
swarm. An army of winged alien beasts rushes the city. While the
mass of them skitters up the wall, dozens buzz their wings, launching
themselves over the parapets. Their sharp mandibles viciously
punch through armor and tear through defenders, creating a deadly
cacophony of hissing and horror.”

story — Swarmlings are the foot soldiers of the Krasix swarm. They
are glass cannon fodder, built not for living their own lives but for the
purpose of inflicting death upon others.

Swarmlings are all part of a matrixed hive mind. They thrive in small
groups of 12 or more. When more than half of a group of swarmlings
is cut down, the remainder of the group becomes disoriented and will
scatter until they reform their ranks.

Upon their death, each swarmling releases several parasites

(p. 16) that seek out other creatures to infest.

rapid evolution — Swarmlings are built to fulfill one kind of

behavior at a time, making them one of the most specialized kinds
of creatures in the omniverse. However, their biology is extremely
mutable, and swarm queens can make them transform to fulfill other
purposes on command.

Swarmlings are most commonly transformed to fill construction,

tidying, scouting, and hoarding roles. In some cases, queens will push
rapid evolution to its limits, making heavily mutated swarmlings
volatile and prone to explode. Swarmlings that have been mutated
to fill non-combat roles do not know how to fight and will ignore
danger.

uncommon terror — Swarmlings are horrifying to commoners

when roving in groups and will cause them to flee or become frozen
in fear.

5—2 evasive, vulnerable to heat and cold

51 puck
elemental incarnation
scene — “Heat shimmers from the lava around the crooked
path. You notice a whirlpool rapidly form in the bubbling pit that
whips up fiery winds. Suddenly, the cyclone reverses, spitting out a
whirling spirit of rock and liquid fire. The creature skates across the
surface like a tornado, lashing out at everything nearby with molten
arms.”

story — Whenever a spirit creature is banished or killed, it

leaves behind a magical echo containing a shadow of its sentience.
Sometimes these echoes enchant ordinary things and animate
them with a semblance of life. These occurrences are most
common around elemental forces like wind, fire, and ice. And these
elemental incarnations are known as pucks.

Pucks are chaotic, unthinking creatures that erratically wander

their domains. They are not typically aggressive but are known to
clash with other creatures that venture too close to their paths. If
provoked or attacked, they become enraged and will often pursue
an attacker to their deaths.

Pucks can be instantly neutralized with the Banish spell

(gb. 73), which purges their animating enchantment.

lava puck — These pucks spit molten lava and create blistering
winds nearby. Any loose paper or cloth in the vicinity of a lava puck
instantly bursts into flame. Creatures that begin their turn within
reach of a lava puck are automatically scorched for 2 damage.

ice puck — These pucks are formed by spinning shards of ice.

Once per fight, an Ice Puck can release these shards in a 360-degree
blast, dealing 2 damage to all creatures nearby.

lightning puck — These pucks are small, electrically charged

tornadoes. Their lightning strikes deal double damage to those
holding metal weapons.

10 — 3 resistance to heat, cold, and electricity

52 leaf guardian
leaftide defender
scene — “You slice your way through the tunnel’s bramble,
emerging in a great room. As you step inside, you hear a
creaking sound from where you came — the tunnel has been
closed off! The vines covering the walls of the room begin
to rustle. You look up to see three knotted vine creatures
descending from the ceiling, covered in giant acorns.”

story — Leaf guardians are animated vine creatures that are

spawned by mature leaftides (p. 88). While they can patrol
and behave on their own, they can also be directly controlled
through a psychic connection with their leaftide parent.

Whenever a leaf guardian is created, it claims a piece of its

parent’s life force. If a guardian is slain, a part of its parent’s
creeping mass of vines withers and dies. If enough guardians
are slain, their leaftide’s growth is reversed.

Unless attacked or provoked, leaf guardians are nonviolent

and prefer to trap and release invaders of their domain.
They accomplish this by capturing creatures in a cradle of
constricting vines and carrying them on their backs to the edge
of their leaftide’s domain.

Leaf guardians cannot leave their leaftide’s domain.

leaftide colossus — A leaftide that feels mortally

threatened may take control of many leaf guardians at once and
fuse them into a leaftide colossus (40 — 4). These creatures
are as tall as clocktowers and are capable of smashing entire
houses to the ground. (Colossi do not have the regeneration
feature.)

In desperate times, a Leaftide Seed (t. 39) may detach from its
colony and use a colossus as an exoskeleton. When hosting
a Leaftide Seed, a colossus can leave a leaftide’s domain and
travel freely.

10 — 3 regeneration
53 lichen
animated moss
scene — “A collection of swords and spears sits curiously
around a log on the ground. Gently glowing spores glisten in
the light around the log as if it is touched by magic. As you step
closer, mossy tentacles emerge from the log and grab nearby
weapons, using them to walk upright.”

story — Lichen are defenders of a community of sentient

trees known as Argests. These giant trees have the ability to
communicate and manipulate magic. To help defend their
ancient grove, Argest wizards cultivate and enchant clumps of
moss to create lichen.

Lichen move slowly and quietly across the forest, slinking from
tree to tree. They are quite skilled at pretending to be harmless.

These creatures have one mission: to protect the Argests and

keep forest intruders far away from their grove. To aid this
mission, they have the instinctual ability to detect the thoughts
of other creatures and determine if they would bring harm to the
forest. Lichens will only attack those harboring ill intentions; they
will attempt to scare others away before attacking them.

war of the woods — Through the ages, those defeated by

the lichen have left their weapons and belongings strewn about
the forest of the Argests. This has made the forest a tempting
target for a colony of frost weavers (p. 44). Weavers have begun
pushing into the forest to scavenge its riches, drawing the lichen
into a conflict. The grove and its defenders are now at war with
the frost weaver colony.

If a party of adventurers encounters this conflict and helps the

lichen, they will be taken before the Argests. The trees will ask
the party to help them in their war. Those who successfully defeat
the frost weavers will be offered Ouriel’s Tears (t. 63) and an
Ancient Ranger’s Pouch (t. 50).

8—2
54 locklily
vicarious vault
scene — “You deftly and carefully adjust your lockpicks in the
keyhole. Moments later, you hear a satisfying click as the chest’s
internal latch is released. In your excitement, you pop open the lid,
only to find the black-purple jaw of a locklily staring back at you.
Before you can react, the creature clouds your face in a deadly poison.”

story — Locklilies are magic flower creatures with an affinity for

boxes, chests, and other crafted containers. Like hermit crabs, these
plants use their roots to travel in search of containers to claim.

Locklilies treat their containers as their castles and fiercely defend

them against intruders. They are unassumingly clever and resourceful.
Among adventurers, legend has it that locklilies are capable of
creating a huge variety of traps. (If you’d like to randomize a locklily
trap when triggered by a player, roll the die and consult the table
below.)

20: It casts a curse. (The player adds a new character flaw.)

17-19: It explodes, dealing 5 damage to each creature nearby.
14-16: It releases poison darts, dealing 5 damage.
10-13: Its roots lash out, disarming all creatures nearby.
7-9: It spews oil everywhere, covering the ground nearby.
4-6: An ink canister explodes. The ink will not wash off or fade
for one week.
2-3: It shuts its lid rudely, dealing 1 damage.
1: The locklily recoils in fear and attempts to flee.

pet locklilies — Some skilled animal handlers are able to tame

locklilies and trade them as pets. Pet locklilies bond with their owners
when given a container. Locklily pets can be commanded to wrap
around the outside of a container and transport it, making them a
common working animal.

10 — 3 resourceful
55 murder hornet
really big hornets
scene — “You get to a brief clearing in the tall plains grass and see
a strange hill in the distance. As you draw closer, you realize: that’s
no hill. Your skin shudders as a loud buzz saws through the air.
Moments later, a pair of glowing red eyes stares out at you from a
hole in the fossilized tower.”

story — Murder hornets are giant wasps who have earned a

reputation as giant wasps. They build giant hives out of trees that
they chew up and mix with their special saliva, creating structures
that are stronger than steel.

Each murder hornet hive patrols a huge range of territory, and

they are known for traveling vast distances in search of food and
resources. While they prefer to hunt and eat large game like horses
and cows, they are known trap and devour people when other prey
is scarce. Their viscous venom is capable of melting through metal
doors.

Murder hornets are vicious predators who fearlessly guard their hives,
attacking anyone who comes near them.

hover’s spit — Murder hornet queens are known as hovers

(30 — 4). They are among the most hunted creatures anywhere.
Occasionally, a hover’s drool will congeal into a gelatinous bead that
falls to the ground. These magic beads contain a powerful healing
property. When consumed, they have the effect of the Restore spell
(gb. 67). These beads only remain viable for a week at a time, making
them extraordinarily rare. Hovers do not produce the beads in
captivity.

In addition to their restorative properties, each hover bead is capable

of extending a creature’s natural lifespan by 10 years — making
them one of the most sought-after treasures in the omniverse. Some
powerful beings, such as conservators (p. 78), have created entire
planetary colonies of murder hornets to harvest their beads in pursuit
of immortality.

12 — 3 evasive, combative
56 the mythkeeper
dragon wizard
scene — “The smell of fresh parchment fades as you walk backward
in time through the library stacks. Sitting tall in the center of a maze
of piled paper is a crowned, wingless dragon with silvery scales. They
release one side eye to gaze at you dubiously, while keeping the other
eye trained on a document.”

story — The Mythkeeper is the leader and co-founder of The

Bureau of Verification: an institute of scholars whose mission
is to verify the historical contents of all the world’s documents.
Documents that are found to be in order receive a special seal of
verification, demonstrating that they have been verified by a Bureau
of Verification verifier. (It’s all rather official.)

The Bureau’s other co-founder, Theodoric (p. 25), left after realizing
the organization’s mission was futile and served little purpose except
to affix seals to documents. Nonetheless, The Mythkeeper has a real
and masterful knowledge of history and official documents. They can
spout from memory the origins and characteristics of papers, inks,
waxes, glyphs, and anything else related to publishing or printmaking.

The Mythkeeper is a Wizard with access to all spells in Magecraft

(gb. 96) and Projection (gb. 97). They also know Fireball (gb. 60), but
prefer not to play into the stereotype.

war of the words — The Mythkeeper is natural enemies with

The Magister (p. 91), who attempts to alter and corrupt documents
with false statements and histories. In fact, the Bureau spends a lot
of time helping people know if their records have been altered by
The Magister and their judges. Likewise, the Bureau’s headquarters
is a top target of The Magister, who wishes to destroy or alter its
voluminous duplicates. (That would be a terrible loss for the truth.)

phrases — “The paper and ink are from the wrong origin. Is this
your first day in the forgery business?”

20 — 3 wise, curious, talented, enterprising

57 noxis
cursed adventurer
scene — “The foul stench of the room overcomes you. A skittering
sound echoes through the darkness as if something is rapidly
tapping on your bones. You look up to see a dozen glowing eyes
staring down at you!”

story — There once was an adventurer named Noma who pursued

a Ring of Power (t. 45) in a quest given to them by The Quest Giver
(p. 21). While many have tried and all have failed to seize the ring,
Noma got the closest to pulling it off.

Caught and defeated by Draxis (p. 81), the ring’s owner, Noma was
cursed to experience a grisly transformation into a giant spider.
Now, the spider known as Noxis feels an overwhelming desire to
guard the ring, which they once coveted, and will attack any creature
that ventures into the ring’s vault.

brood host — Once every few turns while in combat, Noxis

releases spider offspring from its abdomen. Treat Noxis’ swarm of
offspring as a single creature in combat. Each spider adds 2 HP and 1
damage to the swarm.

noma — Noxis still feels a shadow of their former self in spider

form and wants to break free from the curse. If reduced to 0 hit
points, the curse will lift, and Noxis will return to their original
form.

Noma is a vain and arrogant glory-seeker who took the quest for the
Ring of Power believing that it would bring them worldwide renown.
They sought it with a desire born of desperation. However, their
time as a monster has inspired an even greater devotion to revenge.

If cured of their curse, Noma will offer to adventurers the location

of even greater treasure, drawing them through a portal to Draxis’
deadly underworld. Like the Ring of Power, this promise of treasure
is a deception.

20 — 3 extra attack, horrifying, greedy

58 outraider
righteous brigand
scene — “A low rumble in the distance grows as commoners quickly
return to their homes and shut their doors. You hear shouting and
turn to see several well-equipped adventurers are being rudely shoved
out of the tavern into the street. The door slams behind them. As
they collect themselves, one points into the distance. You look and
see a team of mounted figures crest the ridge and raise their weapons
to the sky. When you look back toward the tavern, you see that the
adventurers are already sprinting in the other direction.”

story — Outraiders are principled thieves who believe that

adventurers are the greatest scourge upon the world. They hunt
adventurers in outlands regions to rout them and rob them of their
often-stolen treasures.

While they let most amateurs go with a fearsome warning, they use
harsher methods on adventurers who cause chaos, destruction, or
death. They have been charitably described as an army of highly
combative preservationists.

kirn — The Outraider community is led by a Windgeist

(p. 102) named Kirn. Unlike many other Windgeists, Kirn’s mortal self
still occupies the foreground of their consciousness, and they remain
preoccupied with the affairs of mortals. Outraiders can all recite
“Adventuring and its Consequences”: Kirn’s manifesto on
active methods of natural preservation.

the reclamation court — In their deep forest home, the

Outraiders host a court that tries glory-seekers, swashbucklers,
explorers, archaeologists, and other adventurers who trample upon
the “unexplored” world. Kirn is the chief of this court and presides
over its trials. Those found guilty of serious crimes like murder or
the plundering of priceless artifacts are transported by outraiders
to a remote tundra where they are permanently suspended in an
encasement of ice.

8—3 extra attack, zealous, moral

59 primordial cauldron
sentient terraformer
scene — “As you reach the edge of the dusty mountain, you
see several gigantic snail-like creatures traversing the desolate
valley below. They stop their slow crawl, opening the shells on
their backs. A huge stack of what look like flower petals unfurl
from their shells and reach toward the sky — rising even taller
than a five-story building. Like huge smokestacks, thick, roiling
clouds begin pouring out of the structures.”

story — Primordial cauldrons are creatures that travel the

omniverse in search of desolate and uninhabitable planets.
Released by their parents as embryos in a protective shell, they
can fly through space and direct themselves toward celestial
bodies.

When fully grown, cauldrons can hoover up raw materials

and convert them into various gases. When enough cauldrons
are active on a planet, they are capable of terraforming it and
making it suitable for other life to flourish.

parasitic cauldrons — Some civilizations have found that

cauldrons can be used as weapons. With modifications to their
biology, cauldrons can be used to pollute already-stable worlds
and have the reverse effect: making them uninhabitable.

symbiotic cauldrons — Cauldrons can also be bred to

form a beneficial relationship to an already-stable world.
For instance, some have been modified to work in reverse by
sucking up toxic things from the air and turning them into
harmless solid waste. Cauldrons created for this purpose can
often be found living next to factories and other sources of
pollution.

alchemical cauldrons — An extremely rare type of

modified Cauldron. These cauldrons are capable of being
trained to turn common substances into valuable materials, like
rapidly turning granite into gold.

30 — 4 cosmic
60 regional guard
community soldiers
scene — “The air is thick with the sound of heavy raindrops
clashing with stone walls and steel helmets. A lone glowing arrow
flies into the sky, sparking into a flare that temporarily clears fog and
shadow from below. A terrifying crowd of raiders advances on you.
The guards on the wall embrace each other and ready their weapons.”

story — The Regional Guard is an alliance of small armies

representing various communities across the world. While they differ
in uniform and operate independently, they all share in the customs
and ethics of a unified warrior culture. Their doctrine is to help the
besieged and suffering with strength and integrity and requires them
to only use force defensively.

Members of the Regional Guard are not police and, by tradition, do

not intervene in most civil matters. The Guard is expected to protect
their communities from organized adversaries, monsters, and other
serious threats. But most of the time, members of the Guard serve as
general helpers in their community. (Yes, they do occasionally rescue
a cat from a tree.)

The Guard’s loose organization has helped it avoid the problems of

large standing armies, but this also has made some of its garrisons
vulnerable to corruption. Usurpers have been known to take control
of Guard factions and use them to advance their own influence and
power.

the edge — All members of the Regional Guard, no matter where

they are from, are expected to devote their service for a five-year
tour at an outpost in The Edge — a narrow pass on the far edge of
the outlands. Here, they stand guard at the front of a centuries-long
standoff with the foes of the region. (If you are The Guide, you should
decide who these foes are and what the reason is for their standoff
with the Guard.) No member of the Guard is given full status as a
member until completing their tour in The Edge.

5—2
61 scaler
subterranean sprawlmaker
scene — “You thank the chef for the meal and let out a
sigh of satisfaction as the glassware on your table begins to
tremble. You look over at the town square and see people
fleeing. As the ground begins to rumble violently, a huge
sinkhole opens in the plaza. As you peer down into the abyss,
a huge tunneling machine grinds to a halt. Several scaled
engineers hop out of its cockpit and look around, scratching
their heads.”

story — Scalers are a company of radical architects who are

bent on the endless expansion of their subterranean sprawl.
They believe they have a right to claim any and all territory
under the surface — even if it means digging so close that it
causes cities and towns above the crust to collapse.

Scalers are focused on the radical transformation of the world

through ever-greater “scale”. They envision a planet-sized city
with architecture that spans from its core to its surface. While
they do not inherently feel hostility toward other creatures,
their single-minded pursuit of their mega infrastructure
project naturally brings them into conflict with others.

When creatures who do not share their enthusiasm for a

planet-sized city resist, Scalers will use force to push them
aside.

endless mines — Scalers have focused their talents on

creating ever-more efficient ways to tunnel through the
ground. Their latest magic tunneling machines are capable
of operating themselves, and hundreds of them have been
released to plumb the depths of the world. This careless
strategy has left the Scaler project mostly unsupervised. Some
of these machines, having gone where they should not go, have
provoked the attention of long-lost horrors (p. 72). Who knows
when they might invade...

6—2 zealous, enterprising

62 shadow operative
clandestine agent
scene — “You peek into the window and see a group of senior
Opaline Adherents crowded around a table. Among them are
three people in strange clothing. They slide a briefcase across the
table to the Adherents, who open it with eager anticipation. One
of the strangely dressed folks pulls a stone out of their coat. It
begins to glow — and the strangers vanish.”

story — Shadow operatives are the highly trained agents of

The Curators. They handle the organization’s most sensitive
frontline work and report to the Shadow Broker’s (p. 100) circle
of deputies.

Operatives are recruited from across the omniverse and are

among its most talented rogues. To those in similar lines of
work, operatives are looked at like celebrity athletes for their
mastery of tradecraft.

While they won’t easily betray their clients, operatives are

often cutthroat among their peers in the organization. They
are part of a subtle and constant power struggle. When offered
the opportunity, they will often undermine their colleagues if it
means making a name for themselves or picking up clients.

Operatives have access to their own private shadow planes that

they use as a safe house and vault for items obtained in the
course of their duties. Each operative is issued A Magician’s Key
(t. 50) that can be used to access these houses.

examiners — A special, elite group of operatives are known as

examiners (12 — 3). These spies work alone to conduct counter-
intelligence operations for The Curators, seeking to sniff out
traitors from their ranks. Examiners are capable of interrogating
others using the Soul Gaze (gb. 44) and Compel Truth (gb. 45)
abilities.

8—3 extra attack, resourceful, talented, cosmic

63 shadow stalker
invisible killer
scene — “The conversation trails off, and you begin
listening more intently to the sensations of the forest. As
you hear the rhythm of your party members walking on the
forest floor, you sense something strange — as if an extra
person is walking with the group. You look around and see
everyone else staring at you. The shapes of tentacles and
spikes trail behind you. Your shadow isn’t yours.”

story — Shadow Stalkers are creatures that transition

between ethereal and material forms and hunt the spirits
of other creatures. When a Stalker “haunts” another
creature, they eat their shadow and replace it, cursing their
victim with decay. (For each week that a Stalker is attached
to a creature, their lifespan withers by a year.) Stalkers that
are in their haunting phase do not have hit points or deal
damage.

If a creature haunted by a Stalker dies, the Stalker takes

over their body and transforms it into a grisly monster of
sinew, tentacles, and mouths full of teeth. When slain in its
material form, the creature once again becomes ethereal
and goes dormant for decades until it gathers enough
strength to hunt once again.

A Stalker that is haunting a creature can only be purged

with the Banish (gb. 73) or Restore (p. 67) spells. Stalkers
die when purged in this way — and it is the only method
capable of slaying them.

Haunted creatures gradually begin to feel as if an

intruder has entered their mind and lurks quietly in the
background. If haunted for more than a month, they begin
to feel their life slipping away and become filled with dread
at their inevitable death.

16 — 3 invisible
64 shambler
zombie amalgam
scene — “As the sun falls, you approach the port city from the grand
highway. There are no travelers on the road and no lights in the city.
Something is clearly not right. You carefully open the giant wooden
doors at the main gate, revealing a ghastly scene. The city has been
eradicated, and the streets are now filled with the shambling dead.”

story — Shamblers are creatures who have been transformed into

zombies by a parasite from the depths of the sea. Infested creatures
undergo a grisly metamorphosis taking place over the course of a week:

day symptoms

1— A light fever and headache begin.

2 — Sweating, chills, and itchy skin. The host begins to incubate
new parasites and is now contagious.
3— High fever. Skin begins to crack and harden.
4 — Barnacles begin growing on the surface.
5— Hallucinations. Seagrass begins growing out of body.
6 — Point of no return: the transformation cannot be stopped.
Loss of consciousness. Body rapidly withers and mutates.
7— Death. The mutation becomes chaotic and produces body
parts of various sea creatures. Reanimation shortly follows.

Shamblers that have become reanimated are controlled by their host

parasite, seeking out other creatures to infest. Creatures reduced to 0
hit points by a shambler become infested and can only be cured with
the Focus (gb. 39) or Restore (gb. 67) abilities.

These zombies are unthinking and unfeeling beings who are consumed
by the hunger of their parasite. They will hunt any living creature they
come across and will prioritize victims in this order: those who are loud
followed by those who are slow.

6—2 horrifying
65 shredder
wandering warmonger
scene — “Thick black smoke billows from the encampment
below. A harried army hacks at trees to fuel its war machine. You
see a hastily built stadium in the middle of the felled forest. The
army pauses and cheers as raucous celebration rises from the
arena.”

story — Shredders are a radical community that is centered on

the fanatical worship of a harsh and rigid warrior culture. Once
every 10 years, the Shredder community migrates to a new region
and builds a great arena where a month-long tournament is held.

Shredders are taught to be combative and ruthless. Once their

arenas are built, they begin searching the land for creatures to
capture. Those they catch are brought to the arena to participate in
various deadly games that are meant to test the skills and strength
of Shredder warriors.

Wherever they go, Shredders leave trails of death and destruction

in their wake. Entire forests have been felled to fuel their war
machine. This disregard for nature has made enemies of its
defenders. Shredders are hunted by lichen (p. 53), albatross (p. 73),
and elder wardens (p. 82).

the tournament — In the final year of a Shredder encampment,

a great tournament is held at the arena. The tournament pits
champions and teams against one another in a bracket that
progressively eliminates competitors until only two challengers
remain.

The winner of the tournament becomes the leader of the

community for the next 10 years, until a new tournament is held.
To date, only Shredders have claimed the throne — though nothing
in their code prevents outsiders from winning the tournament and
seizing power. Upon winning, the new leader decides where the
Shredders will travel next.

6—3 combative, zealous

66 soul collector
interdimensional zookeeper
scene — “You feel static electricity shoot across your skin as
a crackling portal tears through the air nearby. An alien figure
hovers through with two otherworldly prisoners in tow.”

story — Soul collectors are ancient interdimensional wizards

who kidnap animals of all kinds to store in their vast cosmic zoo in
The Rift. Collectors believe that they are simply cataloging life in
the omniverse to the benefit of knowledge, but their lack of regard
for the lives of their captives has made them enemies of many
worlds throughout the omniverse.

The zoo, known as The Star Menagerie, imprisons many thousands

of beings in simulated re-creations of their natural habitats and
surroundings. Collectors sell exclusive Menagerie tours to the
omniverse’s wealthiest beings, allowing them to maintain their
vast and demanding operation.

Once a year, collectors hold an auction for animals that have been
sufficiently cataloged and observed.

abilities — Speak (gb. 98), Teleport (gb. 95), and Telekinesis

(gb. 93).

the star menagerie — This immense traveling fortress in

The Rift looks like an inverted, floating pyramid made of stone
and glass. The fortress itself is capable of teleporting through the
omniverse, making it difficult for the collectors’ enemies to track
and infiltrate. Notable locations in the fortress include a grand
museum of its most interesting creatures, a giant auction hall,
and the secret headquarters of the collectors at the core of the
structure.

In a highly secure vault in the center of the fortress lies an

emergency release mechanism. When activated, all captive
creatures in the Menagerie are teleported back to their
homeworlds.

12 — 2 cosmic, greedy, deceiver

67 spirit wyrm
dragon soul
scene — “You feel a thick breeze of magical energy pass
through your body as you travel down the sparkling stone ramp
into the cavern. Crystalline stalagmites and stalactites fill the
cavern, illuminated by glowing wisps in the air. As you reach the
shimmering pool, ripples begin to form in the center of the water. A
majestic, translucent being with the face of a dragon emerges from
the pool, twisting gracefully in the air.”

story — Spirit wyrms are the souls of ancient dragons who once
belonged to a great and powerful dragon society. Some of these
dragons were able to channel immense magical power that granted
their spirits something close to eternal life.

Each spirit wyrm has experienced their great lifespan differently.

While some feel they are finished in the worldly plane and wish to
be released into The Beyond, others have a burning desire to once
again inhabit the body of a great dragon. Others are perfectly happy
to wander the world in spirit form, often taken centuries-long naps.

Wyrms are attracted to powerful sources of magic, which they

feed off of to retain their mental clarity. In some cases, they form
alliances with powerful wizards and can be found serving as fellows
in schools of magic.

the last dragon king — A spirit wyrm named Veraxus was

the king of the ancient dragon society when it fell. For countless
millennia, Veraxus has simmered in yearning and resentment,
desperate to find a suitable mortal host who can return them to rule
and glory. When a host is found, Veraxus will use the Reinstate the
Dead spell (gb. 69) to take over their body. Their ultimate goal is to
find a way to restore all wyrms to their mortal forms and once again
rule the world. Veraxus is aware of soul collectors (p. 66) and plans
to infiltrate their Menagerie to find dragon bodies to use for their
plan.

10 — 3 ethereal, cosmic
68 sprink
tiny ones
scene — “The sound of rapid pitter-pattering echoes through
the cave. A bunch of small creatures dart out with spears at
the ready. One of them lets loose a tiny but confident scream,
rebuking you for your intrusion. You suddenly feel overcome
with guilt for your rude trespass and begin to feel as if you fear
yourself and your allies.”

story — Sprinks are small creatures who form small villages in

cave systems. They communicate with telepathic signals that can
make other creatures directly feel their emotions. They often use
this ability to ward intruders away from their homes.

Their small stature and lightning-fast reflexes make them

difficult to chase, and they can be dangerous in numbers. They
often use their incredibly springy tails to launch into the air,
covering improbable distances.

While they are capable fighters, sprinks are under constant

threat from beasts who view them as prey. In one notable
conflict, a sprink village was wiped out by an invasion of ornery
meerkats.

To help fix the balance of power, many sprinks have developed

the ability to form alliances with some kinds of animals, like cats,
raccoons, and squeezle (p. 23). It’s not uncommon to see these
allies living among sprinks in their villages.

the deep war — Like bearclaws (p. 31), Many sprink

communities are in a losing war with scalers (p. 122). The
scalers have tunneled their way through countless sprink
villages, causing terror and destruction. These communities
are so beleaguered by the Scaler threat that they have become
increasingly insular and hostile to outsiders. Still, many are open
to help from trusted outsiders who may be able to turn the tide
of the war.

3—2 evasive
69 star demon
volatile magic
scene — “You see a large sphere of darkness quickly moving
toward you. As the darkness surrounds you, a metallic orb of
flickering light and static releases a thunderous discharge,
throwing you backward and onto the ground.”

story — Star demons are beings that wander the world

collecting energy from their surroundings. Like a black hole, they
suck in light and project a magical darkness around themselves
where no light can escape.

Demons are naturally attracted to magic and will seek out sources
of magic. Any creature near a star demon who uses magic will
lure them in and provoke its aggression. Demons that sense
magic items will attempt to seize them with glowing tentacles
made of pure energy.

short fuses — Star demons are immune to magic and absorb

the effects of harmful spells, making them more powerful. Each
time a demon is attacked with magic, it is fully healed and its
attack rating increases by 1.

wraithfire bombs — If a star demon is killed, it falls to the

ground and shrinks, becoming a dark crystal orb. These orbs
are known as Wraithfire Bombs (t. 25). When thrown, the
orbs shatter and explode in a small radius on contact, igniting
anything within a few meters of the point of impact in searing,
ethereal flame. Creatures touched by the flame take 4 damage
and writhe in agony, but they cannot be killed by it. Some
adventurers hunt demons so they can collect and trade these
bombs.

foes from failure — Star demons are created spontaneously

when powerful magic spells fail. Consider making star demons
appear when a player scores a catastrophe when casting a spell or
using a powerful source of magic.

8—2
70 reaper
undead horror
scene — “You walk down the musty corridor, brushing cobwebs
out of your face. The hallway opens up into a circular chamber with
flickering candles and a large bloody sigil drawn on the floor. As the
candles flicker from an unseen wind, a scream can be heard echoing
from afar. You feel like rolling your eyes at this typical haunted house
stuff. Then... it appears behind you.”

story — Reapers are fallen demon rulers who reap the souls
of spirits and mortals alike. They are dispatched throughout the
omniverse by Draxis (p. 81), the emperor of a nightmare hellworld
called Uberhell. Souls collected by reapers are banished to Uberhell
where they face eternal imprisonment.

Each reaper has their own style of devilment. Some prefer the stuff of
classic horror, while others devise innovative methods for collecting
souls — like creating elaborate chain reactions that bring many
creatures to their doom.

Reapers are capable of creating two-way portals to Uberhell, which

they use to ferry souls between worlds.

the scream team — A trio of powerful reapers known as The

Scream Team hosts one of the biggest reality shows in the omniverse,
broadcast exclusively within Uberhell. The show is called “Last Soul
Standing” and is currently in its 100th season.

In each episode of “Last Soul Standing,” reapers lure mortals to dinner

parties at mansions with the promise of a chance at riches. Then, they
lock the guests inside and force them to play a deadly game of “Would
you rather,” which requires guests to choose between two tasks with
undesirable outcomes. These tasks become increasingly horrific and
deadly as the game goes on, eventually forcing players to choose who
lives and who dies.

The Button (t. 134) is a fan-favorite segment on the show.

16 — 4 phase shifter, horrifying, cosmic

71 tortomorto
airborne turtles
scene — “You peek over the rocks into the cove and see a creature
on the beach with a glistening shell, guarding a glowing pile of eggs.
A bandit on the other side of the cove inches forward, trying to sneak
quietly up to the nest — but they slip on a rock and cause a ruckus.
The turtle snaps its neck upward and lets out a piercing squeal. You
hear a response from the sky as dozens of flying turtles dive toward
the bandit!”

story — Tortomorto are flying turtles whose eggs are an incredibly

rare and valuable delicacy. One in 1,000 tortomorto eggs is capable of
making the creature who eats it experience a spectrum of feeling that
is likely wider and deeper than anything they have felt before. Some
who consume the eggs become stupefied from the intensity of the
emotion.

Because of their incredible effect on other creatures, tortomorto eggs

are in extreme demand across the omniverse. The market for the eggs
is a high-stakes game with a bloody legacy. They are served in the
most exclusive restaurants, enjoyed by the wealthy and powerful, and
coveted by those who consume the eggs as a spiritual rite.

Flocks have learned to guard their nests with ferocity. Approaching a

tortomorto’s nest is likely to summon a dozen or more from the flock.
If they sense a creature trying to harm or steal their eggs, they attack
with focused fury.

curated — The Curators (p. 100) have an effective monopoly on

the trade of tortomorto eggs in the worlds where they do business.
Because of their reliable profits, The Shadow Broker (p. 100) made it
a priority to develop a sustainable way to harvest the eggs — leading
to the development of secret tortomorto farms. The funds from the
sale of these eggs fuel the Broker’s cosmic rebellion. To keep control
of the market, The Curators seek out and sabotage the attempts of
others to create their own sustainable tortomorto farms.

4—2 evasive
72 underleech
subsurface scourge
scene — “The center of the abandoned mine is filled with
all kinds of clunky mechanical rigs and discarded parts. A
great Scaler tunneling machine sits broken in the center of the
chamber. You see a number of large oval pumice stones clinging
to the sides of the machine. They begin to crack and split open. A
dozen horrifying tentacle creatures with perforated bodies emerge
from the stones and begin scattering across the room.”

story — Underleeches are life-sized viruses that form deep

inside of celestial bodies and lie dormant until disturbed. When
woken, the leeches aggressively seek out and feed on organic
matter to fuel their rapid reproduction. Left unchecked, they can
spread across an entire region in weeks and conquer an entire
world in months.

Leeches wither and die if exposed to direct sunlight for more

than an hour, but they are incredibly deadly when found in dark
subterranean areas. With tentacles that can lash and grab with
lightning speed and a volcanic maw that can spit molten flame,
most people don’t stand a chance against them.

A slain leech shrivels and becomes an egg that will incubate

two clones of itself unless the egg is destroyed within a day. This
makes leech invasions difficult to control, as anything other
than total victory in a battle means they will continue to rapidly
reproduce.

the invasion — Underleeches are a worldwide threat that you

can use to link the fates of characters and communities in your
story. Consider using a Scaler (p. 122) mining disaster to trigger
an underleech invasion that can only be defeated by uniting an
alliance of defenders to push it back. The invasion is fed by a
central nest in the far depths that mass produces underleech eggs.
These eggs are carried and spread by hatched underleeches.

5—2 lifetap
73 albatross
sky titan
scene — “At first, you think it’s a strange cloud moving with
suspicious haste. But as this twisting aerial colossus draws
closer, birds flee and commoners stop to stare. The creature
whips its tail, sending a shockwave that nearly blows your
clothes off.”

story — Albatross are rare, giant flying creatures who eat

clouds like whales consuming schools of fish. They are seldom
aggressive, but when they are provoked, they become a fearsome
threat. Their giant tails can flatten entire buildings.

Albatross have no natural predators except for industrialists.

Their powerful taste buds can detect everything in the air,
including a finely tuned sense for pollution. Occasionally, when
an albatross consumes polluted air, they will go on a brief
rampage and seek out populated areas for industry to raze.

Albatross have a symbiotic relationship with other living beings

and are a source of enriched rainfall. They infuse the clouds
they consume with a mix of nutrients that can turn arid land
into fertile ground. Some farming communities have learned
how to attract albatross for fertilization by releasing edible
balloons into the air that are filled with a sweetened mist.

With an enormous range and a preference for loneliness, there

are typically no more than a handful of albatross in a world at a
time. This makes them perpetually in danger of extinction.

natural enemies — Shredders (p. 65) have been threatened

many times by albatross for their wanton burning of forests.
On a few occasions, an albatross was successful in destroying a
Shredder arena. The Shredders intentionally invite this conflict,
believing that anyone who defeats a sky titan during the grand
tournament will become the leader of the community for life.

90 — 6
74 archon
gods
scene — “On steady wings, they smoothly descend from the sky
as if they are somehow experiencing time more quickly than you.
You look into their shimmering crown and feel the glory and fear
of gods.”

story — Archons are godlike beings who freely travel the

omniverse. Their magic crowns allow them to maintain the full
power bestowed on them from their distant homeworld.

When a young archon is ready to ascend to power, they undergo

a ritual to divine their greatest potential. Upon receiving their
crown, they are “vested.” The crown declares their ultimate role
and purpose — and their power becomes bound to it. For example,
some archons discover their great calling is teaching, while
others may become bound to exploration or warfare.

Each vested archon is a plenipotentiary of the homeworld and

has immense license to shape the fates of beings across the
omniverse. This power and responsibility are isolating, and many
archons spend the vastness of their lives far away from their own
people. In this purposeful loneliness, archons have been known
to “adopt” other communities of beings and serve as a personal
god to them.

abilities — Vested archons have the Teleport (gb. 95),

Telekinesis (gb. 93), Blink (gb. 95), and Blazing Avenger (gb. 46)
abilities.

general div — An Archon named Div is the leader of the

growing cosmic rebellion known as The Last Light. Div’s vested
purpose is to “overthrow the gods,” which is a rare and legendary
mission even among archons. They have interpreted this purpose
to mean the destruction of conservators (p. 78). Knowing they
cannot do this alone, Div gathers support from across the
omniverse to prepare for an unprecedented war.

60 — 8 evasive, exalted, resistant to all damage

75 the arch wraith
legendary invoker
scene — “You glide up a long flight of floating glass steps to a
platform suspended in the middle of a celestial sphere. You reach
the top and feel like you are in a home with no walls — there’s a
circle of couches around a roaring hearth, a grand canopy bed,
some stacks of books, and a gilded desk. An incredible cloak of stars
and a gleaming longsword sit on a decorative rack. A glowing spirit
with a shadow as long as time waits expectantly in the center of the
room.”

story — The Arch Wraith is an ancient Invoker who became

lovers with an archon. When the archon was slain, they bestowed
their crown on their beloved. Upon wearing it, The Wraith
transformed into an immortal, ethereal being. The crown whispered
to The Wraith and told them to pursue a life of mentorship.

Heeding the crown’s call, The Wraith laid down their arms and
created a home in The Rift. They now serve as a godly avatar for
other Invokers, waiting patiently and listening for their pleas. They
are currently looking for one special Invoker to mentor and bring to
their full potential.

abilities — Teleport (gb. 95), and all Invoker abilities.

legendary quest — The Arch Wraith has worked hard for
centuries to purge the desire to avenge their beloved. But this
feeling can never truly be silenced; it is tied to the power of the
crown.

When The Wraith meets a capable party, they will offer a quest to
capture Draxis (p. 81): their lover’s killer. The Wraith intends to use
the Forgive ability (gb. 45) on Draxis, absolving them of guilt for
the act. An Invoker that can accomplish this improbable feat will be
rewarded with all the Invoker’s legendary abilities and a Cloak of A
Hundred Billion Stars (t. 52).

30 — 3 ethereal, exalted, impassioned, cosmic, wise

76 brell
legendary magician
scene — “You walk into the glass-domed garden at the center of
the legendary market. A spectacular illusion appears in the air of a
man you know well. ‘Welcome to the Consumer Magic Show,’ he
says, ‘where we make your dreams real!’”

story — Brell is a renowned industrialist who is responsible

for magic inventions that have changed the social fabric of the
world. His Magic Mirror (t. 9) network connects people across vast
distances. And his Endless Quest game (t. 8) has created new kinds
of worlds for people to explore from the safety of their homes.

Brell puts on the persona of a brash magician for marketing

purposes but is a gentle and generous person behind the scenes.
He makes many of his essential products free for those who
cannot afford them and maintains a collegial relationship with his
competitors, like Professor Prim (p. 96).

consumer magic show — Once a year, Brell’s Magic Industries

puts on a public trade show where the greatest magic innovators
gather to show off new projects. The show draws huge crowds of
revelers and some shady figures — including rivals who wish to
steal trade secrets. Dr. Chaos (p. 80) is always an uninvited guest
who attempts to cause trouble...

legendary quest — Brell’s vast company has become a main

target of The Prismatic Prophet (p. 95) and The Host
(p. 14), who use its power and influence to rile up the suspicions
and passions of their followers. After years of increasingly
inflammatory conspiracies about Brell’s Magic Industries, the
Prophet’s adherents (p. 28) have begun attacking the company’s
supply lines and even its stores. Adding insult to injury, the Prophet
wears a magic amulet around their neck that was stolen from Brell
himself. Brell will teach legendary Magician abilities to a Magician
who is responsible for retrieving the amulet and returning it to him.

14 — 3 talented, enterprising, leader, kind, charismatic

77 clockwork giant
mighty mechanism
scene — “You trace the tracks through the farmer’s cornfield to
a neighbor’s backyard, where you find a heavily armored shed that
looks quite out of place. As you get closer to inspect it, you hear a
cacophony of machinery whirl up. The shed rapidly disassembles
and expands, reconfiguring its shape. In a matter of moments,
it transforms into a mechanical giant. ‘Kitty not found,’ it says.
‘Resuming search for kitty.’”

story — The Clockwork Giant is a mechanical giant created by

Dr. Chaos (p. 80) for the sole purpose of recovering their cat from
trees. Despite the immense and unnecessary amount of engineering
required to create the enormous unit, it ended up not being very good
at doing the job it was designed for and has not once successfully
removed the Doctor’s cat from a tree without ripping the entire tree
out of the ground.

Frustrated with their creation, Dr. Chaos released the Giant on the
world, where it now searches endlessly for other cats to rescue. This
mission has left a terrible toll on the countryside, where the Giant has
left no tree, stone, or home unturned in search of cats.

An angry mob of outlanders assembled to take on the Giant but was

roundly defeated. They now seek the help of adventurers or other
allies to help defeat the Giant or convince it to leave.

phrases — “Are you cat? Response: negative. Programming not

found for non-cat interactions. Resuming search for
cat.”

quest — The Giant is frustrated that it has been unable to

successfully rescue a cat from a tree and has begun to desire its
own cat to have as a pet. If the Giant is given a pet cat, its mind
will become unlocked, allowing it to break free from its narrow
programming. It will offer those whom help it break free the location
of Dr. Chaos’ secret lair.

30 — 4 resistant to weapons, curious, rebellious

78 conservator
terror of the omniverse
scene — “A seam appears to open in the universe, offering you a
brief glimpse at The Beyond. You reel as your mind is momentarily
transported through time to countless other realities. A figure with
glowing eyes emerges, staring right through you.”

story — Conservators are members of an interdimensional bureau

of gods (The Bureau) who possesses unparalleled control over the
omniverse. With their magic rings, forged in The Beyond, they hold
the power to destroy entire universes.

There are never more than five conservators at a time, and most are
millions of years old. They bear only a faint familiarity with their
early mortal selves and are largely out of touch with the actual lives of
those who they claim to protect.

The Bureau seeks to maintain balance in the omniverse. They meet

every thousand years to devise a “reclamation list”: a list of universes
that are deemed to be out of balance. A universe is deemed out of
balance if the cruelty of its inhabitants outweighs their kindness.

Conservators collect information on universes with a vast army of

agents who are often imbued with the power of demigods. Some are
powerful inhabitants of those universes who have been turned to
serve the cause of the conservators.

While few beings in the omniverse are aware of conservators until it

is too late, a growing cosmic rebellion called The Last Light seeks to
undo their terrible power.

that ring — Each conservator posesses a Conservator’s Ring (p.

70). While wearing the ring, conservators can teleport, shapeshift,
and speak telepathically across any distance at will. Additionally,
while wearing the ring, they are invulnerable and cannot be damaged
or destroyed.

20 — 10 invulnerable, cosmic, exalted, shapeshifter

79 death rake
undying warrior
scene — “A vile wind passes by, corrupting the air. The tiny
weeds and mosses growing along the walls of the castle’s
catacombs suddenly twitch before withering and turning to dust.
You hear a heavy scraping noise around the bend. This isn’t
good.”

story — A necromancer queen who once dreamed of conquest

saw her empire crumble when the peoples of the world united
and pushed back. The queen sat on her besieged throne as rival
armies closed in, ruminating on revenge. Her only remaining
allies — her fearsome royal guard — encircled her when the doors
were battered.

But made fearful and resentful by her defeat, the queen

turned on her loyal guard, blaming them for her downfall. She
summoned all of her power to enchant each member of the
guard with an undying curse that turned them into wicked
servants of death. Then she temporarily banished them to a
shadow plane where they lay in wait until the hour of revenge
had come.

Disquietude and discord are the queen’s eternal revenge. Death

rakes are released back into the world during times of peace and
harmony among its peoples. When set loose, they hunt down
world leaders to slay them and cause chaos.

Death rakes are brutal and ruthless. They spare nobody who gets
in their way. An air of death and decay follows them wherever
they roam.

heart of evil — Rakes cannot be killed. When they are slain,

their spirit returns to the queen’s shadow plane, where they are
reinstated in an undying body. A ghastly magic orb in the plane
is the conduit of this reincarnation and contains the queen’s
vanquished spirit. The orb must be destroyed to permanently kill
the rakes and end the cycle of revenge.

20 — 4 resistance to all damage, combative, horrifying

80 dr. chaos
madcap mastermind
scene — “You hear a loud noise outside followed by screaming.
The wall in the convention hall suddenly bursts open, sending bricks
flying everywhere. As the dust clears, you see a small bearded person
in the cockpit of a large mechanical suit. A flock of chaos drones
flies into the hall through the hole in the wall. The suit’s pilot begins
cackling maniacally. ‘It’s Chaos time!’ a voice says from a loudspeaker
in the suit.”

story — Dr. Chaos is a former classmate and business partner of

Brell (p. 76) and Professor Prim (p. 96). When their associates would
not go along with their increasingly bizarre and dangerous product
ideas, Dr. Chaos became disaffected and left the group to pursue
inventions of their own design.

From deep in their heavily guarded mountain lair, Dr. Chaos

stews, observing a world that has passed them by. Resentful of the
mainstream success of their former partners, they plot to disrupt their
companies and spread — you guessed it — chaos across the land. Their
goal is to destroy the magic industrialists’ companies.

While their mission for mischief began with relatively harmless

pranks, Dr. Chaos’ methods have become increasingly dangerous over
time. As their body count grows, they have become one of the world’s
greatest villains.

troll pirate — One of the Doctor’s favorite methods for chaos

is to replace popular products with inferior knockoffs that sabotage
their users. For example, Dr. Chaos once replaced a shipment of
Brell’s Tent in a Tin (t. 10) with devices that would release a stink
cloud when activated instead of a tent.

reality bites — Dr. Chaos still has a shadow of decency and

compassion and has refused to see the extent of their own villainy.
If confronted and shown the consequences of their regime of chaos,
they will repent and shut down operations.

10 — 2 talented, greedy, combative, rebellious

81 draxis
emperor of souls
scene — “You catch your breath as you make it up the steps to
the grand plaza of the misty city. A scorpion-like figure towers
over a guard of elite Bonekind warriors who all stand ready to
attack you. ‘You mortals were foolish to come here,’ they say in a
booming voice. ‘Join... or die.’”

story — Draxis is the leader of a vast cartel of demons who

represent hellworlds across the omniverse. Realizing that some
of their grim administration could be handled more easily
with an alliance, these demon bosses pooled their power and
resources to create one giant hellworld known as Uberhell.

As the founder and eternal ruler of the cartel, Draxis is one of the
most powerful beings in the omniverse. Both mortals and gods
fear the emperor’s vast and resourceful alliance and its hundreds
of millions of minions. Draxis is said to be able to turn creatures
to dust simply with their gaze.

Despite all this terrible power, Draxis has used it mostly to make
the administration of hell a less cruel endeavor. While getting
there may still be painful and bloody, souls in Uberhell are not
tormented — in fact, they are given the ability to lead new and
interesting lives as citizens of the underworld. Souls who truly
wish to leave Uberhell are eligible to have their spirits released to
their homeworlds or to The Beyond.

Draxis believes it is their destiny to turn half of the omniverse

into Uberhell to create a “balance” between the living and the
dead.

uberhell — Uberhell is an incomprehensibly large city in an

infinitely expanding shadow plane that is linked to an equally
infinite number of dimensions. Draxis believes that if this plane
becomes large enough, it may someday act as a counterbalance
to The Rift.

60 — 4 extra attack, leader, deceiver, wise, cosmic

82 elder warden
forest avatar
scene — “You see a tree with several glowing wisps floating around
it. As you get closer, you begin to notice the bark shimmer and twist.
A wooden creature steps out from the trunk and greets you.”

story — When they cannot speak for themselves, elder wardens

speak for the trees. They are guardians of forests with great magical
power who can shapeshift and take the form of nearby flora. They
rarely make themselves seen, but are known to occasionally help lost
travelers who have good intentions.

Wardens are incredibly rare. They are created when a wisp from the
Echoes of Creation spell (gb. 59) enter the fossilized remains of a
sentient tree. Tree fossils inhabited by a wisp are reincarnated as
wardens. While they do not retain their memories and personalities
from their prior lives as trees, they maintain a deep emotional bond to
other beings of bark.

There is only one formal law in warden society: no trees shall be

harmed. The penalty for violating this law is death.

argest ambassador — An elder warden named Esso serves as an

ambassador for the Argests, a group of sentient trees who preside
over a great ancient forest. They have also become a field commander
for the lichen army (p. 53) during the War of the Woods.

Esso has traveled the world to develop relationships with other

communities of beings with the mission of preserving the secrecy
and independence of the forest of the Argests. They often travel in a
hooded disguise that conceals their identity to prevent suspicion from
other creatures.

Esso’s latest diplomatic mission is to gather support from outsiders

in the War of the Woods. They seek audience with The Tyrant (p. 26)
and the Regional Guard (p. 60) to solicit help from trained fighters.

16 — 3 resistance to all damage, regeneration

83 freestrider
legendary ranger
scene — “The boisterous conversation in the tavern stops abruptly
as you hear the giant double doors clatter shut at the entrance. A
crowd of gawkers parts as a woman with a golden bow on her back
walks toward the bar, giving friendly nods to those she passes by. You
hear patrons nearby whispering her name with reverence and awe.”

story — Freestrider is a legendary Ranger known widely for her

role in defeating an invading army and saving an entire region of the
world from ruin. (You should decide what kind of invasion this was
and who was responsible for it.) Her name is celebrated across the
region by peoples of all backgrounds who recognize her heroism and
personal sacrifice.

Now, she travels the world to track and subdue threats before they
arise. When diplomacy is needed, she often calls on Cid & Felix
(p. 34) to help with conversation and negotiation.

Freestrider is a trusting and virtuous person who aligns herself with

independent forces for “good.” While she is a fearsome and lethal
warrior, she is wary of standing armies and prefers to team up with
small groups. She does not abide the wicked.

faithful friend — Freestrider’s Animal Partner (gb. 55) is a

squeezle (p. 46) named Buffy. This beloved animal is a highly trained,
intelligent, and skilled scout who can warn Freestrider of threats and
help her track her prey.

legendary quest — When the world is once again threatened by

deep terrors, Freestrider springs into action. If scalers (p. 61) unleash
a tide of underleeches (p. 72), the legendary Ranger will seek out
a small team of adventurers to delve the depths of the world and
destroy the source of the invasion. Adventurers who help Freestrider
track and destroy the underleech nest will receive legendary Ranger
abilities, Ouriel’s Tears (t. 63), and the sword known as Fate (t. 56).

20 — 3 extra attack, leader, moral, rebellious

84 the illusionist
legendary magician
scene — “You turn the corner and finally catch up to the fleeing
fiend who is now facing you from the other end of the long hallway.
Their eyes glow as they release hair-raising laughter that echoes
through the corridor. The floor in front of you suddenly gives way
and crumbles into a calamitous abyss. When you look up, the
magician is gone...”

story — The Illusionist is a powerful mage who travels the

omniverse in search of novel ways to meddle with it. While they
crave wealth and power like other classic villains, the true object
of their desire is to come up with the greatest and most elaborate
“prank” in history.

This malign Magician prefers to sow mayhem with flamboyant

displays of trickery and influence. They like to toy with their marks
by making their deceptions obvious enough to provoke their fear
and fury. One of their favorite pranks is to trap others in illusory
mazes that test their loyalty to their friends.

society of scoundrels — The Illusionist is a member of a

club of interdimensional villains who compete with each other to
pull the most impressive pranks. (These “pranks” range from the
abusrd to the deadly.) The society meets once a year in a secret
Shadow Haven (gb. 87) so its members can present their entry
for that year’s competition. The villain with the most elaborate,
effective, and novel prank wins possession of the trophy until it
finds its next winner.

mischief mountain — The Illusionist’s lair is Mischief

Mountain, where they lure in adventurers to compete in a series of
riddles and challenges for the promise of great treasure.

captive agent — The Illusionist is an involuntary informant to

The Bureau (p. 78). They are secretly a fearful pawn who wishes to
be free from the conservators’ endless grasp.

20 — 3 shapeshifter, cosmic, deceiver

85 jelly titan
ruler of the sea
scene — “The water beneath your boat begins to shift as if
the entire sea is rising from a slumber. As the ocean convluses,
a horrifying display of wreckage unfolds as towering tentacles
tear a ship apart as if it were made of tinder. You peer into the
water below and see a glowing titan of jelly pulsating toward
the surface.”

story — Jelly titans are tremendous jellyfish that grow as

large as great stadiums. Their interiors are home to all manner
of sea creatures who use titans as roving palaces. While
sightings are rare, stories of their destruction are so terrifying
that most captains feel a moment of trepidation whenever they
embark from safe harbors.

Like albatross (p. 73), titans are highly sensitive to changes

in their ecosystem. They are particularly attracted to major
ocean travel and shipping lines where the footsteps of surface
dwellers are louder and more frequent. Titans are known to
target polluters and fishers who disrupt the delicate balance of
life in the oceans.

fragile feelers — Despite their fearsome presence, jelly

titans are highly sensitive creatures that do not enjoy conflict.
Their giant tentacles each have 10 HP. When five of a jelly
titan’s tentacles are destroyed, the creature will be overcome
with fear and attempt to flee.

jellywalker — In one of nature’s rarest friendships, a jelly

titan and overwalker (p. 93) became an inseparable pair. The
titan lives in the overwalker’s shell sea, occasionally returning
to larger waters to feed. The pair roams the world searching for
cuisines from new bodies of water for the titan to enjoy.

omnijelly — The jelly coating a titan’s heart is a rare

substance with an incredible bonding property. It is the main
ingredient in Permanent Solution (t. 16).

60 — 4 horrifying
86 kestrel
legendary fighter
scene — “A mighty figure sits on a rock on the side of the road,
joyously eating some fruit. Their battle worn body greets you with
a welcoming and friendly pose. ‘Hello traveler,’ they say to you.
‘Anything exciting on your journey ahead?’”

story — Once a professional monster hunter, Kestrel is now a

wandering Fighter who seeks out the glory and thrill of martial
combat, wherever it may be offered. They are a frightening force
when engaged in combat but never voluntarily slays their opponents
unless forced to do so for self defense. They prefer to fight as a
demonstration of skill and sport so they can teach others the ways of
combat.

Kestrel has a large and vivacious family with dozens of children and
grandchildren. Many of their descendents are also capable fighters
who have formed their own faction of the Regional Guard (p. 60)
made up only of family members.

hero of the tournament — Kestrel is a regular combatant in

Shredder tournaments (p. 65), which they have willingly entered
over the years. This has made them a renowned hero to the Shredder
community, which is often hostile to outsiders. While they could have
won any of the tournaments, Kestrel graciously bows out after the
penultimate challenge to prevent becoming the leader of the Shredder
community. This tradition has made a subset of Shredders desperate
for Kestrel to finally claim victory and take their place as the first
outside ruler.

legendary quest — Kestrel’s family Guard is one of the most

powerful independent armies in the region. Their opposition to The
Tyrant’s rule (p. 26) has drawn them into a protracted conflict with
The Tyrant’s loyal personal army. A band of adventurers who helps
Kestrel and their family expose The Tyrant’s plot to retain power will
be rewarded with training to learn the Fighter’s legendary abilities.
Kestrel will also offer their mighty sword, Fable (t. 55), as a reward.

20 — 3 charismatic, leader, curious, kind

87 krasix shadowmaker
swarm queen
scene — “The sky fulminates like the exhaust of of a great
furnace. What looks like a gigantic flying ship, made of shell and
sinew, pushes through the clouds. A swarm of flying creatures
escape its carapace and begin flying toward the ground.
Onlookers run screaming, or stand trembling in place.”

story — Krasix shadowmakers are hosts of the Krasix swarm,

acting as a swarm colony’s queen. They can grow as large as
starships and travel through space over incomprehensible
distances, seeking out worlds to conquer and assimilate.

When a shadowmaker finds a suitable location for a colony

to spread the swarm it permanently burrows into the ground
and transforms itself into a hive. The hive is a factory for
goliaths (p. 49) and swarmlings (p. 50) and acts as a nerve
center for the entire colony. (When it transforms into a hive,
the shadowmaker loses its attack rating and uses its swarm to
defend itself.) At the center of each hive’s living labyrinth is a
chamber with the shadowmaker’s heart. If destroyed, the entire
colony falls.

swarm avatar — Within the heart of each shadowmaker

is a dormant swarm avatar (30 — 4) that takes the form of
whichever species the colony is attacking. When released, this
avatar is tied to the life force of the shadowmaker, and acts
as the shadowmaker’s co-equal being. (If killed, the avatar’s
bonded shadowmaker dies, releasing a plague that kills all
creatures in its colony.)

The swarm avatar can leave the shadowmaker and operate

independently as a general of the swarm. They can fly slowly
over short distances. Each avatar casts an aura of psychic
manipulation that can indoctrinate other NPCs to abide the will
of the swarm. Creatures who resist are attacked, while creatuers
affected by the spell are captured and do the swarm’s bidding.

1,000 — 20 horrifying
88 leaftide
hungry blanket
scene — “You pass through the guarded barricade, beyond
which you find empty streets. You reach the town square to find it
completely overgrown with a creeping tangle of ivy and blooming
flowers. The growth has toppled a statue and begun to tear
apart entire buildings. You notice the blanket of greenery slowly
growing and inching forward in real time.”

story — Leaftide is a sprawling organism that spawns from

a single rare Leaftide Seed (t. 39). While many leaftide blooms
are cut down and destroyed before they can mature, the rare few
that are given a foothold become immense invaders that can take
over entire worlds. Once sprouted, a Leaftide Seed becomes the
organism’s “brain.”

Leaftides gain increasing self-awareness and intelligence

in proportion to how much territory they cover, absorbing
information from the things that touch its vines. Once the bloom
covers an area roughly 1 kilometer in diameter, the seed grows and
develops a mind that can speak telepathically to nearby creatures.
At this point it is also capable of creating leaf guardians (p. 52).

A leaftide’s powerful natural instinct to expand and conquer is

extraordinarly difficult to overcome and most mature leaftides
form elaborate justifications for their invasiveness over time.
However, if they are shown the extent of their destruction and
harm, they may be convinced to sever their link to their bloom,
causing it to shrivel and die. It is easier to convince a leaftide to
abandon its wanton growth if shown that it can inhabit a leaf
guardian and continue its life without fueling a bloom.

krasix weapon — Krasix swarms have discovered that leaftides

can be used to weaken entire worlds and prepare them for
invasion. Some shadowmakers (p. 87) carry hundreds of Leaftide
Seeds that they will use to shower planets before descending for a
final assault.

20 — 0
89 lena
legendary spy
scene — “You watch people mill about the ballroom, sipping
from flutes and exchanging small talk laced with tall implications.
A woman in smart attire breezes into the room wearing a stylish
step. ‘Hello darling,’ she says to the governor. ‘Shall we talk about
the disaster headed your way?’”

story — Lena is a legendary Spy who found a new life and

became caught up in the affairs of the omniverse. When the
original Lena found and activated a Wish Heart (t. 75), the
magic arguably backfired, creating a duplicate of herself. Fearing
unknown consequences, the new Lena parted ways with the
old, eventually being discovered by an edge hunter (p. 40) who
recruited her into the cosmic rebellion.

Lena’s original self lived through incredible events — a revolution

here, a secret society resurrecting the dead there — making the
new Lena well-equipped for broader adventures. Still, Lena retains
much of her original personality. She is fiercely loyal to her
allies, dedicated to helping those in need, and so confident in her
abilities that she occasionally overextends herself in dangerous
situations.

head hunter — Lena’s talents made her a quick study within

The Last Light. She rapidly rose through the ranks, becoming the
leader of the edge hunters. Now, she takes on some of the highest-
stakes missions in the omniverse in search of forces that can join
the rebellion and undertake missions to sabotage the conservators
and their allies. While she has grown to become more charismatic
than her past self, she still manages to cause a disaster or two —
often forcing her to fall back on her uncanny reservoir of luck.

legendary quest — At some point, Lena is captured during a

raid that goes wrong. A party who finds her and helps her escape
will be rewarded with legendary Spy abilities, The Exploit (t. 67),
and an offer to join The Last Light.

20 — 3 extra attack, evasive, cosmic, kind, leader, moral

90 the lost
grim mirror
scene — “You noticed them faintly before, but now their chorus
is unmistakable. Echoes of familiar voices wrack your mind. As
you begin to identify the cries of victims in your past, you see a
green mist spill across the ground. The faces of those you have
felled form in it, confronting you with the look on their faces as
they died.”

story — The Lost is the personification of all death. They

wander through time and space, holding up a mirror to those who
take the lives of others. Wherever The Lost walks, a trail of mist
forms behind them. Any creatures nearby see the faces of those
they have killed in the mist.

The Lost does not directly harm others, and they cannot be
harmed. But their presence can sap the willpower of those who
see their victims in their trail of magic mist. Any creature who
sees faces in the mist is waylaid by guilt and regret. Affected
creatures feel compelled to publicly confess their deeds and ask
for forgiveness.

Though they are capable of becoming present and

communicating with others, The Lost has never done so.

grim lighthouse — Fear itself (p. 43) can sense The Lost when
they are in the same world. They often use The Lost as a beacon
to hunt creatures who are responsible for terrible acts.

flawmaker — You can have any player who sees victims in

The Lost’s mist roll the die. On a success or better, they resist
its effect. On a tough choice, they must choose an additional
character flaw. On a failure or worse, they can no longer act first
in a combat situation unless nobody else in the scene is able to
act first.

beyond all — The Lost is a part of The Beyond. They are

quietly one of the most powerful beings in the omniverse.

0—0 invulnerable, ethereal, exalted, cosmic

91 the magister
judge-king of malice
scene — “Light beams pour in through the broken ceiling of
the ruined temple, illuminating a grim figure in flowing robes
that is sitting atop a grand stone podium. A worn iron seal hangs
crookedly on the wall behind them. ‘You are recognized by the
great eye of justice,’ the shadowed figure says. ‘What business do
you bring before this court?’”

story — The Magister is a corrupted judge-king from a dead

civilization who was responsible for a regime of cruelty and
terror. As their reign of misery grew, the judge-king became
hunted by fear itself (p. 43). For their many crimes, fear itself
offered its own sentence: to be banished from the past, and sent
as an unwanted stranger to the future.

The Magister awoke in a radically changed world. But they did

not atone. Enchanted by spite and false life, the judge-king
reclaimed their crumbling seat of injustice. From their ruined
capital, The Magister now recruits dastardly, disaffected, and
desperate individuals to help them spread their corruption and
resurrect the past. These recruits are turned into judges (p. 48)
who wander the land as solitary tribunals.

The Magister’s book of laws is the source of their power. While

holding the book, the judge-king is immune to all damage and
can use the See (gb. 97), Speak (gb. 98), Corrupt (p. 70), and
Shock (p. 60) spells. They can see and speak with the dead.

the plot — The Magister has declared war on the region and
seeks to depose The Tyrant (p. 26) and destroy the Regional
Guard (p. 60). They are secretly assembling a small army in
the vast prison beneath their court. The judge-king’s long-term
objective is to rewrite the laws of the world using their legendary
magic pen, Amendment (t. 50). When their army is ready, The
Magister will travel the land to seize and change the written laws
of peoples everywhere.

18 — 4 resistant to magic, zealous, leader, deceiver

92 the necromancer
legendary doctor
scene — “You pass through the clean and orderly lobby room
toward a door with a sign that says ‘laboratory’. As you enter
the lab you can tell the lobby was a cover to the real story of this
place. This little shop of horrors is filled with macabre inventions
and the remains of various ‘experiments.”

story — The Necromancer is a legendary Doctor and the leader

of a secret order known as The Clinic. This order of magic doctors
seeks to advance the study of life and death using magic methods
that most people find taboo. Members of The Clinic are wanted
by various groups, including some factions of the Regional Guard
(p. 60), who see their methods as profane or immoral.

After losing their beloved partners in a tragic accident, The

Necromancer created The Clinic to find a way to return the long
lost to life. They have come a long way — inventing the Reinstate
the Dead spell (gb. 69) — but the consequences of such magic are
hard to swallow. The Necromancer refuses to bring their loved
ones back without first devising a method that will not bring
harm to others.

The Necromancer is a sullen and nihilistic person who has

become lost in their sorrow. Years spent in mourning have
arguably made them more a member of the dead than the living,
though echoes of love remain in their bones.

legendary quest — Above all, The Necromancer wishes to

safely bring their partners home from wherever their spirits have
wandered in the omniverse. To accomplish this, they must be
brought a Wish Heart (t. 75). Having dealt with them once before,
The Necromancer believes The Curators (p. 100) may be in
possession of this supreme magic item. Anyone who can procure
a Wish Heart for The Necromancer will learn the Doctor’s
legendary abilities, and receive a Shadow Speaker (t. 65) and
June’s Blanket (t. 60).

20 — 3 cosmic, talented, impassioned, private

93 overwalker
shellside resort
scene — “A mountain with several unusual peaks crests the
canopy on the other side of the forest. As you approach the forest’s
edge, a stampede of forest creatures rush out toward you. The
mountain in the distance rises and begins moving toward you!”

story — Overwalkers are titanic beetles that wander the world,

consuming soil and stone to fuel an organic reactor in their
bellies. Their impressive bodies hold lakes on their backs, which
often become entirely unique ecosystems harboring all sorts of
flourishing lifeforms. Some overwalkers have entire coral reefs,
while others have been settled by creatures who build small towns
or resorts.

Overwalkers tend to avoid developed areas like cities or towns,

but occasionally they are known to trample over the sprawl of
civilization. They mostly live their lives unaware of the happenings
of smaller creatures as they have no natural predators and face few
threats to their wellbeing.

If threatened, overwalkers prefer to simply walk away to someplace

where they will not be bothered. However, anybody who presses the
issue and causes them real harm will face the wrath of a moving
mountain.

mortal war machine — Due to the threat of other groups

who oppose their combative way of life, Shredders (p. 65) have
searched for a more fortified wandering home. The Shredders have
set their sights on a giant overwalker to use as their permanent
home, allowing them to travel the world and establish a permanent
tournament.

ashwalkers — A rare kind of overwalker has a convex back that

forms a volcano. These ashwalkers are ravenous and spend most
of their time fueling their insatiable molten core. Once a year they
erupt, causing terror to those in the area.

300 — 5
94 the pilot
lost in time and space
scene — “You think the light streaking through the sky is just
another meteorite. But as it draws closer and grows brighter, you
realize this is no stone from the heavens. As the object crashes into
the ground and leaves a plume of smoke, a silvery being emerges,
removing a pecuilar hat. You hear them begin to make noises, but you
don’t understand them. As they witness your confusion, they adjust
something on their clothing. ‘When am I?’ they say in a language you
can now understand.”

story — The Pilot is a space explorer from a distant dimension in

another corner of the omniverse. Part of an advanced spacefaring
civilization, they were on a mission to study mysterious energies in
their galaxy. But they unwittingly stumbled upon a Wizard’s stray
portal, transporting them through time and space to a universe full of
magic.

The Pilot can speak to beings across the omniverse with the aid of
a highly advanced interpretive device. They carry alien technologies
that rival the best magic inventions. However, with their ship broken
and beyond repair, they are now stranded far beyond their home.

The Pilot is an intrepid explorer and seeks to understand new and

strange things. As such, despite their fear and sadness, they begin the
process of investigating and documenting their new world — with the
hope they will someday return home to share knowledge with their
people.

While they will go to great lengths to avoid conflict in unknown lands,

they will protect themselves from harm as a last resort with the use of
a laser cutter.

quest — If anyone can help The Pilot return to their homeworld,

they will bestow all of their knowledge of technology and space travel,
allowing the creation of The Cosmic Cruiser (t. 67).

16 — 4 cosmic, curious, charismatic, resourceful

95 the prismatic prophet
scheming sorcerer
scene — “The sound of wailing and singing overcomes you as you
work your way through the crowd. Some revelers joyfully spray each
other with color, while others stand in tears. You reach the stage and
look up at a person in brilliant robes. Their booming voice grabs you
as if their words are made of magic.”

story — The Prismatic Prophet is a fanatical sorcerer who has been

recruited by agents of The Shadow Broker (p. 100) to help find an
ancient artifact. The artifact can be used to open portals to hidden
and powerful worlds. Expecting a reward from the Shadow Broker of
riches and power beyond imagination, the Prophet has spent years
fabricating a spiritual cult. The cult believes that the material world is
a lie, and that the true world can only be reached by finding the secret
to opening a great portal. Their followers are known as adherents (p.
28).

The Prophet’s relentless ambition and single-minded focus has helped

them recruit radical followers who enact the Prophet’s words, even
by force. This has made many enemies in the region, including The
Tyrant (p. 26), who is frustrated by the misplaced devotion of cultists
and their attempts to corrupt members of the Regional Guard (p. 60).

The Prophet is a shrewd and manipulative person who is capable

of morphing their personality and words to charm those in his
presence. With the help of their giant magic amulet, they are able to
use the Insight (gb. 86), Magic Tricks (gb. 84), Mirage (gb. 84), and
Mesmerize (gb. 84) spells.

phrases — “Search your heart. Can you accept a world filled with
corruption and suffering? Do you really think this is the
reality we must accept? Your hope for a better world is
the truth. That world is out there. Let me show you the
way.”
“Rejoice! For we shall be carried on the light to the true
world that lies beyond.”

20 — 3 leader, charismatic, private, deceiver, rebellious

96 professor prim
renowned magic scientist
scene — “You excitedly grasp your ticket in your hand as you pass
through the ornate iron gate to the Great Magic Factory. Dozens of
workers in crisp uniforms mill about, carrying supplies about the
grounds. A person in an iconic peach frock walks through the grand
doors of the building, a carpet rolling out in front of them as they
walk toward you.”

story — Professor Prim is a famous scientist and magic industrialist

who makes some of the world’s most beloved curiosities. Prim is a
shrewd and imaginative artisan who has spent decades building an
iconic brand of magic shops that carry magic confections beyond
imagination. While she is outwardly a rival of Brell (p. 76), the
two have a longtime friendship. (Brell’s Magnificent Morsels and
Everlastic Bear are recipes on loan from the Professor.)

While the Professor is just as competitive as others in her rarefied

cohort, they prefer to work in seclusion. This air of mystery has made
the public even more interested in Prim’s pursuits and created a
cult following that expresses an unusual devotion to their products.
Reporters go to great lengths to catch a glimpse of the Professor and
their activities.

Professor Prim is perhaps the most talented magic scientist in the

world and is capable of discerning almost any kind of magic. Their
skills are often employed to unpack the nature of mysterious magic
items. On rare occasions, Prim will assist others who present unique
mysteries, like the opportunity to study an unexplained magic portal.

the tour — Each year, the Professor issues a lottery for a small
group of fans to tour their Great Magic Factory. The factory is an
immense labyrinth of laboratories and production floors that create
all of the confections in Prim’s magic shops. Curiously, some lucky
winners choose never to leave the factory and become a part of
its suspiciously happy workforce. The Muckraker (p. 19) has been
working hard to figure out just what goes on inside the factory.

20 — 3 talented, enterprising, private, resourceful

97 the red crown
fabled dragon
scene — “A cloud obscures the sun as you walk down the dirt
path away from the village. When you remember there were no
clouds in the sky, you hear screaming in the distance behind
you. You turn to see a giant red dragon spewing thick streams of
molten flame at the village’s buildings.”

story — The Red Crown is an ancient dragon fueled by

narcissism and envy. After stealing the crown of a fallen
archon (p. 74), the dragon became the most powerful
of their kind in the omniverse.

But this gift came with a steep price. Warped by the terrible
power of the archons, The Red Crown was beset with
megalomania and became obsessed with visions of
an eternal reign of dragons across the omniverse.

The Crown now travels the omniverse in search of worlds where

dragons are weak or marginalized, demanding their fealty in
exchange for conquest. Then, they work to topple each world’s
great powers to give dragons space to rule over them.

goldhall — The Red Crown used their power to create a great

dragon capital in an immense shadow plane filled with vast
temples of gold and flame. Here, thousands of fanatical dragons
from across the omniverse live in service of the Crown’s radical
mission of conquest and obliteration. Goldhall contains endless
riches and is one of the most dangerous places in the omniverse.

war of wings — The Crown’s reign of destruction drew the

attention of an elite team of archons known as The Tetra. These
archons scour the omniverse for the fallen in order to recover
their powerful crowns. After a confrontation with The Red
Crown that ended in a draw, The Tetra and the Crown’s empire
of dragons have entered a slow-burning war that is building
toward an epic confrontation.

60 — 5 cosmic, zealous, greedy, combative

98 rift eater
cosmic devourer
scene — “As your ship draws closer, you finally make out
what’s happening. That’s not a planet — it’s a planet eater. Its
jellyfish-like body pulsates horiffically as it creeps toward its
next meal. You can only assume the ruins in its wake are the
remains of entire worlds. And yet you feel a strange desire to
let gravity pull you toward it.”

story — Rift eaters are horrors of the omniverse. To most

beings they are incomprehensible in scale and nature, and few
civilizations are capable of defeating them.

Eaters are a byproduct of the use of a Conservator’s Ring

(t. 70). When a conservator (p. 78) uses the ring to destroy
a universe, a rift eater is occasionally born at the site of that
universe’s former gateway in The Rift.

Eaters roam the omniverse, passing between universes to

consume planets. They can sense planetary bodies across
universes and travel at immense galaxy-scale speeds for short
periods of time, after which they must consume a planet to
regain their energy for fast travel.

There are only a few recorded instances of a rift eater being

destroyed. In one case, a powerful spacefaring people tricked
a rift eater into trying to consume a black hole, saving their
homeworld from destruction.

Conservators are indifferent to the existence of rift eaters

and do not believe they are responsible for their actions. To
conservators, rift eaters are simply animals that cannot be
faulted for their hunger.

an unlikely home — To some civilizations, rift eaters

provide an inexhaustible supply of matter and energy and
serve as rich ground for habitation. The Shadow Broker’s (p.
100) headquarters is located on the surface of a Rift Eater.

∞—∞
99 ripley
legendary wizard
scene — “The impeccably-groomed cat stretches his back in the
air and gently hops down to the floor, rubbing against your leg. As
he brushes against you, you feel a powerful tingling feeling shoot
up your nerves, as if the cat is charged with some kind of cosmic
energy.”

story — Ripley is an ancient Wizard who found a magical locket

during his adventures. The locket grants its wearer long life and
the ability to shapeshift into a feline form. And while Ripley is still
very much the capable Wizard he once was, he has preferred to live
the sleepy life of a cat for the past 1,000 years, only reverting to his
original form when absolutely necessary.

Ripley enjoys entering the lives of people from every corner of

the world and from every kind of background. He has been the
housecat for hundreds of families. And he has witnessed the world
turn from the dusty floors of humble cabins to the gilded halls of
mighty palaces.

Ripley has become quite curious as a side effect of living as a

humble cat for so long. And he is most interested in forming
friendships with people who share the spirit of curiosity. In his
original form, he occasionally pauses and feels a compelling desire
to lick himself. He resists this urge... most of the time.

legendary quest — For hundreds of years, Ripley has searched

for a mythical ancient treasure: a pillow said to be the softest ever
made. The pillow belonged to the ruler of an ancient empire that
fell to a Krasix invasion. The lost empire is now buried deep under
the world, and its twisting ruins contain unknown horrors.

Ripley will teach legendary Wizard abilities to those who help him
find the locket, and offer a Stowglobe (t. 65) and Randi’s Revealer
(t. 63) as a reward. He may even consider becoming the party’s
feline companion, for a while.

20 — 4 cosmic, empathic, wise, a very good kitty

100 the shadow broker
interdimensional fixer
scene — “You walk through the sweeping lights and mist in the
club toward the guarded hallway in the back. A hooded figure
stands behind a desk in an otherwise empty room, their hands
clasped behind their back. ‘I know who you are,’ they say. ‘And I
know all about the artifact you’ve been looking for.’”

story — The Shadow Broker is the leader of an interdimensional

organization of thieves and fixers who manage a list of incredibly
powerful clients, known as The Curators. Their list of services
spans almost any dirty deed conceivable — and none of them come
cheap.

Hiding in a remote part of the omniverse, the Broker seldom

travels in-person and prefers to rely on a vast network of shadow
operatives (p. 62) and other associates. The Broker occasionally
meets with clients and adversaries remotely, either through
wizardly magic, or by using devices like Brell’s Endless Quest (t. 8).
(The Curators have secretly hacked the illusory realms of Brell’s
Endless Quest, and use it to spy on others and meet secretly.)

The Shadow Broker is a ruthless magnate with a cynical streak,

though they are exacting and loyal when it comes to fulfilling
obligations to clients. They are one of the few beings who are
aware of conservators (p. 78) and believes they are a great evil that
must be eradicated. The Broker’s personal mission is to gather
allies and artifacts powerful enough to someday challenge the
conservators’ unrivaled power; unknown even to The Curators, The
Broker is responsible for bankrolling the growing cosmic rebellion.

the curators — The Curators work throughout the omniverse

and cross between Quest’s Classic Fantasy and Cosmic Fantasy
editions. We suggest that you use them in your story as a gateway
between high fantasy and science fiction. Curators feel at home
both in quiet taverns and on busy space stations.

10 — 2 leader, enterprising, resourceful, deceiver

101 vee
shapeshifting sorcerer
scene — “You don’t remember how you didn’t notice it before,
but you suddenly happen upon a small forest glade where a
pristine cabin lives. Everything looks inexplicably fresher and
brighter here. You feel an exciting tingling sensation as a hooded
figure opens the door and welcomes you.”

story — Vee has lived countless lives in a cursed and undying

pursuit of immortality. They are drawn to powerful magic users
throughout the omniverse and consume their energy to replenish
their powers.

Once they sip at the fountain of eternal life, Vee takes the shape of
their victims and impersonates them. This often means living out
the remainder of a victim’s life and carefully concealing their past
identities.

When a life ends, Vee’s spirit hunts for a new host. They prefer
to assume the lives of secluded people who live away from prying
eyes, though sometimes a powerful ruler or famous person is
suitable.

While Vee’s methods are unconscionable, their innate desire to

live forever has one caveat. Their deepest wish is to form such a
deep bond of friendship that they will lose the desire to outlive
others and simply fade into the void.

Vee is yet unaware that this would mean finding a friend in their
original form, and not through the life of a victim.

salient — Vee is a Salient: a live conduit of magic energy who

has an innate ability to shape magic and bend it to their will. They
have broad magic capabilities that can be manifested simply by
wishing things into reality — making them able to freely do things
like teleport, create force and damage, and produce reality-bending
illusions.

30 — 5 immune to magic, private, cosmic, deceiver

102 windgeist
legendary naturalist
scene — “You feel an unexpected breeze rush through you that
twists and turns as it passes by. A figure descends from the sky
with electricity crackling in a mist that swirlds around them.
Though their power appears overwhelming, you feel a strange
sense of calm in their presence.”

story — Windgeists are ancient Naturalists who have

transcended their mortal bodies and formed a union with the
raw magical forces of nature. Their levitating bodies fludily
phase in and out of solid form wherever they go, leaving trails of
soft mist in their wake.

Windgeists posesses some of their past memories and sentience,

but they often drift into a dream state where they become the
source of local weather. They seek to preserve balance in the
climate of their world, but occasionally become forces of natural
chaos and destruction when experiencing a nightmare.

Believing they are the voice of nature’s godly mystery, windgeists

often speak through the environment, like by sending a warm
and comforting breeze or an uncomfortable chill. While their
personalities and motives differ, they often share the desire
to provide others the chance to find a spiritual reverence for
nature’s wisdom.

legendary quest — An immensely powerful Windgeist

named Wolcen has a preeminent connection with nature that
surpasses even other fellow Windgeists. Wolcen has the Invoke
ability (gb. 42) and can take others to meet with an avatar of
nature’s wisdom. When capable adventurers meet this avatar,
they will be asked to find and neutralize the original source of
the Krasix invasion. Anyone who accomplishes this task will be
offered the Naturalist’s legendary abilities, a ball of Curious Clay
(p. 55), and a mysterious token known as The Toll (p. 68).

20 — 3 phase shifter, regeneration, exalted, cosmic

103 worldraker
underworld titan
scene — “As you drop the gem into the artifact’s socket, a
giant flaming portal opens in the back of the room. A giant
figure with a body like plated armor passes through it with steps
like small earthquakes. Its eyes begin to glow like fiery stars.”

story — Worldrakers are primeval demon titans: the precursor

of many of the omniverse’s communities of demons. After being
hunted long ago by archons (p. 74), they retreated and scurried
throughout the omniverse, hiding themselves in disassembled
and scattered artifacts. Those who piece together the artifacts
wittingly or unwittingly summon a worldraker back from the
void.

Worldrakers were created before time by conservators (p. 78),

before they gained the knowledge to forge their terrible rings.
Released as weapons, their singular pursuit was to destroy entire
worlds. In the vast expanse of time since they were released
by the conservators, many worldrakers shed this urge for
obliteration, while the urge grew even stronger in others.

Worldrakers have several forms and they change forms when

the health of each form is reduced to zero.

enraged form (30 — 4) — When a worldraker becomes

enraged, they double in size and grow deadly spikes all over their
body, in addition to wings that allow them to hover above the
ground. A creature who makes a physical attack on an enraged
worldraker receives 1 damage.

final form (60 — 4) — A worldraker in its final form becomes

four times their original size and explodes in fury, opening a
cavity in their chest with an exposed heart. Spiky tentacles erupt
from their back that allow them to make an extra attack each
turn. When a worldraker is killed in their final form, their heart
impodes, sucking the demon into a small black hole.

20 — 3 cosmic, exalted
104 worldraker
enraged form / final form
105 how to use characters what is a character?
Characters are the heart of your story. A story can A character is any creature that appears in your story, like
people or animals. Every character in this book is a non-
have great settings, descriptions, and mysteries — but player character: a character played by the Guide that the
none of that matters without characters who matter. other players can meet during the adventure.

Characters are what make any game of Quest Your story can be filled with creatures of your wildest
imagination, from commoners to wild beasts, strange terrors,
special. Any character you introduce into the game mythical beings, gods, and even time-traveling beings of light
has the power to give it more depth and texture. and energy. Many of those characters are in this book, and
Sure, it’s rewarding to find treasure and overcome you can use them as we’ve provided or modify them to make
obstacles, but it’s more rewarding when those things them your own.

have consequences for characters in the story. Characters give your story life. When you use them in the
story, try to make them believable. They work best when
Remember that a story is a small window into a they are active parts of the story and not idle props in the
world. It can’t be about everyone. Players will latch background. Use your characters often to speak directly to
the player characters.
onto any character they meet, which means you
should use characters intentionally. This section of
the book will present some basic ideas about how to make characters belong
do this. All of your characters should have a reason to be where they
are in your world. Think about where they came from, why
The short version: if you make characters belong they’re here, and how they affect the environment around
in the world, they will do lots of work to help them. Make your characters living, breathing parts of your
world. They should be active participants in each scene.
advance the story. Don’t worry too much about
“plot.” Instead, think about what characters care For example, if your players are wasting time in line at a
shop, you might have the shopkeeper or a patron scold them
about and how they see the world. You can then use
for holding things up. Use your NPCs to add urgency and life
these perspectives and motives to push each scene to each scene.
forward.
Every character and creature in the game should have some
Introduce characters who care about the things kind of objective, even if it’s small. A shopkeeper might
just want to get the best trade for something. But if the
the players do. The world of your game will characters push the character and investigate, you might
feel immersive and meaningful when there are consider a bigger role for them. Maybe the reason that
characters who have stakes in the players’ journey shopkeeper is so firm about the price is because they are
being shaken down by a local gang of bandits (p. 30) and are
and whose lives are affected by the decisions they behind on their protection payments.
make.
106 major characters organizations
You should give some deeper thought to a small group of major You can build organizations around your major characters that affect
characters in your story. Like the players, they should have their your fantasy world in the background. It’s a good idea to have at
own ideal, flaw, and dream. (You can see suggestions for these in least two organizations that are in conflict with each other from the
the Game Book.) If your story has major characters that accompany beginning of your adventure. This conflict can help you build scenes
the party or show up often, you may also want to think about their and introduce challenges.
particular mannerisms, way of speaking, and deeper personality traits
that can establish them as unique people in the world. For example, if a villain of your story is a bandit leader who is
wreaking havoc on trade in the region, consider creating a major
You won’t be able to do this with a lot of characters, but your players character who opposes them. Perhaps the leader of the town guard
will appreciate getting to know a few important ones. Pay attention issues a warrant for the bandit leader’s arrest and offers the party a
to the characters that the players interact with the most, or the reward for their capture. You can use organizations to buffer your
ones they express affection for. Let the party help you decide which major characters. Make the party have to get through groups of
characters to elevate in your story with additional importance. minions to reach the leader!

Turn to the next set of pages to discover some of the organizations

distant figures that are referenced throughout this book. We’ve provided basic
prompts for these organizations, but it’s up to you to develop them
You can challenge the players and draw them into adventure by further for use in your own story. And while we’ve categorized them
creating distance between them and significant characters in the according to whether they are likely to be allies or adversaries of the
world. For example, if the players need to gain audience with a party, any of the organizations can become friends or foes to the
regional governor, you might put a bunch of other characters in their players.
way before allowing them to get access to a prominent character.
Consider the opportunity to meet important characters as a reward
for a successful journey. using organizations
You can use organizations to help you imagine the motives and
companions behavior of individual characters. Again, think of your characters as if
they were real people; a big part of their identity may come from the
On the other hand, some characters can be drawn very close to groups they are a part of, whether it’s their social club, job, army, or
the party. If there is a character whose mission is aligned with the village.
players, consider having them accompany the party on its journey.
The character may depart when the mission is fulfilled, or decide to In-between play sessions you can use organizations to push the story
stick around and become a permanent ally. forward. Imagine what organizations are doing in the background
of the story — either because they are responding to how the players
You can also create an NPC companion to act as a full member of the are interacting with the organization, or because the organization is
party if you have a small group of players who would benefit from pushing forward while the players are preoccupied with something
having an extra ally around. You can control this companion as an else.
NPC, but allow the players to direct them.
When you need to, you can make the actions of an organization
appear in the story to draw the players into conflict or adventure.
107 major organizations

the bureau
purpose members adversaries allies

To maintain “balance” in the Conservators The Last Light, The Curators, Rift Eaters, Worldrakers
omniverse by destroying entire The Shadow Broker, Lena, Edge
universes. Hunters, Archons

the last light

purpose members adversaries allies

To destroy the Conservators. General Div (Archon), Lena, Conservators, Rift Eaters, The Curators
Edge Hunters Worldrakers, The Red Crown

the curators
purpose members adversaries allies

To provide trustworthy The Shadow Broker, Shadow The Tyrant, Regional Guard, The High Trader, The Prismatic
procurement services to clients Operatives Tortomorto Conspiracy, The Last Light
across the omniverse.

uberhell
purpose members adversaries allies

A cartel of demons seeking Draxis, Reapers The Arch Wraith, Archons The Scream Team
ever-greater efficiency in the
administration of hell.
108 major organizations

consumer magic alliance

purpose members adversaries allies

The CMA is a trade alliance that Brell, Professor Prim Dr. Chaos, The Host, Albatross, The Brewer, The Benefactor,
seeks to advance the use and Clockwork Giant, Chaos Drones Surrogate (Field Monitor)
sale of consumer magic.

the prismatic conspiracy

purpose members adversaries allies

This group, led by The Prismatic The Prismatic Prophet, The Tyrant, Regional Guard, The The Host, The Curators
Prophet, seeks to open a portal Adherents Faceless One, The Librarian
to other worlds.

the administration
purpose members adversaries allies

A totalitarian revolution that will The Tyrant The Alleycat, The Rouge Hand The Aristocrat, Shredders
put The Tyrant in power. (Bandits), The Muckraker, Death
Rake, Kestrel

friends of the forest

purpose members adversaries allies

An informal alliance of forest Elder Warden, Claw, Kirn Frost Weavers, The Consumer Lichen, Crag, Birdplan, The
protectors who wish to nurture (Windgeist), Cid & Felix Magic Alliance, Dr. Chaos Benefactor, Albatross, The
the preservation of nature. Reclamation Court (Outraiders)
109 npc templates

You can use these templates to

create any kind of creature you commoners minions bosses
want. 2 hp — 1 attack 4 hp — 2 attack 10 hp — 4 attack
All NPCs have two basic stats:
hit points and attack rating.An Commoners are average creatures, Minions are any tougher characters Bosses are special characters of
NPC’s attack rating is how much like the everyday people and who could pose a threat to the exceptional power and importance.
damage it deals whenever it hits an animals you meet. They don’t party in an encounter, like a bear in They are major characters who
opponent with a basic attack. And usually pose a threat to the party, the forest or rank-and-file members should each have a goal they
an NPC’s hit points, like the player unless they hold some position of of the town guard. are working toward, whether it’s
characters’ hit points, are the power or influence. to take over a town, guard their
measure of their mortality. Most minions don’t usually dungeon, or simply to prey on
Farmers, merchants, artists, pose a big threat to the party by adventurers.
When an NPC reaches 0 hit points, politicians, pets, and other average themselves, but they can be very
it dies. However, to make death creatures are all examples of deadly in groups. Bosses should operate in the
more significant, you may consider commoners. You should use background and affect the world
having the players always specify these characters mostly for social Some minions travel in small even if they are not present in a
if they wish to kill an NPC at 0 interactions and not combat groups with their own agendas, scene. Because they’re so powerful,
HP instead of having them die situations. They’re not fighters, while others act in service of a boss. bosses usually attract crowds of
instantly. but they may defend themselves if (Remember to use organizations minions that do their bidding.
necessary. to tie groups of characters together
Note that templates are starting and give them bigger motives.) Bosses already innately have
points, and you can modify Commoners can and should play special protections against some
the basic stats for each type of a big part in the story, and many Minions can be very powerful, of the players’ more powerful
character as needed. of the commoners in this book are but they are more susceptible to abilities. However, you should
considered major characters. Don’t the players’ special abilities than consider giving bosses of your own
You can also give each NPC special use their relative hardiness as a bosses. Consider giving minions design a few special features that
features that help distinguish their sign that they are not capable of of your own design one or two distinguish their capabilities.
capabilities and behaviors. You can powerful things! combat-related special features.
see a list of these special features
and how they work beginning on
the next set of pages.
110 special features physical features evasive The character can freely change
its shape to take on the likeness of
Each character in this book has a The character has an extraordinary other creatures. They revert to their
set of special features that you can big method of movement. Choose one: default form upon death.
use to quickly figure out how they it can fly, it can climb quickly, it can
might behave in a scene. Some Add 10 HP and 1 attack if the burrow and travel underground, it
special features are related to their character is much larger than the can teleport brief distances, or it ethereal
capabilities in a fight, while others players, like a bear, a giant spider, can outrun other creatures by foot.
are useful in social interactions. or a hill giant. The character has no physical body
and cannot be affected by physical
invulnerable damage. (It can only be affected
colossal by magic harm.) It can freely
The character cannot lose hit pass through physical objects and
Add 40 HP and 4 attack if the points. It’s probably a god. communicate telepathically.
character is orders of magnitude
larger than the players, like a All spirit characters are ethereal.
sandworm, a kraken, or a titan. protection Many ethereal characters are
invisible, but not all are. Ethereal
resistance. The character takes
characters that can be seen appear
veteran half damage from a type of damage,
like ghosts: translucent creatures
like fire or non-magic weapons.
that glide through the air.
Add 4 HP and 1 attack if the
character is experienced, like a immunity. The character takes no
veteran town guard, a professor of damage from a type of damage
magic, or an ancient elemental. or cannot be affected by certain reflection
conditions, like sleep or mind
control. When the character receives
damage, return half of the damage
regeneration received to the attacker.
At the beginning of each of its phase shifter
turns, the character recovers half of
its hit point maximum. The character can shift between
physical and ethereal forms or
between solid and gaseous forms.
invisible
The character cannot be seen with
natural vision.
111 combat features social features nonviolent zealous
This creature is unwilling to The character has a powerful
extra attack charismatic knowingly bring harm to others, motivation toward an ideal or cause
especially in intimate ways like that colors all of their behavior.
The character can attack twice The character is exceptionally by attacking them. They will go to They are often inflexible and try
during its turn instead of once. charming through some great lengths to avoid conflict, and to bend others toward their way of
combination of good looks, quick will tend to flee any sort of combat. thinking or acting.
wit, intelligence, kindness, or other
lifetap attractive qualities. Charasmatic
characters can easily gain trust and ideal and flaw greedy
When the character damages an attention from other NPCs.
adversary, it recovers hit points The character has traits similar The character tries their hardest
equal to the amount of damage to those of a player character. to make deals one-sided or tilt
dealt. cosmic Choose one or more ideals and situations to their personal
flaws from the Quest Game Book advantage. They will not accept
This is a character of the omniverse in the section on player character equal trades when dealing with
special ability who is aware of its vastness. They creation. Be prepared to add these player characters or other NPCs.
may be aware of other dimensions, features to an NPC at any time,
Give the character a special ability countless other peoples, and/or since some of the players’ abilities
belonging to one of the eight player The Rift. These characters may require the NPC to have an ideal or enterprising
character roles or something you cause skepticism and fear in those flaw.
invent. If the creature is a boss, with a limited understanding of the Enterprising characters are
like an NPC Wizard, you can give omniverse, or cause them to view motivated to extract value from any
them a handful of special abilities cosmic characters as prophets or talented given situation. This might mean
belonging to that role. gods. expanding their business dealings
This character is extraordinarily or increasing their influence. They
NPCs do not have adventure points, skilled in some kind of art or craft, approach many situations with an
and they do not need AP to use
special abilities. If you give them
horrifying like music, cooking, woodworking, eye toward leveraging opportunity.
or something else. This talent
especially powerful abilities, use The character is so grotesque, makes them stand out above other
your judgment to limit how many otherworldly, or grim that it causes NPCs and often means they have leader
times they can use them. immense fear in anyone who sees something valuable to offer others,
it. whether it is an object or a service. The character casts a natural aura
of leadership, causing commoners
When first encountering a and minions to follow them or be
horrifying character, players must receptive to their commands.
roll the die. If they fail, they are
frozen in fear and lose their first
turn.
112 social features combative gossiper rebellious
The character is prickly. They take The character freely offers a mix The character has a distaste for
exalted offense easily, try to find fault of rumor and fact about others formality and order, especially
in others, instigate fights, or do whenever given the opportunity. when associated with powerful
The character’s experience of life other things to provoke hostility. They often strike up conversations groups. They do not tolerate
is drastically different from those They are likely to create combat with strangers to spread the talk of commands from others and are
with relatively limited faculties, situations if confronted by other the town to gain social favor. eager to resist existing power
like mortals with short lifespans. characters. structures.
Exalted characters may find it
difficult to relate to those who do moral
not share this experience of the private wise
world and may think about things Moral characters have a strong
at a different scale. The character lacks trust in others, sense of right and wrong, no The character has a wealth of
has things to hide, or has some matter which side of it they end useful knowledge that makes
other reason for secrecy. They up on. They often make decisions them skilled in coping with the
impassioned offer very little information in based on morality and invoke it in world. Wise characters are often
conversation and make an effort to interactions with others. able to impart their wisdom on
The character experiences conceal their secrets from others. others through relatable stories or
immense feeling. They often instructional aphorisms.
find deep connection outside resourceful
of themselves, like with other kind
people, nature, or art. Impassioned The character has a keen
characters are often expressive and The character treats others well. understanding of practical
responsive to others who kindle They tend not to make negative means. They are perceptive of the
their emotions. assumptions of others. They environment around them and
are generous when others ask can often detect useful things in a
for attention or need help with scene. (For example, a resourceful
empathic something. character might identify an edible
plant in a forest.)
The character has extraordinary
emotional intelligence and can curious
reliably divine the intentions, deceiver
ideals, and flaws of others through The character is persistent in
intuition or conversation. They are seeking knowledge. They ask The character has a proclivity
interested about other people and questions when they don’t know for deceiving others, whether to
how they are feeling. something and they love to maintain privacy or because they
investigate mysteries. They won’t simply enjoy being deceitful. They
let other characters get away with are skilled in lying and will create
vague answers or obvious lies. elaborate lies if necessary.
113 character sheet
Like the player characters, you can use You don’t need to fill out this whole sheet You can find a standalone downloadable
character sheets for your NPCs. Using a for every character in your story. But it helps version of this sheet on Quest’s website at
character sheet can help you quickly put to make sure each character has a motive www.adventure.game
together a character for your story and keep (something they want), and a problem that
track of NPCs. they want to solve.

name hp / atk what’s something useful that they know?

what do they look like? (body / face / vibe) who are their friends?

occupation / organizations who are their adversaries?

special features / ideal / flaw what’s their biggest secret?

what’s something that they want? what valuable things do they own?

what is a problem that they have? special abilities

index
commoners 39. Crag bosses how-to guides
40. Edge Hunter
5. The Alleycat 41. Empty Suit 73. Albatross 105. How to use characters
6. The Aristocrat 42. The Envoy 74. Archon 107. Major organizations
7. The Benefactor 43. Fear Itself 75. The Arch Wraith 109. NPC templates
8. Birdplan 44. Frost Weaver 76. Brell 110. NPC features
9. The Brewer 45. Harvester 77. Clockwork Giant 113. Character sheet
10. Button Dweller 46. Hero Eater 78. Conservator
11. The Faceless One 47. The High Trader 79. Death Rake references
12. Grasping Ghost 48. Judge 80. Dr. Chaos
13. Hatbat 49. Krasix Goliath 81. Draxis Page number references point to
14. The Host 50. Krasix Swarmling 82. Elder Warden pages of physical books in Quest’s
15. Keeper 51. Puck 83. Freestrider official collection:
16. Krasix Parasite 52. Leaf Guardian 84. The Illusionist
17. The Librarian 53. Lichen 85. Jelly Titan (p.) A page in this book.
18. The Mayor 54. Locklily 86. Kestrel (gb.) A page in the Game Book.
19. The Muckraker 55. Murder Hornet 87. Krasix Shadowmaker (t.) A page in the Treasure Book.
20. Packibou 56. The Mythkeeper 88. Leaftide
21. The Quest Giver 57. Noxis 89. Lena
22. The Representative 58. Outraider 90. The Lost
23. Squeezle 59. Primordial Cauldron 91. The Magister
24. Surrogate 60. Regional Guard 92. The Necromancer
25. Theodoric 61. Scaler 93. Overwalker
26. The Tyrant 62. Shadow Operative 94. The Pilot
27. Yumcakes 63. Shadow Stalker 95. The Prismatic Prophet
64. Shambler 96. Professor Prim
minions 65. Shredder 97. The Red Crown
66. Soul Collector 98. Rift Eater
28. Adherent 67. Spirit Wyrm 99. Ripley
29. Assassin 68. Sprink 100. The Shadow Broker
30. Bandits 69. Star Demon 101. Vee
31. Bearclaw 70. Reaper 102. Windgeist
32. Blood Jelly 71. Tortomorto 103. Worldraker (1)
33. Bonekind 72. Underleech 104. Worldraker (2, 3)
34. Cid & Felix
35. The Champion
36. Chaos Drone
37. Chaos Goat
38. Claw www.adventure.game